Closer Look

It’s rather too long to call the device by its full name EPSON Multimedia Storage Viewer P-2000, so I’ll be referring to it as just “viewer?or “P-2000?throughout this article.

So, this curious gadget is a kind of etalon of designing thought to me. Such etalons used to draw the attention of the public at specialized exhibitions earlier, but today you can get it in many computer shops. I could rant for hours on end about the pretty looks of the P-2000, its smooth outline and the superb overall aesthetics, but let’s better talk about its functionality.

The LCD screen and the control panel

A high-contrast color LCD screen with a diagonal of 3.8 inches takes up the biggest part of the viewer’s front panel. The screen displays static and dynamic images in 640x480 resolution with a density of 212ppi. The few available controls are located to the right of the screen. The navigation buttons form a metal circle with an Ok button in the center. Cancel, Display, Home, Menu and Print buttons are placed nearby. The two LED indicators show you the accumulator’s charge level and if the hard drive is being accessed. Static images can be zoomed in or out by pressing the Ok (+) and Cancel (-) buttons. The Print button invokes the direct print feature.

The onscreen start menu

As you turn the device on, you see its start menu consisting of five sections: Saved Data, Album, Memory Card, Latest Data and Settings. The names are self-explanatory, I guess. Let’s just take a look at the Settings submenu to see what parameters of the device the user can control.

The Settings screen

The Settings menu is divided into ten tabs. The user can set up almost all of the device’s functions.