Digital Home Thoughts: Framed in Bluetooth: The Parrot Photo Viewer Reviewed

First Impressions
I was sitting at my desk and the General Manager of my company plopped down the Parrot Photo Viewer in front of me. He told me he would be coming back later to discuss it with me, and he wanted to know what I thought. Being the local uber geek in my office and the understood digital media guru, things like this happen to me all the time. My first reaction was, "Parrot? Who wants a photoframe from them?" I opened the box and I was pleasantly surprised with what was inside.


Figure 1: The grand unveiling. Parrot did do a very nice job with the packaging.

Sitting, nestled all snug inside was the "Brown Salamander" version of a digital photo frame. It's hard to describe the pattern, but it slightly resembles snakeskin and despite its leathery appearance, it's not soft. A run of stitching around the outer edge of the frame really does set off the rest. Overall, it looks like it could be in a nice room and blend.


Figure 2: A close up of the texture of the Parrot Photo Viewer.

That being said, there are some weird design choices that were made. For example, the cable that carries power to the unit (no batteries here, folks) is bright iPod white. On it is a slight bulge with a power button. Considering the dark and elegant design of the frame itself, the white power cable and adapter seems out of place and is aesthetically a poor design choice.


Figure 3: The power button is the model of simplicity.

It's possible to tuck the power cable away neatly if you're using the Photo Viewer on a desk, but if you're hanging it on a wall, it's something you should be aware of.