Ceiva or other digital frame anyone have info?

[updacountry]

Two part question:

I am interested in getting my MIL a Ceiva picture frame for her birthday. Does anyone have one or know how the service is. I know there was a post here a while back but can't find it. Any info good or bad or best place to buy would be appreciated.

My other question is I am thinking of getting digital picture frames that my nieces and nephews can view their pictures on by putting their camera cards in. I want to spend about $40 or less, but don't want to get a piece of junk. The ones I see are like a 1" screen and seem too small, any ideas on bigger ones that work.


I could really use your help!!

Thanks
Jill

[writermama]

DH and his sibs bought Ceivas for the grandparents and great grandparents.

It works well in their case because all of the sibs (live in different states) can upload pictures for display and the grands don't have to own or use a computer to view the photos. They like to show off the slideshow to their friends. It's a good option for non-computer people. On the downside, it's not cheap. For rural areas, the charge for dialing the access number to download photos every day can add up (you pay to use an 800 number if they don't have a local number for your area - I think, though not sure bout this). I don't know if there are new services as good or better.

I don't know anything about other digital frames.

hth

[sidmand]

Well, nothing recent on the Ceiva, but my Dad bought some for my grandmothers a few years ago and I don't think they ever used them. Is your MIL technically savvy? You don't need to be, but you do need to know that if the picture is *plugged in* that that is okay! One grandmother refused to keep it plugged in because she though it was either tying up the phone line or the electricity or something (can't remember exactly).

I don't think either one really used it the way it was meant to be used.

Last year for the holidays I bought some little keychains with about a 1" screen that show digital pictures. It was a cool idea, but two of them stopped working almost immediately. (I think they were $50 at the time, but had a $20 rebate or so.) I'm not sure if the other two are still working. I don't think a keychain, by nature, would be a good choice because it gets banged around too much for an electronic device. The screen was cute, but you couldn't see a heck of a lot, so yeah, definitely bigger would be better. I think I could put 64 pictures on it though (or maybe 32?). And it would play a little slideshow of them. We put a bunch of DS's pictures on it and gave it to his grandparents and aunts. It was cute, but I wouldn't buy again.

Not sure that really helped!

Debbie
http://b2.lilypie.com/BI7Tm5.png

[writermama]

Oh yeah, that reminds me, DH installed the Ceivas and occasionally one of the sibs has to go troubleshoot. I don't know if we'd give them to someone non-technical if they had to set them up by themselves. Even though it really just takes being plugged in to an outlet and a phone line, so it's not super complicated. i think DH got a splitter for the phone jack for at least one relative so she could keep it in the room where she wanted it.