Customer Reviews

NEXTAR N1-102 1.1-Inch Black Key Chain Photo Viewer

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I bought several digital key chains this season and love them all. But they are all finicky and hard to get loaded until you figure it out. It's like riding a bicycle. I do recommend this keychain, however, and it does work quickly and well once you know the sequence to loading and charging the device.

But first, it is true that this particular keychain only comes with the PC version of the software, and the software is critical. Go buy the Coby one if you have a Mac, or if you have already bought this one--go download the Coby Mac version of the software at cobyusa.com (these two use the same software called Photoviewer). The complication is that the viewers are preset with the proper crop shape for your device--but it's worth a try before returning it.

Okay, two critical points: the software will NOT work unless the device is connected and the computer has recognized it. Second, you must do things in this sequence:

1. Load software
2. Charge the device fully by plugging it in (do not physically turn it on--let the USB cord light it up).
3. REMOVE the device from the computer while the keychain is still OFF.
4. Plug the device back in while it is still OFF.
5. SWITCH the mode on the keychain screen from USB charge to USB update.
6. Wait for the "beep" confirmation that the computer found new hardware.
7. THEN open the Photoviewer software.

It's so easy to use after that. The photoviewer is fast and intuitive and loads extremely fast. You can crop and go in five minutes if you have your photos picked out.

If you do NOT get the new hardware found notice and the beep, simply keep plugging and unplugging the device (leave the cord in your computer and disconnect at the keychain end) until you do. Unlike the Coby keychains, though, this Nextar popped up on first try for me.

There have been complaints that these keychains will only load with software and not as a drive, but realize they have limitations (and are cheap for something that can display!) and the software is what saves your pictures down to the right size, something the average person would not do correctly if just sticking full res files on a drive.

Enjoy your keychain! This one with a cover is wonderful as the screens scratch easily--and these black and red ones are stylish and cute! Picture quality is better on the Coby, but I will take cute and protected as a minor sacrifice in screen size.

I'm actually returning this lovely piece of junk to Amazon. The photos I loaded played as electronical gibberish onscreen. A real disappointment since it's very stylish and the only keychain with the magnetic cover. I also bought the COBY 1.5 digital photo keychain, which works without a hitch. Beware of this NEXTAR product.

I agree with everything the previous reviewer, Deanna Roy "Writer and Photographer" , said. You have to load it in exactly the order listed on the manual. I was distracted and did not read the manual so I kept getting error messages with the software. When I started over and did it in the exact order specified, it worked perfectly and the software is easy to use and sync with the picture frame. I own a Dell PC with XP 2002 loaded, so I did not have any problems with the software. The pictures themselves are clear with good contrast. Of course the pictures are tiny so it is hard to make out some detail, but that is due to the size of the screen. It is so important to get a keychain with a cover because if you plan to use it like me, where you bring it out to show pictures of your kid(s) whenever someone asks and you add your car keys to this, you need a cover because the screen on any digital keychain will scratch very easily. In my opinion this looks nicer than what is pictured and I like the reinforced corners. I have seen several digital keychains and I think this is one of the better models.

For being such a small picture frame the picture is pretty good. The software that goes along with it is easy to use. I would definately reccomend this product to others.

This is a good deal for the price. It is a little time consuming to get pictures uploaded, but overall a good product.

This is a great little photo keychain. The software was very easy to use and will allow you to crop your photos. I recommend this on photos that are not close shots of the people/faces, it is a 1x1 screen. Really like the cover - very useful and well thought out. I bought 3 and gave as gifts, all were well received.

Bought this for a friend thinking it would be a great birthday present. Screen VERY small, like a thumbprint (disappointment#1). Included software did not support Vista, went to the Nextar site, installed the update driver. Still no beans, I spent hours and hours trying to get this to work. And my friend didn't get his gift. Disappointed, I returned it.

I have had two of these now. The first I opened the package and it was broke. The bottom switch was not there at all. It was a gift so I had to return it to the company. They made me pay the 6.00 shipping with no reimbursement. So I did , got the new one, uploaded pictures, had it working, my husband went to turn it on , the bottom button just fell off. Called the company, same deal. I am not returning it. Its not worth it. The pictures are small and not that good. Buy another one, save your money

While the product is very petite and cute, the software that comes with it, is rather poor. Efforts to install it, kept giving useless messages such as "Photoviewer not found: Program terminated" or something equally cryptic or mis-spelled. The product's website takes eons to even load! Feel like returning this product and getting something better+robust.

bought a similar keychain last year but it did not have the scratch cover feature - great addition as the screen will get scratched if used as a keychain. easy installation download - pics aren't superb quality but what do you expect from such a small screen - gets the job done with pics on the go