These are the Aiptek DV 8800's strengths:

- The price. For $130, I got a nice camera with multiple uses.

-The features. It is everything you need in one. It also has an image stabilizer, photo frames, white balance options, exposure control, night shot mode, and other things you would expect from a camera twice it's cost.

- The size. It is very small and compact. You can take it on a trip in it's carry case or in a purse easily.

-The image/video quality. For it's small price, the quality is great.

-The software. This camera comes with multiple programs like Muvee autoproducer, a webcam driver that records AVI movies, and a couple of photo editing programs.

-The microphone placement. Most cams for this price put the microphone on the bottom on the camera, but the Aiptek DV 8800 has it right on top, so it won't be accidentally covered and the sound comes out nice.

These are the Aiptek DV 8800's weaknesses:

-The memory. If you're buying this camera, I strongly recommend you buy an SD card along with it. The internal memory only takes about a minute of video. The camera holds up to 2 GB of regular size SD cards which are about $10-$25.

-The navigation. For a newbie like me, it takes a while to learn how to navigate the camera's features.

-The image stability. The image stabilizer works ok, but not quite enough if your subject is moving quickly.

-The 4x digital zoom. After about 2x zoomed the image gets fuzzy.

-The accessories. Unfortunately, this camera doesn't come with much. For those who want to use this as a webcam, you'll have to purchase your own mini tripod. You also need to purchase a camera bag if you're planning on lugging it around.

This is a great little camera. It's perfect for youtube, stickam, skype, a future director, or just people who want a simple way to make home videos. The DV 8800 multitasks as a camcorder, a camera, an mp3 player, a media recorder, and a webcam all in one small package. If you are looking for a consumer quality cam, this is the one for you. If not, consider paying more money for a different camera.

Great for outdoor still shots and sunny outdoor video. The audio works really well. I recommend using Power Director video software for editing.

Overall, I like this little DV recorder. From 1 to 5 rating I'd give it a 4. It states pixels up to 8, but it's really only 5. It works best in bright flourescent light or outdoor sunny conditions. For the price it's an excellent camera. The documentaiton that came with the camera is outdated and I purchased the product in Nov. 2007. I had to download the driver from the Aiptek website. I had a problem with dowloading to my personal computer and realized I had to open the camera after conencting it to my USB. I looked on line to see if others had the same problem, so I've decided to post this review to let others know.