Smartparts Digital Picture Frame Where do I start? Out of business, no quality control, and software that doesn't work as advertised!

Anyone who recommends a Smartparts Digital Picture Frame at this point in time is not looking out for the buyer's best interest. Smartparts had some very good models as far as advertised features and pricing. But the user reviews are full of complaints about problems and products that die within months. And almost all have never got any response from the manufacturer when they were still in business.

In April/May of 2009 Smartparts announced they were going to cease operations. I'm sure there are still units out in the marketplace even today in 2010. But I can't recommend a purchase of any model due to the lack of quality control on both the hardware and software of any of their models. And the fact that they are no longer in business, well that seals the case.

Smartparts had two very popular models, an 8 inch wireless and a 12 inch desk or wall model that had a very decent screen (when it worked) and very buggy software. Pricing was very good too, maybe that's why they had all the problems. In the end I think they had at least 25 different models with many having very small differences in features. Both of these two popluar models had a lot of issues with software not functioning as advertised and hardware failures within the first 60 days. They failed to honor warranty claims and were difficult to contact, let alone get any resolution on refunds or repairs.

No matter how low the price, if the Smartparts Digital Picture Frame dies in a matter of weeks, and the software doesn't function, it's not a very good buy. I'd stick with a better known brand like Sony, Kodak, Samsung, or Viewsonic. There's usually a reason the cheap seats are cheap. Digital Picture Frames by nature run 24/7 (unless it has the feature of movement sensing to turn off) and quality parts and manufacturing does make a difference.

You can get a pretty good 8 inch digital frame from the known brand names for under $100 and it's a good desk size model. And you can get a Sony 10 inch with an unbelievable high resolution screen and software for around $250. Saving $15 to $20 on the cheaper models is not worth it if they die on you in a matter of days or don't even work out of the box.

So if you see a Smartparts Digital Picture Frame of any size or nature advertised way under the competition, run don't walk away from the deal. It won't be a bargain and you won't be able to get parts or repairs easily.

By the way, here's my favorite top model from Sony. It can hold up to 4,000 photos and photos look stunning on the special 10.2-inch WSVGA screen with a special TruBlack technology and it has 2 GB of internal memory too. It can even use compatible Bluetooth wireless enabled devices and has some of the best software I've seen with any digital picture frame. For more details just click on the image or links below.  

One of the things I really like about all Sony products is they are easy to use, have solid quality, and last forever. I still have a Sony Television that I bought over 20 years ago and it still works great. I don't you can find a better digital picture frame and this one is certainly worth the price.