Watch what you'll eat

One of the best tests of a new gadget is how easy it is to yank it from the box and start using it without reading the instruction manual. The miBook scores high in that regard, and was put through its paces about five minutes after I arrived home one night.

The slim device is billed as a multimedia cookbook because it's able to play video, audio, text, and still images. Watching a video of someone preparing a meal is wonderful, but the miBook (about $120) shows its utility in the kitchen by pausing at each key point in the recipe. Measurements and methods are demonstrated with discrete steps that proceed at the pace of the cook.

It's about the size of a DVD case, with a 7-inch screen, but an integrated little kickstand slides out of the back to prop the miBook on a countertop. This keeps hands free to cook and properly aligns the screen to fight glare from direct overhead lighting.

This seemed like an ideal setup, until I tried pressing buttons to advance the recipe. The unit slid away from me like a shy cat. Had I been more patient in pulling the miBook from its box, I would have immediately powered up the slim remote control unit. This was one of the best unexpected features, as it was easier to handle with oily hands than the miBook itself, and far easier to keep clean.

As with most books, content is what really matters. Photoco, the maker of miBook, licenses recipes from the Food Network for its cooking titles. A series of home-improvement titles uses content from the DIY Network and HGTV, while parenting titles use video from Parents TV.

Each cooking memory card contains about 150 recipes, subdivided into different categories by type of meat, cooking method, or the time available for meal preparation. As expected from the Food Network connection, the recipes tilt toward the kinds of low-frills, easy-to-prepare fare that make up the bulk of most family meals.

The screen resolution is a bit old-school by today's high-def standards, but it's more than adequate for displaying reasonably attractive clips of food preparation. A higher-resolution screen would be nice, as would a rubber strip along the bottom to keep the device from skittering across the counter. But consider that the miBook also displays photos, plays MP3 audio files, and accepts uploads from either a PC or a Mac, and the $120 device starts to look like a bargain. Individual titles are about $20.

The miBook would completely rock my world if it included DIY software tools to allow users to create their own step-by-step recipes. Over time, I could see reducing our family's shelf-buckling hoard of cookbooks down to a pocketful of Flash cards.

miBook, with two Food Network titles included, is available at Circuit City, Bed Bath & Beyond, Linens 'n Things, and Borders.

MICHAEL SAUNDERS