Creative unveils third-gen Vado HD mini-camcorder; selling at $179.99

In case you're looking to give a camcorder for this holiday season and haven't found the right one yet, there's a new option in the mix: the new Creative Vado HD (3rd Generation) mini-camcorder.

The upgraded camcorder will feature Creative's new 3.0 software, which includes editing options and one-click upload access to YouTube and Facebook, and its compatible with both Windows and Mac OS. Creative also insists that this new model has especially improved quality of video under low-lighting conditions, at least compared to previous editions. Reviews will tell how much better it is compared to other brands. As for video power, the 3rd Gen Vado can record a max of 120 minutes of HD video or hold up to 7,000 stills.

Although, for some unknown reason, Creative has decided to step down the storage space from 8 GB on previous models to 4 GB on this one. It also lacks an expansion card slot.

Perhaps it was to bring down the price point and make it more competitive with the cheaper Flip and Kodak mini-cams. Set to sell at $179.99, the release says the 3rd-gen pocket cam is available for pre-order both on Creative's online store and Amazon, although I had difficulty finding either. And since's it states "pre-order," no word on when you will actually get it in the mail. So if you're planning on giving it for a holiday present, you might want to write and decorate a pretty "IOU" note.

Another discrepancy with the release and other reports is that Creative says the 3rd gen cam will be available in black and white, epiZENter has found an image (as seen above) with at least five glossy colors (black, white, purple, teal and red). Take your pick.

For the full press release, click here. Anyone interested in picking one of these petite camcorders up, especially if they arrive during the holiday season?