Is the new Flip Mino camcorder worth $30 more than the bestselling Flip Ultra?

[Updated: June 4, 2008 @ 5:01 pm] The super-popular Flip Ultra's incredible success has inspired plenty of competition trying to ride the cheapo-camcorder tsunami that the Flip set off. So less than a year after the Flip Ultra's September 2007 release comes Pure Digital's latest Flip, the Flip Mino. Priced at $179.95 (the same price the 2GB Flip Ultra was launched at), the Mino is an incremental update to the Ultra (which has been dropped to $149, and is now only shipping in 2GB versions). So what does the 2GB Mino offer in comparison to the Ultra?? A short list:

* Built-in rechargeable Li Ion battery (vs. two AA alkalines or removable NiMH) = better battery life

* Pure Digital Video Engine 2.5 (vs. v2.0) = slightly better image quality

* USB connector flips straight (vs. out to side) = more compact footprint

* Direct upload to MySpace too (vs. only YouTube and AOL Video) = more sharing

* Only available in black and white (vs. black, white, orange, pink, and green) = fewer matching outfits

* New interface with touch-sensitive buttons (vs. "easy-press" buttons) = slightly easier to use

* Includes playback pause, fast-forward, and rewind (vs. just play and stop) = pause, fast-forward, and rewind

* 3.3 oz, 3.94 x 1.97 x 0.63 inches (vs. 4.9 oz, 4.17 x 2.16 x 1.25 inches) = even more pocketable

* Wide-range, omnidirectional microphone (vs. just wide-range) = better sound

* No underwater case available (vs. $49.99 underwater case) = no swimming

* Optional $15.99 AC adapter (vs. none) = quick and easy charging

Bottom line: The Mino is a slightly better (and sleeker) product, but unless you're posting on MySpace all the time, there's not much that's a must-have. I might even opt for the Ultra and put the $30 toward the underwater case.