Computer Reviews

! was about to complete my order on this item when i saw the shipping and handling costs, so I will now look to some other E business to buy this product.

If you have a coolpix camera and have not yet purchased this filter kit, I highly recommend that you do so. I have the coolpix 4300 and in order to use the filters, I had to purchase the UR-E4 adapter. If your camera needs an adapter to use these filters, then you will also need to get another lens cap to fit over them. If you go to nikonmall.com you can purchase the 28mm lens cap to fit, I think the model ID is LC-E900 (costs $2.50 + shipping), or something like that. But for the price, this is a must have, because I don't know about you, but i would rather need to replace an inexpensive filter than replace my entire camera. I leave the UV filter on at all times for a lens protector. I have taken many pictures with and without the filters, and I am hooked on these.

Take your photos to the next level.

Wow the things you can do with filters.

Lots of fun.

After searching many hours for a good universal remote, I found the One For All (OFA) URC8811. I had first purchased the OFA URC6131 but without the "learning" feature, it was impossible to program all the buttons from the original remote. One for All makes 21 different models. The "learning" feature begins at model 8811 and the "modem" feature begins at model 8910. The "learning" feature is used to copy the buttons of your original remotes into your new universal remote. The "modem" feature is used to update the universal remote via the telephone.

Because the 8811 carries such an extensive library of manufacturer remotes in its memory chip, you may never need to update your 8811. If you actually do need to update it with new remote codes, you can send the 8811 to One For All for free. The 8811 is so advanced I bought two, one for myself and one for my father whose own original remote was failing. I was able to replace 3 remotes: my VCR, TV, and air-conditioner. Yes, I was able to copy, or the remote "learned", all the functions of my air-conditioner remote. Also, it only took a few minutes for me to program my father's remote for his TV/VCR combo.

Using the 8811 is very convenient. Because of the "learning" feature, I was able to choose the placement of all the buttons from the original remotes. As has been mentioned in previous reviews, while it is not written in the sparse manual, most of the buttons are "learning" enabled. For years I was forced to switch between the original VCR and TV remotes whenever I wanted to "mute" the TV, very irritating. Whenever I wanted to enable or disable the caption feature of my TV, I had to switch to the TV remote and go through 6 steps. Now all I do is press one macro button.

Finally, the 8811 and more advanced OFA models have a little known but powerful additional feature: JP1 programmability. Very few people know this, but there is a standard for universal remotes known as JP1. If a remote has the 6 JP1 pins, a JP1 cable can be used to connect it to your PC. JP1 first used the parallel port but now there are also USB JP1 cables. With a free downloadable program which runs on your PC, you can use the JP1 connector to update your remote in any manner you wish. Be aware you must know what you are doing. Otherwise, you can lock up your remote and you may be forced to return it to OFA for resetting. The JP1 parallel cable is inexpensive and the JP1 USB cable costs twice as much. You can find any information you need using a Google search if you are interested. There are forums specifically for JP1. You can find these forums by doing a "remote JP1 forum" Google search.

While more advanced OFA remotes have an LCD display, I prefer not to have one because the display can break when you drop the remote. Furthermore, an LCD display will drain the batteries quicker. Some people complain about the 8811 using 4 AAA batteries. I don't have a problem with this because it makes the 8811 more compact. In terms of balance, weight, size, features, price and usability, the URC8811 is the best remote available. I am surprised more retail stores do not carry it. It seems the only way to obtain it is through the Internet.

Sincerely,
Daniel L. Martinez

Ok, I am a tough gal to impress, and this is an impressive remote before you take into consideration the price. Once you factor that in, it's a steal! I had been limping along with an 8-10 year old universal remote that controlled all but the DVD player, until the batteries died and all the programming went with it. Extremely irritating. So I did a bit of research and took a shot at this guy. It arrived today, and I spent about 30 minutes programming this baby to do EXACTLY what I want it to do. I went from 6 remotes to one, and I couldn't be happier. A few key points:

1) ALL buttons (not just the "learning buttons") are capable of learning any function you want from another remote.

2) I found that on my Pioneer DVD player the first code listed worked for power and play, but wouldn't scan chapters, or bring up the menu etc. I tried the second code for Pioneer and everything worked like a charm.

3) Works great with my digital cable, with a few functions needing to be taught to use all functions of the original remote.

4) Love the volume lock feature! I have all audio piped through my receiver to take full advantage of my bose acoustimass speakers, and the volume lock feature "locks" the volume buttons onto your receiver no matter what device you're using. Very handy.

5) Macros on a 20 buck remote, need I say more!

Some people have complained about the size, and OK it is a bit large. However, to get all those buttons on there, and to not have them so close together that you're hitting more than one button at a time it's gotta be a little big.

All in all a terrific remote at a terrific price.

For me, a moderately advanced user of electronics, I value most the ability to program/re-learn _every_ key on this remote (for every device, too). This means that _no matter what, this remote will work for you_ (excluding old/rare/weird remote transmitters).

Tip: Make sure to press the button on your old remote, aimed at the OneForAll, -while- the LED is rapidly flashing... you might read the manual as you do it after the flashing stops, but no.

The remote feels solid... but not heavy or bulky. Perfect, in fact. The buttons feel good... this remote should last pretty much forever.

There are 4 macro and 4 'learning' keys that you can do whatever you like with. And I stress... every other key can be 'taught' if the built-in codes don't work perfectly for you.

The backlight is splendid, the 'home theater' function (which lets you assign, for instance, channel changing to the TV, play/pause/stop/etc to your DVD, and volume +/- to your audio receiver) is a super bonus... and to top it off, this remote is so inexpensive, I feel guilty using it :)

Way to go, OneForAll. What a first-class product.

I am running a Intel Celeron 1.0 Ghz custom built PC which only has USB 1.0 built on the motherboard.

Recently, I bought a less expensive USB 2.0 card at a local retailer thinking a usb card is a usb card. I had a horrible time installing it and it never really worked right. When I purchased a Western Digital USB 2.0 External Hard Drive to add to my system is when I found out not all usb cards are created the same. The WD hard drive just would not operate on the cheaper usb 2.0 card. I could not transfer files or write to the drive without getting errors. I thought it was the hard drive but after exchanging it and getting another one only to have the same problem I determined it must be the usb controller.

That is when I searched the net and looked at reviews for the best USB 2.0 card out right now. Every computer magazine website gave this card excellent reviews so I thought I would buy it from Amazon.com and give it a try.

It was very easy to install and I absolutely love the added front USB port which is included in the box and fits in an open 5 1/4 bay. Since I have an older machine I did not have any front usb ports. With this in mind along with the great reviews it has been given the purchase was a no brainer. I believe the NEC drivers which this card uses makes it top notch. I would recommend this card highly.

This is my first modification on any type of computer. In fact, I did it incorrectly, and it still worked. What I mean is, you are supposed to download the driver (CDROM or online) and then install the card. Windows XP recognized it immediately and it works as advertised at 480 Mbits/sec. If you must know just one important thing about USB 2.0, remember not to unplug the peripheral device when the PC is on. Power down first, then unplug the device, be it printer, digital camera, external HD, or cordless microphone. It could result in a crash and/or data loss (Thanks to Christine for this word of advice).

This is a PCI card to add USB to an older computer; 3 slots on the back and one internal--this card included a USB slot in a drive-bay cover, which you can install if you've got a free bay on your PC, connecting it to the internal USB slot with a supplied cord. The card works great on my P3-800 at work, running Windows 2000. Installed without a bit of trouble, and works perfectly. Following the installation directions had me up and running in a few minutes, and the PC recognized the card and loaded the drivers (which I'd put on from the install CD) immediately without a single hitch. Good as it gets!

The design is truly remarkable. For a digital amp it is sufficiently loud and it has very good sound quality. It may not be able to compete with $800 analog amps, but at this price it is a great bargain. Friendly operation. Many inputs... Not too different form XR25, this one has gold plated connections and digital remastering...
I would strongly recommend it...

This all-digital receiver is truly remarkable. It is easily comparable with models that cost thousands of dollars and I would recommend it to anyone.

It supports all major 6.1 and 5.1 sound formats, such as Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital-EX, DTS, and DTS-ES. It also supports Pro Logic II and NEO:6, giving you a lot of choices for matrixed surround sound. Listening to some of my old songs on this unit is as if I had received a new set of ears. Overall, the sound is very "bright" and clear, truly an immersive listening experience.

At 100 Watts per channel, it is more than enough for most home theater systems, but remains affordable enough to be a bedroom system as well. This slim beauty will clearly get you the most receiver for the least amount of money -- a great deal for the enthusiast or the amateur. Products like this don't come around very often, people will remember this one like they remember the RP82 DVD player. Get one now before it's obsoleted!

SAXR 45 is an excelent receiver, combined with good speakers and DVD player gives long lasting pleasure to the user. Great sound reproduction, great picture...SIMPLY THE BEST.I am pleased that I "gave" my money buing this product.

When I used the composite video cables, I don't like the quality very much though still impressive. So I ordered the monster COMPONENT VIDEO CABLE FROM AMAZON and plugged it to watch a DVD--JET LI's HERO---WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing picture quality!!!! I haven't seen such a clear picture before, not even the higher resolution and more expensive LCD TVs. Totally amazing. Seriously, the TV picture is good though probably not as crytal as a tube TV but for movies, absolutely better. Everything is so easy to use. No front video or audio jacks. No panel cover. Haven't found any weaknesses so far. I think it would be a great one. I also like the Sharp Aquos B4U. I don't agree with the previous reviewer: the reviewer says the Samsung is much better than Aquos--in fact, I think they are about the same; but it is true that Aquos' speakers are a little weak and unclear. But for picture, about the same. Aquos was once my favorite.

I didn't expect that this Samsung LCD TV is so great. It is just a surprise. It is great looking and everything is so easy to set up and use. picture quality super, audio great, size perfect, ... I like this TV so much that I would like to recommend it to everyone who is looking for an LCD TV. It's not that expensive too, as compared with other brands. The one that I got is used. But nothing wrong so far as 2 months have passed.

Pros
Big viewable screen. Crisp picture quality, extremely nice sound quality, stylish! Light and slim. Easy to use remote. Lots of functions but easy to use.

Cons
No front jacks for video input. No component or S-Video Cables included. Dell 1700 has many cables including component video cable, s-video cable, plus many other useful accessories. But Dell's is widescreen. You know, component video cable gives the best picture quality when watching DVD or VHS. I had to spend extra $13 on amazon to get the cable.

But overall, very satisfied with it!

I take better pictures with the F5, let me clarify, at an air show, while whale watching and of course all the people shots I would have missed if it were not for the speed of the auto focus and the wonderful metering system. I think it is one of the attributes of this camera the ability to get the shot, quickly and accurately.

Battery Consumption: Battery consumption has not been a problem for me. My purchase is a late model production camera and I am aware that the earlier models did have a battery consumption issue.

Weight: The F5 is a heavy camera but I like the weight and feel of the camera. I think because of the weight the camera balances nicely in your hands and the F5 is a dream to hold. I am able to hand held this camera at a lower shutter speed than I could with other cameras. The craftsmanship is superb and I enjoy how well the F5 is made.

Familiar Controls: I like the ability to go from one Nikon to another and most of the controls seemed familiar.

Weather Sealing: I have taken the F5 while on a sailboat in Kauai in 15 foot swells hanging on to the boat with one hand and just pointing the camera with the other (program mode) and guess what I got some good shots. I don't hesitate using this camera in adverse weather conditions and just wipe and clean it.

Some comments lead to believe that some people have walked in from the street and purchased a two thousand dollar camera. That the person never picked the camera up and realized how heavy the camera is. Not that the F5 is that heavy look at some medium format cameras. If you are looking at this camera I'm sure you already are aware of peoples comments good and bad. It would hard for me to believe that someone will purchase the F5 as a first Nikon camera. I would assume that the person who made this purchase has an assortment of Nikon products and knows what they are doing.

The F5 was introduced in 1996 and was a top of the line 35mm camera and in 2004 it still is the top of the line. I know other manufactures make great cameras but eight years later this camera is still at the top of the list.
This camera will be that last film camera that I own. It is not because I'm going digital, because I'm not at the moment. It is because this is simply the best film camera you can purchase from Nikon and it just might be the best film camera you can own.

Negatives: I wish the focus area brackets in the viewfinder illuminated in red similar to the N80 and F100

This great camera makes photography easier. If you want to improve your skill level, this camera won't hold you back. However, you can't blame the camera anymore for your bad photos. The only bad mark I can give it is it is rather heavy, and not made for backpacking. I carry my FM2n then. Otherwise, I am very happy with it.

I purchased the F5 a year ago and this is what I think. I take better pictures with the F5, let me clarify, at an air show, while whale watching and of course all the people shots I would have missed if it were not for the speed of the auto focus and the wonderful metering system. If it sounds like I use the camera as point and shoot camera sometimes I do exactly that. I think it is one of the attributes of this camera the ability to get the shot, quickly and accurately.

Weigh:The F5 is a heavy camera but I like the weight and feel of the camera. I think because of the weight the camera balances nicely in your hands and the F5 is a dream to hold. I am able to hand held this camera at a lower shutter speed than I could with other cameras. The craftsmanship is superb and I enjoy how well the F5 is made.

Familiar Controls: I like the ability to go from one Nikon to another and most of the controls seemed familiar.

Weather Sealing: I have taken the F5 while on a sailboat in Kauai in 15 foot swells hanging on to the boat with one hand and just pointing the camera with the other (program mode) and guess what I got some good shots. I don't hesitate using this camera in adverse weather conditions and just wipe and clean it.

The F5 was introduced in 1996 and was a top of the line 35mm camera and in 2004 it still is the top of the line. I know other manufactures make great cameras but eight years later this camera is still at the top of the list. This camera will be that last film camera that I own. It is not because I'm going digital, because I'm not at the moment. It is because this is simply the best film camera you can purchase from Nikon and it just might be the best film camera you can own.

Over the years I have used a variety of systems ranging from Pentax to Nikormat to Canon to Olympus and eventually back to Pentax. Why back to Pentax? Size and ergonomics. All of the major brands are good and some offer truly best in class - at a price - in optics such as Nikon and Canon.

However, for overall good value Pentax holds its own. While I would be happy to use equipment from any of the major brands, I am quite satisfied with Pentax - but I had to wait until last autumn to get my hands on a decent Pentax digital camera. The *istD, weird name and all, is such a camera. Overall I'm a happy camper and I have been taking some of the best photographs in my 30 years experience with this camera.

Other reviews here will tell you the camera's virtues and those features are real and not over stated. This is a professional class camera - though most professionals use Nikons and Canons when it comes to digital work for a number of reasons - usually due to optics and employers' standards. The optics from Pentax are still well respected and 99% of the folks reading this will be more than satisfied.

While battery life with this camera is very, very good, I would recommend considering getting the optional additional battery attachment that screws into the bottom of the camera. It looks like an old fashion motor drive but it provides excellent ergonomics when shooting side-wise (portrait) complete with the thumb and fore finger controls replicated for ease of use. It adds peace of mind by providing redundant power plus if you often shoot protrait framing, you can really hold this camera much better than most other cameras.

So what is the single, significant flaw of this camera? It is undoubtedly the flash card interface that is accessed via a door that doesn't swing completely open, tempting the user to push the card in a slightly wrong angle. Of course there are internal guides within the flash card holder assembly but even with care, over time, it is possible to break one of the tiny pins of the camera's interface to the flash card. I know. I have done it. The cost and speed of repair was minor, but suddenly one day out in the field I had a camera that was suddenly inoperable.

So that is why I give this other wise great camera only 4 stars. If you have a good investment in 35 mm Pentax gear, you really have no choice but this camera. But the good news, particularly if you are shooting in RAW, the output is incredible. Now that PhotoshopCS has upgraded its RAW import program via a free download from Adobe, the results from this camera can be absolutely stellar. But user beware when swapping out those flash cards!

OK, if you're here, you probably have read all the online reviews. Here's my answers to some of the major criticisms I've seen about this supurbe camera on the web. (And my opinion is based on a 20 year career as a professional photographer...for what that's worth! :) )

1.)Criticism: Memory card is hard to remove. OK, maybe this could use a little work on Pentax's part. Not really a big deal if you're careful. Just be careful...it's not THAT hard!

2.)Criticism: Batteries are not proprietary and rechargeable!? WHAT? THANK GOD! This is in my opinion not a mistake but a MAJOR PLUS! Only Pentax would have the forsight and understanding to give the user TWO (more if you consider all the AA posibilities...)onboard options for battery power both available almost anywhere for Pete's sake! Batteries are the life blood of digital photography, more options can only be better! For my part I'm running 2300 milliamp hour rechargable AA's and am thrilled with the performance!

Well that addresses the two biggies I've read about. As for the rest of it, the price is now where it should be and the camera performs fantastically. Now that Pentax has a 14mm coming out, all is wonderful in the digital world. My advice, BUY IT and you won't ever look back! The 13x19 prints are superb, I shoot weddings and fine art landscapes, and this camera gets the job done!!!

After nearly 3 years of playing with other digital cameras I finally took the leap back into SLR-land and purchased this great Pentax camera. Though I am just beginning to explore its capabilities, so far I am delighted: there are a lot of advantages to SLR camera use that I missed from the film days.

As with any of the current crop of digital SLR's, you get a ton of flexibility and shooting speed at a price that would have been unthinkable just two years ago. If you are used to using film SLR's, and have been frustrated by certain aspects of using a typical digital camera, you will be happy to be back in the land of no-shutter-lag shooting; the ability to use a ring on the lens barrel for zooming; tons of manual flexibility combined with idiot-proof program modes; and of course the flexibility of many lens choices. What has particularly driven me crazy about the current crop of high-end non-SLR digicams is the use of EVF viewfinders -- by contrast, the viewfinders on digital SLR's are great.

So why this Pentax vs the other competitive models? (The others worth considering in this price range at this time are the Canon EOS 10D; the Canon Digital Rebel; the Nikon D70; the Nikon D100; or even the Sigma models). This Pentax has the same sensor as the Nikon models, and the imaging capabilities of any of these cameras is doubtless well beyond my skills in any case. So to me it came down to ease of use, size and build quality. Size in particular is important to me: if you just look at the specs of this camera on a cubic-inch basis it's 38% smaller than the Nikon D70 and 26% smaller than the Digital Rebel. The Canon 10d is even bigger, and looks like a house sitting next to the Pentax.

After handling all of these cameras, I concluded that the Pentax is the one I would use most often. Too often my film SLR's sat at home when I was using film -- I would grab a point-and-shoot instead. I really wanted something I would use a lot.

On the other hand, some published complaints (and my conclusions) about the Pentax have been:
(1) Images are too "soft" (this is super-easy to adjust if you use something like Adobe Album, Elements or Photoshop, and in return the camera is not "sharpening" the image for you, which can introduce sharpening noise)
(2) Not as many lenses as available as in the Canon or Nikon lines (There seem to be plenty for my purposes, both new and used)
(3) Memory cards are hard to eject (Doesn't seem that hard to me; you need to be careful no matter what camera you use).

Another issue (price) with this camera has been fixed: when it was introduced it was more expensive than the others in its class. But the price has been reduced and now is typically available at a price that slots it in as a bit more expensive than the D70 and less than the 10D.

All of these current digital slr's are great, and it seems to me that if you already owned Canon or Nikon lenses you wouldn't go wrong with one of their models. On the other hand, if you are starting from scratch (or like me, you own brands you can't use on any of these), the Pentax is worthy of serious consideration.

I found the hold switch to be very useful.. it prevents the player from turning on (or shutting off) accidently when it travels in your backpack. Very pleased overall.

OK, it sounds very nice! But why did Amazon say there was a "built in" rechargeable battery (some reviewers said so, too). I think that Amazon was reporting on a different model, maybe the AZT9505 instead of AZT9500. This model only has battery compartment, necessitating separate batteries (rechargeable or otherwise, alkaline or other). All in all, features are swell and I'm %500 better off having ditched my cassette player. I really appreciate the power-saver mode, too.

Ordered a cheap memorex mp3-cd player which broke, then ordered this one and have had no problems! The FM tuner is great because if their is a lot of static or interference, you can switch it to MONO mode which cuts back on the interference and keeps some sound quality. Even though it doesn't have MP3 support I would still recommend it. A+.

The features of this drive makes other CDRWs look like child's play. I purchased this drive with the sole intention of making quality backups of my music CDs.

But, I've yet to get this drive to work right.

Techie-speak warning...

I first installed this drive in "slave" mode--as the second drive of the IDE controller--and it worked in mode PIO-4; very slow. So I purchased an ATA133 IDE controller (just for the burner) to have it work in the recommended DMA mode. That didn't help. It would not burn faster than 24x.

I tried several brands and manufacturers of CDRs; both silver and blue azo dye. My other OEM CDRW/DVD drive (Samsung SM-352B) works like a champ with only a 2MB buffer, yet this one at twice the price has been a headache. So, I'm reinstalling WinXP before I send this in for repair...

Update Sep 23, 2003:
Reinstalled WinXP and the problem remained. After exchanging several e-mails with Plextor Support, and several jumper settings later they agreed to replace the drive. Received the replacement--a new unit actually--and installed it. Turned on the machine and there it was in DMA-mode. Uneventful. Plug-and-play. The way it should have been out-of-the-box. It appears I had a lemon.

Although I am taking a star for the bad experience, I am quite satisfied to have found support to be technically knowledgeable of the product, and hassle-free in getting the problem resolved quickly.

The new burner has also turned out excellent.

I agree with Bob Carpenter, i have been using Plextor burners all my life, my first plextor was a 12x scsi, second was a IDE 40x, now i have the 52x. The quality is second to non, plus i never had a problem burning or ripping at max speed.

Plextor drives r the best for making perfect copies. I tried liteon retail and oem. plus samsung burners but they were no good. I used these three to copy the Diablo II play disc and the Command & Conquer 2 cds, a total of 2 tries on each drive, even though they finish burn, when using the cds they dont start the game. But when i use the plextor + the clonecd software i got no problems and playable copied games, for this reason i never had to hack any of the games.

After receiving my Plextor Premium and burning About 25 discs within three days, I have yet to make one coaster. Awesome speed and quality.

The ePods-1 is highly recommended as a versatile device. While it comes dedicated to the ePods service, it should be noted that as a WindowsCE device, it is also capable of much more (including the playing of WindowsCE games). You can surf the net and download some WindowsCE games into it. To save on its limited amount of memory, you can buy a CompactFlash card... and store your programs in that, thus freeing the ePods-1 from one of its several memory limitations. All in all, this is a fine little unit that is easy to hold and easy to carry. Its built-in holder for the stylus is very convenient. A special feature is the on-screen keyboard. Press the keyboard button once, and you have the as-expected little tiny keyboard that you poke with the stylus. But press it again and the screen halfway fills up with a large keyboard that you can actually use two fingers to poke at. If you are a touch-typist, it takes very little time before you are using both index fingers to touch type even those longer missives you love to send to your significant other. It's the fastest, easiest PDA on-screen keyboard I've ever used! The USB ports (there are 2) support use of MS-compatible keyboards right away; I took the unit to a computer store and started plugging in various USB keyboards (they worked!) without the need to load any drivers or fool with anything. As soon as I started typing on the external USB keybard, the letters started appearing on the ePods-1 screen. Very nice! And now, I've gotta get going and put the infamous Solitaire onto the ePods-1...

Part PDA-part computer, the ePods EP1 is as close to a space-age Etch-A-Sketch as you can get; and the price is right. Supports plenty of standard USB and PCMCIA add-ons and can be easily made to work with internet providers other than the ePods service. Also runs plenty of WindowsCE applications that you can download online. Hope they get more of these in stock soon!

The ePods unit by Salton is terrific. You don't have to use their ISP if you don't want to, though. Check this web site for details: ...