Computer Reviews

The best cam for the money and has every potential to become the next 2100UZ as far as legacy is concerned. The lens and IS are 1st rate and you can get beautiful crisp photos in almost no light although focus lock in those conditions can be tricky. The zoom and the digital zoom are all very usable and I have gotten nice photos at full digital zoom. Overall Panasonic did their homework for the most part albeit some minor annoyances I listed below. But there are no perfect digital cameras out there. But couple this cam with the 12x Leica/IS combo and beautiful 4MP picture quality, many user available settings and you have a photographer's dream here.

Minor gripes I have-
Handgrip needs to be bigger.
No eyecup, although a workaround is available as the Nikon 2939 cup.
Proprietary battery. Wish this could have taken AA NIMH's.
Lowlight focus can be tricky at times. Other than that once you get used to the possibilities of this cam you won't regret getting it.

I've bought this awesome digital camera at amazon.com one month ago, and I've taken hundred of pictures with excellent results, the imaging quality is superb, great sharpness and very low noise levels in night shots. Leica lenses do a very good job as always and give to this camera a professional level. The 12x optical zoom works very well, you have to get used to keep your hands fixed when using the maximum zoom, but with some days of practice, you are gonna get unshake and sharp shots. Its incredible that you can get a 420mm lens with an aperture = 2.8 in the whole range, for less than a one thousand dollar and even the renowned LEICA lenses. What a BARGAIN!!!!
Optical image stabilizer (OIS)is needful with large zoom lenses and Panasonic included it, but in spite of this - you need to have firm hands like I wrote down in the paragraph above.
Panning mode works fine and I enjoy taking pictures with this mode, its quite useful since the only way that you could get this effect was by using a photo editor (not anymore)
Only one drawback, its flash is very weak, so how this camera has a hot shoe, you are gonna be forced to buy an external flash.
I hope Panasonic releases an 8MP digital camera with 12x optical zoom soon... using LEICA LENSES. Im gonna wait fot it eagerly.

I wanted to go digital, but looked and looked for the perfect first digital camera. My sister put the Panasonic Lumix in my hands, and it was love at first sight. First, the camera is amazingly light for a camera with a zoom equivalent of 400+. Second, the camera never misses a shot, no matter what the light conditions. Yes, I read the manual thoroughly, and yes, the camera can be confused a little when the conditions are dark and there are lights in back of the subject, but not a huge problem, and even most of those shots turned out great. I am in love with this camera, so in love that making the switch to digital was easy and delightful.

It's a good wheel.
But it has a lot of Dead Zone in it.
Nascar 2003 Season is the worst dead zone.
You can tweak it out so it dosent have as much.
But for Dirt Track Racing, Rally sport challenge and other off road or on road games it is a great wheel but it dose crunch some times. sounds like somthing in it. ever since I bought it it has done that but works.
The look is awesome better then the picture.
but I cant complain I bought it from theese guys for 60.00 on sale.
and Any where else it would be 110.00 $

Trust me, you won't be disappointed by this wheel. Cheaper steering wheels are flimsy and don't work as well... this wheel is very solid, works perfectly, and the force feedback is extremely well done. Nothing cheaper is worth the money, and nothing in the same price range is as good as the Microsoft Force Feedback Wheel. Unless you're gonna go nuts and spend [a lot] on one of the super high quality wheels, there's no reason to get any one other than this wheel.

this wheel has the feel of u bein rite ther in the race man. its all good. wit dis weel its great stuff man. by da way waz up.

For all of you out there who is looking for a computer speaker system, and demands the same high quality of a home theater system, this is for you! I already have the 2 speaker set, which sounds amazing, so just think what the 5.1 surround sound will sound like. I've just recently checked it out and let me tell you, this speaker system operates like a dream! I even prefer it over the logitech speakers, becuase its clarity and blend was so much better than logitechs. It dosen't have quite as much bass, but is more than enough for your computer.the speakers blend very well, especially when listening to music. These are dream speakers! Get them!

I have been looking for a 5.1 surround sound system [reasonably priced] for quite some time. My search finally ended with the Monsoon MH-505 and Turtle Beach Santa Cruz system.

There is nothing in the pc environment that matches the musicality and clarity of this system. Just listening to this sytem will want to make you re-encode your entire MP3 collection so you can hear every little detail. DVD's come through loud and clear, and music is simply awe inspiring. I have not played games with this system, as I use it primarily for music and DVD. Be aware that this system does take some playing time for the speakers to be fully broken in.

Bassheads may find the bass a little lacking, but for most music and DVD's, the subwoofer puts out an adequate amount of sound. I'm very pleased.

These are the best speakers I've used and heard for any computer so far. I know there are some pricer systems out there that most likely out-perform this set, but if you get a chance to test this, DO IT. All the music is crisp and clear and the subwoofer is loud and heavy enough for any single room. I absolutely love these speakers and I love the pricetag I got them at.

After purchasing and using the Coolpix 900 for nearly a year, I realized that in order to take much of a wide angle shot than the camera zoom alone would allow, something more was needed.
Well the WC-E53 is just that item. It perfoms just as you would expect from any Nikon lens and the only area of difficulty is that you cannot use the built in flash with the lens in place. I have yet to have any circumstance that would require the internal flash. There is always the external flash that would be available and needed to illuminate the wide angle area anyway.
Easy to use, just screw it on and set the menu for wide angle lens. On and off in seconds. Less peripheral angular distortion
than I expected. Overall very high recommended.

Very sturdy, clean crisp lens. It comes with a nice velour bag, and two lens caps. It covers up 90% of the flash, so ambiant light (or external flash) is needed to take good pictures.

You screw the lens on, set your 990 to "M", and through the menu, you select "Wide Angle", and you're good to go.

No distortion is apparent on the pictures, which are the same excellent quality you're used to from the 990.

If you are finding that your 3x zoom is going in the opposite direction of what you want then get this wide angle lens.

I was impressed with the quality of the images that this lens can produce. There is very little distortion except when used at very short focal lengths.

The only downsides are the size of the lens, the weight, and the fact that it blocks the optical viewfinder.

My selection of the Onkyo HT-S760 was swayed by two factors. First, the generally good customer reviews and my recollection of Onkyo's reputation for quality component design. After a very easy setup session (the supplied speaker cables are not useful except for smalish rooms) I inserted a favorite, special effects filled, DVD expecting great things and then stunned disbelief!! I've heard better sound coming from my old "build your own crystal radio" set, especially poor at lower volume levels. Forget music CD's unless you're just looking for background noise while cooking dinner.

I had no real problems with the receiver's design or feature set other than the omission of at least one Digital (Optical) output, (they give you optical inputs only)

I was replacing a middling good audiophile (20 year veteran) quality system that had seen better days and figured the state of speaker design must have progressed leaps and bounds in that time but I've been sadly mistaken on this point. My recommendation is ratchet your expectation levels down a notch or two before installing this bad boy. Rank this with the $299 Home Theater units you can get at any local appliance store..

This is my first full home theater system and I've been very happy with it. The price isn't too outrageous for a system of this quality.

There are plenty of A/V inputs on the receiver, including 2 component video inputs for high definition sources (Digital Cable, DVD, X-Box, etc.) and three digital inputs (2 optical, one coaxial). Also, all of the video inputs have s-video connections which is a plus. Of course you can rarely have too many connections and I've already had to settle with what was given. My one complaint concerning connections is the lack of a digital output which is desirable for recording with CDs, DVDs, and minidisc.

I've been very pleased with the output of the speakers included. I'm not exactly and audiophile but I can tell low quality from high and these are high quality speakers for a system at this price. I agree with some of the other reviewers that the speaker cables could be a higher quality and a bit longer though. Also the rear speakers are bigger than many other home theater systems but you'll have to decide if that's a problem based on the size of your room

The receiver's abilities are superb. Dolby Digital and DTS support plus DSP modes for stereo sources is great. Movies sound awesome and music is great as well.

Finally, setup is easy thanks to color coded cables. The remote control works great even with other components (TVs, VCRs, DVD, etc.).

I have been into home theater since the days of HI-FI stereo, Beta VCR's. I graduated to Dolby Surround, and then Pro Logic. And at one point I probably had $3000 invested into my system. Then I got married and had kids, and traded the big stereo for a mini- system. I have also had the experience of working for a large local electronics retailer part time for the last few years when I needed a little extra cash.

So when I decided to upgrade my home theater system, I started reading. I wanted the most bang for the buck, and from everything I read, I felt that this system was the way to go. But we never carried it at the store where I worked. And do you know why? They felt that the product was way too good for only $500, and would limit their ability to sell, separate component systems, at much higher prices.

They never had a problem carrying and selling other HTIB's, because none of them could compare to a nice component system. Some sound ok for movies, but most fall short in the music department. So if you wanted a system good for movies and music, you bought separates.

Well, I went over to the local Circuit City, and bought one of these without even listening to it in the store. I also bought the Onkyo 6 disk DVD player (DV-CP701). Then I hopped over to the Shack and bought some 16ga. mega cable(way better value than monster cable), and a nice sub cable and digital coax cable, and headed for home.

Now, I don't know how Onkyo did it, but you could not assemble a component system for double or even triple the cost of this one, that sounds this good! I put in the pod race from Phantom Menace, and I was grinning from ear to ear the whole way through. I was amazed! After cranking up a few more of my favorite movie sound scenes, I threw in some Luther Vandros for my wife. I put the receiver in DTS Neo:6 music mode, and I felt like Luther was standing in my living room.

Now I'm not trying to say there is not better stuff out there, because there is. But if you want the best for the money there is no comparison. You just have to remember to take the time for proper setup, and I promise, you will be amazed. And to any of you negative reviewers out there who say the sound is not up to par, I don't know where you are coming from?

I bought this recorder a month ago and have recorded 20+ TV shows and a few movies on it. I was a little skeptical about this device at first, as I read many reviews about how DVD recorders seem to eat through DVD discs with mis rights and have other problems. However, this recorder has worked flawlessly so far. I have been recording on cheap Imation DVD-R discs without a problem.

I have recorded in the 2 hour and 4 hour formats. The 4 hour format is actually much better quality than I expected. So much, that I have been recording TV shows (Sopranos, Deadwood, Elmo, etc.) in this mode for later viewing.

I do have two minor dissappointments. 1) the technical specification stated that this unit has both optical and coaxial digital audio outputs. This is not true. It only has an optical digital audio output. This is a problem for me, as I don't have enough optical inputs on my receiver and have a coaxial connection to spare. 2) the recording schedule feature is a bit odd in that it requires you to turn off the recorder to record a scheduled program. This is a bit annoying, as I'd like to watch the event when it comes up. Because of this, I have to wait for the recorder to start recording before I can watch TV through the DVD recorder.

This was a very good thing to get. i just wish that there were 2 of me .it takes along time to get all of my old tapes on DVD. good price but the only thing is that it is too picky about what kinds of blank disc it will record to.you have to be carefull what kinds of blank disc to buy.

Unlike some lesser brandnames, this Panasonic DVD recorder actually works. I've heard that with some other brands, you can get failed burning sessions, which would waste your blank DVD media. Also, since this Panasonic uses the DVD-R ("dash" or "minus" format) instead of DVD+R ("plus" format), the discs you burn are compatible with *more* DVD players. For my money, I'd stick with DVD-R all the way. Also, be sure to get high-quality blank discs for better recording quality and longer shelf lives.

(Ignore the DVD-RAM format. No DVD player I know of except some Panasonic models can read DVD-RAM.)

I'm really happy with the great build quality and great price I got with this model. I didn't need one of those Panasonic models with a built-in hard drive, so I saved money. But if you want TiVo-like capabilities, check out those HD-equipped models.

The best virtue of this Panasonic is it does a great job at what it's supposed to do. I'm sure better models are already in the channel, so I'd say if you can wait a bit longer, wait a bit longer. Otherwise, the Panasonic is your best bet for value, quality, and durability.

I thought these speakers were a good price for their sound quality when I purchased them, and they were just as good at home for gaming, music, etc. The only problem came into play when they just completely stopped working after about 6 months. Since I didn't use them all that rigorously or often, it seems that I got what I paid for.

These speakers sound AWESOME. I crank them up loud and play them on my PowerMac using iTunes w/o distortion or any adverse effect. With an adjustment to the bass setting on the sub to your taste your all set! Also, I find that using an equalizer in an MP3 player as a preamp to boost volume levels works very well with these speakers.

I had a pair of Monsoon speakers before and they had lots of crackling and interference so I threw them out. They always had a 'humm' and poped when I turned on my computer etc. I paid [a lot] for them and they were JUNK. I spent considerably less on the Logitech system and am absolutely thrilled with them!

I have been very satisfied with the Logitech speakers. They give good frequency respose throughout the entire range and have a good natural sound. They would be a complement to any system: PC or Mac. I have listened to many speakers at the store and liked the neutral, balanced sound that the Logitech system offered the best. It is a good clean sound. I also play lots of games and fly flight sims and they perform very well for those tasks as well. They are an all around great speaker system.

When I set out to buy a new set of speakers for my system I was adamant about spending [a certain amount] on a set of computer speakers. Good news! You don't have to--and you can get great sound at the same time. You won't find any better speakers for the price. Guaranteed.

This product WAS USELESS WITHIN 6 MONTHS. SAVE YOUR MONEY. LOGITECH HAS TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND NO FAITH IN ITS PRODUCTS. I WON'T MAKE THIS MISTAKE AGAIN.

CHEAP COMPANY WON'T EVEN GIVE YOU A 1800 NUMBER FOR SUPPORT. YOU GOTTA CALL LONG DISTANCE!!!

I've owned and used all sorts of digital cameras. My three last digital cameras were Sony and they all had some things in common: 1)the picture quality was not up to par, 2)the MemoryStick(tm) has very slow write/read speeds. When I decided to browse for a new camera, the usual brands came to mind...Olympus, Minolta, Kodak. However, the product offerings were not tantalizing to me. I then looked-up for Nikon and to my surprise they had the product I was looking for at a price I could afford.

Let me tell you, the camera is very small and light. The picture quality is DEFINITELY superior to that of Sony's and Kodak's I've used. The full-quality, full-TV-screen video option is very good and comparable to full-fledged DV cameras. The options are vast. The user interface is very intuitive and easy to get around of. The versatility of using SecureDigital media is definitely a plus, since it can be used in PDAs, cell phones, et cetera. The voice-recording option can be very handy. The flash recharge time is minimal (it used to take my Sony good 10 seconds to do the same). The auto-shutter is pretty good. And the Auto-Focus is very precise. It's worth its price and then some. I highly recommend this device. A must for digital photography enthusiasts.

***Ok, I wrote this review before trying night-time shots. To my dismay, in low-lights the camera it's incredibly useless. It won't let you shoot w/o flash-- period. I'm incredibly frustrated. It does not let you choose manually the shutter spped and the pre-set scene options are ludicrous. It's a shame, because it took such a good pictures with good light...but tonight was nothing short of catastrophic.

Pros:
-compact size, stylish
-metal body, nice build quality
-selectable AF sensor and metering in M-record mode, each AF bracket acts as spot meter, useful for tricky lighting
-framing guides on LCD
-generally competent metering, Auto white balance, focusing. again, for difficult lighting, the AF sensor acts as spot meter in M-record mode
-straightforward transfer with Nikon View, although a separate card reader is recommended instead of connecting camera directly to computer, this is to save those USB contacts in the camera from wearing out prematurely.

Cons:
-movie mode exhibits that notorious audio-sync problem
-hot or dead pixels on my unit, resulting to those annoying white spots on the image when viewed at full size
-Scene Modes disable features here and there, and that set up may not be what you really want
-no option to set ISO, camera adjusts ISO on its own, which may result in noisy images
-more on noise, you really need lots of illumination, either daylight or flash, to keep the camera from bumping the ISO up, and with it, the noise
-still having difficulty dealing with the green cast of fluorescent lighting (as do most cameras)
-button operated zooming, with those tiny Wide-Tele buttons, especially when in Macro mode, is not the easiest thing to do

Overall, a decent picture taker that requires well-lit scenes to perform well. That means it is a "flashy" camera. For someone used to the Olympus Stylus, this is not an issue, however, this camera is not for those who prefer shooting without flash, especially indoors. There's the auto-ISO issue mentioned above, which leads to noise, also, the lightweight and small size of the camera, not to mention all those buttons which get in the way of the left hand, prevents any decent steady handhold. This maybe the reason for those soft lens comments from other reviewers, among other variables (e.g. how is the Sharpness set?).

Many of the cons are limitations imposed by the small size of the camera. Regardless of make, for compact cameras, these limitations are something one must live by. If you want more control (to prevent the ISO from bumping up by itself), and you want to stay Nikon, the larger Coolpixes (4500, 5xxx) maybe the better choices. The Canon A70/75/80 also offer greater controls, but at the expense of compactness. However, I cannot believe that Nikon or any other manufacturer for that matter, cannot make a compact that allows manual ISO setting.

The decent build and finish of this camera are regrettably offset by noise issues, and in my sample, dead pixels, which prevents me from giving this camera a higher rating.

I purchased the Nikon CoolPix 3700 after much research and chose it over the Canon S400. I've been extremely satisfied with the quality of the pictures and videos. This camera was rated #1 Best Buy by PC World and for good reason.

Pros:
-rediculously light and very sturdy
-has a long, narrow shape that is more natural in your hand and your pocket as compared with the more square Canon S400 and other Nikon Coolpix cameras
-almost NO SHUTTER LAG, a big plus when photographing people who don't like to hold still for too long.
-EXCELLENT PICTURE QUALITY, 3MP is PLENTY for most uses.
-takes such great videos (with sound) that it might just replace your video camera.
-easy to set up and fairly straightforward menus
-uses SD memory which is generally better than CF.
-pretty good battery life, recharges fast, most users probably won't need an extra battery.
-if you need it, Nikon's tech support line is very helpful (toll-free and 24/7!)

Cons:
-Performance in low-light isn't great, but that is the case with most other cameras of this type.
-No case included and only comes with 16MB SD card. A leather case and 256MB SD card will set you back about a hundred bucks. (256MB is the ideal size, I recommend Panasonic SD cards because they record at 10MB/s)
-on/off switch and zoom buttons are awkwardly placed/shaped, should be switched, takes some getting used to.
-included USB cord is a bit fragile, I had to get a replacement from tech support
-3x optical zoom isn't much. If you want a lot of zoom go 10x.

Overall a great camera with the best performance in this price range. Highly recommended, it's really a hidden gem. Perfect as a first digicam or for someone who wants to upgrade.

The Magellan 310 is an old, discontinued GPS receiver. I bought the Magellan 310 at $30 at a local chain department store. As I suspected, the unit displays the coordinates in only 4 digits of "minutes" (A.K.A. DD MM.MM format). Modern GPS receivers display 5 digits of minutes. Unfortunately this means the Magellan 310 can only display coordinates to within +/- 60 feet in each dimension (North/South and East/West).

When I hooked the Magellan 310 to a laptop computer with a serial cable, the 310 outputs up to 6 digits of Minutes - more than sufficient for any task. So if you're looking for a bargain priced GPS receiver for use with a laptop for something like NetStumbler or
DeLorme Street Atlas, I think this is a good bargain if you can find it under $50. Be sure to budget for extra cost of
a serial cable (about $20) as the cable is not
included with the serial cable.

Unfortunately, you can't transfer saved waypoints between your computer and the 310 with the serial cable.

I also think this GPS receiver is perfectly suitable for situations where high precision isn't required. For example, finding your way back to your car after hiking in the woods doesn't really require 3 Meter precision like modern GPS receivers have - the Magellan 310 should get you within 20 Meters (about 65 feet). That should get you close enough to see your car.

One of the most popular reasons for buying a GPS receiver is for geocaching. Most people that want to try out geocaching look for a low-priced GPS receiver so they can try the sport and decide whether or not they like it. While it might be tempting to buy the Magellan 310, I strongly suggest spending a few more dollars on a GPS receiver with 5 digit minute precision like the Magellan 315 or the Magellan Sportrak. It is technically possible to geocache with the Magellan 310, but you'll have to manually adjust for the 4 digit minute precision. Explaining how this adjustment works is beyond the scope of this review, but trust me when I say you want something better than the Magellan 310 for geocaching.

I had purchased a 310 and a 315 because they run out of the Magellan 315. What a difference! To start the batteries do not run out that often, the 315 is more accurate somehow, dont ask me why; just comapring side by side the 310 even though a bit smaller seems less "in the Game"
I gave my 310 to my son, its a godd starter GPS, if you are serious about GPS handhelds, get the Magellan 315 for a few dollars more. Worth every penny!

If you want a GPS that will tell you where to turn left to get on the Turnpike, this isn't it. But if you want to know exactly where you are on the planet, the Magellan 310 and 315 do an excellent job of it, with full 12-channel satellite tracking, the highest available. The nobs are complicated at first, but most guys like learning that sort of thing. This is basically the perfect gift for geeky dads or hikers.
BTW, the screen on the 310 and 315 as well as the features are superior to the eTrex basic model, although that model is far more ergonomic.

It works, it simply works. I can pick up my pop email from any location with an analog phone connection. (watch out, many offices have digital phone systems, which will not like this little modem) And I can also send my pop email with some freeware available out there. So all in all a great product. I can even just peek on the server to see if any relevant email is waiting out there, or if it is spam and spam again. (i am using a commercial software for this feature, so be prepared to spend a bit more money) It is nice to sit in a hotel room somewhere far from home and to read email on your little palm V (or better Vx)... it feels like working on the very first macintosh. It is all very cute, and all the words in the emails seem really important. Hmm, but there must be other solutions. I could think of wireless solutions, or solutions which would use a cellphone as a wireless modem. (look ma, no wires)... This modem is a cute solution for the wired traveler. Emails feel very fuzzy and warm. And you can write them anywhere and then send them off from almost anywhere. Oh, and before i forget, yes, you can also surf the web. (using some other commercial software which is listed in the manual). Hmm, surfing the web on a palm is a completely different story. It just does not feel right. Amazon actually is quite surfable, but many other sites are not. It feels a bit like leaving the house but never crossing any streets. Not quite there yet, it seems. :*) Get it, if you insist. :*) I am keeping mine. I like it.

I love gadgets. My Palm Vx became a constant companion and vital part of my wardrobe, and the modem follows close behind. On business trips or any other time I'm on the road, it has served me very well. The ability to keep up to date on e-mail, news, and HotSync stuff while on the road, combined with a pre-paid phone card, means that I'll never need to lug around a giant laptop! Woohoo! (...)

Excellent service from Palm, shipped immediately, also at his expense shipped accessories as we didn't exchange e-mails in time,would recommend them highly.very prompt.