Computer Reviews

This is a terrific bundle! Solid product, even better software. If you are looking for a DVD burner and never used or want to upgrade your Nero, then get this product. Once you use Nero 6 you will never use anything else again.

I purchased this burner to go inside of an external firewire case in order to connect to my laptop. Works great, no problems what so ever. I should mention that when you need to upgrade the firmware that you will need to remove it from the external case and put it inside a tower and connect it via typical IDE master slave configuration. The firmware updates look for IDE channels and the like and don't know how to update over firewire (plug&play) connections. I do recommend performing the firmware update, it improved readability.

This DVD drive for your PC will record and read in every DVD format available except for DVD-RAM, Panasonic's proprietary standard which is destined for the wastbasket anyway.

It reads and writes to DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, and the CD formats. For some reason, it writes at 8x for DVD+RW but only 4x for DVD-RW. With the 8x, you can burn an entire DVD in about 15 minutes. I like the + standard because most of the inexpensive DVD recorders for your video system also use the + standard.

I've used the recorder in my PC to make copies of DVDs that I recorded from my TV to my television DVD recorder, and it works great. Given the price and the fact that it works without a hitch, I highly recommend this product.

I purchased this about a month ago and was ecstatic to see it arrive with the post. This product does everything it is advertised to do, and it does it perfectly. I've been able to set up DVD back-ups with no problems using the bundled Nero software and some Memorex DVD+RW discs. It was easy to install and even easier to use. No issues and no problems. Highly recommended to anyone who needs a top-of-the-line DVD burning solution with dual formats.
But do remember to check for firmware updates. They are important!

If you are looking for an easy-to-use point and shoot camera this is a great one. I wanted a separate camera for my color pictures (I have my manuals for black and white) and this was the best value for the money. The LCD screen is easy to read and you can quickly switch functions (flash, date, focus) and the zoom lens was surprisingly sharp for such a small camera.
The camera loads very easily but the best feature so far has been the different timer options -- you can take 1,2,or 3 pictures in a row OR you can use the remote and point it directly at the camera after positioning yourself.
The only drawback is the viewfinder which is smaller than other cameras I have owned (Nikon/Pentax) but your eye will get used to it. I also recommend checking on ebay for this camera since you can get it new on a sharp discount.

I bought this little camera to replace a very old Cannon SureShot. I love this camera! It is sooo easy to use, very small and compact. I love the display on the back, everyone thinks it is digital. Takes pretty good pictures. Very good outdoor pictures, but indoor pictures were too dark and I had flash on, so I will work on that problem to see what I did wrong. I am an amature and I like easy point and shoot cameras that can fit in my pocket. But I highly recommend this camera. This was my first Fuji and I'm very pleased.

This replaces an old Fuji Zoom I had purchased 6 years ago. The 1300 is 2/3's the size & weight of my old one. VERY compact; large LCD screen to tell you what your controls are set at; controls easy to use; Zoom really ZOOMS up close; pictures great like all the Fuji cameras I've owned. The menu select button is very easy to use - it works like a mouse pointer on a laptop. Menu items easy to select -- just two basic steps to remember.

Drawbacks for me are: viewfinder is on the small side & I worry about scratching the LCD screen (which has no protection on it). Definitely glad I made this purchase however! And try Ebay for good prices -- I got my brand new 1300 for [$$$]including S&H!!

I've had this notebook for 3 months now and it was amazing right from when I received it. Amazing features of this notebook includes Nice wide screen display and a pair of good internal speakers with subwoofer ideal for listening to music and watching movies. Recent games such as Final fantasy XI, Max Payne 2 and NFS underground runs very smoothly and the speedy pentium M processor handles most demanding applications well. The slot loading DVD drive is cool too, and most of all it has a AV control panel and it is light enough to be carried around. A quality product from Gateway.

As a web and graphic designer, I constantly put my computers to the test. This one keeps up. I can have several high-intensity programs running at the same time without bogging down all my system resources. Furthermore, the battery life is amazing (mine is over 4 hours), it is completely silent, doesn't get hot, light for its size, and stylish to boot. I am in love.

The only thing that marred my experience with this computer is receiving one with a dead pixel in the center of my display. Big bummer. Gateway won't fix it. Otherwise, this is one amazing laptop.

This laptop has everything one could need:
-Fast processor, good amount of memory, GREAT graphic card, DVD writer, and a wide-screen ideal for games, DVD viewing and any other multimedia applications. For music enthusiasts, a built-in music player on the left of the keyboard can be used to play audio cds or mp3s without even turning the laptop on. Also, the speakers are of very good quality and the laptop even has a built-in subwoofer.

I tried a lot of notebooks before buying the M505XL and I can safely say that this is one of the best. At this price, you can't get a better deal.

For gamers, as I mentioned the graphic card is amazing. You'll be able to play the latest games with the settings maxed out at an amazing frame rate. ONLY games such as Far Cry which actually compete with the graphic engine of Half Life 2 might show some slowdown, but removing advanced settings such as Anti-Aliasing will boost the frame rate while keeping excellent visual quality. Games that work perfectly with all the settings turned on: Need for speed underground, Halo, Call of duty, Final Fantasy XI, Unreal Tournament 2003...

Finally the notebooks's pretty light (6.7 pounds) and you can easily take it with you wherever you go.

If you in the search not for good, but for the BEST audio 2.1 system it is. Nothing else even can't approach. NO Bose, no Harmon, no Logitech, nothing.
This system will reproduce music and any sound with UNMATCHED quality. You can use it as the reference monitors because it is exceptionally linear sound.
I repeat NOTHING else can't come even close. I have $1000 Onkyo system that isn't bad ;-). But it smokes, no place to comparison.

I don't think there are too many other speakers out there that pack this much power and clarity. We are talking 245 watts total power! (125 watt sub and 60 watt each L and R mains). These things are outrageously loud and clear. Punchy bass and clear highs (not tinny). You could use them for just about anything really. They have RCA L and R channel inputs so they can be hooked up to a portable CD player, MP3 player, MiniDisc, or TV, just to name a few. There are also some convenient mic and aux inputs on the right main cabinet. They are larger than most PC speakers but the amount of sound is well worth the extra space.

I listened to every speaker system I could find at any of the major stores and this was by far the best sound comparing them to most I found. The only other speakers that come close are the Klipsch ProMedia line speakers which are fantastic also (but also very expensive). I wanted Klipsch speakers bad, but I bought these at an outrageously good price so that's what made me decide to purchase them instead of the Klipsch. I saved $130 off the normal price on these believe it or not, so it was impossible to pass up!

The Sonic XS line is made by Electro-Voice (EV) who is one of the top manufacturers of professional sound systems found in night clubs and concert halls so they have definitely done their homework. Horn tweeters allow for louder highs without distoring and the long throw sub speaker has killer bass that absolutely thumps. I have the Sonic XS 2.1's hooked up to my PC which has an Audigy 2 Platinum soundcard in it. I have my computer volume set at 60% with the sub level set at about 25% of the volume level and the main is only at around 20%. Any louder and you will have to leave the room! You will hear stuff from your computer games and digital music that you were never able to hear before, that I guarantee. You will think you are at a live rock concert. Unbelieveable!!

I purchased this system for use as an enhancement to my TV speakers. For a table top TV with audio outputs, these powered speakers do wonders for the sound. A ... table top TV sounds like a million with these puppies hooked up. It doesn't hurt to have digital satellite tv audio either (sounds great off the dish). The sub woofer is gutsy with a level control and the other speakers have a horn tweeter as well as a woofer. There's an on/off and bass/treble control. There's also a mike jack, input for a portable device (such as a portable CD player) and a headphone jack (all on the right side speaker). For the money you can't beat them in my opinion. Amazon had the best price also. ... Great product!!

I own a small accounting/consulting business...10 employees. Because each employee has such a large workload which is computer/printer-intensive, printer sharing is inefficient and ineffective. Therefore, I needed a high-quality, fast laser printer that would cost an arm and a let (inasmuch as I needed 10 printers!). When looking for a laser, I looked to the industry leader, Hewlett-Packard, if for no other reason than quality and simplicity. I started with the HP Laser II, moved to the Laser III, then the Laser IV and finally the Laser 4050...this, over a period of about 10 years. The move to the 4050 was the best move in terms of print quality and speed. As such, I purchased four. This was in 1999.

In 2001, enter the HP Laser 4100. When one of my Laser IIIs [stopped working], I bought a 4100 as a replacement. I set it up with my office manager as she seemed to have the greatest need. Over a period of two weeks, I found that she was generating reports and proposals in incredible time. I really thought she was getting help from another employee or had received some sort of divine assistance. However, after investigating further, I found that the printer (the 4100) was responsible for this NOTICABLE increase in output. After working with it for a short time myself, I purchased 4100s for everyone in the office. The 4100 is an workhorse for offices needing fast, large-capacity printers. I suspect that this printer would work in a sharing arrangement although I truly think it is at its best in a stand-alone environment.

The 4100 offers the user 1,200 dpi resolution, 16 MB RAM (expandable to 384 MB), and two high-capacity paper trays. As previously mentioned, the 4100 is networkable via JetDirect network cards. The 4100 delivers 25 ppm which keeps up with even the most efficient computer jockey or secretarial dervish. The paper trays, one with 100-sheet capacity and one with 500-sheet capacity, can be expanded up to an amazing 1,600 with available options. My personal printer is set up with two 500-sheet trays which supports my output very effectively. The 4100 is compatible with Windows 95, 98, Me, NT 4.0, and 2000 operating systems.

From a consumable standpoint, the toner cartridge supplies a reasonable level of output for the cost. I would like more but then, I don't know if I would ever be satisfied with the consumable cost!!

All-in-all, this is an outstanding laser printer... Frankly, for the quality, I would have paid more but I'm glad I didn't have to.

HP's LaserJet 4100 is perfect for a networked environment where a large volume of printing takes place. I use two of these for a computer lab and an office that I run and I have no complaints!!

SPEED

This baby is just unbelievably fast. It pumps out pages faster than any office copy machine I have ever dealt with at about 25 pages a minute. Prints jobs go in and they come right out just as quickly!!!

MANAGEABILITY

These printers were made to be networked and the printer management functions built into it are amazing. The printer is accessible via remote login or via secured web paged login (via IP address) and it tells you exactly how much toner is left in the cartridge, how many pages it has printed and when it should be serviced, etc. In other words, it is very easy to maintain.

THE VERDICT:

Overall, I cannot recommend any other printer if you are in an environment that requires multiple users print capabilities in a networked environment at a high-volume. Fast, reliable and easy to manage. What more can you ask for?

Highest Recommendation

Just recently upgraded from another HP Laser. Print quality is great -- even in econo (toner saver) mode. Run it at highest quality for excellent and crisp output. Have not had any paper jams or other problems. LCD on printer is great...you can adjust all of the settings and even get info on the toner cartridge. Standard 500 sheet input tray reduces replacing paper all the time. From my past experience w/ HP lasers, toner cartridge life is good. Very versatile w/ the option to add network components, duplexer, extra RAM. Printer is not [inexpensive], but you get what you pay for.

...because even though I have tested them and they sound great, the Bose Companion 3 is like the best thing for computers. Trust me, nothing gets close to it, or maybe something gets close, but nothing beats it. So yeah from now on Id give the Companion 3 5 or 10 stars.. and all speakers would be below it. Ive got Klipsch 2.1 Promedia, they were great but the Bose speakers are so much smaller and sound even greater! the Bose basically kill the klipsch, and if it kills klipsch, it also kills this Creative speakers. Trust me, save another $$ and get the Bose companion 3 instead! you wont regret it! I payed $200 for the companion, and what someone said of having a faulty one.. dude you should have stayed with it till the store got it back!! Then exchange! You did a HUGE mistake! When I connected the companion to my comp I was VERY amazed.. it sounded like a $600 hometheater!

I needed to upgrade my dingy old Altec Lansing's, bought in 1999. I researched several speakers sets. All I needed was a simple 2.1 or 3 speaker set up since I dont use my PC for watching DVDs and thus didnt require a 5.1 spendy setup. My budget was 150$. I didn't need to waste 250$ on the (greatly overpriced) Bose companion 3 or the top of the line Logitech Z680. I looked hard at the Klipsch Promedia 2.1(150$) and the very affordable Logitech Z-2200(105$)- great value. I almost pulled the trigger in favor of the Z-2200 until I read more about the Megaworks 250D on creative's website, then I was sold! It is more expensive(155/140$ after rebate), but also offers more power & features and I felt better quality. Here's the specs: generous 300w RMS, THX, 3.5" sats(75w RMS/ea.) & 8" (down fire) wood sub for the bass(150w RMS), 99db SNR, and 25-20kHz range. Now you're playing w/ power!
Amazon offered me the best price and free shipping! Thanks Amazon. Highly Recommended.

I gave these as a holiday gift and they sound superb in their new home. Even when they are cranked-up all the way they still are stunning with no crackle or hiss. I have the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 and for a 2.1 system these are comparable.

...I bought it anyway. Parts is parts, right?

Wrong.

The print quality of the Dataproducts knock-off was *in no way similar* to Epson cartridges. Even after numerous nozzle purges, ink splattered all over the page, there were veritcal discolored lines in the photos.

Worst of all, it didn't quite fit properly. When I tried to remove it (following the instructions in the Epson manual meticulously) the Dataproducts cartridge got jammed in the cartridge housing (actually stuck onto the "spikes" the open the ink wells... my guess is the covering is not quite the same thickness as the original model) and so the cartridge cover (the purple plastic lid over the cartridge) wouldn't pop up. It took two printer techs almost an hour to extract it, and we were contantly in fear of ruining the printer.

I'll say it again: even if you're feeling frugal, buy the real brand product. My only criticism is that the price is so high that the knockoffs are almost too tempting.

We use 100's of these cartridges each year and we have tried every generic cartridge we could find. None of them have the same quality as the original.

I always bought Epson cartridges for my Epson printer from my local Sears store. Then one day Sears eliminated the Epson cartridges with generic substitutions. I decided to try them out since they were $10 cheaper. This turned out to be a big mistake. I had to constantly use the head-cleaning utility to unclog the nozzles. The print quality was also bad, especially with the color printing. I highly recommend paying more for the namebrand.

After reading tigger221's review I ordered this unit. My house had recently been hit by a surge and I lost tv's, but not the PC since it was on a surge protector. The TV's went because the surge went through the cable lines, so I needed a cable modem surge in addition to the lines and phone. Its a substantial amount of protection, 1080 jules is double what I had. The prior unit did protect, but also failed and needed replacement. The plugs are far enough apart in two socket to take the big plugs for the printer and other peripherals without blocking another plug. The directions were clear, and the cord was sufficiently long. It was a little expensive, and that held me back from five stars. Still a good value. I hope to not use the protection claim offered, which is very good coverage.

When I purchased this unit for 1/3 the list price I thought it was a steal! I would consider it a great deal, even at a considerably higher price.

It comes with 1080 joule lightning protection, a 6' power cord, 8 three-prong outlets (2 of which are more generously spaced), and $100,000 connected equipment warrantee. Its protection for 1 phone line includes a splitter so you can connect two devices. It also has protection for 2 coaxial cable lines (in case you have both satellite and cable TV, for example). Finally, it comes with bonus phone and coax cords (1 each) to help you connect and protect.

I consider this a very functional and feature-rich product.

What I have to say will be short and sweet. I'm currently having some contractors install sheet-rock in my basement where I have my computer. When the contrators kicked on their saws the lights in the house dimmed and so did my monitor on the computer. It was so bad that I decided to shut my everything down. Fortunately for me, this surge protector that I had bought from Amazon arrived on the mail. I decided the construction in my house would be a great test for this outlet block. I plugged it in, and plugged all my accessories into the block . . . one of the workers just now cut a 2x4 and I haven't received even so much as a blink on my monitor screen.

The other reason I bought this protector is that lightning came through the phone line here the other day and burnt out my modem. The modem cost me 54.00. Now, however, I can plug in the phone line into the surge protector and it will save my modem the next time a lightning storm hits.

This plug-in block is well worth your money. . . oh, it comes with a ... warranty as well. I don't think you can beat that.

It has a unique ON button. Very user friendly with simple functions and buttons. It lacks Manual Functions. Picture quality's superb except for some visible purple noise for low light shots. Durable Battery Life. Visit http://www.pbase.com/jv3nus for pictures i took using this camera.

Small, compact, and amazing pictures. The battery life on this thing is amazing, I've taken 200+ shots on highest resolution and I've had this camera for over 4 months and I have NEVER seen the battery level drop. The only downfall is a little purple noise with low light shots.

Overall, I would suggest this camera to anyone who wants a simple and tiny camera that will take great pictures whenever they are needed.

This is my third digital camera, the previous 2 being a Fujifilm FinePix 1300, and a Fujifilm FinePix 2800. My first comment is that I miss the 6x optical zoom of the 2800 which was really powerful.

The camera is beautifully designed, cool looking in a style that will not look out of date in a hurry, and also very compact and thus easy to carry about, say in a shirt pocket. As an architect, I love to be able to whip out and shoot any scenery, sunset or building that catches my fancy at anytime and this serves just fine. To enable me to take lots of photos at a go, I got a 128Mb card which stores 86 images at the 6 mega pixel resolution.

It is very simple to use (you literally snap away once you have set up, which is very easy to do) and shortcut buttons eliminate the need to twiddle in the menu section in search of most options such as different flash settings, different resolution settings, Macro mode (amazing close ups), and many others. There are also some pop ups to guide you, reducing your dependence on the manual (which, like all Fujifilm manuals I have seen, is very detailed and easy to use) except for really major issues.

Images viewed in the LCD display are really clear and bright when it is used as a viewfinder, especially for indoor shots (was dark for my 2 previous cameras). Viewing of images stored on the card is very easy. You can zoom into images (in playback mode), as well as pan around to see hidden bits (at the sides, top and bottom, which are usually hidden the larger the zoomed image is) which I find a very helpful feature. You can also crop images. The welcome LCD display (and accompanying star trek like bleeps) adds a nice touch.

The AF/AE lock is a breeze to use and takes exceptional shots every time. Photo quality is really amazing. You can pick out fine details in the background of the subject. Colours and contrasts are good and sharp. Flash modes are easy to access and dark indoor shots taken using suppressed flash yielded amazing results. However, the darker it is, the more noise in the picture. Outdoor shots on a bright day are unbelievable in their clarity.

The Movie clips with audio are very simple to make, and it is very easy to switch between resolutions (320x240 for 120sec clips, 160x120 for 480sec clips). Results are quite good, though best results are obtained where there is a lot of light, e.g. outdoors on a sunny day.

Battery life is very good but it's always best to have a spare. The battery charges in just under two and a half hours which also is helpful if you don't have all day.

The cradle is stylish looking too. I have mine permanently hooked to my PC and just place the camera on it, switch it on, and the software launches and downloads everything quite fast.
The FinePixViewer software is very good. It is very easy to view folder contents at a glance, set up a slide show, etc. You get lots of print options from full photo, Index 1x2 (2 photos on a sheet), 2x2, through to 7x5.

Print results are simply breathtaking, whatever the size of paper, up to A3. Colours are rich and images very realistic looking.

This is a camera I would recommend without hesitation. It blows away any other camera in its class or price range. I have had it for just 7 months. Friends of mine (one of whom owns a Canon Powershot A70 but wishes he got this) who have handled it are impressed. If you are looking for a relatively inexpensive, compact, high resolution camera, look no further. I hope this review helps you.

I got one as an all-in-one center for images, video, TV, music, etc. It does the job well. TV image quality is excellent, and so is TV recording. Burning your favorite shows to DVD with a few button clicks is incredibly easy.
If you want something for your den, this is a machine that should definitely be on your list for consideration.

The Gateway FMC-901X blends an innovative case design with high performance components. The first thing that strikes you about the Gateway Media Center is that it looks more like a piece of stereo equipment than a computer. In fact the stackable design computer is fits perfectly on top of a VCR or stereo. This was a big selling point with my wife.

The next best feature is that it comes a super-sized 250GB hard drive with a personal video recorder that lets you record TV shows and watch them on your schedule. The advantage over Tivo is there's no monthly fee or any way for some corporation to keep track of what you watch and when.

Now from the comfort of your couch, you can watch video, TV, play digital music, watch digital video, surf the Internet, play games, arrange digital photos and play or record DVDs.

Finally a piece of gear that looks like it belongs in an AV rack. I've been Very pleased with the appearance and usability of the system. Be aware that although it looks and performs like a component, it's also a PC. It comes with Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004. That means music- and photo-playback features are excellent, and the PVR functions are a close match for a dedicated TV recorder.

Since it's a computer and not a TV it takes a couple of minutes to boot-up. To power the media center, you need the remote control unit and the wireless keyboard and mouse. I've taken to leaving the system on all the time. The mouse uses a new motion-sensing technology that lets you control it with natural hand movements. Unlike most wireless mice, this one actually has range. I can still operate from outside the house through the window, 25 feet away, as long as I stay in the line of sight.

The AV-component look of the FMC-901X is helped by the flip-down panel on the front, which hides many of the myriad of controls and ports: FireWire port, two USB 2.0 jacks, and slots for Compact Flash, SD, Memory Stick, and Smart Media memory cards, making it easy to move digital photos & MP3's into the system.

Bottom-line: this system is perfect for any true media enthusiast