Computer Reviews

I was a little nervous at first purchasing this system because of some of the negative feedback I heard on other systems from Bose & the high price $1199. ABT electronics did throw in the $120 speaker stands for free which was nice. After I first installed the systems it did not sound as expected; but after some adjustments to the angle of the speakers and raising the bass and treble in the setup menu the sounds is terrific. As Bose states in their manual this system is meant to realisticaly recreate sounds, not overdue certain effects like many systems do. So far I have had great enjoyement listening to CD's and DVD's, Top Gun sounds better than I have ever heard it. The set-up was easy, including the stands it took 25 minutes and then another 30 min to understand all the menus.

This is a great sound, you think how can 2 speakers have a 5.1 surround sound, well it can. I mean the depth, sound is rich in quality.

Pro's: Great sound, 3D depth, sounds like your in the theater. DVD player is a great player.

Con's: The worst con is that it does NOT support progressive scan out put, just regular Video cables, and S-Video.

I just bought this system for my livingroom. I use to have a surround sound system with like 5 speakers and the speakers werent that great and were everywhere in the room. This 3-2-1 Bose System is easy to set up and only had 2 speakers and 1 subwoofer. If you have a small to medium size livingroom this is perfect. Its as if you were sitting at the movie theater. The system sounds so good and is also a dvd player, cd player and am fm radio. Its a dvd stereo system all in one. Im so glad I bought this product. You cant go wrong with this one.

As a previous reviewer wrote, it's tape--what else is there to say? This size is very convenient for labeling lots of things around the house: DVDs, CDs, cables, boxes, drawers. The black-on-white type is very easy to read, and the adhesive works well. My only gripe, and it's minor, is the fiendish amount of dexterity required to separate the label from its backing. Not for the easily frustrated or those with 10 thumbs.

Well, it's tape, what more is there to say. The TZ231 is Black type on White background, 1/2" in size. This is perfect for labeling DVD cases, or optical discs.

The thing that keeps one from being an organizer or a neat nick is the effort it takes easer just knowing where something is. These tapes change the formula to "it is easer to label than to guess."
At home these labels make more efficient replace the labels on videos; you can see the title from across the room. At work we use the labels on files, printers, cabinets, and many more locations.
The Brother P-Touch brand of TZ tape works so well that there is no need to venture into "cheap land" and who knows what lack of quality one would find.

I too bought these about 5 years ago, when they cost a lot more. At this price, they are a steal! I guess that's what happens when you continue to build them, and sell a lot of them- great for the buyer. I used to use these at work, but it was too tempting to turn them up loud - my non-fun co-workers didn't like it too much. I've used these to play at a party, hooked up to an MP3 player, and before that, I plugged them into an old boombox headphone jack- whos speakers had died, and the sound was out of this world. Like the fact that the sub can be tucked away and out of site. These babies rock!

I should have known these would be awesome, given the Cambridge reputation. But I was even more surpised when I plugged them in. Very easy to set up to PC - just plug into headphone jack. I am going to get another pair for my bedroom TV- and one for an old boombox - where the electronics still work, but the speakers have died. Now if I can just keep my teenage son from playing them at full volume, I'll be in good shape!

I bought MicroWorks about 3 years ago (when they cost a lot more [$$$]!). I went out looking for decent computer speakers to replace the tinny HKs that came with my computer. The salesperson in the Cambridge [local store] played these for me and I was stunned by the sound. I shopped around but everything I listened to after that I compared to the MicroWorks and none could even come close. I use the speakers on my PC because that's where I listen to most of my tunes. From downloaded songs to CDs to games...heck, even for listening to the "You've Got Mail" announcement, these things are the best!

This is one of the finest optical instruments i ever bought. The Image Stabilizer works so fantastic and flawless you just don't wanna let this bino out of your hand. It even works while you watch from a driving car. You can make out license plate numbers from about 400 ft away. I also bought protective lenses which I use during daytime. When stargazing I realized some mirror effects from the protective lens - so just let those off during nightime. This is the most useful and inexpensive tool for stargazing. Even better than some telescopes for the same price. The AA at 2100 mAh last for about 3-4 hrs. Even with the IS shut off the optics are awesome - but with the IS engaged it is breathtaking. It is definitely worth to spend the extra money to get this system over any other w/o IS.

I bought these binoculars (along with "The Backyard Astronomer's Guide", "Touring the Universe Through Binoculars," and Starry Night software) to learn some basic astronomy. This has turned out to be a winning combination.

While these binoculars weigh 2.6 pounds, they have a very natural, comfortable fit in the hands and are easy to handle.

The image stabilization is amazing and really improves my ability to resolve stellar objects and surface details of the moon.

It does seem a little odd that Canon did not include front lens caps. However the 15x50s are threaded for 58 mm filters, so one can easily purchase standard lens caps. I bought a pair of 58 mm Canon lens caps which fit, although the heavy rubber armor leaves minimal clearance to operate the lens cap release buttons. With filters installed the lens caps fit exactly as they would on a camera lens with plenty of clearance to remove, even if wearing gloves.

These binoculars are spectacular. Point them at Jupiter and you see a bright dot wandering around in the field of view. Press the image stabilization switch and the planet and its moons instantly become visible. While they can't subtract all movement they do get rid of the little shakes that make hand held viewing so difficult. 15x is enough magnification that Saturn is obviously not round.

A complaint about earier versions of the Canon IS line was that your finger went to sleep holding the IS switch down. Now you can press it briefly to turn on the IS circuitry which will automatically shut off in 5 minutes. If you press and hold the switch it shuts off as soon as you release it.

I haven't had my pair long enough to comment on battery life but do see a problem changing them when they are mounted on a tripod. Unlike most binoculars where the tripod mounting is at the objective end where the two barrels rotate on the Canons it is at the bottom of the binocular near the center of the tubes which don't rotate. And the battery compartment is just in front of it so you can't get to it if the binoculars are on a tripod of have a quick release plate attached.

Since the lens barrels don't rotate intra-ocular distance is adjusted by actually moving the oculars. They are kind of stiff but that is good because they stay in place once you get them set.

The tripod mount is lower than the highest part of the lens barrels so if you have a big quick release plate like that of the Manfrotto (Bogen) 410 geared head (highly recommended) it presses against the bottom of the barrels and not the flat between them.

For some reason Canon doesn't seem to fell that the objective lenses need any protection as they don't ship lens covers for them. They do provide lens covers for the oculars but they pop off a lot because the eye cups are so soft. It looks like you need something like 69mm lens caps. They don't tell you in the manual but Canon sales says they are threaded to accept 58mm filters so you can buy solar filters for them.

I can use the binoculars with my glasses on due to the 15 mm eye relief but it is really easier to use them without the glasses.

They are heavy, ~2,5#, but if you support them on the heels of your hands very stable.

I'm using this product with my Canon i900D photo printer. I'm thrilled beyond words with the quality, the output (and lack of quickly drying up) that this cartridge offers. Per a prior experience (and recommendations of others), I wouldn't recommend the cheaper clone cartridge makers. Stick with this product, both for your warranty's sake, as well as minimizing your frustration level. The Canon products are worth the few extra $$ to purchase.

Although lower cost substitute ink cartridges are sold all over the web, and on this site as well, the few bucks you might save aren't worth the all-too genuine risks of replacing with generic "no-name" ink tanks. I've heard (but wouldn't wish to try it, frankly) that generic inks fade faster when exposed to daylight, could clog the print-head spray nozzles, don't spread properly on top-quality paper, and simply can't compare with the uniquely formulated dyes that have been specially researched for your printer and its matching photo papers. The one exception might be if you use a black-ink-only inkjet [hard to imagine anyone could screw up black ink]. I concur that printer manufacturers use that old hoary "razor trick" (give away the razor, profit on the blades), but with Canon's individual ink tanks -- where you replace only those tanks that run dry, you aren't out a lot. My Canon photo printer uses an array of six ink tank colors. Of these six tanks (all available on this site), 'photo cyan' and 'photo magenta' seem to be used up 2 to 3 times faster than 'black'. In other words, rather than replacing an entire set of six ink tanks, you can replace just those tanks that run empty the soonest -- thus not having to toss out a 3-ink tank [as used by HP] where 2 of the 3 remaining inks still are far from used up. Just a word of caution here - make certain that every cartridge you order from Amazon clearly states its eligibility for SuperSaver shipping. If you have to add shipping charges to this low-cost item, you could end up paying more than you would have at the local office supply store.

I have had my Canon BJC-8200 for more than a year now and I could not be happier with it. Not only does it produce photographs better than you can get developed from 35mm film it saves money while doing it. Since there are 6 separate ink tanks rather than one black ink tank and one 3-color tank; I have only to replace the tank which runs out of ink rather than one huge tank which has run out of red, but still has plenty of the other two colors.

And don't let the small size of the tanks fool you in to thinking that they will run out of ink frequently; since flow control is so precise I can print a huge pile of 4x6 pictures before the yellow or red runs out.

If you are looking for a great printer that will almost pay for itself with savings on ink; look at one of the Canon bubblejet printers with individual tanks.

I'm using this product with my Canon i900D photo printer. I'm thrilled beyond words with the quality, the output (and lack of quickly drying up) that this cartridge offers. Per a prior experience (and recommendations of others), I wouldn't recommend the cheaper clone cartridge makers. Stick with this product, both for your warranty's sake, as well as minimizing your frustration level. The Canon products are worth the few extra $$ to purchase.

Although lower cost substitute ink cartridges are sold all over the web, and on this site as well, the few bucks you might save aren't worth the all-too genuine risks of replacing with generic "no-name" ink tanks. I've heard (but wouldn't wish to try it, frankly) that generic inks fade faster when exposed to daylight, could clog the print-head spray nozzles, don't spread properly on top-quality paper, and simply can't compare with the uniquely formulated dyes that have been specially researched for your printer and its matching photo papers. The one exception might be if you use a black-ink-only inkjet [hard to imagine anyone could screw up black ink]. I concur that printer manufacturers use that old hoary "razor trick" (give away the razor, profit on the blades), but with Canon's individual ink tanks -- where you replace only those tanks that run dry, you aren't out a lot. My Canon photo printer uses an array of six ink tank colors. Of these six tanks (all available on this site), 'photo cyan' and 'photo magenta' seem to be used up 2 to 3 times faster than 'black'. In other words, rather than replacing an entire set of six ink tanks, you can replace just those tanks that run empty the soonest -- thus not having to toss out a 3-ink tank [as used by HP] where 2 of the 3 remaining inks still are far from used up. Just a word of caution here - make certain that every cartridge you order from Amazon clearly states its eligibility for SuperSaver shipping. If you have to add shipping charges to this low-cost item, you could end up paying more than you would have at the local office supply store.

I have had my Canon BJC-8200 for more than a year now and I could not be happier with it. Not only does it produce photographs better than you can get developed from 35mm film it saves money while doing it. Since there are 6 separate ink tanks rather than one black ink tank and one 3-color tank; I have only to replace the tank which runs out of ink rather than one huge tank which has run out of red, but still has plenty of the other two colors.

And don't let the small size of the tanks fool you in to thinking that they will run out of ink frequently; since flow control is so precise I can print a huge pile of 4x6 pictures before the yellow or red runs out.

If you are looking for a great printer that will almost pay for itself with savings on ink; look at one of the Canon bubblejet printers with individual tanks.

I'm using this product with my Canon i900D photo printer. I'm thrilled beyond words with the quality, the output (and lack of quickly drying up) that this cartridge offers. Per a prior experience (and recommendations of others), I wouldn't recommend the cheaper clone cartridge makers. Stick with this product, both for your warranty's sake, as well as minimizing your frustration level. The Canon products are worth the few extra $$ to purchase.

Although lower cost substitute ink cartridges are sold all over the web, and on this site as well, the few bucks you might save aren't worth the all-too genuine risks of replacing with generic "no-name" ink tanks. I've heard (but wouldn't wish to try it, frankly) that generic inks fade faster when exposed to daylight, could clog the print-head spray nozzles, don't spread properly on top-quality paper, and simply can't compare with the uniquely formulated dyes that have been specially researched for your printer and its matching photo papers. The one exception might be if you use a black-ink-only inkjet [hard to imagine anyone could screw up black ink]. I concur that printer manufacturers use that old hoary "razor trick" (give away the razor, profit on the blades), but with Canon's individual ink tanks -- where you replace only those tanks that run dry, you aren't out a lot. My Canon photo printer uses an array of six ink tank colors. Of these six tanks (all available on this site), 'photo cyan' and 'photo magenta' seem to be used up 2 to 3 times faster than 'black'. In other words, rather than replacing an entire set of six ink tanks, you can replace just those tanks that run empty the soonest -- thus not having to toss out a 3-ink tank [as used by HP] where 2 of the 3 remaining inks still are far from used up. Just a word of caution here - make certain that every cartridge you order from Amazon clearly states its eligibility for SuperSaver shipping. If you have to add shipping charges to this low-cost item, you could end up paying more than you would have at the local office supply store.

I have had my Canon BJC-8200 for more than a year now and I could not be happier with it. Not only does it produce photographs better than you can get developed from 35mm film it saves money while doing it. Since there are 6 separate ink tanks rather than one black ink tank and one 3-color tank; I have only to replace the tank which runs out of ink rather than one huge tank which has run out of red, but still has plenty of the other two colors.

And don't let the small size of the tanks fool you in to thinking that they will run out of ink frequently; since flow control is so precise I can print a huge pile of 4x6 pictures before the yellow or red runs out.

If you are looking for a great printer that will almost pay for itself with savings on ink; look at one of the Canon bubblejet printers with individual tanks.

This paper is absolutely amazing with my Canon printer! I was surprised to find that the color was accurate, the prints very clear, and the paper was dry once it came out of my printer. I even "test smudged" the paper and there was not one run, smudge, or ink left on my fingers (unlike my first attempt on the crappy generic paper) I'm definitely reordering this stuff for my photo printing needs :)

I tested my new Canon i960 with a variety of papers. Like most printers, the output is much better when using the manufacture's own paper (as opposed to the cheaper generic paper), but there is no need to buy the most expensive "Pro" paper as neither I nor my wife could discern ANY difference between the two. There may be a benifit to the "Pro" paper that cannot be seen (lasts longer?) but at almost twice the cost it is not worth it - this paper will produce the highest quality prints on your Canon printer (I think they look better than the ones I get from the photo lab).

If you own a Canon photo printer then you should not hesitate to purchase this paper.

I recently purchased a Canon i860 Photo Printer and ordered some of this paper along with it. Imagine my amazement while the printer spit out a lab quality photo (borderless) in under 45 seconds on this paper. And yes, it truly is the paper that makes the difference.

I have tried other companies paper in my printer and can not achieve the same results. Using my 5 MP camera, I am getting better than lab photos with this paper. Better photos, I'm not joking.

The paper holds the ink nicely, so your photo is dry the instant your pinter has finished its last pass.

I had friends up one evening, took their photo, uploaded the picture and they had a photo in their hands in under 2 minutes. Their eyes were amazed, and they were truly speechless at the quality of this paper.

Do not skimp on the quality, if that is what you are after in paper. This is the paper for you.

After years of being a very faithful Sony user (I still like Sony and their products) I finally did the big leap, as in my mind the technology is finally there ... I bought a Canon EOS-1Ds 11.1 Megapixel camera body. Out of necessity I had to buy a set of EF lenses as well. I spent this years toy budget on just one purchase, but then THIS IS NOT TOY!

My last Sony was a F828 and before that a P10. The F828 is a great consumer product for the price, but it actually made me do the leap as good as it is, as it brought back my spirit for creating a REALLY good picture. I started to spend so much time to get to the right photo spot at the right time, that I did not want to have a lack of functionality then. I used to do a lot of photography 20 years ago on film, but returned as a point and shoot fotographer when digital came about. To say it with fellow countryman 'Arnie' - "I'm back."

First I need to say that all Amazon partnershops performed and delivered flawlessly, my special mention goes to Adorama Camera. I would usually be worried to spend so much money on the web, but Amazon takes that away.

Now to the 'beast' itself the EOS-1Ds body. I will not go into all the functional details, as to my mind they are all correct as stated. The camera is great to hold and work with total confidence. But at first - big disappointment. I was unable to concentrate on working with a professional camera. I was too used to point and shoot and expected the camera to do it all for me. Well, it does not. You need to know or learn photography for this one. It is now four weeks and 2500 pictures later and finally there is only one reason for a photo not to be perfect - ME!

Biggest difference to other products is the film-size 24x36 CCD and the ability to set the ASA film sensitivity up to 1250 on the fly rather than having to change film. Not always is a tripod at hand or the photo subject would wait until you set it up and then hold still for a 2 second exposure. I could not ask the helicopter pilot to stop the vibration during a dawn flight over the Las Vegas Strip. Setting to ASA1250 shortened exposure time to s/50. The picture noise that you get as a consequence is dramatically reduced by the noise reduction feature and much less than the grain of a high-sensitivity film.

Cautions and recommendations: Learning how to clean the sensor from dust and dirt without damaging it is essential. This camera is VERY heavy you will need a strong tripod to hold it. Buy a second battery, even so the charging is quick and it usually lasts for two normal days of use. Using a CF card reader is easier than buying a Firwire attachment for your PC. Use 2GB high-speed Compactflash for convenience, it will give you 400 pictures in JPG. Feel free to send me questions, which I will answer as much as I can.

I have shot 35mm for 30 years and paid for the best prints from the best labs and they just can't compare with high end digital prints. The detail goes way beyond 35mm and easily challenges medium format. I am still learning color manipulation on the computer and occasionally I get better color from a Velvia slide - which I am now shooting with the same Canon lenses and a 1v body - but overall it is becoming increasingly clear that film is as dead as video tape and vinyl records. I traded up to the 1Ds from a D60, which also produced prints much better than 35mm. The drawback to the D60 was a poor autofocus and a less than full frame sensor, which limits the use of wide angle lenses for landscape photos. The 1Ds solves those problems and potentially makes larger format cameras obsolete at the same time.

The only problem I have found is that the 45 sensor autofocus setting does not work with a very wide angle (16mm or 15mm fisheye) lens. For some reason, it won't focus at infinity. Switching to the center only focus sensor solves the problem. The 1v and Elan 7 do the same thing.

Our rep brought an EOS-1Ds into the lab for us to look at last week. I'm still pouring over the test bench and outdoor images with my jaw on the floor. I'll never be able to afford this beauty, but if we see the technology of the 1Ds make it into the prosumer market, I'll make the jump. Many of the so-called limitations of digital photography have been directly addressed in the design of the 1Ds.

For example, the small physical dimensions of consumer camera CCDs have limited the performance of many cameras. It's nearly impossible to collect and focus light onto a small CCD with inexpensive optics. Canon uses a larger size CCD in the 1Ds. That upgrade, plus having the CCD house 11 megapixels makes this camera instantly competitive with 35 mm film. Note, I'm not yet ready to say it's the equivalent, but it's so close now that the few advantages of film have much less leverage now. The future is here and it is now. If only I had 8 grand in my pocket...

I didn't have enough time with the 1Ds to get to know all of the bells and whistles, but did find it easy enough to use by just trusting my intuition. I'm looking at the nice collection of Canon 35 mm lenses I already own (which will fit the 1Ds) and my palms are sweating. Maybe I could sell a few of the toys I don't use much and eat macaroni and cheese for a few years?

We have had our Canon S400 for about 4 months & it has been wonderful -- as well as the Canon battery. The charge lasts for a pretty long time. We bought a generic battery (from an individual seller off this site) for a backup. It died in a little over a month. Don't bother trying to save money - just get the real thing (which this is).

Excellent price!!! I have used this battery as my "Main" battery and saved the original as a spare. THIS battery has had ZERO defects, as I have used my new camera quite a bit since recieving it and have charged it twice since recieving it. (It takes FULL charge and lasts the expected amount before recharge.)Not bad for the price!!!

I got the NB-1L battery when I bought my Canon Powershot S200, and I've since bought two extra batteries, one Canon (the battery reviewed), and one DigiPower equivalent.

The original Canon batteries perform noticably better than the DigiPower battery, and they also stay fairly cool, as opposed to the DigiPower battery that gets dangerously hot during operation.

I've had no problems running my Canon batteries, but the capacity is not all that impressive - hence the 3 batteries. An absolute minimum here would be two batteries for your camera.

On my S200 with the LCS screen on, I can get somewhere between 75 and 150 pictures out of one fully charged battery. With the LCD screen off (only a 2 second preview after each picture), I can get around 200 (sometimes a few more) pictures out of one fully charged battery.

I've been using my newest battery for about 10 months, and so far I haven't noticed any decrease in capacity. It appears to hold its charge very well for weeks at a time.

I would probably have given it a 2 star rating if I took the general battery capacity into consideration, but since you don't have any real options to this general battery type, I'll give it an overall 5 star rating. It performs better than other brands for my camera, and I've been very happy with it in all aspects.

I would also recommend that you to buy this battery and not a Canon equivalent from another manufacturer. This battery's worth the extra money!!!