Computer Reviews

I don't know why USB cables such as these go for such high prices at Officemax, Target, etc. A regular 6ft USB 2.0 A/B cable at Target costs $10! At Officemax the "gold plated" 10ft USB 2.0 A/B cables are $27!!! Bestbuy was also expensive despite that they are a category killer in electronics.

This cable is great and has a lifetime warranty.

Bottomline: buy your stuff from Amazon.com, where you TRULY get the lowest price possible.

SUPPORT AMAZON.COM and get your stuff here!!

When I purchased this product I thought I was getting a USB version 1 cable. It turned out to be 2.0. Fortunately the package said it was backward compatible and it was.

The book that came with my printer stated I needed a USB cable with a length of no greater than 6 foot, shielded, etc. They should tell you this before you get the printer. Fortunately, the 10 foot cable connected and worked flawlessly. I always try to buy Belkin since they generally have top quality products and good support.

cheapest on amazon. found the same at officemax locallay for $30. what a joke.

Amazon is simply the best in price & service. returining has been been easier in my life.

The Tivoli Model Two is, without a doubt, the best purchase I have ever made. This unit is insanely good. Having heard the Model One, I decided to purchase the Model Two and the Model Subwoofer. The Model One is an outstanding mono table radio but the Two is better than just a stereo version. There is no remote, no blinking LED's or LCD display. Just the best sounding small stereo system I have heard outside of a Nakamichi system that goes for the price of a used car. Sounds are reproduced clean, clear, and with the addition of the sub, rich and warm. Don't let the small size fool you, this system will fill the room with music. The tuner is excellent, as it should be given the high tech components and geared dial. Setup is a breeze. Plug box b into box a. Plug box c into box a. plug boxes a and c into the wall. You're good to go! If desired plug a cd player into the aux port on box a and hold on. The quality is uniformly excellent and the appearance is an extremely nice retro look that will go great with all but the most modern of decors. For a price of about half of it's more famous competitor it is without a doubt the best deal I know of in small audio. No it can't replace large components for big rooms or home theater but then it's not supposed to. It's made to do one thing: produce great sound from a small package and that it does supremely. If you're in the market for small audio, look no further. You have found sonic nirvana.

I was looking for a mini "shelf system" for my office. Started by going to circuit city and best buy and looking at what they've got. Either the stuff was ugly and plasticky, sounded mediocre, or so full of gimmicky led's and stuff as to render it undesirable. The only exception was a nice onkyo unit, but at $400 that was more than I wanted to spend.

Then i started reading reviews of the Tivoli model two and it sounded like it fit the bill. Brought it home today (i splurged the extra $80 for the sub-woofer) and I absolutely love it.

Great radio reception which should work well in a steel office building, and have my ipod connected via the docks 1/8" line out to the aux in on the radio.

Absolutely a perfect fit.

Pro's
1. great value for the $
2. really solidly built-quality feel of all, especially the tuning knob
3. subwoofer is well done and tuned just right... definitely spring for it if you can afford.
4. terrific styling
5. great sound-especially from such small speakers, and absolutely unbelievable stereo separation.
6. aux input selection on the front, and every other input option you need is on the back.

Con's
1. (and this is really minor), it's a little hard to see the station #'s because of the colors chosen, but dialing is mostly a feel thing anyway.
2. the model one comes in many cool color combos, too bad the model two doesn't as well.

This is truely an incredible system. First thing you'll notice is that this is a heavy little box, which is good, because being light weight is a sign of cheap electronics. I just can't believe how this system can generate sound quality that fills the room.

In comparison, I have an Aiwa bookself system that cost me $400. And this Model Two Radio actually provided clearer and fuller sound. I have a Digital Dolby system which totals around $2,000. The Model Two was no match for that. But hey, that's not a fair comparison.

Get it if you want a great sounding system for your room and don't want to have giant system running wires everywhere.

I will be getting another on for my other rooms.

It fits to the 12" X 9.6" board standard. I use P4S8X. It comes with 300w power supply(SL300S) and it is really quite same as my True430. 5.25" bays don't require screws...it said SLK2600AMB not SLK2600AMG...That means "Antec Metallic Bronze (AMB)" It is absolutely Metallic Bronze not Black. If you plan to buy the case with this size, this model will be the best choice...

This is my second ANTEC SLK2600AMG case. The first cost a lot more at a retailer. Other than color (metallic bronze is not really black), the case and power supply are outstanding and quiet - very quiet. The power supply is virtually silent and you have to add all the noise yourself with other parts.

I used the case to replace a home built computer that was sounding like a jet taking off. I had used the first case to build a computer from new parts and it is as quiet as the best Dell Optiplex. I did not achieve the same silent running on this computer since the old CPU fan is not as quiet as a new P4 one. I also dampened the case fan since it was not a new variable speed one. I moved the computer off the floor and onto the desk and the low nise level is quite tolerable.

The mounting for 5 1/2 drives is unique but it is extremely quick and easy (30 seconds with no screws) and appears quite stable. Everything is solid and well built.

Minor concerns:
the front USB connectors contain 6 separated pins each and are hard to maneuver around.
the case does not have a removable backplate and you have to install the MB inside the case.

I ordered the case on March 14 and it arrived on March 18. Very nice.

I did not buy my case from Amazon(more's the pity, could have saved some cash). This is an excellent case however. Well made, well designed and attractive. I especially like the door that covers the drive bays. Please note that the front USB ports wiring have 10 separate leads(a pain for my short fat fingers). For an excellent case at a reasonable price, I don't think you can go wrong. If you do buy the case be sure to order two 80MM fans at the same time. No fans in the case.

I don't know how they built this camera, it is so small! But at the same time, it is fully packed with nice features and records sharp picture and superb sound.

First Video, this camera delivers 500 lines of horizontal resolution which delivers digital quality pictures. Features many special effects and fader, titles and PIP. Magicpix doesn't really do anyting, so don't buy it for that reason. 10x optical zoom is quite sufficient, yet 700x digital zoom is useless. This camera feature AV and S-video plugs for TV connections, and i-link/firewire/IEEE1394 for easy access for computer transfering for editing.

Audio is amazing, you hear no motor noise even in the quietest places. Audio pickup is superb with zoom mic, easy to hear people talking from a distance. Also feature wind cut. Choose between 12 or 16 bit sound.

Extras are quite good. Built in still camera is a nice feature, but don't expect 4 megapixel quality pictures. the included 8mb SD card stores between 50 and 100 pictures. Choose from normal, fine or eco mode. USB and software included for viewing photos on computer. Battery has quite decent life, for its size. up to 1 hour (or more with viewfinder). The LCD screen is easy to view, but the viewfinder is hard to see in, but at least its colour unlike other models. All controls are easy to reach. Includes lens cap, charger, battery, adapter, shoulder strap, 8mb SD card, IR and wired remote, AV and USB cable and editing software. I would suggest buying a good case. The Panasonic palmcorder camcase 7 fits quite well, with loads of room for accesories.

CONCLUSION: GREAT BUY. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. BLOWS JVC, SONY and CANON AWAY.

The old programming expression is "Fast, [Inexpensive], and Good: Choose two.". That can be extended to camcorders by changing it to "Small, [inexpensive], and Good: Choose two.".

However, the PVDC252 manages lets you choose all three. It is relatively [inexpensive], quite small, and very good. You can get smaller cameras (but not much), [inexpensive]cameras, and better cameras, but this one is a nice compromise between all three.

Size: It is smaller than my digital camera. Fits perfectly in your palm (hence 'palmcorder'), which makes it very easy to hold steady, unlike many of the smaller models. Despite its small size, the controls are fairly easy to use, with the exception of the 'menu' button, which is awkward to hit one-handed. I'm not quite sure how they manage to fit the minidv tape in there!

Quality: Image quality seems fine. Perhaps a little washed out on cloudy days, but this is not a surprise using any camera. Audio quality is EXCELLENT. Using the built in microphone on a fairly windy day, a person standing several feet away from the camera talking in a soft voice is perfectly audible. There is NO tape mechanism noise, which seems to be problem with other cameras in this price range.

Cost: If you pay more for a camera, you would get either 1) smaller size (not necessarily a good thing, this guy is small enough), or 2) Better image quality. You probably wouldn't notice much difference in image quality, unless you stepped up to one of the 'prosumer' cameras that'll set you back a couple thousand or so.

My only gripes are the somewhat clunky menu system (however, it's not really necessary for day-to-day operation), the slow tape eject mechanism (not so bad considering that they probably need to rearrange space and time to fit the tape in the camera), and the somewhat awkward position of the various plugs, a common problem on all small cameras.

Bottom line: Highly recommended.

In Europe this model is called the NV-GS5, which is what I have, but it's otherwise identical.

I've had it a few months now. I bought it after lots of research, and after rejecting the "upright" style cameras because they're so hard to hold steady. This little Panasonic is still very small (and cute) but you have a chance of holding it reasonably steady. Having said that, even with the image stabiliser on, you will need a tripod to make decent use of even the 10x optical zoom.

Panasonic's main selling points for this camera seem to be its ability to record stills, MPEGs and voice clips onto SD card, but if you've already got a digital stills camera, you'll not be too excited about stills at 640 x 480, maximum.

Forget that, and notice the other advantages. As the top model in this range (the 352 is really quite different and a lot bigger) it gets a colour viewfinder, and an analogue AV input. That could be really useful. There appears to be a connector for just about everything you can think of, including the all-important external microphone. The lens has a screw mount for proprietary conversion lenses and filters too.

Performance wise, I have been very pleased indeed with the results. It focuses with alacrity (almost never caught out), produces a really crisp clean image in all but the murkiest conditions, and generally looks surprisingly close to broadcast quality. Sound is pretty good using the built-in microphone: lots of atmosphere. Unlike some mini-DV camcorders, the microphone is mounted right at the front, so you only notice camera noise when you film in a very quiet location.

It's quite easy to use, though you'll need to spend a little time with the horrible instruction book before you can use it confidently. At first I kept forgetting which menu contained which control. But some controls are easily accessible, like the manual exposure (nice to have) and focus wheel. Most things fall to hand well, though the menu button requires a double-jointed index finger...

On the whole though, I have few criticisms. It's small, looks great, is quite easy to use and most important, produces excellent pictures and sound. I'm very impressed.

I've lost count of the radios I ve bought over the years, but I always get excited when I see something new. I have the GE Superadio and the CC Crane unit,but this baby beats them both. Analog witha digital readout and what great sound! Both AM and FM reception is first rate and the added bonus of shorwave really makes this unit worth the price.I'm so used to digital with memory presets and seek buttons so it took a little time to get used to.Of course being analogand using 4 D's the batteries really last. The radio has a great feel to it and its easy to tell Grundig did the job right. Memory presets would have made this unit the ultimate radio, but for what you are getting for $100, Im quite satisfied. To me this is the GE Superadio 4...with the bonus of Shortwave!

This radio not only looks great but sounds great. Popular shortwave stations (bbc, voa, cuba) come in loud and clear, with no need for external antenna. AM/FM come in equally clear. Very little drifting, but it does drift a little over a bit of time. I got better reception at times over a Sony SW7600GR. It has a good alarm that's easy to operate. The instruction maual is well written and available at the website as well. It's not a travel radio, but that's pretty obvious. It has no SSB for tuning into ham radios, but it's great for the casual listener. I highly recommend the radio. It's a good value for the money.

I've known the name Grundig for a very long time, I use to work on Radios and TV in my high school years and that was back in the 60's. Grundig was a great name then and so is it now. This shortwave Radio picks up better than any shortwave radio I've had.The sound that comes out of the speakers is top notch. If you want a good buy and a good radio at the same time its Grundig S350.

This is by far an excellent keyboard. When I go to get a keyboard, I am in it for the comfortability. Not extra buttons and such. This keyboard for me, is extremly comfortable. It also has a convinient scroll wheel on the left hand side. A great keyboard. However, Logitech does have some much nicer keyboards on the market now. This is quite an old keyboard. Still a good one though, especially for extras. If you are in it for pure comfortability, go with one of the newer ones. If you are in it for pure extras, deffinetly go with this. Overall, a great keyboard. 4 out of 5 stars. Marked down one star for not being completely comfortable.

The Logitech Internet Navigator is a really nice keyboard, but a bit on the big side. I have used it with Windows XP, and Linux (The special feature keys don't work with linux). Having the scroll wheel on the keyboard is a great feature. Another nice feature is the volume control.

I have had my Navigator since 2001 and I have had absolutely no problems(safemode is oddly accessed by left crt). The keys are not quiet compared to newer models, but I don't like mushy hard to push keys(like this HP I am typing at now at the folk's house). THe Logitech Navagator makes a nice easy 'click' when pushing the keys(that I personally like, but most of you don't) the keys give little resistance and will always execute the function never do you have to "Pound" the key to get it to work as I've heard of the new Logitech Elite which I'm buying for my new PC but will probably cancel after hearing of it's terrible F-lock and stiff keys. If you do a lot of typing or are single(as not to wake up your spouse/roomate/child/angry father ect in bed) and play a lot of games this is perfect. The problem lies in the retarded display of CAP ON CAP OFF when playing games you get kicked out of the games so you must turn this display off to enjoy games(and not corrupt your files in games). I've heard logitech also promotes spyware but it can be easily disabled with Adaware or spybot.

I bought my system about a month ago. For a non-wireless system it was a very painless setup. As other people mentioned, the default settings don't have any drama, but once you adjust it, the sound is gorgeous. I like simple equipment that just works and this is it - not a lot of bells and whistles, I don't need the whole audiophile ability to tweak every note - this has just a few great settings to switch between that sound good. My only complaint is the lack of inputs on the back. You can only hook up a DVD and a VCR, nothing else. I like to play music off my computer through my stereo, but to do so, I'd have to swap cables. The remote is crowded with buttons that are useless unless you own other Sony equipment. Use your universal remote instead. All in all, WELL worth the price!

I was looking around town for a decent sorround sound system and this caught my eye,5 speakers 1 subwoofer and the reciever for just over 200 dollars. They had a store demo so I gave it a listen and was quite surprised. There were two systems hooked up to the T.V., this one and a $350 sony system.Out of the two this one sounded the best,Rumbling lows great clarity and the perfect ammount of speakers for a medium large to large room. It was just overall a great buy for the price. I purchased it, took it home and I must say it has done wonders for My homes sound quality. when watching DVDs not only do i hear the sound but I feel it. Highly recommended.

ok so youre looking for a home theater system to top off your big screen,dvd and whatever else you have and you think to your self the only way to get a nice sound and high volume is to get bose speakers and a 700 watt 7.1 system well youre wrong see this is the cheapest priced home theater system ive ever seen or heard that doesnt suck its great ill tell you this,this system is gonna give bose a run for its money it acctually sounds better than bose (just my opinion though) but ill tell you the subwoofer isnt much for super large rooms mainly because its passive (not powered)but i got to the store after i saw it in a magazine not expecting much and turned it on went through the menu to turn it to my sound preferences and it blew me away

I had never use a digital camera, but i ever ask a friend any time i'm interested in one. Suddenly, i look the offer of this camera in a kodak store. I get my friend to look it before buy and he said me that it's a good offer.
The pictures that i have take with it are of a great quality. It's very easy to use. Only target and shot. It have a lag of 3 or 4 seconds between two shots, but instead have a function to shot 6 pictures with one shot, ideal to capture movement.
The only cons is that you need a tripod to take pictures in the night mode.

This is one of the best cameras anyone could ever buy. So easy to use, it'll make you want to take it everywhere. I sure do! The camera's ready right out of the box. The pictures come out wonderful and the battery life is great. Only a few minor flaws (no image stabilization on extreme close-ups and the auto-focus makes you wait sometimes before you can snap the picture) but they do not transfer onto the pictures. Even with the jittery close-ups(when you use the digital zoom @ it's max) the pictures come out clear. With the auto-focus problems you just have to wait for the green light when the camera's ready. All-in-all you cannot go wrong with this camera. It, as with any new piece of equipment, takes time and practice to learn how to use it (to get the full advantage of its features). So just practice, practice, practice!!!! I took some pictures of my son in the park playing...they almost look like I hired a professional and I only have had the camera since December 2003. I would recommend this camera from the beginner to the enthusiast. It's worth the price just for the zoom and manual controls it offers.

I absolutely love this camera. I take a lot of personal photos of friends, family, and sunsets ect.. and then frame them for my walls. I was paranoid to switch to a digital camera at first. I bought this camera when it first came out a year ago and if anything was to happen to it I would replace with the same one or possibly there new one.
I also own a website for real estate rentals that I photo each and every room of the properties and display on the site. I have never been more impressed with a camera than this one. I was always an Olympus Fan and Kodak to me was bottom shelf for beginners. I am so glad I took the chance.
It is easy to us for beginners, and easy to learn the more advanced steps. I have used it for Fireworks displays, (including Disney) with out a tripod in night mode and could not believe the results.
For the down side I dont care for the software program they use. However, it is great for beginners to learn on and I do use it to keep my photos organized in albumns.
I do most of my editing and so forth thru Adobe photo suite.
If you are leary about this camera, dont be. My webmaster (who owns a $1000 Minolta) went and bought this camera after using mine for a day. We both have had photos purchased from us that were just look and shoot photos, spur of the moment shots.

Let me preface this review by saying that this is my first digital camera.

Being a longtime Nikon film camera user I began researching digital cameras. Using Consumer Reports, E-pinions, megapixel.net, and the reviews that I read here, it was clear that a 2-3 MP camera would suffice for my needs as they would any person whose prints rarely exceed 5X7 or 8X10. Don't be wooed by the store salesmen, some of them are honest and knowledgable but not all. Do the research and figure out what equipment will best suit your needs.

I found this camera and a 256MB SD memory card for two-hundred and ten dollars (including rebates.)
The camera is quite small and fits neatly in my backpack (in a carrying case), uses AA batteries (rechargeable recommended) and the memory card can be purchased almost anywhere. I've had the camera for a week and have taken it everywhere I go. The detail and picture quality are superb. I went to a Butterfly Conservatory and the pictures are just awesome, the color, clarity and detail can rival some of my friends 'high-end' cameras. As a few other reviewers have indicated Nikon has packed the camera with tons of extras. Take the time and read the manual. You'll be a better picture taker because of it.

All in all, without plunking down loads of cash, this is an excellent entry-level digital camera that makes learning the ins and outs lots of fun!

I recently had problems with my Kodak CX6230 and finally ended up exchanging it for the Nikon 2200 and I am so happy I did. It is smaller and has far more features. Some that stand out are color modes in addition to standard are BW, Sepia, cyan, and vivid color. There are also 15 scene modes which adjust the camera's settings for certain circumstances such as on a beach or indoors with low lighting. Two things that definitely stand out are the panorama feature which allows you to take multiple photos which you can later overlap and form one long photo (it shows you a faint copy of your previous shot so you can line it up perfectly) and also the multi-shot feature which takes 16 shots in a very short time and gives you all of them in one frame which is fun. The buttons are easy to use and although there are tons of menu options, you can stick with the auto mode which is quite simple. This camera works well for a beginner or advanced user. Finally, don't be turned off by the 2.0MP. Prints come out great up to 8x10. This camera is amazing. I recommend it over the Kodak CX6230 (which is good but has less features and shorter battery life), Canon A60 (which has a LONG lag time between pressing the shutter and the shot being taken), and HP 635 which are other cameras I researched and tried out.

I received this camera in the mail today after about 3 months of researching for the right one. I finally decided to get this one along with the Viking secure digital card for a total of about $150 (including the rebate). It truly does help to skim through the manual to get a hang of the camera. The CD-ROM will cover the rest!

Here are some specs:
Pros:
> Scene selection allows you to choose the specific function for specific occasions (museum, party, sunset, etc.)
> Warnings for if the picture might get blurry or if lighting is poor
> Ergonomic design allows easy handling
> Great CD-ROM that gives a good rundown on the camera and the program it comes with
> Battery power is quite impressive, I've spent all day taking pictures and it's still going strong
> Relatively light and compact

Cons:
> Functions may be a little overwhelming for a first-timer
> Nowadays, 2 MP may not be enough even for the average amateur photographer
> LCD screen gets a little grainy sometimes

Overall, this is a good digital camera for recreational purposes. For me, I found the camera was a good deal for the price. I was especially pleased by the "panorama" option that lets you take a series of pictures and arrange them into a 360 degree panorama in the Nikon View program. There are definitely lots of possibilities with this little camera!

I bought this as a monitor for my home office, thinking I'd use the TV tuner as a PIP (picture-in-picture) image while working. So far it hasn't gotten to my desk! I first set it up as a TV in the bedroom, just to be sure it worked. It is a great little TV! Then it went on the kitchen counter. So much better than a big boxy TV taking-up a lot of space. I want at least one more of these! Two minor issues: the sound is a bit tinny from the small built-in speakers (turning up the Bass setting helped.), and the on-screen controls are hard to read from more than a couple feet away. (The optional captions are larger and easy to see.)

As a monitor this one gets 5 stars... as a TV it gets 4 stars... overall 4.5. When using it as a TV image quality decreases at closer ranges, and also sound quality could definetly be improved... the good about the TV is the PiP mode, 64x Digital Zoom, and that the built in TV-Tunner is NSTC/PAL/SECAM compatible...

Ahhhh... It only weights around 9 pounds...

I've been in the market for quite some time to replace my aging CRT monitor, especially since it takes up an enormous amount of my desk. Looking at the monitors in my price range, it basically seemed like I could purchase either a 15" or 17" monitor. I'd been told to always buy the biggest monitor you can afford, but I'm not so sure that's true in this case. I took a chance and purchased this 15" Samsung, and so far I'm extremely glad I did. The picture is extremely sharp, bright, and very clear, every bit as good as any other 15" inch monitor I previewed. Furthermore, this monitor seems like just the right size for my desk, any larger and I honestly think it would take up too much space. But, the thing that really makes me happy is the fact that it can basically act as a very high quality TV, complete with a remote control and pretty decent speakers. Maybe in a year or so, I'll change my mind and decide to upgrade to a larger LCD monitor. Well, I'm sure prices will have dropped quite a bit, and there will always be more bargains to be found. However, I can always use this current Samsung as a TV next to my bed, placed on a wall somewhere, or in my kitchen. I can't say the same for any other monitor I could have bought. In other words, maybe in a few years I'll buy a new monitor, but there will be plenty of great uses for this one. Any other monitor I'd probably junk. If you're in the market for an LCD monitor, consider the fact that it will probably last you many years. Wouldn't it be nice if not only it could be a great primary display, but also could be used a few years down the road for something else? I can't recommend this monitor highly enough, and I'm extremely pleased with my purchase.