Desktop Reviews

companey bad to deal with
on support

The thermometer was affordable and displays lots of information. You can also program min and max temps for both indoor and outdoor sensors, and change the temp reading between C and F. However, keep your manual handy...the programming is not intuitive. Setting the clock each time you change the batteries (which is about every 6 months) can be a task without it. Also, if you fumble with the buttons because you do not know how to program the thermometer, you might inadvertently set the min/max alarms, and then you would have a tough time disabling this feature. I have my manual handy, so it's not so bad, but each time I change the batteries, I've got to look at it again--even after having this product for about two years.

This has to be one of the worst external modems ever made for the Mac. It is, however, still an improvement over Apple's own internal modem, in that, once the Best modem manages to negotiate a connection, it stays connected. But getting that initial connection with the Best modem is often difficult, and dealing with the necessary workarounds can quickly tire one's patience. After having consistent difficulties with this modem when I first bought it, I tried to contact Best Support, but I never received a reply. So, I returned it to Amazon.com for an exchange. After receiving the second Best modem, I had exactly the same problems, so I concluded that the defects I was experiencing were probably generic to the model. The basic issue seems to be that the modem often fails to initialize properly. To reset it requires that you unplug the USB cable and re-plug it, sometimes over and over, until the device finally responds. The modem has the same difficulty in both OS 9 and OS X; the only difference I've noted is that, in OS X, it can take up to 15 seconds after issuing the Connect command for the modem to actually start dialing. I've had to unplug and re-plug the USB cable as many as a half dozen times sometimes to get the device to work. So why do I put up with it? Because, as I mentioned at the beginning, once this modem makes a connection, it stays connected, which Apple's own internal modem typically failed to do. In that sense, the Best modem is just marginally more tolerable. It's just a shame that this Best modem appears to be the only external modem that's now made for the Mac. Caveat emptor!

I bought the predecessor to this switch (the PN108ES) and it literally went up in smoke - a chip near the power jack burned to the point where it melted itself off the PCB. I've been hesitant to buy another Hawking switch...

This KVM works as expected except for two problems. Sometimes the mouse will stop working for me as if I was to unplug and the replug the mouse from the machine. I guess there is a slight glitch in the electrical connection when the KVM switches between computers. It's really annoying because when this happens you must reboot the computer to get the mouse functionality back. Also, this KVM beeps a couple of times when you switch between computers. I have not been able to turn this feature off and I would rather just have a silent KVM switch. But, it isn't a complete piece of crap. Most of the time it does it's job ok.

Also note that the KVM does not come with a power supply. Theoretically it can draw all of it's power from the PS/2 keyboard connection of the computers. But, in practice I've found that not all computers are able to deliver enough power. You may have to buy a 5V-9V DC power adapter of your own, I did.

This is a terrible product. I have had the device not working error (10) and have tried every configuration. Buy something else and not Belkin networking.

I agree, this is a piece of crap, and doesn't work with XP. Belkin also doesn't have any updates or fixes on their website. And I still haven't received my $20 rebate for purchasing this thing from Office Max, and that was nearly a year ago. In fact, I don't think I've ever received a rebate for things I purchased at Office Max, but it is hard to say for certain, because their advertised rebate specials are never in stock.

On the flipside, the laptop card works fine.

Well, I bought this thing knowing that I had a version 1 Belkin PCMCIA card. I installed the PCI card and STILL got an error signal. IT turns out that EVEN among the Version 1 PCMCIA cards, there are some that will not function with the PCI adapter. Supposedly, Belkin labeled some wrong and some nonfunctional ones got mixed into the batch. Although it took forever to get a solution from Tech Support, they were nice enough to send me a brand new PCMCIA card that WOULD work with the PCI adapter. Perhaps my only suggestion with this product and any PCMCIA to PCI adapter is to do your research VERY IN DEPTH, because in this case you have to cross the T's and dot the I's to know for sure that this product will work!

Mine blew up in my face. Literally. Although it is 3 years old, it should not have exploded as it did. I was lucky not to be injured since it was only 2 feet from my head. Called thier 800 number and was on hold for 10 mins before they cut me off. Beware of this product...

Short and sweet...It is a piece of junk

I have had this shredder for years. I rarely shred a whole page at a time, when I do shred a whole page; I fold it in half vertically and send it through. The unit shreds the paper with ease. It works well for small jobs. It is not designed as a heavy duty shredder. I usually tear parts of a page to shred (i.e. addresses and account numbers). I do put three seperate sections of paper (3 sheets thick) in the shredder and it works fine. I'm lazy in emptying the basket and compact it down before doing so. The cutting unit ends up having paper accumulated in it, but the unit still works. I am completely satisfied.

The ad clearly states it fits ALL Cobra microtalk frs radios. The packaging doesn't list compatible radio models. But it doesn't fit their FRS 220 model. So basically, I have one battery in the rear slot and I jury rigged the front slot to also take just the battery. So the adage is true - buyer beware!

The FA-CH has been replaced by a newer model charger, the FA-CR. Will function with both FABP battery packs installed or removed from the FRS units.

One note: the FA-CH comes with a car cord but the FA-CR doesn't.

I've bought this product expecting that if I have already encoded file in Mpeg-2 it will be easy to create simple menu for my own home video, according all information I discovered from Pinnacle web site. But, unfortuanately, you cannot create a DVD, which will fit to 4.7 Gb blank. If you try to create a DVD from avi file it may take forever (couple of hours) just to create a DVD files. Final quality is really bad, you will have 700 Mb or ever more of free space left on your blank disc, but the "Expression" will show you that there's no space left.

One time it created a DVD with for me where the total size of all files was about 1 Gb, but program showed that there was no space left!

The program is really unstable, as all other Pinnacle products.

I have Pinnacle Studio 8 also with the same set of problems:
- poor video quality
- wrong calculation of free space on DVD
- unexpectable slow performance.

If you want DVD authoring software Expression is not the right choice. And I will give you the same advice if you decide to buy Pinnacle Studio. I do not expect from them any improvement in version 9. The most recent reviews just awful.

P.S. If you think that my system is slow, here is draft spec:
p4-2.4 GHz, 1Gb RAM, 7200rpm 120 Gb Hard drive... Yeah, really slow system for Pinnacle.

I usually do not write comments but this time I feel I have to write something about it, because I am really disappointed the Pinnacle Expression. I used it to create a DVD-R using existing well-coded Mpeg2 files, but it is very very slow, regardless in Pentium IV 1.8GHz or Pentium III 600 MHz, two of my PC's. One thing really puzzled me was, in either PC, the CPU usuage was only about 25-30 percent. And the program IS running, not non-responding. No huge I/O activity. No DVD buring activity either. Then why isn't it running faster, to use 100% CPU??? It took one hour, only incrementing from 50% to 52% complete in preparing the DVD contents, not even the burning yet-- a separate process. And then it always errored out at about 70%, "Error to Complie File", something like it. Stupid. I am an IT professional myself. I keep my PC environment simple. There're enough memory and hard disk space in my PC's. There's no registry mess up. If there's anything wrong, it must be the program (I already downlaoded the lastest update from Pinnaclesys.com). I am very disappoined. It is such a straightforward and simple program yet they don't know how to code it well.

I had been using Dazzle DVD Complete which provided fairly regular upgrades, and checked their site for an update only to find a Pinnacle webpage offering a $40 upgrade from DVD Complete to Expression. Apparently they have taken Dazzle over and won't be supporting the product. So I ordered it ... me=idiot. Didnt do enough research and found that its the equivalent of "My First DVD Software" There is no way to create a professional looking DVD -which is what I use it for. Its basically for newbies who want to throw old videos of their kids on a DVD and send it to the folks.

That, I admit is my own fault for not further researching, but I am a software junkie and was impulsive. BUT, as far as Pinnacle's marketing it as an upgrade? UPGRADE???? Would you consider going from Photoshop 7.0 to Microsoft Draw an upgrade? Pinnacle obviously would.

I use a driver downloaded from Dell or Philips. It works fine, only is unable to establish bluetooth dial up modem connection.

Although the product looks OK and I guess it should work OK, I haven't been able to make it work yet as Belkin has no driver for Pocket PC 2003 yet ! When I contacted the technical support, they said that they had no date for release of a compatible driver !!
Better purchase another bluetooth adapter if you are running Pocket PC 2003.

I thought this modem was ok until it just stopped dead after about 18 months- could not even get the power light to come on.
Will now try another brand.

After working for a year, the synchronization failed at the end of the connection procedure. In order to get service, you must phone up and get a number to send it in. But they don't want you
to send it in. They charge you $8.00 for the call, and will refund it if they decide you shouls send it in. Well, first of
all , they give you a 801 phone number to Salt Lake City. I
thought this was toll free, like an 800 number. So
I just used regular service instaed of a 5 cents a minute service. My phone call ended up costing 9.60 for 28 minutes plus
the 8.00 USR charge. What did they do for me. They stepped me
through the procedure to add at dialup an external "key"
that I learned later through internet search that turns off the
V92 technology. Anyhow, after setting this key for the modem,
it was slow, slow. I ended up going back to my old 28-33K
US Robotics that i bought in 1996. Don't bother with US Robotics
Get a ZOOM 56K modem. After 3 1/2 years My ZOOM on my other computer is functioning well; although the spring on the switch
is tempermental. At least it will last 4 years - looks like. For those that made a mistake, the Setting is "&f1s32=96". This turns
off V92. DON'T BUY - Their warranty is a ripoff.