Desktop Reviews

I love the performance for the price yes there is a 3.0 ghz with hyper-threading but much more expenive. I love all the software that comes with it very good i think about 700 dollars worth. 1 thing is taht the case is quite small and hard to put more memory in.

I've had this PC for several days and I can't say enough good things about it. Great value for the features you get. Easy to set up and use. The integrated TV tuner and recording functions are simple to use and picture quality is sufficient (haven't watched a DVD yet). Integrated keyboard is comfortable to use.

Not the best warranty or software, but you can't have everything...

For someone looking to upgrade to a faster computer with great entertainment features, look into this one.

The flat screen that folds down for drawing on is a great tool for computer artists. Drawing pads have been around for years, but adding it to the screen is more second nature to the artist's hand, which has been trained in tradional techniques using paper and pen.

OK, so it's not the smallest portable calculator to try and jam in your pocket. It's not one you want to take to your Calculus class or figure out P & L statements for your million dollar business. What it is, is the best desktop calculator for doing basic, every day type of calculations like balancing your checkbook. The numbers on the keys are large and easy to read, it has a moveable decimal, and a handy backspace key for undoing an errant keystroke without clearing the entire entry. The display is nice and big, slightly tilted for easy viewing, and it has a non-volatile memory so it remembers your stored figures even when turned off. What sets the TI5018 apart from other similar calculators is that instead of shutting itself off automatically after a period of inaction, it has a manual off switch. I can't tell you how many times the battery-saving automatic shutoff on my old Casio wiped out 20 minutes of work when I paused for 5 minutes to answer the door. Besides, why do Solar powered devices need an auto-shutoff anyway?! After 5 years of heavy use in a dusty environment, the simple to use Texas Instruments TI5018 Desktop Calculator has performed flawlessly. I recently bought two other similar-looking calculators for my home, one from Sharp and one from Radio Shack, and returned them both. I am now purchasing a second Texas Instuments TI5018.

At this price, the DTT2500 is very difficult to beat, considering you get a Dolby Digital/Prologic decoder included with the package; a full-blown decoder (with more features, of course) would normally set you back ... by itself!

However, claims by the Creative website, most product descriptions of the DTT2500, and many consumer reviews (such as one below claiming PS2 compatibility) are *extremely* deceptive regarding its ability to work with set-top DVD players. The consumer rep whom I e-mailed regarding this issue misled me to this regard as well. The fact is, the receiver/decoder contains three sets of inputs: 1) an S/PDIF (also known as a composite audio input to many home theater enthusiasts, though their manual and website fail to note this); 2) a Digital DIN (only good for digital sound cards like the Soundblaster Live!); 3) and standard analog front and rear inputs (aka RCA).

To make a long explanation shorter, only the composite (S/PDIF) input is capable of full-blown Dolby Digital 5.1 decoding. Many DVD players have an composite output so you can wire it to this decoder; many also do NOT. Why? Because optical outputs (using fiber optic wire) seem to be the preferred method of transferring the Dolby Digital signal, though the two outputs seem to be comparable in quality. The Playstation2, though one reviewer claims it will work with this setup, uses *only* optical output; no composite included. It does have those universal RCA outputs; but they're analog, not digital, and give you only 2 channels of sound (instead of five). So forget about getting that fantastic movie theater sound using this decoder with the PS2 and other DVD players which have only optical output.

There is a composite-to-optical digital decoder which can be found on very esoteric audio equipment sites, but expect that to add an additional ... to your bill. Add the fact that you need an additional optical wire ..., and the possibility that some sound degradation might occur through this convoluted setup, and the DTT2500 suddenly looks a lot less attractive. Creative does market an almost identical product called the Playworks 2500, which has an optical input *and* an included optical wire (no DIN, though)--at a higher cost, of course.

So unless you only plan to use this set for your computer (as it was intended to be used), or you're positive that your DVD player has an audio composite out, be careful. Quite frankly, Creative deserves only three stars on account of their shoddy product information and description, but the unbeatable value of the entire set shoves an extra star of approval. Sound-quality wise, the DTT2500 is very good. Its overall power is more than acceptable for most, particularly in confined spaces, though audio purists would probably spend more on a separate powered subwoofer (for those who like their bass *abnormally* powerful and have equally abnormal neighbors that are either deaf, or like such pounding). In any case, DVDs were meant to be heard with this or any Dolby Digital 5.1 system-- it has to be experienced to be believed-- which makes the omission of the optical input all the more unfortunate.

Just to clear things up, the "PLAYWORKS DTT2500" system is compatible with PS2 while this system, the "DESKTOP THEATER DTT2500".

I love this system! First of all, the speakers are small and extremely easy to set up. You can put them prectically anywhere in your room, mount them on the walls easily or even stick them to your monitor. It all works because of their size. The adapter's design is a bit strange; the main volume control is the same size as the other controls, which are all very small. If they only made the main volume control bigger and easier to twiddle with, it would be perfect. Other than that, the functionts on the adapter all work great; Music mode spreads the music you hear to all five speakers, Movie mode saparated the sound so that the "central" sounds come only from the front speakers, FourPoint is best for playing games with 3D sound and listening to music with EAX effects, and Stereo. Than of course there is ProLogic surround and... Dolby Digital surround, which is of course the best feature in this system, for DVD's.

Now, we all know that the best thing about DVD's is the sound quality, since most DVD's are presented in Dolby Digital surround. This system is the best way to enjoy this special feature without spending all your money and having to rearrange your house for speaker placement; Just put three speakers on the front, two at your sides, and you're on your way. The subwoofer works just fine, too. Crank up the volume and feel those basses shake your chair. Hear sounds coming from behind you, music coming from all around you, and it all sounds as clear as can be.

As for games and music: what can I say, it's all perfect. I prefer listening to my music using the FourPoint feature, personally, but Music mode is great for songs. The speakers are flawless when listening to music, it all sounds pure and crysp, and the subwoofer really adds to any kind of music you hear. Movie mode is excellent for computer games of all kinds, I just loved hearing my old games through all five speakers. It really adds to the gaming atmosphere.

I LOVE this system, I enjoy it immensly. I recommend it to anyone who has a DVD-ROM and wants to make the most of it.

I'm shocked no one seems to care that the 200GB hard drive that comes standard with this model whistles like a tea kettle. I called in the problem and the Sony authorized representative replaced the drive with another identical one. That one whistles, too. There simply isn't enough sound insulation. This is a problem when you are NOT watching loud DVDs obviously. I'm thinking of replacing the drive with something quieter--on my own nickel, of course.

The other joke is the cheap speakers that aren't as good as my 5 year old Monsoon speakers. Plus they are definitely unaesthetic looking. They really are a disappointment. Mine are available for anyone who wants them.

Bought mine on a pre-order in November. It's very fast, multi-tasking is a non-issue; the built-in TIVO is a great toy. Once you read email and watch TV at the same time, you'll never go back. Click to DVD is very easy to use. Comes w/ a multitude of video, photo and jukebox software so you can pick your favorite.
Using a remote to control your music, view photos & video is WONDERFUL!
Sound quality is very good w/ supplied speakers - volume goes very high.

Cons:
Even tied to a great monitor, do not expect the TV picture to be as good as your set in the den.

My DirectTV receiver doesn't mesh perfectly w/ the TV tuner so that on some channels I have to hit a button on the Cable TV remote to remove the menu screen. More fiddling needed there.

The built-in mem stick port shows up as a CF port - strange.

Pluses greatly outweigh the minuses. A new version has the whole thing built into the monitor, so no box. Would be even better.

Initially, I was worried about going with Sony for a computer as they aren't one of the traditional brands that I have owned in the past (Dell, IBM, and Compaq). This computer is awesome! It rips through all of my design and multi-media work and I couldn't be happier. I kept my 21" CRT monitor though...was a tough choice.

I bought this computer 10 days ago, and here are what I like and don't like:

What I like
===========
1. Fast, very fast - It speeds up everything on my computer, especially my graphics editing program.

2. Quiet - Unlike my previous HP, this computer is very quiet. The sound is also quite soothing.

What I don't like
=================
1. The modem has only one port. This is hard to believe because every modem on the market has two ports. Why two? Because I need the other one for auto-dialing my phone. I had to buy a new modem. Fortunately, it's quite inexpensive these days. I paid just $15 for a name brand.

2. The default hard drive partitions are C and D. Sony is dumb enough to put just 10 GB on C drive. Why?????? So I have to reformat the whole thing. Fortunately, the computer allows you to set partition easily. I gave 80 GB to each drive.

3. Unlike my previous HP and my Dell laptop, this computer does not let you play any movie. I got an error from the preinstalled DVD playback program. So I used the Intervideo program provided by Dell, and it worked. If you don't have the program, you would need to buy one.

If I could wait, I would have bought a Dell. But I couldn't. :(

I bought this computer after buying my RS-310 about a year and a half ago. This computer is EXTREMELY fast and has many extra goodies like the capture card. The only thing i hate is that no Windows CD came with it, no backup cd and it came with software that is garbage. It didnt even come with microsoft office, it came with microsoft works which is a very low-budget version of office. Apart from that, this computer is very good and is recommended to new owners or people who just need a new computer!

I purchased this computer one week ago. It works well so far. I have the following supplemental comments to previous reviews:
1. There is indeed NO recovery CD coming with the computer. However, SONY allocates a diagnostic partition on the hard drive for the backup. You can easily use the included recovery software to reinstall the whole system or create you own recovery disks (9 CDs or 1 DVDs+1 CDs). I am quite happy with this feature since it is more convenient and gives you more options.
2. There is NO DVD decoder in the pre-installed system. So you have to buy one.
3. Most pre-installed softwares are trash.
4. It is FAST and QUIET.

if u wanna buy this one u may choose another brend

Easy to install and it works as advertised. Don't suspect I will need to use it but has a lifetime warranty to boot.

I bought this product from amazon and it was delivered very quickly. After I got it I saw on the packaging that you can go to www.pny.com/configurator to check the compatibility with your system. So I recommend going there to make sure you are ordering the right memory card for your system (I didn't go there first, but this just happened to be a compatible card for my Dell Dimension 2400). Then come back to amazon and buy the card you want.

I didn't know that RAM can make such a big difference, even if you aren't using big programs. Easy to install, a monkey could do it. I upgraded my system from 128 MB RAM to 384 MB RAM with this card and my computer is easily twice as fast as before. If your computer is slow, just get more RAM :)

Excellent workmanship. Very high quality case and parts. Roomy interior and nice design. 5.25" drive bays require you to remove front bezel which is a bit strange plus they use a drive rail design. Strange but works although the manual is pretty useless on this process. Other than that, highly recommended.

This is a great case! It has car-paint quality bronze color and has a cover to hide the beige colored drives that only match so-so with the bronze color. It's easy to open and the fan that comes with it is super quiet.

The Antec SLK3700AMB is a great case for the first time builder (like me!). It's quiet and of good quality materials. Installing the components is fairly easy. The door hides all the drives and contributes to the sleek look. The bronze color goes with everything from black to beige. All my gear runs cool with the large rear fan and good ventilation. The only minus is the skimpy manual.