Olevia 327V 27-Inch LCD HD Ready Monitor Review

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(More customer reviews)I picked up the 327V just before New Year's. I found it in a large electronics chain store for just under four hundred dollars. I knew it did not have a built in tuner, but I didn't need one for what I want to use this for. I got it as a large screen computer display, and for watching my DVDs in my bedroom.
Overall, I must say that this unit has exceeded my expectations. The picture quality is excellent for DVDs. I haven't hooked it up to the computer yet, because it requires a VGA cable that did not come with it (I have a cable on the way).
Anyway, I only have two minor complaints with this unit. One is the bright blue LED that is lit on the power button when the unit is off. It's too bright for my bedroom, so I've had to cover it with tape. The other complaint is that the "universal" remote that I have for my Home Theater Receiver is not able to control this monitor. A "learning" remote is required, at least in most cases. This monitor is too new for the codes to be programmed into most universal remotes.
I purchased a wall mount kit to mount this unit on the wall, and I think it looks excellent there. The mount is a VESA 100mm x 200mm pattern, which doesn't seem like a common size. Many of the mounts I saw were either 100mm x 100mm or 200mm x 200mm. Some were even smaller 75mm x 75mm. I did finally find one that was the right type, and it was very easy to install on the wall, at least for me.
I have used the built in speakers and think that they sound great for what they are, but I'm waiting until I get my home theater speakers set up so I can enjoy the home theater experience. I know that a larger screen makes a better home theater, but my bedroom is too small to make that a practical proposition. This screen feels like it's just the right size for this room, at approximately 14' x 16'.
I would recommend this monitor for anyone looking for something about this size, as long as they don't need to have a built in tuner. If you have a satellite box, cable box, or a VCR, it can work as a tuner. In order to get HDTV functionality, you need an HDTV capable tuner (which most, if not all, VCRs are not). Since it has no tuner, I don't understand why it has buttons for changing channels. This is simply an observation, and is not meant to be a complaint about this monitor.

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27" HDTV Ready LCD TV with no tuner

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Yamaha RX-V3800BL 7.1-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I confess, I am a electronic consumer nut. After "getting by" on SVHS and component hookups for my electronic equipment, I bit the bullet and started looking for a receiver that had enough HDMI inputs, enough SVHS inputs, an input for my iPod and RCA-phono/USB-phono, LAN and computer. Previously, I had a Pioneer VSX-9500, then a Yamaha model with about 5 SVHS inputs, and a Denon AVR 4802R with 7 SVHS inputs. After a couple of months of searching through the usual suspects, including the other brands I have had, I settled on the Yamaha RX-V3800 in black because it allowed me to do enough of what I wanted to do from my shopping list I mentiond earlier.
First of all, I was surprised to find that all the receivers I looked at had downsized their number of connections from four years ago when I bought my Denon receiver. I was having to look at receivers costing 2 to 3 times as much as the RX-V3800 before I could find one with as many inputs, and I found even Yamaha's RX-Z11 had the same number as the RX-V3800, and it ran almost $5,000.00. Then, I thought about it... what were the inputs I really used most of all: SVHS, BluRay, HD-DVD, DVR, DVR-VHS combo, CD player, cassette, and phono. There was one input remaining that I was able to use with a junction box for ED-Beta,Laser Disc, XM radio, and an DVR-R recorder, so the Yamaha RX-V3800 would do without me having to compromise too much.
But, let's get to the machine and all of it's pluses:
The sound... It is terrific! With my previous system, I had to gerry-rig the side speakers using a quadraphonic synthesizer, but the RX-V3800 has the following speaker connections: left-front, right-front, center, left-side, right-side, left-rear, right-rear and sub-woofer. My previous set-up had a rear-center, and after reading a little, I found you could hook-up a rear center by using the RCA connection labeled "Single (SB)." (There's a "SURBACK PRESENCE" that can be used, also, but it was designed for when you only wanted one rear channel). When you set-up the speakers, Yamaha has a special optimizer microphone you plug into the front of the unit and it balances your speakers based on where you have the microphone placed.
The four HDMI inputs are great, too, because it allows me to have the best picture and sound from my BluRay, HD-DVD, Satellite Receiver, and DVR-VHS unit.
The Internet radio is easy to use, and it is programmed with plenty of stations. The selection of stations with the Yamaha remote is easy and the sound is wonderful.
The iPod Yamaha YDS-10 dock option is a must if you have an iPod. Quite frankly, I probably won't use my phono, now, except to make digital recordings of out-of-date vinyl recordings because of the ease of operation of the iPod through the docking station, especially if you have the 80 or 160 GB model of iPod with all the music they can hold.
The XM set-up with the XM Extreme is nice and integrates smoothly. I, actually, use an older XM radio through two RCA inputs, but with the XM Extreme directly connected, it is easier to use.
The computer set-up is not as easy as the manual would make you believe, but it is easier if you do the following: Make sure your PC has XP Service Pack Two or Vista on it AND you have Windows Media Player 11 installed, have your 232 Serial Ports between the computer and the Yamaha RX-V-3800 connected, and have a networking guide for your operating system. Once you have those done, you go into Windows Media Player, select "Library" at the top, and then select "Media Sharing" to allow the tunes on your PC to be shared with your receiver. For other PC's on your LAN, it would be best for you to already have those tunes shared, but if you connect an iPod, that might not be necessary. While I am at it, I will say this about Media Player ll: once you've checked the right boxes, it does a good job.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with the Yamaha RX-V3800. I did think that they could have done a better job with the manual... for example, in setting-up the PC, you start reading the instructions and it refers you to two other sections of the manual, and when things just didn't seem to jell, one finds that later in the manual, they show you how to do the set-up more thoroughly and manually, if needed. That said and done, though, I would buy this receiver again. I do wish it had more inputs, but then again, most people don't have as much to hook-up as I do. If there were a four-and-a-half stars rating, I would give it, but I'm stuck giving it only four.

UPDATE: It is two months after first doing this review, and I still love this receiver. I bought a great pair of outside speakers that look like rocks, HiFi Works 30020 HFW 6.5-Inch Rock Speakers (Pair), and use the "Room 2" with the X-10 Powermid remote extender, X10 POWERMID Remote Control Extender Kit PM5900. This set-up is wonderful! I sometimes have the iPod play outside, while inside they are watching TV on the HDTV. One caution, when setting-up the "Room 2," it will ask you what is the initial volume you want the "room" to have. I had not paid that much attention to those dB settings on the volume you get across the screen of the TV, and the first time I used Room 2, you could hear the music over a block away... Those speakers didn't flinch and their tone was terrific! (Unfortunately, our house was so sound proof, I didn't know I was blowing-out the neighbors.) Using the X-10 remote control extenders really is a blessing. If you use the extenders in other areas of the house, be sure to have your remote receiver up close to the Yamaha.

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The Yamaha RX-V3800 7.1-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver offers high-end sound and video quality to take your home theater experience to the next level.It provides 980 Watts of total power, pushing 140 Watts to each of its 7 channels.This advanced home theater receiver introduces new technologies and features including 3D CINEMA DSP, the latest HDMI 1.3a specification support, upscaling to 1080p, full support for high definition audio formats signals, Adaptive DRC and Adaptive DSP Level, YPAO Auto Setup with Quick Start, and multi-zone custom installation support and Network Receiver functions.High quality components, crystal clear sound and video clarity, and cutting edge technologies will make the Yamaha RX-V3800 the cornerstone of your home theater experience.

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Sony Cybershot DSCW55 7.2MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Sony W55 is the followup to the successful and popular W50. It's a very good compact camera, easy to carry and easy to use, and reasonably priced - so most people will be happy with it.
Not much has changed from the W50, which in this case is a good thing!
One change is that the W55 is a 7 MP camera, rather than the W50's 6MP. Honestly, that's not a big plus, as they haven't made the sensor that catches the light any larger. Same (good) lenses, same size sensor = the same (good) pictures, but not better. (Though it might help a little on features like Smart Zoom.)
The obvious change is of course the colors. Don't make too much fun of that! There are 4 DSC-W series cameras in our family, colors would have kept my mother-in-law from taking my sister's camera home with her. A little personalization is a good thing.
The internal memory has been expanded (to 56MB), but I've never used the internal memory on the cameras that have had it, so I'm not sure that matters much. It might be worth knowing how to use as a backup, for another dozen or two shots if your card is full, or you have some other problem.
The controls, menus and interface on the W55 are reasonably easy to use. For example, the W55 has easy access to the various scene modes (twilight, etc), with some explanation on the screen of what those mysterious little icons mean (so you might actually use them, since it tells you what they do!). If you're new to digital photography, there will be a learning curve. But if you've used other cameras much, especially Sonys, you can pick this up and use many of the features right away.
Read the short introductory guide that comes with the camera, though!
The rechargeable battery should easily last you for a full day of shooting - hundreds of shots - with no problem. (Be a little wise about turning it off when you're not using it!) So you probably don't need a second battery, unless you're going into the woods for a while. It's nice not to have to mess with bulky AA rechargeables. Also, lithium ion batteries don't have a memory effect, so don't worry about partial recharging. Just charge the battery each night. So - before getting a second battery, try it for a while and see if you need it.
But get a case - something to protect the screen, at least. A fully closed one might help resist rain and splashes a little, too.
You'll also want to get a Memory Stick Pro Duo card - Pro cards are faster, and you need the smaller Duo size with this camera. Get a 1-2GB card so you don't have to think about running out of memory too much - if you shop carefully, you can find them for so little these days that it's well worth avoiding running out of memory. You might want a spare card if you plan to travel for more than a week, or use the video mode often - which is surprisingly good (though a bit dark) if set to fine, but uses enormous amounts of storage at that setting.
You can stretch your memory, and your hard drive space, by using one of the lower-resolution settings to take snapshots. You don't really need 7MP for all your photos!
The W55 will take better photos than those credit-card type cameras that have a tiny lens system - optics will always make a difference in a camera. Any reasonable person will be very happy with the pictures from the W55, given the size of it.
The camera will be a little slow and often take disappointing pictures in low light and dark situations. Try the High ISO mode in low light no-flash situations - the picture quality suffers some, but most people will find it useful. Realistically, no ultra-compact camera will work really well in that situation - if you need that often, think about something with a bigger lens and bigger sensor. Good light always gives the best pictures with any camera. There are limits to what you can currently expect from any ultracompact camera.
The W55 offers enough controls (through the scene modes and the Program mode) to allow a fair amount of control over the pictures, for an automatic camera.
The charger is fairly compact and rated 100-240V, so while you'll need a plug adapter overseas you won't need a voltage converter. The battery charger is a little slow, though probably OK.
Keep this camera charged and handy, and you'll find you take a lot of pictures because it's easy to carry and easy to use!

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Look as brilliant as your pictures will with the Cyber-shot DSC-W55 digital camera. Powerful, colorful and pocket-sized, this ultra-compact camera offers superb 7.2 megapixel imaging, Carl Zeiss 3X optical zoom lens, high ISO 1000 sensitivity for low-light shooting and Stamina battery power for up to 380 shots. A bright 2.5LCD screen helps you compose shots, check results and read menus even in bright sunlight. 56MB of internal memory lets you capture the moment without a flash memory card. And a built-in slot for optional Memory Stick Duo media makes it easy to save and exchange photos.

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LG 50PJ350 50-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I've only had this a few days so there's a lot I've yet to adjust to, but I wanted to write up some quick notes for anyone interested in this set.
- Well, it's October 2010 and I've had it for a few months so am offering some updates.
#1 Overall, I like it a lot. I use it for my standard def ancient Replay DVR, Wii, PS3 and computer.
- Still like it a lot. The Replay DVR is history, replaced by a newer EyeTV that records HiDef over air channels. The standard def picture is growing more and more quaint. Where I have the option I'll watch the better HiDef picture. I use it via my computer almost exclusively with a browser window open and a TV window playing.
- Video game picture quality is ridiculously awesome. No pixel blur that I can detect. When I had my Sony DLP set I would get headaches playing certain 1st person shooters, that hasn't happened with this tv.
#2 The remote is a lot better than I'd hoped for. It could be heftier with a better balance, but LG has taken pains not to put more on it than you need.
- I take it back. The arrow buttons (">", "

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If you think plasma means a bulky frame or power inefficiency, take a second look at the 50-inch LG 50PJ350 720p Plasma HDTV, which features a TruSlim Frame that helps trim away distraction without compromising screen size. Other features include 600Hz Sub Field Driving for elimination of motion blur, a mega contrast ratio of 3,000,000:1, stereo speakers with 20 watts of power and Dolby Digital decoding, three HDMI ports, and the capability to play MP3 audio files and JPEG photo slideshows from a USB drive.

Key Features
Key Specifications

LG 2010 HDTV Comparison

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Which Size HDTV is Right for My Room?

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Antec AirBOMB Intel Six Core i7 Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently purchased one of these appropriately named BOMBs and I could hardly believe my eyes when it arrived. It was totally set-up and ready to play games and came with lots of extras. I give it my 5-star rating because of its high value to performance level. This PC within the Antec Open Skeleton is truly a "Loaded Gaming" platform! It has easy access to the motherboard for overclocking while playing my games with other players. This unique system has it all; performance, functionality and a totally awesome design! For the reasonable price to get so much raw computer power/speed coupled with exceptional video game playback is simply over the top fantastic!

SilverSageUSA has outdone itself with this cutting edge technology.
I'm extremely impressed with this company and I will definitely do business with them again!
I have purchased several PC's from other OEM custom System builders in the past but this one is far superior.
When you buy custom systems, whether they are for gaming or for business the level of value, technical expertise and service that SilverSageUSA offers is second to none. Check it out for yourselves, I think you will be just as satisfied as I am.



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We call this PC the BOMB, very popular and one of our Best Sellers & A Gamer Enthusiast Dream!With easy access to the motherboard switches for Overclocking, this Antec "Skeleton" is truly a revolutionary enclosure! Its unique design allows for unprecedented airflow. A three speed 250mm fan with multicolor LED customization; the "Skeleton" goes utterly unmatched in stylish cooling. Factor in the layered component trays for top notch convenience as well as the rackmount quality side rails and you have a case truly without equal! This is the State-of-the-Art Enclosure for the Xtreme Gamer. The Design Team at Antec deserves best in show for this Masterpiece!You can now have this this completely LOADED and tested computer ready to harness your most demanding PC games. Inexpensive and without all the hassles of attempting to build it yourself, SilverSageUSA has "overclocked" the process for you so you can immediately show it off to your friends and fellow gamers alike!The onboard switches allow you to easily fine tune the performance when working with the Antec open case system and the ASUS Rampage lll Extreme Motherboard is ideal for overclockers and gamers who continually change settings to enhance system performance.Additional Product Features:- Corsair TR3X6G1600C8D Dominator 6 GB 3 x 2 GB PC3-12800 1600MHz 240-PIN DDR3 Core i7 Memory Kit:- Two(2)-EVGA GeForce GTX480 Superclocked 1536 MB DDR5 PCI-Express 2.0 Graphics Card:- Western Digital 2TB Caviar Green SATA Intellipower 32 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop HD WD20EADS:- TWO(2)-ASUS Internal SATA 8x Blu-ray Combo Drives BC-08B1LT:- Windows 7 Ultimate - 64bit:

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Samsung NC10-13GB 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook - Up to 6 Hours of Battery Life Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have only owned this netbook for about 2 months but so far it is fantastic. i bought mine refurbished from tech for less. it runs great. webcam is sub par, the only reason i gave this 4 stars. I would totally make this purchase again. i go to a community college with a reputation for things getting stolen from vehicles. this netbook allows me to have a computer at school that i don't have to worry about getting stolen as much as say a laptop notebook which is about double the price.
Most things you can do via usb these days and i have taken full advantage of the 3 or 4 ports available. i haven't tried the vga output yet. my battery life is good, usually about 4 or 5 hours, watching video and everything, varies depending on what you do and how bright the screen is. Hot keys on this computer are GREAT. so easy to use. For example if i hold down the Fn button and press say the up arrow on the keyboard, it turns up my volume, everything is well labeled and well placed. I have also had problems playing video in HD from youtube. It cannot play fairly memory intensive .mkv files which are high quality video files, i wouldn't suggest it but its sort of doable. internet has been great, i have used IE, chrome and firefox. i use iTunes and zune, no problems there. i also installed microsoft office 2007 without a hitch as well as [...]. both work great. i use a program called dameon tools to trick the computer into thinking there is a cd drive and mounting an .iso file to play certain games, i played starcraft and it worked great as well as the old command and conquer and red alery 1 and 2. i used an 1TB external hard drive with it, no problems. so far everything has been dandy.
also suggestions i have is to download a program called dropbox which allows you to store 2GB worth of stuff free and allows for easy transfer of files to netbook, its been awesome for me so far.
Dec. 28 2009 update
Things are still working great. I hooked it up to the back of a 22 inch LCD monitor at my house and it works fantastic, didn't lose any clarity and since I will be moving out soon this will be my only computer for awhile. So anyone who is worried about hooking it up to a larger monitor, fear not. The samsung software that comes with the netbook runs updates every once in awhile. I'm not sure if the resolution size came with the netbook or if it was part of an update. I also tried skype on the netbook and it worked great, the webcam on the netbook is far from perfect but sound from the netbook's mic was clear and video not as grainy as I thought it would be. So, good for those who use skype as well.
Feb. 20 2010 update
I have had a few instances using this netbook when the screen has gone white momentarily. I did not know about this problem until it happened to me and found that there are others who have had the problem and that it gets worse and worse until eventually they have had to send it to samsung to get fixed under warranty. All the things I read said that the process of sending it to samsung was quick and easy, sometimes taking less than 48 hrs, but i think that this problem should be made known to those in the market for a netbook. I'm sure they have fixed the error with the newer models, its a problem with the cord connecting from the screen to the motherboard i believe. mine is one of the older ones, but the white scree thing hasn't happened for about a month and only happened on 3 occasions in the 5 months i've had it. i use this netbook frequently so thats not bad. not sure what caused it but i decided not to send it in. I am also currently hooked up to a 23 inch asus lcd monitor and it is working great. the netbook is good for when i travel and when i get home i can use this on a 1920x1080 resolution screen which is just fantastic. completely fills almost all my computer needs for a fraction of the price and i get the portability of a netbook. one complaint i do have is that it has a hard time playing youtube videos in the HD setting, same for facebook. HOWEVER i have read up on this and it is a problem with ALL netbooks, the 1.6ghz processor just can't handle streaming video at that quality. however if you download the youtube video and then play it through windows media player for example, it runs flawlessly. Hope that helps anyone who is currently in the market for a netbook, i would still say this is one of the best purchases i have made.
I'm not one to continually update a review but here's to my most likely last update unless something goes horribly wrong with it. March 4, 2010.
I thought this may be important to a few who would want to use this as a device to read ebooks etc. Well I have some good news. I have been reading a book (Hunger Games) in adobe reader .pdf format and it has been fantastic. the words are large, i can actually just sit and scroll with the down arrow, i have already read 87 pages today and aside from being a good book the screen has actually been very easy on my eyes, and my eyes tire fairly easily. I have however had it plugged in the whole time so i can't give you a good estimate on battery life when reading. but if you are into reading books on your computer and want to take something with you that is small and weighs about as much as a book, i think this may be your thing. I really am loving it, i should also mention it has been probably over a year since i've read a novel all the way through, its just so easy having it on my netbook that when i'm out and about or just in my room, after i'm done checking facebook, email, amazon, etc i can just relax and read.
word to the wise however, if you decide to sit in bed or have this on your lap with nothing solid and flat under it it will probably get pretty hot. i tried this a few times and found my self holding the bottom up to let some air flow underneath and prevent overheating. i found an easy fix was just to set a binder flat on my lap and then set the netbook on that, then i didn't have to worry about it getting hot AND the angle of the binder made it easy to type and made for a better viewing angle too.
Last update may 13, 2010
About 2 months ago I started having the screen on my netbook turning all white for no reason. I bought this unit refurbished from techforless which is also sells things on amazon, and so I asked them what I could do to fix it. It is out of their 30 day warranty obviously so they asked that I talk to the manufacturer. So I went to the samsung website, I then input all the required information aka serial number, address, etc. They gave me the address to send it in for repair and it showed that it was still under warranty on Samsung's site. Fair enough. So i spend 12 bucks to ship it to Texas to be fixed. UPS messed up the address but thats another story, the tech people at the repair place simply repair units but do not work directly for Samsung, they were very polite and at least tried to be helpful. They said that they saw from the serial number that the unit is refurbished. Fine, I already knew that. They then stated that because of this it will not be covered under warranty and would cost between 150-300$ to repair...YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME! So I have them ship it back which costs me another 15$. Well there goes that money, the thing that really peeved me was that Samsung had this information but negleted to inform me BEFORE I sent it in that it was not under warranty. Which I still don't understand. I know its refurbished but its less than a year old! If it breaks that fast then fix it Samsung, holy moly its ridiculous. This last update is just a word of caution to those who are thinking about buying this model refurbished. DON'T. The white screen problem will gradually get worse from what I read on the forms and I MAY be able to fix it myself from a solution I found on the forum but it will be very risky.
Last update until i try the white screen fix myself, if i ever get around to it.
September 27, 2010
The white screen problem has become fairly constant. I need to turn the brightness down to 5/8 where as i used to be able to get away with 8/8 or 7/8. I'm sure that people who bought it new don't have this problem, I will let you know how it goes to see if this thing is easier or harder to fix than is worth it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung NC10-13GB 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook - Up to 6 Hours of Battery Life

NC Series Netbook NC10-13GB. 10.1" Wide screen VGA Blue Netbook. Display Resolution: 1024 x 600 WSVGA Display Brightness: 220 nits Processor: Intel Atom processor N270 Processor Speed: 1.6 GHz 533 MHz Front Side Bus 512 KB Level 2 Cache Hard Drive Size: 160 GB 2.5 HDD 5400 RPM SATA Memory Size: 1 GB DDR2 expandable to 2 GB (single slot) I/O Ports: 3-USB 2.0 VGA Headphone out Mic-in Internal Mic RJ45 3-in-1 Multi-memory Card Slot (SD SDHC MMC) Graphics: Intel GMA 950 Optical Disk Drive: N/A (External - Optional) Connectivity: 802.11 b/g WiFi Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR 10/100 BaseTX LAN Battery: High Capacity 6-Cell Lithium Ion 5200 mAh battery (8 Hours).Battery life values based on MobileMark testing.Operating System: Genuine Microsoft XP Home with Service Pack 3 Software: Samsung Recovery Solution III Samsung Magic Doctor Samsung Update Plus Easy Display Manager Samsung Easy Battery Manager Samsung Easy Network Manager Samsung Easy SpeedUp Manager McAfee Virus Scan (60-day trial) Adobe Acrobat Reader Security: N/A Other: 1.3 Mega Pixel webcam Kensington Key Lock

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Compaq Presario CQ60-419WM 15.6" Notebook PC (2.10 GHz AMD Sempron SI-42 Processor, 3GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, Windows Vista Home Basic (32-bit)) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought one of these Compaq Presario CQ60 laptops at Walmart last weekend on their "special deal" day. [...] I wasn't expecting lightning performance, but I since I wanted this laptop for "basic" service while travelling, that was okay. I have a Dell Vostro 17" with a dual-core CPU for my heavy-duty work, so figured that this inexpensive Compaq would be fine for email, reading ebooks, web surfing, or storing digital photos. I also liked the idea that the low price [...], would be more bearable to lose if the laptop were to be stolen or damaged somehow.
1. FEATURES:
CPU = a single-core AMD Sempron, running at 2.1 gHz. To make a comparison, I have two other computers with Dual-core 2.5 gHz Pentium CPU's. Those machines can convert MPEG2 video from my Canon High-Def camcorder (1920 x 1080) to XVID MPEG4 at around 4 to 5 frames per second. This Sempron CPU can manage 1 to 2 frames per second. That said, it can play my HighDef videos in Windows Media Player at 1920x1080i Full Screen with a CPU load of only 60~65%. So this Sempron CPU might not have enough power for high-end gamers, but if it can easily play high def MPEG video, it's got more than enough power for everyday tasks like email, web surfing, or photo editing.
HDD=One SATA 160gb 5400 rpm Seagate. This can be easily upgraded to a 500gb 5400rpm drive for under[...] if you need more space. By the end of the year, 750 gb drives will likely be available under [...]. There is only one HDD drive bay.
RAM= 3 gb. The memory cards are user-accessible under a hatch on the bottom cover if you want to upgrade. 3 gb is barely adequate for Vista, but would by plenty if you downgrade to XP (see last section of this review).
Optical drive= One Optiarc DVD/RW. I've heard of this brand name, hope it's a decent quality drive.
I/O= 3 USB ports, 1 Ethernet port, 1 telephone jack for the modem, 1 Microphone jack, 1 Headphone jack, 1 VGA Video connector for external monitors or projectors.
Networking= 10/100/1000 Ethernet and Atheros AR5007 802.11b/g WiFi Adapter.
Speakers= Altec Lansing built in stereo speakers. They sound okay, actually better than I had expected for the [...] price. Listening to music or watching videos sounds a lot better with headphones (no surprise).
Sound card= Conexant HD SmartAudio 221. I've played a few MP3's and a couple of video clips to test it and it sounds pretty good, as good as any other laptop I've owned.
Graphics Adapter= NVIDIA GeForce 8200M. Maximum resolution on the laptop's screen is 1366x768, 32 bit color. The VGA connector can supply 1920x1020 (32 bit) to an external monitor, and the card can be configured for either spanning the desktop across both monitors or cloning the desktop on both monitors (use this mode for projectors). The graphics output looks very nice on both the laptop's screen and my Samsung 1920x1080 22" LCD monitor. I'm very happy with the graphics, especially for the price.
Keyboard= 102 Key with numeric keypad! Feel of the keys is very nice, and the numeric keypad is an unexpected bonus on a 15" laptop. The keypad was one of the features (besides price) that attracted me to this laptop.
Touchpad= Synaptics touchpad with two buttons and vertical scroll slider on left hand. I prefer a mouse but this touchpad works okay if no mouse available.
Battery= 6 cells. Expected battery life about 90 minutes for light load tasks, maybe 60 minutes if playing videos.
Noisiness= This laptop seems very quiet, when the fan does come on, it's not obtrusive. My Acer Aspire laptop's fan sounds like a hurricane by comparison.
WHAT THIS LAPTOP DOESN'T HAVE:
Firewire (IEEE-1394). Without firewire, you will not be able to connect many models of video camcorder, especially those that record to 8mm or MiniDV tape. External hard drives that use Firewire are also precluded.
There is no expansion card slot, so no way to add firewire or additional USB slots.
There are no built-in card readers for your digital camera flash cards (i.e. SD, Compact Flash, etc). However, you can easily connect an external card reader, or the camera directly, to any of the USB ports so this isn't really a problem.
There is no HDMI jack for directly connecting the computer to a high-def television set to play videos.
No web cam (I've never used one so don't miss it).
No recovery disks in box, but you can burn your own (takes two DVD's) from the Recovery Partition on the hard drive.
SUMMARY:
Pros- A surprisingly good feature set and performance for half the price of the average 15" laptop makes this a more-than-adequate computer for most tasks, except power-gaming and video editing. Enough CPU power to play even High Def video.
Very nice LCD screen with sharp, clear image display and VGA jack can supply an external monitor with up to 1920x1080 resolution.
Comes with MicroSoft Works and DVD burning software. However, you can download OpenOffice Suite for free and it's got lots more capability than MS Works.
Cons- Not much to complain about, except the lack of a Firewire port and no expansion card slot. These omissions are no doubt part of the reason that this laptop costs so little. If you need these features, you can spend [...] and get a laptop that has everything. If you are a dedicated Vista-hater, Dell still sells some of their laptops with XP on their "small business" website, or you can downgrade this Presario CQ60 to XP (see last part of review).
Build quality: Seems about average. The keyboard and touchpad feel pretty good. The video screen is really quite good. Only time will tell the story of the overall quality, durability and reliability of this computer.VISTA TO XP DOWNGRADE:
After unpacking the machine and powering it up, it took far too long for the initial setup routines to run; it was about 45 minutes before setup was done and the Desktop was presented so I could do some actual work. Part of this is Vista, which always takes an extraordinarily long time to do it's first boot-up and shut down on a new installation, and part is HP's fault: they force the user to go through a tedious 5-step setup routine that seems unnecessarily complicated to me. Anyway, my first task on this new laptop was to go on the internet and search for XP drivers (bye-bye Vista, hello XP!). The good news is that there are XP drivers out there for all the hardware on this Compaq, but they're not easy to find - the sound card driver was especially hard to nail down. I have posted a step-by-step procedure on [...] on how to downgrade this laptop from Vista to XP at [...] has only 1/4 Vista's "footprint" size on your hard disk, not to mention a much lighter drag on the CPU and other system resources, so overall system performance should be at least a little better with XP. CAUTION: If you do this downgrade during the warranty period, you will have to re-install Vista if you have to return the machine to HP for a warranty repair. I got around this by swapping the OEM hard drive (with Vista still on it) for a new 500gb drive [...] If the machine malfunctions under warranty, just swap the original drive back in. Hard drive swap on this laptop is easy, in fact much easier than on most Desktop computers.

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Compaq Presario CQ60-419WM

Click here for more information about Compaq Presario CQ60-419WM 15.6" Notebook PC (2.10 GHz AMD Sempron SI-42 Processor, 3GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, Windows Vista Home Basic (32-bit))

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Acer AS5551-2805 15.6-Inch Notebook Computer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My previous laptops were IBM, Dell, and Gateway. Being out of work, I was looking to buy the most computer for the least money. Get the size screen I want, roomy keyboard, highest RAM, enough HD storage space and best processor...but balance them all out for the optimum computer.
And this ACER was the best choice, dollar for dollar.
BUT..of course there is a but.....the keyboard and the joints/joinings for different parts feel 'cheap'. The plastic molding around the screen pulled out (away from the actual screen) when I was removing the film that covered all parts of the laptop when it is shipped. The rt/lf click on the built-in mousepad is very clunky.
You do get what you pay for. IF this ACER lasts 2 years without breaking (the keyboard, the casement, the cables between screen and computer, etc) I'll be eating my words.
Comparable models (same RAM, HD Memory, Dual Processor) of other makes were 30-50% higher in price. Technology developing as fast as it does, 3 years out of a laptop should be plenty.


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Acer AS5551-2805 15.6 inch AMD Athlon II Dual-Core 2.1GHz/ 4GB/ 500GB/ DVDRW/ W7HP Notebook Computer

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Acer Aspire 15.6" Notebook Computer - Black (AS5517-1127) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I got this computer as a Christmas present and I love it. I have not been disappointed in the least. For the money, it is absolutely worth what you get. My only disappointment is that it doesn't have a built in microphone for the webcam and I wish that the speakers were a little more powerful. Despite that, I am constantly surprised at the speed of this computer and it is incredibly light.
I was a little skeptical of getting an Acer instead of the more name brand computers such as Dell or Compaq, especially since Acer has only had a strong foothold in the netbook arena. Yet, once I experienced this computer, I would go with Acer again in an instant.

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Featured Store Staples 3.0/5.0 store rating 116 store reviews See Store Info $479.98 FREE Shipping In stock $479.98 * * Go To Store Description: Enjoy Reliable Mobile Performance With The Acer As5517-1127 Notebook Showcasing A 15.6" Hd Widescreen Display, Amd Dual-core Processing

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Dell Inspiron i17R-2248MRB 17.3-Inch Laptop (Mars Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)So far so good. Bought this after a horrible experience with a brand new Toshiba. So far I like it. Good keyboard, beautiful screen. It's a little heavier than I'd hoped (the Toshiba with same screen was at least a pound lighter) but the sound quality on this model is killer. Best laptop sound I've ever run across. This is my first Dell; if it works out it won't be my last. Oh, the fan is a little noisy, but I suspect all these high powered machines run hot.

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Wrapped in curvy edges and smooth lines, the Dell Inspiron 17R in mars black (model i17R-2248MRB) seamlessly travels by your side without getting in your way. It features a 17.3-inch high-definition display and it weighs less than 7 pounds--perfect for taking along on your commute. The full-size, ergonomically designed keyboard (with 10-key pad) gives your fingers plenty of space to stretch out and get comfortable, and you'll also appreciate the brushed metal appearance of the smudge-proof palm rest.
The Dell Inspiron 17R in black (see larger image).

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