Computers Reviews

Yes, I really liked this walkman in the beginning. I use it while working out. I guess I've had it about two years. I'm finally online to buy another walkman because it is now completely useless and has driven me absolutely insane. I have the same complaints as one of the previous reviewers.

1) The slightest touch to this thing and it comes ON, so there were many many times I'd find that it had been on overnight even though I had also been EXTREMELY CAREFUL to make sure it was off when I put it away. I should mention that I also kept it in my gym bag, but started being very careful when i placed it in my bag and being very careful with my bag so it wouldn't roll over and turn on by itself. Too much work if you ask me!

2) The battery runs down very quickly!!!! Even when I didn't find that it had been on all day and night, I could swear the battery would run down once every 3-4 days, and I only used it a maximum of 1 1/2 hours per day. I started keeping a dozen batteries in my gym bag because I was going through them so quickly.

3) When the battery starts getting low, it will start shutting off. There will still be battery left, and you can turn it back on and it will work for another 15 minutes and then shut off again, and it just keeps shutting off until its shutting off constantly. So you'll want to replace the battery as soon as it starts doing this because it will drive you nuts, which is probably another reason why the batteries go so fast. I could swear in the beginning, the battery lasted longer, and the longer I've had it, the shorter the battery lasts. It used to shut off once it got down to 0 bars; then it started shutting off with one bar left; and then it started shutting off while there were two bars left (and it only has two bars).

SO NOW, IT SHUTS OFF ALL THE TIME even when the battery is BRAND NEW!!!!! THAT's RIGHT. It just shuts off ALL THE TIME with a BRAND NEW battery. It is USELESS.

This radio will drive you insane!! I can't tell you how many times I wanted to throw this thing across the room but had to refrain myself since I was in a gym full of people. I'm going to find a new walkman and happily smash this one to pieces.

The people who enjoy this walkman obviously don't use it in a gym and keep it in their gym bag, and they probably haven't had it long enough for it to start shutting off constantly. So it you plan to carry/keep this in a gym bag, THIS IS NOT THE WALKMAN FOR YOU!! I think the battery runs down so fast because it constantly has a clock running, which is really useless because everytime the battery dies (every 4 days), you'll have to reset the clock.

It shouldn't have a clock and the Power button should be one of those switches that can't move by itself! Serious design flaws.

I am generally very pleased with this radio. I use it mainly during the night as I often have trouble sleeping. The FM reception is excellent while AM reception is quite good as well.
It uses only one AAA battery, which concerned me at first, but I found that you get quite a bit of mileage out of it. I just wish the buttons would be illuminated for a few seconds as it is difficult to locate the right ones in the dark. The supplied headphone has decent sound and is comfortable to wear in bed. All in all, a very nice radio.

The sensitivity of the FM is good, but it would be really great if it had a stereo defeat (mono mode) to get rid of the hiss. The tuning lock fails on the weaker signals, especially if you're walking around. Battery life is OK, but not great.
The unit IS light and clips to the belt securely. I offer a qualified thumbs up.

Well was kinda of skeptical about ordering component cables, well figured the rca cables i was using was doing a fine job. well thats all they where doing , was a fine job, once i hooked up these cables to my dvd player i saw a big difference, picture was much cleaner looking all the way around. kinda glad i did some research on component to rca video cables now.

These work very well with connecting my Sony DVD player to Panasonic Plasma. Picture quality is good, as expected. Amazon had a good price and delivered them free of charge in a reasonable amount of time. My only concern is that the plastic covering/shielding on the ends of the cables is a little thick, and because my DVD player's outputs are very close to each other, the cables barely fit.

These heavy shielded cables are ideal for my video editing studio and thus far have performed very well. Unfortunately, between my high-quality cabling and my HDTV, I can more clearly see how crappy my SD video footage really is...

I bought the Fujifilm Finepix A500 as a camera to pack in my PC case on business travel. I use it mainly to get candid snapshots in business meetings and conferences. It is small, discrete, and works well for the purpose intended. The 5MP resolution allows me to get quick shots without much care for composition, background clutter, etc. since I use a photo editor to take care of those tasks later-on. When buying this camera note that it does not have a case or much on-board storage. An XD memory card and a case are necessary. I also recommend getting a NiMH battery charger to keep battery replacement costs low.

I bought this Finepix A500 as a budget replacement for a digital camera that was recently stolen from me. I think its fair to say that you get quite a bit of camera for the money spent here (you can find this camera at several places on the internet for less than $120 , I bought my for 118.99 brand new with free shipping included), it has a 5 megapixel resolution and 3x optical zoom and takes great pictures , in a comparison of picture quality with a friend who has a Nikon that was about 4 times the price of this camera when we took the same pictures in identical situations with same picture settings this camera performed just as well with color and clarity just as vivid. Ok his camera has bells and whistles this one doesn't and more preset picture modes but for the average picture taker this is definitely a winner, great macro shots too and professional-looking clarity and resolution on 8X10 photos as well. The software wasn't quite as elaborate as my other camera's (an HP Photosmart) but I do my general photo editing with either Picasa or the basic Adobe Photoshop (both free downloads on the web) so I can't really see this as a downside either, definitely a satisfied buyer and user here.

This is a fantastic camera! I really can't say enough great things about it. I just upgraded my digital camera fortress with a Minolta 5D (SLR) and with this tiny baby. I had an Olympus Stylus 300, 3.2 mp for about 3 years now. The indoor pictures were always grainy and blurred, but outdoor pictures were beautiful. However, I felt that I needed more bang for my buck and began researching for a new digi cam. I came across this Fuji and noticed 1.) 5MP, 2.) Less than $200!!!, and 3.) Xd card compatible (i already had about 512 mb of xd cards for my Olympus camera).

So, I began testing out this new baby and found that: it is very tiny and light, every single picture is bright and crisp, and the LCD screen is big, bright and noticeable even in bright outdoor light!

The LCD screen is one of the best features. I always had trouble viewing pictures in outdoor light with my other camera, so my next camera purchase HAD to have a viewfinder. But I find I don't need the viewfinder option with the camera because the LCD screen is perfect in all lights...that is one of the best features, and for the price, you can't beat it!

I can't recommend this camera enough. But I would highly recommend purchasing rechargable AA batteries. Regular Alkaline AA batteries drain very quickly!

I've never had a problem with these discs. I have always used Memorex since the 4x days and they have never failed me.

I have been using Memorex Blank DVDs for years, DVD+R, DVD-R, and DVD+RW, and have yet to have burned a coaster that wasn't either my fault or that of my burning software. I have no problems viewing DVDs that I have authored in any DVD player.

I am using a Dell 1.5ghz machine running Windows 2000 Pro, with a Plextor PX-712A DVD burner. Initially, I was using Roxio for burning, but it is junk and doesn't play well with other software on my hard drive, so I switched to Nero 7, with which I have had no problems.

Listen to Michael Brumley, he knows his stuff. This DVD burning isn't as cut and dried as some would like you to believe. However, just because you get a bad burn doesn't mean it is the discs. There is a whole bunch of stuff going on in your computer that can affect the burn.

I have a Dell 1.2 ghz, with a Lite-On 8x drive, running Nero 6 OEM. Pretty generic, but these Memorex 8x and now 16x discs burn just fine. In fact, I have burnt about 6-800 of these discs and have had very few fall-outs. Not enough to justify buying the "better" quality discs.

Now for the caveat: I did have one spate of problems, caused by a not so well behaved antivirus program. I tossed out the antivirus program and went over to Avast!(it's free, check with Microsoft). Problem solved even though I run Winamp and a logging environmental sampling program while burning discs.

We burn hundreds of discs for a hospital lecture series. They are being played on all sorts of equipment, including some pretty banged up junk. So far I have not received one complaint about the discs only suggestions about the content.

Michael Brumley is right! Before you spend big bucks on some "better" disc, pop up your task manager in XP and see if there is some runaway task that needs some discipline. Also, if you must run "better" discs then do a surface test in Nero. I bet the "better" disc will look very close to failure if the Memorex failed.

My father gave this frame to me as a baby shower gift a few months ago. I got home all excited about a new toy only to find out the remote control was dead. It did nothing. I could only use the buttons on the side of the frame. I had the remote replaced via an RMA with Pacific Digital and when I installed my memory card again, the firmware for the LCD was hosed. All the screen says is "PC-RGB No SYNC" and then shuts back off. It's a paperweight now. I have asked for a new MV-800 as a replacement. I hope they don't play the "you missed the warranty date BS" card.

This is the ONLY way to view digital pictures. The only problem is that the digital picture frame has just come into being and has a long way to go. This MemoryVue MV-800 however, is the best you can do for the price. As everyone else has already stated, the instructional material that comes with the MV-800 is as useless as teets on boar hog. If you have any problems, there is an email address (support@dsicentral.com on the paperwork which is the only way we could get answers. Our biggest problem was that we would set pictures up on our hard drive and memory card with an upright orientation and the MV-800 would always turn them sideways again. We learned that you must go into the MV-800 menu from the remote and here's the drill.

-Press STOP
-Press SETUP (let all the thumbnails load, about 20 seconds)
-Select PHOTO SETUP using the PLAY button on the remote
-Using the DOWN ARROW scroll down to ORIENTATION and select using the PLAY button on the remote
-Then scroll to OFF and select OFF by using the PLAY button.
-Turn the frame OFF using the on/off burron to lock your setting.

When you turn the frame back on all of your pics will appear in the same orientation that they did on your hard drive and memory card.

This is the coolest pic viewing device yet and I am ready to order more when my wife isn't looking..............
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I read all the reviews and was pretty reticent about trying this product because so many seemed to have so many problems. I had seen it at CompUSA but they didn't have one in stock. It seemed nice and sturdy and was aesthically pleasing. I almost went with the Phillips but with the smaller screen I didn't think it would be as nice. Well, I went ahead and got this for my husband for this past Father's Day. The day it came I loaded a 1G CF card using a reader/writer and put into the frame & it worked immediately & perfectly. It held somewhere around 350 photos & the transitions in the slide show are awesome. I am going to get one for myself some day down the line when we can afford another one. My husband has this one in his office & he gets lots of compliments! Highly recommend!

I bought two of these cards to go alongside my wrt54gs. I though that they should work great together since they are from the same manufacturer. Oh boy was I wrong.

Even the though I get full bars with these cards, I get very flaky connections with them. I've tried many different settings and firmwares to try to rectify the problem. Many hours have been spent trying to get a stable connection. No dice, very flaky.

Other computers with different cards work fine with the wrt54gs and never dropout. So there is something about this card that just isn't right, and I can't imagine both cards being defective. I haven't tested them with another router, but if it can't work with a wrt54gs v3, then what's the point.

I am not sure why there seems to be a love/hate relationship with this card, but it worked fine for me. I bought the card to replace a D-link card. This card installed easily and configured quickly. Only issue was with Symantec's Personal Firewall which prevented me from connecting to the internet. Once I "allowed" that, connected immediatley. My signal improved from 55% to the low 80% range. Like others have said (and the instructions), run the CD BEFORE you install it. I had used Dlink for years but have found much better results with linksys and will never go back.

I was a little leary in buying this card with many of the negative reviews I read, however I had a Linksys Wireless-G router with speedbooster so that's what tipped me to buy it. I'm glad that I did.

I had no issues whatsoever in installing this card in my Dell Dimension E510. The instructions included with the card are fool-proof and very simple for those of you that aren't nerds. If you're a nerd, you won't even need the instructions.

Install the drivers first, using the included CD. During the process of doing that, the wizard will instruct you to shut off your computer (the wizard will actually turn your comp off for you). Once shut down, disconnect all the wires from the tower, open the tower, ground yourself by touching something metal so as to not let static electricity fry one of your chips, pop the card in the white PCI slot, put cover back on, reattach wires, power back up and give the PC a minute or two to restart the wizard. Be patient here and don't jump the gun, it will come. It will then autodetect the available networks and voila, you're in business.

Once I gave the wizard my password for my network (always password protect your network) I was connected. I tried turning the PC off and on several times, and every time, it detected and connected directly to my network. Again, times may vary, but be patient while it finds and connects to your network...this can take a minute or two.

I'm happy with the product. I'm using it in a computer that is about 40 to 50 feet away from the router, and through several walls, and the connection is very good. I'm guessing that unless your computer is archaic, you won't have any issues with this quality card.

I purchased this for my home office recently. The selling points for me over other microsystems were the brand name, appearance, the 5 CD-changer, and the 180 watts. I listen almost exclusively to classical music, but I wanted a system that would provide as much volume and nuance as I could get in this size system at an affordable price. This unit absolutely does not disappoint. It is quite attractive, with the speakers clad in realistic cherrywood laminate, and a sleek console. (The LED display is readable and it has no annoying flashing lights to distract. It is also dimmable to near-invisibility, which would be convenient for bedroom use.) The sound is far above my expectations for this price range. The system is capable of an ear-splitting, window-rattling volume without distortion or "clipping". In fact, it is superior to an older midrange component system in my living room, with greater clarity and an enhanced bass response. I am thinking of replacing my living room stereo with another of these. For a small to medium-sized, room, it is hard to imagine a better system for the price. The FM reception of my local stations is flawless with the provided wire antenna. The AM is just adequate, but who listens to AM radio except for the traffic report these days? Because there are so many different functions built into one small unit, many of the controls on the console and the included remote control are not especially intuitive; I am able to do everything I want to do without fumbling around, but it takes a little getting used to. In brief, for the price and the size, Panasonic delivers an excellent value with this product.

I'm not much into Seagate, but for the price of this drive, I thought I'd take a chance. Bought this drive a month and a half ago to serve as a 2nd hard drive. Seagate's installation software made it really easy to install. Everything worked great, I didn't hear any noise from it (as reported by other reviews) and I was really happy for over a month before it crashed and froze up my computer. I could not get the drive to work again and it kept my computer from booting up, so I had to remove it. I think I'll go back to Western Digital.

Be aware that Seagate has disabled AAM (auto acoustic management) from the factory on all their drives due to a pending lawsuit for copyright infringement. AAM is part of the ATA specifications, however Seagate doesn't mention anywhere that their products are missing this important feature -- not on the retail box, not in their specs, not on their website.

In addition to that, every 40 secs the drive runs an idle scan (Seagate calls it STIR - Seek To Increase Reliability) whose purpose is to prevent the head from overheating from sitting on the same place for too long. This produces a loud buzz, a clicking noise or a combination of the two, as other reviewers have noticed.

Bottom line: other than an exceptionally high level of noise, this drive has nothing special to offer in terms of price, performance or storage capacity.

i got this and it's amazing. it's so fast and can hold my entire collection of games and high-definition movies.

I've had this trackball for about six months. Worked great until last week, when it started not working at all. Now I have to push the "connect" button every 5 minutes to get it to work. Pretty typical for Logitech trackballs in my experience. I've had two or three of the trackballs with cords and they crapped out after a few months, too. I won't be buying another.

For feel, and button layout Logitech gets 5 stars on this one. The reason for the drop in stars is 2 fold. First this trackball does not play nice with PS2 KVM switches. It you don't understand what that means then don't worry about my complaint and get the product. The issue the trackman has w/ my KVM is that it does not recognize the type of mouse so the buttons are not customizable, they are all usable but you cannot change them around. The second complaint about the product is that it is hard/impossible to change the wireless channel on it. I was in an office with someone using another wireless logitech product and we were having problems because we were on the same channel. I tried to change my channel following the directions provided by logitech but I did not have any luck, the other person had to change their channel. If you are looking for a wireless trackball that won't be around anyone else and will be connected directly into the computer you are using, this one is great.

I love trackballs and have been buying Logitech trackballs since they went optical, as mechanical trackballs always "grunge up". I went from an older Logitech trackball to this one because it has 8 buttons, and with the newer versions of MouseWare they are incredibly configurable.

Someone complained about having to clean it once a day, which makes me wonder about his environment. I clean mine every month or so and it takes no time at all.

The one negative is that because this model was released in 2002 it doesn't use the newer 2.4ghz frequency, and thus the receiver module can't be tucked away as is the case with newer designs. If I get the trackball more than about 2.5 feet from the receiver, performance gets iffy. And the receiver needs to sit on top of the desk as the signal doesn't travel well through metal.

I wish Logitech would update this mouse or introduce a new one with the newer technologies. Still, if you compare this one to any other trackball, it's still a wonderful deal for the money.

Someone mentioned having a problem with using this mouse through a KVM switch. I've used it both through both PS/2 and USB switches and not had a problem, so that may be a function of his particular switch.