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Melissa J.

Melissa J.

Joined on 07/18/04

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 13
Most Favorable Review

great camera

Logitech C310 HD Webcam, HD 720p/30fps, Widescreen HD Video Calling, HD Light Correction, Noise-Reducing Mic, For Skype, FaceTime, Hangouts, WebEx, PC/Mac/Laptop/Macbook/Tablet - Black
Logitech C310 HD Webcam, HD 720p/30fps, Widescreen HD Video Calling, HD Light Correction, Noise-Reducing Mic, For Skype, FaceTime, Hangouts, WebEx, PC/Mac/Laptop/Macbook/Tablet - Black

Pros: As another reviewer said, Windows 7 picked it up right away, didn't have to mess with any installation. Tested it out on Skype with a family member and they were impressed by the clarity of the image. Other cameras have had poor lighting and come off as grainy and dark, but this one looks amazing.

Cons: USB cable is a little short, but it didn't matter for my setup.

Overall Review: Got this on sale for $30, which at that price it was a steal. Seeing it in action, I'd say it's worth the original $50 price.

Most Critical Review

Brand names are better

Zonet ZEW2500P Wireless Adapter IEEE 802.11b/g MINI USB / USB 2.0 Up to 54Mbps Wireless Data Rates
Zonet ZEW2500P Wireless Adapter IEEE 802.11b/g MINI USB / USB 2.0 Up to 54Mbps Wireless Data Rates

Pros: Easy to install (once you have the right drivers). Maintains signal strength most of the time. Compact.

Cons: Has issues with certain PC configurations and/or CPUs (specifically AMD processors). My computer kept freezing when trying to transfer large files over my network. I reformatted, but upon re-install I found the problem still existed. I bought a wireless card thats the same brand as my router and now my transfers are fine.

Overall Review: Spend the extra 20 dollars and get something that'll work straight out of the box like it should - this card only worked well (at all) once I downloaded the RALink drivers. If you're having problems with this thing, go to Zonet's forums and see if you have similar situations. You might just need to replace it like I did.

couldn't work better

Edimax EW-7438RPn V2 300Mbps Universal Wi-Fi Range Extender, Repeater, Wireless Bridge, Access Point, Wall Plug design, Smart LED Signal Indicator, Easy iQSetup by Smart Phone (No CD Required)
Edimax EW-7438RPn V2 300Mbps Universal Wi-Fi Range Extender, Repeater, Wireless Bridge, Access Point, Wall Plug design, Smart LED Signal Indicator, Easy iQSetup by Smart Phone (No CD Required)

Pros: I share internet with my downstairs neighbors in a duplex. The router is downstairs and about as far away from my computer & PS3 as it could be, and signal strength has always been a problem. Plugged this in, had it set up in less than 2 minutes, and in a before/after network test, my PS3 went from 248kp/s download speed to 5.2 MB. The difference is night and day, I couldn't be more satisfied. Even has an ethernet port, I assume you could hook up a switch or a device directly to it if you were so inclined.

Cons: Can't really think of any. Instructions were well-written and it practically sets itself up.

Overall Review: I got this on special for $25, but between ease of use and doing exactly what I needed it to do, I would have gladly paid full price. If you need expanded network coverage, this thing rocks.

Excellent Monitor

SAMSUNG ToC T220HD Rose Black 22" 5ms HDMI Widescreen HDTV Monitor 300 cd/m2 DC 10000:1 Built in DTV Tuner & Dolby Digital Surround Speakers
SAMSUNG ToC T220HD Rose Black 22" 5ms HDMI Widescreen HDTV Monitor 300 cd/m2 DC 10000:1 Built in DTV Tuner & Dolby Digital Surround Speakers

Pros: Bright and responsive. This monitor seems to think it's a TV, between 2 HDMI slots, component, and a coaxial input for cable boxes, etc. I wanted a single solution for my apartment, and it works great. I have my PC over DVI, PS3 over HDMI, and another console going in through component. The optical audio out runs into my PC to use the surround sound on my computer for all 3 devices, and it works great. Before I had the optical set up, was just using the built-in speakers, and they sound very decent compared to the usual poor performance you'd expect from built-in speakers on a monitor.

Cons: No adjustable height/tilt on the monitor. Not a problem for me, but it could definitely be a problem for some users. The coaxial input would work well with digital cable, probably, but without a really strong source signal it looks washed out and bland. I hooked up an NES over the RF switch, and it worked, but not nearly as well as it should. Oh well.

Overall Review: To join the chorus of other reviewers, yes, this monitor does 1080p over HDMI. I've used it with my PS3 and can verify it. It's not all that well documented, but it does. A great buy for under $400 for all the features and inputs it has, especially if space is an issue.

11/11/2008

Great Case

Cooler Master Mystique 631 RC-631-KWN1-GP Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Cooler Master Mystique 631 RC-631-KWN1-GP Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Pros: Compact and efficient design, the vent on the side helps bring down CPU temps. The side-loading hard drive bays are the reason I wanted this case, and I'm glad I did - the 120mm fan in the front cools them all much more evenly then a case which stores hdds longways. It's also ideal for larger graphics cards, in my old case the cables to my hdd kept running into my video card, but not anymore! Extremely light, but incredibly sturdy!

Cons: The 'screwless' expansion slots wouldn't fit over my 6800GS, so I ended up having to use screws anyway. Thankfully the case is more than equipped if this is the case - there are even holes in the chassis for your screwdriver to line right up with the screws. Also, I don't think the stock fans are pushing enough air - I've had 1 or 2 resource-intensive games freeze on me, which never happened in my old case (and I know it's not an installation issue). A sidefan on the window would have been nice.

Overall Review: This case also attracted me because the cooling was said to be so efficient, so I'm a little annoyed that I'm probably going to have to buy new fans. But, the room it's in was already pretty warm to begin with, so that plays a role. Still, stock items usually need replacing and don't last very long anyways, so I'm not letting it effect the score I give it. USB ports are in a strange place, my tower is on my desk, not under it, so it's not very convenient for me, but it's still a good idea. Even with the few complaints, I don't think anyone would be disappointed with this case.

Great chip, but check your system 1st

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ - Athlon 64 X2 Toledo Dual-Core 2.2 GHz Socket 939 Processor - ADA4400DAA6CD
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ - Athlon 64 X2 Toledo Dual-Core 2.2 GHz Socket 939 Processor - ADA4400DAA6CD

Pros: Incredibly fast for the price, can tell an instant difference in performance. I encode a lot of video, a project I had that was taking 38 minutes on my old AMD 64 3000+ now takes 8 minutes!

Cons: Not really a con since it's clearly stated, but make sure you buy a fan since its OEM and doesn't come with one.

Overall Review: This probably wont be an issue for most people, but make sure your PSU is big enough for this processor. The extra core effectively doubles the voltage needs for your CPU, and if you have a power-hungry GPU then you might run into problems. My PSU is only a 350, which was fine for my previous single-core CPU (total system needs were about 276W), but with the X2 4400 it jumped to a whopping 408! Not a problem for everyday use, but if I'm in a game that uses both cores and my GPU significantly (like Oblivion, after some tweaking), it exceeds the power and crashes. I'll be getting a new PSU soon and this will be a non-issue, but until then certain games are off-limites and I don't get to see what this chip is really capable of. Hardly AMD's fault, though! If you're worried this might happen, just google 'psu calculator' and see where you total in at to make sure your PSU will have enough power for this chip.

11/16/2006