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James A.

James A.

Joined on 06/06/07

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 8
Most Favorable Review

Frustrating Issue, Simple Solution

MSI GT Series - 17.3" NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M - Intel Core i7-4800MQ  - 8GB Memory - - Windows 8.1 64-Bit - Gaming Laptop - (GT70 Dominator-895 )
MSI GT Series - 17.3" NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M - Intel Core i7-4800MQ - 8GB Memory - - Windows 8.1 64-Bit - Gaming Laptop - (GT70 Dominator-895 )

Pros: All of the pros I had spoken of before hold true.

Cons: Not a con with the laptop per se, but I had an issue that effected performance. Wanted to share, in case anyone has the same: Performance fell off sharply some time ago. I was too focused on work to really notice (and had some rare time off the road, which meant less laptop use.) Finally got annoyed enough to look into it when playing an alpha test game at 7 fps on lowest settings.... Turns out, one of the NVIDIA control center updates made the laptop use the integrated graphics chip by default, instead of the beefy NVIDIA 870 that the laptop carries. You must change a setting in the NVIDIA control panel, forcing the computer to always use the 870. After that change, same game ran @ 45+ FPS on high settings.

Most Critical Review

Good starter, but has issues

1EG-MBK Metallic Black 39-Inch Electric Guitar Package w/ Gig Bag, Picks, Strap & More (Full Size)
1EG-MBK Metallic Black 39-Inch Electric Guitar Package w/ Gig Bag, Picks, Strap & More (Full Size)

Pros: Inexpensive, and suitable for my needs as an absolute beginner.

Cons: I've run into two issues within my ~2 weeks of ownership: 1. The included strap was not quite long enough to let me comfortably position the instrument. I'm a bit taller than your average person (just under 6'2") so this may not be an issue for more normal sized people. Furthermore, the discomfort may have been related to my inexperience. Regardless, as I struggled to find a comfortable position, the slider that allows you to take in the slack on the strap broke. No huge loss, as I had not intended to use anything less than the maximum length. A couple days later, however, the strap completely severed at the point where it anchors to the guitar. I've since replaced the strap with a longer version, acquired elsewhere. 2. While learning a new song, I noticed that one note continually sounded wrong. I ensured that the string was in tune, and all other fretted notes along that string rang clear. All was in good order, except for that note (2nd string, 11th fret.) Did some further testing, and found two other notes that buzzed, rather than sounding clear. Research has indicated that parts of the fret bars are a bit too high, making it impossible for those notes to be played properly. Alas, it seems that the broken strap prevents me from getting a free replacement through the supplier, so I will either choose to learn songs that don't use the bad notes (not too difficult, as the other notes aren't immensely popular in the types of songs I am learning) or pay out of pocket for repairs at a local store.

Overall Review: I know the cons section was long, but I would still recommend this for a beginner. Hard to find full sized guitars at this price.

Great Monitor

ASUS 27" IPS LCD Monitor AH-IPS 5ms (GTG) D-Sub, HDMI MX279H-X
ASUS 27" IPS LCD Monitor AH-IPS 5ms (GTG) D-Sub, HDMI MX279H-X

Pros: Very bright, clear, and sharp picture. Handled games and movies well.

Cons: Made me want another.

Overall Review: This was originally going to go to work with me. Somehow ended up on my desktop. Now, a second is on its way. Not sure it will make it into the office either.

12/18/2015

As advertised

ipega Wireless Bluetooth Gamepad Controller for Android Tablet PC iPhone iPad iPod HTC MOTO Samsung Galaxy Support Different Android/IOS PC and etc Games
ipega Wireless Bluetooth Gamepad Controller for Android Tablet PC iPhone iPad iPod HTC MOTO Samsung Galaxy Support Different Android/IOS PC and etc Games

Pros: It is... exactly what was expected. Adjustable bracket large enough to hold my Note 4. Good size balance.

Cons: English translation in the instruction manual is not the best, but should guide you well enough.

Overall Review: I'm quite happy with this. It's not overly complex, and manages to do exactly what I wanted it to do. It's compact enough to fit in a pocket or my carry on bag, yet not so small that my largish hands feel cramped. Took me a few tries to pair it with my device. Instructions said "Push this button, then this button" when it was necessary to hold the first button while pressing the second.

Fully Satisfied

Vizio 42" E420-A0 Slim Frame LED HD TV 1080p HDMI 60Hz 2,000,000:1 Contrast
Vizio 42" E420-A0 Slim Frame LED HD TV 1080p HDMI 60Hz 2,000,000:1 Contrast

Pros: The screen is bright and clear. All appearances suggest this was brand new, rather than refurbished. I have seen no signs of previous use. Possibly the best black levels I've seen in the post CRT era. I'm using this as a PC monitor, and it has been responsive enough for that application. No issues with ghosting in high speed environments.

Cons: None thus far.

Overall Review: I do not use the speakers, nor do I use the remote. I cannot speak on the merits of either system.

Best I've ever had.

Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930 with 7.1 Surround Sound, Wireless Headphones with Microphone
Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930 with 7.1 Surround Sound, Wireless Headphones with Microphone

Pros: Clear tones, sufficiently loud, comfortable during long sessions. With some third party software, I was able to configure one of the side buttons as a "push to talk" for teamspeak. Lets me communicate when walking about. I recommend this to anyone who asks.

Cons: Could not use it at work, due to signal interference from another (900 mhz, I assume?) source.