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Joshua H.

Joshua H.

Joined on 12/22/03

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 8
Most Favorable Review

Fast and comprehensive

Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 - 3 User
Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 - 3 User

Pros: Fast and comprehensive

Cons: A bit too intrusive when set to default

Overall Review: Kaspersky 2010 was a disappointment, having sacrificed its vaunted speed. Fortunately, the problems have been solved in 2011. Not only is it faster than Kaspersky 2010, but than 2009 as well. If I have any criticism of this comprehensive, speedy, and well-thought-out program, it's that there are too many annoying low-level warnings with the default settings. Changing the notification settings to eliminate non-critical notifications makes it unobtrusive, as IMO a security program should be. Mine also installed for some reason with the parental controls turned on. Easily fixed, but, again, that should not be the default.

Most Critical Review

Disappointing

Keurig B60 Black Special Edition Brewer With K-Cups
Keurig B60 Black Special Edition Brewer With K-Cups

Pros: Convenient, quick, virtually no cleanup

Cons: Coffee tastes horrible

Overall Review: What a disappointment! I've tried quite a few K cups, all the settings, but the coffee tastes like brown water. It's not the coffee in the K-cups -- I tried opening up some K cups and pouring the coffee into my $20 Mr. Coffee and it tasted great. Rather, it seems to brew too fast, with the coffee emerging in a rapid stream rather than a drip. What's more, the Keurig is no faster overall than the Mr. Coffee, because while the Mr. Coffee brews slowly the coffee that emerges doesn't have to cool much before you can drink it. I'll probably keep using the Kuerig because I'm lazy, LOL. But I was looking forward to something more. Is it too much to ask for a machine that combines Keurig convenience and quality brewing? (I also tried a pod machine, and that was terrible too -- in that case, because of the quality of the coffee in the pods.)

Worst antivirus I've ever used

Symantec Norton 360 - 2014 - 3 PCs
Symantec Norton 360 - 2014 - 3 PCs

Pros: A comprehensive suite with a broad range of features, a bit less demanding on system resources than Kaspersky, although tests find its scanning a bit less thorough

Cons: False positives -- quarantines applications merely because Norton has never seen them

Overall Review: I bought this because Kaspersky 2014 has turned into a real system hog. At first, everything seemed to go pretty smoothly. Then, when I was doing a backup, it quarantined a file -- and another -- and another. Something like 30 apps, flagged as "ws.reputation.1." Did scanning detect malware in the software it deleted? No. I did a search and Norton now quarantines files merely because Symantec hasn't seen them! This means perfectly legitimate applications like Prime95 and hdtach were quarantined. Restoration from quarantine is painfully slow and you have to disable scanning for that file, leaving you vulnerable if a new signature finds that it is infected Stay away from this fraudulent suite. It's worse than the malware it pretends to detect.

Great so far

LITE-ON SK-2030/B Black 14 Function Keys PS/2 Wired Slim Keyboard
LITE-ON SK-2030/B Black 14 Function Keys PS/2 Wired Slim Keyboard

Pros: Cheap -- when it gets dirty or breaks, just get a new one! Great functionality with media hot keys Compact form factor without compromised functionality Pretty good touch Attractive PS/2 connection is more reliable than USB

Cons: OEM packaging, no manual or drivers and nothing on their web site

Overall Review: I've been using the $8 104-key Lite-On keyboards for years with great results. No need to worry about spilling coffee in them, or cleaning out crumbs -- when it happens, you just get a new one! Reliable too. This time, I thought I'd try the compact layout version. It's a few dollars more, but the media keys are handy and it gives me more room to roll my mouse. I'd describe the touch of this keyboard as reasonably good for touch typists, but like all membrane keyboards, it's a bit spongy and imprecise. Overall, I'd characterize it as relatively low in springiness and travel but relatively high in the force that "clicks" the dome. Not ideal, but serviceable. It has no manual to explain what the media keys do, but I figured most of them out easily enough and will get the right three eventually! Note that it has no keyboard driver. If you want to change the assignments, use Tweak UI.

Disappointing

LITE-ON SK-1688U/B Black 104 Normal Keys USB Wired Standard Keyboard
LITE-ON SK-1688U/B Black 104 Normal Keys USB Wired Standard Keyboard

Pros: Cheap, functional

Cons: Doesn't initialize properly

Overall Review: I've been using the PS/2 versions of these wonderful keyboards for years. When they get too dirty I just buy a new one! But this time around, I decided to get the USB version, and that was a mistake, since mine locks up when after computer is powered down and has to be replugged to get going again. Not the first USB keyboard/computer I've had that problem with, they just aren't as solidly reliable as the PS/2 keyboards. Shipping is as much as the keyboard so rather than returning it I'm just going to order a new PS/2 one.

Great Noiseless Card

ASUS GeForce 9600 GT 512MB GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Support Graphics Card EN9600GT silent/HTDI/512M
ASUS GeForce 9600 GT 512MB GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Support Graphics Card EN9600GT silent/HTDI/512M

Pros: Good, solid noiseless nVidia card with dual monitor support and solid drivers for Windows 7 x64 and Linux. Unless you're a hotshot gamer and maybe even then, this will serve you well, and maybe even then.

Cons: Can't really think of any, except that it takes up two slots.

Overall Review: Heatsink is fairly hot to the touch but thermocouple shows it's cool. But make sure you have a properly closed case, it depends on air being drawn in from the back by the case fans. And don't bother with Asus-supplied drivers, just download the latest driver from nVidia.