Joined on 07/19/07
This card is flashable for Power Mac G4 and G5 computers
Pros: The XWT-RC041 is a sil3112 reference card that identifies itself as vendor 1095 device 3112. I got a card with a 128kb flash chip and was able to successfully install bootable firmware for Mac OS X.
Cons: As other reviewers have noticed, the card ships with a buggy BIOS and the SATA connectors are flimsy.
Overall Review: I got this card for less than $20 including shipping.
A dual-sim phone with a built-in call recorder
Pros: This phone connects to Freedom Mobile at HSPA+ and Bell Mobility at full 4G LTE speeds. Has a built-in non-root call recorder, which is a difficult feature to get in a phone branded and warrantied for North American markets. Perfect dual-sim handling. Minimal bloatware; mostly ASUS differentiators like ZenUI and aggressive power management. SD Card slot.
Cons: Battery capacity claims are exaggerated; this phone requires daily charging like any other. The Mini-USB plug and USB-OTG adapter make the external charging feature an awkward gimmick. Lacks a band 66 radio for AWS on Freedom Mobile and T-Mobile networks. Lacks a 5 Ghz radio for WiFi. Lacks an NFC radio for mobile payments. Lacks gyro and/or compass hardware for things like Photosphere. Slow autofocus takes blurry photographs. Lacks Android 8 Oreo (as of November 2017). Video and touchpad bugs impair the gaming experience. Half-size front-facing fingerprint reader. Minimal and/or incomplete Bluetooth profile for vehicles. Heavy in the hand.
Overall Review: I bought this new ZenFone 4 to replace a Nexus 6P, which is more than two years old. This ASUS product is half the price, but feels incomplete vice the Google+Huawei product. If you need dual-sim capabilities or a call recorder, then you will be satisfied with a Zenfone 4.
The premium FreeSync monitor
Pros: This monitor is probably best -in-class. * Very bright. * Four digital inputs. * Mechanical buttons. * Well designed OSD. * Zero-screw assembly. * Easy rotation to portrait. * Display Port 1.2 compliant. * Fastest IPS refresh available. * Zero color banding or gradient. * Nice square bezel for a webcam. * Identical image quality at all rotations. * Two-port USB-3 hub and 3.5mm audio output.
Cons: Price. * Lacks an optical audio output. * Currently the same price as three good monitors. * Minor backlight bleed at the corners that is only noticeable in a dark room on a dark input.
Overall Review: The power LED causes bleed in the bottom-right corner, but the power LED can be disabled in the OSD, which is a super-nice feature.
Depends on the price.
Pros: * Standard barrel connector. (12 volts at 4 amps, black tip.) * Fully supported by DD-WRT, including daily builds. * Physical power switch. * USB 3 port. * Dual radio.
Cons: * OpenWrt compatibility is incomplete. * Runs hot under load and warm while idle. * The function LEDs are dim and indistinct, but the "BUFFALO" logo is bright white.
Overall Review: OpenWrt 15.05 lacks full support for the WZR-1750DHPD because it requires the broadcom-wl driver package for ARM, which is not yet integrated. +1 star when this happens. * Wall mounting screws are bundled, but this model is designed for a desktop or shelf. * Bundled with a 48 watt power brick. * No external antenna port. * ARM7L CPU.
best price point behind the hardware curve
Pros: * Good value. * Generic non-proprietary power supply. * Full sized ethernet, VGA, and HDMI ports. * All reference hardware. No obviously weird components. * Only McAfee was pre-installed. The initial system image is nearly clean, so I didn't bother to do a wipe and reinstall.
Cons: * Doesn't wake up when the lid is opened. * No mult-touch gestures. Single-touch only. * The case is plastic, not metallic like most ultrabooks. * The display panel is old technology; it has a lower black level, viewing angle, and pixel response than I expected.
Overall Review: This is a safe choice for a laptop that costs less than $500. Although it is missing some nearly standard features, you don't get that much more value at the next price point. The SSD is not partitioned for Ready Boost, which is something that you should do manually. I would buy this model again if I needed to replace it.
The kind of laptop that you buy for your parents.
Pros: * Windows 7 Experience Score of 5.9 * The new integrated A-Series GPU is much better than the integrated Intel graphics at the same price point. * Nice full sized keyboard with numpad. No misplaced or awkward keys like on some HP laptops. * The software pre-load is mostly okay. I only uninstalled the Symantec products.
Cons: * Slow hard disk. * No bluray drive. * No restore media. * The display panel is huge, but its native resolution is less than 1080p. Most people won't notice. * A large computer like this should have more ports.
Overall Review: This is a desktop replacement laptop. It won't fit into most computer bags. The panel is big and bright with large pixels, which would make it good for people with poor eyesight (or people that just like their screen that way).