Joined on 03/01/11
Nice - BUT Be Aware
Pros: Does what its supposed to. Looks nice. Solid drive mount for reliable SATA connection - IF you're careful. A very slick setup that as of yet has not caused any thermal issues running two Seagate Hybrid drives. I have three of these in identical computers for our recording studio. Two have broken - but my fault for the most part. See Cons.
Cons: I do not have easy, close access to computer hardware stores being located in a somewhat rural area. That being said, when these arrived I did not have an appropriate SATA power adapter or extension available. So, I took the one already attached to the Dell powersupply which has two power plugs in tandem on a single line. It was very difficult to get the plug wires compressed enough to fit onto the power connector on the Rosewill rack.and I ended up breaking one of the power connectors on the Rosewill but was able to still use it with some work. Also, be careful when opening the drive doors. One time I was going to swap drives and my finger slipped while opening the door. With nothing to stop the door once the button latch was pushed it opened so hard it broke the hinge and I had to throw it away. My fault but cheap plastic hinge broke far more easily than I felt it should have.
Sorry Eclipse - not this time...
Pros: Small, actually too small. Decent sound. Cheap price but not worth it.
Cons: Display is so little you can barely read it. Even with "reader" glasses I had a hard time. Battery only lasts 1-2 hours on a full charge.
Overall Review: I've purchased other Eclipse Mp3 players and they were excellent. Really, really disappointed in this one.
Shame on Newegg
Pros: No fan, quiet. Driver did not create any latency issues.
Cons: Both Newegg's description and the outside of the box state you can run three monitors with this card. YOU CAN NOT! Apparently there is more than one version of this particular card. I contacted AMD's tech support and after several days of waiting got this reply: I understand that you have trouble display three monitors at the same time with HD 5450 and HDMI connection will appear black boarders. If this is incorrect, please let me know as the information provided may change. HD 5450 card may be capable of outputting three signals at one time, but this is only possible when the card is featured with DisplayPort using either a direct DisplayPort supported monitor. But it seems your graphic card does not have a DP port which means you can only display two monitors at one time. Attempting to use a third monitor, you will have to disable one of the current displaying monitors. So, even though both the box and Newegg say three monitors no problem, two is the max.
Overall Review: I don't need a high end graphics card as I use my computer as a Digital Audio Workstation and there's not a lot going on video wise. However, it is nice to have multiple monitors for several reasons. The big problem I've had is finding a card with multiple displays that does not introduce an un-useable amount of latency into the audio stream. The only good parts of this card are the noise free fanless design and a driver with virtually no latency issues. BUT, I can only run two monitors. Haven't decided if I'll return it or not yet.
Windows Home Server 2011 OEM
Pros: I'm sure there are many but I'll probably never know.
Cons: Got the OEM version - Mistake! While I am not a certified tech I have built dozens of computers, servers, workstations, etc. I've also set up several network domains from small to large - so, I'd guess I'm not a complete idiot. However, this OEM install requires a separate "tech" computer, knowledge of Microsoft's OPK deployment service, and WAYYYYY to much time for someone like me. The last OEM OS I did was several XP workstations so I'm sure I'm behind the curve on all this. BUT - buyer beware, this is not your typical pop & drop GUI based installation. At least for me it wasn't. I'm not giving up but before I go promoting "Home Servers" (which I think is a great idea) I"m going to have to learn a LOT more. So, it may be great software but I'm not a "great" installer.