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Robin P.

Robin P.

Joined on 07/17/03

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 11
Most Favorable Review

Windows - getting better all the time

Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit
Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit

Pros: I manage tech for a business, and I've worked with every version of Windows since 95. 7 is really what I believe to be the culmination of the whole Windows idea. Like many have said, this really is 'like Vista, only they got it right this time'. Windows 7 is great. The user interface has been brought up to date with the likes of Mac OSX and some of the slicker open-source desktops in both sleekness and usability. It performs beautifully, and this 64-bit version on any 64-bit processor with decent RAM flies along! I run this on an AMD dual core with 4gb of RAM, and I have been impressed with the performance, especially with multiple applications open. The install is the quickest and most painless to date. Networking is such a pleasure in 7 coming from XP that I want to cry tears of joy. I currently believe Windows 7 to be a best-in-show consumer-level desktop OS. No other can compete with its ease of use, slickness, broad compatibility and performance. OSX should be worried.

Cons: Anyone who went with Vista may feel ripped off by this release - it's basically Vista with most of the annoyances removed. This is more of a con for Microsoft and Vista than it is for Windows 7, and you could say Vista served as a massive beta test for 7, which really shows some polish. One main con I can see with 7 is with the licensing - they've gotten tighter and tighter about it. Don't be surprised if you end up going through some tomfoolery with your license key, and you may end up having to deal with customer service for things that could have been easily avoided. They're protecting themselves from piracy, but it's gotten pretty extreme. I'm apprehensive about having to do things like a clean install on the same machine from the same disc - users may end up getting punished for doing things that are 100% legal under their consumer contract. Oh, and it's still not that secure.

Overall Review: This OS has realized 'plug and play' on an impressive scale. The magnitude of integration they've done with drivers and hardware manufacturers is staggering. Simply staggering. With a working internet connection, there are few devices you'll have to set up yourself - on a different install on my netbook, I did not have to install a single driver. Not a single one. Of course, for little conveniences like using special buttons or for performance-tuning apps that come with your hardware, you'll need to install that stuff yourself. But dealing with hardware has never been this painless.

Wow!!!

Mini Wireless Bluetooth V4.0 4.0 Dual Mode USB Adapter For Windows 7 64 32 / Vista / Windows XP Laptop Plug and Play
Mini Wireless Bluetooth V4.0 4.0 Dual Mode USB Adapter For Windows 7 64 32 / Vista / Windows XP Laptop Plug and Play

Pros: This is an awesome little dongle! It's just what it promised it would be: plug and play (Windows 7 64 SP1), clean and simple interface, works with all my devices, EXCELLENT range and power (much more so than my phone's or my netbook's built-in adapters), and it's cheap and tiny! Streaming audio quality is excellent, even at a distance. It also came 2 days after I ordered it. I wish every Newegg experience was this good!

Cons: The only little nitpick I have is that the USB portion of it is too long— the little wedge-shaped black nub of the body of this thing sticks out 1/4 cm from the body of the pc. This means it doesn't fit as snugly as it could. It's a small gripe, but if you want a dongle that is as small and low-profile as possible, this might not be it.

Overall Review: Only had it for a week so far. The real test will be whether it lasts. If it does, this might be one of the best buys I've ever encountered. I'm stoked.

very sexy

Mionix NAOS 5000 7 Buttons USB Laser Mouse
Mionix NAOS 5000 7 Buttons USB Laser Mouse

Pros: This mouse delivers. Probably the most comfortable mouse I've ever used, and I've used a few. I work with computers for a living and demand good ergonomics, and this mouse really works for me. It's kind of a hybrid claw/palm grip, and I find myself using both with it with good success. In the past I've been annoyed by mice that put their extra buttons in places that make me hit them by accident, but this hasn't happened once with this mouse that I've noticed. The matte finish feels lovely, and the lights don't bother me in the least. And of course, it's stupid sensitive at higher DPI. I'm not a change-DPI-on-the-fly kind of guy, but I've done plenty of gaming on this mouse and after some per-game adjustments I am very happy with its gaming performance with no need to change anything between games. Yeah, this mouse is really the hotness.

Cons: I'm picky, and I haven't found *one* thing I don't like about it. I will say that, for whatever reason, when I first started using the mouse I was tempted to click the right button with my ring finger... not really sure why. The shape of the mouse is definitely not traditional. I had to "retrain" myself, but it didn't take long (one or two sessions), and now I don't notice any difference going from other mice back to this one.

Overall Review: I use it with all the weights removed. It is very light this way, just the way I like it. Somehow, it manages to feel light without feeling cheap. Bravo. The shape of it is really different. The pictures don't give you a good sense of how it looks. I've owned the ubiquitous Logitech MX518, a few Intellimouse Explorers (none of which I liked), played around with some Razer mice but never bought any of them (not my thing), and I've really never used a mouse I liked as much as this one. I really very pleased with it.

Not silent, but pretty good

XIGMATEK NRP-PC Series ACXTNRP-PC402 400 W ATX12V Ver.2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
XIGMATEK NRP-PC Series ACXTNRP-PC402 400 W ATX12V Ver.2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

Pros: Very reasonably priced. I read an in-depth review on another site that found this PSU could go over 600W output under load before shutting down. It performed very favorably against a number of big names in various tests.

Cons: Only one cable with SATA power. Didn't end up being a huge deal, but in a big case with multiple SATA drives, this will be a problem. I'd like to see less IDE power, more SATA power, but then there are adaptors, so no big deal.

Overall Review: Can't complain for the price. I think you could safely purchase this in lieu of a 500W or even 600W PSU. Do a search to find out more about it.

11/28/2010

Solid

AMD Athlon II X2 260 - Athlon II X2 Regor Dual-Core 3.2 GHz Socket AM3 65W Desktop Processor - ADX260OCGMBOX
AMD Athlon II X2 260 - Athlon II X2 Regor Dual-Core 3.2 GHz Socket AM3 65W Desktop Processor - ADX260OCGMBOX

Pros: Great price and good performance. Runs cool at low wattage. Great performance in games like SC2 and HL2: Episode 2. There are better gaming chips but this one handles what I need it to so far.

Cons: None. No bent pins.

Overall Review: Paired with an Asrock 870 Extreme3 (a GREAT mobo), Gigabyte 9800gt 1GB and 4GB RAM. Budget gaming/audio production rig, and very happy with performance under Win XP.

11/28/2010

Yes and yes!

GEAR HEAD 24x DVD Burner 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R Black SATA Model 24XDVDINT
GEAR HEAD 24x DVD Burner 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R Black SATA Model 24XDVDINT

Pros: I had a good feeling about this drive when I bought it, and it has not let me down! It is probably the quietest disc drive I've found - spin noise is almost inaudible, and it doesn't seem to rattle around inside itself. Great for watching DVDs and listening to audio cds. It's very responsive - the tray jumps out so quickly after you press the eject button that it still takes me by surprise. Reading and writing is fast and accurate. Absolutely no complaints so far!

Cons: None. Let's hope it lasts.

Overall Review: I'm glad I spent the extra and went for something nice. All the cheaper drives I looked at had frequent flaws, or they were loud, or etc. etc. I feel good about this one :)

11/28/2010