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Greg H.

Greg H.

Joined on 09/30/05

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 8
Most Favorable Review

Works very well, great player

Sony 3D WiFi Built-in Blu-ray Player BDP-S570
Sony 3D WiFi Built-in Blu-ray Player BDP-S570

Pros: Unit works very well. Starts up quickly, discs (BR and DVD) both look amazing as expected. Netflix HD streaming works *perfectly* with my Netgear WNDR3700 on the 5Ghz band; BR player is inside a cabinet about 20 feet away behind a couple of walls. I streamed an entire HD movie last night without a hiccup. I am very happy with this player. It is very thin (height) and fits into my existing entertainment setup easily. Also, since the front panel buttons are pushed down (rather than "in" toward the back) the device doesn't move if you use the buttons instead of the remote.

Cons: This unit doesn't come with an HDMI cable; it comes with a composite cable. Would be better to just include HDMI; how many people buy BR players for use with TVs that don't have HDMI anymore. What would be the point? Sony has added to my massive collection of unused composite cables in my garage.

Overall Review: I connected to the internet the moment I got it and upgraded to the latest firmware. Didn't even try streaming until I did that, so maybe I have a more recent firmware that makes the streaming work so well. Not sure why so many people have networking problems, but I am not one of them. NewEgg gets a big fat ZERO for shipping (does not contribute to product rating). They slapped a shipping label on the product box and handed it to UPS. UPS tossed it around in their trucks and onto my front porch like a toy. Electronics should be double boxed with padding. Most of my stuff from NewEgg is shipped that way; this one was not, and of course UPS left it in plain sight where anyone could have walked away with it knowing exactly what it was. Yes, I blame NewEgg for this, as they are responsible for getting it to me in one piece. UPS handles all packages roughly and without care. The shipper needs to take steps to work around that. The unit worked when I unboxed it, but I wonder for how long?

Most Critical Review

Wow, poorly constructed

BYTECC USB-RJ45 USB to RJ45 Extension Adapter
BYTECC USB-RJ45 USB to RJ45 Extension Adapter

Pros: So far it works over a 6ft cable, after I fixed a short in the receiver. Have not yet tested a longer RJ45 cable yet; my planned run is about 40 feet so I hope it will work.

Cons: This is the most poorly constructed thing I think I've ever purchased. When I opened the package, I had to re-stick one of the stickers on the receiver. Then when I hooked it up and plugged in a USB stick, my computer would recognize and then not recognize the memory stick repeatedly. The receiver USB connector was spinning freely, and the wires were shorting out. Windows says I overloaded the port and shut it down.

Overall Review: So I took the thing apart, pulled back the wires that were poorly cut and causing the short, put electrical tape around them to provide insulation, and shoved the connector back into the shroud. Now it works fine. Do not buy this if you lack the technical prowess to potentially have to re-solder the USB connection.

Nice board

BIOSTAR G31-M4 Socket 478 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
BIOSTAR G31-M4 Socket 478 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

Pros: Works great. Used my existing P4 processor, gained a pci-e slot so I was able to upgrade to a current video card (GTX 460). I had to put in DDR2 RAM since my old P4 board used DDR. But DDR2 is cheap now. This board works great so far and revived an old system to fantastic performance.

Cons: I can't think of any. You can't ding a board for specs, particulaly one designed to keep older components in play. Installed quickly, no issues at all.

Overall Review: Automatic driver installation on the CD was a nice touch. I am thinking of buying another one of these for another P4 system I have that would benefit from pci-e graphics and 2 more SATA ports.

Great headset

Jawbone Icon The Thinker Bluetooth Headset Bulk Package
Jawbone Icon The Thinker Bluetooth Headset Bulk Package

Pros: The Icon is the best BT headset I have ever used. Small size, light weight, perfect sound. It's the only headset I have been willing to use for business calls other than the long-boom types (Voyager Pro, which hurt my ear and SonyEricsson HBH-300). The previous reviewer pointed out that the OEM version doesn't contain any ear loops. You can get a "fit pack" from Jawbone for $10, so even if you order that you're still getting an awesome deal on a great headset. The fit pack actually has a new style of teacup earbud that didn't come with my original retail Icon. Check the Jawbone site for details and their forums for user opinions of the fit pack.

Cons: The fit isn't perfect for me. I've tried every combination in the retail box, and there are a couple of options that are about 90% right, but none of them work as well as my original Jawbone. Still, I can wear this for 1-2 hours at a time and it's OK. Also it's a little hard to plug in the charger cable.

Overall Review: There's a company that makes custom ear pieces for this headset which are probably awesome, but they are very expensive ($80). I'd do it if the price were $40, since I love the Icon and after at least 10 headsets I think this is the best one ever.

Works with USR Drivers

D-Link DPH-50U Skype USB Phone Adapter
D-Link DPH-50U Skype USB Phone Adapter

Pros: I'm on XP SP3. If you are also using SP3, do NOT use the D-Link drivers for this device. With the Dlink drivers (both 1.1 and 1.0) the utility crashed after almost every phone call. It's like having your car stall at every stop sign. Go to US Robotics' web site and download the XP driver (not the Vista beta) for the USR 9620 USB Telephone Adapter. This driver works perfectly in XP SP3, no crashes at all. Doesn't require AC power; always nice to see things that can use USB power alone.

Cons: Poor quality D-link drivers. Don't use them.

Overall Review: There's a rebate going on right now that brings the cost of this unit to about $12 shipped. With the above driver it actually works pretty well so far. Occasionally it takes a little while to switch from PSTN to VOIP mode (I don't have a landline plugged in at all, so it should recognize that), but it's not a dealbreaker. As others have pointed out, there's a relay inside that makes a loud click when it switches modes, but that's OK.

Not sweat resistant, not for working out

MOTOROLA S9 Stereo Bluetooth Headset Bulk White Box
MOTOROLA S9 Stereo Bluetooth Headset Bulk White Box

Pros: The idea of this headset is wonderful. Sits well on your head, not too heavy, soft touch controls. Now see Cons.

Cons: I'm on my 3rd warranty replacement in 5 months, and that's only 5 months because it takes them so long to get your replacement to you. When you wear these while working out, sweat gets into the insides of the headset and probably shorts out the buttons. Eventually they stop working. Then you call Motorola, wait 20 minutes on hold for someone whom you can barely understand to give you an RMA #. Pay $8 shipping. 3 weeks later you have a replacement. Repeat. Another con; these would be great for casual use (by a pool, etc.) but you can't lean your head back in against a chair while wearing them because the battery/control band is in the way. If they sat lower around the neck they might be good for use while relaxing, but they don't work that way.

Overall Review: I wish they worked. They were a gift from my wife to use while working out; they work great when they work, but I'm getting very tired of the warranty replacement process. At least the second time around Motorola sent me a prepaid label, but I still had to wait 3 weeks to get the new set. I suppose I'll do this until the warranty runs out, then I'll buy something better.