Pros: It seems that this is the beginning of the next step in mass-storage technology. While not a direct competitor with a full-on SSD, the ST500 truly does offer the best of both worlds at a moderate price. While there are a few drawbacks, I didn’t find anything that would lead me to not recommend this drive. But before I delve into its shortcomings, let’s discuss what makes it great. I tested this drive as both a primary OS drive, as well as a secondary storage drive. Both configurations were tested in an Acer 7745g laptop, running a core i7-740QM, 12GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM, and a Samsung 840 Series 120GB SSD (when in secondary configuration) running Windows 7 Professional x64. Both configurations were tested on a fresh installation, fully patched and updated with minimal software added (Office 2013 Professional Plus, Adobe CS5, Quickbooks 2012). I also ran comparison tests against a WD Black Edition 7200rpm 500GB drive in a storage configuration. As a primary OS drive the ST500LM000 functioned very much like a full-on SSD when it comes to bootup and initial load times. When compared to my Samsung 840 series drive the Seagate only lagged behind slightly, which is very impressive for a 5400RPM drive. Software that was access frequently (Microsoft Office) also loaded very fast once the drive “remembered” the operation. However, software that was opened less frequently (Adobe CS5) did not load any significantly faster than it would off of any other 5400RPM drive, driving home the drawbacks to a SSD Hybrid compared to a full-on SSD. As a storage drive I saw similar results, but when compared to a WD Black drive there was no greatly noticeable performance increase, even when software was loaded into the SSD memory cache. While frequently loaded software didn’t load any slower than it did on the WD Black drive, it also didn’t load significantly faster, and less frequently accessed software loaded a bit slower in comparison due to the 5400RPM motor. I did notice significantly increased battery life when using the Seagate as a secondary drive as opposed to the WD (Almost 35 minutes), which is likely attributed to the 5400RPM speed, and possibly aided by the SSD memory cache. The Seagate ST500 is also very quiet; I did not hear it running save for a few times when downloading software from Steam, whereas the WD drive is nearly always audible both when loading and saving, though not annoyingly so.

Cons: Unless used as a primary OS drive you won't notice any major benefits over a standard 5400RPM drive save for some faster load times from frequently accessed files or programs, and perhaps no performance increase over a 7200RPM drive. 8GB of SSD cache can only go so far...unless you exclusively use only a few programs very frequently, I noticed the drive had to "re-learn" which software to keep in cache. While opening accessing a less-frequently used software does not immediately load it into memory, I does seem to adversely affect how quickly programs that were already stored open the next time you launch them. For instance, I use Microsoft Office daily, so it always loaded extremely fast, however I use Quickbooks only twice a week, and when opening a few random programs during testing, Quickbooks seemed to revert to loading off of the disk platter rather than the SSD cache. When used in a storage configuration you won't likely notice any significant performance increase over a 7200RPM drive, and being the price is higher than what you can get an equal capacity 7200RPM drive for, it's hard to recommend it over one. However, it did show favorable battery longevity over a 7200RPM drive, so for many mobile users this may be a reason to go with the Seagate Hybrid.

Overall Review: Overall I found the Hybrid drive to be great if used as a primary OS drive. You will see very similar performance in both system load times as well as load times of frequently accessed software as you would with a regular solid state drive. As a storage drive it's hard to recommend the Hybrid over a 7200RPM drive, as the memory cache seems to not be utilized quite as well in this configuration. Testing this drive has got me excited to see where SSD Hybrid technology will go, and for most users, these are a great choice.

Pros: Does turn any (up to 17" screen) Windows 7/Windows 8 computer into touch screen. Calibration is fairly accurate. Price isn't bad for what it does.

Cons: This is pretty much a gimmick. From the receiver that has to be mounted to the monitor, to the pen with a paintbrush tip, everything seems to be sub-par. The receiver has to be mounted in exactly the right spot or the calibration will be off...it has to be exactly centered on your monitor. Also requires a semi-permanent metal strip to be stuck to your screen bezel (can be taken off, but you have to leave it on if you want to use the device). Receiver is also pretty bulky, especially if you're going to use this on a laptop. Also has to be plugged in via USB cable...would be a lot nicer if it were wireless. Pen has a paintbrush type tip instead of rubber, which just doesn't seem to work as well. Entire thing just feels cheap and gimmicky to me.

Pros: - LAN, WLAN (WiFi) or USB connectivity - Can be configured for network access without using software, although the software greatly speeds up the process - Fast printing with no warm up time required - Extremely easy setup - Toner replacements are affordable and last a long time - LED screen and included software make configuration quick and easy - Flatbed scanner works well - Small footprint will fit on all but the smallest desks

Cons: - Haven't found any

Overall Review: I am extremely pleased with this printer. I bought this for my home office. I don't print a ton but I do have the need to occasionally. I use the scanner pretty frequently to scan paper documents for digital records. In the past I've always just bought whatever inkjet printer was on sale, but being I don't use the printing function for sometimes months at a time, the expensive liquid ink cartridges dried up before I could even use half of them. I finally decided to pay a bit more for the printer to save on cost of ink, and I think this Brother was the right decision. After I set it up, I printed off my tax returns...there was no warm-up time at all as commonly seen with laser printers...it sent the print job and was printed quickly and immediately. Setup was also very easy, even on a wireless network with a hidden SSID. Scanner function works as expected as does the copier.

Pros: These work great. We use them at a College for survey kiosks. They hold the iPad securely and don't feel cheap (we've went through various models looking for the right one). Users have access to everything they would need in the type of environment we're using this in (Power and volume buttons will be blocked, so keep that in mind). Comes with optional home button block.

Cons: Definitely overpriced, but as for what's available, these are probably the most reasonable. Would be nice if it had rotation built in so you could move from a portrait display to a landscape display without having to open the kiosk and remount the iPad holder.

Overall Review: We've been using 6 of these for about a year. We've had several instances where people have attempted to pry them open without success.

Pros: I build a lot of computers, from high-end gamers and powerful CAD/CAM workstations, to economical email stations, and there's always one thing in common...they all want a card reader, and most want USB 3.0 on front. I've used a lot of different brands, and a lot of different models, and this is the best I've found so far. I've not had any defective (ordered more than 10) and haven't had any problems, and the price is right. One of the few that just needs a USB 3 header to plug into (surprisingly many need multiple different style headers). Fits attractively into the front of every computer and case I've used. Even includes a silver bezel to fit different color schemes, though I've yet to use it.

Cons: Nothing that I've found.

Pros: Does what it's supposed to do. I used this to re-secure some VRAM heatsinks on an aftermarket VGA cooler after the factory 'tape' wore off and was no longer effective. This was easy to apply and only took a few minutes to set before being ready for use. Cools slightly better than the stock stuff. Considering this is Thermal Adhesive and Cooling Compound all in one package, the price is fair.

Cons: Ships in 2 separate syringe and no instructions. Syringes are labeled 1 and 2, but had to go in search of proper application instructions (weren't hard to find as Arctic Silver has them on their website).

Overall Review: Application instructions: http://www.arcticsilver.com/pdf/appinstruct/asta/ins_asepxy.pdf