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Andrew T.

Andrew T.

Joined on 09/14/02

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Product Reviews
product reviews
  • 9
Most Favorable Review

Solid power supply

RAIDMAX RX-535AP 535 W ATX 12V v2.3/EPS 12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Power Supply
RAIDMAX RX-535AP 535 W ATX 12V v2.3/EPS 12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Power Supply

Pros: Installed as expected (with very little difficulty), and performed as expected (24/7 use for almost 2 years, 99.9% uptime). When the primary cooling fan died after continuous use (ball bearing fail), RMA process (warranty service) occurred as expected (without a hitch).

Cons: The primary cooling fan died after 2 nearly years of continuous use. A higher quality fan installed up front would likely have lasted longer, but Raidmax sent a new power supply rather than just replacing the fan.

Overall Review: Raidmax stood behind their product. Will almost certainly buy again.

Most Critical Review

Awful experience with this laptop

Acer Aspire V5-571P-6815 Notebook Intel Core i5 3317U(1.70GHz) 15.6" Touchscreen 6GB Memory 750GB HDD 5400rpm DVD±R/RW Intel HD Graphics 4000
Acer Aspire V5-571P-6815 Notebook Intel Core i5 3317U(1.70GHz) 15.6" Touchscreen 6GB Memory 750GB HDD 5400rpm DVD±R/RW Intel HD Graphics 4000

Pros: Slim. Fast when it's new. Didn't get enough experience with this to elaborate any more.

Cons: My cat bit the touchscreen and broke it. With a broken touchscreen, the machine won't function. It is understood that the damage is my fault. However, even willing to pay for the damage, it was IMPOSSIBLE to get the touchscreen fixed. Acer won't touch it, because it was refurbished by a third party. The third party is Teleplan. Per their policy, they would not fix it, even if I paid for it. I worked with Teleplan to get an exception. They offered to pay for it for a semi-reasonable price, but the only method they would accept for payment is a bank transfer (no checks, no credit cards). When they presented information for the transfer, it wasn't enough information for my bank to actually set it up, so my bank couldn't/wouldn't send the money. Therefore, this was a dead end. I also approached a local computer repair shop to fix it. They couldn't get a screen. After a month, I considered this a dead end as well. The laptop has been sitting in a box for months. The only way I can use it is to hook it up to an external monitor. It is not useful as a laptop. Overall a bad experience.

Overall Review: Be very careful when buying a laptop. If you can't get accidental damage insurance with the extended warranty, be prepared to buy a new laptop outright. Also, laptops have very little nutritional value for cats.

Reliable WAY beyond its warranty

DirectUPS DP Series DP1000 1000 VA 600 Watts 4 Outlets UPS
DirectUPS DP Series DP1000 1000 VA 600 Watts 4 Outlets UPS

Pros: I bought this with the idea that this should handle undervoltages and overvoltages, and power my devices for no more than a few minutes during a power outage -- enough for me to notice the power loss and make a decision whether to shut down my systems or not (is the electricity coming back?). I don't want to plug it into USB because who needs more software running? I just want a battery, ya know? If I'm not there, just keep it running and give the power a chance to come back. I purchased two in October 2007 and brought them online for 24/7 operation since then. The first one died in October 2013 (that's six years). The other died in October 2014 (that's seven years). I replaced the first one in 2013, which has been running for a year with no issues. I'll be replacing the other today. These devices have done what I wanted FLAWLESSLY for years. (When the flaws creep in, like "won't charge anymore", it's time to replace.)

Cons: If you're shopping for "just a battery", which will keep your PC running for a few minutes after a power outage, and regulate your power from undervoltage and overvoltage, there are no cons to be found here.

Overall Review: Occasionally the power doesn't come back (circuit breaker flips, actual long-term outage, etc.) During those times, your PC will actually have power yanked from under it. But your computer will survive. This device is just a battery, no frilly features. But it's more reliable than most of your friends.

10/10/2014

Warm Mousey Love

GIGABYTE GM-M7600 Black 4 Buttons 2.4GHz Wireless Optical Notebook Mouse
GIGABYTE GM-M7600 Black 4 Buttons 2.4GHz Wireless Optical Notebook Mouse

Pros: I love this mouse. It's a good weight, responsive, good shape, good feel. Wait, you want more speed? Click the DPI button. Too fast, need more precision? Click it again. :)

Cons: It didn't come with a twin!

Overall Review: For the price, big win. Get one for you, and one for your significant other. Then get a pair for your parents.

11/24/2010

Big win.

ASUS VH242H Black 23.6" 5ms HDMI Full 1080P Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 ASCR 20000:1 (1000:1) W/Speakers
ASUS VH242H Black 23.6" 5ms HDMI Full 1080P Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 ASCR 20000:1 (1000:1) W/Speakers

Pros: Great monitor. No issues after a couple of months.

Cons: No cons.

Overall Review: These are just too big to dual-screen side-by-side. This makes me very happy. :)

11/24/2010

Fair keyboard.

Saitek PK09AUGN Green 104 Normal Keys 10 Function Keys Ergonomic Multimedia Keyboard & Mouse Combo
Saitek PK09AUGN Green 104 Normal Keys 10 Function Keys Ergonomic Multimedia Keyboard & Mouse Combo

Pros: The action of the keyboard is a lot like the Microsoft Ergonomic Curve 2000, but without the Ergonomic aspect. Low profile. Keyboard and mouse are matching.

Cons: Cable is relatively short. Keys tend to "stick" if you're not pressing directly down on the keys (easy enough to do, to prevent sticking).

Overall Review: Lime green color. Really really Lime. Seriously. The mouse has an LED in it pointing at the wheel, always on. This could cause light pollution in a dark room.