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PATRICE G.

PATRICE G.

Joined on 08/09/13

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Most Favorable Review

No problem until now, fast enough, reliable desktop HDD inside

Seagate Expansion 4TB USB 3.0 3.5" Desktop External Hard Drive STEB4000100 Black
Seagate Expansion 4TB USB 3.0 3.5" Desktop External Hard Drive STEB4000100 Black

Pros: - Works flawlessly until now; I use it to backup a Ubuntu desktop - The HDD inside is model ST4000DM000-1F2168 firmware CC54. This is a desktop model, which seems to be a lot more reliable than the preceding 3Tb model from what can be seen on the web. I already own 2 of these 4Tb in my desktop in a raid mirror configuration, and they run without failure since 2 years (= 10 months of continuous use from the SMART data). - Fast enough for the purpose: write 131 MB / sec, read 100 MB / sec, access time 15.3 ms; the same model used internally in my raid configuration gives 144 MB/sec for reading and 18.4 ms for access time (sorry, no write tests - this HDD is in use!). - Runs warm but not hot after a few hours of continuous use. - For the geekests: the health of the HDD can be evaluated from the SMART data, which can be listed through the USB controller.. See below.

Cons: - For those who intend to use the HDD internally after the warranty period: the case has no screws, it seems it cannot be disassembled without breaking something. I got the identification of the HDD model inside with a Linux command - see below.

Overall Review: I would recommend this product, for the capacity, the expected reliability of the HDD, and the price. I found nothing about the reliability of the USB 3 controller, though. The HDD model can be queried without breaking the case with this Linux command, as root: hdparm -I /dev/sd<N> And you can get the SMART data with this command, as root: smartctl -d sat -a /dev/sd<N> I bought this external drive to replace a Seagate 3Tb, whose capacity is not enough for what I need now. This 3Tb is the model which is infamous for its reliability (search the web!). But all is relative: I have no problem with it until now and I would continue to use it as a secondary backup tool. An external HDD is typically used intermittently, not as intensively as an internal one. The SMART data of my 3Tb shows only 30hrs of continuous use. But anyway I wouldn't recommend the Seagate 3Tb over the 4Tb, even at half the price :-)

Most Critical Review

The antenna worked out of the box, the USB amplifier is not working

Rosewill HDTV Indoor Antenna, 60 Mile Range with Amplifier Signal Booster, 5ft Coaxial Cable, Top Mounted, Supports UHF/VHF, 4K HD and ATSC 3.0 Ready - RHTA-18002
Rosewill HDTV Indoor Antenna, 60 Mile Range with Amplifier Signal Booster, 5ft Coaxial Cable, Top Mounted, Supports UHF/VHF, 4K HD and ATSC 3.0 Ready - RHTA-18002

Pros: - Worked out of the box for us, without the amplifier. Image is very good. - Low-profile, almost not noticeable. - Decent and short user guide, with schemas.

Cons: - May not fit on all TVs. - Update 2022-03-13: the USB signal amplifier does not work

Overall Review: We live in an urban area with a lot of buildings around, and our TV is not very close to a window. Reading some reviews, I was skeptical. But the antenna worked out of the box. After re-scanning the channels, we got all the air channels we were looking for. Image is better that with the cable service we are cancelling. We didn't even have to use the amplifier with its USB power. The last time I installed an antenna was during the analog era, in the same neighborhood it was a nightmare. Also it's very low-profile, unobtrusive, and the short user guide is good. The antenna is simply put on the top edge of the TV. It does not "clip" or anything similar. It's OK, but if it ever falls, I will put it back with a finger of double-sided tape... Overall a great "Shell Shocker" buy! --------------------------------- Update 2022-03-13 One of the channels began to be unstable, so I tried the USB signal amplifier. It didn't work, reception is worsened. Even the stable channels are unusable. And yes, I did plug the USB cable to get power. Without this power there is no signal at all. For comparison, I found a 20-year old cable amplifier/splitter in a drawer in the house, I tried it. It works with AC power, it draws 0.01 AMP / 1.5 W, for frequencies 50 to 900MHz. Result: wow, perfect! So the USB amplifier is defective. Maybe it is my copy, I cannot tell. The antenna is still a good buy for my needs, considering the Newegg price, but I cannot recommend the kit for amplified reception.

A convenient keyboard, but width is a bit narrow for fast typing

Logitech K400 Plus Wireless Touch Keyboard - French (920-007121)
Logitech K400 Plus Wireless Touch Keyboard - French (920-007121)

Pros: - Convenient for distance PC control (large monitor, TV)

Cons: - A bit too narrow for fast typing, just enough to hamper the activity. - It has no backlight, it's difficult to locate the good FN keys in a living room - and the alternate key which activates them, because the FN keys default use is for media control, not for a desktop control. - Media control keys (FN) are not recognized under Linux, except a few like the volume.

Overall Review: I own 2 of these keyboards, mostly used for controlling a desktop or a mini-PC from some distance, for instance for watching videos or picture galleries. They are inexpensive and convenient enough for the price paid.

Fulfills my requirement for a quiet ATX home server PSU

EVGA 500 GE, 80 Plus Gold 500W, Eco Mode, Power Supply 200-GE-0500-V1
EVGA 500 GE, 80 Plus Gold 500W, Eco Mode, Power Supply 200-GE-0500-V1

Pros: - The ECO thermal control system works fine for the typical load of the server. The fan never started until now, the PSU is absolutely silent with 60W max load. - Price is reasonable for the features.

Overall Review: The fanless PSU of a small home server featuring SMB shares (Samba under Linux) and HD TV antenna recording and encoding recently died. The only fan inside the case is the CPU one, mostly inaudible. I wanted to keep that silence. Load is quite low for a x86 server, not always headless (34W idle, up to 60W when running all the Athlon 220GE cores for video re-encoding). I already own since 2 years a PSU from another brand with an "ECO" mode for my main desktop. The EVGA 500 GE gold was the only model I found with this feature in the price range I was targetting. It's the first time I buy a new PSU for this cheapo server. Other were used ones, which lasted 2 years each. The EVGA 500 GE is a perfect fit for this server. The fan didn't even start under the maximum load (not even to see if it works!). It has more than enough unused cables for future upgrades, if any. And I am confident that it will last longer than 2 years. The last EVGA PSU I owned, a 500 Bronze, lasted almost 10 years... the last 2 years as a fanless mutant :-) The 2-year labor and 3-year parts warranty is reassuring. I am very happy with this buy, I will definitely recommend this PSU for a silent low-energy ATX PC.

The dongle works out-of-the box under Linux, nothing to complain about

Wavlink Nano Wireless Bluetooth CSR 4.0 Dongle Adapter Bluetooth V4.0 USB Adapter CSR Chip Dongle Stick EDR USB 2.0 Dual-Mode Support Bluetooth Voice data/Music/Printer for laptop/Pad/Headser/BTMpblie
Wavlink Nano Wireless Bluetooth CSR 4.0 Dongle Adapter Bluetooth V4.0 USB Adapter CSR Chip Dongle Stick EDR USB 2.0 Dual-Mode Support Bluetooth Voice data/Music/Printer for laptop/Pad/Headser/BTMpblie

Overall Review: This dongle contains a chipset from Cambridge Silicon Radio (Qualcomm), identified as CSR8510 A10 (0a12:0001). It works fine on a recent Linux distribution (kernel 5.15, Mint 21.3 / Ubuntu 22.04). For the price paid, it's a very good value to be able to use bluetooth headphones on a desktop.

Light and convenient, very good for most casual work

TACKLIFE SDH13DC-Electric Screwdriver 3.6V Cordless Rechargeable Screwdriver
TACKLIFE SDH13DC-Electric Screwdriver 3.6V Cordless Rechargeable Screwdriver

Overall Review: I really appreciate that tool to work with screws. It's a lot lighter than older rechargeable screwdrivers, it's powerful enough for what I had to do and up until now the charge has been long enough for my (casual) needs. Lightness and useness are a boon to avoid aching wrists. The main default I had to deal with is the extender, which does not rotates right in its axis. In this price category, I clearly not expected a pro tool, but I am more than satisfied with it.

seller reviews
  • 1

Nice product, but large tablet (12") will shake on touch.

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