Joshua W.
Joined on 11/21/05
- 13
Worth it

Pros: Nice two-pack Reasonably bright easy to mount not too over the top with the control box pci switch that can be removed from bracket for rerouting if needed
Cons: none really
Overall Review: I liked these lights. I rerouted the control box to an empty 5.25" bay and had enough room for the switch to be unscrewed from the PCI bracket and placed in a set of holes drilled in a blank 3.5" bay cover. It looks sharp, and they're perfectly bright enough, despite placing them in a hard-to-see part of my case.
Not too shabby, if you can find one

Pros: nice, clear images - excellent lenses - clear display - manual settings - TV-resolution video at 30fps
Cons: slow shutter speed - lots of digital noise at high ISO (ISO=shutter speed; faster=higher number)- confusing interface - power hungry
Overall Review: I got it a month or so ago. It's very nice if you have time to line up a shot, but it just isn't worth it if a lot of your shots must be taken on-the-fly, as higher ISO than 200 will leave a lot of digital noise in the shot, but the low ISO you need for clean images are too slow for even a walking subject. The S85, which is comparable in features, has much better performance at high ISO ratings, but you give up the manual controls. For me, the S85's a better bargain, but if you want to experiment with shutter speed and manual focus, you can't beat this camera...just prepare to spend a few hours getting used to its menus, and bring an extra set of batteries.
Best Music Game in Years!

Pros: Builds on the success of Guitar Hero, adding drums and vocals for a full band experience. It's a TON of fun if you have friends over, especially at holiday parties. This version is just the software, so you can get any USB mic and a guitar hero controller or two and have almost everything (minus drums). The songlist is nice, and the downloadable library is set to expand by hundreds of songs.
Cons: The peripherals that come with the bundle edition are of questionable quality...they feel much more real than Guitar Hero controllers, but they're prone to damage from even light use...Getting this version (that is just the game only), and buying a GH controller is probably your best bet...EA will replace the guitars from the bundle, if you do go that route and get a defective one.
Overall Review: Downloadable content will make this game playable for years, as opposed to most music games where the tracklist gets old after a while. Besides, there's nothing funnier than bringing this to a holiday party seeing your slightly tipsy mother-in-law headbanging and wailing into the mic during Enter Sandman...
Not too shabby, but not the best

Pros: great price for an accurate wireless mouse. great battery life. Average batteries last at least 6 months. nice feel in the hand, not too small, not too large. good weight=accurate tracking very comfy while still looking nice. Invisible optical sensor means no more bright red mouse glow at night. It's classy and understated.
Cons: After owning it several months, I've noticed a problem. Clicks on the left button are sketchy at best after moderate use for nearly a year. Now, you have to press rather hard to get it to recognize your finger, and if you don't press hard enough, it acts as if you stopped holding down the mouse button after a random amount of time. i.e. click and drag becomes click and drag halfway then select somewhere else because the mouse thinks you let go and picked up elsewhere.
Overall Review: I picked mine up at my R.Shack store when it was on sale, but I'm sure it's the same hardware anywhere you get it. The battery life isn't an exaggeration, my first set of batteries lasted about 7 months, and I haven't replaced them since. Also, if you like repainting your gear, it's super easy to disassemble. I painted the grey parts with a brushed metal finish to match my case, and it looks very classy. I only wish its function matched its looks.
Orleans=awesome

Pros: DDR2 support built-in Nice for a single-core easy installation
Cons: stock cooler isn't exactly perfect
Overall Review: I like it, it's reliable, runs at 40C idle out of the box with stock cooling, it's speedy, and an improvement over its predecessor.
NEC does it again

Pros: dirt cheap and fast enough for normal use, with effortless setup.
Cons: no bundled software or cables
Overall Review: Easy to use, easy to install. A dream for a budget build or normal use.
