Apple MacBook Pro MC374LL/A Laptop

i just picked one of these up and I love it. I have read reviews complaining that Apple did not try to cram an i5 or larger CPU into this 13 inch machine. True, the chose to use the Core 2 Duo but that's not all bad. This is a stable, cool running, capable processor. The machine now includes 4 G of ram and a much improved video card from the previous version. I use this mostly for work where stability, battery life, portability, and longevity are the most important things to me. I rarely play games. I wouldn't use a portable for video work when I have a desktop available. I run office applications, safari, email, ever note, and skype. It all works great. The machine feels substantial in my hands. Pick it up and try to twist it. It is perfectly rigid. My Toshiba feels like the battery would fall out if I twisted a bit more. This one feels well built. I especially like the backlit keyboard.

Canon ImageCLASS MF4350d Laser Printer

I do a lot of document printing and was looking for a printer that would be effective for duplex printing. I have had this printer for a month and so far absolutely love it. I also considered several inkjet printers, but the duplex feature on these models worked painfully slow. This printer can print two-sided documents very quickly and neatly. The printer starts up very quickly from its energy-saving sleep mode. It copies and scans well, though may be a little slow for some when it comes to scanning documents into PDF. The included software, by the way, does allow for scanning multiple documents into a single PDF file for those using a PC (MAC users have reported that they are unable to do this). If color printing is not important to you and you don't need to network your printer, then for the price point this is a wonderful printer for the home or small office user.

Acer Aspire AS5251-1805 15.6-Inch Laptop

In case you are considering this as an entry-level PC for your tween daughter so she can watch movies and play SIMS3, but are worried if it has enough graphics punch to play SIMS3, rest assured it does. We got this for my daughter's BD and it works just great, and she has been playing SIMS3 ever since with no trouble. It also has an HDMI out, unlike the Toshiba we purchased for ourselves. I'm fairly certain we're going to return the Toshiba and get this, which has a bigger screen and HDMI out. I'm not sure how it woudl do on some shoot-em-up game, but it works great for the basics, and is a great price.

Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus Graphing Calculator

The TI-84 was required for my 7th grade son's math class. At the beginning of the school year I ordered the TI-84 Plus Silver Edition from Amazon. It worked fine for eight months, then it froze and was completely useless. The math and computer teachers at my son's school did everything to try and fix it, but nothing worked. Since it is still under the one-year warranty, I will try to get a refund, a replacement, or at least have it repaired.

In the meantime, my son needs a TI-84 graphing calculator to do his math, so I ordered the less expensive TI-84 Plus (not the Silver Edition) and it is working fine, at least for now. My son says that his new TI-84 is easy to use and has all the functions and capablities to get his math done, and he is happy with it.

Lets keep our fingers crossed that this one last more than eight months!

Onkyo HT-RC260 Home Theater

Right out of the box this appears to be a well-designed, quality receiver. It will work best if you have updated, state of the art equipment. Unfortunately, I don't so we ran into a few glitches. If all your equipment is already connected via hdmir, the hookup will be easy. Because we had older equipment without hdmi connections, we struggled and found some frustration.

For example, believe it or not, we still have a turntable. Even stranger, we still occasionally use it. There is no phono hookup on this receiver. I had to email Onkyo and ask how to hook up an old school turntable. It took more than a week to receive a reply. Finally, I received an answer--and an apology for the delay--and was told I needed a phono pre-amp. That will cost an extra $20 or so.

Another thing you need to be aware of is the IPOD dock is sold separately. It appears in the product specifications that it's ready to go, but that is not the case.

All in all, it's a nice unit at a great price. Just be aware that if you have outdated equipment you're in for some frustration.

ZyXEL WAP3205

This is a great router for the price. Three modes (access point, router, universal repeater) for one low cost makes it worthwhile. But if you want to use it for anything other than a router, be prepared for some work because the documentation is terrible. For client mode, you need to setup a wireless profile, and bind it to the WAP3205. Not too bad. For universal repeater, the documentation leaves out key things like you must have the WAP3205 set to the same channel as your main router and that for the broadcast SSID, it should match the main router for security, channel, and bandwidth. Once you know this info, it works great.

TRENDnet TV-IP422W

I got this TRENDnet TV-IP422W when it was greatly on sale, despite all the reviews concerning the wireless problems staying connected and other cons people here have written about.

The camera was easy to setup, works well, and for the price cannot be beat. But as was suggested buried way down in these reviews: get the Blue Iris software. For $50 the Blue Iris software fixes all of these problems (i.e. you can schedule a reboot of the camera every few days ... since I started doing this my wireless connection is flawless).

It would be nice if the camera came with decent software, but given the price it is a great buy.

Lorex LW2702 Surveillance System

I am a retired Techno-Geek, a geezer-geek if you will. I have purchased and installed many systems in my time, but from a very good performance vs. very easy installation vs. good value basis, this is one excellent little system. A lot of good thought has gone into designing it, and it worked perfectly upon installation. Someone in one review complained of the blurry camera - but the cams come with a protective plastic film over the lense ;-)

This little rig has a nifty little remote that will allow you to select motion record or continious record, and all of the functions - this is very cool. The system took me about 15 minutes to get turned on to check the functions of everything, and another 2 or 3 hours to select the position of the cameras at the back and front of the house. Once positioned, all I had to do was to plug them in and turn them on.

The only complaint I MIGHT have is, I would like to see the camera power cables a foot or two longer to help with camera placement. I will be extending one cable my self. Perhaps Lorex could sell or include one EXTENTION power cable of about two feet in length. T

he audio speaker is not very loud, nor is the alarm. It won't wake you up from a sound sleep, but if you are in your office working, it will let you know that the UPS person is at the door. A main key to this system is "how very, very simple it is to set up and install to get good results."

Camera to screen (I love the little screen on my night table) range is about 50 to 75 feet. Yeah, we would all love to have a cam to screen range of 300 to 1,000 ft, but that is beyond the ability of most technology right not. This is a good little home/light commercial system. I plan to get another one for my wife's business.
I hope this helps

Kodak PlaySport (Zx3) HD NEWEST MODEL

I am a Canon diehard fan. But Canon does not have anything that compares to Kodak Playsport HD waterproof pocket video camera. At 1080P the video recording is acceptable. But, at 720p and 60 frames per second this camera rocks, the results are great. I have used it around and in water, the blue filter helps under water. I am planning to use this for our Disney World vacation this year in the Water Parks.

This camera takes 5MP HD Stills, so now I have a camera that can take video and stills on demand wet or dry. I have other camera's in the same category like Flip and Samsung both do not compare, even at 720p 60 frames per second. $150.00 pricetag is also very affordable.

Easy to carry, very user friendly to move files from the camera to the computer or directly to Youtube. Nightvision would be nice but most of my recordings will be in Daylight. Bottom line great camera and I have no cons to talk about.

Kodak EasyShare Z915

I have had probably ten different digital cameras over the last ten years, mostly Kodak, although the most recent ones were Canon. I was spoiled with the 12x optical zoom on my Kodak Z1012 and the clear, sharp images it produced. I don't want to carry it in my purse every day though! I recently purchased a Canon SX110, which is small enough to carry daily and takes great photos; however, it doesn't allow for a date stamp except at 1600x1200 resolution. After researching for several days online, I purchased a Kodak Z915 today. Took it straight to the park and played with it. Got some fantastic photos today. I mean, I was surprisingly truly impressed by the clear, sharp images I got today for a relatively inexpensive camera. I love the 10x zoom -- can't even imagine owning a camera with less after having that feature for a couple of years now. This one does all that I need and does it well. The movie mode seemed to have tiny shifts in focus while recording, but I don't use the video features on my cameras too often, so not a concern for me. I may play with it some more and see if some tweaking of settings will allow for a smoother playback. Again, can't say enough how happy I am with the image quality and that's my main requirement.

Epson MovieMate 72 High-Definition Projector

This is a wonderful all-in-one projector. Wonderfully intuitive controls, fantastic sound (especially with an Epson subwoofer), tremendous picture quality with upconverting DVD player. At first use, the image seems a bit dark (lamp is rated up to 1200+ lumens), but then we figured out the brightness control on the remote, and it is more than adequate (with 4 levels) for most situations. The enclosed CD .pdf manual answered all our questions once we got beyond the no-brainer quick start guide. I did not print out this extensive manual, but can find what I need to know quickly on my computer on those rare occasions when it is not obvious from the wonderful design of this projector

We got this for use in our church, for both movies for family and youth gatherings, and also for documentaries and educational situations. Ease of use, portability, and wonderful close to HD quality from upconverted DVDs make this a wonderful improvement to our old TV style video presentations. If one were to show an image to an entire church gathering (100+ people) then a brighter projector might be in order, but you will lose the ease and simplicity of this great design! And while the sound is superb, in such a case one might wish to use the church sound system for great reach.

This projector is a wonderful way to get high quality theatre presentations without a lot of wires and hookups. I would heartily recommend it for families at home, or small to medium sized groups in organizations. I would recommend the Epson subwoofer (or similar) for that added "oomph" with newer films, and a screen for the brightest of presentations, though a white wall would be fine in a pinch! Highly recommended!

Review Dell Inspiron Mini iM1012-571OBK

Dell's Mini 1012 is simply a breath of fresh air in an ever-cramping netbook market. Dell continues moving forward with it's innovative features making this netbook the most-comfortable, most-useful netbook around. Its media handling features have a bit to be desired, but it makes out okay in that department too.


===== It's Comfortable =====

This thing is a dream to use. Most netbooks are unusable to me. What stings me most with netbooks is the keyboard. Most netbooks' have either tiny keyboards, or their keyboards just aren't typing-friendly. I'm used to the low-profile, "chiclet-style" scissor-switch keyboards that are (or at least used to be) most common in older laptops, and in fact I love them. I'm referring to the type of keys that are flat and flush with the palm rest, and have a little flange or lip on the edges (where the space is between the keys).

To see exactly what I mean, check out the close ups photos of another Dell Mini (on the right side of this page: http://www.amazon.com/EXEC/obidos/asin/B00361G10S/supergoodbuy-20. Such a design makes them spill-resistant, but also makes typing a breeze, as they won't inflict wrist strain due to tall keys or keys that require more force to press. So, this thing is certainly a dream to use.


===== It's Innovative =====

The touch pad is small, yet clever, allowing you to press down on the bottom-left/bottom-right corners of the pad to left-click/right-click (respectively), rather than wasting space by implementing separate buttons. This keeps the overall size of the netbook more compact than other brands. The Mini 1012 was smudge free, thanks to their use of an oil-resistant softly-textured palm-rest. The touch pad is also very touchable, as its texture and finish is matte, rather than glossy, making it much more conducive to swiping your fingers across than most of the other netbooks I laid fingers on.

Most brands of netbooks had touch pads that were glossy, making your skin shear and resist the dragging of your finger during swipe gestures (moving the mouse, scrolling, drag+drop, etc). I find that feeling to be as annoying as fingernails on a chalkboard! The other netbooks were also noticeably covered in oily smudges and finger grease, both inside the track pad and also on the wrist rest. Instant turn off for me on anything but the Dell!


===== It's Brilliant =====

The display is crisp and bright, and it isn't too shabby outside either, though I recommend using full brightness when being used outdoors. My only complaint about the screen is its native resolution is a bit low for my tastes, which I hope isn't just a personal preference. I'd rather see more on the screen than to see things big and close up. However, this is par for netbooks anyway. You should look into this Sony http://www.amazon.com/EXEC/obidos/asin/B001PII4HW/supergoodbuy-20 if you absolutely must have a higher definition display while maintaining the small form factor of a netbook.


===== It's More than Capable =====

This Dell Mini 1012 does more than just writing and surfing the Web (tip: keep your browser tabs to a minimum and not install too many Firefox extensions). Media plays decently as well, including Web videos, Flash sites and Flash games. Just don't run several other programs at once, and you should be perfectly fine. The 3-in-1 memory card reader is an added bonus, great for storing photos while on vacation--a life-saver when traveling. The webcam quality is sub-par compared to most full-sized notebooks, but still a decent quality for netbook webcams I suppose.

In the past, Dell has been known for using Windows XP on their netbooks, but those days are over. With Windows 7 being much more ideal, as the OS is optimized for the netbook, this latest generation Dell Mini outperforms its XP-based predecessors in several areas, including usability, responsiveness, and of course look and feel.


===== It's Media Friendly =====

The 9:16 ratio widescreen 10.1" display is great for watching widescreen movies on the go, with one very important exception: you must have an external DVD (or Blu-Ray) drive. I recommend this Samsung (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002C1BBU8?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8) which sports a sexy look, on par with the Dell 's own appeal, without sacrificing functionality. Video playback is generally smooth and very few hiccups in playback have been experienced.


===== Processor and Battery =====

The Dell Mini 1012 features the Intel Atom N450, a 64-bit single-core processor supporting 2GB max of DDR2-667 RAM. It does support Hyper Threading though, meaning minor multitasking is possible (you probably shouldn't do more than two things at once). Try not to run more than two apps simultaneously for best performance and battery life. Intel Speedstep Technology is also built in, helping you save battery life. I averaged about 8-9 hours using the 56WHr 6 cell battery. This is definitely a gigantic leap in battery life over most netbooks we've tested to date.


===== Praise =====

* Keyboard design - 92% full-size!
* Touch pad design - genius usability features
* Wrist rest - comfortable, remains clean & streak-free
* 3 USB ports (2-left/1-right) - handy for using a USB mouse
* 9:16 ratio display - great for movies (see above for DVD solution)
* Wireless N support for faster and farther-reaching WiFi reception
* Windows 7 - optimized for netbook performance


===== Dissapointments =====

* 1024x600 resolution - would have preferred at least 1280x720
* 5400 RPM hard drive - would have liked a faster Solid State Disk (even if smaller)


===== Bottom Line =====

All in all, my list of disappointments with Dell's Mini series continues to shrink with each new model, keeping Dell well-positioned atop my list of favorite netbooks. I think you'll soon find it on your favorites list as well.

DELTA 50-760 Dust Collector

Wood chips are a nuisance, wood dust can be deadly. Whether you buy this unit or another quality dust collector, don't scrimp on your health. As an amateur woodworker with a small basement shop, I wanted to find the balance between an effective one-tool-at-a-time dust/chip collection system with a minimum of setup hassle, and breaking the bank and clogging my shop with industrial cyclone systems and 8" metal ductwork. I did hours of research before deciding on the Delta 50-760 dust collector over the similar JET, Grizzly, Powermatic, etc. units. Overall design, good CFM over a wide band of static pressures, and price were the deciding factors. Best purchase I ever made related to my woodworking shop. While there is much conflicting info out there on dust collection and the best way to set up a system, for a small shop, the Delta 50-760 can be the heart of a very effective dust collection system, especially with a couple of tweaks.
Here's my experience:

1. SHIPPING/SETUP: The unit came UPS in a large heavy box that had obviously been tossed around. I took pictures in case of hidden damage, but there was just one tiny dent in the blower housing. All parts were present, printed directions were sufficient, and setup was quick and easy. I did it alone, but it would have been much easier at one or two points to have had some assistance as it is fairly heavy. The motor/impeller housing design is unique to Delta-- most manufacturers separate the two and use a flexible hose with a 90 degree elbow to connect to the impeller. Delta's design is more efficient and allows for easily connecting a separator (see below).

2. NOISE: The sound of all the air moving is really the bulk of the noise, not the motor. It certainly is way less annoying than the whine of a wet/dry vac. That said, having learned my lesson as a musician, I always use ear protection, so it is a non-issue with me. I can say, that my workshop is in an unfinished basement directly below my wife's home office. She says it sounds something like a vacuum running off in the distance, but has no trouble with it.

3. ELECTRICAL HOOKUP: This is a 110v unit, but really needs its own 20amp circuit. At best, trying to run big draw units like dust collectors, table saws, etc. on the same circuit at the same time will just mean constant runs to the service panel to reset the breaker.

4. STOCK, SINGLE TOOL COLLECTION: I first tried the unit "stock" with the supplied felt filter and plastic collection bags. Both bags install fairly easily, the length of the supplied 4" hose is a bit short for realworld application, but sufficient for trials. Hooked to the port on my 10" contractor-type table saw, there was a noticeable improvement in the quantity of material collected compared to the 6hp Rigid wet/dry vac with 2- 1/2" hose I had been using. Some material will still escape from the top of the saw, but this a function of not having an over the saw port, not a problem with the Delta collector. Actually, with the DC left running, I could see dust from the top of the saw that was in the air pulled in through the various openings in the front/side of the saw! Attached to the "big gulp" hood I have on the back of my miter saw, the Delta got 99% of the chips/dust. The biggest dust maker in my shop is my router table (I don't have a jointer/planer), and connected to just the top 2- 1/2" port with an adapter, the Delta was getting most of the dust once again.


5. DUST COLLECTOR PARTNERS: No dust collector will get every chip and spec of dust, nor should it be used for every application, so:
--I always run a HEPA filter equipped air filter continuously when I'm in the shop, and set it to run for a few hours after I leave. This takes care of the finest, most unhealthy particles put into the air by tools and by just walking around. I use a Honeywell unit, but there are several good options out there.
--I still use the Rigid shop vac for general clean up and for attaching to small power tools with dust ports. Reducing to these 1- 1/4" tool ports from the large DC ports just is not effective. Dust collectors work by moving large volumns of air: something that just isn't going to happen with small diameter hose. Wet/dry vacs work by moving a much smaller volume of air but at much higher static pressures-- that's why their effectiveness is not lowered as appreciably by attaching them to the smaller ports.

6. TWEAKS FOR BETTER PERFORMANCE & SAFETY: I haven't measured with fancy equipment, but observation and use tells me the following tweaks have made for a better dust collection system:
--If you don't use it, it doesn't matter how powerful it is. I located the collector as close as possible to my main tools: table saw, miter saw, router table, downfeed sanding table. The longest hose run I have is about 8'. Each tool is enclosed/hooded to direct dust to the dust port, gated, with 4" diameter hose runs to each tool, with a "T" at the router table to run a 4" port to the enclosed router under the table, and a 2-1/2 port at the router fence above. Each gate is easily reachable from all tool stations, so turning on the DC unit and the opening the appropriate gate is a snap. I have an "open" gate and 4" hose for running to the drill press or big gulp for "situational" dust collection as needed as well. Total additional cost, about $75.
--Built a Phil Thien style separator from a 30 gallon metal trash can to keep large objects and stray metal (sparks) away from the collector's impeller. If you haven't already seen his simple modification, there's lots of samples/info on line. I bought a 5" to 4" adapter from a big box store for a few bucks, built the baffle from scrap lumber with a 4" outlet on top and used a 4" elbow epoxied into the side of can for the inlet. Fits right on the Delta's cart, slips right on the 5" port on the impeller housing, with just a couple of turns of tape to seal it. Maybe $25.
--Replaced the stock Delta cloth filter bag with a Wynn cartridge filter. Better filtration of fine particles, more efficient air flow (more dust collected),easier to clean (just give it a few whacks with your hand, and the dust falls into the collection bag). At around $130 delivered, it was easy to install and cheaper than the Delta cartridge filter.

Celestron 44340 LCD Digital Microscope

This is an fine little microscope, solidly built, portable (with a light-weight, well-designed case), easy to set up, and simple to use. The manual is clearly written and useful (except for at least one minor error: the camera icon is not on the lower left but upper left of the LCD screen ["Taking Images" p. 7]). The camera functions well. The high resolution still images I took (of blood and blue cheese) are fairly clear, and the videos of a tiny drop of aquarium water show an astounding assortment of active (albeit soon to die) microorganisms, probably in better focus than the ones observed by Leeuwenhoek. I now know why my fish seem to do well even if I forget to feed them. Illumination is appropriate, though clearly best suited for viewing transparent or semi-transparent specimens. I was especially surprised by the large amount of internal memory which, coupled with the video file format (3GP, normally used in mobile phones) permits a stunning number of image and video files to be stored. Downloading to a computer using a USB cable (supplied) is very easy - the camera simply shows up as a removable disk. If necessary, shareware conversion programs for 3GP to AVI or MPG format can be found and downloaded in a matter of minutes. The date default setting to January 9, 2031 is, however, more than a bit futuristic and might be a bug. The microscope I ordered did not suffer from the black spot on the monitor mentioned by several reviewers. I recommend this microscope to best.