PPA 1455 - Sound card - 48 kHz - 5.1 - USB Review

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(More customer reviews)If you play a DVD with 5.1 channel surround sound on your computer, this box can decode it to give you the 6 analog channels. Surprisingly, the optical link would have only the L/R channels. Why they would strip part of the digital audio and not let people simply pass it on to a home audio system is hard to understand. Unfortunately, that was the reason I bought this device, and I missed the fine prints. I saw the heading "6 Channel External Sound" and that it has optical output, never imagined that the 6 channel sound was only in analog and not in digital. This caveat is stated in the last line of the description, very easy to overlook if you're not looking for it, especially when you don't think that anyone would design it that way. So I have to return this one and get something else.
Other than this deficiency, this external sound card works just fine with my Vista64 HP laptop. The software installation was easy, no conflict with the internal nVideo audio. They coexist just fine, but you do have to go into Control_Panel/Sound to select which one is the default device. Some media player would feed audio to both devices, but many would only serve the default one.

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HP Pavilion dv6-3140us 15.6-Inch Laptop PC - Up to 5 Hours of Battery Life (Argento) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've had this computer for about a month now and have no problems so far. I've found that the battery lasts about 3 hours with wifi off and on power settings set to conserve battery life. They keyboard is great in my opinion. They keys are raised slightly above a glossy surrounding which keeps most dust and dirt from getting under the keys. It's really easy to wipe off any dust that might get on it.
The fingerprint reader doesn't work with Google chrome, so if you're a Chrome fan this might apply to you. There is a plugin for Firefox to use it, but I don't like Firefox. Otherwise it works great.
The entire trackpad area is touch-sensitive so that means you can't rest your thumb on the click buttons. It doesn't have the scroll area on the side of the pad like some computers do. Instead you have to use the two finger scrolling, which took me a few days to get used to but now it's simple and easy to use.
The keyboard has a column of 5 dedicated buttons on the leftmost side. The buttons open HP Mediasmart, which is this panel that opens on-screen to access the webcam, video editor, etc, there is one that opens your default web browser, a print button, and a calculator button which is mostly useless to me, but if you use the calculator included in Windows a lot then it would come in useful. The only thing is is that I often accidentally hit the button when trying to use the ctrl button.
After getting used to typing on the keyboard I find it very comfortable as it is not too mushy and not too hard.
This computer was a replacement for my old Compaq Presario, so I figured I'd buy an HP since Compaq is an HP owned company. The speakers on my Presario were fantastic, so I was a little worried that this laptop would have the much-hated cheap speakers that a lot of them have. I loved this one because the speakers are in the front like my Presario and let me tell you.. I was not disappointed with these speakers. They are plenty loud and don't echo like the ones on my sister's Dell. So I really think that's a big plus.
The hard-drive is advertised as 640 GB, which the computer has, but I thought you should know that there is a partition of it that is unaccessible as it is used for back-up and recovery, this was no problem for me, because I knew it would be like that as it was with my Presario. Anywhere from 580-590 GBs are usable depending on the configuration of software and features.
The plastic around the screen is really scratch-prone. So I use a soft towel to wipe it with.
I really love the aluminum body, as it doesn't collect fingerprints too bad.
Here are some little things that I liked about it aren't totally important:
It comes with a pretty long power adapter. I'd say it's almost ten feet long although I haven't measured it.
The HP logo on the front of the laptop lights up, which I thought was kind of cool.
The USB ports aren't all crammed in the same place, so you can use three USB powered devices at the same time and not worry about cramming the plugs in the same area.
It doesn't feel as heavy as you would think, considering that it's a 15.6 inch.
I actually didn't buy this item from Amazon, where I had originally planned on ordering it, because, at the last minute, I did a search and found the exact same laptop on the HP website for about $50 less.
Overall, I'm in love with this laptop. It's fast, beautiful, and easy to use.

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Now there's a notebook PC made for the way you play. In fact, the HP Pavilion dv6 comes with software that lets you start playing right out of the box. With amazing graphics, audio, and video, plus a wide array of options, the HP Pavilion dv6 Entertainment series notebook delivers power and performance to match your fast-paced lifestyle. Exclusive HP MediaSmart software gives you instant access to the music and movies you love. Immerse yourself in videos, games and 3D graphics on the high-definition 15.6" diagonal HP BrightView LED display. Look your best in any light with the HP TrueVision Webcam and sound great with integrated dual-array digital microphones for improved noise reduction. With the large hard drive, you can store volumes of data, movies, and music.15.6 Diagonal High-Definition BrightView LED Display (1366x768) HP TrueVision Webcam and Digital Microphone ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 Graphics with 128MB DDR3 memory Lightscribe Blu-ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+-R/RW Double Layer Drive Wireless LAN 802.11b/g/n WLAN 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector) 5-in-1 Digital Media Reader MMC, SD, MS, MS Pro, xD HP SimplePass with integrated fingerprint reader Dolby Advanced Audio with Altec Lansing speakers Brushed aluminum finish with the stream design in argento Connections -4 x USB 2.0 (4th port shared with eSATA), Headphone out, Microphone-in, VGA, HDMI, RJ-45 (LAN) Approximate Unit Dimensions -14.88 (W) x 9.65 (D) x 1.21-1.37 (H) inches Approximate Unit Weight -5.46 pounds

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PCI Express Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion Series Review

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(More customer reviews)I expected an improvement over my old Creative card. This one is head and shoulders beyond it. If you don't put the settings too crazy, and keep it more "level" it sounds very good on my relatively poor Altec Lansing headphones. Much more volume, so the headroom is reasonable; it still needs a good headphone amp if you want the best, though... but, it sounds believable.
It was expensive, yes, but so far from what I have heard in two weeks of listening, I will be able to have very good sound through a lot of motherboard upgrades with this card. The RCA inputs are an important, added feature for me, as is the volume control. I am glad I "bit the bullet".


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Avertv Hybrid Volar Max Tv Tuner Kit for Windows MTVHVMXSK Review

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(More customer reviews)
I've been using Media Center on a WinXP tower since 2004. My HP unit came with a built in tuner which could only receive analog channels and the 2004 version of MC that came with it only supported standard def TV. As the years passed, I was eagerly anticipating for a release of Media center that supported HD programming. Once that happened on Windows 7 (and perhaps Vista), I needed to find a tuner card that would work with it.
Over the years I would check release info on new products and read about one sad experience after another regarding the failure of available HD tuner cards on the market and issues regarding firmware, drivers, configuration settings, etc.
Knowing that most new technology needs a few years to get the bugs out, I didn't buy and waited. The last few months had me itching to try and finally set up a HTPC (Home Theater PC) system. When it comes to video quality, my assumption was that I'd get better performance from a PCI internal tuner card in a tower. Thing is, I don't have a new Windows tower but I do have an inexpensive netbook running Windows 7 Home Premium. As there's no way to install an internal tuner card I'm limited to using an external USB tuner. After reading the reviews on Amazon, I decided the Volar Max was my best bet (and at $55 I figured I could only go so wrong).
I remember going through error and configuration issues with Vista and XP in the past, the idea that this little flashdrive-sized gizmo was going to allow me to tune in analog channels, digital channels as well as actual hi res HD seemed suspect at the very least. I was dreading the thought of experiencing the usual whole night investment of getting a new peripheral up and running on Windows only to have it not work well.
I plugged the Avertv in the USB slot and it found & installed its driver automatically and quickly. It then gave me the option of installing it's own tuner/viewer software. I declined in favor of Media Center.
Now I can't say how this thing works with any other OS's but, with Windows 7 Home Premium, the Avertv Volar Max blew my mind. My laptop is connected to an LCDTV- I fired up Media Center, which found the Avertv right away. I selected it, went through the channel scan (like any tv) and was watching great quality analog & digital HD tv within minutes. It WORKED! And not only that, it worked without my having to do any manual installations or configurations. Windows media center rocks (and IMHO blows away Apple in this particular area). The picture and sound seems as good as any HDTV tuner I've seen built into HD televisions. I hooked up my HP Media Center IR remote and can now flip through channels, set DVR recordings, play music, etc. from my couch.
Maybe this shows my age, but I thought any kind of decent resolution tuner hardware needed to be relatively big in size. That this tiny unit does so much, so well and so easily is immensely impressive.
The age of HTPC's is definitely here.

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Avertv MTVCOMG2W Combo G2 (White Box) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Aver tuner arrived in a well packaged white box (see photo) along with half height computer case slot adapter for the PCIe tuner card, S to component video dongo, S to composite jack adapter and installation CDROM with Aver application and drivers (see photo) which do not work with Win7 Ult 64 given the software and hardware group that is being used.
Using an Intel DP55KG motherboard and XFX Radeon 5850 video board (see photo), the supplied Aver software was not functional with Win 7 Ult 64 and should not be installed. Doing so will prevent the Graphic User Interface (GUI), "Windows Media Center" from detecting the Aver TV tuner card resulting in a error message to the effect "no TV tuner card was found".
Also, the H797 PCI-E Combo NTSC/ATSC driver that Win 7 Ult 64 wants to download from Microsoft and auto install should be prevented and cancelled. Allowing this default driver to auto install will duplicate the problem associated with the Aver supplied driver on the installation CDROM.
The solution is to down load the file "Win7_x64_Dr.exe" from the Aver web site. Then, delete any existing TV tuner drivers that may have auto installed and install just this file, Win7_x64_Dr.exe. The installed driver will allow the MTVCOMG2W card to work with Windows Media Center, however the TV tuner card still will not support the supplied Aver software package.
Hence, the Aver designed TV GUI is not usable, as well as the advertised "Aver Media ClearQAM Tools" since the TV tuner is not visible to the supporting driver package. This is disappointing, for the consumer is not being provided all of tuner functions as advertised.
Restricting the Aver TV tuner card to the default Win Media Center GUI creates other interface compromises that were never associated with the Aver GUI. For comparison, I use a similar, Aver PCI version of the card on a Win XP system and the Aver USB Volar MAX TV tuner on a Vista Bus64 laptop. The detractors for abandoning the Aver GUI in lieu of Win Media Center are as follows:
1) The display aspect ratio is limited to 16:9 and does not auto sense the aspect ratio of the viewed program, leaving behind unnecessary black space (see photo) and inefficiently using the computer monitor. Since the size of a GUI screen is software defined and generally not a physical function, this sort of lazy complacency in software code development is shameful.
2) No GUI function for alternating between two channels (see photo).
3) The TV interface tool bar at the bottom of the screen only justifies right as appose to center. Hence, when view 4:3 programs, with the screen positioned at far right to clip the black screen area, also clips the volume control function of the tool bar (see photo). Positioning the screen in this manner is being done to reduce the programs footprint on the computer monitor.
4) When the GUI screen size is reduced from default size, the interface tool bar auto abbreviates and drops the tuner channel control function (see photo).
5) With Win Media Center as the TV interface, there is no discrete separation of the TV audio controls from other media players without the use of the Windows audio mixer controller. That means, muting the TV audio in Win Media Center also mutes streaming Flash audio in Internet Explorer and in other media players like RealPlayer. This limitation does not happen with the Aver designed TV application. With the Aver TV software, one can easily change TV volume levels without impacting the audio level in other applications and without Windows audio mixer controller.
6) An annoying issue is that when starting the Media Center Application, the program defaults to the recorder function and not the TV. Personally, I like my TV's to power up to the channel I was last viewing. That is not the situation with this Avery card as after opening up the primary application, you still have to select the TV function.
What is happening with this Aver TV tuner product is disappointing. Aver is now leaving TV GUI interface and development to Microsoft instead of continuing to take the lead and responsibility for developing fully functional software for their own hardware offerings. Hence, the resulting interface product is a compromise package that is prioritized for recording and replaying video (see photo) then performing the basic task of watching TV.
A positive benefit from having basic recording functions readily available is quickly realized when viewing scrolling news program such as that aired on CNBC. With the instant play back functions in Win Media Center, in standard TV mode, I have the option to instantly replay a scene. Perfect for those times I just missed seeing what passed by on the ticker tape, or with other flashing information and data.
As for image quality, the MTVCOMG2W tuner card seams to display less digital noise compared the USB Volar version of the tuner. Also, since the tuner card functions via a PCIe slot, the channels change more quickly and I perceive fewer system delays and nearly invisible in terms of system requirements.
The image contrast and color saturation levels are comparable to the USB Volar version and from what that I can notice, better compared to an analog Hauppauge PCI TV tuner I have operating on a Win2000 system. Unlike the Hauppauge unit, I do not experience any "popping" sound when changing TV channels on the Aver tuner.
The Aver digital TV tuner is very limited in the digital cable signals it can receive and display. For comparison, using Time Warner cable, I am able to see all of the non encrypted digital TV and HD cable channels on a LG M237WD-PM 23" LCD Monitor with Built-in Digital TV Tuner. With the Aver MTVCOMG2W TV tuner card, I am only able to view the local broadcast digital channels and none of the digital channels I was hoping to view or listen to such as CNBC, Discovery, History, CNN, music, ...
The analog cable TV signals are all viewable and display quality fair compared to a standard analog TV. When enlarged to full screen, the image degradation from the analog to digital conversion and compression algorithms become very noticeable and at a distance of less than 1 meters on a 23 inch monitor can be annoying to watch and a distracter in itself.
Nice to report and share, the Aver TV tuner card once installed is very stable, and after a couple weeks of frequent and extended use, neither the software nor the TV tuner hardware has crashed and from what I can perceive, has not instigated a failure with other running software or attached peripherals.
A symptom that I've noticed with the XFX Radeon 5850 video board and not with a nVidia Quadro with dual DVI monitor support, is that each time the Aver TV tuner card is activated or switched from a standard analog TV signal to a digital signal, causes the other monitor(s) on the 5850, not the monitor with Aver TV display, to re sync. The Radeon 5850 has attached to it three monitors and it's a bit annoying with large 300cd and 400cd LED monitors and an event from the electronics side, I would prefer not to happen.
Minus 0.25 for a very clumsy install procedure and for supplying dysfunctional software.
Minus 0.25 for TV tuner requiring a downloaded file to function with Win 7 Ult 64.
Minus 0.25 for impractical claim and limitations regarding Aver Media ClearQAM Tools.
Minus 0.25 for full screen and reduced screen TV control interface limitations.
Minus 0.25 for not discretely separating TV audio levels from other media players.
Minus 0.25 for no auto sensing of aspect ratio for screen fill and GUI footprint control.
Minus 0.25 for selecting Win Media Center as the sole interface for the TV tuner.
Minus 0.25 for Aver Media not accepting responsibility for GUI and interface development.


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HP Pavilion Elite HPE-270F Desktop PC (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Instead of a review, I'm including an abridged version of a letter I sent to Mr Mark Hurd, the President of Hewlett Packard



Dear Mr. Hurd, On April 27 at 2 PM I received a Pavilion Elite Desktop that was defective and "dead in the box." I've been buying computers since 1992 and can accept this but not what followed. (Repair Order #803.........)
From 6 PM to midnight I talked to people in India whose English was barely intelligible making the process extremely difficult. They had me doing tests over and over and sitting on endless hold in between. This was incompetence. Around midnight I was asked to do a "System Restore?" and told by your Tech he would call back---he never did and I was to find that this is common.
On April 28, convinced that the problem was beyond the abilities of your offshore people and not wanting to go back to people I couldn't understand, who never called me back, and who put me on endless hold; I requested (per your guarantee) someone to make a housecall here in Seattle, which was denied. I tried to access American support to no avail and ended up calling Sales--at least they spoke English. They essentially told me "I was on my own" and I thought of the phrase--"Abandon hope all ye who enter here"
On April 29 I got your Filipino station and repeated the same process for hours. One particularly grating aspect was listening ad nausea to your parroted message about being able to get home service while I languished on endless hold. This is deceptive and a rotten lie. My machine was brand new----a fact that wasn't even noticed by your techs until the third day. After 20 hrs of my personal time had been chewed up, the dead machine was finally pronounced unfit and carted back by FedEx on April 30.
On May 1, in one final exhaustive attempt to throw salt in my wounds, I received an email double charging me, and my Visa card was billed an extra $50 to boot. Come on Mr. Hurd, you are a great big Fortune 500 company, how hard is it to fix these things.....things I would expect if this was a David Packard startup in his Palo Alto garage. Best Regards A---- E----


Post Script---Yes there is a post script to all this. Hewlett-Packard again sent me a brand new machine---machine #2. After the initial setup, I couldn't get on the Internet. Once again I called your techs in India (Repair order #------858----). After about 5 hours, including a "face to face" and the usual endless tests, I went to bed. Since I wasn't willing to spend another 20 hours on the phone I sent the machine back for a refund. Two bad machines in a row strains the credulity and the bounds of coincidence, but your people were merely sanguine about it all.

The original deal was that I gave HP a price they advertised and they gave me an operational Core i7 machine or they would come out and do an in-house repair. I felt cheated. I got my money back but lost 25+hours of my personal time. Hewlett Packard is a good example of a giant global faceless octopus of a company with ubiquitous advertising, cheap prices and shoddy rubbish products. One of the sales guys told me that if HP used American techs it would add $400 to each machine----so that's why Apples cost more?! Believe me Mr. Hurd, gone are the days I'll do business with HP again.

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Get serious about computing with the HP Pavilion Elite HPE-270f PC, a stylish, high-performance PC for your most demanding digital tasks. Premium performance levels enable an enhanced experience whether you're working, e-mailing, editing photos or videos, gaming or connecting with friends online. The HP Pavilion Elite HPE-270f PC's flexibility and expandability let you add devices and features to support your growing needs. The elegant, chrome-accented design is sure to attract attention in any home décor.

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Acer AX3910-U2032 Desktop (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was very nervous ordering this because of the negative reviews, especially when it arrived in a hurry with only some brown paper in the box and no bubble wrap or anything! The computer itself though was well-packed in it's own box with styrofoam packing, etc. like a new computer should be.
Because of the reviews I was also anxious about the DVD drive so I tested it right away. I burned data disks, played movies, and then I used it to burn home movies which played beautifully on my TV (it comes with DVD making software), so I would say it's absolutely fine (I even tested it by burning one DVD that was +R and one that was -R! Both worked fine!). To open and close the DVD drive, you push a button and the door opens and then the tray pops out. I am a little nervous that with so many moving parts, something could break easily, but so far it's worked fine every time (I'm careful to push the button straight-on and not let the computer wobble). I think I would just not recommend this computer if you're going to share it with kids or people who are rough on computers.
The speed of this computer is awesome!!! Such a pleasure! I've never used Windows 7 before either and despite my prejudices against Vista (lol) I really like it and it was easy to learn without even reading anything! Also, this computer comes with a very nice mouse and keyboard - the action is very smoothe on both. The keys on the keyboard are very springy so I can type "softly" and not irritate my carpal tunnel syndrome and there are numerous shortcut buttons on top which I haven't even investigated yet. On the upper right corner of the keyboard there is a wheel which controls sound volume! The mouse is high quality too - nice delicate wheel which is easy on the fingers and a very smoothe and accurate cursor movement. This Acer also picked up the internet with no problem at all.
I could only get sound from the "Line Out" jack even though this says it has 5.1 surround sound, but when I looked it up online I read that surround sound only comes out if you're playing a DVD that is designed for that kind of output (and you have surround sound speakers, which I don't!). You can select "5.1 Surround Sound" and lots of other settings in Control Panel so I think it does work (and Device Manager recognized each jack when I plugged things in, telling me a device had just been plugged into an audio jack). The line out jack is great anyway - I'm getting lots of power for loud strong bass in my music and bright trebles! I have used the sound for internet radio, Skype phone calls, playing a regular DVD, and regular internet like YouTube videos and it is powerful - I can blast it VERY loudly if I want.
Overall I'd say this is a great computer - it's silent and very very fast; the graphics look gorgeous on my Dell flat screen computer monitor (which it recognized immediately; it also recognized my external hard drives, printer and scanner immediately too with no problems), the sound is powerful and crisp. Although it has a nice small footprint, there are plenty of USB jacks (9) for my needs. I would just say that if you get this computer, be gentle with the DVD door and I think you will be very happy!


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Acer Aspire X3910 Desktop: Multitasking Productivity Made Small
Small enough to fit just about anywhere, the Aspire X3910 desktop PC (model AX3910-U2032) is ready to satisfy your home computing expectations. But don't let its compact size fool you. The full-featured Aspire X3910 packs in an Intel Pentium dual-core processor, 16x SuperMulti drive, integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking, a 640 GB hard drive, and 4 GB of memory to meet intense multimedia and multitasking needs with HD brilliance.

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Toshiba Satellite L645D-S4036 LED TruBrite 14-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)The triple core 1.8ghz Phenom II is a strong and economical processor choice for a desktop replacement-type laptop. This computer regularly gets 3.5 hours on the battery with only the screen brightness turned down a bit. I really enjoy this.
The video card is listed as an ATI Radeon 4250, which it is, but the M880 chipset for it gives it power way beyond the Radeon 4250's power in itself. When I checked the GPU benchmarks, the M880 chipset Radeon 4250 was consistently ranked middle of the pack, above such GPUs as the ATI Radeon HD 5145.
This computer is nice and portable, and the size is perfect for carrying with me. The screen isn't small to where it creates any issues with seeing for me; I'm actually enjoying the fact that it is shorter and I can cradle it in my lap perfectly and totally comfortably.
The keyboard is not one with a full NumPad, but that doesn't bother me much. The keys don't have a loose sensation at all, which I really enjoy. I am still getting used to the location of a few of my keys, especially the backspace, but I'll certainly get used to it soon enough. The trackpad isn't bad; you can tweak it however you like. One major issue I noticed right away is that the Webcam drivers were so out of date that the webcam wouldn't work when I first got the computer. I tried to update it and was told that this was already the newest available driver, but it still didn't work. I ended up taking it off altogether and restarting the computer and it works just fine now. Just a word of warning for those who are looking at this one: The webcam may take a second of fiddling with to get it set up correctly. IT is nothing too bad, and there are guides all over the internet explaining how to do this.
Other minor gripes, the touchpad can be seems a bit insensitive at times, even with it turned up almost all the way... The two finger scrolling also isn't as intuitive as it was with my last ASUS. I also have to press the power button to get it out of sleep... All minor gripes that I will come to terms with soon, after which I will be completely satisfied with my purchace. ;)
These are my impressions after a few days with this computer... Great specs and performance for the money! I'll be sure to update this review if anything else comes to mind.
EDIT- I want to add that the sound quality that comes out of these speakers is not too bad. Look in the Control Panel for a utility called SmartAudio. It controls all the sound output for the computer and will give you much greater control over your desired sound. You can go into the SmartAudio settings and have it appear in the System Tray if you're going to be listening to a lot of music! I'm not claiming that the speakers are perfect; you're still going to need good external speakers or headphones if you want an excellent and LOUD audio experience. Basically, these are good for stock speakers, mainly because of the SmartAudio software (found in Control Panel)...

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Toshiba Satellite L645D: Fashionable, Affordable and Portable with 14-Inch Screen
Offering a redesigned chassis with a sleeker body, the nicely affordable Toshiba Satellite L645D-S4036 notebook PC makes it easy to handle computing essentials at home, school or work--from surfing the web and downloading video to managing household finances or studying for finals. And its high-gloss Fusion Finish in Helios Black will be sure to raise a few eyebrows while you're on the go.

You'll also be able to burn through the hottest new digital media, content creation and advanced 3D gaming thanks to the triple-core AMD Phenom II Mobile Processor P820.

This all-purpose, eco-smart machine features a stunning 14-inch LED-backlit display with 720p native high-definition resolution. Thanks to the built-in webcam and Toshiba Face Recognition software on this machine, you'll enjoy a more convenient way to communicate, log on or share your laptop among the family. Other high-tech features include a power-saving Eco Utility to help reduce power consumption based on your needs and one USB/eSATA combo port.

This Satellite comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version).



Key Features
14-inch widescreen HD TruBrite LED-Backlit display not only renders stunning visuals, but it's more environmentally friendly as it uses less power (1366 x 768 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio).


1.8 GHz AMD Phenom II P820 triple-core processor (with AMD M880G Chipset and 1.5 MB L2 cache) lets you enjoy movies, music and games like you never have before, with amazing detail, clarity and color. Plus, you can experience Microsoft Windows 7 the way it was intended. All this with the freedom to do more on the go with long battery life rating.


320 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)


4 GB of installed DDR3 RAM (expandable to 8 GB)


ATI Radeon HD 4250 graphics card provides exceptional features, performance and power-efficiencies that enrich what you see and do (256 MB - 1917 MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory).


8x SuperMulti DVD drive with double layer support.


Wireless Connectivity
With its integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking capabilities, this laptop provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers.



Built-in stereo speakers with Dolby Advanced Audio blends a suite of technologies to deliver a stunning audio experience from headphones or your laptop speakers. It analyzes audio signals and restores tones often lost in encoding, mimicking the same optimization techniques that go into tuning movie theaters and mixing rooms, resulting in brighter highs and deep, thumping bass tones. It also expands stereo signals to 6.1- or 7.1-channel playback for a listening experience that will have you talking long after the performance.


Included Toshiba Software:
Toshiba Media Controller offers simplified media sharing. Using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, it lets you share videos, music and pictures from the media library on your laptop with compatible devices in your home entertainment network, or with other compatible laptops and devices, like an Xbox 360 game console. And you can do it all without moving equipment, burning discs or fumbling with cables.
Toshiba Bulletin Board is an easy-to-use organizational and productivity app that lets you build your own personalized space on your desktop. With Toshiba Bulletin Board, you can quickly and easily manage your to-do lists and calendars, plus create your own custom work area by pinning your favorite photos, documents, links and more.
Toshiba ReelTime helps you cut down the time it takes to search for files. The easy-to-use app takes traditional text-based file structures one step further to help you find what you're looking for more quickly. Accessible from your taskbar, it shows you a visual timeline of your recently accessed files--using graphical thumbnails--so you can easily identify and get to your files faster.



Included Toshiba Utilities:
Toshiba eco Utility makes it easy to go green as you go mobile. Hit the Eco Button and you'll launch the Toshiba Eco Utility, which puts all sorts of easy-to-read information on your screen, and gives you the ability to adjust the power settings on your laptop. It also activates a light showing you're in the Eco Mode. The Toshiba Eco Utility lets you pick the optimal power plan for your situation. Choose High-Performance when you need every watt you can get, Power Saver for the least energy consumption, or Balanced as a perfect blend of the two.
Hard Drive Impact Sensor takes the worry out of taking your most important files and multimedia on the go. Able to detect sudden movement along three different dimensions, the impact sensor (a complex system of hardware and software) helps safeguard your data by "parking" the hard drive heads in the event of a drop or sudden movement. And it works faster than you can blink to help protect your laptop and all-important data.



Up to 3.8 hours of battery life (6-cell battery; 48 Wh)


Dimensions & Weight: 13.3 x 9.13 x 1.5 inches (WxDxH); 4.98 pounds



Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to.

And with Windows Anytime Upgrade, you'll be able to add new features to your PC in as little as 10 minutes. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process, it requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings



Environmental Specifications
Energy Star 5.0 certified
Gold EPEAT designation for meeting standards to help reduce its environmental impact.
RoHS compliant effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances

Learn more about Toshiba's environmental commitment.

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25th Anniversary of Toshiba Laptops
This year, Toshiba celebrates its 25th anniversary of innovations and quality in the notebook PC business. Beginning with the launch of the Toshiba T1100, the world's first clamshell-type, fully functional laptop PC, Toshiba has led the with such innovations as the first laptop with a color monitor in 1991 and a laptop with integrated CD-ROM drive in 1995 (followed by the addition of a DVD drive in 1998). And in 2009, Toshiba unveiled the world's first ultraportable laptop with 512GB solid state drive.

Today, Toshiba continues to be a leader in eco-friendly manufacturing, with virtually all of its consumer laptops earning EPEAT Gold status for meeting standards that help reduce overall environmental impact.

Click here for more information about Toshiba Satellite L645D-S4036 LED TruBrite 14-Inch Laptop (Black)

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Asus Eee PC 1005HA-PU17-BK 10.1-Inch Intel Atom Netbook Computer (Crystal Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)=================================
October 28 (most recent update June 23, 2010 below)
=================================
I received the ASUS EEE PC Seashell 1005HA-PU17-BU 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook two days ago. My initial impression is that this is a great computer. Below are more specific comments.
1) OS: Windows Starter
------------------------------
Runs really well without any problems. I think another 1GB of RAM would make it faster, but I can easily live without it for my main purpose of taking research notes, writing papers, and using the Internet.
I have not had a chance to try out all of my software yet, but Windows Office 2007, bLADE Wiki, Chrome, and other programs I frequently use work just fine. Windows 7 Starter does run more than three applications. I have four open now.
Thankfully, I had no difficulty enabling language support (IME) for Japanese and Chinese. In general, I have also found some things a little more intuitive than XP or Vista. At this point, I see absolutely no reason to buy an upgrade.
The inability to change your desktop image is a mean-spirited marketing decision that I hope Microsoft will reconsider. Not only that, but the wallpaper makes it look like you have a crack or dust on your screen. You can get around this and speed up your computer a little bit in the process. In your start menu right-click on computer, select properties, advanced system settings, performance, and "Adjust for best performance." Your background will be solid blue.
2) Screen
------------------------------
Surprisingly crisp and clear. Yes, it is small, but so is the computer :)
3) Keyboard
------------------------------
I have no trouble at all typing on it. Some owners of past Asus models have complained about a warped space bar. Indeed, the space bar is slightly elevated on the left side. However, I believe this was intentional. When you press the function key with the blue "running man" mark on the left it switches power settings (see comments below for an update on the keyboard).
4) Battery
------------------------------
I am not sure yet how to get the advertised 10.5, but I am easily getting 9+ hours out of it on the power saver mode. It is incredible. The power adapter is quite small and seems to charge it up very quickly.
5) Sturdiness / Quality
------------------------------
The computer feels surprisingly solid and less flimsy than more expensive computers I have bought in the past. It is not the most elegant computer out there, but it seems well-built. It has a wonderful lack of annoying lights. The only one remaining is the power light in the upper right. The blue LED is annoying (as it is on most computers made nowadays), but much less of a problem than others out there. If computer manufacturers would put the power light back on the bottom right under my hand with the rest of the lights I would be grateful.
6) Partitions
------------------------------
My memory was partitioned into a C and D drive. There are good reasons to have a partition, but personally I prefer none. It is relatively easy to change the partition.
7) Bloatware
------------------------------
One or two programs (as far as I can tell) that I was able to quickly remove. Nothing at all like my last computer that had over a dozen.
=================================
November 5, 2009 UPDATE
=================================
It is a fabulous computer and I wouldn't hesitate to buy it again if I had the chance. At this size (10.1 inch) and with these specs (battery life, memory, etc.) it seems to be the best computer on the market. I still give it 5 stars.
However, I have had concerns with the keyboard. Be sure to inspect it thoroughly when it arrives. I ordered the same model for someone else and it arrived with what looked like melted keys next to the spacebar. We sent it back to Amazon for a replacement and the new one that arrived is just fine.
My "w" key was sticking the other day. I sprayed some compressed air under it and it started working again. I never eat or drink near the computer, so I cannot imagine what it was. That is the first time I have had something like that happen on any computer. It has been about a week since that happened and has been working fine.
After looking at last year's models in the store, I can see that my "warped" space key was probably not intentional. It doesn't hit the screen and is barely noticeable, so I have not shipped it back for a replacement. I remain pleased with the product overall, but I think they really need to work on quality control for their keyboards.
=================================
November 17, 2009 UPDATE
=================================
I remain extremely pleased with the product. I just wanted to write another update here to encourage potential buyers to make sure that the reviews on Amazon for this product are written by people who have actually purchased and/or used THIS product. Those who owned the previous model have had power supply, battery, and keyboard issues. I encourage you to read reviews of earlier models to learn more (I did before making this purchase), and I appreciate that people are willing to share their experiences, but it seems unfair to the company and misleading to consumers when reviews are posted here for another product (no matter what the apparent similarities are).
=================================
December 12, 2009 UPDATE
=================================
I've had the computer for about two months now and I would still give it five stars. The battery indicator tells me I have 10 to 11 hours after a full charge, but I have never had that many hours of straight use to actually test it. All I can say for sure is that I am very happy with the battery life.
Windows 7 Starter is great. It hasn't crashed once since I purchased the computer. I always liked XP (disliked 98 and Vista), but given time I might end up liking this OS even more. It seems pretty snappy, even with just 1GB RAM.
The trackpad has raised bumps and seems to work best with a delicate touch. It's OK, but personally I prefer smooth surfaces. If any ASUS engineers are reading this, I recommend a trackpad like the one on the Panasonic Lets Note R8 CF-R8WWLAJP.
=================================
June 23, 2010 UPDATE
=================================
COMPUTER EXTERIOR AND ACCESSORIES:
Keyboard, display, and everything else is in perfect shape. Power cord is fine and absolutely no issues with it (previous models apparently had an issue with the power).
BATTERY:
As expected, battery performance has dropped over time. This is NOT an issue unique to this product, but a problem with any battery in any computer. I have used it every day since I bought it and I estimate I get about 7 hours after a charge in the power saving mode. This is still fabulous, and about 6 hours more than what my previous laptop was getting, so I am pleased.
RAM:
I ended up installing extra RAM. I don't know for sure if it got faster, because I changed how I use the computer. I decided to stop using my desktop completely, so I have been using memory hogs like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Dragon Naturally Speaking, and so forth. Memory is relatively inexpensive, so I would recommend getting it no matter what you are doing.
OS:
I believe this is a Windows Starter issue, but my operating system slowed down considerably over time. A couple of weeks ago I backed up everything and re-installed the OS. Now it runs snappy again. I have had to re-install Windows operating systems regularly in the past for other computers, so I would say this is no big deal. It is a relatively painless procedure with the Asus. I plan to do it about every 6 months.
COMPARABLE PRODUCTS:
There is a newer version of this with longer battery life and a different keyboard. I would recommend giving the ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1005PE-PU27-BK 10.1-Inch Black Netbook (Up to 14 Hours of Battery Life) a try. Asus still seems to be the best small computer manufacturer around.
If I were deciding between this and an ipad (assuming I couldn't get both!) I would choose this one. I've played around with the iPad in stores, but as a machine for getting work done, it does not even come close to having the features I need. It's an exciting technology, but would be just a toy for me in its current state.
BOTTOM LINE:
I may be done with desktop computers after owning this netbook. I originally had a desktop for home and the netbook for outside the house, but not anymore. I sold the monitor, and the desktop is now hooked up to the TV for streaming video. Asus has made a convert out of me.
Sometimes I carry the Asus alone with me when I go out (I am still amazed by how lightweight it is!), and other times I bring a riser to lift the computer up to about the same level as a monitor would be (Logitech Notebook Riser (N110)), a bluetooth mouse (Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 Mac/Windows), and a bluetooth keyboard (Apple Wireless Keyboard (Retail Packaging)). All of this is portable (fits in my backpack), so I can have a pleasant work environment no matter where I go.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Asus Eee PC 1005HA-PU17-BK 10.1-Inch Intel Atom Netbook Computer (Crystal Black)

The Best has just gotten better! - Mobility has Evolved with the Eee PC 1005HA-P. The 10.1-inch Eee PC 1005HA-P Seashell, with Windows 7 Starter Edition and enhanced storage, shines as the ideal netbook for the traveler looking to have it all. It is encased in a smooth pearlescent shell to captivate any onlookers or passers-by.But the Eee PC 1005HA isn't just looks; inside it features a higher-capacity storage than its predecessors. Plus, it offers great user comfort and convenience with its 92-percent scaled keyboard, multi-touch trackpad, and convenient instant keys – granting you quick access to Wi-Fi and control of the ASUS Super Hybrid Engine (SHE). Take the Eee PC 1005HA wherever you choose with all-day battery life and enjoy the brilliant clarity of its 10.1-inch LED-backlit display for comfortable computing for hours on end. And its generous 250GB HDD with 500GB of ASUS WebStorage** enables you to store, share, and access your important data anytime, anywhere. Miles ahead of its competition, the Eee PC 1005HA-P provides multi-tasking performance and superior portability, liberating you from wall chargers and bringing you into the future of mobility.


Key Features

10.5 hours of unplugged all-day computing with ASUS' exclusive Super Hybrid Engine
Incredibly spacious 750GB Hybrid Storage for convenient storage on-the-go (250GB HDD + 500GB ASUS WebStorage**)
10.1-inch LED-backlit WSVGA screen (1024 x 600)
92-percent full-size keyboard for comfortable typing
Multi-touch trackpad for effortless control
Easy mobile wireless connectivity via built-in Wi-Fi 802.11n (draft 2.4GHz n) and Bluetooth V2.1
SRS surround sound for premium audio
Stunning looks and convenient mobility with seashell design weighing a mere 2.8 lbs
0.3MP webcam and microphone for simple and clear communication
Windows 7 Starter for a more intuitive and reliable interface
F9 easy recovery for convenient and easy system reinstallation
1 year global warranty
30-day Flawless Display Guarantee

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Inspired by Nature, Innovatively Crafted
Battery and Performance Boosting Features You'll Only Get with Eee PC
Even More Storage
Get the Big Picture in a Small Frame
Markedly Comfortable. Perfectly Concise.
Easy Connectivity to Nationwide Hotspots
Quick Recovery with Just One Key
Eee PC with Windows 7 –Life Made Easier
Warranty
Customer Warranty –The Industry's Most Complete Netbook Care Package
1 Year Global Warranty
6 Months Battery Warranty
30-Day Flawless Display Guarantee: If you discover one defective bright dot within 30 days of purchase, ASUS will replace the panel at no cost.
Free one-way standard shipping
24/7 technical support
What's in the Box
Eee PC 1005HA-P Seashell (Black)
Travel Sleeve
Power Adapter †
User Manual
Warranty Card
Recovery DVD / Support CD
Specifications
Operating System: Genuine Microsoft Windows 7 Starter
Display: 10.1-inch 1024x600 LED-Backlit Widescreen LCD (Color-Shine/Glossy Screen Technology)
Intel CPU: Intel Atom N280
Wireless Data Network: WLAN: 802.11b/g/n (draft 2.4GHz n) & Bluetooth V2.1 + EDR
Memory: 1GB DDR-2 (Memory size is upgradable to 2GB)
Hybrid Storage: 250GB HDD + 500GB ASUS WebStorage**
Camera: 0.3M Pixels
Audio: Stereo Speakers, High-Definition Audio CODEC, Built-in microphone
Storage Cards: 2-in-1 MMC, SD(SDHC) flash card slot
Input/Output: 1 x VGA connector, 3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x LAN RJ-45, 2 x audio jacks: Headphone & Mic-in
Battery: 10.5 hours* Li-Ion battery †
Dimensions: 10.31 (W) x 7.01 (D) x 1.02~1.44 (H) inches
Weight: 2.81 lbs (with battery)
Color: Black *Operation lifetime subject to product model, normal usage conditions and configurations. **ASUS WebStorage is a complimentary trial service for 1 year after registration. Actual storage capacity varies by model. † To recharge using the AC power adapter, power plug must be fully pushed into the power socket on the Eee PC until it clicks firmly into place. All specifications and terms are subject to change without notice. Please check with your supplier for exact offers on selected models. Products may not be available in all markets. Product may not be exactly as shown in images.

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HP Pavilion DV7-3065DX 17.3-Inch Refurbished Laptop with Blu-Ray - Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It was right before Christmas when I bought this laptop and what caught my eye was the price considering everything you get for the price.
First of all the screen is a whopping 17.3 inch widescreen with an awsome color display. On top of the display is an integrated webcam with microphone which I have used from time to time without any problems. Just below the unit are the controls for power, sound, media controls and WIFI. The only button really is the power all of the other buttons are touch sensitive. Just below this you will find the speakers which are decent however the quality could be better but I am satisified for what I do with this laptop. Below the speakers is the full keyboard with numeric keypad just to the right and below this is the touch mouse pad. On the back of the monitor you will find a lighted HP logo and just below that you will find the removable battery.
On the left side of the laptop you will find the following ports...
External Video Connector
HDMI Connector
RJ 45Ethernet port (10/100)
eSATA Connector
2 USB Ports
A notebook expansion Port (which holds the remote for controlling the CD and windows media)
A integrated SD-MS/ProMMC/XD Reader
On the right side of the laptop you will find the following ports...
Power Connection
Locking mechanism
RJ11 Modem port
2 USB ports
Blu-Ray DVD Drive & Burner
On the front of the display you will find indication lights for the power, battery and hard drive and connections for connecting external headphone and a microphone.
After I purchase my unit I upgraded some of the components and actually replaced the 500GB hard drive with two 250 solid state drive which reduced the weight and temperature just a bit but the drives allows Windows to boot now in less that 15 seconds! I also upgraded the memory to 8GB and Windows 7 from the Home version to the Ultimate version.
This laptop works great for what I do which is studying (why I chose the large display), Internet & email, music, visual studio programming and from time to time I will watch a movie. I have not had any problems with the unit since I bought it, to me it does just what I need.
This is a very big laptop and you may have some challenges with weight, heat and finding an adequate bag to carry everything in and because I do significate traveling I wanted something close to what I have at home and this is very close and allows me to work, study or play very comfortly.
Remember laptops tend to be items where personal values dictate your needs so this may not be the unit for you. Also because these are mechanical devices you can experience problems while others do not so I always recommend dealing with a company that will stand behind their product.
Would I recommend you purchase this laptop? No, this is a decision that you must make.

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Apple iMac MC511LL/A 27-Inch Desktop Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First things first: the iMac offered on this page has the quad-core Intel Core i5 processor. A configuration with a dual-core i3 processor is also sold by Amazon. A more powerful quad-core processor, the i7, is available as a build-to-order option from the online Apple Store. Be sure you're looking at the configuration you want. Apple makes four 27" Aluminum iMac processor setups in all: an i3, two with the i5, and an i7 (see the Comments on this review for a link to Apple's official tech specs).Now then, on with the show. Many reviewers of the previous release of the 27" Aluminum iMac have already discussed the essential hardware and software features. So, rather than repeating stuff that has already been said, I am going to focus this review on my experience of upgrading from a G4 igloo iMac that was running System 10.5.8 .
Migration Assistant
*I used a Firewire 400 to Firewire 800 cable to move the contents of my old computer to the new machine with Migration Assistant.
*The process was virtually seamless, with only a few minor adjustments necessary to the transferred data. Only four applications required reinstallation: ClamXav, iTunes (due to the Soundflower plugin--in any case, no music was lost or damaged), Microsoft Expression Media 2, and a Juniper Networks remote access program (part of a corporate telecommuting package).
*Rules for Little Snitch, a third party utility, need to be reestablished.
*Customized preferences for Spotlight must be reentered.
Magic Mouse
*iMacs now come with a wireless mouse as standard equipment. The Magic Mouse is a vast improvement over the Apple Mouse (aka Mighty Mouse) because it doesn't have a roller ball that eventually stops working. In fact, there aren't any external moving parts on the Magic Mouse, other than the on/off switch.
*Exposé and Dashboard functions are now on the top row of the keyboard, not on mouse buttons.
*If you're interested in the new Magic Trackpad, you'll have to order it separately. It doesn't come as standard equipment right now.
Keyboard
*The chiclet style keys took me a little while to get used to, but now I prefer them to traditional "long stroke" keys.
*For some reason, Apple has made a compact laptop keyboard the standard iMac keyboard (Steve Jobs must be nostalgic for the original 1984 Mac keyboard). Anybody who relies on Page keys for navigation or on a numeric keypad for data entry is out of luck.
*An extended keyboard with Home/Pg Up/Pg Dn/Delete keys and a number pad is available as a build-to-order option, along with additional memory and other treats, at the online Apple Store.
Audio System
*Optical digital audio input and output requires cables or cable adapters with 3.5mm plugs. Standard size TOSLINK connectors won't work. Also, digital audio I/O is run through the microphone and headphone ports. It is consequently impossible to use headphones or an external mic when the computer is setup for optical digital audio use.
*The speakers are a weak point in the design. They are small, underpowered, and sound tinny. I think the igloo iMacs had much better sound. If I recall correctly, they had a specially tuned amplifier--plus the speakers were fairly large and were not built into the computer housing. Users who use their iMac as their main music source or who work with music and sound will want to buy a separate pair of speakers.
Using the computer: screen, fan noise, heat, Rosetta
*This iMac is all about the gigantic 27" screen. It's incredibly sharp and bright, with better-than-HD resolution. Excel users will love being able to see columns A-AE and rows 1-95 all at once at 100% zoom. No more wasting time scrolling around and splitting windows. Photos, movies, and graphics all look absolutely fabulous.
*I initially thought I would hate the glossy finish on the screen, especially after seeing how much glare demo models at the Apple Store showed. But, as it turns out, the shiny glass isn't distracting at all in my home office. That said, anybody who hasn't ever seen a glossy screen computer in person should go check one out before placing an order.
*Something that I miss from my igloo iMac is the ability to move the screen both from left to right (x-axis) and up and down (y-axis). Aluminum iMac screens can only be swiveled up and down, in a fairly limited range.
*Under most conditions, the computer runs very quietly. Fan noise is normally inaudible.
*The top of the computer can become noticeably hot to the touch. Not hot enough to cook the proverbial egg, but definitely warmer than most other electronic devices (except for the original PlayStation3, otherwise known as the Sony Spaceheater).
*PowerPC applications run well under Rosetta. Once it is downloaded automatically, upon demand, it runs invisibly.Bottom line: it's the screen, the SCREEN, THE SCREEN!! Massive amounts of screen real estate, combined with fast performance, make the 27" Aluminum iMac a true joy to use for both work and play. One star penalty for not making an extended keyboard standard and for the terrible built-in sound system.

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The new iMac is the ultimate all-in-one computer. Its Intel Core i5 processor features an advanced architecture and set new benchmarks for iMac performance. And fast discrete graphics processors now come standard in every iMac. The 27-inch widescreen display is perfect for HD video, and the Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse keep your desktop tidy.
The 27-inch iMac features a brilliant LED-backlit, edge-to-edge glass display (see larger image).

Get 16% OFF

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Asus Xonar D1 Sound Card (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)For the longest time I had been a Creative user, up until my Audigy 2, which I compared to my onboard sound and was actually impressed with the onboard, not to mention the terrible support for Creative in the last few years, but I'll skip that.
The Xonar D1 is an extremely well performing card. This is especially true for music. I have a very broad taste in music, from classical, jazz, rockabilly, ska, hip-hop, indie, whatever (no country) and everything sounds amazing. It's indescribable, but it's just like this card is able to convey just that much more that my Audigy, and the onboard couldn't. Not to mention the Dolby headphone setting. It's sometimes very easy to forget I have my cans on. It handles video and gaming well too, but music is its biggest highlight. The control center has a lot of features, a great sampling rate, and SNR. My only complaint is the I/O panel. There is an optical out, and a line in, shared jack. Other than that, I'm 100% satisfied with the card.
I use it in Win 7, but with the Vista x64 drivers, works no problem. It also works fine in Fedora 12 x86_64. Alsa picks it right up. It would be nice if there were more software support, but it works well enough as is.

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Sony Vaio VGN-FW590F3B 16.4" 4GB BluRay Burner Laptop Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just received this laptop 2 days ago. I've been using it as I've been setting it up as my main PC. It has a great build. Feels and looks fantastic. I watched a blue-ray disc and it looked great on the laptop's screen. Bluetooth is nice to have to be able to listen to music from the laptop on my bluetooth headset.
I've used it on battery power and it lasted over an hour and a half, and I had the setting at "balanced". The system said I had over 62% battery life remaining and I had been viewing video, pics, and wireless web usage.
The only thing that I haven't adjusted to yet is the sound from the fan whenever it's plugged in. I have it set to "Performance" mode whenever it is plugged in, but the sound from the fan kind of is going to get some taking used to. It's not loud, but you can hear it when things are quiet. It's not much, but something I'll have to get used to.
The other thing, which is minor, are the stickers Sony put on the wrist wrests. I would have rather not had the stickers all over the the wrist wrests. But hey, that's just me being picky. It has nothing to do with the system or the performance.
Reason I gave it 4 stars: was because of the fan. Were it not for the fan noise, it would have been 5 stars. I'm sure in a month or so, I will be used to the fan and will change it to 5 stars.

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ATI Technologies TV Wonder Pro Remote Control PCI NTSC (100-703147) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased the ATI TV Wonder Pro despite the bad reviews because I already had an ATI graphics card installed in my computer. I had been warned by IT professionals that it was best not to mix up TV cards and graphics cards from different manufacturers. If you don't already have a graphics card in your computer, consider the ATI All In Wonder which is more cost effective than buying separate TV and graphics cards.
Thanks to the advice from other reviewers on Amazon, the installation went very smoothly. I am running Windows XP Pro and I have a ATI Radeon Graphics card.
Key points about the installation. I did not use the included CD to install the TV Pro. Instead, I went to the ATI website and downloaded the newest versions of the drivers for the TV Pro. The downloaded files were executables and they installed drivers onto my computer. I also followed a link on the ATI website to get the latest version of Flash from Microsoft. I then installed the card into my computer and once I turned the computer on, XP recognized the new hardware and installed the drivers for me. I had expected to spend hours on the setup. Instead, it was incredibly easy.
One problem that I did have, however was a delay in the audio. Again thanks to another reviewer, I found that I had set up the TV Pro wrong. The TV Pro connects to your sound card through an external connection. An internal connection is possible, but ATI does not provide a cable to do so. The initial configuration of the TV Pro occurs when you first use the program. It is important that when you setup the audio connection that you choose line-in instead of microphone. If you do choose microphone, you will hear an annoying echo.
The other problem that I have had is channels being displayed in black & white rather than color. I originally had the cable connecting to my computer connected to the output from my VCR. The connection of the cables is actually key to good reception. If the connections between cables are not good and tight then bad reception and black & white images will occur. Turn off the TV Pro and the VCR and try again. Sometimes this works for me, but one channel refused to show in color. However, if I connect the computer directly to the cable and bypass the VCR, all channels come in just fine.
Lastly, don't expect any support from ATI if you do have problems. The FAQ and knowledge base are sparse at best. TV Pro has an option to run a self diagnosis and even though it is working fine, the diagnosis told me that it was missing a driver. I went to the ATI website and after a long search, I contacted ATI support for help. That was two weeks ago and I have not yet gotten a response.
In conclusion, taking some time to download the drivers before you install the card will save you a lot of the headaches described by others. The card works well and does exactly as advertised. However, I gave the card a rating of only three stars due to the poor customer support by ATI.

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ATI TV Wonder Pro TV / Video Input Adapter PCI NTSC 100-703147. Product may differ from image shown.

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EVGA nVidia GeForce GT 240 1 GB DDR3 VGA/DVI/HDMI PCI-Express Video Card 01G-P3-1236-LR Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought a brand new computer it has a Intel 2.5 quad core with 8 gigs of ram.
I wanted to play WoW on the highest settings. It struggled with 20-24 fps at the setting I wanted. The new computer came with a 1gig ATI4650 but I was disappointed with graphics. The Machine has only has a 300-watt power supply, so I was limited to what cards that could go into it without a power supply upgrade. The GT240 card runs WoW at the highest setting with shadows turned down to about ? detail with an average of 60 to 80 fps. In Org and UC it will run 100 fps. I was in SM and running 120 fps. 35 to 45 in Dal is also average.
I bought Crysis and it will run on high settings at 1480x720. It doesn't have the power to run Crysis at 1080 however. Overall if you are looking for a card to play WoW at highest settings and don't have a monster power supply in your OEM computer this is a good choice.


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Toshiba Mini 300 Series NB305-N310 10.1-Inch Netbook - Black Onyx Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have been in the market for a netbook for over a year now. I have spent many a hour pouring over reviews online, watching youtube unboxings and reviews, and actually doing a lot of hands on in retail stores with all of the options out there. I am thrilled to say that after only 24 hours with the Toshiba NB305-N410WH, I know that I waited for just the right one.
The reviews for its' predecessor (the NB205) had put that netbook on the top of most professional reviewers list. And, indeed in my own hands on tests, it was right at the top as well. My main concern was the battery that stuck out of the back on that model. I had come close to overlooking this drawback, as I was so pleased with the rest of the model. What kept me from it was a concern I had read from some reviews indicating that sometimes streaming video would skip or get stuck (a universal concern on most netbooks)either due to processor or graphics.
Here is why I LOVE this little fella:
* The battery issue has been totally adressed, and in fact, upgraded. They have redesigned it and no more ugly bulge of battery sticking out of the back. Plus, they now say it has an 11 hour battery. My test of this gave me around 9.5 hours doing very basic surfing and setup. Not quite 11 hours, but am still elated with 9.5 hours. I can now really feel comfortable about leaving the power cable at home for the day. (however, the power cable is actaully fairly small) (Update 1/21/10--In further testing of the battery life, I seem to now be averaging more like 7 hours under heavy usage, meaning video watching and constant use. I am still more than happy with that. Light usage will give you more like the 9.5 hours I mentioned.)
* I'm extremely happy with the performance. Everyone needs to keep in mind that netbooks have never been designed for processor intensive tasks, but this little guy rocks! The new "Pinetrail" Atom N450 platform seems to be a great fit for this netbook. The graphics engine is updated, as well. I have had absolutely no delays in any streaming video on YouTube or Netflix. (I did notice just a bit of stuttering in Hulu only when watching something full screen but this isn't an issue for me.) Surfing is snappy and responsive, just the way that I like it. For anyone that may have been on the fence about getting a netbook because they were concerned it might not perform, hop right off that fence and get the NB305. Seriously, I have a Macbook Pro and Dell laptop and this one has instantly become my "go to" for surfing on the couch or from bed. And, I know this will be the one I now take anywhere out of the house.
* The overall look and feel of the NB305 is truly "best in class". My big gripe with a ton of netbooks out there is their glossy covers-especially the black, but even other color glossy covers are fingerprint magnets. They just always look smudged and feel cheap to me. I got the textured white model and just love it. Even though I am sure it is all plastic, too, it just looks more expensive. The cover totally repels fingerprints and just "feels good". The keyboard and trackpad have received universal love in the previous model and I absolutely agree. The keyboard is extremely easy to type on. No issues at all for me there. The trackpad is truly a selling feature as it is multi-touch. I have this on my Macbook Pro and LOVE it on this netbook. I love being able to do the 2 finger scroll up and side to side. It really makes surfing the web a joy. (I now curse my Dell for not having this.) This model actually reduced it's weight to 2.6 lbs making it super easy to take with you. The bottom does heat up a bit but I never felt uncomfortable having it directly on my lap. (Update 2/20/10: Ok, there have been times when it has been uncomfortable on my lap. Especially if you are blocking the vents, which is easy to do when on your lap. I now just set it on the protective sleeve I bought for it and we're good to go.) This new model has sleeker look than previous models, a little more streamlined in the front. Overall, form factor gets a big A+.So, there are a couple areas for improvement, however, I don't think they are "deal breakers" given the other areas where the NB-305 excels:
1) The speakers are not great. Actually, they're pretty bad compared to my Mac and Dell. This is definitely an area to improve on, but have found this to be true of all the netbooks I have been able to hear. I'm not saying that you can't hear what you are watching, but I will plan on using earbuds for watching video or listening to music.
2) I'm a little bugged that these just come with Windows7 Starter and not Windows7 Home Premium. I feel a little "punked" into having to pay an extra $80 for the upgrade (which was extremely simple and fast, by the way. I was able to do it right online--no need for external optical drive). Some people will be fine with Windows7 Starter as it does allow you to do basic functions, but I ultimatley had to cave in and upgrade. You aren't able to personalize things in Windows7 Starter, which was a minor but grating flaw. (On a side note, I am really liking Windows7 Home Premium. This netbook handles it fine.)
3) I'm kinda concerned that this did not come with any restore cd's. Yes, I realize that this doesn't have a cd/dvd drive, but I guess I just like the comfort of having them if needed. I know that I should back up the system on my own, but I guess I just am not sure what happens if the OS crashes or hard drive has to be replaced. I think there must be new ways to restore, nowadays. I guess I will hopefully never cross that bridge.
4) (Update 2/20/10: It does get quite warm around the vents. This may or may not be an issue for you. I can deal with it.)
Overall, I think you can see that I am obviously extremely happy with this purchase. If you have been waiting to buy a netbook, I would give this one some serious thought. Two enthusiastic thumbs up!
(UPDATE 1/19/10: I did upgrade to 2GB of memory and would recommend it. I didn't really need to, but can't resist trying to upgrade my gadgets, and everything is just a little faster and I just watched Heros on Hulu full screen and didn't notice issues that I had before. I didn't even mind the speakers come to think of it--although the speakers are still the only weak link hardware wise. Installing the memory is a snap. You just need a tiny Philips screwdriver to remove one screw from back cover, pop out the old, pop in the new, replace the cover and boot it back up. It was recognized by the netbook with no problems. There is a video on YouTube on doing this to the NB205 model and the process is exactly the same for the NB305. Still very happy.)
(UPDATE 2/20/10: The type of memory that I got was the one that Amazon usually suggests: Crucial Technology CT25664AC800 2GB 200-pin SODIMM DDR2 PC2-6400 Memory Module.
I also purchased CaseCrown sleeve: CaseCrown Double Memory Foam Netbook Pouch (White Faux Suede) to Carry the Toshiba Mini NB305 10.1-inch Netbook Very happy with that, too. Fits like a glove and makes it super easy to transport the NB305 and feel it is very protected.
Overall, still extremely happy.)

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Toshiba Mini NB305: Sleeker Design and Improved Battery LifeWith a new sleeker design and up to 11 hours of battery life rating, the affordable, super-compact Toshiba Mini NB305 weighs less than 3 pounds, is small enough to throw in a purse or bag, and offers a brightly colorful 10.1-inch LED-backlit screen. It features a full-size keyboard for comfortable typing and a larger touchpad with Multi-Touch Control, which enables you to navigate documents, web pages and images more easily.
With up to 11 hours of battery life the Toshiba mini NB305 lets you go through an entire day of school, work or errands without worrying about a recharge.

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Toshiba Mini NB205-N325BN 10.1-Inch Sable Brown Netbook - 9 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Starter) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I looked at netbooks for about 2 months, comparing all of the various features. Then I went on the road to see them in person and put my hands on the keyboard. I ended up choosing the Toshiba NB205-N325 because it met all my criteria (Windows 7, upgradable RAM, great battery life, and overall quality construction) and because it has the best keyboard for my hands. The chicklet keys are great and the sub-sized keyboard only slows me down a little from a full-sized version.
After shopping all around I ended up buying it direct from Amazon. They had the best price on cyber monday of 329.99. Interestingly, the price is now back up to 380+ so I guess I got lucky with the timing.
I tossed the 2GB RAM upgrade into my shopping cart and the machine showed up at my door about 8 days later.
Start up was a breeze. It found my home network and network printer without a problem. I downloaded chrome as my browser with no problem, activated the Norton trial (still shopping for an antivirus program), and activated the free trial of Office (I actually have the software but haven't gotten around to activating my copy). I've plugged in several USB devices without issue including a wireless mouse and external hard drive. No problems. The 160 GB hard disk has plenty of space and unless you plan to make and store movie files you should never need more. After about an hour I shut back down and installed the 2GB RAM chip which is simple to do. You just remove one screw on a small cover on the back and the chip is right there. Pop the old one out and the new one in, then start back up. The user manual spells it out perfectly. I didn't run it long enough on the 1GB chip to give you a comparison on performance but with 2GB it seems as quick as my other laptops. I think this upgrade is a no-brainer if you plan to use your netbook for anything more than reading e-mail.
The only glitch I've had is with the display. About 2 hrs after I started it up the display suddenly went crazy, jerking all over. I was talking on a cordless phone at the time and assumed it somehow interfered with the display. It happened again one time two days later only I wasn't talking on the phone. Both times I got it to stop by putting it to sleep and then starting back up (which only takes a couple seconds). I don't know what to make of this but so far it hasn't repeated itself and at least I know how to stop it. If it happens again I'll call Toshiba.
My overall impression is that I love this little guy. It does everything I wanted it to do and is the ultimate in portability. I use it on and off all day, closing the lid when I'm done which puts it to sleep. It wakes up almost instantly, so this is a great way to extend the battery. The only time I plug it in is at night. I've never come close to running the battery down. The fit and finish of the machine are terrific.
Toshiba hit a home run with this model. It gets 5 stars from me.

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Small enough to throw in a purse or bag, the affordable, super-compact 10.1-inch Toshiba mini NB205 netbook--which weighs just under 3 pounds--is designed with smart features like a full-sized keyboard and touchpad, long battery life, 3 USB ports (including one Sleep and Charge port) and a hard drive impact sensor that protects your data. You'll also get excellent battery life with the included six-cell battery that provides up to 9 hours of battery power--enabling you to go through an entire day of school, work or errands without worrying about a recharge.
It comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Starter operating system, which combines the latest in reliability and responsiveness with the familiarity and compatibility of Windows. It includes new Windows 7 features like Jump Lists to help you to better find and manage files, and connecting to printers and peripherals is easier than ever. (Learn more about Windows 7 Starter below.)
Created especially for mobile devices, Intel's 1.6 GHz Atom N280 processor uses an innovative design structure and hafnium-infused circuitry that helps reduce electrical current leakage in transistors--which means longer battery life when you're on the go. It also includes the Intel 945GSE graphics chipset, which provides browsing the internet, emailing, running basic PC applications and enjoying online digital media. This model of the Toshiba mini NB205 (NB205-N325BN) has a distinctively styled cover in Sable Brown, which is accented by a textured finish with a Matrix pattern. It features a 160 GB hard disk drive, 1 GB of RAM (upgradeable to 2 GB), 54g Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g), Fast Ethernet, and a Secure Digital memory card slot.

Key Features
10.1-inch LED backlit widescreen display (1024 x 600-pixel resolution) provides richer colors and clearer definition--perfect for browsing the internet
Windows 7 Starter makes small notebook PCs easier to use because it puts less between you and what you want to do--less waiting, less clicking, less hassle connecting to networks. And Starter combines the latest in reliability and responsiveness with the familiarity and compatibility of Windows. (Learn more)
Get more features with Windows Anytime Upgrade.A small notebook PC running Windows 7 Home Premium is even easier to use. The new taskbar and advanced navigation features make launching programs, opening files, managing windows, and getting around your PC faster and easier. Personalize your PC to be just the way you want it with helpful gadgets and desktop themes--even turn your desktop into a slideshow of your favorite photos. And you get the best entertainment experience on a PC. With Windows Media Center, you can watch shows for free when and where you want with Internet TV.
1.66 GHz Intel Atom N280 processor combines performance and efficiency to explore the Internet and stay connected while mobile (Learn more)
160 GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 RPM) with an impact sensor that helps safeguard your data by "parking" the hard drive heads in the event of a drop or sudden movement. (Learn more)
1 GB of RAM (800 MHz; 1 memory slot; upgradeable to 2 GB)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator GMA950 with up to 251 MB of dynamically allocated shared graphics memory
Webcam (0.3 megapixels) integrated into the bezel for easy video chats and teleconferencing
Three USB ports with one Sleep and Charge port on the left side, allowing you to charge your mobile phone and other devices even when the notebook is asleep or off.
Full-sized keyboard (85 keys)
Integrated Wi-Fi networking (802.11b.g) so you can communicate, browse and share while on the move
Fast Ethernet wired networking (10/100)
Built-in mono speaker
Up to 9 hours of battery life from included 6-cell battery
Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.6 x 1.27 inches (WxDxH)
Weight: 2.93 pounds
Environmentally focused with RoHS compatibility (reducing its environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances), Energy Star 5.0 compliant, and EPEAT Gold compliant
Warranty: 1 year warranty with international limited warranty coverage

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion This Toshiba mini NB205 notebook has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that's compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g networks. It offers the following ports:
3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
Analog video output: 1 VGA
Memory card reader compatible with Secure Digital (SD), Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC), and MultiMediaCard (MMC)
1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack
10/100 Fast Ethernet

What's in the box This package contains the Toshiba mini NB205-N325BN netbook, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions.
It also comes with the following software: Norton Internet Security 2009, Microsoft Works 9, Windows Media Player, Google Toolbar, Toshiba PC Health Monitor
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Windows 7 Starter makes small notebook PCs easier to use because it puts less between you and what you want to do--less waiting, less clicking, less hassle connecting to networks. Windows 7 Starter combines the latest in reliability and responsiveness with the familiarity and compatibility of Windows.

Intel Atom Processor: Your PC's Perfect Internet Companion Take the Internet to more places with the long battery life and flexibility of a compact, lightweight netbook powered by the incredibly small, amazingly smart Intel Atom processor. It features a design structure that packs in 47 million transistors into a single chip sized at just 22mm (0.87 inches), and it uses just 2.5 watts of power--less than 1/10 of the 35 watts used by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor--for excellent battery management. This 1.66 GHz Atom N280 processor also includes a power-optimized front side bus of 533 MHz for faster data transfer on demanding mobile applications and a 512 KB L2 cache (which temporarily stores data).
Hard Drive Protection While the highly portable nature of mini-notebooks exposes them to the knocks and bumps that are an inevitable feature of life on the move, the Toshiba mini NB205 features a 3D-accelerometer monitoring system that detects freefalls, shocks and vibrations and protects the integrated HDD to secure against the loss of any personal data.

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