Reviews Written By: A2QNMPNXW1QAQ5provided by Amazon.com |
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 | AA Alkaline Batteries Value Packs | |
 | "Good price to quality ratio" | 2007-05-31 |
| I've been using these batteries for the past few months now, and they work nearly as well as Duracell batteries. I hesitate to say that they are wonderful, but for the price that I purchased them for, it was definitely worth it. Longevity comparison: Wireless Keyboard (Logitech MX3200) Duracell: 3 months Maxell: 2 months Calculator (TI-89) Duracell: 3 months Maxell: 3 months | ||
 | Pop Shotz | |
 | "Small-sized bubble machine, decent output" | 2007-05-31 |
| I bought this bubble machine as one more prop for my girlfriend's birthday surprise. When I used it during the birthday party, it didn't produce a noticeable number of bubbles. Do not purchase this bubble machine expecting to fill up a room with bubbles. Think of it more as a personal bubble blower, good for fun for yourself and maybe a couple friends/kids/pets. Two bottles of bubble solution are included, but they run out extremely fast - the first bottle was spent in about 15 minutes. Nonetheless, it's easy to make your own bubble solution from soap (google it).
In short, to not mislead consumers, either the "turbo" or the "machine" should be removed from the product name. Lots of fun anyways though. | ||
 | Sonos ZonePlayer ZP100 Add-on player for expanding your Sonos Digital Music System | |
| "Great system" | 2006-12-13 |
| After fiddling with the idea of a wired music system, and then abandoning it, followed by a short-lived experiment with the Roku Soundbridge, my client and I decided to go for the Sonos ZP system. It works perfectly. Sound reproduction at the wired player, as well as the wireless player downstairs is actually better than the sound through an iPod, thanks to the built in amplifier. The Roku Soundbridge, in comparison, actually sounds worse than the connected iPod, even when it is wired directly through Ethernet. Set up of the zone player system is easy, and smooth. While expensive, this system is worth the extra money. Highly recommended. | ||
 | Sonos Controller CR100 Add-on Remote Control for Sonos Digital Music System | |
 | "Poorly Designed Remote" | 2006-12-13 |
| For an otherwise flawless system, the Sonos Controller is very poorly made. The product is large, bulky, awkward, and a bit heavy, but without the "substantial and well-constructed" feeling that heavier items should provide. While the large screen is a plus, the scroll wheel is almost painful to use. Compared to the iPod's scroll wheel, the Sonos wheel almost seems like a couple of vertical and horizontal motional detectors packaged as a circle. The unit often freezes, and only guesswork with random key strokes or a lengthy wait will cure the problem. Battery life is average, and expect to keep it docked (or plugged in) when not in use. I do not recommend this product, especially for its ridiculously high price, but it seems that there is no choice if you want the Sonos system. The Sonos Zoneplayer system, as evident in my reviews of the ZP100 and ZP80 bundles, is excellent. | ||
 | Victorinox Swiss Army Classic 53005 SD, Pink | |
| "Bought it for my girlfriend" | 2006-12-13 |
| Bought this as a joke/gift for my girlfriend. Yes, it is a bright, hot pink, not a more subdued tone. It is surprisingly small - no longer than two inches in length. I personally own a Swiss Army One-Hand Trekker Lockblade, though, so this may be why I expected a larger tool. The blades are very sharp, and the knife works beautifully, My girlfriend and I are both pleased with this knife. | ||
 | Sonos CC100 Charging Cradle for Sonos CR100 Controller | |
 | "Overpriced, but you can't get it anywhere else" | 2006-12-13 |
| This charging cradle works as it should for the Sonos Controller, but it is very overpriced, considering that all you get are two pieces of plastic. An adapter is not even included, as you use the adapter that came with the controller. A functional product, but worth perhaps 1/10 of the price. Good news is that it comes for free with the ZP80 bundle here on Amazon and for free with both ZP80 and ZP100 bundles direct from Sonos. | ||
 | Kensington 7 Port USB 2.0 DOME HUB (33118) | |
| "Functioning USB Hub" | 2006-12-13 |
| Oddly enough, I'm not too excited about a USB Hub, so I don't feel like there's a need to write much of a review for one. But anyways, this hub works as it should, and has a great design. The LED lights are pretty useful, though since a USB Hub can't tell you what is plugged in, only that something is plugged in, this limits its usefulness. The design is "cute" and fun, though it can get ugly once you plug in 7 things. Also, the included Firefly Light is again, "cute", but uselessly dim. | ||
 | HP F2105 21" LCD Flat Panel Monitor | |
| "Wonderful Widescreen Monitor!" | 2006-12-13 |
| My girlfriend got this monitor for me as a gift, and I am in love with it (and with her too). I also disclaim all responsibility for needless digressions in this review. This monitor is bright, and has excellent build quality. The 21 inches of widescreen look magnificent. The actual H*W dimensions are a little bigger than two pieces of computer paper placed side by side vertically (11.25" by 18" are the actual dimensions.) The USB ports are nice to have, though I consider the speakers to be worthless - I actually wish HP hadn't included them. About the power button - I have read those reviews, and in response, I do not power off my monitor - it goes to "sleep" automatically. Yes, I realize that this may be detrimental to the environment on a small-scale, but I am afraid of that power button breaking. I can see that it could break, especially with heavy finger-tip-blows. The other buttons are a little iffy as well, but I doubt that you'll use them much. Besides these minor complaints, once again, I am in love with this monitor. Oh, and did I mention that there is only height and tilt adjustment (no swivel or pivot). Besides that, the bezel looks great. While you would never be able to use this monitor as part of a dual-monitor set-up, it looks spectacular alone. Indeed, the bezel makes the monitor look bigger and more substantial than other 21" monitors, and even 22" monitors. The color quality is excellent - I believe this is a true 8-bit panel, after running some banding tests. The screen is very bright, and I have no dead pixels (although there was one stuck pixel that invariably disappeared after the first night and has not reappeared). There is some confusion about the actual response time of this monitor. I have seen it listed as 16ms, 12ms "Optimized", and even 8 ms per the HP specs PDF. What the true response time is, and how the "optimization" works is beyond me, but I do know that I have no problems with ghosting. Playing Battlefield 2 and 2142, I experienced no problems (besides the fact that I had to make some modifications to make Battlefield run in widescreen. Age of Empires, on the other hand, is great of this computer because you can actually see more of your people.) Movie playback works as expected, with the source quality being the limiting factor. Two windows fit comfortably side by side on the screen, so work is a lot easier to do. Lastly, the large U-shaped base is very sturdy. This is a great price for a high-quality 21" monitor, and although LCD prices are dropping continuously, I highly recommend this monitor. | ||
 | CANON 50mm/f1.8 Canon Camera Lens | |
| "Nice lens!" | 2006-12-13 |
| After buying my girlfriend a Canon Digital Rebel XT as a gift, I got her this lens when I realized the kit lens was painfully inadequate. She calls it the "in-focus-subject, blurry-background-effect" (she's new to SLRs), and it is exactly that. This camera gives a nice, soft feeling to people-photos, inevitably making them look better than they actually are. Not as good as the 50mm f/1.4 L lens, but a lot cheaper. Great value for great quality. | ||
 | VANGUARD VS41 Flexible MiniTripod | |
| "Remarkably sturdy for the size" | 2006-12-13 |
| This minitripod is very sturdy, considering it's size. With a little work, you can bend the legs into any shape you want. I saw it at a camera store for ten dollars after I bought it on Amazon, so I thought I had snagged a great deal. Then I saw it on Black Friday for a buck. Even so, I do not regret the loss of three dollars, as it easily supports both my Sony DSC-T33 as well as its mounting/charging dock. | ||
 | Sonos ZP80 Digital Music System Bundle | |
| "Great way to get great wireless sound" | 2006-12-13 |
| I plugged this in last weekend for one my clients, and it works superbly. We connected one ZP80 to a set of Polk Atrium 45p speakers, and another ZP80 to a set of Advent AV70? speakers, and they sound great. I recommend these for use with smaller speakers, as they will deliver enough satisfactory sound. For larger speakers, though, I recommend the ZP100, with its built in amplifier. Set-up of the ZP80 was remarkably easy. I do wish the 2-minute "activation" period was a little bit longer so I wouldn't have to run around to connect each machine to the wireless subnet that the Sonos systems create and use. The remote is big, bulky, somewhat heavy, and the scroll wheel is difficult to use, especially if you are accustomed to using an iPod scroll wheel. Actually, I suspect that the scroll wheel is just a couple vertical and horizontal heat sensors packaged as a scroll wheel. If you can get over this small disadvantage, this product is great. | ||
 | Algebra I (Cliffs Study Solver) | |
| "Covers all the material" | 2006-12-13 |
| I purchased this book as a review book for one of my students (who happens to be in Calculus, interestingly enough). The pre-test is a great diagnostic tool, and the book does cover all the topics in Algebra I that I would expect it to. Highly recommended as a review/practice/study book. | ||
 | Algebra II (CliffsStudySolver) | |
| "Great review book, though not very challenging." | 2006-12-13 |
| I purchased this book as a review book for one of my students (who happens to be in Calculus, interestingly enough). The pre-test is a great diagnostic tool, and the book does cover all the topics in Algebra II that I would expect it to. However, I feel that the material is a little on the easy side for Algebra II. For a basic math education, this will do it. But for extra practice or advanced studies, I would get something more challenging. Recommended as a review/practice/study book. | ||
 | Ray Charles - Genius Loves Company | |
| "Perfect Gift" | 2006-12-13 |
| I picked this CD up as a birthday gift for a friend, who loves Ray Charles. He hadn't seen this album yet, and was very pleased with it, both as a Ray Charles fan, and as a music listener. I've listened to the CD as well, and while it's not my favorite choice, the audio quality does sound good. Recommended. | ||
 | Western Digital My Book Pro Edition 500 GB External Hard Drive with Triple Interface | |
| "Top of the Line MyBook" | 2006-12-13 |
| I purchased this external hard drive to store files for my client. The triple interface is excellent, and few external hard drives out there have USB and two Firewire options. The design is also good, and while I don't use the backup software, it is there. Plug and Play works effortlessly on this device, which isn't saying much, but many products do have their own problems. There has been no data loss or any problems, even after I dropped the hard drive from about 1.5 feet off the ground (oops). What I don't like about this hard drive is the large front-side button, which is very easy to click when adjusting the position of the drive. This will sometimes kill whatever process you may be running on the drive, which is annoying. I also which there was a front-side USB port, as some other Western Digital hard drives have. The WD idea of using these as books is cute, but impractical. Hard drive space is increasing so rapidly that your "books" will soon be outdated. Nonetheless, highly recommended if you need the triple interface; otherwise the "lower" versions of the WD external drives will work just as well. Update: This hard drive can get a bit warm, so do not place it on top of your desktop computer. | ||
 | Iogear 5 Port Hi-Speed USB 2.0 PCI Card ( GIC251U ) | |
| "Works as it should" | 2006-12-13 |
| This is a simple USB 2.0 card, it worked effortlessly with my client's Dell Dimension 8200. Yes, this review conflicts with an earlier review which explicitly mentions that it does not work a Dell Dimension 8200. Nonetheless, it did for me. I have installed many PCI cards, and this one was no different: quick and easy (though I must mention that the Dell computer PCI card installation process is a bit annoying). Also, the "spotlight" reviews about compatibility issues with Windows XP and Service Pack 1 are out of date - Amazon should remove them. With SP2 as the standard, and Vista ready, there are no compatibility issues at all. This card is cheap, and it works. Recommended. | ||
 | Organic Chemistry | |
| "Check Plus" | 2006-12-13 |
| Very well-written organic chemistry book. Without detailed explanation, the approach the authors use makes organic chemistry a little easier to learn, and the examples and explanations in this textbook are superb. I don't highly recommend organic chemistry, but if you want to learn it, I highly recommend this book. | ||
 | Sonos ZonePlayer ZP80 Add-On Player | |
| "Excellent Add-on Player" | 2006-12-13 |
| I plugged this in last weekend for one my clients, and it works superbly. We connected one ZP80 to a set of Polk Atrium 45p speakers, and another ZP80 to a set of Advent AV70? speakers, and they sound great. I recommend these for use with smaller speakers, as they will deliver enough satisfactory sound. For larger speakers, though, I recommend the ZP100, with its built in amplifier. Set-up of the ZP80 was remarkably easy. I do wish the 2-minute "activation" period was a little bit longer so I wouldn't have to run around to connect each machine to the wireless subnet that the Sonos systems create and use. Highly recommended. | ||
 | Intermediate Microeconomics: A Modern Approach, Sixth Edition | |
| "Good Ec Book" | 2006-12-13 |
| This is the standard intro-level economics textbook at Harvard, and it is well written. Covers all expected topics to good depth, with excellent examples. A reasonably suitable book for reading, and a simply useful textbook. Recommended. | ||
 | General Chemistry: Principles and Modern Applications (8th Edition) | |
| "So-so Book" | 2006-12-13 |
| I agree with many of the other reviewers: this book does a semi-decent job of explaining inorganic chemistry. The practice problems are okay, but the layout and organization can be improved upon. Nonetheless, most students have no choice when it comes to choosing a textbook. | ||
 | Intermediate Microeconomics: A Modern Approach, Seventh Edition | |
| "Good Ec Book" | 2006-12-12 |
| This is the standard intro-level economics textbook at Harvard, and it is well written. Covers all expected topics to good depth, with excellent examples. A reasonably suitable book for reading, and a simply useful textbook. Recommended. | ||
 | Animal Behavior: An Evolutionary Approach, Eighth Edition | |
| "Book of examples and studies; great for animal behavior" | 2006-12-12 |
| While I expected this book (and my course) to be a book of concepts and theories, they are actually filled with examples of field studies, lab studies, etc. This makes the book actually enjoyable to read, if you have any interest in animal behavior. The writer is an evolutionary biologist himself, and he makes this clear when he explicitly compares his opinions to other biologists' opinions. The images of the author's thumb as a mating object by a bee were also amusing. Like another reviewer mentioned, this book is fun, and can -almost- be read for fun. | ||
 | Animal Behavior: An Evolutionary Approach | |
| "Book of examples and studies; great for animal behavior" | 2006-12-12 |
| While I expected this book (and my course) to be a book of concepts and theories, they are actually filled with examples of field studies, lab studies, etc. This makes the book actually enjoyable to read, if you have any interest in animal behavior. The writer is an evolutionary biologist himself, and he makes this clear when he explicitly compares his opinions to other biologists' opinions. The images of the author's thumb as a mating object by a bee were also amusing. Like another reviewer mentioned, this book is fun, and can -almost- be read for fun. | ||
 | Solutions Manual for Organic Chemistry | |
| "Well written solutions manual" | 2006-12-12 |
| Not much to say about this, except that I am taking an organic chemistry course, and this book is great. While it does not thoroughly explain the answers to every question in the corresponding textbook, the answers are generally enough to provide enough clues to solve the problem. Reommended. | ||
 | Advent AV570 70-Watt 2-Way Powered Multimedia Speaker System | |
| "Great sound, Perfect for classical music" | 2006-12-08 |
| These speakers sound very clean, and work very well together. They can't quite replace the need for a subwoofer, as the bass sounds a little forced. They're perfect for listening to classical music, which I do a lot of. The sounds is especially crisp for vocal and orchestral works. However, for hip-hop, which I also listen to, the bass is somewhat weak. Overall, a great deal! | ||
 | POLK AUDIO Atrium 45p Self-Powered Loudspeakers: White | |
| "Decent speakers, but there are better ones" | 2006-12-08 |
| I purchased these speakers for one of my clients, and they are decent speakers. However, for the some money, you can a lot better speakers, such as the Advent AV570 speakers. The Polk speakers include one powered speaker and one passive speaker. They have a decent design, but look more like outdoor speakers than indoor speakers. The sound of these speakers is very crisp, but the bass is lacking - the range is not as wide as they make it out to be. We originally chose this pair of speakers because they were more attractive than the Advent speakers. However, they ended up being not so pretty - the picture is somewhat misleading. If this matches your home set-up/color scheme, etc., then go for it; otherwise, you can do a lot better with the money. | ||
 | POLK AUDIO Atrium 45p Self-Powered Loudspeakers: Black | |
| "Decent speakers, but there are better ones" | 2006-12-08 |
| I purchased these speakers for one of my clients, and they are decent speakers. However, for the some money, you can a lot better speakers, such as the Advent AV570 speakers. The Polk speakers include one powered speaker and one passive speaker. They have a decent design, but look more like outdoor speakers than indoor speakers. The sound of these speakers is very crisp, but the bass is lacking - the range is not as wide as they make it out to be.
We originally chose this pair of speakers because they were more attractive than the Advent speakers. However, they ended up being not so pretty - the picture is somewhat misleading. If this matches your home set-up/color scheme, etc., then go for it; otherwise, you can do a lot better with the money. | ||
 | SanDisk SDCFH-2048-901 2GB ULTRA II CompactFlash Card | |
| "Works well" | 2006-11-09 |
| Bought this card along with a Rebel XT as a gift for my girlfriend. It's been performing without a hitch so far, though on burst mode, there is transfer lag: in that, the pictures take a lot faster than can be transferred to the card, and so after the burst, the pictures are still being written to memory. | ||
 | Victorinox Swiss Army One-Hand Trekker Lockblade - Black | |
| "Excellent blade and few things more" | 2006-03-27 |
| I originally needed a bottle opener and a can opener to open all the soda pop at parties, but my roommate recommended that I get a swiss army knife. This black pocket knife is extremely versatile as well as aesthetically pleasing (definitely more so than the red Swiss Army knives). I wouldn't exactly consider this a one-hand knife, as the main blade is not easy to open with one hand (though it is possible with a pushing flick of the thumb). The main blade is great for everything - I've used it from cutting fruit to opening bags. The saw is less useful indoors - I've only cut a pen in half with it, but it makes the knife a lot more interesting. As my girlfriend puts it, "Everyone guy who walks into your room fondles that knife." Overall, high-quality product for an excellent price. | ||
 | Henckels International Eversharp Pro 8-Inch Stainless Steel Chef Knife | |
| "Quality / Price Ratio = Excellent" | 2006-03-27 |
| After moving into college without any cooking or baking supplies, I needed to purchase a knife. Honestly, I purchased this knife instead of a smaller knife mainly because it looked murderous. Beyond that though, it works extremely well. I realize that it will not be as smooth as a high-end knife, but for the price, I couldn't imagine getting a better blade. I use this knife to slice fruit, cut boneless meats, and scare the girls in my dorm. Also, as an eversharp knife, it is even more suitable for a student like me because I won't need to worry about sharpening it. Even if it does get dull, I wouldn't mind paying the low price for another one of these knives. | ||
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