Reviews Written By: A3CG93783LP0FOprovided by Amazon.com |
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 | Fitness Quest Tony Little's Gazelle Edge Elliptical Trainer "As Seen on TV" | |
 | "The basic bare-bones Gazelle" | 2009-11-03 |
| I bought this Gazelle 4 years ago and used it about 6 months before I became very bored with it. Let's just say that using this model Gazelle, since it has no resistance, is better than doing nothing at all. Better than sitting on the couch and trying to burn calories by punching the buttons on the remote control.
It's kind of fun - you feel a little like you are floating and weightless when on it, but it soon gets boring. I would use mine while watching some of my favorite shows on TV. The stretch it gives you feels good, and depending on what you put into it, for example, leaning more on your arms while pumping, you may build a little muscle, but as far as burning enough calories to lose weight, I just don't think this machine cuts it. Luckily, I was able to get rid of this by selling locally on eBay. And I was able to purchase this instead: Schwinn 230 Recumbent Exercise Bike which I really love and use almost every night - and have been for almost 2 years. | ||
 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ8K 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) | |
 | "The Leica lens sets this apart from others in this class" | 2009-10-29 |
| I owned this camera for a couple weeks - I just couldn't decide between this camera and the Panasonic DMC-TZ4 Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4S 8.1MP Digital Camera with 10x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver). It was really a tough choice - I agonized for days as this one cost a lot less - but I eventually chose the DMC-TZ4 due to it being manufactured in Japan, not China, and the TZ4 has a 10X optical zoom. The TZ4 is also made of metal, while this camera is plastic.
But this LZ8 is also a wonderful camera as all Panasonic cameras are. Battery life was excellent. Even though made of plastic, it was built well, and even the battery cover was not flimsy. This camera was budget priced when it was first introduced and it has a Leica lens. I posted a couple pictures I took with this camera right after I took it out of the box. There was no learning curve to using this camera. Panasonic makes some great cameras - check out the latest version of this camera. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 12.1MP Digital Camera with 4.6x POWER Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-inch LCD (Silver) | ||
 | Olay Pro-X Anti-Aging Starter Protocol | |
 | "Hydrates well, but that is about all" | 2009-09-18 |
| I'm 56, with normal to dry skin, and pretty good skin for my age, as I learned at an early age to take care of my skin. I've been using the Olay Pro-X three-piece skincare set for a little over a month now with the following 3 items:
Age Repair Lotion SPF 30 Wrinkle Smoothing Cream Eye Restoration Complex If you have seen the ads on TV comparing the Olay Pro-X skincare line to Retin A, don't be fooled. If you look closely at the ads, Olay states the wrinkles are plumped due to the hydration of the products. At least they are being honest. It is not due to the Olay having the same affect on the skin as Retin A does. Check the ingredient list. They don't even contain retinol, a derivative of Retin A. They do contain some peptides, but those can be drying to some. Yes, my skin has been hydrated enough with the Pro-X moisturizers. But moisturize is all it does. It does not work the same as Retin A. Retin A slowly exfoliates the layers of skin and builds up collagen to help firm the skin. Some users can tolerate Retin A, some can't. I did try Retin A several times before giving up on it. I just couldn't handle the constant peeling of my skin, but I know that side effect eventually subsides. I can't get through that period, since my skin is dry as it is. Olay Pro-X PROS: It's fragrance-free, a big pro for me, as I'm allergic to heavy perfumes in skin care. It's very hydrating, and feels good on the skin. Sinks in fast, and leaves no stickiness. Not so many products in the line that it becomes confusing or time-consuming; day cream, night cream, and eye cream is enough for a basic skincare regimen. Maybe add in a Vitamin C serum and that is all you need. Olay Pro-X CONS: The SPF30 day cream is a chemical sunscreen. The SPF30 is not a high enough SPF for me, I need at least SPF45. At the end of the day this wears off and I get burned. Expensive for what it does, you can find skin care for less that does the same thing as the Olay. Olay tests on animals. Will I buy the Olay Pro-X again when this runs out? No, it's ok but I'm not that elated with it. I plan on going back to what I was using previous to this when these containers are empty. | ||
 | Norton 360 3.0 All-in-One Security (for 1 user, up to 3 Computers) | |
 | "An Upgrade from Norton Internet Security 2009" | 2009-05-28 |
| Three days ago I upgraded to the Norton 360 Version 3.0 on my Compaq computer. I previously was using Norton Internet Security 2009 and had no problems with that, but it doesn't hurt to have more features to rely on for your PC's health and safety from viruses, anti-spy and hackers. Information about the computer it is being used on: AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core Processor 3 GB RAM Vista Home Premium 32 Bit Firefox Version 3.0.10 Browser (supports Firefox and IE) DSL - standard speed I'm just your average user, I don't use my PC for business, it's purely entertainment, emails, photos, bulletin boards, and online shopping...and I almost forgot, but how could I? The most important "work" I do is rescue for homeless dogs and cats in kill shelters and I'm on the computer several hours a day to find them their forever homes. I was happy with my Norton Internet Security 2009 but the 360 offers more: > Automated set-it-and-forget-it protection (I have mine "set" for this) > Identifies unsafe web sites and sellers for safer online shopping > Backup protection for valuable files > Restores damaged and/or deleted files/folders > Includes 2 GB of secure online storage > PC Tune-up fixes problems that slow your PC, removes unwanted clutter and unnecessary registry files, and keeps your PC running smoothly I had been using CCleaner (Crap Cleaner) until now, and a few weeks ago I did a registry clean-up with CCleaner and accidentally removed some files that were used to recognize my computer's DVD and USB ports, so that was a real mess I had on my hands to fix. Tonight I had gained enough trust in my Norton 360 over the past couple days to do a PC Tune-up - the Norton cleaned my registry and left the files I needed. Now I can uninstall my CCleaner program - don't need it now since the Norton works so well. Maybe it is because I had the other version of Norton previously installed, but I have seen no slowdown at all with the Norton 360 program running. When the LiveUpdate is running, I can't even tell. I have everything set to the default settings. I couldn't be happier with this. It's perfect for the non-techie type of computer user. | ||
 | Canon PowerShot A470 7MP Digital Camera with 3.4x Optical Zoom (Blue) | |
| "Maybe it's just me, but......" | 2009-05-22 |
| I cannot for the life of me take a good picture with any Canon camera. I owned the A570IS 7.1 MP for awhile, sold it and went back to a Fuji for my "good" camera. But I also wanted a small sturdy camera I could just toss in my hobo bag and go, so I ordered the Canon A470 to give a Canon another try, since so many others love them. I got the red one, but when it arrived, it looked more like bright hot pink or a magenta, than a true red. So for those of you guys who are wanting the red, I would choose another color. I received the camera fast, did the set up, started taking some pictures. No matter what setting I chose, other than the close-up macro setting, the pictures were somewhat grainy. Close-up pics of items like jewelry were really great, so if you are looking for a good camera for taking Ebay pictures, this would be a good camera for that. The A470 is really large for a newer model of camera (although this has been out a couple years now, most cameras of this era are smaller). However, it seems to be well built and I would especially think it would be wonderful for a "tween" boy or girl on up through the teens. I was pretty impressed with the movie-making mode; pretty good sound quality and my movies were not grainy at all. HOWEVER, if you are thinking about this camera, Canon does have a newer model which replaced this one. Check out the A480 and it may fit your needs also. | ||
 | Canon PowerShot A470 7.1 MP Digital Camera with 3.4x Optical Zoom (Red) | |
| "Maybe it's just me, but......" | 2009-05-22 |
| I cannot for the life of me take a good picture with any Canon camera. I owned the A570IS 7.1 MP for awhile, sold it and went back to a Fuji for my "good" camera. But I also wanted a small sturdy camera I could just toss in my hobo bag and go, so I ordered the Canon A470 to give a Canon another try, since so many others love them. I got the red one, but when it arrived, it looked more like bright hot pink or a magenta, than a true red. So for those of you guys who are wanting the red, I would choose another color. I received the camera fast, did the set up, started taking some pictures. No matter what setting I chose, other than the close-up macro setting, the pictures were somewhat grainy. Close-up pics of items like jewelry were really great, so if you are looking for a good camera for taking Ebay pictures, this would be a good camera for that. The A470 is really large for a newer model of camera (although this has been out a couple years now, most cameras of this era are smaller). However, it seems to be well built and I would especially think it would be wonderful for a "tween" boy or girl on up through the teens. I was pretty impressed with the movie-making mode; pretty good sound quality and my movies were not grainy at all. HOWEVER, if you are thinking about this camera, Canon does have a newer model which replaced this one. Check out the A480 and it may fit your needs also. | ||
 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4 Digital Camera (8.1MP ,10x Wide Angle MEGA Optical IS Zoom, DMC-TZ4K, Black) | |
| "Takes pictures that rival an SLR in quality!" | 2008-10-11 |
| I received this camera a few days ago and I am absolutely thrilled with it. This is coming from a person who only loved Fuji cameras in the past, and I've had several Fuji's. My last one was an S700 - one of those huge SLR wannabees - well I got tired of the huge size of the S700 so I decided to venture out of the box and try a different brand. I have tried Kodak's, Pentax's, Canon's and even a Nikon Coolpix and this Panasonic TZ4 wins hand-down. It's 8.1 MP and has a Leica 10X optical zoom glass lens. Leica manufactures some of the best lenses in the world. It's made in JAPAN - not China! It's fairly heavy for a compact point & shoot as a majority of this camera is made of METAL, not plastic. Best of all, it's not really a 10X optical zoom. If you shoot in any resolution from 6 MP or under you can take the OPTICAL zoom all the way up to 15.9 OPTICAL!!! And it takes fabulous pictures. I have always had a shaky hand when taking pictures, and I have not had one blurry picture yet, even when taking pictures of my cats - and they never hold still. It takes the best night-portrait and night-scenery shots I have ever seen. I can't wait to take this camera to the Wright Patterson AFB Museum - the last camera I took there was a Fuji and most of my pictures turned out bad due to the low light conditions at this museum. I also sell items on the #1 auction site, and this camera takes great pictures for my auction listings. If you have the control wheel set to iA (Intelligent Autofocus) you don't even have to press the macro button to take a close-up--the sensor adjusts and does it automatically. I have never been as thrilled with a camera in my entire life as I am with this one. So if any of you are looking for a great point & shoot camera, check this one out :) BTW I got the black camera, but it's more of a dark gray shade, not a dark black. In the next couple days I will be posting some pictures here of the new Indianapolis Midfield Terminal (our new airport). Also please note that the pictures that are uploaded here to share do not do this camera justice. I think Amazon compresses the uploaded pictures - trust me - your pictures taken with this camera will look 100 times better in person than they do here on this site. The prices for this camera are the best here on this site. Believe me, I checked everywhere before purchasing this camera. And if you don't like it, Amazon has a great return policy. NOTE: If you are looking for a high definition camera, go with the TZ5 - it's a little more expensive but the cameras are basically the same otherwise. | ||
 | Schwinn 230 Recumbent Exercise Bike | |
| "For All Fitness Levels" | 2008-03-10 |
| Even if you think you are so out of shape you couldn't possibly ride this bike, think again, and give it a try! I have been lazy and let myself get out of shape the past 3 years due to not feeling well overall and a medical condition. I had gained 50 lbs. due to a sluggish thyroid which medication has now brought under control. Still I had that 50 lbs. to lose. (As always stated, please check with your doctor beginning any exercise program).
Having used a treadmill and a Gazelle glider and finding myself bored with both of them, I decided to try a recumbent bike as this was one piece of exercise equipment I hadn't yet tried. So before I took the plunge to order this from Amazon, I checked out this same model bike at Dick's Sporting Goods and immediately fell in love. So the treadmill and Gazelle both went on Ebay and luckily I sold them for a decent amount of money. BTW, this bike is much cheaper here at Amazon than at Dick's. Using this bike doesn't feel like exercise at all, and it is so quiet I can watch the local evening news on TV and the time flies by. I love the different programs. Since I've only had this a little over a week (and I've already dropped almost 10 lbs. by riding the bike for 30 minutes every night and watching what I'm eating), I'm still on Level 1. At the moment I only do the Ride in the Park or the Crosstrainer programs. I don't know if I will ever progress to Pike's Peak, but that program gives me something to shoot for. So whether you are like me (previously doing no exercise) or a serious outdoor biking enthusiast, there is a level for everyone with this bike. I recommend it highly. It is a serious piece of exercise equipment, looks good enough to keep out, and is very well made and sturdy. Even though a bike is mostly a lower body and cardio workout, I can also feel this in my abs. It may have to do with the position your body is in on a recumbent bicycle. The seat is comfortable and it is easy to find the perfect setting due to all the hole positions in the seat bar. I'm 5 foot 4 inches and this bike is perfectly sized for me, and also if you are as tall as my boyfriend at 6 foot 1 inches and a slight seat adjustment and it's great for him too. The only complaint I have about the bike is I wish the console display was back-lit so I could see it in a dark room. But for all I love about this bike, it's not a big deal to me. SHIPPING: I opted for the free shipping and saved $75.00 by doing so. Mine didn't have far to ship - it came from a warehouse in Hebron, KY and I live in Indiana, so it arrived quickly - in just 3 days. For those of you who have read the other reviews here with the shipping problems, I think Amazon has switched from using UPS to using Eagle/CEVA Logistics. Eagle/CEVA delivered mine, but I did have to make arrangements to be home when he delivered it - they give you a 5 hour window and the delivery person got lost but was at my home just 2 hours into the "window". My box arrived in excellent condition with all the strapping intact and no holes in the box. As I unpacked it, the bike itself was in pristine condition. ASSEMBLY: I'm a female (and blonde!!!) and I had the entire bike assembled in under an hour. All the bolts, screws and washers lined up perfectly and all tools were included - I did use my own Phillips head screwdriver as I preferred a handle with a good grip on it. Also, I took the advice of another reviewer here and assembled the computer to the mast BEFORE attaching it to the frame. Much easier that way. I'm so pleased with this bike it will probably be my favorite Amazon purchase of all time. If you are on the fence - just give it a try - I'm sure you will love it as much as I do. I write very few reviews here at Amazon for all the items I buy, but I just couldn't pass up writing a review for this. | ||
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