Reviews Written By: AFKEI3OEU5U85provided by Amazon.com |
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 | Linksys Wireless-N Broadband Router WRT300N | |
 | "Works for me" | 2007-06-12 |
| I have had a wireless home network for several years now, the first incarnation coming along with the advent of 802.11G technology and at this point I have several different "generations" of technology represented within my network. I still have my first D-Link desktop card, a newer Dell laptop with a G card installed. an Xbox, a PS3, a Sunrocket VOIP Gizmo directly connected to the router and another desktop configured as an HTPC also directly connected to the router. I tried everything D-Link has in the way of "N" routers, up to and including their top of the line DIR-655 with varying levels of problems including; inability to have differing security levels on my different devices and inability to have my VOIP service Gizmo behind the router which is something I absolutely demand. When I finally gave up and expanded my search, I went with Linksys because Sunrocket has 2 Gizmos, 1 being made by Linksys and I figured if all else failed, I could ask them to replace the Gizmo I have with the one from Linksys, hoping that would eliminate compatibility issues. The Gizmo is an NAT device and the WRT300N has a specific setting to allow or deny NAT traffic. I checked the box, the phone works, end of story. Whereas my older D-Link router allowed my older receivers to run at simple WPA security and those capable to take advantage of newer WPA 2 security, the new D-Links just could not do this requiring me to lower the security level of ALL connected equipment. With the Linksys, I again have the ease of running WPA 2 security while the router allows my legacy cards to access with basic WPA. My Intel wireless on my laptop shows the signal level in the taskbar and while the D-Link always showed "full" reception, the Linksys will vary from full to 2 and even 1 bar of reception at times. However, while I had difficulty sitting on my patio with the D-Link and would have to move and adjust until I could get a usable signal, the Linksys has been able to supply a solid signal anywhere I've gone on my property, regardless of the "level" indicated in the taskbar. The only exception would be if I go down the street, the bar will drop to zero and so will my ability to access my network. The bottom line here is, for me, the WRT300N did what 3 other routers could not. Namely, it brought me, my 3 PC's, my gaming systems and my phone service over to the new 802.11N technology. On top of that, it did it with as little fuss as I could have possibly hoped for, making me sorely regret all those wasted hours trying to get the "other" stuff to work. It seems the biggest complaints regarding this router are quite old. Perhaps the newer firmware upgrades have addressed the worst issues. All I know is, it works just fine for me. | ||
 | An Unstoppable Force: Daring to Become the Church God Had in Mind | |
| "A light in the darkness" | 2006-07-01 |
| It seems, from time to time, God raises up visionaries to nudge the church toward His divine directives. The book of Revelations carries letters to the churches reminding them, correcting them, and showing them that even at that early age the church had the potential to stray a bit from the path we are to follow. And throughout our history, there have been others to bring this message to His bride. Erwin Mcmanus is one of those messengers. He speaks with clarity on the issues that many of us have been wrestling with for some time. To quote the great theologian Morpheus, "you know something is wrong, like a splinter in your mind". (paraphrased) As I read this book, I cried aloud many times, "Yes!" when I would read another statement laying bare the topic of the generally handicapped state many of our churches is in. Not in the pointless fashion of criticism but with direct counterpoints to many of the tired and stale positions the church has taken on the topics relating to, in all reality, the foundational reasons the church exists. My wife must have thought me crazy during these outbursts. If you have forgotten your first love-READ THIS BOOK If you are walking the "narrow path" and would like a trail map-READ THIS BOOK If you feel your walk is becoming more of a trudge-READ THIS BOOK If you are involved in ministry in any way. Pastor, teacher, prophet, elder, greeter, parking lot attendant. I beseech you, PLEASE READ THIS BOOK. This is not a "here's how to fill up those empty seats in your church" book. What this is, is a picture of the heart of the church, laid bare. I rarely recommend books to folks because I believe all truth is available in the Holy Bible, and we are pushed constantly to spend our money on an endless train of Christiana. Or to send our money to others so that they can do God's work for us. I have no issue whatsoever with any ministry doing valid Christian work. My point is we are ALL called to do the stuff. As the late John Wimber said, "everybody get's to play". With that said, I do recommend this book wholeheartedly for anyone desiring to pursue a closer walk with Thee. | ||
 | MONSTER CABLE ULT V1000 CV-16 THX Ultra 1000 Component Video Cable | |
| "Better Value Than Many Other Cables" | 2006-05-24 |
| I have been involved in electronics for more than 25 years and have been building (and rebuilding) my home theater for most of my adult life. It has been disconcerting at best to watch the price of interconnect cables and speaker cable go continously higher to the point of absolute farce. With that said, different cables provide different results and some cables can actually degrade your signal. My first component cable was made of a hodge podge of various cables ranging from some stuff I had laying around to some fairly esoteric pieces. Over several testing sessions and several A/B comparisons, an old, thick, shielded Radio Shack A/V cable yeilded the best results on my 65" Mitsubishi TV. The white/Red/yellow connectors didn't match up with the RGB inputs but it handled the 75-OHM current demand just fine. Over the years I have tried and upgraded many cables in my ever growing home theater system but I have had trouble finding anything that equaled the performance of my trusty old RS cable. The run, due to the size of the TV, is always at least 6' and the price of component cables at that length is rather high. Even RS has caught on and you can't get that old cable I have for less than $50 these days. I also don't think it's quite the caliber either. I was able to obtain an Audioquest cable that was designed and looked very nice for the job but it actually degraded the picture and I ended up giving it to a friend. Obviously, if your screen is smaller than mine, you'll be able to get away with cables of lesser quality and your picture will probably be fine. When you start blowing the picture up beyond a certain point, it will reveal more and more faults that are hidden by a smaller screen. I have the 8' version of the Monster THX 1000 cable and it does it's job. It is the equal of anything I have tried and it looks excellent and is well made. Amazon is charging an extremely competitive price and yes, it still is too much for a cable, but given the reality of the situation, this is about as good as it gets. | ||
 | Monster Cable ULT V1000 CV-8 THX Ultra 1000 Component Video Cable | |
| "Better Value Than Many Other Cables" | 2006-05-24 |
| I have been involved in electronics for more than 25 years and have been building (and rebuilding) my home theater for most of my adult life. It has been disconcerting at best to watch the price of interconnect cables and speaker cable go continously higher to the point of absolute farce. With that said, different cables provide different results and some cables can actually degrade your signal. My first component cable was made of a hodge podge of various cables ranging from some stuff I had laying around to some fairly esoteric pieces. Over several testing sessions and several A/B comparisons, an old, thick, shielded Radio Shack A/V cable yeilded the best results on my 65" Mitsubishi TV. The white/Red/yellow connectors didn't match up with the RGB inputs but it handled the 75-OHM current demand just fine. Over the years I have tried and upgraded many cables in my ever growing home theater system but I have had trouble finding anything that equaled the performance of my trusty old RS cable. The run, due to the size of the TV, is always at least 6' and the price of component cables at that length is rather high. Even RS has caught on and you can't get that old cable I have for less than $50 these days. I also don't think it's quite the caliber either. I was able to obtain an Audioquest cable that was designed and looked very nice for the job but it actually degraded the picture and I ended up giving it to a friend. Obviously, if your screen is smaller than mine, you'll be able to get away with cables of lesser quality and your picture will probably be fine. When you start blowing the picture up beyond a certain point, it will reveal more and more faults that are hidden by a smaller screen. I have the 8' version of the Monster THX 1000 cable and it does it's job. It is the equal of anything I have tried and it looks excellent and is well made. Amazon is charging an extremely competitive price and yes, it still is too much for a cable, but given the reality of the situation, this is about as good as it gets. | ||
 | Monster Cable ULT V1000 CV-4 THX Ultra 1000 Component Video Cable | |
| "Better Value Than Many Other Cables" | 2006-05-24 |
| I have been involved in electronics for more than 25 years and have been building (and rebuilding) my home theater for most of my adult life. It has been disconcerting at best to watch the price of interconnect cables and speaker cable go continously higher to the point of absolute farce. With that said, different cables provide different results and some cables can actually degrade your signal. My first component cable was made of a hodge podge of various cables ranging from some stuff I had laying around to some fairly esoteric pieces. Over several testing sessions and several A/B comparisons, an old, thick, shielded Radio Shack A/V cable yeilded the best results on my 65" Mitsubishi TV. The white/Red/yellow connectors didn't match up with the RGB inputs but it handled the 75-OHM current demand just fine. Over the years I have tried and upgraded many cables in my ever growing home theater system but I have had trouble finding anything that equaled the performance of my trusty old RS cable. The run, due to the size of the TV, is always at least 6' and the price of component cables at that length is rather high. Even RS has caught on and you can't get that old cable I have for less than $50 these days. I also don't think it's quite the caliber either. I was able to obtain an Audioquest cable that was designed and looked very nice for the job but it actually degraded the picture and I ended up giving it to a friend. Obviously, if your screen is smaller than mine, you'll be able to get away with cables of lesser quality and your picture will probably be fine. When you start blowing the picture up beyond a certain point, it will reveal more and more faults that are hidden by a smaller screen. I have the 8' version of the Monster THX 1000 cable and it does it's job. It is the equal of anything I have tried and it looks excellent and is well made. Amazon is charging an extremely competitive price and yes, it still is too much for a cable, but given the reality of the situation, this is about as good as it gets. | ||
 | Sony LCSVA40 Soft Camcorder Carrying Case for DCRDVD101/201/301, DCRTRV260/460 | |
| "EVERYTHING IT NEEDS TO BE (FOR ME)" | 2005-12-03 |
| One obvious and unexplainable omission from the details and reviews here is the dimensions of this unit. Not including the external pocket they are approx. 11" long x 4" deep x 8" tall (external). The padding is approx. 3/8" thick. The "false bottom" is approx. 2-1/2" tall and is completely removable. There is one spacer in the top area to secure the camera and a large, velcro enclosured, pocket on one side. The "rattling around" of an earlier reviewers camera would, I surmise, be eliminated by proper use and adjustment of the internal camera spacer. The external pocket is 9-1/2" long x 6" tall x 1-1/4" deep. It has a 2 opening pouch on one side and on the other a zippered net. I bought this case for a DCR-TRV20. It is replacing a smaller unit that, although it was a snug fit, allowed for the inclusion of very few of our ever growing selection of accessories. I am now able to comfortably carry the charging unit (under the false bottom), an external light unit, several tapes and the remote. I could easily fit an additional lens if necessary. These are obviously the bulk of the cargo with plenty of room for small incidentals in the various compartments. Everything about this unit screams H*E*A*V*Y D*U*T*Y! From the heavy grade, woven nylon semi-rigid casing to the reinforced handle to the heavy, solid metal zipper pulls, strap clips and flap closure. My previous case is a well built unit and held up admirably through four years of use. It also cost as much as this sony case. However, the Sony case is an obvious step up in craftsmanship and quality. On top of all that, my camera and my camera bag finally match! Awesome purchase, incredible price. Thanks Amazon! **UPDATE** Checking back on this review, I can see that reviewers are still giving a poor review of this bag based on the fact that their camera doesn't fit properly. Although this is a valid issue, I feel it gives the bag a bad rap because the bag itself lives up to all reasonable expectations. The listings that Amazon is providing for these camera accessories seems to be at best generous and in truth, quite often erroneous. Regardless of where they are acquiring their information, be it their own writers or from Sony itself, the list of cameras for each item is often inaccurate. As an example, I purchased an external light for my camera based on the list here claiming it would work for me. In actuality, the light was specifically designed for a different battery type than my camera uses and would require an adapter to mount as the shoe mount was a different size. Additional research showed I needed a different light altogether that WAS specifically designed for my camera. Although the light "would work" with my unit, the amount of effort and added expense required to utilize it was unacceptable. My point here is, although the listings here are often innacurate, the item itself receives a bad rap when we give poor reviews based specifically on the inaccurate listing and not on the actual performance of the unit. It is my belief that these reviews should generally reflect the actual performance of the item. If necessary, any experience with poor or innaccurate listings should, by all means, be highlighted. By adhering to these guidlines, we can actually improve the descriptions of the items and by researching reviews, make much more informed decisions. Just my 2 cents on the issue. ALSO, after a busy Summer and a ton of use, my case still looks and works as good as new. -DJ | ||
 | MOTOROLA MD681 Expandable Digital Cordless Telephone System with Answer Machine | |
| "Best of the bunch" | 2005-10-18 |
| I researched extensively before making this purchase. I wanted an expandable set with excellent call clarity and which was aesthetically pleasing. Functionality beyond these 3 things, although definately a concern, was secondary. The Motorola is a very nice looking unit and I am happy with that aspect of this purchase. Also, several guests have commented on the striking handsets and/or base unit so I find I am not the only person who thinks this. The newer Motorola unit, IMHO, is not nearly as nice looking. The uniden and other mfg's were, again IMHO, rather ugly. The call clarity is absolutely, positively rock solid. Equal to any of the best corded phones I have talked on and is just as good for hearing and being heard. This is regardles of where I am in my large 2-story home or on my property. I can walk 2 or 3 houses down the street before I lose my signal. Good enough for our needs. The handsets feel solid in your hand with just the right heft and balance. Each handset doubles as a speaker phone. This is pretty much a required feature these days with this type of phone and it works well here. The ringtones, although not super fancy, are adequate for my home and I was able to find settings to satisy us. We set each of our 4 handsets differently so that you can differentiate between them. The complaint here about not being able to copy stored #'s to all phones has not been an issue for us. In fact, we have different #'s on each handset based on what that particular handset is used for most. Home office, different users, etc. Each user can make their own phonebook. You can push a button and see what particular handset you have if one finds it's way around the house. You can also page any one or all including the base from any of same. The same goes for transferring calls. You can warm transfer or put a call on hold and xfer. This setup is really just great for use as a home/SOHO phone. I notice the folks who seem to rate this unit low have had a problem specific to their purchase and not generally with the model. Don't let this deter you from giving this a try if you're thinking about it. We've had ours for 18 months now and are still using the original NMHD batteries. We are observing no noticible change in performance quality since purchase. One last feature which was a closer for us was the ability to use the base unit in the event of a power outage. Any of the handset batteries will power it or you can purchase an extra battery and just keep it in the base. The base will charge the battery and maintain and condition it while it's in there. I wanted to perform a task which was something I needed specific instruction to accomplish. Not something you would normally be doing. I dropped an email but since it was a weekend I also called first thing Monday morning. The Motorola rep asnwered my questions efficiently and lo and behold, when I got into my office that morning, the email had also been answered with the instructions. I'd call that adequate CS! Like many others, our search for a 5.8Ghz unit was initiated by the addition of a 2.4Ghz wireless network in our home which was in direct conflict with our (then current) phone. Of course, the MD681 has completely resolved those issues. We are utterly satisfied with this purchase. Thanks Motorola. | ||
 | Motorola HS810 Bluetooth Headset | |
 | "3.5 Rounded to 4" | 2005-10-18 |
| I am a techno-geek, I admit it. I love gadgets. I already had a wired headset that worked just great but when these came out, I just had to have one. Which meant I had to have a new phone too. Darn. To start with, the thing just looks COOL. Very cool. And the idea of being "completely" wireless along with the styling of the unit made this a must have for me. I purchased a Motorola v505 to use with it and as an aside, I really like that phone. Also very cool. Matches the headset well. Practically speaking, the unit does have some shortcomings. Specifically, in the matter of travel. When I use it in my car I consistently run into areas where the static is fairly overwhelming. This is also the case when I have worn the unit as I walked to my mailbox which is a small walk down my street. I don't know if I have an extremely sensitive unit or there is just an enormous amount of interference in my area that affects this unit. Or perhaps a combination of both. Regardless, it is extremely frustrating when it happens and the the full reason this headset does not get 5 stars from me. Any other quibbles I might have are insignificant. Now the good, no GREAT thing. I do not have long distance service on my home phone since my cell svc has free LD included. This means all of my LD calls are done on my cell phone and, at my home, svc is spotty and even varies from room to room and even different areas of a room. In my home office, sitting at my desk I tend to experience low signal strength and often drop calls. However, if I walk around the corner and set in the window seat, I get a much more consistent signal. Since I need to be at my desk quite often while I'm on a LD call, the HS810 allows me to leave my cell phone in the window sill where the signal is strong and roam about my office comfortably. In fact, I have been able to move about the whole upper floor of my home where my office is. At times, there have been 2 walls and 25-35 feet between the phone and HS810 before I experience any static. That is more than enough for any practical needs. This alone is enough for me to be happy with my purchase as it was a big problem prior to the 810. Battery life is sufficient for any of my needs thus far. I generally throw it on the charger every other night if I've been on it a lot but it has never run out on me. I find this unit not quite a 3 or a 4. So I rounded up since, even with it's shortcomings, I do like this headset. And since the main reason I actually "need" it is served quite well. I will probably audition a newer unit, perhaps the new HS850? In the near future to try and solve the travel issues. Then I could leave this one in my office and the other in the car? Your mileage may obviously vary but don't be afraid to try this out. | ||
 | Soehnle 63535 Gamma Tempered Glass Platform Bath Scale | |
| "Definitely high quality" | 2004-06-24 |
| I have been considering the purchase of this scale for some time. The price tag, although enough to make most people stop to think, is not unreasonable. That is, if the scale lives up to expectations. I am happy to say I am not dissapointed. I had some small concerns due to the one poor review of the gamma here on Amazon but the overly positive reaction I have observed on other forums convinced me to give this scale a chance. I have weighed myself several times in different positions and have managed to change the reading 1 or 2 tenths of a pound when standing off center at the extreme edges of the glass but anywhere even remotely in the center, where you would normally end up just stepping normally onto the scale, gives consistent readings. It took me all of 3 tries to get the hang of turning the unit on. It takes a somewhat intentional tap of the foot but not so much as to be uncomfortable or hard for my wife or even my 4 year old daughter. Yet not so sensitive that any graze or unintentional touch will set it off. It really is a most excellent balance in this respect and, I assume, will extend the life of the 9 volt battery to the limit. I'm still using the original one I put in when I got it. As far as the display goes; I wear glasses and can read it without them. I really must assume that the reviewer who had a problem with their display had a defective unit. I can see mine clearly from any angle I've attempted to look at it from. With or without my glasses. CONCLUSION: All in all, I am extremely pleased with this scale. It does what it does extremely well and is also extremely beautiful. It's one of the few purchases I've made that my wife COMPLETELY agrees with me on. | ||
 | The Stars Fell on Henrietta | |
| "Good for the whole family" | 2003-10-06 |
| Having children now I truly value good and wholesome movies that don't rely on profanity and tasteless antics. Robert Duvall truly shines as does Aidan Quinn in this wonderful story. It is definately an "owner" and something you will want to watch again. | ||
 | Ironclad FUG-04-L Framer's Gloves, Large | |
| "Saves your hands" | 2003-03-03 |
| I am a carpenter and use these for framing, sheathing, siding and a few hundred other related tasks. I am reviewing this poduct from that viewpoint. It's tough to find the glove that gives you enough movement and doesn't slow you down. Ironclad has the right idea and they kinda become a new set of skin (saving your real skin). The feel is awesome and after a while you really don't even notice them anymore. The problem for me is they only last 3-4 weeks before they are shredded. My hands no longer are though. I figure with the amount of work I get out of 'em they are still worth the $ (kinda) but if I found another that lasted longer with this kind of feel I'd probably switch. All in all, the best framer/carpenter glove out there. | ||
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