Question: How is the map?

Recently picked this up to replace a dated, although fully functional Garmin GPS-V and WOW what a difference! The satellite acquisition is super fast and at least a full minute quicker than the GPS V. Route calculations, re-calculations and map redraw speeds are simply mind boggling in comaprison to the GPS V. I also like the fact that you can update the unit's already HUGE 700MB memory bucket with inexpensive SD cards.Accuracy: No GPS is perfect and I have had some "interesting" route suggestions by this(Same map data as the GPS V), but none have been dead on wrong. 99% of the time you can count on this device to get you where you need to be. This is more than I can say for the TOMTOM Go we use at work, which you consider yourself lucky if it can find itself out of your driveway.The voice prompts are clear and concise. You can even add various accents. I currently have mine set to the Australian female. (There are only female voices, by the way). The unit alerts you in plenty of time for you next turn, exit, etc. The unit also has a few other bells and whistles that I find more of a niche than neccessity, but all work well. Compared to my iPod Video 60GB, the MP3 audio is 95% as clean and the controls are very intuative. The photo viewer is a nice touch as well.All in all this is honestly THE best GPS out right now for mobile navigation. You can even get a traffic update box from Garmin that monitors RDS traffic data and reroutes accordingly for slow or non-moving traffic. All the functions and features work to a T. Highly Reccomended!

Answer: is super fast and at least a full minute quicker than the GPS

Recently picked this up to replace a dated, although fully functional Garmin GPS-V and WOW what a difference! <hl> The satellite acquisition is super fast and at least a full minute quicker than the GPS V. Route calculations, re-calculations and map redraw speeds are simply mind boggling in comaprison to the GPS V. I also like the fact that you can update the unit's already HUGE 700MB memory bucket with inexpensive SD cards. <hl> Accuracy: No GPS is perfect and I have had some "interesting" route suggestions by this(Same map data as the GPS V), but none have been dead on wrong. 99% of the time you can count on this device to get you where you need to be. This is more than I can say for the TOMTOM Go we use at work, which you consider yourself lucky if it can find itself out of your driveway. The voice prompts are clear and concise. You can even add various accents. I currently have mine set to the Australian female. (There are only female voices, by the way). The unit alerts you in plenty of time for you next turn, exit, etc. The unit also has a few other bells and whistles that I find more of a niche than neccessity, but all work well. Compared to my iPod Video 60GB, the MP3 audio is 95% as clean and the controls are very intuative. The photo viewer is a nice touch as well. All in all this is honestly THE best GPS out right now for mobile navigation. You can even get a traffic update box from Garmin that monitors RDS traffic data and reroutes accordingly for slow or non-moving traffic. All the functions and features work to a T. Highly Reccomended!

Recently picked this up to replace a dated, although fully functional Garmin GPS-V and WOW what a difference! The satellite acquisition <hl> is super fast and at least a full minute quicker than the GPS <hl> V. Route calculations, re-calculations and map redraw speeds are simply mind boggling in comaprison to the GPS V. I also like the fact that you can update the unit's already HUGE 700MB memory bucket with inexpensive SD cards.Accuracy: No GPS is perfect and I have had some "interesting" route suggestions by this(Same map data as the GPS V), but none have been dead on wrong. 99% of the time you can count on this device to get you where you need to be. This is more than I can say for the TOMTOM Go we use at work, which you consider yourself lucky if it can find itself out of your driveway.The voice prompts are clear and concise. You can even add various accents. I currently have mine set to the Australian female. (There are only female voices, by the way). The unit alerts you in plenty of time for you next turn, exit, etc. The unit also has a few other bells and whistles that I find more of a niche than neccessity, but all work well. Compared to my iPod Video 60GB, the MP3 audio is 95% as clean and the controls are very intuative. The photo viewer is a nice touch as well.All in all this is honestly THE best GPS out right now for mobile navigation. You can even get a traffic update box from Garmin that monitors RDS traffic data and reroutes accordingly for slow or non-moving traffic. All the functions and features work to a T. Highly Reccomended!


Question: How is the review?

I say read the 1-2 stars on this first as there a lot, I wish I did. THE selling point for me with this was the RECHARGEABLE battery "built in" (its not its just a rechargeable AA battery).Ok this thing is HUGE too, not good for the smaller hands out there.It really doesn't hold a charge as long it could or should.  My M510 mouse which uses alkaline, hasn't had a dead battery in over a year.This MX mouse, requires charging once a month at least.  Not good.  Anyhoo, save yourself 60 beans and get the M510 instead.Yes too the scroll button is like a out of control spin wheel, not accurate like most that click/stop per spin.

Answer: THE selling point for me

I say read the 1-2 stars on this first as there a lot, I wish I did. <hl> THE selling point for me with this was the RECHARGEABLE battery "built in" (its not its just a rechargeable AA battery).Ok <hl> this thing is HUGE too, not good for the smaller hands out there. It really doesn't hold a charge as long it could or should. My M510 mouse which uses alkaline, hasn't had a dead battery in over a year. This MX mouse, requires charging once a month at least. Not good. Anyhoo, save yourself 60 beans and get the M510 instead. Yes too the scroll button is like a out of control spin wheel, not accurate like most that click/stop per spin.

I say read the 1-2 stars on this first as there a lot, I wish I did. <hl> THE selling point for me <hl> with this was the RECHARGEABLE battery "built in" (its not its just a rechargeable AA battery).Ok this thing is HUGE too, not good for the smaller hands out there.It really doesn't hold a charge as long it could or should. My M510 mouse which uses alkaline, hasn't had a dead battery in over a year.This MX mouse, requires charging once a month at least. Not good. Anyhoo, save yourself 60 beans and get the M510 instead.Yes too the scroll button is like a out of control spin wheel, not accurate like most that click/stop per spin.


Question: How is machine?

Ordered this for an i7 Mac Mini to upgrade the measly 4Gb of RAM included.  Installation was a breeze, with the case a cinch to open and the RAM slots plain as day to pop out and in.  I cannot comment on the speed enhancement, since the Mac was brand new, but it is plenty fast.  Not as fast as a SSD would make loading, but plenty fast for home use (overkill really).  Boot up is plenty fast, more so than Win7.  The price was a significantly less than Apple wants for the upgrade and really a no brainer.  Recommended.

Answer: Boot up is plenty fast

Ordered this for an i7 Mac Mini to upgrade the measly 4Gb of RAM included. Installation was a breeze, with the case a cinch to open and the RAM slots plain as day to pop out and in. I cannot comment on the speed enhancement, since the Mac was brand new, but it is plenty fast. Not as fast as a SSD would make loading, but plenty fast for home use (overkill really). <hl> Boot up is plenty fast , more so than Win7. <hl> The price was a significantly less than Apple wants for the upgrade and really a no brainer. Recommended.

Ordered this for an i7 Mac Mini to upgrade the measly 4Gb of RAM included. Installation was a breeze, with the case a cinch to open and the RAM slots plain as day to pop out and in. I cannot comment on the speed enhancement, since the Mac was brand new, but it is plenty fast. Not as fast as a SSD would make loading, but plenty fast for home use (overkill really). <hl> Boot up is plenty fast <hl>, more so than Win7. The price was a significantly less than Apple wants for the upgrade and really a no brainer. Recommended.

<hl> Boot up is plenty fast <hl> , more so than Win7.


Question: What is your feeling?

I got one that was an "open box" item and the volume stopped working - the buttons and even settings wouldn't change the volume which had been set to the lowest setting (mute).  I tried turning off but then it didn't turn back on.  Took it back and it was replaced with a brand new one!Now I've had it for a while and have 3 accounts setup, one for myself, one for the wife and one restricted account for my 5 yr old.  The wife mainly watches videos (YouTube), son plays games and I play and surf.  Response is great although our internet connection is at tops 6Mbs so there are times when something that needs internet access may lag a bit.  I noticed one app that I play on my HTC One S always complains about the connection when I use the HTC phone, but on this tablet it just runs smoothly without every complaining - odd since they use the same WiFi connection.  The tablet response is good.The Android OS on this tablet is simple compared to my phone which has the HTC Sense version - not that the phone is "hard", but it may be why the phone seems a lot less responsive than this tablet.If you used any of the other OS (iOS, Win8, Firefox, etc...) then you will find the controls somewhat familiar.  Although there will be differences, they won't keep you from using the tablet.  You still have the apps you can download - some are free and some are paid apps.The volume control issue on the initial tablet seems to happen a bit as this one did the same, but I found out I could just change user accounts and it will work again - odd, but hopefully there will be an update that will prevent that from happening at all.Overall I am happy with the purchase and although there are a few things I wish it had (like expandable memory slot for a SD card for one, HDMI output for another), I think it's a great, fast and nice size for our first tablet.Update: Still have issue with "mute" getting stuck and having to swap accounts to get audio volume to function again.  But now also have an issue where the notification pull down bar (or whatever you want to call it) appears as we try to launch apps, swipe, or do anything.  We are having to power off and back on before it will work again.  Whatever they did with the latest release appears to have made the tablet worst than better and I've adjusted my rating accordingly.Update2: With the install of 4.4 KitKat, the screen problems appear to be gone now.  I haven't been using Mute a lot lately so not sure if that issue is also gone.Update3: And the problem is back!  Put a video on YouTube title Ematic vs Nexus 7.  The Ematic is a quad-core for $80 and in my opinion a better buy since it works (at least for now).  I'm going to see if Asus will take their paper weight back and give a refund.  This would be great if it worked correctly.Update4: Tablet's been with Asus for over two weeks.  RMA says waiting for customer confirmation "swap" so I called to find out what that meant and was told I will receive an email when Asus decides what to offer me.  Not a good experience at all.  You take a chance with these tablets that they will not work and you'll be stuck paying to send them back to Asus and wait for them to decide "what to offer you".Update4.1: May 30th received the replacement.  Asus sent a notice saying they shipped it and to check the "courier" site for updates but only listed "TRUCKING" as the courier with no tracking info.  On May 29th Fed Ex left a message saying they will be delivering a package that required a signature - that would have been hard to arrange if we were in a situation where no one would be home.  The item shipped from CA and not TX so I figured it must be a replacement unit and I was right as the serial # is different.  So far the replacement seems to be working.

Answer: Response is great

I got one that was an "open box" item and the volume stopped working - the buttons and even settings wouldn't change the volume which had been set to the lowest setting (mute). I tried turning off but then it didn't turn back on. Took it back and it was replaced with a brand new one!Now I've had it for a while and have 3 accounts setup, one for myself, one for the wife and one restricted account for my 5 yr old. The wife mainly watches videos (YouTube), son plays games and I play and surf. <hl> Response is great although our internet connection is at tops 6Mbs so there are times when something that needs internet access may lag a bit. <hl> I noticed one app that I play on my HTC One S always complains about the connection when I use the HTC phone, but on this tablet it just runs smoothly without every complaining - odd since they use the same WiFi connection. The tablet response is good. The Android OS on this tablet is simple compared to my phone which has the HTC Sense version - not that the phone is "hard", but it may be why the phone seems a lot less responsive than this tablet. If you used any of the other OS (iOS, Win8, Firefox, etc...) then you will find the controls somewhat familiar. Although there will be differences, they won't keep you from using the tablet. You still have the apps you can download - some are free and some are paid apps. The volume control issue on the initial tablet seems to happen a bit as this one did the same, but I found out I could just change user accounts and it will work again - odd, but hopefully there will be an update that will prevent that from happening at all. Overall I am happy with the purchase and although there are a few things I wish it had (like expandable memory slot for a SD card for one, HDMI output for another), I think it's a great, fast and nice size for our first tablet. Update: Still have issue with "mute" getting stuck and having to swap accounts to get audio volume to function again. But now also have an issue where the notification pull down bar (or whatever you want to call it) appears as we try to launch apps, swipe, or do anything. We are having to power off and back on before it will work again. Whatever they did with the latest release appears to have made the tablet worst than better and I've adjusted my rating accordingly. Update2: With the install of 4.4 KitKat, the screen problems appear to be gone now. I haven't been using Mute a lot lately so not sure if that issue is also gone. Update3: And the problem is back! Put a video on YouTube title Ematic vs Nexus 7. The Ematic is a quad-core for $80 and in my opinion a better buy since it works (at least for now). I'm going to see if Asus will take their paper weight back and give a refund. This would be great if it worked correctly. Update4: Tablet's been with Asus for over two weeks. RMA says waiting for customer confirmation "swap" so I called to find out what that meant and was told I will receive an email when Asus decides what to offer me. Not a good experience at all. You take a chance with these tablets that they will not work and you'll be stuck paying to send them back to Asus and wait for them to decide "what to offer you". Update4.1: May 30th received the replacement. Asus sent a notice saying they shipped it and to check the "courier" site for updates but only listed "TRUCKING" as the courier with no tracking info. On May 29th Fed Ex left a message saying they will be delivering a package that required a signature - that would have been hard to arrange if we were in a situation where no one would be home. The item shipped from CA and not TX so I figured it must be a replacement unit and I was right as the serial # is different. So far the replacement seems to be working.

I got one that was an "open box" item and the volume stopped working - the buttons and even settings wouldn't change the volume which had been set to the lowest setting (mute). I tried turning off but then it didn't turn back on. Took it back and it was replaced with a brand new one!Now I've had it for a while and have 3 accounts setup, one for myself, one for the wife and one restricted account for my 5 yr old. The wife mainly watches videos (YouTube), son plays games and I play and surf. <hl> Response is great <hl> although our internet connection is at tops 6Mbs so there are times when something that needs internet access may lag a bit. I noticed one app that I play on my HTC One S always complains about the connection when I use the HTC phone, but on this tablet it just runs smoothly without every complaining - odd since they use the same WiFi connection. The tablet response is good.The Android OS on this tablet is simple compared to my phone which has the HTC Sense version - not that the phone is "hard", but it may be why the phone seems a lot less responsive than this tablet.If you used any of the other OS (iOS, Win8, Firefox, etc...) then you will find the controls somewhat familiar. Although there will be differences, they won't keep you from using the tablet. You still have the apps you can download - some are free and some are paid apps.The volume control issue on the initial tablet seems to happen a bit as this one did the same, but I found out I could just change user accounts and it will work again - odd, but hopefully there will be an update that will prevent that from happening at all.Overall I am happy with the purchase and although there are a few things I wish it had (like expandable memory slot for a SD card for one, HDMI output for another), I think it's a great, fast and nice size for our first tablet.Update: Still have issue with "mute" getting stuck and having to swap accounts to get audio volume to function again. But now also have an issue where the notification pull down bar (or whatever you want to call it) appears as we try to launch apps, swipe, or do anything. We are having to power off and back on before it will work again. Whatever they did with the latest release appears to have made the tablet worst than better and I've adjusted my rating accordingly.Update2: With the install of 4.4 KitKat, the screen problems appear to be gone now. I haven't been using Mute a lot lately so not sure if that issue is also gone.Update3: And the problem is back! Put a video on YouTube title Ematic vs Nexus 7. The Ematic is a quad-core for $80 and in my opinion a better buy since it works (at least for now). I'm going to see if Asus will take their paper weight back and give a refund. This would be great if it worked correctly.Update4: Tablet's been with Asus for over two weeks. RMA says waiting for customer confirmation "swap" so I called to find out what that meant and was told I will receive an email when Asus decides what to offer me. Not a good experience at all. You take a chance with these tablets that they will not work and you'll be stuck paying to send them back to Asus and wait for them to decide "what to offer you".Update4.1: May 30th received the replacement. Asus sent a notice saying they shipped it and to check the "courier" site for updates but only listed "TRUCKING" as the courier with no tracking info. On May 29th Fed Ex left a message saying they will be delivering a package that required a signature - that would have been hard to arrange if we were in a situation where no one would be home. The item shipped from CA and not TX so I figured it must be a replacement unit and I was right as the serial # is different. So far the replacement seems to be working.


Question: How simple is the instruction?

This high quality, strong and secure mount is comparable to those costing three times the price. It is strong and secure, and I had no trouble getting it to attach to my Magnavox 37" LCD TV. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. Plenty of included bolts to match the inserts on a variety of televisions, and it even has the option to attach your padlock to the mount to secure the TV once assembled. Definitely recommended!

Answer: The instructions are clear and easy to follow

This high quality, strong and secure mount is comparable to those costing three times the price. It is strong and secure, and I had no trouble getting it to attach to my Magnavox 37" LCD TV. <hl> The instructions are clear and easy to follow . <hl> Plenty of included bolts to match the inserts on a variety of televisions, and it even has the option to attach your padlock to the mount to secure the TV once assembled. Definitely recommended!

This high quality, strong and secure mount is comparable to those costing three times the price. It is strong and secure, and I had no trouble getting it to attach to my Magnavox 37" LCD TV. <hl> The instructions are clear and easy to follow <hl>. Plenty of included bolts to match the inserts on a variety of televisions, and it even has the option to attach your padlock to the mount to secure the TV once assembled. Definitely recommended!

<hl> The instructions are clear and easy to follow <hl> .


Question: How is the instruction?

I really like this fan with the low noise. it keeps everything cool. I'm getting 40C on my 8-core AMD processer right now. It can be tricky to put on. This is my second purchase so it was a lot easier than the first time. The first time I had the part that attaches to the motherboard on wrong. You have to push down the screw to move it to a different spot. Yeah I don't know how to explain it, luckily the instructions are pretty clear. best

Answer: the instructions are pretty clear

I really like this fan with the low noise. it keeps everything cool. I'm getting 40C on my 8-core AMD processer right now. It can be tricky to put on. This is my second purchase so it was a lot easier than the first time. The first time I had the part that attaches to the motherboard on wrong. You have to push down the screw to move it to a different spot. <hl> Yeah I don't know how to explain it, luckily the instructions are pretty clear . <hl> best

I really like this fan with the low noise. it keeps everything cool. I'm getting 40C on my 8-core AMD processer right now. It can be tricky to put on. This is my second purchase so it was a lot easier than the first time. The first time I had the part that attaches to the motherboard on wrong. You have to push down the screw to move it to a different spot. Yeah I don't know how to explain it, luckily <hl> the instructions are pretty clear <hl>. best

Yeah I don't know how to explain it, luckily <hl> the instructions are pretty clear <hl> .


Question: How is the image quality like?

The Canon 300HS an excellent camera as long as you accept that it's not a "baby S95." If you want fast access to manual controls, this is not the camera for you. If you like scrutinizing the image pixel by pixel, this is not the camera for you. However, someone who's a non-photographer and wants good-looking photos from a small camera in "Auto" mode will almost definitely love it.Likes:--------------1) Image quality is good for a camera in this price range. Yes, there is some mild corner softness at 100% magnification, and there are some chromatic aberrations in high contrast areas, but looking at the whole photo at any reasonable magnification, I'd be hard pressed to criticize the quality. The noise is well controlled, and there is enough fine detail to avoid the dreaded "water color painting" effect of some other popular cameras. Auto white balance does a good job under a variety of lighting, exposure is generally spot-on, and low-light images are better than I expected. ISO 1600 is usable for small prints in low light.2) Video quality is very good. It uses a high bitrate compression, which eats memory fast, but I can see details in the video that other cameras simply smudge over. My only complaint is that the 1080p video is recorded at 24fps, and is somewhat choppy in motion. Switching to 720p or lower resolution results in 30fps video, which produces noticeably smoother motion. The stereo sound quality is decent, and the mics are plenty sensitive. When zooming during video recording, there is some motor buzz that's picked up by the mics, but it's only noticeable in a quiet environment.3) I like the 24mm wide angle lens, and prefer that over some 100x mega-zoom. It lends itself well to landscape shots, interior shots, close-ups, and other creative photography scenes.4) The camera is pretty quick to power on, and the controls have good response. It focuses in under 1 second, there is minimal shutter lag, and shot-to-shot times are about 2 seconds.5) The controls are intuitive, well-organized, and the buttons are plenty big for such a small camera. I had most functions figured out in a few minutes without having to resort to the manual. The mode switch provides a convenient thumb rest when holding the camera.6) Construction and build quality seems solid. I bought mine at a local store and made sure to get the version made in Japan. I haven't observed the problems mentioned by other reviews, like shaky video zoom or easily scratched finish. The battery door seems somewhat fragile, though.Dislikes:--------------1) When completely zoomed out, the lens casts a shadow from the flash in the lower right corner.2) Video mode is mostly automatic, you can't even adjust exposure compensation. I have older compact cameras which can do this, it would have been nice to have that feature here.3) The quick-set menu is somewhat slow to operate because it does not present as much information at once as other cameras, for example Panasonic's Q-menu. It's a vertical layout with vertical submenus, whereas a horizontal layout with vertical submenus would have been better.4) There is no wind-cut option for the microphones.I'm not taking points off because these are relatively minor issues, considering the camera is aimed at a novice user. It's not perfect by any means, and it's missing some toys found in other cameras, like a high resolution screen, auto HDR, or auto-stitching panorama. However, if your priority is the end result - the quality of images or video coming out of the camera - this one stands above the competition. I would recommend it to anyone looking to produce good-looking photos with minimal fuss.

Answer: Image quality is good

The Canon 300HS an excellent camera as long as you accept that it's not a "baby S95." If you want fast access to manual controls, this is not the camera for you. If you like scrutinizing the image pixel by pixel, this is not the camera for you. However, someone who's a non-photographer and wants good-looking photos from a small camera in "Auto" mode will almost definitely love it. <hl> Likes:--------------1) Image quality is good for a camera in this price range. <hl> Yes, there is some mild corner softness at 100% magnification, and there are some chromatic aberrations in high contrast areas, but looking at the whole photo at any reasonable magnification, I'd be hard pressed to criticize the quality. The noise is well controlled, and there is enough fine detail to avoid the dreaded "water color painting" effect of some other popular cameras. Auto white balance does a good job under a variety of lighting, exposure is generally spot-on, and low-light images are better than I expected. ISO 1600 is usable for small prints in low light.2) Video quality is very good. It uses a high bitrate compression, which eats memory fast, but I can see details in the video that other cameras simply smudge over. My only complaint is that the 1080p video is recorded at 24fps, and is somewhat choppy in motion. Switching to 720p or lower resolution results in 30fps video, which produces noticeably smoother motion. The stereo sound quality is decent, and the mics are plenty sensitive. When zooming during video recording, there is some motor buzz that's picked up by the mics, but it's only noticeable in a quiet environment.3) I like the 24mm wide angle lens, and prefer that over some 100x mega-zoom. It lends itself well to landscape shots, interior shots, close-ups, and other creative photography scenes.4) The camera is pretty quick to power on, and the controls have good response. It focuses in under 1 second, there is minimal shutter lag, and shot-to-shot times are about 2 seconds.5) The controls are intuitive, well-organized, and the buttons are plenty big for such a small camera. I had most functions figured out in a few minutes without having to resort to the manual. The mode switch provides a convenient thumb rest when holding the camera.6) Construction and build quality seems solid. I bought mine at a local store and made sure to get the version made in Japan. I haven't observed the problems mentioned by other reviews, like shaky video zoom or easily scratched finish. The battery door seems somewhat fragile, though. Dislikes:--------------1) When completely zoomed out, the lens casts a shadow from the flash in the lower right corner.2) Video mode is mostly automatic, you can't even adjust exposure compensation. I have older compact cameras which can do this, it would have been nice to have that feature here.3) The quick-set menu is somewhat slow to operate because it does not present as much information at once as other cameras, for example Panasonic's Q-menu. It's a vertical layout with vertical submenus, whereas a horizontal layout with vertical submenus would have been better.4) There is no wind-cut option for the microphones. I'm not taking points off because these are relatively minor issues, considering the camera is aimed at a novice user. It's not perfect by any means, and it's missing some toys found in other cameras, like a high resolution screen, auto HDR, or auto-stitching panorama. However, if your priority is the end result - the quality of images or video coming out of the camera - this one stands above the competition. I would recommend it to anyone looking to produce good-looking photos with minimal fuss.

The Canon 300HS an excellent camera as long as you accept that it's not a "baby S95." If you want fast access to manual controls, this is not the camera for you. If you like scrutinizing the image pixel by pixel, this is not the camera for you. However, someone who's a non-photographer and wants good-looking photos from a small camera in "Auto" mode will almost definitely love it.Likes:--------------1) <hl> Image quality is good <hl> for a camera in this price range. Yes, there is some mild corner softness at 100% magnification, and there are some chromatic aberrations in high contrast areas, but looking at the whole photo at any reasonable magnification, I'd be hard pressed to criticize the quality. The noise is well controlled, and there is enough fine detail to avoid the dreaded "water color painting" effect of some other popular cameras. Auto white balance does a good job under a variety of lighting, exposure is generally spot-on, and low-light images are better than I expected. ISO 1600 is usable for small prints in low light.2) Video quality is very good. It uses a high bitrate compression, which eats memory fast, but I can see details in the video that other cameras simply smudge over. My only complaint is that the 1080p video is recorded at 24fps, and is somewhat choppy in motion. Switching to 720p or lower resolution results in 30fps video, which produces noticeably smoother motion. The stereo sound quality is decent, and the mics are plenty sensitive. When zooming during video recording, there is some motor buzz that's picked up by the mics, but it's only noticeable in a quiet environment.3) I like the 24mm wide angle lens, and prefer that over some 100x mega-zoom. It lends itself well to landscape shots, interior shots, close-ups, and other creative photography scenes.4) The camera is pretty quick to power on, and the controls have good response. It focuses in under 1 second, there is minimal shutter lag, and shot-to-shot times are about 2 seconds.5) The controls are intuitive, well-organized, and the buttons are plenty big for such a small camera. I had most functions figured out in a few minutes without having to resort to the manual. The mode switch provides a convenient thumb rest when holding the camera.6) Construction and build quality seems solid. I bought mine at a local store and made sure to get the version made in Japan. I haven't observed the problems mentioned by other reviews, like shaky video zoom or easily scratched finish. The battery door seems somewhat fragile, though.Dislikes:--------------1) When completely zoomed out, the lens casts a shadow from the flash in the lower right corner.2) Video mode is mostly automatic, you can't even adjust exposure compensation. I have older compact cameras which can do this, it would have been nice to have that feature here.3) The quick-set menu is somewhat slow to operate because it does not present as much information at once as other cameras, for example Panasonic's Q-menu. It's a vertical layout with vertical submenus, whereas a horizontal layout with vertical submenus would have been better.4) There is no wind-cut option for the microphones.I'm not taking points off because these are relatively minor issues, considering the camera is aimed at a novice user. It's not perfect by any means, and it's missing some toys found in other cameras, like a high resolution screen, auto HDR, or auto-stitching panorama. However, if your priority is the end result - the quality of images or video coming out of the camera - this one stands above the competition. I would recommend it to anyone looking to produce good-looking photos with minimal fuss.


Question: How good is the battery?

This will be a ramble - I am generally well satisfied with this product but there are a few things to be aware of.  Firstly, I purchased the product as a refurbished unit and only paid $75 including shipping - I added two additional batteries quite inexpensively through eBay.It is easily portable and seems to have fairly good battery time - here's a sample of 720 P quality - not bad.  [...]I suspect that this is a generic criticism as the small microphones embedded in this type of a video recorder has no resistance to wind.  What you can expect is that if you are moving and experience when passing across the microphone you will get wind noise.My original intention was to use this video camera on my bicycle and to that end, I constructed a helmet cam mount.  This would probably work but I found that the additional weight on top of my helmet was unacceptable - the camera weighs 4.4 ounces - seemingly trivial but noticeable on top of your head.  At five megapixels, the still picture capability is adequate but nothing special.  I chose to get a ZX3 as opposed to the newer ZX5 - there were several reasons for this choice:The ZX3 has removable batteries, the five does not.  The charge coupled device is larger on the ZX three and quite a few sophisticated reviewers felt that the ZX five was a downgrade in some respects.  And then there was the issue of a dramatically lower price.Summarizing, this camera is good enough and portable enough that I will often carry the camera in situations where I would have been lugging my Canon T1 I.  Go for it!

Answer: good battery

This will be a ramble - I am generally well satisfied with this product but there are a few things to be aware of. Firstly, I purchased the product as a refurbished unit and only paid $75 including shipping - I added two additional batteries quite inexpensively through eBay. <hl> It is easily portable and seems to have fairly good battery time - here's a sample of 720 P quality - not bad. <hl> [...]I suspect that this is a generic criticism as the small microphones embedded in this type of a video recorder has no resistance to wind. What you can expect is that if you are moving and experience when passing across the microphone you will get wind noise. My original intention was to use this video camera on my bicycle and to that end, I constructed a helmet cam mount. This would probably work but I found that the additional weight on top of my helmet was unacceptable - the camera weighs 4.4 ounces - seemingly trivial but noticeable on top of your head. At five megapixels, the still picture capability is adequate but nothing special. I chose to get a ZX3 as opposed to the newer ZX5 - there were several reasons for this choice:The ZX3 has removable batteries, the five does not. The charge coupled device is larger on the ZX three and quite a few sophisticated reviewers felt that the ZX five was a downgrade in some respects. And then there was the issue of a dramatically lower price. Summarizing, this camera is good enough and portable enough that I will often carry the camera in situations where I would have been lugging my Canon T1 I. Go for it!

This will be a ramble - I am generally well satisfied with this product but there are a few things to be aware of. Firstly, I purchased the product as a refurbished unit and only paid $75 including shipping - I added two additional batteries quite inexpensively through eBay.It is easily portable and seems to have fairly <hl> good battery <hl> time - here's a sample of 720 P quality - not bad. [...]I suspect that this is a generic criticism as the small microphones embedded in this type of a video recorder has no resistance to wind. What you can expect is that if you are moving and experience when passing across the microphone you will get wind noise.My original intention was to use this video camera on my bicycle and to that end, I constructed a helmet cam mount. This would probably work but I found that the additional weight on top of my helmet was unacceptable - the camera weighs 4.4 ounces - seemingly trivial but noticeable on top of your head. At five megapixels, the still picture capability is adequate but nothing special. I chose to get a ZX3 as opposed to the newer ZX5 - there were several reasons for this choice:The ZX3 has removable batteries, the five does not. The charge coupled device is larger on the ZX three and quite a few sophisticated reviewers felt that the ZX five was a downgrade in some respects. And then there was the issue of a dramatically lower price.Summarizing, this camera is good enough and portable enough that I will often carry the camera in situations where I would have been lugging my Canon T1 I. Go for it!


Question: What is display?

I finally upgraded to this unit from my prvious nuvi, which I've owned for 5 years now, and I was very pleasently impressed with this product.  The larger screen and brighter screen was easier to read.  I'm also very grateful that they switched to a QWERTY keyboard, makes entry faster and more accurate.  Oh, and now you can enter a city by zip code, which is also much faster for me.  I also like the traffic notification, very nice.  About the only thing that I don't like is the little advertisement that pops up now and then.  I wish I knew how to shut that off.

Answer: The larger screen and brighter screen was easier to read

I finally upgraded to this unit from my prvious nuvi, which I've owned for 5 years now, and I was very pleasently impressed with this product. <hl> The larger screen and brighter screen was easier to read . <hl> I'm also very grateful that they switched to a QWERTY keyboard, makes entry faster and more accurate. Oh, and now you can enter a city by zip code, which is also much faster for me. I also like the traffic notification, very nice. About the only thing that I don't like is the little advertisement that pops up now and then. I wish I knew how to shut that off.

I finally upgraded to this unit from my prvious nuvi, which I've owned for 5 years now, and I was very pleasently impressed with this product. <hl> The larger screen and brighter screen was easier to read <hl>. I'm also very grateful that they switched to a QWERTY keyboard, makes entry faster and more accurate. Oh, and now you can enter a city by zip code, which is also much faster for me. I also like the traffic notification, very nice. About the only thing that I don't like is the little advertisement that pops up now and then. I wish I knew how to shut that off.

<hl> The larger screen and brighter screen was easier to read <hl> .


Question: How big is the unit?

It's a great product, especially for the money.The GoodBattery life, totally useable for a full movie.Storage capacity.  32GB is a great point for the price.Speakers.Screen - bright, clear and HD resolutionHDMI outputWireless - REALLY good wireless antenna.  Amazing in my opinion.The BadNo dedicated charger - Seriously, include the damn wall-wart.No memory card slot - They want you to buy the new model with 2x the storage instead of letting you put in an SD card."Locked" Interface.  Come on, Amazon, put in a "pro" mode where you can get the standard Android device interface.  One reason Samsung sells so many tablets is that this very reason.Overall, I love it.  In many ways it's the perfect Kindle.  If there was some way to get the battery life of the B/W Kindle with the Fire HD (if even for just book reading), the B/W model would be obsolete.As a "power user", I don't like that it's really just designed for it's own set of apps/interface, and streaming video.  Not being about to have an easy way to run the Zinio app is really frustrating.  And while you can copy video to the device via USB, there should be a way to connect/copy from your chosen media device.  Just give us the standard Android interface and app store, and be done with it.  Why do we have to rely on 3rd party options?

Answer: 32GB

32GB is a great point for the price.

It's a great product, especially for the money. The GoodBattery life, totally useable for a full movie. Storage capacity. <hl> 32GB is a great point for the price. <hl> Speakers. Screen - bright, clear and HD resolutionHDMI outputWireless - REALLY good wireless antenna. Amazing in my opinion. The BadNo dedicated charger - Seriously, include the damn wall-wart. No memory card slot - They want you to buy the new model with 2x the storage instead of letting you put in an SD card. "Locked" Interface. Come on, Amazon, put in a "pro" mode where you can get the standard Android device interface. One reason Samsung sells so many tablets is that this very reason. Overall, I love it. In many ways it's the perfect Kindle. If there was some way to get the battery life of the B/W Kindle with the Fire HD (if even for just book reading), the B/W model would be obsolete. As a "power user", I don't like that it's really just designed for it's own set of apps/interface, and streaming video. Not being about to have an easy way to run the Zinio app is really frustrating. And while you can copy video to the device via USB, there should be a way to connect/copy from your chosen media device. Just give us the standard Android interface and app store, and be done with it. Why do we have to rely on 3rd party options?

It's a great product, especially for the money.The GoodBattery life, totally useable for a full movie.Storage capacity. <hl> 32GB <hl> is a great point for the price.Speakers.Screen - bright, clear and HD resolutionHDMI outputWireless - REALLY good wireless antenna. Amazing in my opinion.The BadNo dedicated charger - Seriously, include the damn wall-wart.No memory card slot - They want you to buy the new model with 2x the storage instead of letting you put in an SD card."Locked" Interface. Come on, Amazon, put in a "pro" mode where you can get the standard Android device interface. One reason Samsung sells so many tablets is that this very reason.Overall, I love it. In many ways it's the perfect Kindle. If there was some way to get the battery life of the B/W Kindle with the Fire HD (if even for just book reading), the B/W model would be obsolete.As a "power user", I don't like that it's really just designed for it's own set of apps/interface, and streaming video. Not being about to have an easy way to run the Zinio app is really frustrating. And while you can copy video to the device via USB, there should be a way to connect/copy from your chosen media device. Just give us the standard Android interface and app store, and be done with it. Why do we have to rely on 3rd party options?


Question: How many small complaints are there about this?

I have had numerous universal remotes (phillips pronto, home theatre master, logitech etc.) over the years and this is the best yet.  For the first time I pulled the batteries and put all my other remotes in the closet.  For about $160 you can't beat this remote.  Good button layout.  Buttons are large enough and well spaced so even larger hands should be fine.  The only tight spot is the directional pad with OK in the middle.  Need to be directly on the OK button to get it right but I have large fingers and have had trouble with remotes, phones etc forever.  Lights up as soon as you pick it up.  Activities buttons (macro) work perfectly everytime to turn on/off all the equipment you need.  Switching between Watch TV, Watch DVD/CD or Play XBox360 works perfectly everytime and the remote switches to all the essential controls you need.  Press Devices button and you get access to each individual units controls, so if you need to adjust color on your tv or turn up the sub woofer on your processor it is easily accessed. Nice functional touch screen.  Fits the hand nicely and isn't heavy or clumsy. There is a little rattle but it is the sensor that makes it light up when moved, this is a functional feature not a defect.  Buttons are solid and overall it feels well constructed.  Very simple to setup with the guided internet program included.  First time users need a little bit more time to setup as you will need make and model number of all the equipment you want to program, but once you have that it won't take long to get up and running.  If you aren't computer friendly or slightly tech minded you may want some help.  Extensive listing of equipment, so should be no problem finding yours.  I previously had a logitech harmony 520 and this is such a great upgrade.  I plan to get my Dad one (and set it up for him) due to its simplicity he will love it.I read the numerous warnings about battery swell.  Did some research into lithium ion batteries and found out heat and over charging are the culprits.  So never leave it on charger for long periods and do not charge every day.  I toss it on there for one or two hours every few days.  Other interesting points about his type of battery: You should not let it go completely uncharged, ever.  If going to store it for a prolonged period try to get it around 40% to 50% charged before storing.  No need to worry about letting it lose most or all of it's charge before recharging, that applies to ni-cad batteries. Replacement batteries are all over the internet ranging from $6 to $20, so I plan to check monthly and pick up a new one at any sign of swelling, although I bet overcharging is the main reason most people get swollen battery.

Answer: I read the numerous warnings about battery swell

I have had numerous universal remotes (phillips pronto, home theatre master, logitech etc.) over the years and this is the best yet. For the first time I pulled the batteries and put all my other remotes in the closet. For about $160 you can't beat this remote. Good button layout. Buttons are large enough and well spaced so even larger hands should be fine. The only tight spot is the directional pad with OK in the middle. Need to be directly on the OK button to get it right but I have large fingers and have had trouble with remotes, phones etc forever. Lights up as soon as you pick it up. Activities buttons (macro) work perfectly everytime to turn on/off all the equipment you need. Switching between Watch TV, Watch DVD/CD or Play XBox360 works perfectly everytime and the remote switches to all the essential controls you need. Press Devices button and you get access to each individual units controls, so if you need to adjust color on your tv or turn up the sub woofer on your processor it is easily accessed. Nice functional touch screen. Fits the hand nicely and isn't heavy or clumsy. There is a little rattle but it is the sensor that makes it light up when moved, this is a functional feature not a defect. Buttons are solid and overall it feels well constructed. Very simple to setup with the guided internet program included. First time users need a little bit more time to setup as you will need make and model number of all the equipment you want to program, but once you have that it won't take long to get up and running. If you aren't computer friendly or slightly tech minded you may want some help. Extensive listing of equipment, so should be no problem finding yours. I previously had a logitech harmony 520 and this is such a great upgrade. I plan to get my Dad one (and set it up for him) due to its simplicity he will love it. <hl> I read the numerous warnings about battery swell . <hl> Did some research into lithium ion batteries and found out heat and over charging are the culprits. So never leave it on charger for long periods and do not charge every day. I toss it on there for one or two hours every few days. Other interesting points about his type of battery: You should not let it go completely uncharged, ever. If going to store it for a prolonged period try to get it around 40% to 50% charged before storing. No need to worry about letting it lose most or all of it's charge before recharging, that applies to ni-cad batteries. Replacement batteries are all over the internet ranging from $6 to $20, so I plan to check monthly and pick up a new one at any sign of swelling, although I bet overcharging is the main reason most people get swollen battery.

I have had numerous universal remotes (phillips pronto, home theatre master, logitech etc.) over the years and this is the best yet. For the first time I pulled the batteries and put all my other remotes in the closet. For about $160 you can't beat this remote. Good button layout. Buttons are large enough and well spaced so even larger hands should be fine. The only tight spot is the directional pad with OK in the middle. Need to be directly on the OK button to get it right but I have large fingers and have had trouble with remotes, phones etc forever. Lights up as soon as you pick it up. Activities buttons (macro) work perfectly everytime to turn on/off all the equipment you need. Switching between Watch TV, Watch DVD/CD or Play XBox360 works perfectly everytime and the remote switches to all the essential controls you need. Press Devices button and you get access to each individual units controls, so if you need to adjust color on your tv or turn up the sub woofer on your processor it is easily accessed. Nice functional touch screen. Fits the hand nicely and isn't heavy or clumsy. There is a little rattle but it is the sensor that makes it light up when moved, this is a functional feature not a defect. Buttons are solid and overall it feels well constructed. Very simple to setup with the guided internet program included. First time users need a little bit more time to setup as you will need make and model number of all the equipment you want to program, but once you have that it won't take long to get up and running. If you aren't computer friendly or slightly tech minded you may want some help. Extensive listing of equipment, so should be no problem finding yours. I previously had a logitech harmony 520 and this is such a great upgrade. I plan to get my Dad one (and set it up for him) due to its simplicity he will love it.<hl> I read the numerous warnings about battery swell <hl>. Did some research into lithium ion batteries and found out heat and over charging are the culprits. So never leave it on charger for long periods and do not charge every day. I toss it on there for one or two hours every few days. Other interesting points about his type of battery: You should not let it go completely uncharged, ever. If going to store it for a prolonged period try to get it around 40% to 50% charged before storing. No need to worry about letting it lose most or all of it's charge before recharging, that applies to ni-cad batteries. Replacement batteries are all over the internet ranging from $6 to $20, so I plan to check monthly and pick up a new one at any sign of swelling, although I bet overcharging is the main reason most people get swollen battery.

<hl> I read the numerous warnings about battery swell <hl> .


Question: How is the image quality like?

The title speaks for itself:  This proves to me that Panasonic has not done any really relevant and ground-breaking research in developing this camera (and others in the same category) because their imaging sensor is horrendeous.  The photos are full of colourful specks of noise and are very smudgy and blurry, even at ISOs as low as 400!  At 800, 1600 they are a disaster!  The exposure of videos is poor and overall, low light performance is also very poor.  I took a photo of my livingroom under tungster/halogen lighting which came out OK but again with much noise.  Then I made a video of the same room right afterwards under the same lighting conditions and the video was too dark.  This camera also has no exposure compensation for videos.  I read the manual and it clearly indicates that videos are strictly in automatic mode with no exposure control at all by the photographer.  You are at the mercy of the camera.  The Canon PowerShot SX220/230 HS DOES have exposure compensation for videos FYI...The only good thing is that the videos are smooth because of a fast 60fps (interlaced i - not progressive p though).  And having a GPS is just a gimmick and a toy to fool consumers, and does not make the picture quality of this camera any more "attractive" or in any way better.Having a Leica lens is not enough because a good digital camera also needs a good image sensor.  The actual sharpness and noise level in the image is determined largely by the sensor.  One can have the best lens in the world and have a poor sensor and the resulting photos and videos will be horrible.  This camera is not worth it!  For the same price ($449) wait for the Sony Cybershot HX100V - it is outstanding based on reviews on the internet.

Answer: The photos are full of colourful specks of noise and are very smudgy and blurry

The title speaks for itself: This proves to me that Panasonic has not done any really relevant and ground-breaking research in developing this camera (and others in the same category) because their imaging sensor is horrendeous. <hl> The photos are full of colourful specks of noise and are very smudgy and blurry , even at ISOs as low as 400! <hl> At 800, 1600 they are a disaster! The exposure of videos is poor and overall, low light performance is also very poor. I took a photo of my livingroom under tungster/halogen lighting which came out OK but again with much noise. Then I made a video of the same room right afterwards under the same lighting conditions and the video was too dark. This camera also has no exposure compensation for videos. I read the manual and it clearly indicates that videos are strictly in automatic mode with no exposure control at all by the photographer. You are at the mercy of the camera. The Canon PowerShot SX220/230 HS DOES have exposure compensation for videos FYI... The only good thing is that the videos are smooth because of a fast 60fps (interlaced i - not progressive p though). And having a GPS is just a gimmick and a toy to fool consumers, and does not make the picture quality of this camera any more "attractive" or in any way better. Having a Leica lens is not enough because a good digital camera also needs a good image sensor. The actual sharpness and noise level in the image is determined largely by the sensor. One can have the best lens in the world and have a poor sensor and the resulting photos and videos will be horrible. This camera is not worth it! For the same price ($449) wait for the Sony Cybershot HX100V - it is outstanding based on reviews on the internet.

The title speaks for itself: This proves to me that Panasonic has not done any really relevant and ground-breaking research in developing this camera (and others in the same category) because their imaging sensor is horrendeous. <hl> The photos are full of colourful specks of noise and are very smudgy and blurry <hl>, even at ISOs as low as 400! At 800, 1600 they are a disaster! The exposure of videos is poor and overall, low light performance is also very poor. I took a photo of my livingroom under tungster/halogen lighting which came out OK but again with much noise. Then I made a video of the same room right afterwards under the same lighting conditions and the video was too dark. This camera also has no exposure compensation for videos. I read the manual and it clearly indicates that videos are strictly in automatic mode with no exposure control at all by the photographer. You are at the mercy of the camera. The Canon PowerShot SX220/230 HS DOES have exposure compensation for videos FYI...The only good thing is that the videos are smooth because of a fast 60fps (interlaced i - not progressive p though). And having a GPS is just a gimmick and a toy to fool consumers, and does not make the picture quality of this camera any more "attractive" or in any way better.Having a Leica lens is not enough because a good digital camera also needs a good image sensor. The actual sharpness and noise level in the image is determined largely by the sensor. One can have the best lens in the world and have a poor sensor and the resulting photos and videos will be horrible. This camera is not worth it! For the same price ($449) wait for the Sony Cybershot HX100V - it is outstanding based on reviews on the internet.

<hl> The photos are full of colourful specks of noise and are very smudgy and blurry <hl> , even at ISOs as low as 400!


Question: How is the card?

So this was half the price of the Netgear Nighthawk. I found that TP-Link tends to last more than a year. I replaced this a month ago, so time will tell how long this router lasts.Comparisions with the netgear nighthawk is that this is a little slower but hardly noticable. I wish TP-Link had USB3.0 instead of just USB 2.0. I found that TP-Link's firmware does a better job of identifying the distances of devices and adjusting power to the signal accordingly. Negear did not come close to this. I was around 50 feet away and would get a fair signal on netgear. With TP-link I have an excellent signal once it detects my laptop in the room that is further out. For power consumption Netgear Nighthawk I measured at eating about 10-15W. This runs nominally at 4-5 watts. I think the netgear's issue on power consumption is that it has a dual core 1 Ghz Processor.I will update my review as the months past and this router performs. So far it's working great, but as like most routers the first 3 months are the honeymoon. The problems coming 6 months or so later ;).

Answer: Nighthawk

<hl> So this was half the price of the Netgear Nighthawk . <hl> I found that TP-Link tends to last more than a year. I replaced this a month ago, so time will tell how long this router lasts. Comparisions with the netgear nighthawk is that this is a little slower but hardly noticable. I wish TP-Link had USB3.0 instead of just USB 2.0. I found that TP-Link's firmware does a better job of identifying the distances of devices and adjusting power to the signal accordingly. Negear did not come close to this. I was around 50 feet away and would get a fair signal on netgear. With TP-link I have an excellent signal once it detects my laptop in the room that is further out. For power consumption Netgear Nighthawk I measured at eating about 10-15W. This runs nominally at 4-5 watts. I think the netgear's issue on power consumption is that it has a dual core 1 Ghz Processor. I will update my review as the months past and this router performs. So far it's working great, but as like most routers the first 3 months are the honeymoon. The problems coming 6 months or so later ;).

So this was half the price of the Netgear <hl> Nighthawk <hl>. I found that TP-Link tends to last more than a year. I replaced this a month ago, so time will tell how long this router lasts.Comparisions with the netgear nighthawk is that this is a little slower but hardly noticable. I wish TP-Link had USB3.0 instead of just USB 2.0. I found that TP-Link's firmware does a better job of identifying the distances of devices and adjusting power to the signal accordingly. Negear did not come close to this. I was around 50 feet away and would get a fair signal on netgear. With TP-link I have an excellent signal once it detects my laptop in the room that is further out. For power consumption Netgear Nighthawk I measured at eating about 10-15W. This runs nominally at 4-5 watts. I think the netgear's issue on power consumption is that it has a dual core 1 Ghz Processor.I will update my review as the months past and this router performs. So far it's working great, but as like most routers the first 3 months are the honeymoon. The problems coming 6 months or so later ;).

So this was half the price of the Netgear <hl> Nighthawk <hl> .


Question: What is the fact about the cables?

Pros: comfortable, nice design, low cable noise, good for sports, inexpensive (i paid $13)Cons: poor quality control, mine is defective, has a cable break/short near the microphone. I keep loosing sound in one ear unless cable is bent just the right way.  Also, low sound level even when volume dial is turned all the way up, (all my other phones are much louder at same setting).

Answer: low cable noise

<hl> Pros: comfortable, nice design, low cable noise , good for sports, inexpensive (i paid $13)Cons: poor quality control, mine is defective, has a cable break/short near the microphone. <hl> I keep loosing sound in one ear unless cable is bent just the right way. Also, low sound level even when volume dial is turned all the way up, (all my other phones are much louder at same setting).

Pros: comfortable, nice design, <hl> low cable noise <hl>, good for sports, inexpensive (i paid $13)Cons: poor quality control, mine is defective, has a cable break/short near the microphone. I keep loosing sound in one ear unless cable is bent just the right way. Also, low sound level even when volume dial is turned all the way up, (all my other phones are much louder at same setting).

Pros: comfortable, nice design, <hl> low cable noise <hl> , good for sports, inexpensive (i paid $13)Cons: poor quality control, mine is defective, has a cable break/short near the microphone.


Question: How is the base?

I love quality displays. I really do. While I don't get into the realm of the insanely expensive professional monitors, I really appreciate a good IPS/PLS monitor. And here's another one.Surprisingly, getting the monitor out of the box wasn't as easy as I'd have hoped. The stem of the monitor (the part that attaches to the stand) is sort of wedged (gently!) against a piece of foam, so it took a little bit of wiggling to get the screen out. If you have someone to help, this would go much more easily!Putting the monitor on the stand took just a few seconds. It hand-screws in, and has a very solid base. It's also an extremely ugly, huge base, and absolutely my one major gripe with the monitor.But let's focus on the good stuff first:For reference, this was tested on a 2011 MacBook Air via mini-Displayport to Displayport (2560x1440), and with a Google Chromecast via HDMI (1920x1080).1.) Pre-calibrated out of the box. Given that my screen came with a specific-to-this-serial-number piece of paper documenting the factory calibration, I was extremely impressed with the output.2.) The controls on the bottom right of the screen are touch sensitive. Normally I'm not a fan of such buttons, but these are without a doubt the most responsive touch-buttons I've used on a monitor. Really good stuff.3.) The screen isn't matte, and it isn't glossy. It's a really excellent combination of the two, cutting down on the glare of a glossy display, while maintaining those rich colors and good contrast.4.) Viewing angles, like many/most IPS panels, is truly excellent.5.) Able to rotate the screen 90 degrees, and it does line up perfectly straight when locked into that 90-degree position. Also, the height adjustment is superb, with plenty of height for me, and I'm 6'5".6.) No dead/stuck pixels on the monitor I received. Good!7.) No PWM-dimming flicker (if you're sensitive to this, you'll be glad to know!), and no buzzing or other untoward noises from the display at any brightness.8.) While certainly not specifically a gaming monitor, it definitely holds its own. My gaming monitor of choice is myEIZO Foris FS2333-BK 23-Inch Screen LCD Monitor, but if you want something bigger without the viewing-angle deficiencies of TN panels, this would not be a bad choice for the less hardcore PC gamers among you. I wouldn't recommend it for 1080p gaming since the scaling to 1440p can be quite ugly.9.) You can turn off the blue power LED when the monitor is in use, from the Settings menu. I really don't like unnecessary LEDs, so this is something I immediately looked for and was glad to find.And now, the cons:1.) The base of the stand is horrible. I'm not sure what Viewsonic were thinking, but surely somebody could have come up with something a little less of an eyesore. I'll be mounting the screen on a VESA mount (100x100), but still - ouch! So ugly, and it takes up a huge amount of room on the desk for no apparent reason.2.) The brightness is set far, far too high out of the box (maxed out). All this did was draw attention to a little light bleed on the left of my particular display, only view-able on a completely black image. After the brightness was turned down to a less eye-searing level, this was (mostly) gone.Overall, though, this is a top-notch monitor, and highly recommended.5 stars out of 5.

Answer: has a very solid base

I love quality displays. I really do. While I don't get into the realm of the insanely expensive professional monitors, I really appreciate a good IPS/PLS monitor. And here's another one. Surprisingly, getting the monitor out of the box wasn't as easy as I'd have hoped. The stem of the monitor (the part that attaches to the stand) is sort of wedged (gently!) against a piece of foam, so it took a little bit of wiggling to get the screen out. If you have someone to help, this would go much more easily!Putting the monitor on the stand took just a few seconds. <hl> It hand-screws in, and has a very solid base . <hl> It's also an extremely ugly, huge base, and absolutely my one major gripe with the monitor. But let's focus on the good stuff first:For reference, this was tested on a 2011 MacBook Air via mini-Displayport to Displayport (2560x1440), and with a Google Chromecast via HDMI (1920x1080).1.) Pre-calibrated out of the box. Given that my screen came with a specific-to-this-serial-number piece of paper documenting the factory calibration, I was extremely impressed with the output.2.) The controls on the bottom right of the screen are touch sensitive. Normally I'm not a fan of such buttons, but these are without a doubt the most responsive touch-buttons I've used on a monitor. Really good stuff.3.) The screen isn't matte, and it isn't glossy. It's a really excellent combination of the two, cutting down on the glare of a glossy display, while maintaining those rich colors and good contrast.4.) Viewing angles, like many/most IPS panels, is truly excellent.5.) Able to rotate the screen 90 degrees, and it does line up perfectly straight when locked into that 90-degree position. Also, the height adjustment is superb, with plenty of height for me, and I'm 6'5".6.) No dead/stuck pixels on the monitor I received. Good!7.) No PWM-dimming flicker (if you're sensitive to this, you'll be glad to know!), and no buzzing or other untoward noises from the display at any brightness.8.) While certainly not specifically a gaming monitor, it definitely holds its own. My gaming monitor of choice is myEIZO Foris FS2333-BK 23-Inch Screen LCD Monitor, but if you want something bigger without the viewing-angle deficiencies of TN panels, this would not be a bad choice for the less hardcore PC gamers among you. I wouldn't recommend it for 1080p gaming since the scaling to 1440p can be quite ugly.9.) You can turn off the blue power LED when the monitor is in use, from the Settings menu. I really don't like unnecessary LEDs, so this is something I immediately looked for and was glad to find. And now, the cons:1.) The base of the stand is horrible. I'm not sure what Viewsonic were thinking, but surely somebody could have come up with something a little less of an eyesore. I'll be mounting the screen on a VESA mount (100x100), but still - ouch! So ugly, and it takes up a huge amount of room on the desk for no apparent reason.2.) The brightness is set far, far too high out of the box (maxed out). All this did was draw attention to a little light bleed on the left of my particular display, only view-able on a completely black image. After the brightness was turned down to a less eye-searing level, this was (mostly) gone. Overall, though, this is a top-notch monitor, and highly recommended.5 stars out of 5.

I love quality displays. I really do. While I don't get into the realm of the insanely expensive professional monitors, I really appreciate a good IPS/PLS monitor. And here's another one.Surprisingly, getting the monitor out of the box wasn't as easy as I'd have hoped. The stem of the monitor (the part that attaches to the stand) is sort of wedged (gently!) against a piece of foam, so it took a little bit of wiggling to get the screen out. If you have someone to help, this would go much more easily!Putting the monitor on the stand took just a few seconds. It hand-screws in, and <hl> has a very solid base <hl>. It's also an extremely ugly, huge base, and absolutely my one major gripe with the monitor.But let's focus on the good stuff first:For reference, this was tested on a 2011 MacBook Air via mini-Displayport to Displayport (2560x1440), and with a Google Chromecast via HDMI (1920x1080).1.) Pre-calibrated out of the box. Given that my screen came with a specific-to-this-serial-number piece of paper documenting the factory calibration, I was extremely impressed with the output.2.) The controls on the bottom right of the screen are touch sensitive. Normally I'm not a fan of such buttons, but these are without a doubt the most responsive touch-buttons I've used on a monitor. Really good stuff.3.) The screen isn't matte, and it isn't glossy. It's a really excellent combination of the two, cutting down on the glare of a glossy display, while maintaining those rich colors and good contrast.4.) Viewing angles, like many/most IPS panels, is truly excellent.5.) Able to rotate the screen 90 degrees, and it does line up perfectly straight when locked into that 90-degree position. Also, the height adjustment is superb, with plenty of height for me, and I'm 6'5".6.) No dead/stuck pixels on the monitor I received. Good!7.) No PWM-dimming flicker (if you're sensitive to this, you'll be glad to know!), and no buzzing or other untoward noises from the display at any brightness.8.) While certainly not specifically a gaming monitor, it definitely holds its own. My gaming monitor of choice is myEIZO Foris FS2333-BK 23-Inch Screen LCD Monitor, but if you want something bigger without the viewing-angle deficiencies of TN panels, this would not be a bad choice for the less hardcore PC gamers among you. I wouldn't recommend it for 1080p gaming since the scaling to 1440p can be quite ugly.9.) You can turn off the blue power LED when the monitor is in use, from the Settings menu. I really don't like unnecessary LEDs, so this is something I immediately looked for and was glad to find.And now, the cons:1.) The base of the stand is horrible. I'm not sure what Viewsonic were thinking, but surely somebody could have come up with something a little less of an eyesore. I'll be mounting the screen on a VESA mount (100x100), but still - ouch! So ugly, and it takes up a huge amount of room on the desk for no apparent reason.2.) The brightness is set far, far too high out of the box (maxed out). All this did was draw attention to a little light bleed on the left of my particular display, only view-able on a completely black image. After the brightness was turned down to a less eye-searing level, this was (mostly) gone.Overall, though, this is a top-notch monitor, and highly recommended.5 stars out of 5.

It hand-screws in, and <hl> has a very solid base <hl> .


Question: How do you like the performance?

asuswrt is by far the best firmware for this router right now, unfortunately.  I say unfortunately because it lacks the features and customization I've grown to love from tomato (shibby in particular) and dd-wrt.  That said, the performance is excellent and I recommend this over it's n66u cousin.  One of the (two) wireless interfaces on this is a newer broadcom chip with more features that the twin interfaces on the n66u, so even if you don't use ac (yet), you still have a better chip at your disposal.  Unfortunately, going back to the firmware problem, you can't squeeze or customize much out of the new chip with the current firmware and lack of third party offerings, which you currently can with the n66u.just for example, the default tx power, as listed by wl, is 1500 (!) mw (using the latest asuswrt firmware).  That is about 1480 more than I'd like.  Thanks to a user named Merlin, we can download a modified version of asuswrt and customize settings beyond the webinterface, and in using it, I can set the power properly, as well as a bunch of other features (iptables droplists, upnpd custom settings, dnsmasq custom settings, hosts file, cron jobs, and more).  Even by setting the txpower to a sane setting through the webinterface, BTW, it still defaults to 1500 (or 1496ish) for some mysterious reason.  Atleast as reported by wl (the main configuration and settings program published by Broadcom).As for performance, I am very pleased.  I can break 300Mbps using an tri band N adapter w/o problem.  Also pleased with the stability.  Just wish shibby could implement the key features (speed speed speed) of asuswrt firmware into his code so I can use some of those terrific features and bypass the hideous default/stock webinterface.In short, this is a terrific router for the coming years.  At the moment however, the n66u with tomato shibby firmware is probably better.  That said, I don't regret paying the price to be forward compatible.  I'm lacking a few features I'd like to implement but the performance (speed) has been terrific and stable.

Answer: I'd like to implement but the performance (speed) has been terrific and stable

asuswrt is by far the best firmware for this router right now, unfortunately. I say unfortunately because it lacks the features and customization I've grown to love from tomato (shibby in particular) and dd-wrt. That said, the performance is excellent and I recommend this over it's n66u cousin. One of the (two) wireless interfaces on this is a newer broadcom chip with more features that the twin interfaces on the n66u, so even if you don't use ac (yet), you still have a better chip at your disposal. Unfortunately, going back to the firmware problem, you can't squeeze or customize much out of the new chip with the current firmware and lack of third party offerings, which you currently can with the n66u.just for example, the default tx power, as listed by wl, is 1500 (!) mw (using the latest asuswrt firmware). That is about 1480 more than I'd like. Thanks to a user named Merlin, we can download a modified version of asuswrt and customize settings beyond the webinterface, and in using it, I can set the power properly, as well as a bunch of other features (iptables droplists, upnpd custom settings, dnsmasq custom settings, hosts file, cron jobs, and more). Even by setting the txpower to a sane setting through the webinterface, BTW, it still defaults to 1500 (or 1496ish) for some mysterious reason. Atleast as reported by wl (the main configuration and settings program published by Broadcom).As for performance, I am very pleased. I can break 300Mbps using an tri band N adapter w/o problem. Also pleased with the stability. Just wish shibby could implement the key features (speed speed speed) of asuswrt firmware into his code so I can use some of those terrific features and bypass the hideous default/stock webinterface. In short, this is a terrific router for the coming years. At the moment however, the n66u with tomato shibby firmware is probably better. That said, I don't regret paying the price to be forward compatible. <hl> I'm lacking a few features I'd like to implement but the performance (speed) has been terrific and stable . <hl>

asuswrt is by far the best firmware for this router right now, unfortunately. I say unfortunately because it lacks the features and customization I've grown to love from tomato (shibby in particular) and dd-wrt. That said, the performance is excellent and I recommend this over it's n66u cousin. One of the (two) wireless interfaces on this is a newer broadcom chip with more features that the twin interfaces on the n66u, so even if you don't use ac (yet), you still have a better chip at your disposal. Unfortunately, going back to the firmware problem, you can't squeeze or customize much out of the new chip with the current firmware and lack of third party offerings, which you currently can with the n66u.just for example, the default tx power, as listed by wl, is 1500 (!) mw (using the latest asuswrt firmware). That is about 1480 more than I'd like. Thanks to a user named Merlin, we can download a modified version of asuswrt and customize settings beyond the webinterface, and in using it, I can set the power properly, as well as a bunch of other features (iptables droplists, upnpd custom settings, dnsmasq custom settings, hosts file, cron jobs, and more). Even by setting the txpower to a sane setting through the webinterface, BTW, it still defaults to 1500 (or 1496ish) for some mysterious reason. Atleast as reported by wl (the main configuration and settings program published by Broadcom).As for performance, I am very pleased. I can break 300Mbps using an tri band N adapter w/o problem. Also pleased with the stability. Just wish shibby could implement the key features (speed speed speed) of asuswrt firmware into his code so I can use some of those terrific features and bypass the hideous default/stock webinterface.In short, this is a terrific router for the coming years. At the moment however, the n66u with tomato shibby firmware is probably better. That said, I don't regret paying the price to be forward compatible. I'm lacking a few features <hl> I'd like to implement but the performance (speed) has been terrific and stable <hl>.

I'm lacking a few features <hl> I'd like to implement but the performance (speed) has been terrific and stable <hl> .


Question: How is the volume of the unit?

These speakers ROCK. I've tried Cyber Acoustic products against Logitech and Altec Lansing, and these speakers are by far the best in their category.Firstly, the satellite tower design includes two speakers per tower, which helps distribute sound over a greater area than with single speaker designs. This greatly improves the listening experience, as the "sweet spot" area has widened so listeners perceive full-sounding stereo from a variety of locations in a small room. Additionally this avoids the pitfalls of "small" computer speakers which sound small, like music playing from a tin box. (the CA speakers 1 level below these with a single speaker design by comparison sound MUCH worse).Secondly, the bass and speakers are very powerful for their size, and have little to no distortion even at full-volume.The sub-woofer volume is adjustable independently of the other speakers. This lets you boost bass for music genres with a lot of low-frequency sounds, such as electronic/dance or hip-hop/rap, and likewise decrease bass for genres like classical and acoustic where the bass could overwhelm the instruments or vocals.The cord is conveniently long ans contains a circular volume control with a headphone jack and aux input.NOTE: I have two of these speaker systems because a roommate dropped a satellite speaker and broke the plastic foot. They are plenty sturdy if you respect them and should last a long time if handle them carefully. I guess that also shows how good these speakers are, that they broke and I bought them again.I'm a recording enthusiast, and these speakers satisfy my needs. They are not studio monitors but it's definitely possible to create good mixes on them. They take up considerably less space than professional studio monitors and are hundreds of dollars cheaper, but the sound quality is not significantly worse than monitors I've tried. They are easily 10x better than integrated speakers in TVs, laptops, etc. and they are a few steps above every speaker set in the less than $70 price range.

Answer: volume is adjustable

These speakers ROCK. I've tried Cyber Acoustic products against Logitech and Altec Lansing, and these speakers are by far the best in their category. Firstly, the satellite tower design includes two speakers per tower, which helps distribute sound over a greater area than with single speaker designs. This greatly improves the listening experience, as the "sweet spot" area has widened so listeners perceive full-sounding stereo from a variety of locations in a small room. Additionally this avoids the pitfalls of "small" computer speakers which sound small, like music playing from a tin box. (the CA speakers 1 level below these with a single speaker design by comparison sound MUCH worse).Secondly, the bass and speakers are very powerful for their size, and have little to no distortion even at full-volume. <hl> The sub-woofer volume is adjustable independently of the other speakers. <hl> This lets you boost bass for music genres with a lot of low-frequency sounds, such as electronic/dance or hip-hop/rap, and likewise decrease bass for genres like classical and acoustic where the bass could overwhelm the instruments or vocals. The cord is conveniently long ans contains a circular volume control with a headphone jack and aux input. NOTE: I have two of these speaker systems because a roommate dropped a satellite speaker and broke the plastic foot. They are plenty sturdy if you respect them and should last a long time if handle them carefully. I guess that also shows how good these speakers are, that they broke and I bought them again. I'm a recording enthusiast, and these speakers satisfy my needs. They are not studio monitors but it's definitely possible to create good mixes on them. They take up considerably less space than professional studio monitors and are hundreds of dollars cheaper, but the sound quality is not significantly worse than monitors I've tried. They are easily 10x better than integrated speakers in TVs, laptops, etc. and they are a few steps above every speaker set in the less than $70 price range.

These speakers ROCK. I've tried Cyber Acoustic products against Logitech and Altec Lansing, and these speakers are by far the best in their category.Firstly, the satellite tower design includes two speakers per tower, which helps distribute sound over a greater area than with single speaker designs. This greatly improves the listening experience, as the "sweet spot" area has widened so listeners perceive full-sounding stereo from a variety of locations in a small room. Additionally this avoids the pitfalls of "small" computer speakers which sound small, like music playing from a tin box. (the CA speakers 1 level below these with a single speaker design by comparison sound MUCH worse).Secondly, the bass and speakers are very powerful for their size, and have little to no distortion even at full-volume.The sub-woofer <hl> volume is adjustable <hl> independently of the other speakers. This lets you boost bass for music genres with a lot of low-frequency sounds, such as electronic/dance or hip-hop/rap, and likewise decrease bass for genres like classical and acoustic where the bass could overwhelm the instruments or vocals.The cord is conveniently long ans contains a circular volume control with a headphone jack and aux input.NOTE: I have two of these speaker systems because a roommate dropped a satellite speaker and broke the plastic foot. They are plenty sturdy if you respect them and should last a long time if handle them carefully. I guess that also shows how good these speakers are, that they broke and I bought them again.I'm a recording enthusiast, and these speakers satisfy my needs. They are not studio monitors but it's definitely possible to create good mixes on them. They take up considerably less space than professional studio monitors and are hundreds of dollars cheaper, but the sound quality is not significantly worse than monitors I've tried. They are easily 10x better than integrated speakers in TVs, laptops, etc. and they are a few steps above every speaker set in the less than $70 price range.