Customer Reviews
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Seagate Expansion 1 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive ST310005EXA101-RK
Backing up data can be considered a very important task as disc failures that can occur anytime leaving the user at a loss of important information. What is primarily expected of an external hard drive is reliability and durability. The process of setting the unit up and data transfer has to be a relatively hassle free procedure with no compatibility problems related to the computer the device is being used. Also, price is an important factor as there are a variety of storage options available.
The Seagate 1TB external hard drive makes use of USB 2.0 to connect to the computer and also needs to be connected to a power outlet to get it going. Using the unit is as easy as plugging it in and transferring data as the device comes pre formatted as NTFS. It also does not need any device drivers to be downloaded, making the viewer start his work immediately after connecting the unit to the computer. The units design is sleek and attractive with a low profile. It also has a small green LED on its face that tells the user when the device is at work and when it is not. The unit does not heat up much and most of them have been reportedly working without the slightest noise, with a few exceptions though.
The hard drive goes to a standby mode when not in use for a certain period of time, thus saving power as it has the Green feature and makes use of less power when it is idle. It is possible to partition the hard drive and use the different sections for different purposes. It does not come with any kind of unnecessary software and it also has the ability to turn itself on and off automatically when the PC boots up. It can also be connected to a play station with reliable service. It can again be used as a back up for Dish Network shows. It is always important to run a surface scan on the drive before using it though, as it helps in knowing if there are any bad sectors on it and can be fixed accordingly if any. If the device is found to be clean, it can be used immediately without any concern.
Most of the users who are not pleased with the device have found a reasonably loud clicking sound that the unit makes while in operation. The vents for cooling the hard drive are located at the bottom and that does no prove to be an efficient design as the bottom is always covered by the desk and that makes the device hot after operating for a considerable amount of time. The outer material of the device is not attractive as it attracts fingerprints and is prone to scratches. Also there is a lag found when playing videos on the computer directly from the disc. The unit cannot be considered portable as it has to be connected to a power outlet during its use.
Overall, the device is a reliable one though a few defective products were seen with a few users. If you are lucky enough to get the right one, it is definitely worth the value.
Canon PowerShot D10 12.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera
The Canon Powershot D10 seems to be a pretty good camera for those who need to take shots in wet conditions, be it underwater, in the rain or while rafting. It is a nice little unit that is capable of taking excellent pictures no matter where it is used. It can give bright, and colorful results where it is usually difficult to get one and id hence a consistently reliable unit. The features of the camera work collectively to get optimum results that are pleasing and surprising to know that they come from a unit that is affordable too.
The build of the camera is satisfactory as it is capable of using under water too and is therefore tough enough to withstand unexpected shocks. Apart from using it as an underwater camera, it can be used as an everyday unit for taking casual pictures in any kind of situation as it has several modes like portrait, kids and pets, sunset, beach, landscape etc., that are suitable for each kind of location and surroundings. The auto mode of the camera is always there in case the user is unsure about the settings that have to be changed to take a good shot, as it is good enough to produce satisfactory results almost everywhere. After using the unit to take pictures under water it can immediately take pictures above it without any hassle as it is water proof and the water does not sink into the unit easily.
The build of the unit is compact and light, making it easy to carry during outdoor activities, as it is the main purpose of purchasing the product for most of the users. The operation of the unit is fast as the lag times are very slow and this aspect is particularly useful while taking action shots. The image stabilization works really well even with the video to produce high quality results. The auto focus of the camera is very useful for almost all the users and the unit is simple to operate making it comfortable for even kids to handle the unit. The self timer feature of the camera is special as it is capable of taking a few extra shots when it recognizes new faces in the focus.
It is difficult to toggle between the photo and video modes of the camera as it takes a lot of input from the user and would have been better if it used a single button like most other cameras. The material used in manufacturing the body of the unit attracts a lot of fingerprints and hence needs a lot of maintenance. There is no lens cover to the device and that makes it prone to accidents and dust accumulation over the lens. The videos shot are in the .mov format by default and this is not pleasing for windows users though it is good for Mac.
The device is a dependable unit for people who need a camera for outdoor activities that is tough and durable.
Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor
A GPS receiver integrated with a heart rate monitor has been serving customers who work out continuously and intend to keep a track of their workout. The Garmin 305 is one such device with a perfect performance as far as the core functionality is concerned. There were previous models by the manufacturer bur had certain drawbacks like problems with satellite acquisition, inconsistent heart rate monitoring, erroneous tracking and unsatisfactory design of the device. But it seems like Garmin has taken care of all these issues with its newer model, the 305.
Firstly, the basic functionality expected from the device has been improvised greatly. The sync time to the satellite is now pretty reasonable with a minute or so. The GPS performance is found to be good even in the woods and few other areas where reception usually poses a problem. The tracking is much better than the previous model, and more importantly it is consistent. The distance measuring and lap average pace calculation is very satisfactory in it. The heart rate monitor of this model comes with a new sensor that’s more comfortable and flexible. The date offered by this monitor is also more reliable. Unlike the previous model, the heart rate strap is flexible rubber on either side of the face and is very comfortable and well designed.
The display quality is really good and has one appealing feature. The data presented on various pages can be user customized. There are a number of data fields, say forty or so, from which the user can choose to be on the display screen. Heart rate, distance, current pace, average run pace and average lap pace are a few of them. Also, there are three different screens the user can toggle between while using the device and choose to display different information on each of them. The workout data can then be uploaded to the computer from the device so that the user can keep track of his/her performance. The PC software that comes with the device too is very user friendly and very transparent.
Though there are very few drawbacks to this device, it is important to know what they are, so that it becomes easy for the customer to decide how important they are in deciding whether to go for the device or not. Firstly, there have been reports of a few cases of erroneous point-in-time (instantaneous) pace measurement. The customers say that the data varies significantly during a run. The battery life of the product is not satisfactory, which is close to around two and a half hours and there are a few pages on the display where the battery life indicator does not show. The device is not waterproof too, which makes it vulnerable o weather conditions. It isn’t very convenient while biking as a bike mount is not included.
The bottom line is that the Garmin Forerunner 305 is very much improved from its earlier version and is a must have for workout freaks interested in keeping tack of their performance accurately.
Nikon Coolpix S570 12MP Digital Camera
The S570 is a point and shoot camera from Nikon that is capable of taking high quality pictures apart from being compact in size and portable. It has a lot of pleasing features that are usually seen in costlier cameras and the user needs to adjust all the available setting optimally to get the best output. It is therefore good for a person who is aware of the techniques of photography and can make use of its features to the maximum. The price of the unit too is much low when compared to similar models and can be used even by professional photographers as a portable camera.
The camera has an option called vivid and it is capable of shooting pictures with beautiful colors and sharpness when the option is chosen. The controls of the unit are arranged well making it easy to operate the camera. The best feature of the camera is the lens which is f2.7 which is bigger than most other alternate models. The lens is wide angle and makes the objects look farther than they actually are. The unit also has the smile detection feature and it is capable of taking pictures automatically when it detects a smile on the objects face. There are four modes of taking photographs using the camera and they are auto, scene, smile and movie. The camera also has a feature called four way vibration reduction whose purpose is to increase shutter speed and ISO automatically.
The optical zoom range of the unit is 5X, which is justified by the price paid for the camera and is sufficient for the average user. The auto mode seems to fit most of the situations and hence the camera is also suitable for those who do not wish to go through all the settings to get the best output. The picture quality is good for the compact camera size and the menu of the device is easy to navigate as it is user friendly. It has the capability to record videos too though it was not made for that purpose. The video quality is satisfactory and good to shoot in emergencies where nicer video cameras are not available.
There is a problem with the focus of the camera as the auto focus feature does not seem to be working for most of the pictures. The time lag between pictures is another major drawback of the unit as it takes very long to store the present picture and get ready to take the next one and the user might miss a picture while waiting for it. The image quality has to be compromised if this problem has to be solved as the megapixels of the pictures have to be reduced in the settings. There is no image stabilizer in the camera and that may turn the pictures blurry is the hands are shaky during shooting.
The unit is good for a point and shoot though it cannot be the first and only choice for professionals. It basically does the job and is a reliable piece of technology.
Kodak Zi6 HD Pocket Video Camera
The video camera in question is a highly portable device that fits easily in a pocket and hence can be carried wherever desired with ease and videos can be shot of moments that would otherwise go without being captured. It is suitable for those who would like to take everyday casual videos and do not have professional like high quality videos as their priority. There is a competition faced by the Zi6 by Kodak from Flip video cameras but the brand carries more weight in this case and Kodak products have always been known for their quality.
Since the camera can take videos of High Definition, they are extremely pleasing with respect to sharpness and clarity. The overall quality of the video and the audio is far better than expected from a pocket video camera and looks very good even when played on a large LCD television. Moreover, the camera is small and lightweight and hence does not pose any problem when it comes to portability. The video quality is good both, indoors and outdoors with sufficient light. It can capture videos anywhere between the tiny macro shots to the landscape ones with vibrant colors. There is an option to shoot videos in the desired format from VGA, HD and HD 60 which is an added advantage and lets the user take low quality ones when the memory available would not be enough to take high quality video. The device thus, is flexible and advantageous.
The video camera can also take still photos though it was not designed for that purpose and can be considered as an added advantage. The best part of the device is that it can take AA batteries and is convenient at places where recharging cannot be done like outdoor parties and adventure areas. The videos are not stored in the internal memory of the unit but on an SD card and is therefore good for the user as the amount of memory in the camera is customizable. It is a dependable unit for casual recording due to its portable nature and the price is what makes the product even more attractive.
The zooming capability of the unit is not as expected and also makes a disturbing noise when used which is recorded along with the other audio of the clip. The instruction manual of the device is not pleasing as it does not include most of the necessary information. The default mode of video is HD and cannot be changed to HD 60 which is disappointing. The media impression software that comes with the camera has some serious flaws and is not user friendly at all. It also tends to freeze up the computer occasionally and is recommended to use third party software for the same purpose. The battery life of the camera is very short and carrying extra AA batteries always helps in locations where recharging the battery I going to be difficult.
The Zi6 is finally a portable video camera that is affordable and has a few quirks with respect to the functionality. It is therefore recommended for taking casual day to day videos.
Nikon D90 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera
The D90 from Nikon is more like an entry level camera in the SLR models. The ease of use of the product and the scope the user has to experiment with the modes and settings of the camera to produce excellent results make it such a unit. Since Nikon is a well known and reliable brand when it comes to cameras, the D90 can also be trusted blindly as it further enhances the brand name by being an efficient unit that has the capacity to rule the market of SLR cameras.
The size and weight of the camera are optimum making it easy for the user to hold the device and produce non blurry images as it is not too light. The build of the camera is also good and the controls are placed at convenient locations on the device. The picture quality is outstanding and is not surprising as it comes from Nikon. The camera also has the capability to record videos in 780p format which is obviously of good quality. This function can be made use of when having to shoot videos suddenly without notice as it is not a video camera by its primary purpose. The performance of the camera in low light is also fairly good and if the user gets to balance the unit well in his hands, he may not even need a tripod to get super steady shots.
The quick start manual of the camera is very informative for first time SLR users. The menus are easy to navigate and the controls are easy to use. The kit lens of the camera is sufficient for the beginners in the SLR field and is capable of doing most of the basic job well. Special lens can always be bought if the user feels the need for. Since the LCD screen size of this camera is huge, there is no need for the user to zoom in on the pictures to see clearly how they have come. There is an option to edit the pictures in the camera itself before even transferring them to the computer and a few basic effects and touch ups can be done using this feature. The battery life of the camera is much better than that of the alternate models and the auto mode of the camera is very useful for beginners as it is suitable for most of the situations.
Though there are not many flaws to the unit, those present have to be mentioned to give a fair review and here they go. There is a compatibility issue between the kit lens and the body of the camera. This makes the camera show strange messages and stop functioning at times. There is also no auto focus in the video mode of the unit. The live view function of the camera is practically worthless and the price of the camera is considered to be a bit high for the kit lens it comes with as it is very basic and also has other issues.
The camera thus, is good for SLR amateurs and the kit lens is fairly sufficient for beginners.
Panasonic VIERA X1 Series TC-L26X1 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
TC-L26X1 is a twenty six inch LCD television from Panasonic in the X1 series. It’s a small screen LCD TV and is of outstanding quality, comparable to those of the leaders in LCD technology like Sony and Samsung. Its size makes it an apt unit for a small living room, for a bedroom, or for the office. It can be bought from various online shopping websites which offer deals at various times of the year and one can get the unit for a low price in this manner. Panasonic can be praised for the quality of the product and this specific unit is here to stay.
The first thing that the user likes about the television is that it comes with an ipod dock and this makes it a pleasure to watch movies and videos in the ipod on a much larger screen. The HD picture quality is praiseworthy for the small screen size and the colors are bright and lively. It has a crystal clear picture quality even in the 780p capability and the sound quality too is exceptional. The unit is also easy to setup as it is very user friendly and comes in good shape that is attractive. The price of the unit is also affordable when considering LCD televisions of this size and the ipod dock feature is an added advantage. The instruction booklet that comes in the box is very informative and come in handy for those not familiar to LCD or HD televisions.
The remote control of the unit is intuitively designed and has logically arranged buttons. The digital tuner and the automated search, both work really well. The base can be attached easily when a magnetized screw driver is used and the unit can be set up without any hassle. It is also possible to view slideshows of images stored on SD cards using the television with high quality. It is easy to operate the remote and navigate through different menus. Since it is sleek in design, it can comfortably sit even on a small table with ease. The sound quality is better than expected for a television of this size and this price even though the speakers are located at the back of the television.
It is sometimes difficult to view the screen clearly from a wide angle as the picture tends to lose quality with increasing angle. The television unit also does not have a headphone jack and an analog audio out option. The finish of the frame of the television is glossy and not matte. This is a problem is the television faces windows as they are reflected on the surface. This also attracts fingerprints and hence needs to be cleaned regularly. A few of the users are not satisfied with the fact that the speakers are located in the front as that would have made the sound quality even better.
The television is a best buy for the output quality and the price, the two major factors that are considered when deciding between alternatives.
