Product Description

Memory Stick PRO is the same size as original Memory Stick (a little smaller than a stick of gum!), yet it can hold a lot more data and transfer information at even faster rates. It's a great way to record, save, and transfer digital images, MPEG movies, and music.Most of the newer Sony cameras and camcorders are compatible with Memory Stick PRO. For compatibility information on a specific model, check our product pages on digital cameras and camcorders, or refer to the owner's manual supplied with your device. Note: These media cards can only be used with products designed to accommodate Memory Stick PRO. They are not compatible with products designed only for original Memory Stick. ... Read more

Features

• Backwards compatible with Memory Stick PR
• Compact and easy to store
• 1 GB Memory Stick PRO
• Minimum write speeds of 15 Mbps
• Increased durability

Product Description

Averatec (AV3270-EE1) Mobile AMD Sempron 2800+ 60GB ... Read more

Reviews (5)

5 stars for the price, 4 overall
Great notebook! I had been hesitant given varied posted experience with Averatec, but this thing is solid.I get about 3 hours battery life with wireless on, so the AMD Sempron processor does a great job with power management.Speed is no problem for general use such as web browsing, Word, Excel, etc.Case is magnesium alloy, solid and nice looking.Wireless range is excellent with built in 802.11b/g NIC.Overall, very happy.

no 60 gb hard drive!!,no recoverydiscs !!
this is my second averatec,after the 3150.
screen brightness is improved,built in wireless is fine.
but be warned ,although it is advertised as 60 gb hard disk,
it only has a lousy 43 available.the rest is on an invisible
and unremovable hard drive partition,where the recovery software resides.this takes up almost a THIRD of valuable diskspace.and CANNOT be changed. There is also NO
recovery disk,and you cannot make one,because you cannot access the hidden partition.

i think this sucks.as i ,like many of you like my machine lean and mean!and want to make a clean install every couple of months
so be warned.
the rest works fine.

Works well--as expected
I just purchased this not too long ago, so this is an interim report.It seems like a great machine for the budget buyer, though--which is how it is advertised.PC Mag gives it a "very good" rating and made it an editor's choice, and that was one of the things that helped me make my decision.Case doesn't seem to scratch...but these are laptops, and they're going move and get some wear and tear.The wireless worked immediately...it even picked up a signal my neighbor didn't intend for me to pick up.Dial-up connectivity was a snap, too.The DVD player works well, so does the music... it's not $2000 sound, but you're buying a laptop that's less than $1K.It beats the sound on my 1997 HP clone by miles.Works smoothly, shifts from program to program and no problems.Have not tried to burn a CD or DVD but have worked with everything else.I even like the "updated" version of Works, which is not a program I ever preferred to Word before (as a writer). My major point of contention is the screen quality, but I can play with that.Just haven't yet, because I've been spending too much time working, surfing the Net, and watching movies.

I think it is fine
Have it 1 week. Looks and feels well made. Battery life 2.5 hrs.
Good value. No problems

Not Worth The Money
I hoped for a lot more from this laptop. It looks decent on paper but it's a very poor performing machine. It is so fragile I am afraid to pick it up. It performs all the basics like surfing and basic apps but can't run too many processes at the same time. The video and audio quality are poor. It came with no recovery disks or instructions. I can't get a decent wireless signal no matter how close I get. The plastic case scratches easily. Maybe for $500 I would give it 3 stars. I am returning it before the 2 week trial period expires. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Unbelievably fast - especially compared to my other Macs
I bought this G5 Dual 2.3GHz system the last week of May to bolster my arsenal within my freelancing business, Digital Creative Services ( Click this link to go to my website for my portfolio and more information -plus I have a special going on now - 25 percent off any design, whether print, website or video work!). I am so glad I did! This computer is extremely fast to boot, versatile with the 3 PCI-X slots, quick SuperDrive and 8 RAM slots, and it has massive storage capacity with the 250GB hard drive. With Tiger running now, I can get a lot more done in a shorter amount of time.

Opening applications is so fast I have to look twice to make sure that they're open, and I really look forward to working with digital video, animation and Graphic Design/layout/website design on further projects.

I highly recommend this system to anybody looking for the next to highest quality Macintosh ever made!

Desktop supercomputer
Apple is, quite simply, the best and most innovative computer manufacturer. Consumer Reports recently identified Apple computers as the most reliable computers currently available and a PC magazine user survey reached the same conclusion. Also PC magazine has picked a Macintosh G5 as the best multi-purpose desktop computer. Now Apple has this even more powerful Macintosh G5 computer with dual 2.3 GHz processors.

Yes, most people use Windows-based PCs, but do you want to be just another member of the PC herd -- with all of the problems and frustrations (including frequent crashes and virus attacks) presented by Windows-based PCs -- or are you looking for a computer which is user friendly, seldom crashes, and is virtually impervious to virus attacks? If these virtues are more important to you than being one of the crowd, please seriously consider buying an Apple computer. The Power Mac G5 is Apple's top-of-the-line computer series -- essentially desktop supercomputers. Like all Power Mac G5s this computer is more than twice as fast as a Pentium 4 with the same clock speed and has dual 64-bit processors. All computers will have 64-bit processors some day but very few PCs, except for Mac G5s, have them at this time. If you're looking for a super fast, versatile, easy to use computer (and want to stop worrying abut virus attacks) and are willing to try something off the beaten path, you'll love this new dual 2.3 GHz processor Power Mac G5. If you want still more power consider the fastest Power Mac G5 with dual 2.7 GHz processors. On the other hand, if you want the virtues of Apple computers and G5 power at a lower price consider the Power Mac G5 with dual 2.0 GHz processors or the new G5 iMacs. ... Read more

Product Description

Toshiba Satellite M45-S331 Notebook PC State-of-the-Art Computing At 6.2 lbs., the Satellite M45 is highly mobile, outperforming many desktops with technology designed specifically for mobile PCs. All systems include a 15.4" wide-screen TruBrite display to make images brighter and more vivid.Push this machine as far as you want; it can take it! Enjoy notebook-optimized Intel Centrino Mobile Technology, Microsoft Windows XP Operating System, hard drives to 100GB hard drive¹, and integrated high speed wireless LAN, all in one sleek chassis. The DVD-SuperMulti optical drive reads and writes to the most popular CD and DVD formats, making it perfect for movie making, or file archiving and exchange.At only 6.2 lbs., this system offers high-performance Intel Centrino Mobile Technology, Windows XP Home, an 80GB HDD, an IEEE 1394 port, and integrated high speed wireless LAN. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Returned it after 18 hours
I brought the Toshiba M45-S331 and promptly returned it within 18 hours.

The wireless connection is way to erratic. If you go from battery to AC while you are on wireless then the system simply freezes.

I noticed the DVD drive made a horrible loud sound when it was reading data.

After keeping the system on for about 5 hours I noticed that the laptop was beginning to get quite hot. I had placed the laptop on a desk so I doubt very much if I was blocking any vents.

The only saving grace for this system is the fantastic LCD display, though I doubt any one would want to pay for just that on a system that is inherently so faulty (I believe the system freezing up problem described above is well known - I am curious as to why Toshiba has not fixed that problem and if it is unable to rectify the problem then why does it continue to ship faulty systems).

I now have a dv4030us from HP. This does seem to be a more reliable and sturdy system.

All said and done, I doubt very much if I will ever buy another Toshiba product let alone a laptop.

Nice for the money, but Tech Support is the pits!
I purchased this notebook for my daughter less than a month ago.She was very happy with it, and I was pleased with what we got for the money.Then the DVD drive began having problems.To make a long story short, after several calls to Toshiba it was finally determined that the drive must be replaced.The closest authorized service center is almost 40 miles away, so we must send it off to Toshiba and be without it for up to 2 weeks.I have dealt with other computer manufacturers who have sent out a technician to correct a problem covered under warranty.Why can't Toshiba do this?Or at least have a few more authorized service providers.I'm not exactly out in the sticks.There are several businesses in my area who could provide this service for Toshiba's customers.
Edit on June 6, 2005:
Sent the notebook to Toshiba's service depot on May 24th.Was informed today that it is on hold for parts and that if I'm lucky it'll be finished by June 15th.Toshiba's own repair center doesn't keep their DVD drives in stock?When I asked them this question I was told that they usually do, but they're out of stock now.So someone didn't notice they were getting low on drives and should order some?I'd like to change my rating from 4 stars to 1.While I still think it's a great little computer for the money I don't think it's worth the aggravation we've went through trying to get it fixed and back to us.DON'T BUY TOSHIBA UNLESS YOU'RE ABSOLULTELY, POSTIVELY SURE IT ISN'T GOING TO NEED TO BE REPAIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!

A HORRIBLE Experience

Sleek notebook, but that’s the only positive.My absolute worst fears all came true only three weeks after I bought it.

Within three weeks the screen had died on me.Called the warranty service who advised me to send it to the Toshiba depot for repair, as opposed to taking it to a local service center.They assured me that the depot would have all the necessary parts, whereas a service center will have to order them and wait.They also assured me that I’ll have my notebook back in about a week.

Three weeks later, after countless phone calls, and many promises of delivery “next week”, they finally told me that parts are still not available and that it would take two additional weeks before they get them.

I called customer relations several times (get used to 45 minutes on hold, don’t bother leaving messages, they never return calls despite the promise of “within the hour”).Every time I was assured that this time they’ll get it right and that I’ll get my notebook within days.

Needless to say, two weeks passed, and the assurances turned to be meaningless.Customer relations’ only job is to get you off the phone, not to solve your problem.So here I am with a brand new notebook that spent twice as much time in the repair shop than on my desk.I called customer relations again, and asked to speak to someone who will actually do something to solve my problem, perhaps send me a replacement unit.I bought the notebook because I needed it, and I just can’t defer using it indefinitely.Guess what they told me?There’s not such thing as someone who could do something.There is no replacement policy.I’ll just have to wait for the part until it arrives – whenever that is.

A new notebook is not supposed to break right out of the box, but if it does, a respectable manufacturer should stand by their product and make up for the inconvenience to the customer. Toshiba has been utterly disappointing on all counts.

Poor Battery + Lots of Junk.....
Hi,

The Batter Performance is Poor. The salesman at Circuity City will BS to get their product sold. It hardly lasts more than 80 minutes. The Laptop is loaded with JUNK. It sux!!!!

I installed Red Hat Linux 9.0 and XP Pro with SP2.
Their are no Network Card Drivers for Linux, so I can easily say forget about your wireless working on Linux. Shame on both Toshiba and Intel for not supporting the same.

The system cannot hibernate nor turn itself off even after installing battry saver options that accompanied the CD.

So I have had a horrible experience. Pretty much whatever I want I don't get.I will never ever BUY Toshiba.

Love my Toshiba M45-S331!!
After some research, I was down to Toshiba M45-S331 and Dell 6000. Finally got Toshiba although it was more expensive(especially considering Dell online deals). So far am very satisfied and love its built quality and feel as compared to others in the same price & specs range.

PROS:
1. Great specs for the price
2. TruBrite screen
3. Harman/Kardon speakers
4. Keyboard Layout
5. Bridge-Media Aapter

CONS:
1. PC2700 RAM instead of a DDR2
2. Relatively less Battery Life. (< 3 hrs on a full-charge)

I experienced the FREEZING/LOCK-UP problem on plugging the AC Power Cord and have seen numerous such topics online. Toshiba Support insisted its a hardware problem but was not convinced.

Was finally able to solve this problem by tweaking the Power settings of the Laptop...

1. Go to "Power Management Icon" from your system-icon-tray on bottom-right corner of the screen. (It gives information about Current Power Source, Remaining Battery and Power Profile)

2. Right-click it and select "TOSHIBA POWER SAVER SETTINGS".

3. Click "SETUP OPTIONS" button on bottom-left of the window

4. "UNCHECK" the box marked "Change Power Source Profile Automatically".

Once you have done this....you should hopefully no longer have the freezing or locking problem when you switch to AC Power. ... Read more

Product Description

print resolution: 600 x 600 dpi black; 4800 x 1200 dpi color * direct photo printing with PictBridge-compliant cameras * two-sided printing * print speed: up to 22 pages per minute with black-and-white; up to 15 pages per minute in color; 36 seconds for a single 4" x 6" photo * print sizes: letter (8-1/2" x 11"), legal, 4" x 6", 5" x 7", envelope * ... Read more

Features

• Direct print port, PictBridge compatible
• USB interface; PC and Mac compatible
• Up to 4,800 x 1,200 dpi color resolution
• Up to 22 ppm black, 15 ppm color; 4-by-6-inch photo in about 36 seconds
• Built-in 2-sided printing; 4 individual ink tanks

Reviews (57)

Stunning printer .... on the cheap
Never thought much of Canon printers, but picked up this one to use with a Powershot. I hooked it up to the 'puter anyway and installed the drivers/software, and that was completely painless, which surprised me (my backup machine; Win 98SE, eek!).

Then I connected the cam, pushed the "print" button and printed a picture straight from it- in about 30 seconds. It dropped into the paper tray, and right after that, my jaw dropped. Brilliant colors, sharp print, just like from the drugstore. Simply lovely. It also operates perfectly from the computer, handling whatever you throw at it without blinking. The colors are bright and the black is deep and crisp.

Two ways to feed paper; individual ink tanks; sensible, unobtrusive design - and it's quiet enough for a spy.

This printer will make you smile.

Excellent printer, you wont regret buying it
This printer is simply amazing. ok, it doesnt have a parrallel port connection, but does anyone really need 1? It uses usb just fine. It is very inexpensive and cant understand what more you could get by getting a higher priced printer. I had considered getting the ip4000 or ip5000 but I figured I dont do much photo printing so I went with this. After printing a photo when I set it up, I cant see how the other models could be much better. It looks like i just brought the photo home from the photo lab! Setup was easy on an XP machine. I havent tried duplex printing yet but im sure it works fine. Oh and as far as how loud it is...after the initial click which isnt very loud, it produces almost no noise at all while printing. Run your finger over a piece of paper from side to side a few times, thats about the noise that it makes. Other than the initial click, you could print while someone is sleeping in the room. It even has a quiet mode which I guess is supposed to make the click quieter but I see no need for it since its already pretty quiet. If youre considering a printer, just buy this one, you wont regret it!

Super duper printer!
This printer is absolutely amazing.If I didn't know the price I would have assumed it to be over $200 because of its fantastic output.Colors are absolutely impeccable and vivid. Keep in mind that you can use this photo printer as a regular printer too.Print speeds are a lot better then my last HP printer.The included Easy-PhotoPrint software is awesome too... it allows you to crop images, remove blemishes, correct red-eye, correct lighting, and soften images... basically its like a professional photography service. Also keep in mind that this printer isn't exactly tiny... it is a little bit above average in size but by no means too large. Its ink cartridges are inexpensive and last a long time.I purchased my iP3000 with a PowerShot SD400 (super awesome too!) so with the $70 rebate I will get this printer for only $10 from Amazon!

Great purchase, price, printer!
This printer was not only a great price, but it does a fantastic printing job. Very easy to set up and prints photos with ease and excellent quality. Don't miss your chance to pick this up at the very reasonable price.

Perfect for only some people
This is a sweet printer in most ways.The paper handling is great, the image quality is great, it is fast, and the ink is a resonable price.

The downside?If you are thinking about using Linux even a little, ignore Canon Printers.The support is nonexistant. (I recently switched, and everything works great EXCEPT this printer.My HP works fine) ... Read more

Product Description

VERBATIM(94985) DVD-R, 4.7GB, 8x, 100/Spindle ... Read more

Features

• Read-compatible with majority of DVD-ROM drives and DVD players
• 8x DVD-R media for recording data, home videos, photos, music, and more
• 4.7 GB of memory records up to 2 hours of video
• Write-once compatible with high-speed Sony, Pioneer, and other DVD writers
• Burns a single full DVD disc in fewer than 10 minutes

Reviews (8)

Works w/my Panasonic DMR-ES10K DVD Recorder
I bought these so I could offload my TiVo shows that I wanted to keep forever using my newly purchased Panasonic DMR-ES10K DVD Recorder.It works great.These MCC discs are perfect for video recording.My co-worker loves that he can keep his VHS tapes at home now so when he misses an episode of 24, I can record it to DVD for him :)At Amazon's price of $0.32/each, it's hard to beat.

** My first UPS delivery resulted in a shattered spindle(poor packing in my opinion).Amazon was great though and they shipped out a replacement with 2-day delivery and paid to ship back the busted up spindle.

Great product!
I bought this after doing quite some research on DVD media.

These are MCC disks which I am EXTREMELY SATIFIED with. Out of the 100 I had, only 1 turned out to be a coaster. But again, I was burning data on these discs, not backing up movies like most of us.

These worked great on the AOpen DVD burner that I have!

Excellent Media Quality and compatibility
I was a little skeptical at first, based on some of the reviews, but my media checks out as MCC, which is supposedly Mitsubishi Chemical, one of the best manufacturers of quality media. So far, no problems and no coasters. Plays perfectly on 3 DVD players in my house. Only complaint is that the writing surface is not very accepting of my Sharpie. It stays on, but looks like it isn't sticking at all. Media code on these is the same as Verbatim's high-end Data-life Plus series. Very satisfied.

Verbatim 8x 4.7 GB DVD-R Blanks
I have burned about 30 of these with my new Pioneer DVD Recorder from Sam's and have not had one problem.

MCC is one of the best code!
What's wrong with the other review?

MCC is one of the best you can get for DVD+/-R. I have no problem whatsoever with Verbatim other than they are great dics. I am using NEC 3500 as well. dude, you better check your DVD RW first.

... Read more

Product Description

Get the total HD package with this Toshiba 42" TheaterWide Plasma HDTV. The set's built-in 720p true HD tuner provides free hi-definition viewing without the need for a set-top box. Features TheaterWide modes that are ideal for displaying HDTV signals and enhanced for widescreen TV DVDs. Also includes 1024x768 panel resolution, 2000:1 contrast ratio, Virtual Dolby (SRS TruSurround) Surround Sound and HD window POP with split screen and 12 multi windows. Made in USA. 31Hx57Wx16D". 115 lb. ... Read more

Features

• 1 DVI direct-digital input, 2 ColorStream HD component-video inputs for ultimate quality from DTV receivers and progressive-scan DVD players
• Toshiba PixelPure technology produces a picture that's consistently clear, deep, and accurate
• 1,024 x 768 native pixel resolution; 3D Y/C (4 MB, 10-bit) digital comb filter removes blurred edges between colors and reduces dot crawl
• 10 watts per channel audio power x 2; SRS TruSurround and Dolby Virtual Surround produce enveloping sound from just 2 speakers
• 42-inch widescreen high-definition plasma monitor; 50.3 x 27.8 x 4.9 inches (W x H x D)

Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks Pro 2005 - Complete Product - Financial - 5 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - MacQuickBooks Pro 2005 for Mac is all about working the way you want to work, including more customizable forms and easier ways to share data with QuickBooks for Windows users. And it takes advantage of more Mac OS X features, including iCal and .Mac. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 284186 - QUICKBOOKS PRO EDITION 2005 MACand all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• Transfer data from Quicken for Mac or QuickBooks for Windows
• Takes advantage of more Mac OS X features, including iCal and .Mac
• Financial management software for small businesses
• Easily pay bills, print checks, track expenses, and much more
• Export reports to Microsoft Excel; customizable reports

Reviews (10)

I can't believe there's no online banking support!!!!
This just blows my mind.My cheapo Quicken (actually bundled free) has had great online banking support for years, but pricey Quickbooks PRO does not?What is that?This is 2005 -- I can't fathom how they could possibly release this product without online banking support.It's not like they don't know how to do it.

Other than that I really like it.I'm using it anyway as there isn't really an attractive alternative in my opinion, as they must know...

Not as advertised:MAC to PC problems.
If you are planning on round-tripping between your Mac and a Windows version (i.e. between your accountant or bookeeper's PC using a windows version of Quickbooks Pro- DO NOT PURCHASE this product! Unfortunately, there are two major flaws with Quickbooks 2005 7.0. The first and most dangerous is that the more you round trip the more corrupt your data will become.Secondly, if you have memorized reports you will have to errase them before round tripping and they will not be saved.
Unfortunately Quickbooks does not tell you this before purchasing- infact they advertise this easy conversion between Mac and PC as a selling feature for their product.
If you do not need to have your accountant or CPA manipulate your data on their PC, then the program is a good attempt to make a Windows style program into a MAC-like product.

NoBooks Is More Like It
Don't buy it. If you're on Mac, spend your money on PC emulator and use the PC version of QuickBooks. The Mac version doesn't seem to be designed to be used as a bookkeeping system for a business. You can't print deposit slips. You can print a deposit summary, but the bank is funny about requiring an account number and a routing number.
QuickBooks won't do payroll updates for the Mac version, so you have to jump through more hoops to get signed up with yet another vendor, then you get the software vs. software argument: "It's not our problem, it's theirs." "No, it's not our problem, it's theirs."
And that's the first day. I understand it gets worse from there, but I'm not sticking around for the ride.
Intuit has kindly set up an online forum so users can "share creativity" for working around problems. I thought that was what programmers were supposed to do.I thought I was supposed to spend my time running my business and using the software, not "fixing" it.But hey, maybe someone will buy that line and believe it's her fault the program is a dog.
Intuit has taken a page from the Gates book and gone MS one better on the QuickBooks for Mac version.

Not ready for prime time:more is less
Intuit has hyped this new release a lot, but it falls well short of deserving the praise.The 2005 QuickBooks for Mac would be a definite improvement if there weren't so many little glitches and annoyances in it.Most disturbingly, accounts and numbers pull disappearing acts - they simply don't display on the screen sometimes.How confidant can you feel when you're looking at a Profit and Loss statement that has no numbers on it?

Even though the menus are touted as being redesigned to closely match those in the PC version of QuickBooks, some things are still maddeningly hard to find.And too many basic features are still unavailable.Intuit should have kept this under wraps a bit longer and made sure it worked before they foisted it off on users eager for an improved product.Let's hope they address the bugs promptly in a maintenance update.

Rebate is phony
The terms of the rebate aren't listed here but once you get the pakage you will see in the fine print that it is only for people who are UPGRADING from a previous version of QuickBooks. ... Read more

Product Description

This Sony 42" Grand WEGA Rear LCD Projection HDTV is the definition of multimedia. The set displays photos and movie files with a built-in enhanced Memory Stick media slot and the CableCARD slot makes it digital cable ready without the need for a set-top box. Twin View Picture & Picture lets you watch 2 shows side by side and zoom in on one with sound. Built-in ATSC tuner provides free hi-definition viewing. Imported. 32-1/4Hx47-3/8Wx14-5/8D". 72 lb. ... Read more

Features

• CineMotion 3:2 pulldown detection and reversal removes redundant video information to display a film-frame-accurate picture from movie sources
• WEGA Engine system keeps images in the digital domain; an optical engine ensures high resolution, corner to corner
• Vivid, high-definition, slim-chassis LCD projection television with 42-inch screen and ATSC (HDTV) tuner; 47.2 x 32.2 x 15.1 inches (W x H x D)
• Lightweight design with bright, high-contrast screen; CableCARD compatibility removes the need for a separate digital cable box
• 3.28 million dots resolution for stunning detail and clarity; fixed-pixel display and constant light prevent image flicker

Reviews (18)

Sincerely Satisfying TV, despite Pro Reviews
After dedicating a room in my basement for a home theater, I subsequently spent many, many weeks laboring over what TV was best for my application. I looked at every RPTV & Plasma that was carried by both Big-Chain & Custom A/V stores. You just can't find Plasma in this price range that is comparable in size, resolution and picture quality. That left DLP & LCD RPTVs. The Sony LCD RPTV line definitely was superior to any other brand out there, (thanks to Sony's WEGA engine). The price was fair at $2200. The picture quality is breathtaking on HD, excellent with DVD, and surprisingly acceptable on standard cable-TV.

The TV is used primarily for watching DVDs.
A word of caution to those with smaller rooms who are particular about picture quality...don't over buy (size). The downfall of fixed-resolution TVs (LCD, DLP) is the inability to adapt lower res. sources like DVD...not too noticeable unless you're seated close to the TV...like in my room. The viewing distance was only going to be 7-8 ft. at best with a 10ft. wide room. After standing the same distance away from the showroom TVs as my room affords me, I decided Sony delivered far and above the most impressive picture, despite the Professional Reviews I had read online. I also down graded from a 50in. to a 42in. This gave a slightly better viewing experience for the aforementioned reasons. I highly recommend taking advantage of the HDMI capabilities and purchasing an up-scaling HDMI DVD player. Both Sony & Panasonic have decent models for under $300. I went with the Sony DVP-NS975V. Once again, not great reviews, but astounding difference in the DVD picture quality. Combining this set with the right DVD player & sound system will give you a truly satisfying HT experience, without leaving you wondering where all your hard earned money went. The TV is bright, so you get a great picture with the lights on & off. Black level is acceptable; only notice the typical LCD/Black-level issues when the room is completely dark. I am not bothered by this.

Bottom Line:
Menu interface is intuitive.
Picture presets are great and easy to customize, if needed.
Sound is good, but if you're serious about the experience, you'll have an SS system.
Picture quality is very impressive.
Set dimensions are small, light and affordable compared to other LCD/DLP sets.
Compared to other LCD/DLP sets, this is a 10. I gave it a nine overall because current fixed resolution TVs have inherent issues, (screen door/black-level,DLP-rainbow effect,etc.), that stop them from being perfect. But this one is pretty close.

I just can't imagine anyone regretting the purchase of this set.

Great HD quality, disappointing SD quality
The good news is the TV is user friendly and worked perfectly for everything we tried right away. It found over the air digital channels (some in HD) and all the inputs worked as advertised.

The bad news is the standard definition image quality is a big disappointment compared to the trinitron tube I was used to! Maybe this won't be a surprise to others but it was to me. Even watching digital channels and using s-video or component inputs, the image is evidently not scaling up very well. This maybe has to do with the native resolution of the display (1386 x 788) and the way the image is scaled up. I'm guessing that SD images don't align with the native pixels no matter what the TV circuitry does. The pixels bleed noticeably and text edges are doubled when they should be crisp.

Something else to get used to (really I can't decide if its worse or just different) is the 'glare' of this backlit set. The TV uses a bright lamp to back-light the LCD, and for images with light colors the glare can be hard on the eyes. This may be a matter of taste, but it is something to get used to.

The one bright spot of hope is the digital HD image quality. Once tuned to a real HD digital signal, the TV begins to really shine. Even without an HD signal you can see the potential in the on-screen menus. Suddenly there are no scaling artifacts, the pixels are crisp and clear, and even the brightness and colors are more even and less eye-tiring. I dread going back to a non HD signal.

So if you are upgrading step by step, be prepared for a new-found motivation to upgrade all available equipment to make sure you are in HD land as much as possible. Digital HD cable, DirectTV HD, and over the air digital HD are your friends. ReplayTV, DVDs, and standard channels will get more tiresome with this TV.

One word - UNBELIEVABLE!!!
I've had this unit for a few weeks now.It is unbelievable!The picture quality in HD and viewing DVD's is incredible.

The only frustration I have and this goes for ALL Sony products is the manual.Their products are outstanding but the manuals that accompany them are very difficult to decipher unless you are a true audiophile.After a few hours of tinkering around though I was able to get it all hooked up and the next day when my cable guy came out to install the HD box he made a few adjustments that got everything working.

My suggestion: If you are going to make this type of an investment including home audio and video equipment, spend a few hundred dollars extra and have a professional come out and hook it up.I didn't do this but in hindsight I think it would have been worth it.

Once it's all hooked up and working the way you want it you won't believe the oooh's and aaah's you will get from this thing.My father and father-in-law were in town over the weekend to watch NBA basketball.Neither of them had ever seen an HD picture and both said it was better than actually being at the game.

Enjoy this product.You won't be disappointed!

Sony KDF-42WE655: Overall Great TV
This TV has excellent picture and sound. An ideal choice if you want to watch HDTV & non-HDTV regular channels. The 42" screen is small enough to retain clarity for regular channels and big enough for a regular sized living room. Make sure you have enough distance from TV, at least 10 feet. Some of the downsides are:
1. The intensity of the rear projection lamp cannot be changed. It is sufficiently bright for any room but if you are very close to TV in a dark room it is uncomfortable.
2. The TV has a fan inside that is noticeable occassionally at low volumes.
Some Tips: The DVI-HDMI connection somehow did not work with my HDTV cable box. Avoid paying the high price for this cable and go with regular component video cables (RGB). The picture is still crystal clear for HDTV channels. Also avoid expensive Gold tipped thick cables they are not necessary.

Good Price, Great Quality
As others have mentioned, I researched several TVs and their technologies before settling on the Sony 42" LCD Projection HDTV.I'm pleased.Even with the wide screen, the TV isn't too large and doesn't take up much space.It's not heavy either.

Very nice picture.Standard definition programming is unremarkable, but HD content is spectacular.I went with the 42" because the larger screens aren't quite as bright considering that they all use the same high intensity bulb.It's more screen to illuminate.The 42" screen was more than adequate.Huge in fact.

Even though I have the sound running through a six speaker Sony Dream home theater system, the TV's sound is very nice.Unless you're wanting the booming vibration of a subwoofer, the TV's speakers are fine for everyday viewing and listening.

Of all the reputable retailers, Amazon.com has the best price by far.I looked at Sears, Circuit City, Best Buy, and other online retailers.I decided to go with Amazon because of reputation, lower price, and shipping costs.I found this TV for a little cheaper online from unknown retailers, but the trust factor led me back to Amazon.

The shipping process was wonderful.Arrived in about a week.EagleGL was the carrier.The guy called me on my cell a few minutes before he pulled up to the house.I met him there.He unloaded it, opened the box, placed it on my TV stand, and carried off the cardboard. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Blending affordability with productivity power, the HP Pavilion dv4030us notebook PC is a great choice for both business road warriors and multimedia enthusiasts on the go. The 15.4-inch BrightView display looks good even in direct sunlight, and movies and games will look clear thanks to the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (with 128 MB of shared memory). And you'll stay productive with the battery-sipping 1.6 GHz Intel Pentium M (Centrino) processor. This notebook also features a 100 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM, built-in 54g wireless connectivity, dual layer DVD+/-RW drive, and multiformat memory card reader. For a step up in price, the DV4040US offers a faster Pentium M processor and 1 GB of installed RAM.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 100 GB hard drive (4200 RPM) is above average in size, and is befitting of such an entertainment-centric laptop. You'll be able to store a hefty digital audio library.
• Processor: The 1.6 GHz Pentium M (Centrino) Processor 730 is at the lower end of the speed spectrum for this processor class (March, 2005). It is well equipped for office productivity software tasks, from complex spreadsheets to databases. The Pentium M processor is designed specifically for low-power mobile usage, and it features the latest in power-saving technologies--ensuring you push your battery and productivity to the max. It also has a large 2 MB L2 cache--which will help speed up your system's performance--and a 533 MHz front-side bus (FSB).
• Memory: The 512 MB of installed RAM is a good start, but you'll want to take advantage of the roomy 2 GB of total RAM capacity (2 x 1 GB)for such multimedia needs as video editing and immersive 3D gaming.
• CD/DVD Drive: Offering the latest in DVD writing technology, the dv4030us multiformat DVD/CD drive is compatible with both DVD+ and DVD- disc formats as well as dual-layer DVD+R discs, which can store up to 8.5 GB of data.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a 101-key keyboard and a touchpad with on/off button and dedicated vertical/horizontal Scroll Up/Down pad.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The dv4030us has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that's fully compatible with 802.11b/g wireless networks. It also includes a next-generation ExpressCard 54/34 card slot, which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. You get a decent offering of connectivity options, which does include super-fast USB 2.0 and Firewire:

• 4 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 S-Video port for connecting to a TV
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II, 32-bit)
• 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack
• 1 ExpressCard/54 slot
• 1 Expansion Port 2 connector
• 1 IR receiver
• 6-in-1 Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Sticks, Memory Stick Pro, SmartMedia, and XD Picture Cards

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 operating system with Advanced Security Technologies, which helps to reduce unwanted downloads and pop-ups while surfing the Web. It also comes preloaded with Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents), Norton Internet Security 2005 (with 60 days of complimentary updates), Microsoft Money 2005, Sonic RecordNow, Apple iTunes, Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition, Intervideo WinDVD, Intervideo Home Theater, MuVee Autoproducer, and MSN Encarta Plus.

The included HP Image Zone Plus photo and imaging software makes it easy to organize, edit, share, print, protect, and store your photos and video clips. Organize and find your photos easily by timeline, keywords, and/or location using the unique photo-globe mapping tool. Remove red eye and fix other common problems. Share your photos quickly via e-mails that include thumbnails with links to the full-sized images--without downloading time-consuming attachments.

Dimensions and Weight
This notebook measures 14.1 x 10.16 x 1.67 inches and weighs 6.5 pounds.

Power
It's powered by a 6-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of up to 3 hours (depending on usage).

What's in the Box
This package contains the dv4030us notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limiited hardware warranty and 30-day free software support. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

good for a first notebook
i got this noteboob a couple days ago and all i can say is this is an excellent machine! key's are in the right position, it's responsive and easy to work with. touchpad's nice, sounds are nice too. and unlike what the other dude said, the fans are quiet unlike those vaio and satellite laptops. its a really quiet machine. the screen's bright and display's crisp. the only thing i don't like about this laptop is that it only lasts for 3 hours or less. but then again u can always buy extra battery. for a centrino laptop, it's kinda heavy too but not that heavy like p4 tops. the preloaded softwares suck so just un-install it. overall, this is pretty neat.
so far no problems. it doesnt hang or crash when u change from ac to battery and the wireless connection's easy to set up. gotta recommend this ;)

Great laptop but rip-off on the software
I bought this hard-to-find-in-stock laptop after doing some research and talking to friends who have HP products.I love the laptop itself--great screen and the widescreen aspect is wonderful.The keyboard has the usual laptop downfalls--i.e. likely to give you carpal tunnel syndrome with too much usage. I love the remote control and the DVD and CD burner. The 100GB hardrive is great as is the 512MB RAM and the fast processor.

I have two problems with the dv4030:

1. It comes loaded with Norton, which I have had nothing but problems with in the past.When I removed the software it took 4 reboots before the system finally stopped prompting me to accept the license agreement and to remove the software already removed. The laptop runs fine with McAfee.

2.Despite the fact that it comes with Windows XP loaded on it, it does not include rights to use Microsoft Office 2003 for more than 60 days.You get a 60 day free-trial and after that you have to buy a full copy.If you don't you cannot create new documents, etc. This is beyond ridiculous, particularly in light of the fact that Microsoft is debuting a new OS next year.

I did not bother to check the price of a full license of Microsoft Office 2003 but the fact that you will need to make this additional purchase is something to be considered when making the decision to buy this laptop.Any check of the HP website product listing for the dv4030 (or any other product listing on any other website, including Amazon) fails to mention this little fact.Had I known this I would have seriously reconsider purchasing this laptop.

Not perfect, but a very solid laptop.
Received this very quickly using Amazon Prime. The most notable thing to say about this laptop is that the screen is widescreen in order to play DVDs. But this is also useful if you use certain software where a wide display is important (for example, certain spreadsheets or programming tools). However, be warned that this is not a dainty little laptop. It will fit inside my briefcase all right, but it is above average in size and weight for PC laptops. On the other hand, it is somewhat reminicent of many Mac laptops I see at Starbucks.

The very first thing I wanted to do with this laptop was use the included Norton AntiVirus. That was not to be. With absolutely nothing else on this computer, the NAV failed to update properly. After wasting half an hour of my life on this, I uninstalled Norton and downloaded Macafee. No problem whatsoever; if your experience is like mine -- and I see no reason it wouldn't be -- ignore the "benefit" of the included Norton AntiVirus.

The laptop is pretty solid. In fact, that was the reason I chose HP this time around. (That and a very mediocre track record with multiple Sony VAIOs.) The other reason is that this laptop has a lot of connnectivity. But yes, I do have a wee bit of envy over those sexy skinny laptops.

Other than that, the screen is very legible; the keys seem to be in the right place (including the Control key, which is in the wrong place on some earlier HPs).

The WiFi just worked. No setup. No hassles. It seems to work quite well even when reading "Low".

(...)

Finally, I'll mention that this is a pretty quiet machine. The fan activates only occasionally, though that will depend on what you use it for.

... Read more

Product Description

Due to the versatility of the Apple AirPort Express Base Station, you can enjoy your iTunes music library in virtually any room of your house, and share a single broadband Internet connection and USB printer without inconvenient and obtrusive cables. Create an instant wireless network on the go, and extend the range of your current wireless network. Compatible with Windows XP or 2000 or Mac OS or later. Imported. Approx. 3Wx3-3/4Lx1H". ... Read more

Features

• Compatible with Windows XP or 2000; Mac OS X v10.2.7 or later
• Enjoy your iTunes music library in virtually any room of your house
• Share a single broadband Internet connection and USB printer without inconvenient and obtrusive cables
• Create an instant wireless network on the go
• Access an AirPort Express wireless network

Reviews (113)

Air Tunes Rock
The Apple Airport Express is a dream, even with my PC.I purchased a USB 802.11 b/g adaptor, plugged that into my PC, that was on line in about 3 minutes.Loaded the Apple Network assistant, plugged in the Airport Express and 5 minutes later it was transmitting fully digital tunes to my stereo system in the next room.The amasing thing is that my wired LAN and DSL are still working at the same time that Itunes is transmitting to the Airport.Who wudda thunk!

Excellent Product -- Shame on Windows Networking
I have a rather heterogeneous wireless network: A PowerBook (running Tiger), A WinTel PC (running XP), A wireless router/DSL modem from the phone company.

Setting up the Airport Express on the Mac was trivial -- it recognized the other network and let me import the existing wireless and security settings. Everything was up and running in 5 minutes.

Setting up printing from WinXP was initially unfruitful, mainly since Windows insists on you making decisions about ports, device types etc. without explaining what things mean or what effect a choice has. (I was trying to follow the Apple instructions, but at one step there was a long pull-down menu they did not mention.) The so-called ``windows troubleshoooter'' was of no avail.

(...) Installation of this was very easy, instructions very clear, including on how to pierce the firewall and it set up the printer with 5 mouseclicks.

In my lifetime??
I've had this device for over a year and STILL DO NOT HAVE IT WORKING!!!The best advice I've gotten is in one of the current reviews here on Amazon.I finally got the green light on and the yellow light to stop flashing after reading the instructions here on AMAZON!

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!Finally ready to configure I begin and I'm asked for a password.I type PUBLIC which is the default password when setting up the machine (you change it later so I'm giving nothing away.)

IT will not accept that password!For a week I've tried resetting, researching, etc and I'm THAT CLOSE and cannot get this silly thing to work so I can use my printer as a wireless USB device.

I wrote APPLE six months ago. No response. I wrote the tech guy at my newspaper and he didn't have a clue what to do.

I've reset the device...in short, I've done everything.No go!Any advice would be helpful; otherwise, this bugger will find itself on EBAY.

How ridiculous.I've always heard APPLE products are so easy to use and install. Ha!Not this one!

Not a painless experience on XP, but I got it to work...
Well, now I'm impressed.It took a while, but I'm there.I can now play music from my computer on iTunes via my stereo, which is rooms away.I'm very happy with this development, so the Airport Express gets 4 stars for its functionality.The experience installing it would get less, if I could split that out somehow.

Everywhere I looked, it said it was easy.It wasn't.I won't say it was hard, just full of guesswork because of the ambiguity of the instructions.The complaints about Apple's documentation in this section are not exaggerated.If you're on Windows XP, the kind soul who wrote the spotlight review on adding the AirPort Express to an existing wireless network deserves major kudos - and perhaps a bottle of wine.Perhaps a case.

It's really amazing how this has been neglected.There's very little reference to your course of action if you have an existing wireless network in Apple's documentation for the AirPort Express.There are two accompanying PDF files (48 and 58 pages in length) on the installation CD that ignore the issue completely, as near as I can tell.One of them is called "Airport Networks for Windows."

The end result is that it's actually easier to pull together a secure home network on Windows XP than it is to add an AirPort Express to that network.That's right, you heard me Mac elitists (and I used to be one of you).I'm also a little disappointed that the cabling didn't come with the unit, cost an extra $40 and includes two cables that I'll likely never use.

Don't believe what a few reviews in this space have said about needing to turn off your firewall.Mine is up and running, and the AirPort Express is fine on my network.

Nice hardware, but terrible software and documentation
A small wireless access point with the power plug directly attached to it, and an audio-out port to connect to a stereo. That looked exactly like what I wanted.

Well, it turns out to be quite different from what I expected, and very disappointing.

1. First, you may want to know what this device actually is. The lengthy "manufacturer description" will tell you it is"Driving the Wi-Fi Revolution" and that "AirTunes Unleashes Your Music", but after reading all that advertising crap, you may still be wondering if it is an access point or a router, and how the audio feature actually works. For whatever reason, I assumed it would be a simple access point, and it would be easy to connect it to my existing network. Well, after a lot of research, it is still not completely clear. It does work as a router, but as far as I can tell, it will only work as an access point or range extender with another AirPort base station, in some proprietary mode. If used in an existing wireless network (in "client mode"), the Ethernet port is disabled.

2. You cannot configure this router through a standard Web interface like all other routers (no telnet either, of course). You must first install a proprietary software for configuration. (Which incidentally also means you cannot configure it from a Linux or other machine. It is Mac or Windows only).

(...)
4. You MUST use iTunes to stream music to the AirPort. If you don't like the iTunes player, you are out of luck. iTunes streams a proprietary format to the device ("Apple Lossless Encoding"), which no other player can do.

5. You must disable any firewall (the Windows XP default firewall or any third party firewall you may have) to enable iTunes to see the AirPort!

So my conclusion would be:

(...)
- If you just wanted a wireless router, there is a huge choice of excellent and cheaper routers, which are easy to set up and require nothing other than your current web browser.

- If you want a small router to take with you around the world and don't mind disabling your firewall, this compact device may be perfect for you.

The hardware design is indeed very nice: the unit is very small, and the power plug is directly attached to it, but removable. This means you can change the power plug for one adapted to the country you are in. Better yet: if you don't have the right Apple power plug for your country, you can just remove it and use a standard 2-pin power cord, the same type that is used for any non-grounded electronics device.

Too bad they put such crappy software into such a nice hardware, and serve it with completely useless documentation. ... Read more

Product Description

Every business deserves the tools to produce professional-looking documents. If your small work team is still using an antiquated printer, here's a replacement that's sure to make an impact.

Features:

• Boost your office's productivity with print speeds of up to 22 pages per minute
• Get the first page immediately: HP's "instantly on" technology brings it out in 8.5 seconds
• Print professional-looking documents with the sharp 1200 dpi laser imaging and advanced toner formulation
• Get reliable results with the powerful 133MHz processor and 16MB RAM (expandable up to 144MB)
• Get connected with ease via USB 2.0 or parallel port
• Tailor your media handling to your needs with the large-capacity 250-sheet input tray and single-sheet multipurpose input slot
• Receive automatic alerts when a print cartridge is low with HP's Smart printing technology
• Save paper (and money) by printing on both sides of each page with the automatic duplexer
• Enjoy sound compatibility, printing professional documents with PCL 6, PCL 5e, or HP PostScript&reg; level 2 emulation
• Feed specialty paper through the adjustable single-sheet multipurpose input slot
• Conserve desk space with the compact design (no protruding tray)
• Replace cartridges fast through the single access door

Features

• Parallel and USB 2.0 interfaces; PC and Mac compatible
• 1,200 dpi laser quality
• Up to 22 ppm, first page out in 8.5 seconds
• Automatic 2-sided printing, 16 MB RAM, expandable to 144 MB
• 10,000 pages per month duty cycle

Reviews (9)

Snoopy dancing Mac OS X user with an HP 1320 printer...
At first after reading the review how Mac OS X duplex printing wasn't supported, I was disappointed. Yet since HP is such a big name company, I thought I would go ahead and purchase the printer anyway in hopes they would come up with a new driver that would resolve any lack of duplex printing capabilities.

Imagine my surprise when after installing the printer and software, then plugging in the a separately purchase USB A-to-B cable, it printed automatic duplexing without fail! What should be clarified is that manual duplex printing is not supported (as mentioned in HP's support site). This had nothing to do with updated software...the CD supplied with the printer contains software as old as when the printer was first packaged. (Fear not... the latest software can be found on HP's website when available.)

All I can say is that the savings in paper (and trees) alone is worth its weight in gold! No longer are my filing cabinets of anything printed from my computer bulging with single-sided documents.

The PostScript cabilities are great and much needed for any user that needs this type of output.

The only issues are that there is no supplied cable. Come on HP, get with the program! And also the manual feeding. It would be nice if when paper is manually inserted into the printer, there was some sort of support to hold the it properly. Instead, the printer sucks the manually fed sheet in queue for printing and lets the sheet hang limply against the front of the printer.

Now the HP 1210 has the right idea for manual feeding paper...it's paper stack cover acts as a tray to hold manually fed sheets for the upper input slot.

But overall, I'm just ecstatic about the fact that duplexing is available. Woo hoo! (insert Snoopy dance here)

Excellent, fast printer. Duplex not an option on Mac OS X
So far, this has been a great printer. And I was able to easily share the printer with all my Macs in the house using the USB Printer Sharing option. However, the only downside is the much hyped duplex (double-sided) printing is not an available option in Mac OS X. Major bummer. And HP support just posted this on their support site on May 2. I wish this information was promoted on Amazon's (or any other) site.

Terrible service
My wife and I wasted hours and hours trying to get HP service. HP has outsourced customer service to several developing countries, and each time we called, the representatives were unable to locate the record of our previous call.We were told time and again that we would be contacted by a "case manager" but that never happened. After weeks of trying, it became obvious that we need to discard the product (still under warrantee) and buy a new (non-HP) product ourselves.

Solid, reliable, fast workhorse printer AND $100 rebate!!!
This printer is a champ. Thanks HP for the $100 rebate you sent me for buying this gem.I print pages and pages per day and this printer just keeps on going. I have not had any problems. It just spits out page after page and keeps asking for more. No wonder HP laser printers are #1. Great job HP!!!!

Disappointing
Our five year old HP 2100 was relocated out from under us and replaced with this model. I miss the old one. I wanted to like this machine; it is quicker by a good amount. It seems less likely to jam when doing two-sided copies. There, I said something nice about it. Here comes the rest. The main paper tray does not accept envelopes. You're supposed to feed them one at a time into tray #1, a cantankerous option at best, as my success rate with that feed is about 50%. I'll second the earlier report about the occasional need to shut down and restart. The print on ours has begun coming out crooked despite properly set guides on the main tray. The back side of the pages smudge with toner resulting in unacceptable back-to-back printing. I'm looking for an alternative and suggest the same to anyone considering this model. ... Read more

Product Description

PictureMate Personal Photo Lab Color Inkjet Printer ... Read more

Features

• 6-color pigment inks; resists fading for up to 200 years in archival sleeves
• USB, memory card slots, optional Bluetooth; PC and Mac
• 1-touch 4-by-6-inch lab-quality photo printing
• Remarkably low operating cost, about 29 cents per print
• 5,760 x 1440 dpi maximum resolution, 2.5-picoliter drops

Reviews (55)

Great for what it is supposed to do
First let me say, I have a real 13" printer by Epson and do all of the color matching and correction when using it.

Problem is that the workflow on the larger printer really doesn't meet the workflow needs of the wife.

My wife has been using the picturemate for a year now and we have gone through probably 600 prints.It has been well worth it.The photos are exceptional.

My ONLY complaint is the cropping it automatically does to fill the entire 4x6 when doing borderless.There really is no fit option on this printer to get it to print the entire original image for images that don't match the aspect ration of 4x6.But, it only bothers me and doesn't bother my wife.

Looking at the user manual for the new version of the picturemate with the picture viewer, it looks like they have solved this problem on the new version.Because of this I would recommend getting the version with the picture viewer display.

Good prints for 48 hours then Black fades
Ok I bought this for the supposedly long life of the ink. Then my dream were shattered by all the disclaimers. I have to live in a glass bubble to get those results.
Then I noticed that the black when first printed looks absulotely great compared to my Canon 5000 but after 48 hours the black faded? I'm using Epson ink? Whats up Epson you optimize your ink for store sales?
Now I know why there are so many lawsuits to you over yoru claims.
Very Disatisfied!

A Little Dynamo
I now have no excuse not to take pictures.The Epson Picture Mate is easy to use and the finished product is as good as or better than any photo lab.The one complaint that I hear and read about is the lack of a monitor.Since I review most of my pictures in the camera's monitor (Nikon coolpix 995) or enhance them with my computer, I hardly miss the monitor at all. If it prints too slowly for anyone, I suggest that you press the print button and go about your business.When you return, you wil have some of the finest quality (use the epson paper) longest lasting prints that you can obtain anywhere.

Beautiful Prints, Beautiful price
I love this handy little printer! I bought it a couple of weeks ago after shopping in quite a few stores looking at various photo printing machines, this one had the right price, and the right quality of print.

The prints come out beautifully, very crisp. It has taken me a little time to learn my way around the software that came with the machine but it seems to be doing the job. The main reason I didn't give it 5 stars is it seems to print a slight bit crooked if the paper isn't in there perfectly every time. Yet it isn't enough to ruin a print either.... and the software does take a little time to learn and I wish there would of been a booklet with some quick info in it on how to use the software to its max. I adore quick cheat sheets.

EXCELLENT PHOTOS--NO CROPPING PROBLEMS
I just purchased this PictureMate printer for my wife's birthday and what an excellent gift it is!!Photos come out lab quality perfect..brilliant colors!Everything you could want in a personal printer. As for the problem many people have had with the printer cropping the picture when printing from a computer....if you have a scanner hooked up to your computer...bring your pictures up on the scanner program, select printpreview, then normal tile, then fit your picture to the entire tile square and print.....NO CROPPING....I get a beautiful complete UNCROPPED photo every time. If starting with a larger shot, simply resize the photo first OR center the oversized photo on the tile and whatever is inside the tile lines will print on the entire 4x6 photo. ... Read more

Product Description

front-panel i.LINK (IEEE 1394) input (for use with a digital camcorder) * selectable progressive-scan mode for smoother video with HD-compatible TVs (via the component video output) * optical and coaxial digital outputs for Dolby Digital®/DTS®/PCM * records to DVD-R & DVD-RW, DVD+R & DVD+RW * plays DVD-Video, DVD-R & DVD-RW, DVD+R & DVD+RW, Video CD, CD, CD-R & CD-RW, MP3-encoded CD-R & CD-RW, and photo CDs (JPEG) * ... Read more

Features

• i.Link digital-video input for camcorders (DV/D8)
• VHS to DVD and DVD to VHS dubbing ability (subject to Macrovision anti-piracy protection)
• Combination DVD recorder/player and VCR with VCR Plus+ electronic program guide to simplify advance recording
• Plays and records DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, and VHS videocassette
• Plays MP3 music and JPEG image CD-R/CD-RW

Reviews (14)

I am still undecided
I bought this DVD Player/Recorder thinking I would be able to burn DVDs or have the option of creating a VHS of over 100 Hi 8 tapes (non digital).I connected my hi 8 camcorder and used the line 2 jacks on the front of the Sony DVD RDR-VX500 machine.I wanted to do partial recording of scenes on about 3 different hi 8 tapes and burn then on a DVD RW+ or a DVD RW- (I tried both). Then I wanted to take a few scenes from a few other VHS tape and burn them to the same DVD to have all the scenes I wanted from my HI 8 tapes plus those on a few WHS tapes on the same DVD But I don't seem to be able to do so.I then was going to load the DVD on my SONY laptop and then do some Digital Editing using Photoshop Premier editing.

I may be screwing up in the finalizing process or even the recording process itself but I seem to be able to get parts of the Hi 8 tapes to transfer to the DVD , but not all, and I can't seem to get BOTH Hi 8 tapes and VHS to transfer to the SAME DVD

[...]

Sony could do better
This unit is not one of Sony's best efforts.The one pro I can identify is the easy one-touch recording.It seems to work jsut fine.The cons are fairly significant for one of the more pricey VCR/DVD recorder combos.The menuing system is clunky by today's standards and does not meet the expectations of a Sony product.The worst of the problems is the VCR unit does a very very poor job of playback. I have tried both home recorded and purchased tapes and they do not track properly.So the glitches and jitters show up on the recorded DVD.I have tried adjusting the tracking, but it does not help.I will be exchanging my unit for another brand.

A Must Have For Video Collectors
I was cautious about buying a DVD/VCR recorder and did tons of research before settling on the Sony VX500.I haven't been disappointed.The quick guide for installing was easy to read and follow.I had my DVD connected and made my first DVD in one night.The VCR is top of the line, and plays 20+ year old tapes extremely well.I have several old TV series on VCR tapes, as well as some old home movies.I've already transfered an entire season worth of shows with not a single problem.I use DVD-R dvds and have tried them on a wide assortment of DVD players with no compatibility problems.The sound and picture quality of these transfers is amazing.If you have old VCR tapes, this is the perfect way to convert them to DVD.

All Around Great Unit
I have been using mine for 4 months, and it has never let me down.I don't really care about the wireless link capability.I would rather have it connected by cables for a better transfer qulaity.I have dubbed without problems, and also copied from my camcorder.All DVD's that I have made play on any other DVD player that I have tried them on.There is nothing negative about the unit.

What a bummer...
Every time I try burning DVDs using data from my Sony TRV-25 camcorder using the iLink connection, there are noticeable audio dropouts that usually last for a few seconds.The video seems to record fine, but there are usally at least 2 audio dropouts on every DVD I burn :(Since burning DVDs from my camcorder using the iLink connection feature was the main reason why I bought this unit, I am very disappointed.I can,however, burn DVDs using the standard composite RCA cable connector cables.This is the first Sony product I've ever bought that had any kind of issue at all.What a bummer.Sony's quality assurance testing group was obviously asleep at the wheel during testing.How about ensuring that the product works before you market and sell it to the public?I will be returning the unit.If making DVDs from the data on your camcorder is important to you and you'd like to use the iLink connection, I'd stay away from this unit!There must be something out there that works. ... Read more

Product Description

This Olympus xD-Picture card features 256 megabytes of memory in an exceptionally versatile medium. The card's ultra-compact design fits the smallest cameras and digital devices, and is ready for the smaller, more stylish and more powerful electronics coming in the future. Durable enough for entrusting with your valuable digital images and data, it is designed with the most advanced storage technology available, and is the only xD card that supports the Panorama function found on most Olympus digital cameras. ... Read more

Features

• Supports the Panorama function found on most Olympus digital cameras
• 256 MB storage capacity
• Ultra-compact 0.97" by 0.98" by 0.67" size
• Designed for maximum durability
• Compatible with most products that use xD cards

Reviews (15)

Missing the point
The xd card is a great addition to digital photography in that it offers lots of storage in a very small form factor...hence smaller and lighter digital cameras. The xd picture cards are as fast or faster than other formats. Added to this, the Olympus picture card allows those who use the Camedia software from Olympus to stitch together several separate shots and make them into fantastic panoramas. Note that only the Olympus cards allow this feature to be used. As far as the "oh, no, another different memory card" people are concerned, I think they miss the whole point. It is not a matter of another format, as much as it is a reflection of new technology arriving on the scene. Of course, they will have to convert over to the xd card format if they want to utilize the new tech, but why cry about it? New tech will always leave people behind who refuse to 'get with the program'. The arguments for not being happy about new tech is as old as the people who once complained about flying machines not being meant for humans.

As far as the negatives of the Olympus XD card, the primary one is the cost. It is more expensive than its competitors, but as with all electronic items, this too will pass and the items will become cheaper. As for all the complainers, if you don't like the new format, then *don't buy it*! As for the rest of us, we'll go on our merry way enjoying the benefits of the new xd card.

Only Olympus cards support Panorama feature
If you are interested in Panorama feature which is available in many Olympus digital cameras..make sure you buy "Olympus xD card".
Do not buy Fujifilm or Lexar or other brand.
All Olympus Xd Card covers have BOLD letter stating "Supports Panorama". Make sure you check that before buying a xD-card.

Great card
I bought this card as the 16 MB card included with my camera was really not worth using.I have used this card EXTENSIVELY and never had a problem.It writes quickly, transfers quickly and produces top notch images.Highly recommend - it is better than the Fuji xD card.

Initial access speed slow?
I picked up one of these a few weeks ago to complement my 128mb and 64mb cards.The first thing I notice is it takes longer for the camera (Olympus C-60) to ready itself to shoot when using the 256 card instead of the 128s or 64s.This has caused me to miss a few shots already.While it's nice to be able to take 175 HQ shots without having to change the card, I'm not sure how I feel about the tradeoff with that initial access speed.I've taken to leaving the camera open to avoid it, which runs the battery down faster.

Much Quicker performance than I had anticipated,,,
Having had some experience with 256M FlashCards, I was about to turn this card down & just buy a 128M card (adding another one if I needed more capacity), but the salesperson convinced me to take this one. While not as seamless & perfect as film cameras, I was pleasantly surprised by the ubwexpected speed of this card. ... Read more

Product Description

Microsoft MSDN Universal Subscription 7.0 Rev.1 (1 Year Subscription) .MSDN Universal provides priority access to essential resources for developers, including timely delivery of everything you need to build XML Web services and applications. Through MSDN Subscriber Downloads and automatic shipments, you receive the latest Microsoft technologies and information as soon as they release. With developer-licensed versions of Microsoft operating systems and Microsoft enterprise servers you can fully test the broadest range of applications. ... Read more

Features

• Receive the latest Microsoft technical resources, including code samples, SDKs, DDKs, public betas, and product documentation.
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Product Description

The Digital Time Machine - The Coolscan V ED is an affordable, high-performance film scanner that is designed to be easy to operate for first-time scanner users. For some film camera users, their best digital camera may, in fact, be their own film SLR camera. By using the Nikon Coolscan V ED, a Nikon N75 or N80 can produce digital scans at close to 22-megapixel resolution. The Coolscan V ED is perfect for those looking to bring old images back to life and preserve memories with better-than-original quality. Imagine removing scratches from a 1950s family reunion shot or sending your parents their wedding portrait looking better than the day it was taken. It's more than film scanning -- it's Timemachineography. With an optical resolution of 4,000 dpi and 14-bit A/D input conversion, the Coolscan V ED is the perfect tool for a home user or photo hobbyist looking to enhance their own film photography experience. A new plug-and-play USB 2.0 interface even improves the speed of image transfer. Scan speed is also surprisingly fast - the Coolscan V ED can scan an image in only 38 seconds (including image transfer and display) - making the entire process smoother and easier from start to finish. ... Read more

Features

• USB interface, PC and Mac compatible
• 4,000 dpi optical resolution, 4.2 density
• 14-bit A/D conversion, 8 or 16-bit output
• Scan speeds as fast as 38 seconds
• Digital ICE4 Advanced suite of image correction technologies

Reviews (6)

The best affordable film scanner
I have a ton of negatives both black and white and color and simply scanning the prints wasn't always satisfactory. So I shopped around and found this particular scanner to be the best for under $1000. You can only scan 35 mm slides or negatives not medium format. The scanner has functions which cleans up dust and scratches, restores color, reduces grain among a number of functions but turning these functions on will prolong the amount of time it takes to scan the negative. However, the wait usually the longest being 5 minutes is highly satisfactory. The ED glass in the scanner and Nikon engineering has a lot to do about this. You have your choice of destination file types but generally given the very high resoluton you can have files up to 60 MB or more which I reduce to around 1-2 MB. The product was ready to use within minutes after installing the software and taking it out of the box. It's competitor Minolta Dimage IV was plagued by setup problems and also lacked the digital clean up of negatives. If you have a box of 35 mm slides or negatives and want to archive them digitally or restore then I highly recommend this product.

Excellent scanner for APS films
After researching the best way to scan APS film, I purchased a Coolscan V scanner from Amazon and IA-20(S) APS adapter from Adorama thru the Amazon site. I never really found any reviews concerning scanning APS film, so I stuck with the scanner that had the best reviews and bought the APS adapter to go with it.

I found that these units were bid up on auction sites to within fifty dollars of the price of a new unit. My plan is to scan all of my film, then sell the scanner and adapter.

The film scans are beautiful! Much better than scans of the prints and much quicker and simpler. The software has many nice tools, especially Digital Ice, which eliminates all dust and spots with no apparent effect on the scan quality.

This is an excellent way to scan APS films, which are much easier to scan than 35mm strips. You just put the roll in the adapter. You click one button in the Nikon Scan software and it displays all 25 or 40 thumbnails in a minute or two. Since I had around 100 APS rolls to scan, I set up the defaults so that it would automatically have the normal parameters set when I scanned APS films. Then I just had to rotate the images to the correct orientation, select all of the thumbnails and hit the scan button in the software. It asks about the file name structure and the folder they will go into, and presents a few other options, then it spends about an hour to scan a roll of 25. I go do something else during that time. I haven't had any computer crashes during scanning, even while browsing or running other software on my computer (a low-end 2004 Sony VAIO desktop) simultaneously.

You can preview all of the frames and adjust all of the scan parameters for each individual shot before the final scan. I found this to only be useful on films with mostly dark shots. It takes about 15-20 minutes to preview a roll of 25. It is time-consuming to correct each shot. If there are only a few dark shots on a roll, then I preview and fix the ones I am sure will need additional software cleanup. Then I scan the whole roll. After scanning, I reopen the files, perform auto contrast on most shots, make any other adjustments, then resave them. Very efficient.

The APS adapter worked flawlessly for me for about 3 weeks, scanning about 55 APS films, mostly with 25 exposures but a few were 40-exposure rolls. Then it failed. I have returned the adapter to Nikon for warranty service. See my review of the adapter under "Nikon Coolscan IV APS Film Adapter"

There are a couple things they should add for simpler APS scanning:
1. A reader for the APS film's embedded magnetic strip. Inclusion of the date as data was one of the advantages of APS film. This data could be used to adjust the file date or included as part of the filename. This would make sorting easier.
2. A "Select All" button for easier selection of a whole roll.

Nikon Coolscan V is an excellent scanning system for APS film as well as 35mm.

Excellent scanner at an affordable price
I've had this scanner for 6 months, and am very impressed with the results. Before this, dealing with dust, scratches and the like was a real pain, but with ICE I hardly need to bother looking for blemishes in scans. And DEE is able to pull detail fromseemingly hopelessly underexposed parts of a slide. GEM is slow, but good when every last detail counts (for large enlargements). The resolution is wonderful, still better than any digital camera I know of. With this scanner and a bit of digital artistry I've been able to resurrect photos from the dead. I am fully satisfied; the only thing more I could ask for is speed, but not at this price. A great way to retrieve those prized photos for digital archival and I'm still sticking with this scanner and a film camera for pictures I take now.

Great alternative to more expensive Coolscan 5000
First of all, let me say I am relatively new at scanning and that I LOVE the Coolscan V as a cheaper alternative to the Coolscan 5000 which I have also used.I recently decided to go through my father's 20,000 slides and scan the best ones before they, as many before them, disappeared into the hands of one of my 7 other siblings never to be found again.

After culling my father's slides I ended up with about 750 I wanted to scan. After culling my own slides I ended up with another 200 slides. And after that I decided to go through my color negative collection and scan the best of those as well. Just recently, my father in law enlisted me to go through his slide collection of about 1500 slides since he was blown away by the results I achieved on my father's slides with the Coolscan 5000.

Most of my father's slides, and all of my father-in-law's slides are Kodachrome. Much has been written about the inability of this scanner to scan Kodachrome slides and said about ICE4 not working with Kodachrome. Well, I have some good news and some bad news. The ICE4 does work, however, inconstantly with Kodachrome slides producing unacceptable artifacts in about 5 - 10 percent of the slides. It is a hit or miss proposition. I scanned with ICE (not ICE4) always on and then rescanned if I encountered unacceptable artifacts. I did notice that the scanner ICE feature was stumped by old Kodachrome slides where subjects were wearing shirts with stripes. Those stripes were really butchered by the ICE feature.The difference in scanning quality between the Coolscan 5000 and the V was negligible to this relative newcomer to scanning.

The GEM ROC and DEE (the other stalwarts of the ICE4 other than ICE itself) work on Kodachrome slides as well, but I found that the results were unpredictable and that I could achieve better results myself in Photoshop far more quickly. The GEM ROC and DEE features simply took too long and slowed down the scanning unacceptably. The results, for me, were not worth the additional scanning time.The V took even longer than the 5000, but in neither case, IMHO, did the results justify the time expended.

The good news: The scanner is does produce wonderful wonderful detailed scans, easily demonstrating the grain in the transparancies at 3000 and 4000 dpi.The Kodachrome slides were a challenge to the Dynamic Range of the scanner, but I believe that most of the detail in the shadows that is there was extracted. Unfortunately, Kodachrome, with all of its many attributes, does have substantial downsides including a very narrow exposure latitude and shadow detail is simply lacking. I think the scanner accurately reproduced the information including the colors on the Kodachrome slides, with perhaps a slight bluish cast noticed in some cases.I was unable to appreciate a significant difference between the two scanners in shadow detail even though the 5000 had a THEORETICAL greater dynamic range.

The V was slower than the 5000, but honestly the difference for the non-professional scanner, to me, was not worth the additional investment.The V represents a superb value giving you nearly all of the advantages of the 5000 other than speed for a substantially cheaper price.

It wasn't until I was finished scanning all of the culled slides that I undertook to scan my select color negatives. And this scanner really came into its own scanning color negatives. Don't even TRY to scan color negatives without ICE because the results are unbelievably bad. Even pristine negatives have scratches and dustthat magically are erased by the ICE feature. What a godsend. I only wish it had worked so flawlessly on the Kodachrome slides. The scanned color negatives were just beautiful with very accurate color rendition. But immediately I noticed much more grain in the color negatives (Royal Gold and Fuji Superia Gold) than in the scanned slides.

One note unrelated to the scanner itself. Until you've used a digital scanner to scan your color negatives you can't begin to realize how far superior Kodachrome, Provia, and Ektachrome slides are to color negatives insofar as capturing detail. Even the best color negatives have much more grain that Kodachrome. And the difference in color negatives is substantial too.

The included Nikon software worked fantastic for me. I downloaded a copy of VueScan which according to many reviews is superior to the Nikon software and found that for me the Nikon software was easier to work with and produced superior results.

The software did cause my computer to crash occasionally which was an aggravation, but a minor one when considered against its many attributes.

I can recommend this scanner without reservation. It is a phenomenal piece of equipment.If speed is not a paramount consideration and you are not a professional scanner needing the options (the auto feeder) offered by the 5000 then, in my opinion, the V represents an absolutely tremendous value.

Scanner does not disappoint
Decade's collection of fading film this COOLSCAN can handle.You can obtain detailed images that are truly vivid, sharp, and better than the original then technology.Just remember to use DEE correctly.Read below for further details on DEE.

Batch scanning can be done with one click on the Scan button in Nikon Scan 4's firmware.The maintenance free red, green, blue, and infrared LED light source is gentle to film.The 4000 ppi optical resolution is an ideal start for outputting A3+ prints on the new crop of large format bubblejet and inkjet printers.

Reading the Nikon Scan Reference Manual in the Nikon Scan Reference Manual/Easy Scanning Guide CD would be your best learning tool to get the most out of your scanner.For the most accurate results, the first thing to do before scanning is to set your preferences by clicking on the Prefs button in the Control Area of the Scan Window.

When enabled, the Digital ICE quad Advanced software works well with most film.The Manual will explain that ICE, ROC, GEM, and DEE will not operate with the optional FH-G1 Medical Holder.

ICE will not work on monochrome film unless the film has been developed in colour.ICE will not work properly on Kodachrome, but will work on other brands of slides.Noise may appear if ICE is used on overexposed or very vivid images.ICE will reduce the overall sharpness of the image.ICE is not not designed nor does ICE advertise itself to remove all dust and scratches from film. ICE will reduce most of the dust and scatches, however.You will have to use a third party application like Adobe Photoshop to remove the remaining dust and scratches.ICE alone will double the scanning time of 38 seconds.

ROC may add colour to monochrome or grayscale images.ROC is not necessary for properly exposed colour images.ROC alone will almost double the scanning time.

GEM will remove most grain and soften the image.GEM alone will almost triple the scanning time.

DEE works best when the image is cropped to exclude other unexposed areas of the film.Don't get me wrong, DEE does work beautifully!If Unsharp Mask (UM) is used incorrectly prior to processing the image, DEE will show hot pixels in mid-tones and shadow areas effectively ruining the print.To avoid hot pixels in most photographs, either sparingly set the UM in Nikon Scan to less than 25% Intensity/25% Halo Width/0 Threshold Level or set the UM in Photoshop to about 125% Amount/1.5 Radius/1 to 3 Threshold.Depending on the image, using the default setting of 50 on DEE will produce smooth and pleasing tones.Turning DEE off and using Photoshop CS's Shadow/Highlight tool on the processed image provides similar manual control of shadows and highlights.Also, remember to correctly set the resolution output to your printer by clicking on the Custom button and select your printer in the Crop Menu.DEE alone will almost quadruple the scanning time.

When enabled, Scan Image Enhancer (SIE) will automatically adjust hue.It does not work with darker images.In fact, the scan produces darker images.You are better off using DEE to pull out hidden detail in the shaded areas.

ICE, ROC, GEM, DEE, and SIE together will almost quintuple the scanning time.

UM can be created to all colours, or individually to red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, or yellow colours in the image.Deselect blue if you do not want to emphasize the grain in an image with blue sky.Remember to use UM at the end before scanning the negative to output the final image.

The SA-21 strip-film adaptor only works for 2 - 6 frames.To save money by not having to buy the optional 1 - 6 frame FH-3 film holder, place a 1 frame negative into an empty cardboard slide holder and insert into the MA-21 slide holder.Remember to select Neg (color), and Calibrated RGB in the Control Area before scanning.

Along with a short USB 2.0 cable, included in the package is a Nikon View 6 CD, which is an application, used to organize saved pictures in TIFF and JPEG file formats only.According to the Manual, large files created in Nikon Scan may not show on Nikon View slide shows.

Before clicking on the Scan button, press Ctrl (MS Windows) and the Autofocus button.Then left click on a focal point in the preview image to ensure accurate focusing at that point.You can always change the focus point using the same method, or by using the Focus Tool in the Layout Tools palette.The palette can also be customized to suit.

If you have to use the Analog Gain palette to correct or adjust the colour values for each of the elements in the scanner's light source, your LED's may require repair.The probability of repair to the LED's is not specifically discussed in the Manual.

If desktop or cubbyhole space is an issue, the scanner can be placed with either the top or side vents facing up.Remember to provide the minimum clearances to the scanner for ventilation.The dual wrap around band of rubber feet will ensure a cushioned slip resistant footing.

Compared to filmstrip scanners that come with flatbed scanners, COOLSCAN has more options and is by far the better equipment to use to obtain satisfying scans.Practice will make perfect photographs. ... Read more

Product Description

Simplify your workgroup and department using the HP Color LaserJet 9500mfp with color printing and copying on up to 11x17 media, scan to email, faxing, document finishing, and optional digital sending features. Experience a new level of flexibility with digital sending functionality that expands business information sharing and communication capabilities with send to folder, ftp, printer, LAN fax, and Internet fax options. HP Smart printing technology and image enhancement technologies ensure color consistency and accuracy. Produce basic business documents and complex marketing materials at up to 24 ppm in color and black and white on a variety of media sizes and types. Increase office productivity and reduce operating costs by simplifying and saving time with the HP Color LaserJet 9500mfp.ocument finishing. Increase office productivity and reduce operating costs by simplifying and saving time with the HP Color LaserJet 9500mfp. ... Read more