Beradon's stats
- Review count194
- Helpfulness votes416
- First reviewNovember 9, 2014
- Last reviewMay 15, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.3
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- Helpfulness votes0
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Questions
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- Answer count5
- Helpfulness votes2
- First answerJune 8, 2017
- Last answerOctober 31, 2021
- Featured answers0
- Best answers1
Play the world and incredible definition with the GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card. Designed to cope with 4K gaming, high frame rates and exquisite detail, the Pascal GPU architecture takes the GDDR5 memory inside this card to a whole new level. Get every last drop of performance from your machine with this GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card.
Customer Rating
5
Packs a punch
on December 17, 2016
Posted by: Beradon
Verified Purchase:Yes
The Geforce GTX 1080 is the creme de la creme of consumer grade performance graphics cards, but this will come at a price. Currently the leader in single-chip/single-card high-end cards, this graphics card will allow you to run all current and many future games for years to come at ultra-high detail settings at 1080p. Many current games run at 4k also with ultra-high.
I purchased this card because it is natively capable of outputting 4k resolutions with its HDMI 2.0 port to my 4k monitor without any issues. In addition, it can drive that resolution with excellent levels of detail.
The only real downside I see to this card is the price. It will take a significant investment to buy-in to the performance levels this card can offer, even more so if you choose to SLI it with another one. That said, if you're in the position to purchase this card, it is definitely worth it.
My Best Buy number: 0048796705
My Best Buy number: 0048796705
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Keep unwanted hair to a minimum with this Philips grooming tool. The waterproof design lets you use it in the shower, and eight attachments make this trimmer perfect for grooming different sections of the face. This Philips grooming tool has a turbo setting to increase cutting speed, and it charges in just one hour to reduce wait time.
Customer Rating
4
Jack of all Trades
on November 15, 2016
Posted by: Beradon
The Norelco Wet/Dry Trimmer is definitely a capable device with many options for daily manscaping. Capable of everything from beard trimming to body trimming, in or out of the shower, it will be your one-stop-shop for every type of body hair cleanup needed. It comes with plenty of clip-on options for various needs and it does each of them well. That said, while it can shave, it is more designed for longer hair and beard trimming, so for a close shave you'll need a proper razor.
Pros:
6 clip-on guides for whatever need you have
60 minute battery
Shower proof!
Cons:
Does not get close enough for daily facial shaving
Fixed position head
6 clip-on guides for whatever need you have
60 minute battery
Shower proof!
Cons:
Does not get close enough for daily facial shaving
Fixed position head
My Best Buy number: 0048796705
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Take photo editing to the next level with Photoshop and Premiere Elements 15. Install Photoshop Elements on your tablet to take advantage of touchscreen editing features, or create photo and video collages easily with Premiere Elements. Save money and enjoy professional results when you use Photoshop and Premiere Elements 15 to batch-edit photographs and footage after your next special event.
Customer Rating
4
Great for beginners
on November 10, 2016
Posted by: Beradon
Photoshop and Premiere Elements are the basic versions of Adobe's more robust Photoshop and Premiere photo and video editing software.
To start with, if you choose to download the software for installation, you will need an Adobe account to which you'll be registering your keys. I found the process relatively straightforward though disappointed that an account was required just to install it.
Photoshop Elements itself is a great beginning program to start using the power of photoshop in a more basic way. It will do more than anything that comes with Windows (Paint) and even most of the free and paid for software in the same price range. If you're looking to 'photoshop' something, apply basic filters, work with layers and many other things, this is the thing for you at a fraction of the cost of the full edition of Adobe Photoshop. Definitely worthwhile to get your feet wet in the world of graphic design.
Premiere Elements is to Videos what Photoshop is to graphics. It is a video editing suite of tools to allow you to put together video in whatever way you see fit. It is more powerful than the basic Windows Movie Maker. You can use it to splice together pictures and create a slideshow to music, edit video you've taken yourself and even apply filters and such. It's very straightforward and should suffice for the average home user when working with videos you've taken with your cell phone.
Overall this is a good beginner suite of software for most video and graphics/photo editing. Again my only disappointment was that it required an Adobe account to even install it.
My Best Buy number: 0048796705
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Connect your external wireless devices to the internet with this Linksys dual-band router. Two 5Ghz bands support both high-end gaming and low-end applications without compromising speed, and remote management lets you make adjustments from any location. This Linksys dual-band router has a sleek design that integrates easily into most workspaces.
Customer Rating
4
OpenSource = Good
on November 3, 2016
Posted by: Beradon
I've had the opportunity to use a couple of the new Linksys devices recently to varying degrees of enjoyment, I have to say, this one is one of the best.
Build Quality:
To start with, this device is physically one of the best built routers I've ever laid my hands on. Immediately upon picking it up out of the box you can feel the heft to it, there is no feel of flimsy plastic or rattling. The antennas attach with solid metal connections and look/feel very substantial. The only downside to the physicality of the device is that the power brick is comically large. If it requires a brick this large then they should have made it so that it has a power cord running to the brick rather than a brick this size connecting directly to the plug, it is just too large.
To start with, this device is physically one of the best built routers I've ever laid my hands on. Immediately upon picking it up out of the box you can feel the heft to it, there is no feel of flimsy plastic or rattling. The antennas attach with solid metal connections and look/feel very substantial. The only downside to the physicality of the device is that the power brick is comically large. If it requires a brick this large then they should have made it so that it has a power cord running to the brick rather than a brick this size connecting directly to the plug, it is just too large.
Capabilities:
It has a significant amount of processing power and RAM for a router, which is nice to see, though at this price point I'm disappointed that it is not tri-band as so many are in the upper-tier devices. Aside from that, however, it does have USB 3.0 and eSATA for external connectivity which is nice and not terribly common (at least as far as the eSATA). It has your standard 4 ethernet ports + 1 WAN port, I can wish for more, but that's a rarity in most home routers.
It has a significant amount of processing power and RAM for a router, which is nice to see, though at this price point I'm disappointed that it is not tri-band as so many are in the upper-tier devices. Aside from that, however, it does have USB 3.0 and eSATA for external connectivity which is nice and not terribly common (at least as far as the eSATA). It has your standard 4 ethernet ports + 1 WAN port, I can wish for more, but that's a rarity in most home routers.
Setup:
I was disappointed to find that it did not initially start with any of the open source firmware pre-installed. Instead it has the same look and feel of all of the current Linksys offerings, which is to say, heavily pushing the Linksys Smart WiFi account based setup. This is unfortunate as I feel it is an unneeded extra step in configuring a home based device, and has some odd requirements that you need to massage to get around (such as requiring a internet connection off the bat unless you click through 2 extra windows to force a local login). I have also, in the past, run into stability issues with the Linksys Smart WiFi firmware, though I have not yet with this, which is an improvement.
I was disappointed to find that it did not initially start with any of the open source firmware pre-installed. Instead it has the same look and feel of all of the current Linksys offerings, which is to say, heavily pushing the Linksys Smart WiFi account based setup. This is unfortunate as I feel it is an unneeded extra step in configuring a home based device, and has some odd requirements that you need to massage to get around (such as requiring a internet connection off the bat unless you click through 2 extra windows to force a local login). I have also, in the past, run into stability issues with the Linksys Smart WiFi firmware, though I have not yet with this, which is an improvement.
The firmware contains all of the basics you would expect, including DHCP reservations, port forwarding. It also has the capability to function as an OpenVPN server which is nice.
To the point of the open source firmware... Both DD-WRT and OpenWRT have builds already available for it depending on your preference..
All-in-all it appears to be on the right track of a very nice device, with the true power being in the installation of the DD-WRT and OpenWRT firmware to really unlock much of its potential. My gripes are nit-picky and there do not appear to be any real blaring issues with the device. Overall I'm happy with it.
Positives:
Open Source
VPN Server (in default firmware)
160MHz channel bonding for futureproofing Wireless AC
Quick bootup time
Open Source
VPN Server (in default firmware)
160MHz channel bonding for futureproofing Wireless AC
Quick bootup time
Negatives:
Ads in the router gui
Linksys Smart WiFi
Giant power brick
Ads in the router gui
Linksys Smart WiFi
Giant power brick
My Best Buy number: 0048796705
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Bring the power of Google directly to your fingertips with the Google Pixel. A large 32GB of storage keep data secure, while unlimited cloud storage transfers data as needed, and it's completely automatic. The large 5-inch screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4 to ensure the Google Pixel remains scratch-free.
Customer Rating
4
Solid smartphone with no real standout features.
on October 24, 2016
Posted by: Beradon
It’s hard to review a phone like this without also reviewing the operating system, especially with some exclusive features that have made their way into this device, but I’ll do my best.
Performance:
I can say that the performance of the phone is excellent, as can be expected from the first of the devices with Qualcomm’s new Flagship SnapDragon 821. I haven’t run into any issues with any of my numerous apps.
I can say that the performance of the phone is excellent, as can be expected from the first of the devices with Qualcomm’s new Flagship SnapDragon 821. I haven’t run into any issues with any of my numerous apps.
The camera is good, as all reviews have stated, though I don’t see any great differences between it and many other devices on the market. At this point, all of the cameras are very good in these devices, so without professional equipment to measure differences between them, the average person will not be able to tell the difference.
The cellular signal strength on this phone is definitely worse than my previous device, every single location I’ve tried (~20 ft from a Verizon microcell and multiple other locations), this seems to come in approximately -20dbm worse in strength than the same spot with my Galaxy S6. It hasn’t yet caused any reception issues though.
Interesting Options:
There are a couple of interesting things that I’ve not seen in my previous devices (likely because I’ve never owned a Google branded phone).
There are a couple of interesting things that I’ve not seen in my previous devices (likely because I’ve never owned a Google branded phone).
First, in the developers’ options, there’s an option to outright allow Bootloader Unlock. I’m so used to having to jump through hoops to be able to do such a thing (if at all), that it is a welcome addition for it to be so readily available.
The fingerprint reader is slick, though I feel like there is a missed opportunity in making it more functional, almost button-like, as some other phones on the market have, so you’re not holding your phone differently just to use the fingerprint reader then having to switch your grip on it because it serves very little other purpose. That said, there is a ‘gesture’ type function in the OS called ‘Moves’ which is interesting, by swiping your finger up or down the sensor you can slide open and close the notifications bar. While an interesting concept, I found the sensor to be a tad oversensitive, sometimes sliding open or closed the bar when I put down the phone, with barely a touch to the back of it.
It was nice to see USB-C included as the charging/accessory port to alleviate a lot of issues that micro-USB has always had.
Google Assistant is a neat feature, and while it is technically an OS option, it is currently only available on the Pixel, with more devices coming later. It still has a way to go before it becomes entirely useful, however, as even normal functionality of the Google NOW such as identifying songs, is currently absent from Assistant. The contextual offerings are interesting though I have yet to find any real use for them, maybe I will moving forward.
I did find it odd that the Pixel only has a 1080p screen while the XL has the QHD screen, especially with QHD becoming the norm on flagship phones, even of this size. That said, however, I am unable to distinguish any real difference between the 1080p of this device and the QHD screen of my Galaxy S6.
Layout:
The phone looks like your standard smartphone, basically a cross between a Galaxy and an iPhone, though the understated ‘G’ on the back denoting it a google phone, and the glass plate at the top where the fingerprint reader is are nice understated touches. Unlike some reviews I’ve read saying that the glass feels cheap and almost plastic-like, I actually find it to be a nice addition.
The phone looks like your standard smartphone, basically a cross between a Galaxy and an iPhone, though the understated ‘G’ on the back denoting it a google phone, and the glass plate at the top where the fingerprint reader is are nice understated touches. Unlike some reviews I’ve read saying that the glass feels cheap and almost plastic-like, I actually find it to be a nice addition.
However, when looking at the front the first thing about this phone that is most apparent is the black bar at the bottom of the phone under the screen. Unfortunately, it serves no real purpose, it has no touch sensitive buttons or anything else of any use, it seems like a waste of space, which is unfortunate. It also makes it look too much like most other phones on the market, where they could have added something to distinguish it.
The power and volume buttons are on the same side of the phone, which is taking some getting used to, as all of my previous phones have had them on two separate sides, whether top and side or opposing sides. I’m sure I’ll get used to it, but for now it feels odd.
Finally, I wish the headphones jack wasn’t at the top, coming from multiple generations of phones with the jack on the bottom, this one having it on top causes issues with the wires of aux cables and headphones nearly always draping over the screen, but that’s just a personal gripe.
Initial Setup:
The phone wanted me to transfer all of my data from my previous device using a dongle that was included with the phone. While I appreciate this feature, and while it did finally work as expected, it took a great deal of effort (including 4 reboots of my old devices and 2 reboots and a factory reset of the Pixel) in order to get it to work.
The phone wanted me to transfer all of my data from my previous device using a dongle that was included with the phone. While I appreciate this feature, and while it did finally work as expected, it took a great deal of effort (including 4 reboots of my old devices and 2 reboots and a factory reset of the Pixel) in order to get it to work.
The very first time I connected my previous phone (a Galaxy S6) it told me that it was not compatible with this functionality. I thought that was somewhat odd so I rebooted the S6 which fortunately cleared that up. The unfortunate part is, for the next 2 attempts, some part of that transfer failed requiring me at one point to reboot the S6 again and the next time to factory reset the Pixel. That said, if it fails for any reason it does not give you the opportunity to pick up where it left off, instead it says “some of your settings transferred” and then just moved on with the setup process. I chose to factory reset at that time because I wanted to be sure all of my settings transferred.
Conclusion:
Overall it’s a good attempt at a phone, though with no real distinguishing features or aesthetics. That said, so far I am happier with it than I was with my previous device, and I’m sure as I get used to some of the options, I will come to enjoy it more.
Overall it’s a good attempt at a phone, though with no real distinguishing features or aesthetics. That said, so far I am happier with it than I was with my previous device, and I’m sure as I get used to some of the options, I will come to enjoy it more.
I want to give this device 5/5 stars, but some of the misses are just enough to keep that star from it, though the additions of the easy bootloader unlock is probably one of the best things I've seen in a phone in generations.
My Best Buy number: 0048796705
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Acer Switch One 10 Convertible 2-in-1 Laptop: Combine power and mobility with this Acer Aspire Switch One laptop. Easily convert this compact notebook into a tablet with its detachable 10.1-inch touch screen, and stay productive with its Intel Atom quad-core processor, 32GB internal storage and 2GB of RAM. This Acer Aspire Switch One laptop has two built-in stereo speakers for enjoying music and movies.
Customer Rating
3
A solidly average tablet/laptop
on October 7, 2016
Posted by: Beradon
It's rare that I find myself completely underwhelmed with new technology and something else to play with. Unfortunately, this is one of those times.
Construction:
To start, this tablet weighs far too much for its size. Even without the keyboard, the device is very hefty compared to most other 10" tablets in the market, whether Windows, Android or otherwise. It does have a brushed metal backplate which helps the aesthetics, but that's about all I can give it. There is no power LED so if you do happen to have it attached to the keyboard and you close it while still on, there is no indicator that it is on. In addition, when turning it on, I'm still unsure if I'm supposed to just tap the power button or hold it down, because I can't tell it is on until the word ACER shows up on the screen.
Speaking of the keyboard, it's lightweight and reasonably nice to type on, it has the standard chiclet keys that everything of this size tends to come with, and the touchpad has a physical click, which isn't bad. Unfortunately the keyboard does not contain an additional battery for extended life, which tends to be normal for devices with detachable keyboards. As to the attachment, it's unfortunately a physical attachment, while there does appear to be a magnet at play it does not support the device or attachment itself.
This takes me to one of the few things I do like about it. The screen is actually quite nice. While limited to 1280x800 (unfortunately no 1080p here), it does look good. The touch is responsive and I have not experienced any oddities or weird double-taps. So in terms of pure functionality of the screen, it's a fair amount better than other tablets I've used in the past.
Performance:
Which brings me to the performance discussion. The Intel x5-z8300 clocks in as one of Intel's weaker Atom processors. It barely achieves better performance than the Celeron N2840 in my daughter's HP Stream 13 which is a 2 year old device. It's not bad per se, if you understand what you are purchasing, but at the price point there are Android tablets that fare better, Best Buy even has an Insignia Windows 10 tablet that while it may have the same processor, at least has a 1080p screen for the same price.
Acer unfortunately chose to install a fairly good amount of bloat on this device, which does nothing to help its situation, which, in its out-of-the-box setup after a few boot-ups still uses 1.3GB of the 1.9GB total available (this is not user-expandable).
Overall:
As previously mentioned, I'm terribly underwhelmed with this device. From its weight to its performance, the amount of bloatware and the average keyboard, with the only shining point being the nice screen, it really is something you'll only want to get if you're really understanding the limitations of a device with these specs.
My Best Buy number: 0048796705
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Tackle the biggest messes with this Bissell Crosswave all-in-one multi-surface cleaner. A dual-action roller scrubs and picks up debris at the same time to reduce the number of passes you need to make, and the convenient fingertip controls let you switch functions quickly and easily. This Bissell Crosswave all-in-one multi-surface cleaner has swivel steering for increased control.
Customer Rating
4
Better than expected
on September 21, 2016
Posted by: Beradon
I would like to preface this with the statement that I used this in the absolute worst possible scenario in order to see how effective it really is. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.
Bissell has made a lightweight hard floor and rug cleaner (read: not carpet). It's both easy to use and pretty decent at what it does, with only a few minor gripes.
To begin, I used this on carpet, which I understand is not its intended use, but I did it for a reason. First, it was the messiest area I could find, second, I wanted to see just how far I could push it. I have to say it fared far better than expected. The other reason I didn't use it on hard floors is because my hardwood is currently being installed and was not ready for me to try this on, so unfortunately I cannot speak to the effectiveness on wood, though I do have some concerns with voiding the warranty and such as most wood flooring does not want you to use liquid unless in the most dire of circumstances.
It cleans well, as you can see in the pictures, this is an area that has experienced numerous spills and has been mostly ignored because of its location (basement... out of sight, out of mind). Again, this is carpet and not an area rug or hard floor as the machine is designed for, so the fact that it is not perfect is to be expected.
That said though, the few gripes I do have are these. Pushing the unit is more difficult than you'd expect. Sure on hard floors it is fine, but even on an area rug it takes a bit more effort than I feel it should. Bigger wheels might have helped with that. Second, the directions for use, and specifically, for the different brushes that are included are lacking. I had to read the side of the box to figure out which brush was for the rug and which was for the hard floors/wood. There is also almost no information on usage of it on wood. Third, it goes through formula faster than I would have hoped, despite what the limited directions do say. This may be because I was on carpet rather than the intended material, however I cannot see getting 700 sqft out of the full cleaning tank. I used it on the pictured area and a few other small areas (of different floor types), but nowhere near 700 sqft worth of area. Finally, it is nice that it comes with a stand so you aren't sitting the wet unit on your now-clean floors, but the roller holder on the side sits over the edge, and if they are indeed wet they will just drip on the clean floors since they are not held very securely.
All in all, used in the correct way, I would say this is a very good unit, just don't plan on using it in a manner that was no intended or it will fall short.
My Best Buy number: 0048796705
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Your household is busy streaming media, working online, and playing games every day. This Linksys Wi-Fi Router will expand your network coverage, send signals directly to your devices, and deliver a lag-free connection, even when you’re all online at the same time.
Customer Rating
3
WiFi Monster
on June 2, 2016
Posted by: Beradon
I've recently set up the Linksys EA9500 router and I have to say it was a monster in all ways conceivable.
To start with:
the device is physically larger than any home WiFi router I've ever used or ever seen, a full 2x larger than my previous device (I've included a picture of the device next to a soda can for comparison). This unfortunately has some drawbacks. My previous device allowed me to hang it on the wall via inset screw slots on the back. This device is far too large for such a configuration, and instead I've had to attach a shelf to the wall in that location in order for it to maintain the same physical network connectivity that my previous device had. It has a 8 WiFi antennas, all of which are large themselves, though I imagine such a number helps with MU-MIMO, beamforming and range, so I will not fault the device for such.
There is a series of LEDs on the top of the device. It looks like a screen but it isn't really. It doesn't seem to perform any functions aside from lighting up with the Linksys logo with white bars above it and scrolling a blue LED during bootup. They could have probably saved some device real-estate by not including this.
As to its capabilities:
I was glad to see that it allowed the standard configurations of static DHCP reservations, port forwarding and port range forwarding, as well as a few other of the bread-and-butter configuration options that I feel no router, especially of this caliber, should be without. This device is also capable of VLAN tagging, very basic QoS for media prioritization, a decent network map (though not the best I've seen), and some static and dynamic (RIP) routing. On top of that, the device has 8 LAN ports which, to me, speaks volumes, as it is up there with the maximum I've ever seen on a home wireless router, as well as the aforementioned 8 WiFi antennas which lend themselves to the MU-MIMO capabilities of this device. This is definitely a device aimed at a home configuration that has depth and a lot of devices.
Now to the setup
In no ways was this device easy to set up. This may be because I did not use their app to do so, but I don't feel like that should be a requirement. I set this up with the included LAN cable. This device can be configured via app or web page.
First, this device takes a LONG time to boot up. I mean a very long time compared to any previous home router I've ever used.
The setup is automatic or manual dependent on your selections on the earliest pages. On that note, this device 'requires' that you have a WAN link in order to configure through the automatic configuration, if you do not have one attached you must attach it or start over, it forces you to hold down the reset button to start the setup process over. There is no going back. Likewise, if you interrupt the setup process before completing it, you have to hard reset the device. It is actually possible to get into manually, though if you want to go through the manual setup which again you cannot get to without performing a hard reset of the device if you previously started in automatic. If you try to set up through either method, the device requests that you set up a Linksys Smart WiFi account and give it the router's password, though does give you an option to login locally. When setting up manually or through a Linksys Smart WiFi account It requests you use the previously configured local password, (the default password is 'admin' written on the back of the quick start manual in very small lettering). Only the automatic configuration gives you the chance to change the default password, though I imagine this is expected.
Annoyances:
I ran into a couple of annoying issues with the device during usage.
Probably my biggest gripe is that there are ads for other Linksys products inside the GUI. I find this to be entirely unacceptable, especially at the price of this device. This alone resulted in the loss of a star on the product rating. These show up if you login to the device through your Linksys Smart WiFi account, though if you login locally the widget is still there but it does not scroll through ads, just a single link to the Linksys Home Networking Apps page. This widget cannot be removed.
Next, the included LAN cable is only 3ft. I understand that most people are on wireless in many cases, but remembering that this device has 8 LAN ports, I have to imagine they expect a power user to be connecting many more devices to it. If you plan on setting this up if your desktop tower sits on the floor, then expect to put this device on the floor next to it, I do have other LAN cables, but I shouldn't have to go hunting for one when opening the box of a new network device. I get that this is a nit-picky gripe, but with how inexpensive LAN cables are, I feel they could have at least included one long enough to reach the floor from my desk. This basically also prevents this CAT5e cable from being used for anything besides this as even my cable modem sits more than 3 feet from my router.
Next, when setting static DHCP reservations it was repeatedly giving me an 'unexpected error' though no indicator as to what that error was, I had to leave the page and load it back up in order to clear that and continue configuring. There appears to be a limitation of 205 client DHCP addresses, and I'm not entirely sure why as this device should be capable of far more than that judging by the technical specifications. That's not to say I have 205 devices, but in going through the configuration options I did run into this limitation.
Finally, as previously mentioned (and worth mentioning again), this device takes a very long time to boot up.
So that leads us here:
The bottom line is that this is a very (very) large and capable device, with some headaches to get set up. If you find yourself in the need of a very beefy home/home office router, without going the professional route, then this would be a reasonable choice, though it is missing some of the much more advanced settings you may find with other devices. I would recommend this to someone in certain situations.
Positive:
Allows for setup via wireless
8 LAN ports
3 Radios (2x 5GHz and 1x 2.4GHz)
Most bread-and-butter home WiFi router capabilities as well as some more advanced options
Allows for setup via wireless
8 LAN ports
3 Radios (2x 5GHz and 1x 2.4GHz)
Most bread-and-butter home WiFi router capabilities as well as some more advanced options
Negative:
Ads in the Router GUI
~3ft cat 5 cable for setup
Extremely long bootup time
Will not let you move on without an internet connection on the WAN port during automatic configuration
if you back out of the automatic setup without completing it you have to hard reset the router to start over
Requests you setup Linksys Smart WiFi account (though it is not required)
Some firmware issues
Network Map Device identification is not very good
Ads in the Router GUI
~3ft cat 5 cable for setup
Extremely long bootup time
Will not let you move on without an internet connection on the WAN port during automatic configuration
if you back out of the automatic setup without completing it you have to hard reset the router to start over
Requests you setup Linksys Smart WiFi account (though it is not required)
Some firmware issues
Network Map Device identification is not very good
My Best Buy number: 0048796705
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Only at Best BuyChoose this HP Spectre 13 notebook for its crisp 1080p display and 13.3-inch screen. It comes with a sixth-generation Intel processor and 8GB of onboard RAM for efficient multitasking, and its solid state drive ensure that programs load quickly. The slim design on this HP Spectre 13 notebook provide enhanced versatility.
Customer Rating
5
Slim Fast
on May 30, 2016
Posted by: Beradon
This laptop is quite the quick little machine. I was pleasantly surprised with all aspects of it from the very beginning.
First, to the performance:
The laptop is quick, and it has every right to be. The processor is an i7-6500U with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB NVMe drive. When running ATTO Diskbench, the read peaked at a blazing fast 1.57TB/s, with the write hovering at a much more average 300MB/s
The i7 in this machine ensures you have an agile experience, that does not take long to load, use, run, watch or listen to. And while a large portion of that is the very fast SSD, the SSD will only feed data as fast as the processor is prepared to handle.
As far as graphics are concerned, you are limited to the Intel on-chip graphics, which, while nothing to write home about, are much better in current generation processors than they have been in years past. The Intel HD Graphics 520 in this machine will put you at about the performance level of an NVidia Geforce 820M, which is to say, very entry-level. You wouldn't want to game on this extensively, but it'll do for a few rounds of hearthstone, running Minecraft on lower settings, or even a couple of more demanding titles, though you'd need to experiment, remembering that this machine is not a gaming machine by any stretch of the concept.
Keeping in mind the audience that this machine is designed for, the ultra-mobile business person, or even a student that needs a powerful but very mobile machine (at a price), HP has managed to tick all the boxes.
Finally, when it comes to the battery, I was able to get plenty of life out of it for my use. With on-and-off usage over the course of a number of hours (6?) I still had 30% battery life remaining when I shut down, which would easily coincide with the ~9 hour battery life that HP suggests it is capable of. Obviously heavier usage would cause that number to drop somewhat.
Next, to discuss the design:
The laptop itself is unlike any HP machine I've ever run across, which is no small thing. Or maybe it is a small thing... This laptop is crazy thin, almost thin enough I can toss out my everyday razor. The HP is stylized in lines on the top in such a way as I've never seen it before. It is something that would make me look twice at it if I saw it in a coffee shop or anywhere else. The screen is Full HD with edge-to-edge Gorilla Glass which makes for a very clean look though somewhat odd since it is not a touchscreen. I admit it will help with the protection of the screen since it is such a thin laptop, but with the heavy use of touch in everything, I would have expected that to be included in such a high end machine. This is not a huge gripe for me though as I feel the addition of touchscreen has been a bit overzealous in most platforms, so it was likely a very distinct design decision not to include one and to make this just a straight laptop rather than some sort of laptop hybrid.
The keyboard is backlit, though admittedly it is hard to see it in a normally lit room, so no need to run the backlight and eat the battery unless you're in a darker room.
The speakers are... well... laptop speakers. I understand what they were trying to do with them, but being that this is such a thin platform, you can really only do so much with them. What they do manage is to be very clear, no static or distortion, they sit in an unobtrusive place on the sides of the keyboard and even add to the overall aesthetic of the design. But full of sound, they are not. Again, I do not fault the laptop for them, particularly, as speakers of this size just cannot have the range of a larger set.
The first boot of the laptop is much as you'd expect from any Windows 10 first boot, it wound through the standard Windows 10 setup options and ended on only a single HP inserted setup page letting you choose a few communications options from HP with very little nagging.
Once loaded to the desktop, a simple 'Welcome to Windows 10' window popped up describing some of the capabilities of Windows 10 such as Cortana, as well as suggesting things like Office 365 and suggesting the installation of McAfee as antivirus. Fortunately it is all very limited in its nagging. At that point I actually went hunting to see how much bloat HP chose to install on this machine. I'm going to begin to sound like a broken record here, but I kid you not, the only HP bloatware on this machine had to do with warranty services, HP Support, McAfee LiveSafe and HP cooling controls for the fans. That's it. No including random games no one uses, no other random software for imaging that no one ever uses, not even an attempt at upselling HP's other products. Truly a cut above experience compared to your everyday entry- and mid-range HP machines.
HP did take about 10GB of the 256GB SSD for recovery purposes, but of the remaining, only 26GB of it is in use, which is quite respectable, leaving me right around 90% of the drive available for use. Again, I felt no need to go hunting for the junk to uninstall just to ensure I had the space to work with this laptop. In fact, the only 'nag' I had from the machine since I booted it was for it to remind me to check the warranty length, which I feel is a fair thing to do, at that point it gave me the option to never nag me again or to remind me when it gets closer to expiration.
Finally, the packaging:
Usually I wouldn't spend any time on this, laptops in general tend to come in boring brown boxes with little intrigue and no design to them, however when opening it, even the packaging was superb.
Inside the standard HP brown box was a leatherette sleeve for the laptop, then a separate thick black box with the laptop inside. I know it is just a box, but even the box had the feel of high end craftsmanship, it was embossed with the word Spectre, and even the top of the inside of the box is padded to protect the laptop itself. Opening the black box even lends to the sense of excitement as you can feel that you are opening something that is well made.
Beyond that, even the laptop itself, inside the box-within-a-box was still separately wrapped for protection.
Outside of that there were very little 'junk' included inside, nothing trying to sell me antivirus or online services, just the warranty card, the USB type-C cable, the charging cable, a dusting cloth, and a little leaflette on proper recycling of batteries and electronics.
It is clear that HP is attempting to appeal to the high-end ultra-mobile market with this machine, and I would have to say they are doing quite an excellent job of it.
I would have no trouble recommending this machine for anyone in the market for such a device.
Bottom Line:
Positives:
+Thin enough to shave with (10.4mm)
+Fast Processor
+Very Fast NVMe SSD
+Full HD screen
+High End Craftsmanship and Materials
+Excellent Design
+Very Little Bloat Installed
+Thin enough to shave with (10.4mm)
+Fast Processor
+Very Fast NVMe SSD
+Full HD screen
+High End Craftsmanship and Materials
+Excellent Design
+Very Little Bloat Installed
Negatives:
-No Touchscreen
-Dim keyboard backlight
-No Touchscreen
-Dim keyboard backlight
My Best Buy number: 0048796705
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+4points
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Prevent dead zones around your home with the help of this Linksys Wi-Fi range extender. It works with all types of Wi-Fi routers, and it uses multi-user MIMO for speed and efficiency. This Linksys Wi-Fi range extender can be used to create a different access point or to extend the field of the router’s connection.
Customer Rating
4
Easy Set up, Solid Performance - Limited Range
on May 16, 2016
Posted by: Beradon
First, I have to say that in the past I've used WIFI repeaters to various amounts of success, each has been as finicky as the last to set up and as tenuous at holding on to their signal as 2-year old with a helium balloon.
To say that this device was a complete departure from that would be a drastic understatement. The setup was not only extremely easy but also quick and painless. The only issue I ran into during setup is that there appears to be a hang in the UI whenever a setting is changed, causing it to sit there saying "Processing" for longer than it should, requiring you to go and hit refresh or re-type the IP of the device. This is only a minor gripe though as it doesn't cause any impact to the actual performance of the device.
In terms of capability, it was a pleasant surprise to see that it supports both repeater and access point mode. In addition to that, when run in repeater mode it also can act as a wireless bridge, allowing you to connect a wired device to your wireless network. The wired port is gigabit, so there is no loss of speed either to this device as an access point, or to a wired device when bridging. This really does cover all of the bases.
I think my biggest issue with this, aside from the minor firmware snafu, is the limited range. I currently have it set up as an access point directly next to another access point (different channels) and it is the clear loser in terms of signal strength. From anywhere in my house when comparing the signal strength of this device to the other, it hits about 75% of the other's strength. I feel the failure to include external antennas is severely limiting its range, although I do understand that with beamforming technology and the fact it has both 5GHz and 2.4GHz capabilities this device likely has many more than 2 internal antennas. And of course having more than 2 external antennas on such a small device would definitely detract from its appearance.
Overall I think the device is excellent, the setup is a breeze and the performance is very good. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to someone needing to add a bit of capability to their network, or even another access point should they need to.
Bottom Line:
Pros:
+Very Easy and fast setup
+Repeater (with bridging) mode OR Access point mode
+Gigabit Ethernet port
+Very Easy and fast setup
+Repeater (with bridging) mode OR Access point mode
+Gigabit Ethernet port
Cons:
-Firmware needs some work on the interface
-Signal strength could be better
-Firmware needs some work on the interface
-Signal strength could be better
My Best Buy number: 0048796705
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Beradon's Answers
Jabra Elite 7 Pro true wireless earbuds have MultiSensor Voice™ technology, which combines 4 powerful microphones, an advanced Voice Pick Up (VPU) sensor in each Bluetooth earbud, and unique Jabra algorithms. Automatically activating when it’s windy, Jabra MultiSensor Voice™ uses bone conduction technology to transmit your voice through vibrations in your jaw, for wind noise cancellation and clear calls anywhere. Thanks to the adjustable Active Noise Cancellation, the ultra-compact earphones with rich and powerful sound lets you fully immerse yourself in your music. Multipoint connects to 2 devices at once, lets you seamlessly switch between devices, and is available as a firmware update via the Jabra Sound+ app. Also test your hearing in the Jabra Sound+ app, and tailor your music to suit your individual hearing profile. Hear your surroundings while on a call with the HearThrough technology - use left or right earbud alone with Bluetooth Mono Mode - Each offers up to 8 hours battery and 30 hours with the case.
Is the Elite 7 Pro "vented" like the AirPod Pro and 85t? I returned the 75t becasue I didn't like the plugged ear feeling.
They are not, since they are noise canceling earbuds they create close to a seal in your ear to prevent sound leakage. That said, they do have a hear-through option in the jabra app which greatly alleviates that feeling of 'plugged' because you get sound from around you through the headset instead of that blocked up feeling. So if you choose to, turn that on and it will help a lot.
2 years, 6 months ago
by
Beradon
Convert your digital pictures into analog prints using this Polaroid Lab. The I-Type and 600 series film let you print photos instantly while the built-in LiIon battery is long-lasting and rechargeable via USB. This Polaroid Lab is compatible with iPhones operating with iOS 11 or newer and Android 7 and above.
What size is the actual photo that is printed? And can multiple phones be used on it?
The lab uses polaroid originals type-i film which is 4.2x3.5"
You can use as many phones on it as you want
You can use as many phones on it as you want
4 years, 6 months ago
by
Beradon
Clean those hard-to-reach places in your home with this Shark cordless vacuum. Its bristle brush deep-cleans any carpet, and the additional soft-roll brush pulls in larger particles from wood floors while polishing them. The rechargeable, high-capacity Li-Ion battery keeps this Ninja cordless vacuum's DuoClean Technology ready for tough cleaning chores.
I need a lightweight vacuum for medical reasons which would you recommend? Also one that is powerful!
It's not the lightest vacuum in the stick-vac market, but it's not heavy by any means. If you can hold the motor in your off-hand or set the motor on the ground then it is far lighter than any other stick vac. It has great power, and the dual-head system makes it more efficient at picking up things than any single head vac I've seen in the segment. That said, a Dyson V8/V10 or some of Shark's other stick vacs is going to be lighter overall than this one.
5 years, 6 months ago
by
Beradon
Keep your floors spotless with this Samsung POWERbot Slim robot vacuum. Its sensors and mapping system automatically adapt to the pattern of floors in the home and effectively avoid obstacles. This Alexa-compatible Samsung POWERbot Slim robot vacuum provides maximum cleaning coverage including edges and corners thanks to its sophisticated edge-cleaning technology.
Is it gentle on hardwood floors ? Concerned with wheels if they are hard plastic... Thanks!
The brush itself seems relatively soft, and the wheels are rubberized. That said, I dont use it on my hardwood, though the instruction manual does discuss using it on hardwood.
6 years, 11 months ago
by
Beradon
Keep your floors spotless with this Samsung POWERbot Slim robot vacuum. Its sensors and mapping system automatically adapt to the pattern of floors in the home and effectively avoid obstacles. This Alexa-compatible Samsung POWERbot Slim robot vacuum provides maximum cleaning coverage including edges and corners thanks to its sophisticated edge-cleaning technology.
Anyone successful in connecting Amazon Alexa to VR1AM7040WG PowerBot R7040 ?
I have not been able to, as even when it has completed the wifi setup configuration, the app believes itself to not be connected to the vacuum.
6 years, 11 months ago
by
Beradon