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  • Review count
    5
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    81
  • First review
    November 23, 2015
  • Last review
    July 29, 2017
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    4.4
 
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LuckyStiff63's Reviews
 
Clean your carpets efficiently with this iRobot Roomba vacuum. It lets you set a schedule for automated vacuuming, and the sensors help it navigate under furniture and around objects on the floor for a more thorough cleaning job. This iRobot Roomba vacuum has internal brushes, agitators and suction to handle debris and pet hair.
 
  • My Best Buy® Elite Member
  • Tech Insider Network
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Handles our daily messes
on July 29, 2017
Posted by: LuckyStiff63
We received our Roomba 690 2 weeks ago through the BestBuy Tech Insider Network program.
The unit arrived in perfect condition, with the Retail packaging protected by a shipping box. Inside the retail box we found:
- 1 fully assembled Roomba 690.
- 1 Charging stand with AC power cord.
- 1 'Virtual Wall", including 2 Duracell AA batteries.
- 1 Cleaning Tool (for cleaning the Roomba's brushes).
- 1 extra dust filter.
- 1 Setup guide, 1 Manual, and warranty info card.
Setup was easy, taking only 5 minutes to follow iRobot's instructions, including downloading the Android app
and connecting the Roomba to our home network. This model of Roomba can use the the basic functions of
the Android app, including:
- Start, Pause, or Stop a cleaning job.
- Send the Roomba back "Home" to its charging stand.
- Schedule one cleaning job per day to auto-start.
- Check results of previous jobs
After allowing the Roomba to fully charge, I tested it in our dining room, which holds our counter-height table and
8 chairs. This is the most "obstacle-dense" room in the house, and I was interested in seeing how well the
Roomba could navigate around all those chair and table legs. I expected the Roomba to begin by "mapping" the
edges of the room and then follow some sort of overlapping pattern to make sure it cleaned the entire floor.
Instead, it began cleaning in a seemingly random series of passes, changing direction when it came to an
obstacle. I left it to finish the job, and found myself pleasantly surprised by the results.
Although the Roomba's round shape prevents it from cleaning deep into tight corners, it actually cleaned very
well, even under the table and chairs, and along the baseboards.
Our home has Laminate flooring everywhere except the hallway and bathrooms, which are Vinyl tile. We have
area rugs, welcome mats, and transition strips in the usual places, (and toddler toys in the unusual ones). I have
only seen the 690 have trouble transitioning between the bare floor and an area rug once. A small rug in the kitchen had one corner flipped over, and the Roomba got hung up on it somehow. I let it work the problem out on
its own, and after several minutes of a mildly amusing robotic "hissy fit", it was able to free itself and continue
cleaning. The transition strips between the Laminate and tile floors have been no problem at all.
This model of Roomba is intended for cleaning one room only, or possibly 2 adjoining rooms. When I activated it
to clean the dining room (where it's charging stand is), it also wandered into the kitchen and cleaned it. I had the
"Virtual Wall" set to keep the Roomba from wandering off down the hallway at the other end of the room, and that
worked perfectly.
The GOOD:
- Easy Setup
- Decent cleaning - picks up everything from Honey-nut Cheerios to fine dust.
- Good battery life - finishes 2 rooms with plenty of power to spare.
- Object avoidance works well! - We have an 18 month-old boy in the house who has NO problem with leaving
his toys everywhere (the little rebel!) and to date, the Roomba hasn't eaten anything it shouldn't.
The BAD:
- 18-month old boys are apparently genetically driven to try to RIDE the Roomba while it is cleaning.
The Roomba does NOT respond well to this!
This is NOT a fault in the Roomba, but it bears mentioning.
- This model is intended for single-room cleaning, so allowing the Roomba to wander into adjoining rooms or
down a hallway will frequently result in the unit being unable to find its way back to the charging dock, requiring
you to carry it back "Home".
- The Roomba is actually a bit louder than I expected. It's not nearly as loud as our Dyson, but we avoid running
it during nap time.

This model works well for keeping a single room (or maybe 2 adjoining rooms) vacuumed. For larger homes or
multi-room cleaning, I would recommend upgrading to the Roomba 960 or 980.
My Best Buy number: 0021949661
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
+19points
25of 31voted this as helpful.
 
Enjoy immersive sound with these Bluetooth Sony EXTRA BASS over-ear headphones. The presets let you choose between arena, club, hall and outdoor stage sound, and the noise-canceling technology lets you block out the world while you listen to tunes. Listen wirelessly for up to 18 hours with these Sony EXTRA BASS over-ear headphones.
 
  • My Best Buy® Elite Member
  • Tech Insider Network
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
I would give this 4.5 stars if I could.
on April 24, 2017
Posted by: LuckyStiff63
I received my XB950B1 headset through BestBuy's Tech Insider program on March 26, so I have used them for almost a month with the following audio sources before writing this review:
- Motorola Turbo (XT1254) cell phone (Bluetooth mode and using the supplied 3.5mm Audio cable)
- Motorola Turbo 2 (Bluetooth)
- Microsoft Surface Book (Bluetooth mode and Audio cable)
- Creative Zen Vision Media Player (Audio cable)
PROS: There is a lot to like about this headset.
1. Although the headband is just a bit tighter than I prefer, the ear cups remain comfortable even after extended wear (more than 2 to 3 hours).
2. Multimedia Audio quality is in the "very good" to "excellent" range, as I expect from Sony products.
3. Sound quality during phone calls is also Good. Occasionally a caller mentioned that I sounded "far away" at their end, but this was not consistent across calls with those individuals, so phone reception at either end could be the culprit.
4. Battery life is excellent, and recharging is simple using the supplied 19.75" micro USB cable. I did not specifically test for the maximum run time provided by a full charge, but I was able to finish several sessions of 2-3 hours before deciding to recharge.
5. I really like the ability to use these as "normal", wired headphones using the 48" long, 3.5mm stereo audio cable. Of course, this method only allows for incoming audio (no microphone out), but you can charge the headset while listening if you use both cables. Be aware that plugging the audio cable into the headset automatically disconnected the headset's active bluetooth connection. So in "wired mode" the Bass Boost, Volume control, and other headset hardware controls do not work.
6. Bass Boost can greatly improve the sound of incoming Bluetooth audio that needs it, but I found that the headset drivers have excellent bass response, and I rarely felt the need to use the Boost.
7. This headset paired easily with cell phones and my MS Surface Book, and it remembers pairing info for up to eight devices.
8. I like the simple, clean look of this headset. Sony kept things classy, rejecting the fads of ridiculous, blinding, RGB LEDs for no good reason, and pulsing LED logo lighting that seems to be everywhere the last few years. The 2 small, unobtrusive LED status indicators serve their intended purpose without over-kill, and there is a small, silver "SONY" logo on each ear-can.
CONS: Like any technology designed for use by actual human beings, there are some compromises made, and things I would have done differently:
1. The headset gives voice announcements for functions like Power on/off, Bass Boost on/off, Bluetooth connected/disconnected, etc. During these announcements all incoming audio is completely "blanked out" for a few seconds, which I find annoying. I would really like to be able to turn that off!
- This is my largest complaint, and the reason for the 4.5 star rating: Voice announcements are non-critical functions, yet they temporarily keep the headset from performing it's primary function of reproducing high-quality incoming audio.
2. I did have some hiccups using the headset's media controls with some mobile Media players. The play/pause and next/previous controls caused occasional lock-ups in the Android versions of VLC and BS Player. I can't say for certain whether the headset, the app, or the Android OS is at fault here. .
3. Sony's "Headphones" app for Android has VERY limited functionality at this point. It currently only allows you to enable/disable bass boost and adjust the Bass Boost level, select a sound environment (Club, Arena, Live Stage, etc), and check the battery charge level. When I learned that Sony had an app that worked with this headset, I was hoping for a more integrated media app that added a media player and playlist editor to those functions. I hope Sony adds those soon.
4. The 3.5mm audio input jack is recessed into the left ear "can" far enough that the plugs on most of my existing audio cables will not seat into the jack fully. The supplied cable is not long enough for some things I would like to do, so I have to use a stereo extension cable. This is a fairly minor gripe since this is designed and marketed as a wireless headset, so I don't fault Sony too much for this one.
TO SUM THINGS UP: I like the MDR-XB950B1 headset a lot. In fact, I find myself using them far more often than I would normally use a headset. There is more to like than dislike here, and in my opinion, a product that makes you actually want to use it more often than usual has certainly gotten the important things right.
My Best Buy number: 0021949661
I would recommend this to a friend!
+38points
40of 42voted this as helpful.
 
With TurboWrite technology, this Samsung 850 EVO MZ-75E500B 500GB internal SATA hard drive allows you to quickly update files. The 32-layer 3D VNAND flash memory ensures reliable performance, and AES 256-bit encryption keeps your data private.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Solid Samsung SSD
on June 1, 2016
Posted by: LuckyStiff63
Verified Purchase:Yes
I waited for some major updates to Windows 10 before I upgraded from my existing Windows 7 install, and when I moved to Win10, I performed a clean install to this SSD, and kept my older "spinner" HD for storage space.
I have noticed an improvement in my system's boot time, as well as performance improvements in some games and other apps, which are probably due to a combination of this drive's performance capabilities and the shiny-new Windows install.
This drive has performed as perfectly as I expected it would based on my experience with the other Samsung SSD's I own.
My Best Buy number: 0021949661
My Best Buy number: 0021949661
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3of 3voted this as helpful.
 
Microsoft Surface Book Convertible 2-in-1 Laptop: This ultrathin, high-performance laptop is equipped with incredible 3000 x 2000 screen resolution and the versatility of a tablet. It combines a powerful 6th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor and 8GB of system memory with discrete graphics so no creative tasks are too demanding. Use the included Surface Pen to mark-up presentations, sign documents, take notes and much more.
 
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Pricey, but worth it so far.
on March 28, 2016
Posted by: LuckyStiff63
Verified Purchase:Yes
I bought a Surface Book (Core i7 - 8GB Memory - 256GB SSD) about 6 weeks ago for my wife, and other than one hiccup in the initial setup process, it has performed flawlessly in "almost every day" use for both professional and personal needs.
In the office, She loves the processor power and gorgeous, bright, larger-than-average screen with killer resolution. And the Surface Book apparently has far better Wifi reception that any other device we own. Her new home office is in a weak Wifi signal area where most phones, and her previous HP laptop have "sketchy" connections, but the Surface Book grabs that weak signal and maintains a continuous, reliable connection.
Battery life is pretty much as advertised, and depends on what functions you use, as expected. We haven't used the handwriting recognition / note-taking features much yet, so I won't comment on those.
After work she uses it in tablet mode for social media, light gaming, general web browsing, and streaming media from both the web and my Plex server.
Our grand-kids love the pen apps: apparently, drawing funny faces on pictures of "Papa" (me) is big fun if you are age 8-11. Funny, but they just draw hearts around my wife's pictures. Hmmmm..... Must be the cookies she bribes them with. :-p
On the down side, of course there's the price. This is the most expensive non-desktop PC I have ever purchased. If not for the fact that it is used primarily for business, I would have gone with a different system.
Also, although I understand the difficulty of fitting decent speakers into a device this thin and light, the Surface Book's speakers are seriously lacking. For web radio background in the office, the sound quality may be passable, but for streaming music or movies, you will probably want a decent set of Bluetooth speakers / headset to improve the sound, which could add to the over-all cost.
Lastly, there is the largest negative of them all: the ridiculously short warranty period. I am amazed that a company with MICROSOFT's resources doesn't have enough confidence in the Surface Book to provide a warranty longer than ONE year! On a product at this price point?! Did I already use the word 'ridicoulous'? If not, insert it here, because that's what this warranty is. And 'ridiculous' warranties do not inspire a lot of confidence within either your established customer base, or the buying public in general, Mr.Nadella. Surface Book owners are taking a lot of risk to help you get this flagship product off the ground. So if this device dies due to hardware failure in less than 3-4 years, it will be a "VERY" long time before I buy MS hardware again. Of that, you can be absolutely certain.
My Best Buy number: 0021949661
My Best Buy number: 0021949661
I would recommend this to a friend!
+7points
8of 9voted this as helpful.
 
Sony BRAVIA KDL40W600B LED HDTV: Relax with your favorite movies and shows in full high-definition with this Sony BRAVIA HDTV's 1080p display that delivers crisp, clear images. Stream media easily with the Smart TV functionality and built-in Wi-Fi.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Exactly what you expect from Sony
on November 23, 2015
Posted by: LuckyStiff63
Verified Purchase:Yes
I bought this TV about 3 months ago to replace an older 32" 720p, and we are very happy with it so far. The picture and sound quality are in the very good to excellent range, and setup was easy, with quick, no-hassle connections to our existing digital media devices and home network.
We haven't used the included apps much, except for Netflix, but the ones we have used worked well. Now I'll be looking for a decent wireless keyboard with touch-pad so we can avoid having to use the remote.for text entry.
My Best Buy number: 0021949661
My Best Buy number: 0021949661
I would recommend this to a friend!
+5points
5of 5voted this as helpful.
 
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