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Drj5j
Drj5j's stats
- Review count95
- Helpfulness votes326
- First reviewMay 6, 2014
- Last reviewApril 15, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.6
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- Answer count7
- Helpfulness votes15
- First answerNovember 24, 2016
- Last answerSeptember 24, 2021
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Samsung XE303C12-A01US Chromebook: This ultrathin and ultralight HD laptop is super portable, making it easy to always stay connected and productive . Easily access your files at home or on the go with free 100GB cloud storage for 2 years, or even work offline.Learn more about Chromebooks ›
Customer Rating
4
A fine netbook for its purpose
on December 27, 2014
Posted by: Drj5j
from State College, PA
Verified Purchase:Yes
If you know what a Chromebook is and what it does, you should not be disappointed with the Samsung XE303C12-A01US Chromebook. I have owned a Chromebox for nearly a year prior to purchasing the Chromebook, and consequently I knew what I was getting and was not disappointed.
The Chromebook/box is, of course, a slim, lightweight computer built entirely around the Chrome browser and its extensions. So if what you want to do can be done with Google Chrome, then this computer will work fine for you. What people might not realize, though, is that you can do a lot more with Chrome than browse the web and check you Gmail. With Google docs and 100 GB free cloud storage, you can work with all Office docs, spreadsheets, and presentations. And if you need a "real" computer running applications under Windows, you can leave your laptop or desktop running and access it with Google remote desktop. It's just like having your full computer in front of you.
Now, if you are interested in running Linux on your machine (with all the programs that run under that OS), this is a possibility with the Chromebook. You can erase the Chrome OS and replace it with your favorite flavor of Linux, or create a dual boot system with both Chrome OS and Linux. And should you decide you don't want your revised OS, you can easily reinstall Chrome OS from the Web. Or, if you don't want to mess with your original hard drive, you can swap it with another drive on which you've loaded your alternative OS. I've done this with my Chromebox and it works beautifully. Instructions for this mod can be found on the Web.
The only thing I was somewhat disappointed with in this Chromebook was lack of wireless connectivity to my Samsung smart TV. Samsung devices are generally really good at connecting with each other, so I have no trouble projecting content wirelessly from my Samsung Galaxy phone or Samsung tablet to my Samsung TV. But my Samsung XE303C12-A01US Chromebook has no such capability; apparently it is a Chromebook first and the Samsung brand is irrelevant. Yes, I could connect with HDMI, but who wants to do that all the way across the living room? It seems to me that an extension could/should be developed to create this capability.
Other than that, I am fully satisfied with the Chromebook. It is sleek, lightweight but sturdy enough, with a good feel to the keyboard, and it does what Chromebooks are supposed to do.
My Best Buy number: 0029388479
My Best Buy number: 0029388479
I would recommend this to a friend!
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This multipack contains yellow, cyan and magenta ink cartridges that produce brilliant results on both plain and glossy photo paper for versatile use. The ink is smudge-, fade- and water-resistant for worry-free handling.
Customer Rating
4
About as good as it gets for ink cartridges
on October 4, 2014
Posted by: Drj5j
from State College, PA
Verified Purchase:Yes
I think I am not alone in my perception that printer ink cartridges run out of ink more quickly than they should and are more expensive than they should be to replace. These cartridges are no exception, although they might last a bit longer than the high-capacity cartridges I get for my other major name-brand printer. I've tried the alternative of refilling cartridges myself. That route is a mess and the results are unreliable. And I've tried off-brand alternatives, which do not seem to work as well as the name-brand cartridges. So I have resigned myself to shelling out as much money as the printer companies are asking for (and it is always the same price everywhere--seems impossible to find a discount) to insure that I get good results from my printer. And that is the good news: the colors from these cartridges are very nice.
My Best Buy number: 0029388479
My Best Buy number: 0029388479
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Store and protect everything from cherished photos and videos to sensitive work files with the Cruzer Glide USB Flash Drive. The drive comes with SanDisk SecureAccess software, which lets you password-protect and secure files you want to keep private while permitting access to files you want to share. The compact drive features a red slider that glides shut to shield the USB connector. A high-speed USB 2.0 interface delivers fast, reliable performance.
Customer Rating
5
Amazing capacity
on July 19, 2014
Posted by: Drj5j
from State College, PA
Verified Purchase:Yes
I purchased this flash drive when it was a selection among the sale-of-the-day items at Best Buy. Frankly, I did not need it, but for a flash drive with this huge capacity to be on sale for 35% the normal list price, I could not refuse the offer. I've tested it with both my laptop and with a TV set top box that has a USB port and it worked fine with both devices. It is noteworthy that it worked with the TV box because other USB flash drives did *not* work with the box. This flash drive will enable me to copy OTA HD TV programs no sweat. I'm still not sure I would pay full price for it, but I see that it is currently on sale at 44% of the list price, and I would definitely recommend purchasing it at that price. Perhaps the item is being discounted because it is "old" technology, "only" USB 2 instead of 3. I've found that it is still fast enough for my needs.
My Best Buy number: 0029388479
My Best Buy number: 0029388479
What's great about it: 128GB
What's not so great: no drawbacks
I would recommend this to a friend!
Ease of Use
5
Performance
5
Capacity
5
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Store videos and still images from your digital camera with this SanDisk Extreme PLUS SDHC memory card that features 16GB of memory for efficient storage space. The writeable label allows for easy identification and organization
Customer Rating
5
Did the job where other cards failed
on June 7, 2014
Posted by: Drj5j
from State College, PA
Verified Purchase:Yes
I purchased this memory card for one specific purpose: to create a backup of my Chrome OS on the Asus Chromebox I recently purchased. I had a number of cards and flash drives sitting around that I thought I could use for that purpose, but each one of them failed before the backup completed. I was starting to think there was something wrong with my Chromebox, when someone suggested purchasing a new good card from a reliable manufacturer like SanDisk. Research on this card indicated many satisfied users, so I bought it. The backup worked flawlessly on the first try, and so I am completely satisfied with the product.
My Best Buy number: 0029388479
My Best Buy number: 0029388479
What's great about it: Fast, works well.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Capacity
4
Durability
5
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Introducing a brand-new way to stay connected. Samsung Galaxy Gear keeps you updated with glance notifications, so you can keep up with calls, texts and emails.
Customer Rating
4
Doesn't do much, but still a nifty little device
on May 6, 2014
Posted by: Drj5j
from State College, PA
Verified Purchase:Yes
I've had my eye on the Samsung Galaxy Gear Smart Watch for some time. Quite literally--this is a very eye-catching watch and I was always drawn to the display of these watches at Best Buy every time I entered the store. But the full price seemed too steep to me for what the watch could accomplish, so I always moved on after admiring the watches.
That is until Best Buy offered a one-day 50% off list price sale, and I immediately accepted that offer. And after using the watch for a little over a month, I feel it was well worth the money. I would highly recommend the watch to anyone who can find it at a discounted price, but would probably recommend against buying it at full price. It does some neat things, but not enough to justify the full list price.
As I said, the appearance of the watch is striking and attractive. I figured as long as I was getting a somewhat frivolous toy, I might as well get it in a bold color, so I got the Wild Orange version. In the short span of a month, I have never received so many positive comments from people on any accessory or article of clothing I've ever worn. People would come right up to me and say, "Wow, is that one of those smart watches?" and then I would tell them about it.
The main reason I got the watch was to avoid the hassle of pulling my Samsung Galaxy S4 phone out of my pants pocket every time I felt the buzz indicating an incoming email or text message. Especially when I am driving in the car and not able to get into my front pants pocket without undoing my seatbelt. This function of the watch alone is worth the (discounted) price. Both the phone and watch vibrate to indicate a new message, and if I am quick I can touch my watch to see the sender and at least the beginning of the message (depending on how long it is). If I don't look at the notification right away, I can easily swipe from the main clock screen one screen to the right to the notification screen, and then tapping on either the name of my email or text messaging app to get my messages.
At least some of them. The system accumulates message alerts in an odd way that I do not quite understand yet. For example, right now, accessing my email alerts shows the following list:
AAA Southern Pennsylvania
10:17 AM
2 new messages
9:32 AM
32 new messages
9:01 AM
33 new messages
9:01 AM
32 new messages
8:46 AM
31 new messages
8:46 AM
30 new messages
8:46 AM
29 new messages
8:31 AM
and so forth. Clearly, some of these alerts are redundant, and it is somewhat annoying to see three different alerts for 8:46 indicating 30, 31, and 32 new messages. Couldn't the first two be automatically deleted from the display since the one indicating 32 new messages covers them? Also, unlike notifications of a single email, where I can actually see part of the email, notification lists only show the sender and subject line. What I have to do regularly to avoid this clutter is to manually delete these alerts. You would think that deleting emails from my IMAP inbox (from my computer or phone) would remove these old notifications, but it does not.
AAA Southern Pennsylvania
10:17 AM
2 new messages
9:32 AM
32 new messages
9:01 AM
33 new messages
9:01 AM
32 new messages
8:46 AM
31 new messages
8:46 AM
30 new messages
8:46 AM
29 new messages
8:31 AM
and so forth. Clearly, some of these alerts are redundant, and it is somewhat annoying to see three different alerts for 8:46 indicating 30, 31, and 32 new messages. Couldn't the first two be automatically deleted from the display since the one indicating 32 new messages covers them? Also, unlike notifications of a single email, where I can actually see part of the email, notification lists only show the sender and subject line. What I have to do regularly to avoid this clutter is to manually delete these alerts. You would think that deleting emails from my IMAP inbox (from my computer or phone) would remove these old notifications, but it does not.
I am one of those people who does not use my cell phone as a phone very often, but I've found the watch to be extremely useful when I do get an incoming call. Not only does it immediately show who is calling, but I actually have the option of accepting the call with my watch and conversing with the caller through the watch itself. Shades of Dick Tracy! This is a super-convenient feature, and people who've called me say that the audio quality is fine. If I actually phoned people, I could also use the watch to make outgoing calls, even employing voice activation. But like I said, I rarely use my phone as a phone so I have not tested this feature.
The watch will also display missed calls as well as emails and text messages, which is a handy feature. Unfortunately, for some reason it is really difficult to get rid of missed call notifications. I think I had to reset the watch to do that, and Internet discussions have indicated that this is a flaw in the watch.
Another very useful feature of the watch is that it notifies me of appointments that I have scheduled. I can dismiss or snooze these notifications.
One highly touted feature of the watch that I'm not crazy about is its ability to play music from your phone. If it played the music on my watch, that would indeed be groovy. But, what it does is rather strange: It remote-controls the media player on my phone. So if I use this function, music starts to come out of my pants pocket. Weird. Also, the interface makes it very difficult to navigate and select songs. Might as well pull the phone out of my pocket when I want to play music.
Another feature I found very useful on one occasion is the ability to find my misplaced phone with the watch. As long as you are in bluetooth connection distance, you can have the watch make your phone ring until you are able to find it. That worked superbly for me the one time I forgot where in the house I had placed my phone.
The phone has other functions that seem pretty cool but that I have not used much or at all. The watch can take pictures or videos that are transferred to the phone. Have only tested it rather than used it a lot, but this function does work well. It's another feature that can make you feel like a detective or secret agent. I also installed a connection to MapMyRun, but haven't tried this one yet.
And let's not forget the old-school function of a watch: To quickly see what time it is. I've not worn a watch for maybe 15 years because I've been able to get the time from my cell phone. I forgot how nice and convenient it is to be able to glance at my watch for the time (especially in meetings where it looks rude to pull out your phone to see what time it is). The face of the watch stays dark until you activate it by motion or pressing the button on the side. A bonus is that you also see the current temperature and weather conditions--a step up from an ordinary watch.
In summary, this watch does not do a ton of things, and I would not consider it a must-have device. But it does do some pretty neat things and I would consider it well worth the price if you can find it on sale.
My Best Buy number: 0029388479
My Best Buy number: 0029388479
What's great about it: Great for getting email and text message update notifications
What's not so great: Notification messages accumulate unnecessarily
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Drj5j's Answers
The minute you put on Bose QuietComfort 45 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones, you feel it — the iconic quiet that allows you to concentrate on your music or work on your passion projects. Plus, with these wireless headphones, you can experience the comfort and crystal-clear sound that can only come from Bose headphones. The soft, plush cushions of these Bose over ear wireless headphones seal you in. Then you flip the switch and whoosh — the world fades. The music starts. It’s love at first listen. The original Bluetooth headphones are back, now with signature active noise cancelling technology and premium comfort. Plus proprietary technology for deep, clear sound, and adjustable EQ so you can tune your music to your liking. Bose QuietComfort 45 over-ear headphones. An icon reborn.
Can you connect the QuietComfort 45 headphones with a USB type C to USB Type C cable? I have a Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, so no headphone port on the phone. I know that you can use Bluetooth but sometimes I forget to charge my headphones.
No. The USB C port on the headphones is just for charging. I confirmed this by connecting the headphones to my Galaxy S10 by USB C cable. Sound comes through the phone speaker, not the headphones.
2 years, 7 months ago
by
Drj5j
Harness your PC's potential with the 980. Whether you need a boost for gaming or a seamless workflow for heavy graphics, the 980 is a smart choice for outstanding SSD performance — and it's all backed by an NVMe* interface and PCIe 3.0 technology.
Is it laptop or desktop compatibility?
Definitely compatible in both, as long as you have a slot that takes the NVMe M.2 SSD. I replaced the 256 GB Samsung NVMe drive that came with my laptop with the Samsung 980 500 GB drive. It is an arduous process to install in a laptop with only one SSD slot, especially if you do not have a NVMe compatible USB adapter. It took me three days to figure out how to do this, and I described what I learned that worked in my review of the product.
2 years, 11 months ago
by
Drj5j
Dell Multi-Device Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo enhance daily performance and productivity with this keyboard mouse combo that fits into virtually any workspace. Easily switch between 2.4GHz wireless or Bluetooth connectivity.Multi-OS compatibility. Tested and certified to work seamlessly with Dell systems.Programmable shortcut keys/buttons with customizable keyboard tilt.
Is the keyboard backlit?
Dell Multi-Device Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo enhance daily performance and productivity with this keyboard mouse combo that fits into virtually any workspace. Easily switch between 2.4GHz wireless or Bluetooth connectivity.Multi-OS compatibility. Tested and certified to work seamlessly with Dell systems.Programmable shortcut keys/buttons with customizable keyboard tilt.
is this keyboard and mouse compatible with an HP laptop?
Yes, I am using them with an HP laptop. Seamless setup. Only problem so far has been some jitter/lag when using scroll wheel to scroll up and down on documents and web pages. My guess is that it is more a general Windows 10 + mouse issue than an issue with HP.
3 years, 4 months ago
by
Drj5j
Dell Multi-Device Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo enhance daily performance and productivity with this keyboard mouse combo that fits into virtually any workspace. Easily switch between 2.4GHz wireless or Bluetooth connectivity.Multi-OS compatibility. Tested and certified to work seamlessly with Dell systems.Programmable shortcut keys/buttons with customizable keyboard tilt.
Texture or feel of the keys? Are they hard plastic or do they have a somewhat spongy or soft rubbery feel to them? I type on my fingernail tips is why I ask.
Not super-spongy, buy definitely more toward rubbery than hard plastic.
3 years, 4 months ago
by
Drj5j
Simplify tasks with this 15.6-inch HP ENVY convertible laptop. Its Full HD touch screen lets you navigate the intuitive Windows 10 interface, and its Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM ensure demanding programs run smoothly. This HP ENVY convertible laptop has a 1TB hard drive for storing photos, videos and documents.Learn more.
How many bluetooth devices can be connected at 1 time to this laptop?
Although I haven't tried connecting multiple devices on the HP Envy x360, I have successfully connected a Bluetooth mouse, keyboard, and headphones simultaneously to the highly-similar HP Spectre x360. I would bet my laptop that the HP Envy x360 can connect at least three Bluetooth devices simultaneously, too.
6 years, 4 months ago
by
Drj5j
This DVD player features 1080p upconversion for watching standard-definition DVDs in high-definition and DTS and Dolby Digital decoders for a lush soundscape.
Can I use this with my chrome book?
I can't imagine how this could possibly work. My chromebook has two USB ports and an HDMI output. The Samsung DVD-C500 player has HDMI out, component out, and composite out. The HDMI out is not going to work with the chromebook HDMI out. You would need some kind of component or composite to USB converter to plug the DVD player into a USB port of the chromebook. I would say that the odds of that working are about nil.
7 years, 5 months ago
by
Drj5j