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vespa55
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- Review count61
- Helpfulness votes134
- First reviewOctober 18, 2007
- Last reviewMarch 2, 2017
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.7
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- Answer count2
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- First answerDecember 19, 2014
- Last answerDecember 19, 2014
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Experience the lifelike thrill of virtual reality with the Oculus Rift. The remote, OLED display and IR LED sensor help you navigate through virtual worlds, while rotational and positional tracking let you play exclusive games like Lucky's Tale. The clear, high resolution on the Oculus Rift takes you even closer to reality.
Customer Rating
3
Just not there yet. Give it a few more years
on March 2, 2017
Posted by: vespa55
from South San Francisco, CA
For the record, I alpha tested the Oculus when it was still a kickstarter project. When Facebook bought the project, it went from an open source developer kit to a closed source developer kit (which is unfortunate). Here's the thing to take note about this latest iteration of the Oculus Rift
-When I tested it, it was at 45Hz. It's 90Hz now
-The visuals have improved, BUT, the "screen door effect" is still there
-Content - other than Sunshine Arizona, most of the games I've played so far remind me of the Wii library. Very cartoony and gimmicky
-There's much to be said about the $200 price drop on the bundle - just know that Facebook lost half a BILLION dollars in lawsuits due to this project (Zenimax).
-Sales for the Rift are horrible. Best Buy actually started taking down their demo spaces for the Rift in their stores (bad sign). Nobody was touching the Rift, it was the PS4 VR that got all the attention. This is what happens when you are the late entrant in the market in VR, OR, when you enter the market with such a high price point ($600 for the headset only?). The Vive is definitely the superior VR headset.
-The "wow factor" fades after you realize that the games are more gimmicky than actual games worth investing time in.
-The visuals have improved, BUT, the "screen door effect" is still there
-Content - other than Sunshine Arizona, most of the games I've played so far remind me of the Wii library. Very cartoony and gimmicky
-There's much to be said about the $200 price drop on the bundle - just know that Facebook lost half a BILLION dollars in lawsuits due to this project (Zenimax).
-Sales for the Rift are horrible. Best Buy actually started taking down their demo spaces for the Rift in their stores (bad sign). Nobody was touching the Rift, it was the PS4 VR that got all the attention. This is what happens when you are the late entrant in the market in VR, OR, when you enter the market with such a high price point ($600 for the headset only?). The Vive is definitely the superior VR headset.
-The "wow factor" fades after you realize that the games are more gimmicky than actual games worth investing time in.
Overall, the immersion for a cartoony gimmicky environment reminds me way too much of the games that were featured on the Nintendo Wii and the Xbox Kinect. Until better games are out there and the "screen door effect" has been completely removed, I won't be buying another VR headset. Plus, Zenimax not only won half a billion dollars from Facebook due to the Oculus Rift, they're trying to halt all sales of it too. This spells doom for the Oculus Rift if this succeeds which only makes such a huge price drop on this unit make sense (a sell everything before it's too late gesture).
It's a nice unit, but like the first iterations of 4K televisions, I'd wait. There's a lot of potentital, and by the looks of it, the future of Oculus Rift is dependent on what happens in the courtroom with Facebook and Zenimax. Till then, I'll save up my money for the next iteration of the HTC Vive.
My Best Buy number: 0228227616
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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2of 4voted this as helpful.
Bring gameplay to life with this NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 graphics card, which features a wide range of NVIDIA technologies, including NVIDIA G-Sync and Dynamic Super Resolution, for lush visuals. NVIDIA ShadowPlay allows you to preserve gaming moments.
Customer Rating
4
Best under $1K yet. It's a reference card though
on January 21, 2015
Posted by: vespa55
from South San Francisco, CA
Normally, when you hear the words "reference card", you're presented with factors such as "limited overclocking room" or the "manufacturer shipped these units out at very conservative clock speeds". This is true. However, it is a very nice design with reference cooler AND a back plate. My only gripe is for the performance you're getting, you're paying so much more (almost $50+ more). I would suggest getting the EVGA Superclocked version of this GPU. This is the reference card and normally Nvidia will provide these reference cards to 3rd party vendors where they themselves improve on that default model to make it better (most of the time, faster and better cooling efficiency). If you're looking for a fantastic single card GPU or if you're going SLI, this card is it (all while looking super slick - the glowing "GEFORCE" emblem is too cool). The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that you're paying more than 3rd party vendors are for 'conservative' clock speed and performance. Asus, EVGA, MSI, Gigabyte, etc. have improved on the reference design to make it faster and better. I personally believe the reference design (this card) is the best looking aesthetically
My Best Buy number: 0228227616
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+3points
4of 5voted this as helpful.
Learn more about the New WindowsStore your music, movies and games on this CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme GXI5200B desktop's generous 2TB hard drive, which offers ample space for your digital media. The double-layer DVD±RW/CD-RW drive lets you create personalized CDs and DVDs.
Customer Rating
4
Not bad for a mid-entry level PC gaming rig
on December 19, 2014
Posted by: vespa55
from South San Francisco, CA
For the price I paid, getting this bundle was worth the money. Eventually, I swapped the GPU with a faster one, but the one that comes in this bundle (GTX 760) isn't that bad. You'll be able to run most games at medium/high settings at an acceptable framerate. There is plenty of room to expand and it's even SLI ready if you want to daisy-chain 2 graphics cards (in which you'd probably have to replace the power source for more - it comes with 600W for now). Overall, I can't complain. You get LED lights to show a little bling, a nice case, and a decent gaming keyboard and mouse. There's a decent CPU that comes with the package. If you're new to PC gaming, this is a good rig to start with (although, you could build one yourself if you research how for a couple of hundred dollars less).
My Best Buy number: 0228227616
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+6points
6of 6voted this as helpful.
This NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB GDDR5 graphics card features multiple NVIDIA technologies, including CUDA and G-Sync, that ensure lush, realistic gaming visuals. NVIDIA SHIELD and GameStream allow you to stream portable and PC games.
Posted by: vespa55
from South San Francisco, CA
I was surprised that BestBuy.com even had decent graphics cards available for purchase. This is a reference card, meaning it's stock out of the box, manufactured by Nvidia directly, and has a base clock speed that is generally lower than some of the other manufacturers who designed their own version of the GTX 970. The advantages over this reference card over the 3rd party manufacturers is the design, nice overclocking potential, it has a quiet and nice reference cooler, and the size is compact and perfect (some versions of the GTX 970 go as huge as 17"-18"!). Other than that, it's a performer right out of the box. It actually uses less power than my old GTX 760. Due to the architecture of the GPU, you shouldn't have to worry too much about power supply efficiency (unless you're buying 2 of these to go SLI). It's definitely an upgrade over previous cards, however, the price is pretty high... especially for a reference card. I may return this card and go with an EVGA G1 GTX 970 card instead (since it's overclocked out of the box and is slightly faster than this reference card)
My Best Buy number: 0228227616
I would recommend this to a friend!
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0points
9of 18voted this as helpful.
Travel to the Far East and the vibrant neon city of Hong Kong, where hidden among the exotic locations and busy streets hides one of the most brutal and deadly criminal organizations in the world — the Triads. As undercover cop Wei Shen, you must infiltrate the Triads and take them down from the inside. In order to do this, you must prove your worth by participating in atrocious criminal activities to protect your cover. With the lines between your loyalty to the badge and the code of the Triads becoming permanently blurred, you'll risk everything to ensure the success of your investigation.Return to the dangerous streets of Hong Kong to re-experience the deadly and treacherous storyline of the critically acclaimed 2012 release, Sleeping Dogs, with this Definitive Edition. Completely remastered to take advantage of your PlayStation 4's hardware capabilities, the Definitive Edition delivers visuals in 1080p, improved gameplay, enhanced audio fidelity and more. Plus, enjoy loads of bonus content with 24 pieces of downloadable content built in, including the story-extending episode Year of the Snake and the horror-themed add-on Nightmare in North Point. Get ready to re-experience the thrilling storyline of Sleeping Dogs on your PlayStation 4 with this Definitive Edition.
Posted by: vespa55
from South San Francisco, CA
Don't get me wrong, if I had not already finished this game to completion on my Xbox 360, my review of this remastered definitive edition would be different. Aside from the cutscenes and city getting a nice makeover, the gameplay is literally the same as the last gen consoles. The gloss and graphical improvements are not exactly enough to justify the $60 you're paying for this game. Now, if this is the first time you've ever heard of Sleeping Dogs, by all means, this is the version to get. I just didn't get the same "wow factor" as I did with the re-release of Last of Us and Tomb Raider for the PS4 as I did with this re-release of a game that didn't exactly achieve blockbuster status.
My Best Buy number: 0228227616
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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-1point
0of 1voted this as helpful.
Be a part of the auditory revolution with this Ear Force Stealth 500P Wireless Gaming Headset, which elevates your PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 audio to new heights. With noise-isolating, acoustically angled 50mm neodymium speakers and DTS Headphone:X 7.1 Channel Surround Sound, you'll experience your games in a stunning 3D, 360° sound stage. Quickly access and customize your audio with EQ presets, Mic Monitoring and separate game and chat volume controls. Plus, with an ample rechargeable battery in your arsenal, you'll be able to continue the missions long into the night.
Customer Rating
4
Worth the extra $30 over the $99 PS headset
on November 5, 2014
Posted by: vespa55
from South San Francisco, CA
I have a PS4 and it took a little tweaking to get this headset to work properly. What I don't get is why the manual specifically tells you to set your PS4 to have a Dolby 5.1ch output when the box blatantly advertises DTS 7.1ch. Setting my PS4 to have the headset audio set to "All Audio" instead of "Chat Audio" seems to fix the initial muffled sound that I received with these. Overall, the sound quality is fantastic. You may have to tune whatever game your playing and adjust the volume. Some games are louder than others. Otherwise, you will get distortion due to the sound being too loud. Overall, the headset does the trick. It's over the hear (not on ear). I could never play video games without a headset ever again. This headset adds an extra dimension to your gameplay (directional sound is awesome)
My Best Buy number: 0228227616
I would recommend this to a friend!
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-6points
3of 12voted this as helpful.
The 13.3" MacBook Pro Notebook Computer with Retina Display is a powerful notebook computer with an innovative, ultrathin, ultraportable aluminum unibody design. It is loaded with advanced power management features and an integrated lithium polymer battery, which work together to provide up to 9 hours of wireless web browsing.
Customer Rating
4
Still pricey, yet still the best laptop out there
on July 22, 2014
Posted by: vespa55
from South San Francisco, CA
The mid-level Macbook Pro 13 w/Retina (late 2013) is definitely the way to go. The reason being that you get 8gb of RAM (that will come in handy). Also, keep in mind, that Apple has done another "we know what's best for you approach" by soldering in the RAM onto the motherboards. Previous Macbook models had RAM slots where you can disassemble the unit to plop in more RAM. Apparently, Apple does not want their customers doing this, therefore, the only time you can get the maximum available RAM is by buying it at the point of purchase. Another thing Apple did with these new Macbook Pros is remove the ethernet port and SuperDrive. Again, Apple thinks that users should stick mainly to a wireless connection and that DVD/Blu-Ray is a dying technology. In order to have an ethernet connection, you would need to buy Apple's Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter ($30!) and if you want to burn DVDs or CDs, you'd have to buy an external unit in which Apple sells one (for $79.99!). Overall, the battery life for the late 2013 rMBP 13" has vastly improved (I've gotten about a good 6-8 hours of usage with intense photo editing using Photoshop) and it's definitely lighter. And oh yes, that screen really is pleasant on the eyes. If you're going to get a Macbook Pro all be it 13" or 15", get the mid-level one. You won't regret it. The only reason I was able to afford this model was due to a special college student discount that Best Buy offers as well as a few Best Buy reward certificates.
My Best Buy number: 0228227616
What's great about it: High performance, great build, very reliable, somewhat future-proof
What's not so great: The price. No touch-screen. No built-in ethernet port. SuperDrive has been excluded in this model
I would recommend this to a friend!
Display
5
Performance
5
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2of 3voted this as helpful.
Connect your Thunderbolt-equipped Mac to a high-performance 10/100/1000Base-T network with this Apple® MD463ZM/A Thunderbolt-to-Gigabit Ethernet adapter that features a built-in cable for simple setup.
Customer Rating
3
Less is not better Apple. Should've came w/rMBP
on July 21, 2014
Posted by: vespa55
from South San Francisco, CA
Every year, Apple makes decisions in a "we know what's best for you" approach. First, they solder the RAM onto their Macbook motherboards. Then they eliminate the need for a SuperDrive and Ethernet connection (as if to say "BUT, you have a Retina display!"). I may not be the most tech savvy person in the world, but I know that wired connection is always more reliable (and at times, faster) than Wifi. Why I have to spend another $30 for a dongle after shelling out $1500+ on a Macbook Pro w/Retina display is unfortunate. Apple makes premium built products, but throughout my experience with this company, the wires, chargers, and dongles are fragile and are not very durable at all. This should have come with the laptops that didn't have an Ethernet port built in.
My Best Buy number: 228227616
What's great about it: Does what it's advertised to do
What's not so great: Pricey for a dongle that should have came with the new MBPs
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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+13points
18of 23voted this as helpful.
This ZAGG ZAGGkeys BZKFHCBKLIT105 cover's hinge design enables hands-free viewing of media displayed on your Apple iPad Air. The included Bluetooth keyboard features island-style keys, making it easy to comfortably type on the go.
Customer Rating
3
Not enough counterweight to balance out iPad Air
on June 25, 2014
Posted by: vespa55
from South San Francisco, CA
I found myself re-pairing the keyboard multiple times. It's one thing to have a sleep/awake feature, but to tinker around just to get my iPad Air to connect to the keyboard via Bluetooth was hit and miss. It feels like a very premium keyboard, until you look carefully. You'll see keys at very uneven heights. Almost as if to say the keyboard keys were not placed carefully during manufacturing. Now here's the kicker. Since there are no mouse capabilities for the iPad Air (unless you jailbreak it), you will have to resort to tapping on the screen to move from app to folder or vice versa. I've tried every angle, but even on a flat service, a slight tap to the iPad Air's screen will make the keyboard setup lean upwards briefly or wobble. Almost like a balancing act. Not very stable at all. It's even worse when you try to type from your lap. I returned this item and resorted to Apple's stock Bluetooth keyboard for a better typing experience.
My Best Buy number: 228227616
What's great about it: Feels 'premium'. Makes the iPad Air look like a netbook
What's not so great: Spotty Bluetooth connectivity. iPad Air easily topples over at any angle
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Shield your Apple iPad Air or iPad Air 2 with this Apple® MF053LL/A smart cover that features durable polyurethane material and a microfiber lining for reliable protection. The cover doubles as a stand to allow media viewing and comfortable typing.
Customer Rating
4
Pricey, but worth it. Black is a rational choice
on January 28, 2014
Posted by: vespa55
from South San Francisco, CA
I returned the orange/red cover for a black one due to one reason: dirt. These covers collect dirt EASILY. The orange/red cover was almost like a dirt magnet. The fact that it was so bright orange/red, made the dirt look so obvious. At least with this black cover, the dirt isn't so obvious. It's minimal protection. I chose it over the $80+ smart case. There are alternatives where you can get a matte finish plastic backing that caters to the smart cover (I use one made by Poetic). But aside from that, the problems that the covers had with the iPad 4 are the same. The 'streaks' left by the creases of the folds of the cover still show up on your screen (you can wipe them off easily, although you have to do it more often than not) and instead of a metal hinge, you have a cushioned connector that doesn't scratch the side of your cherished iPad Air. Overall, pricey, but worth it in my opinion
My Best Buy number: 0228227616
What's great about it: Does the trick. Doesn't scratch up your iPad like the last gen covers did
What's not so great: When on an angle where you're typing on your iPad (flat or angled), the cover easily plops off
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Learn more about the New WindowsStore your music, movies and games on this CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme GXI5200B desktop's generous 2TB hard drive, which offers ample space for your digital media. The double-layer DVD±RW/CD-RW drive lets you create personalized CDs and DVDs.
What power supply is in this computer?
How many watts is the power supply?
600W
9 years, 4 months ago
by
vespa55
South San Francisco, CA
Learn more about the New WindowsStore your music, movies and games on this CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme GXI5200B desktop's generous 2TB hard drive, which offers ample space for your digital media. The double-layer DVD±RW/CD-RW drive lets you create personalized CDs and DVDs.
Which motherboard is in this pc?
It's your basic LGA 1150 Motherboard (by Gigabyte).
9 years, 4 months ago
by
vespa55
South San Francisco, CA