Wraith's stats
- Review count186
- Helpfulness votes1,925
- First reviewAugust 18, 2014
- Last reviewMay 14, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.6
- Review comment count1
- Helpfulness votes0
- First review commentSeptember 25, 2016
- Last review commentSeptember 25, 2016
- Featured review comments0
Questions
- Question count0
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- First questionNone
- Last questionNone
- Featured questions0
- Answer count27
- Helpfulness votes26
- First answerAugust 18, 2014
- Last answerDecember 13, 2021
- Featured answers0
- Best answers3
Alienware m18 Gaming Laptop - Play like a boss with a high-powered, 18-inch gaming laptop that features advanced Alienware Cryo-techcooling, 7000 Series AMD Ryzen 9 processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics.
Customer Rating
4
A Literal and Figurative MONSTER! Slays Games!
on August 4, 2023
Posted by: Wraith
Let me start off by saying I was literally dumbfounded when I opened up this box and pulled out the Alienware m18. I have never seen a "laptop" this big before in my life. I know it is one of the new class of 18" laptops that are coming out, and perhaps this is the way of the future instead of towers or NUCs, I don't know. What I do know is that the Alienware m18 is an absolute beast of a machine and there wasn't any game that I could throw at it, that it didn't gobble up and spit out at 60+ frames per second.
I really wondered who this is for when I fired up the m18 for the first time, but then I realized that this thing is REALLY a laptop, what it is is a compact desktop with an integrated screen and keyboard. THIS is for those people who used to haul all their PC gear to their friend's house and set up LAN parties. This is for that person, who doesn't have the room for a full tower and gaming monitor set-up. This is for someone who wants some portability but for the most part is going to have it firmly ensconced on their desk and plugged in all the time.
I threw a ton of games at this from my Xbox Game Pass library (you get a free month of Ultimate), and both my Steam and GoG libraries. We are talking about everything from oldies like Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption to modern games like Red Dead Redemption 2 (weird that I have two games dealing with redemption... maybe I should talk to a shrink about that). The two games I'm going to focus on though are Star Trek Online and Microsoft Flight Simulator. These are my 'go-to' test games because one (STO) is an absolute mess of gaming code, and modern graphics cards struggle with it way more than they should. MS Flight Sim is obviously because maxed out, it can render some absolutely gorgeous scenery. I have hundreds of hours in each game and I can tell if anything is 'off'.
In both cases the m18 and its RTX 4070 absolutely slays. STO never dropped below 100 frames per second with everything maxed and special effects going wild on the screen (if you've played STO you know that some of the 'space magic' can get to be a little much). On MSFS I kept the frame rate pegged at 60fps despite everything turned up to ultra. I also did this while unplugged and on just the 'Performance' setting. Despite being on battery and cranking out solid numbers, fan noise stayed pretty moderate and thermals were decent (though I did increase the temperature in my office by 3 degrees).
Now I only tested the Alienware m18 with games, but I'm betting that with the horses she has under the hood, she would make an excellent platform for video, 3d, and image rendering. If I were talented enough to do any of that, I might have tried it out.
So if the m18 is so great with games, why did I only give it 4 Stars? Well, I did have a few issues with the laptop, though far less than I've had with many others, but still enough for me to knock a star off.
1. Sound - While the m18 can crank out some serious decibels, there are WAY too many times that the sound card was either experiencing interference or stuttering and the sound would go 'crispy'.
2. Keyboard - This is actually not a knock on the keyboard itself, because it is actually really nice to type on and the keys are nice a clicky even with it being just the standard keyboard and not the upgraded one with Cherry switches. I just can't do a full scale keyboard and touchpad set up on a laptop. I'm too used to the ten-keyless and more compact keyboards for my work computer and desktop. I need my keyboard, touchpad, and hands centered to type the way I want. If you are used to a full keyboard and not thrown off by a touchpad skewed to the left, then this is a non-issue for you.
3. Touchpad - Not the best I've ever used. Too many times during testing, I thought that I had tapped hard enough to activate a button or pop-up and move on, only to see that it didn't register and I had to go back. It's responsive enough for movement and actual clicks of the corners but I use taps of the touchpad way more often and those aren't as responsive as I would like.
4. Power 'Brick' - This 330w behemoth weighs more than my regular laptop, and I'm not exagerating! If you tried to pack the m18 and this power brick into a backpack, it will give you scoliosis by the time you reach your destination! If the laptop size itself wasn't enough to limit its use to desktops, the brick pretty much cinches that. This leads us to...
5. Battery - I'm not really going to knock the Alienware m18 on battery life because there is no laptop on the planet that could drive this much power and screen and not suck through a battery in record time. The two times I recorded it, I got 1:15 and :50 out of the battery before it warned me to plug in. This thing NEEDS to be plugged in. It is NOT for playing marathon sessions strictly off the battery.
All-in-all, I'm pretty impressed with the Alienware m18. It is staggeringly huge but it puts up the numbers and graphics to justify it. I also like how it follows Dell's repair/upgradeability ethos. It will be super easy to open up the bottom panel and throw in some more hard drive space (which is going to be needed).
If you are looking for a desktop tier, semi-laptop, gaming rig, I think you need to take a look at the Alienware m18. She delivers.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+4points
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Superb sound meets brilliant stage lighting, for a multisensory experience you can take anywhere, with up to 30 hours of battery life,¹ plus IP67 rated dust and water resistance.² Savor our most powerful high-quality speaker sound as the compression horn tweeter produces dynamic sound and the 4.5-inch woofer brings the bass to life. Plus it has a stage lighting that puts a vibrant lightshow on the wall to get the party started.³
Customer Rating
4
Buy it for the boom not the baubles (lights).
on July 18, 2023
Posted by: Wraith
Whoo whee! Can this thing put out some bass! I was looking for something that we could allow guests to use when they rented out our place for both personal music as well as an amp for a microphone, and perhaps liven up the outside area with some fun lights. As for the music, the XBOOM XG9 is a winner. This thing pumps out great sound, especially for being in an open area and not really having a good wall set-up to bounce the lows around. This is a great 'boombox' for the 21st century.
As for the light show, it's not as great as I had hoped. Seeing the huge lens on the back of this thing I was almost thinking I would be getting a show like it was coming from a regular projector plugged into a computer or something. My disappointment was probably mostly coming from the fact that I had unrealistic expectation. While the XG9 does do a nice job setting up some ambient light and can follow along with the music, it really needs to be in a pretty dark place for you to appreciate what it puts out. If this is in a dark room and you are trying to do a rave-like experience it probably would be pretty good, outside with lights so drunk people don't trip over things and sue us? Not so much.
The microphone we ordered did not show up in time for us to try it out with the group we had this weekend, but we found that we definitely need it, fortunately it will be showing up tomorrow and we'll be good from here on out.
Also, the app is pretty good, though when dealing with the light set up it can get kind of confusing because flipping one set on, grays out another option, which seems like it is needed to get the full show, but eventually I got things going the way I wanted. It looks like you have a ton of color/pattern options but really they don't seem all that different in action. Either way, it does provide some ambiance.
My rating is probably more of a 4.5 stars rather than a 4, because the thing I really wanted it for, a way for guest to have a music source of their choosing without having to tie them in to our main system, the XG9 did phenomenal. The light show was just a nice to have, and while it is just OK, it is still pretty nice, if not as pronounced as you might think it would be.
If you need a boombox to crank out your tunes, you can't go wrong with the XG9. She pumps out the jams and will blast you with the beats!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Are you ready to feel the rush of extreme performance? The Crucial T700 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD offers speeds of up to 12,400MB/s sequential reads and up to 11,800MB/s sequential writes (up to 1,500K IOPS random reads/writes) for faster gaming, video editing, 3D rendering and heavy workload applications. Built with Micron 232-layer TLC NAND and featuring a premium aluminum and nickel-plated copper heatsink that dissipates heat without noisy fans or liquid cooling, the Crucial T700 Gen5 SSD is optimized for performance, takes full advantage of Microsoft DirectStorage, and is backward compatible with Gen3 and Gen4 motherboards. A non-heatsink SKU is also available for use with an integrated motherboard heatsink. With SSD speeds nearly 2x faster than Gen4 in your PC, you’ll never look back from the Crucial T700!
Customer Rating
5
An outstanding upgrade for any PC!
on July 3, 2023
Posted by: Wraith
My gaming tower originally came with just a 512gb SSD and a 1TB spinning drive. Since then, I have added another 1TB SSD but I really don't like using the spinning drive so I was looking to add some more space to hold all my games. In walks the Crucial T700 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD!
What I ended up doing is moving all the games off of the 1TB SSD to the spinning drive and then flashing the operating system over to the now empty 1TB SSD. I pulled the 512GB drive and put the new 'system drive' in its place. Now you may ask why I didn't use the 2TB drive in the main M.2 slot, and that would be because that slot is crammed between the CPU w/liquid cooler, and the top of the video card. Since the T700 comes with it's own heatsink, I didn't want to waste that in such a cramped area with not great airflow.
I then installed the Crucial T700 in the secondary M.2 slot at the bottom of the motherboard and right in the path of the fans from both the video card and the PC. Both M.2 slots are unfortunately only Gen 4x4, so I am not getting the max speed I could get from either of the SSDs but no one is going to see the 12400 MB/s that is claimed on the box of this thing any time in the near future. But that is OK, the capacity of this drive is big enough that I will be using it in my next tower as well. I then moved over the game files from the spinning drive and then pulled it from the tower.
I fired everything up again, with everything in place and I now have 3TB of high speed and super high speed drives available. Everything runs well and I have not had a single hiccup in the week that it has been installed and running. While I wish I could say that I could tell that everything was running a lot faster, I don't think any of my games quite task my system enough yet to see that. I have posted the benchmarks for both my 1TB and the Crucial T700 2TB drives.
I'm definitely going to make sure that the motherboard in my next tower has Gen 5x4 slots so I can see this drive REALLY show its power. As it is, it is a great drive, with a large capacity, and room to continue to stretch its legs in a more powerful system. It's isn't cheap but when has getting the best components for your PC been cheap?
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+3points
4of 5voted this as helpful.
OpenFit continues the Shokz open-ear concept to let users enjoy all-day comfort and hear their own soundtrack while staying open to the world around them. OpenFit offers an ultra-lightweight, open-ear construction to hear both your own audio and every sound around you with crystal clarity. DirectPitch technology produces a full audio experience to immerse yourself in your favorite songs, podcasts, and audiobooks. A flexible ear hook design combines stability and comfort. Moments are precious, and OpenFit gives you the freedom to hear every one of them.
Customer Rating
5
Skeptical at first but now my favorite earphones!
on July 3, 2023
Posted by: Wraith
Let me start out by saying that I've had Shokz headphones before so I thought I knew what I was getting into when I was offered these to do a review prior to launch. Let me say next, that I was unprepared for the Shokz OpenFIT.
Since there was no real info out on these before I received them, I assumed (and you know what happens when you do that), that these were just like the other Shokz headsets that use bone conduction technology but that they were no longer connected by a band, which I thought was cool. When I popped them out of the case and tried to hook them on my ear the way I figured they went, I got extremely frustrated trying to get the main part of the headphone over the bone in front of my ears AND keep them hooked over my ears. You may ask yourself: "Self, why didn't this knucklehead look at the instructions that were included with the OpenFIT headphones?" To which I would reply: "You answered your own question when you called me a knucklehead." I am a red-blooded American tech-bro and instruction manuals are for old people... and it would seem, knuckleheads.
Once I figured out what to do and how to wear the OpenFITs properly, I proceeded to run them through my 'headphone test' playlist that has favorites of every genre that I know like the back of my hand so I can tell if they are 'off'. I was pleasantly surprised with the Shokz OpenFITs. For being an open earphone and not going directly into your ear canal, they did a VERY nice job on virtually everything except for rap and dance songs. While the bass was there, it is virtually impossible for any headset that doesn't seal your ear canal to do real bass any justice, and this goes for earbuds that sit in in the bowl of your ear as well.
Where the OpenFITs really blew me away was with rock and jazz (which are my preferred genres anyway). The first song that made me really sit up and go 'Wow', was 'Riders on the Storm' by The Doors. On a lot of headphones, the opening thunderstorm intro can be muddy and too soft but on the OpenFITs it almost sounded like a thunderstorm was rolling in. They are even good enough to call out the poorly produced songs that I have, which many mainstream earbuds kind of gloss over with a lack of definition themselves.
My absolute favorite thing to listen to on these though will be jazz. Herb Alpert's horn comes through great on the OpenFITs and the flamenco guitar of Ottmar Liebert is bright and crisp. Sitting in my easy chair, these are phenomenal headphones that still allow me to hear what is going on around the house.
That leads me to probably the only thing I DON'T like about the OpenFITs, where you can wear them. You would assume that the open ear for situational awareness and the over ear hooks for stability would make them great for exercise, and they do, IF you exercise inside. If you are going to bike, run, or even just go for a brisk walk, the wind noise will drown out your music. And not just by a little, I mean they will actually create MORE wind noise than normal since they stick out from your ear and deflect air more than your ears already do. That being said, I'm OK with this. I'm now going to relegate my previous set of earbuds made by a certain 'fruit' company to be my workout pair, and the Shokz OpenFITs are now going to be my go-to pair for all my other listening.
Here are a few more details that I liked/didn't like about the OpenFITs:
Like:
1. Great battery life. I charged these up completely on the day I got them and over a week later I STILL have not had to charge the case again despite listening to the OpenFITs for well over their 28 hours of rated life. I just checked and the case is at 30%.
2. The 'Dolphin' ear-hooks. I forgot how much I miss having ear-hooks. ALL of my earbuds prior to the bluetooth revolution all had hooks like these and while earbud makers have done a better job on keeping earbuds in your ear without having to jam them in there, it still won't beat having the ear-hooks.
3. Nice App. Nothing to blow you away, but it is a clean and functional app that allows you to quickly and easily change or set-up EQ profiles. I only wish I could see the details of the 'canned' profiles so I could better judge if I am actually changing anything or if I'm just imagining it.
4. Call Quality. While I don't think calls sound necessarily any better on my end, several people that I talked to on the phone said that I sounded 'Much better' than normal, which would be using the 'pods' from the fruit company. That was actually a big surprise for me.
Don't Like:
1. The 'Wobble'. The only thing I wish the team at Shokz would do, would be to tighten up the play of the earphone on their hooks. There were quite a few times that it would feel like it was falling out of my ear only to swing back in. I have gotten more used to it by now, but it is one of those things that is almost like a reflex when you feel like your earbud is about to fall out. It is just a bit of panic when you are afraid it's going to fall down a sewer drain and be gone forever. I understand though that Shokz needed enough play to accommodate ears of all sizes.
All-in-all, I'm pretty impressed with the Shokz OpenFIT headphones. While not the best for outdoor sports, they are great for pretty much everything else.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The new, redesigned Revolve60 packs enough USB-C power to charge a full-size laptop. Nowadays, most smartphones need up to 30 watts and most laptops require a minimum of 45 watts with Power Delivery (PD). Yet most surge protectors with USB-C offer only 20 watts or less. The new Revolve60 kicks out a full 60 watts of PD-enabled charging through dual USB-C ports. Armed with super conducting Gallium Nitride (GaN), Revolve60 achieves high wattages safely and more efficiently than standard silicon. For added capability, four industry-exclusive rotating outlets help you customize your setup and guard your tech against power surges and spikes.
Customer Rating
5
Another Great Power Device From 360 Electrical!
on June 23, 2023
Posted by: Wraith
This is my third product from the team at 360 and I couldn't be happier with it. My first product from them was a similar power bank but the plugs were on the sides and it was EXACTLY what my wife had asked me to find. She has it on the wall by her sink in the bathroom and it keeps the cords nicely out of the way in a cramped corner, plus it also has USB ports (USB-A on that model), which are great for a few of her personal care items that power/charge via USB (a jewelry cleaner and a trimmer).
The Revolve60 is like the bigger brother to the other unit in that it's a bit more versatile in the plugs it can handle given the front facing plugs and the ability to rotate. It also has updated USB-C outlets that make it exactly what I wanted for our kitchen/living room (we have an open concept house). The Revolve60 is mounted on section of counter between the two 'rooms' where we often set up devices to charge. Now that area is going to be our main charging hub for all of our devices, from phones, to tablets, to laptops, and bluetooth speakers.
I have no bad things to say about the Revolve60, but I will point out one thing that is 'weird' but not really an issue. The picture that Best Buy uses for the Revolve60 and the sticker on the box would seem to indicate that this is model 3E0773 which DOES NOT have the screw in the center that you can use to secure the hub to the wall outlet (a nice feature if you need it). The picture on the box, the markings on the unit, and the actual unit all show/have the center screw. Like I said, this is a feature that is good to have, because if you don't need it or can't use it because of the wall outlet configuration, the screw can be removed. The outlet that I'm using the Revolve60 with does not have a screw configuration that would allow me to use this feature but my lower wall plugs do, so if I ever move it I can then use the securing screw.
If you need an outstanding power hub to charge all of your modern devices, you can't go wrong with the Revolve60.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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As game files get larger and larger, the WD_BLACK C50 Expansion Card for Xbox is the fast and easy way to give your Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S a big capacity boost so you can keep more titles installed. Just plug this officially licensed card directly into the dedicated slot on the back of your Xbox Series X|S console and it’s good to go, no extra software or installation steps needed. The card delivers similar performance as the Xbox internal storage for a seamless experience when you’re installing, loading, playing, and saving your favorite games. Keep your library ready to play and get into the action fast with the WD_BLACK C50 Expansion Card for Xbox.
Posted by: Wraith
This is my second expansion card for my Xbox One Series X. I bought one of the original cards when it launched and now that that one is full, I needed another and being a fan of Western Digital products, this new Xbox expansion card was a no-brainer.
Despite having a Series X, I actually do not own any physical games. All of my games are downloaded either from the Microsoft Store or are a part of the Xbox Game Pass program. Being an old-school PC gamer, I tend to keep my primary drive installations to they system and my most played games, while I use secondary drives for everything else. In this case, I have Star Trek Online, Minecraft, MS Flight Simulator, and No Man's Sky on my main drive. All of the other games are on my original 1TB card and it is now full (it is at 943GB right now). I will be downloading Diablo IV soon and while that one will be on the main drive I will want to move Flight Sim to an external drive and later with some of the recent games that were announced (Starfield WOOT!), Diablo IV will join it on this new drive.
While it may stink that you have to buy cards like this to store your library, I like the fact that you don't take a performance hit by using them and fortunately they have come down in price. The WD-BLACK C50 works perfectly straight out of the box, and is a MUST HAVE for any Xbox, plus I got an additional month of Game Pass Ultimate added to my subscription!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+2points
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The XPS 15 laptop is the perfect balance of power and portability with an unrivaled immersive visual and sound experience. Whether you are streaming, editing photos or creating your next masterpiece, the XPS 15 has the power to move your ideas into reality.
Customer Rating
4
At First Confused But The XPS 15 Is A Solid PC
on June 17, 2023
Posted by: Wraith
When I first received this Dell XPS 15 laptop to review, I was a bit confused as to whom this laptop was gear towards. It has the power and dedicated graphics to be a pretty darn good gaming rig, but then it has just an FHD+ screen, and quite frankly no gaming laptop should ship with anything less than 2K/QHD, especially at this price point. That being said, since it does only have the FHD+ screen and can not be a converted to a tablet nor does it have a touch screen, I didn't see the power as a particular benefit to a creative (photo, video, audio, or animation). All of this was exacerbated early on in my testing by some VERY poor performance and a swamped cooling set-up.
I have since changed my mind and consider this XPS 15 to be a solid 'all-arounder' of a laptop. It does nothing exceptionally (except perhaps Office apps), but everything it does, it does pretty darn well. On top of that, I'm impressed with how Dell has now gone all in on allowing consumers to upgrade/repair their own computers and makes access easy and they even put out a repair manual online. That is a nice consumer-friendly approach that a lot more manufacturers need to adopt.
The biggest thing that changed my mind was how much the laptop improved with just a few rounds of updates. I always try out a computer pre and post updating just because I want to know what is delivered raw vs. tweaked. The performance of the XPS 15 on games and video encoding was mid at best. Now I like to task computers with the game Star Trek Online, not because it is a AAA title, but because it is so poorly optimized and has such cruddy spaghetti code running behind the scenes, that modern computers and graphics cards actually have a harder time running it. Prior to updates I was getting 17-18 fps regularly throughout the game and it sounded like a jet engine was going in my office with the fans in this thing. After all the updates and some tweaking of settings, to include actually upping the resolution and graphics settings, I was regularly getting 40-45 fps. Still not spectacular but actually pretty good for STO!
So that told me that the guts of the XPS 15 are actually pretty darn good as a solid all-around laptop once things are tweaked and updated. The FHD+ screen is also much better than I initially gave it credit for, though I still think that a QHD screen is the bare minimum for this laptop.
Here are some other things I like and don't like about the Dell XPS 15:
Like:
Classic styling: I had a Dell XPS way back in the day when they first started this current design and carbon fiber deck. It was an instant classic then and it is still classic now. Some may actually call this a drawback since they have not really innovated in this area in quite some time, but classic is classic.
Keyboard: The Dell XPS keyboard is tied for my second favorite laptop keyboard with Macs. My number one is still the IBM/Lenovo keyboard but this keyboard is right up there with the best. Types well with minimal mistakes and a great feel.
Trackpad: Huge and responsive. Love this thing. Normally I would pair a mouse with a laptop just for ease of use but I don't need it with such a great trackpad.
SD Card Slot: I appreciate the inclusion of the SD Card slot, though this should be standard on any laptop larger than 13", it is still nice that they actually did it.
Don't Like:
Filthy Out of the Box: This is the second laptop I've received (the other one was not Dell), that was absolutely filthy with dust and debris INSIDE the plastic sleeve the laptop comes in. I had to use some canned air to clear out all the junk. Absolutely weird.
Needs a Dongle: While great that they put the SD Card slot in, I'd rather actually have either an HDMI or USB-A port. Granted, they provide you with a dongle for those two ports, but one or both should just be standard.
Final notes: I read another review on here where the reviewer said that the RTX 4050 in this laptop can not drive an external display. They are wrong. I was able to use my own hub to plug the XPS 15 into my 32" BenQ 4K HDMI 2.1 monitor and was able to crank STO up to the max AND it was utilizing the GPU. I was limited to a refresh rate of 60hz but that was because of my own dongle being limited to than and not the card.
All-in-all the Dell XPS 15 is a solid laptop and if I could give half stars, I would seriously consider giving it 4.5 stars instead of 4. It is not cheap by any standard but it is built well, performs well, and is easily upgradable. If you need a solid computer that handle pretty much anything you throw at it, you could do far worse than the XPS 15 but not much better without spending much more or giving up something else in the trade.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The powerful and compact Zenbook 14" OLED is just 0.66” slim and 3.48lbs light, with a breathtaking new design that’s timelessly elegant yet totally modern. Perfect visual experience from the 14.5” 16:10 2.8K OLED HDR NanoEdge, up to 550-nit screen which is PANTONE Validated with 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. The Intel EVO platform with 13th Gen Intel Core i7 Processor, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 16GB RAM and 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD deliver superb performance, and there’s a long-lasting 90 Wh battery and latest Wifi-6E built-in. For extraordinary audio experience, there’s a Dolby Atmos sound system powered by a smart amplifier with Harman/Kardon certified.
Customer Rating
5
A Beautiful, Svelte, Laptop For A Young Designer
on June 12, 2023
Posted by: Wraith
Upon getting the opportunity to review the Zenbook 14, I wasn't quite sure where it would fit into the realm of laptops, given its specs, price, and form factor. After having used it for several days in a variety of tasks, it would seem that ASUS has built a VERY nice laptop aimed right for a young designer or art student. I came away quite impressed with several features of the Zenbook 14 and very few issues.
Likes:
Beautiful Screen: Easily one of the prettiest screens I've seen on a laptop of any kind. The 2.8K OLED is vibrant and bright where you want it to be and pitch black where you want that too.
Form Factor: The 16:10 ratio is nice for film viewing and editing, and the overall package is light and sleek. Very easy to cart around in a bag or even in your hand.
Software: I've had several ASUS gaming rigs and their Armoury Crate is by far my favorite control software for gaming. It would seem that ASUS has ported that idea over into an art-centric version called ProArt, and it is quite cool in and of itself. It gives you quick and easy access to change hardware settings, do color calibrations, and to manage files. This is probably one of the Zenbook's best features and it doesn't seem to get a lot of hype like it should.
Quiet: I crunch some video and did a bit of graphics editing using the Adobe Suite and the Zenbook stayed as quiet as a mouse and as cool as a cucumber. Ok, it was more like a cucumber that had been left out on the counter, but still.
Capable: The Intel i7 in this thing made short work of the tasks that I threw at it. I'm sure I could have bogged it down with a ton of windows open in Chrome and a video render going in the back while trying to run Crysis, but in real-world applications, the Zenbook purred along without a hitch.
Battery: I did a full charge prior to starting her up and after quite a few hours of use, the Zenbook is showing 73%. I'd say this thing is easily good for a full days work or school, without having to take around the bulky power brick.
Ports: For such a small and sleek laptop, ASUS didn't really skimp on the ports. 1 x USB-A, 2 x USB-C (one to be used for charging of course), HDMI, and a headphone jack. The only thing she is really missing, especially for an 'art' computer is an SD Card reader. I need to dig into the specs and see if the headphone jack can do high impedance headphones. If yes, that would be killer.
Speakers: Despite not having discreet speaker grilles on the keyboard deck, the Zenbook 14 puts out a nice soundscape that can get surprisingly loud without distortion. It did get a bit 'sibilant' at the highest volume, but otherwise the just released story preview for 'Starfield' sounded epic!
Neutral:
Keyboard: Nice and comfortable layout. I put it in the neutral category since I neither love it, nor dislike it. It is a pleasure to type on but the keys are a bit 'thick' to be perfect for me. Still, I haven't had a single 'fat-finger' issue where I couldn't touch type without my usual errors.
Touchpad: Again, nice and responsive. Also, I dig the integrated calculator that lights up (I left the sticker on it so you could see what it looks like even without being activated), but I found a few times that I accidentally activated it with a touch in the upper right corner and then I got funky tracking until I realized that I had done so. I'm probably going to see if there is a way to disable the function because although it is cool (and allows for a compact keyboard), I don't see myself using it all that often.
Lack of Tablet Feature: I thought of putting this in the 'Don't Like' category but I've found that if you aren't almost always using a laptop in its tablet mode, it often times is more of a detriment than a benefit. While having a touch screen, which in this case I don't agree with since that will just muck up your 'canvas', I think that this is geared more towards keyboard and mouse manipulation of your art not via stylus/pen.
Camera: I didn't try out the camera for anything other than just seeing how awful it made me look, but it actually didn't make me look any worse than I already do. That is a feat in and of itself. My home office looked bright and sharp, and I looked just as rumpled as ever. I'm only placing it here in neutral because I didn't really give it a chance to shine/fail with an actual video call.
Don't Like:
Power Brick: If you are going to make a sleek and beautiful laptop, it should have an equally sleek and while maybe not beautiful, but at least nice looking, power brick. ASUS gives you a two part brick with the main brick and USB-C power cord on one hand and then the AC cord on the other. I would much rather see a brick with integrated plug. That way if you are working a bit of a ways away from the outlet you don't have a nice power block ready for someone to kick.
The External Case: I know this is such a minor point but I feel obligated to share it because this is such a pretty laptop; it is a fingerprint magnet. This laptop is designed for designers and something like greasy finger and palm prints is going to be a turn off.
While maybe not the cheapest option out there for a young art/design student or professional, you DO get what you pay for with the Zenbook 14. You get and eminently portable, sleek, and beautiful laptop that delivers top notch performance through a gorgeous screen! The Zenbook 14 is a darn fine laptop.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Play your way with the ROG Ally gaming handheld. Access any game that runs on Windows across all game platforms, including Steam, GOG, Xbox Game Pass, cloud gaming services, Android apps and more. Play anywhere, anytime, using handheld mode or by connecting the Ally to a TV and linking multiple controllers to play with friends. The Ally even transforms into a gaming PC by connecting to ROG XG mobile eGPU and dock - supporting mouse, keyboard, monitor, and more of your favorite peripherals. Equipped with an AMD Ryzen Z1 extreme processor, a smooth 7-inch 1080p 120Hz touchscreen with AMD FreeSync technology, and ROG intelligent cooling, the ROG Ally takes handheld gaming on to a whole different level.
Customer Rating
5
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the ASUS ROG Ally!
on June 10, 2023
Posted by: Wraith
I was watching the ASUS reveal of the ROG Ally about a month ago and immediately put in a pre-order through Best Buy. I have owned the 'Deck' and had actually sold it back at the turn of the year because it just wasn't living up to what I had hoped, mostly because of limitations with Steam and quite a few of my games that ran really wonky. Now, I'm an older gamer and quite a few of the games I like are of the older sort and were not high on the priority list, but with the ASUS ROG Ally being a handheld Windows PC, I knew things should run just fine. I was right and the Ally has been an absolute joy to play.
What I Like:
1. Screen: Gorgeous screen! Even though it is 'only' 1080p, it is sharp and bright with nary a hiccup or motion blur. It is a far superior screen to the 'Deck'.
2. Horsepower: The processor/GPU combo on this thing is impressive! While I might not be trying to run AAA titles at uber resolution, all of the games I have run have run seamlessly. I have a lot more games to add to my library but I have no doubt the Ally will be able to handle it.
3. Keeps its Cool: Despite playing for several hours with the Ally, it has never been hot to the touch, nor has it been ridiculously loud with its fans. The thermals on this thing are top notch.
4. Comfort: Despite being bigger and more angular than the 'Deck', I think I like holding the Ally more. I don't know if it just hits a naturally comfortable posture for me, but it feels like I have an Xbox controller with a nice screen in the middle. The perfect mobile gaming set up.
5. Sound: The Ally can put out some seriously good audio and at a high volume. Now I am mostly using headphones just so I don't disturb my wife, but in my early testing when I was just sitting in my easy chair, it was nice to not have my headphones on and still get good audio.
6. Armory Crate: Still my favorite 'Gaming Management System', and ASUS did a nice job tailoring it for the ROG Ally. I struggled a bit at first with Star Trek Online when I first launched it but that is because I didn't set the game up under the Armory Crate and put it in 'controller mode', which my profile is set up as in the game.
Neutral:
1. OS: It's Windows 11. I know lots of gaming purists have grumbles with 11 but having been old school and trying to get games to work on Windows since Windows 1.0, I can tell you that 11 is a relative breeze.
2. Lighting: I don't really care about having lights on my computers and that extends to the Ally. As soon as I got into the settings I turned the lights off. Saves a bit of juice.
3. Battery Life: It's good, but it IS relatively short. I knew that going in so it's a non-issue for me. The fact that it goes as long as it does, (I've gotten over three hours of play time with my relatively lightweight games) is impressive.
4. The 'Stand': In the box is what looks like a plastic bar with a notch that is for holding your Ally while using it hands-free. What it really is, is a compressed piece of cardboard that does its job but probably not for very long.
Don't Like:
1. Power Brick: This is meant to be a mobile gaming system and yet the brick that the Ally comes with has fixed prongs on the block. That's inviting some damage to the prongs or whatever is holding the brick. The ROG Gaming Charger Dock is a much better brick and worth the upgrade.
2. SD Card Slot: While I appreciate having the Micro SD slot on the Ally, it doesn't do the 'normal' card insertion/removal with the clicky spring to indicate proper insertion and to help eject the card. I wasn't even sure it was set correctly until I got into the system settings. Trying to take it out again required tweezers. No bueno.
3. Touchscreen Edges: There are a lot of user interface buttons that either naturally reside on the sides of a screen or you will put them there to maximize your playable area, and unfortunately the Ally's screen is pretty 'dead' in those few millimeters around the edge. I'm going to try to find a small fine-point stylus to see if that helps at all.
Extras: These don't come with the Ally, but I was able to get them prior to my Ally showing up and I thought I would include them in this review since they are must-haves in my opinion, and if you didn't want my opinion, why are you reading this?
1. ROG Ally Travel Case: The Ally isn't cheap, nor is it indestructible, so do yourself a favor and pick up the case for this beast. I hope another case comes out soon with room to hold the charger, but as it is, I'm just glad I have a case that properly fits the Ally.
2. ROG Gaming Charger Dock: Smaller, foldable prongs, removable cord, and an integrated HDMI/USB-A plugs. Worth it just for the first three benefits, the extra ports make it a must have. Great to be able to output the game to a TV/Monitor when you want. The USB-A port is for a keyboard or other peripheral though I was unable to get my corded controller to work using this port. I need more time to figure out why.
Conclusion: I love this thing and it was exactly what I was hoping it would be. I travel a lot and already have a work computer, so I don't want to lug a gaming laptop as well, but I would like something to help pass the time in the airport, plane, or hotel room. Heck, I like just kicking back in my easy chair and playing my games rather than sitting at my desk. The ROG Ally is a blast and is helping to expand gamers options for PC gaming on the go!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Dyson Outsize delivers Dyson suction power in a larger format. It's engineered with the suction power, run time, size, and tools to deep clean larger spaces. It has a 25% wider cleaner head and a 150% larger bin compared to the Dyson V11. The Dyson Outsize covers more floor with each pass and allows for more cleaning between bin emptying. The de-tangling Digital Motorbar XL cleaner head deep cleans carpets and hard floors and adapts suction power to your floor type. Its versatile cordless format transforms into a handheld vacuum with one click so you can clean up high, down low, and everywhere in between with three cleaning modes for the right power where you need it. Comes with a 2-year warranty and lifetime Dyson support.
Customer Rating
5
Perfect High-Falutin Shop Vac!
on June 10, 2023
Posted by: Wraith
First off, this is a Dyson vacuum, so you know it is a VERY good vacuum. I have three of them of different sorts in my home and have owned quite a few more over the years. What I needed though was a powerful vacuum with a large bin, and a bigger cleaning head. In walks the Dyson - Outsized Cordless Vacuum and I have EXACTLY what I needed.
A friend of mine and I are opening a new business soon (we open in July), and it is a mix of a workspace (for making cheese and other dairy/farm products), and the sales area/cafe. It is also located in a dusty farm environment. My partner and I went round and round about a good vacuum to keep the public areas clean. She wanted to just use a cruddy old shop vac on wheels that she and her husband have had for years, while I argued that we were serving people who were looking for a nicer experience (wine and cheese tasters) and would appreciate seeing a Dyson hanging behind the counter. I won out when I just showed up with this and set it up.
This is really going to be mostly in the shop/cafe/event area which has a few rugs and short pile carpet. The 'kitchen' area is a sealed floor but the Dyson Outsized Cordless is great for all of the areas. I really won out when my partner used the Dyson after tidying up after the contractors had finished for the day, and the clincher came when the foreman came in and said "Look who's all highfalutin with the Dyson!" (hence the title of the review). We are serving an upscale clientele and our business deserves an upscale and powerful vacuum to match.
Beyond being a Dyson and thus, a great vacuum, the outsized vacuum head is a life-saver when trying to clean up even our limited space. We can spend less time cleaning and more time doing stuff that might actually, you know, earn money. While this version may not have the fancy laser or a ton of attachments, it has just exactly what we need for a decent price (for a Dyson that is). I'm a neat freak and if this vacuum had a laser, I would never stop vacuuming because I don't think the dust EVER stops accumulating in this environment! Also, the crevice tool is great for behind the coolers and displays, while the 'hair-screw tool' is perfect for the cushions on the chairs and in the pet parking area that we have just outside of the shop/kitchen.
While this is great for our new small-business I know it would be just as valuable for a house with a lot of carpet that you don't want to spend forever vacuuming. The XL vacuum head will make short work of living/family/bed rooms. The large capacity container will allow you to go longer without having to find a trashcan to dump all the dust and fur you are going to be sucking up with this beast!
If you made it this far, congrats on making it through all that, and now go out and get this Dyson Outsized Cordless Vacuum. It is a great price for a large and powerful vacuum that has the Dyson name and quality. You won't regret it.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Wraith's Review Comments
Make driving routines more enjoyable with this OverDryve car system. Its voice assistant capabilities let you read and send text messages by command and also play music in your car without taking your hands off the wheel. The built-in dash cam of this OverDryve car system lets you record trips and capture every moment on the road.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5No-Brainer If You Want A Great All-In-One System
By Wraith
I wondered about creating a GPS system nowadays with so many people having their smartphones with their own GPS functionality or with most cars coming with some kind of infotainment system, but after using the OverDryve 7 for the last two weeks, I think it is a great system and is a no-brainer for anyone looking to add GPS functionality to their car.
First off, my favorite thing about this device is the mounting bracket. I kid you not. One of the things I always hated about car GPS systems was having to lock it in place and reconnect the power and such. In the process of doing that I would invariably mess with my carefully set up positioning and would have to do it all over again. The Overdryve has an awesome bracket that you keep set up in your car and plugged in to everything and the Overdryve unit itself links via magnets and the connections are made through little contacts on the back. Easy-peasy. On top of that, the basestation also has an additional GPS antenna to improve location accuracy. Now I have rarely had problems with previous GPS devices and but the additional antenna could probably help when you are in the 'canyons' of the city, though I haven't gone downtown to try it yet.
The GPS system is great. While my car has one built in, it acts a bit too much like my mother and won't let me input anything if I am not at a complete stop. My wife can't even do it from the passenger seat because if we are moving at all it completely locks out the GPS controls. I understand why, but it would be nice for some kind of override. With the Overdryve, we don't have to worry about that. She just plucks the device from the mount, types in the destination and clicks it back into place. The guidance voice is kind of grating but so is my wife yelling directions at me from her phone!
I played around with the handsfree and entertainment applications and they are fine, but my car handles that pretty seamlessly, so I don't think I will be using that function of the Overdryve. The voice commands are much more responsive than those for my car system so I will give it that. The other thing I don't have to worry about is the backup camera or tire pressure monitor, because my car already has that, but if your car doesn't, this is a really cool feature. While each of those systems is an add-on, they are both only about $150 each and I guarantee I paid more for that functionality from the auto maker.
As for the Overdryve also being an Android tablet, and can be used off the mount like any other tablet, it is true that it can do so, but it is a little bulky for that and it is an Android tablet with all that entails. Sorry, I have an iPad and I can't really see myself ever using this as just a regular tablet, but perhaps if you forgot yours and you have a fussy kid in the back and want to send it to the back seat to quiet them down, this could be a lifesaver.
Now for my few quibbles with the device. I had a little trouble syncing it to my phone for the first few tries but after I did a phone restart I didn't have a problem and it had maintained the sync no problem, so it could have been my phone and not the Overdryve. My only other problem is the name. Seriously, Overdryve?! I realize that Overdrive was probably taken but I kind of feel like some hipster should be on TV telling me how 'swaggy' this thing is. Every time I have had to type Overdryve into this review, I have had to roll my eyes and they are getting tired.
In summary, if you want a great functioning GPS system, and that is all, this is a phenomenal GPS and it costs about the same as other 7-inch GPS systems. If you need the functionality of an infotainment system, and want the ability to add safety features like a back-up camera and tire pressure monitoring, this is a no-brainer because you get all of that for the price of a basic 7" GPS. On top of all that, you get a fully functional Android tablet! I really can't see why anyone would buy any other standalone car GPS system now that this is out. Even if you don't need the other functions, they are nice to have and Rand McNally has created the best GPS device I have ever used, for the same price as other systems. Seriously, this is the unit to get.
Wraith
Rochester Hills, MI
Dash Cam!
September 25, 2016
I totally forgot about the dash cam function of this. Yet another feature that makes this a no-brainer. I have not had much experience with dash cams but this one works well. Now let's just hope I don't end up on one of those dash cam compilation videos on YouTube!
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Wraith's Questions
Wraith has not submitted any questions.
Revel in immersive audio with this retro-style Ion Boombox Deluxe portable stereo. Dual full-range speakers deliver impressive sound reproduction, while Bluetooth technology, USB playback, an AM FM radio and a built-in cassette player offer vast entertainment options. This Ion Boombox Deluxe portable stereo comes with a long-lasting rechargeable battery for convenience.
What are the dimensions of this product?
16.73"W x 5.9"D x 9.6"H according to the users guide.
4 years, 7 months ago
by
Wraith
Revel in immersive audio with this retro-style Ion Boombox Deluxe portable stereo. Dual full-range speakers deliver impressive sound reproduction, while Bluetooth technology, USB playback, an AM FM radio and a built-in cassette player offer vast entertainment options. This Ion Boombox Deluxe portable stereo comes with a long-lasting rechargeable battery for convenience.
How many watts is this radio ?
Experience legendary performance and sound of ASTRO Audio V2, with the convenience and freedom that comes without wires. The A50 Wireless + Base Station for Xbox One/PC delivers premium acoustics, ergonomics, comfort and durability that gamers demand. The all-new Base Station provides clear, low-latency voice communication, while making headset pairing and charging simple. The ASTRO Command Center software allows Pros and Live streamers to tune every input and output parameter of the A50 precisely for their specific setup. Experience absolute audio immersion with the A50 Wireless + Base Station.
Can it connect to any xbox one even the xbox Scarlett that's coming soon?
It should since its connection to the Xbox is primarily the optical cable which I'm 100% sure Microsoft will have available on the next console as well.
4 years, 9 months ago
by
Wraith
Acer Nitro 5 Laptop: Lose yourself in the absorbing multimedia experience delivered by this Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop. The Intel Core i5 processor ensures a lag-free performance, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card delivers immersive visuals on the 15.6-inch Full HD display. This Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop has 8GB of RAM for seamless multitasking.
Does this support hdmi 1.4
Mine is showing HDMI 2.0b, so should be backwards compatible with 1.4.
4 years, 10 months ago
by
Wraith
Acer Nitro 5 Laptop: Lose yourself in the absorbing multimedia experience delivered by this Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop. The Intel Core i5 processor ensures a lag-free performance, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card delivers immersive visuals on the 15.6-inch Full HD display. This Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop has 8GB of RAM for seamless multitasking.
Does this have the 144 Hz panel?
It does have a nice 144 Hz panel. Even though it is only a regular HD panel, I have to say it looks great.
4 years, 10 months ago
by
Wraith
Take your playlist with you by using these noise-cancelling Sony headphones. Their 40mm drivers with liquid crystal polymer diaphragms fill your ears with booming audio to immerse you in songs, and they're ergonomically designed to provide comfort during extended listening sessions. These Sony headphones have a proprietary noise-cancelling processor, so you can immerse yourself in the music.Industry Leading Noise Cancellation. *As of August 30, 2018. According to research by Sony Corporation measured using JEITA-compliant guidelines. In headband-style of wireless noise-canceling headphones market.
Will these work while on an airplane watching their movies.
If you bring along the cord, then yes, they will work beautifully. They changed the case on the XM3s and it is much easier to bring that cord, the airline adapter (which I haven't used in over a decade), and the charge cable. They all fit nicely between the ear cups.
5 years, 8 months ago
by
Wraith
Take your playlist with you by using these noise-cancelling Sony headphones. Their 40mm drivers with liquid crystal polymer diaphragms fill your ears with booming audio to immerse you in songs, and they're ergonomically designed to provide comfort during extended listening sessions. These Sony headphones have a proprietary noise-cancelling processor, so you can immerse yourself in the music.Industry Leading Noise Cancellation. *As of August 30, 2018. According to research by Sony Corporation measured using JEITA-compliant guidelines. In headband-style of wireless noise-canceling headphones market.
I have the Sony brand, WH-CH700N, which I am very pleased with. Are there any differences between these two models when it comes to the headband or they the same. To me the pictures and the descriptions look the same.
These are better in virtually every single way than the WH-CH700Ns. I've used both and the sound quality, the noise cancelling, and the comfort are better in the XM3, and that is why that cost a bit more. The 700s are really good, the WX3s are the best NC headphones on the market.
5 years, 8 months ago
by
Wraith
Take your playlist with you by using these noise-cancelling Sony headphones. Their 40mm drivers with liquid crystal polymer diaphragms fill your ears with booming audio to immerse you in songs, and they're ergonomically designed to provide comfort during extended listening sessions. These Sony headphones have a proprietary noise-cancelling processor, so you can immerse yourself in the music.Industry Leading Noise Cancellation. *As of August 30, 2018. According to research by Sony Corporation measured using JEITA-compliant guidelines. In headband-style of wireless noise-canceling headphones market.
Can someone tell me about the “California Proposition 65” warning when buying on Amazon?
Darn near everything gets the Proposition 65 warning that states the potential for some chemical that is in the thing can cause cancer... in mice.... at doses no human would ever experience. They want to put a Prop 65 warning on coffee for Pete's sake! Disregard it and enjoy your headphones. Buy them from Best Buy anyway, you are already here.
5 years, 8 months ago
by
Wraith
Take your playlist with you by using these noise-cancelling Sony headphones. Their 40mm drivers with liquid crystal polymer diaphragms fill your ears with booming audio to immerse you in songs, and they're ergonomically designed to provide comfort during extended listening sessions. These Sony headphones have a proprietary noise-cancelling processor, so you can immerse yourself in the music.Industry Leading Noise Cancellation. *As of August 30, 2018. According to research by Sony Corporation measured using JEITA-compliant guidelines. In headband-style of wireless noise-canceling headphones market.
How many watts does the adapter need to be to allow for quick charging?
I don't think it is a matter of wattage, it is just the way the Li-Ion batteries work. They are much easier to fill up when they are empty then they are when they are above 80%. I have an electric car and I can get the first 150 miles on in just a few hours but it takes a lot more time to tack on the final 100. It is almost like you need more pressure to shove in those remaining electrons in all the empty spaces.
5 years, 8 months ago
by
Wraith
Take your playlist with you by using these noise-cancelling Sony headphones. Their 40mm drivers with liquid crystal polymer diaphragms fill your ears with booming audio to immerse you in songs, and they're ergonomically designed to provide comfort during extended listening sessions. These Sony headphones have a proprietary noise-cancelling processor, so you can immerse yourself in the music.Industry Leading Noise Cancellation. *As of August 30, 2018. According to research by Sony Corporation measured using JEITA-compliant guidelines. In headband-style of wireless noise-canceling headphones market.
Are they louder than the xm2?
Not that I have noticed. They can get plenty loud though. I usually have my music player set at about the 40-50% level and then adjust from there with the headphones, and I can blow my eardrums out if I want.
5 years, 8 months ago
by
Wraith