vrs99's stats
- Review count200
- Helpfulness votes1,288
- First reviewOctober 30, 2013
- Last reviewNovember 3, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.6
- Review comment count8
- Helpfulness votes6
- First review commentDecember 29, 2013
- Last review commentJuly 18, 2017
- Featured review comments0
Questions
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- First questionNone
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- Answer count45
- Helpfulness votes47
- First answerDecember 31, 2013
- Last answerJanuary 17, 2022
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- Best answers1
Microwaving has evolved! When it comes to everything you expect in a microwave, nothing compares with the defrosting, cooking, and reheating capability of the new Cyclonic Wave. At every temperature level, Cyclonic Wave circulates heat in precision, ultra-efficient 3D waves for easier, more versatile food preparation, even with denser, more complex food textures. This exceptional microwave also includes patented Inverter Technology. Unlike traditional microwaves that rely on pulse-on, pulse-off power at lower temperatures, Inverter Technology delivers a constant stream of cooking power at every temperature. The result? More evenly cooked meals — edges to centers — every time. Put together, Cyclonic Wave with Inverter Technology provides the fastest, most efficient way to enjoy perfectly prepared snacks, sides, and meals across a broader range of cooking techniques, while also maintaining more of the natural nutrients and flavor you want. It's the ultimate combination by Panasonic!
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
Funny thing happened when we received our new Panasonic microwave oven, my family got excited with the new oven. Never have we given a microwave oven a second thought, this one was obviously innovative and stylish, looks lovely in our kitchen.
This is our second Panasonic Inverter microwave. The previous was the last generation Inverter oven which we have used for well over a year, which is still going strong without any issues. It has performed marvelously, and the quality and durability are top notch.
The new NN-SE985S is built upon the same excellent engineering as the previous unit and packed with new innovations.
Inverter cooking technology compared with older microwave technology:
- The older microwave cooking method is achieved by turning on and off only the high heat which creates hot and cold spots throughout the food. My experience with the older method was that food typically was a bit rubbery and many times overcooked.
- The older microwave cooking method is achieved by turning on and off only the high heat which creates hot and cold spots throughout the food. My experience with the older method was that food typically was a bit rubbery and many times overcooked.
- Inverter ovens cook with a steady stream of power at what ever power setting you select which cooks the food evenly throughout. If you set your power setting to medium, then your unit will not cook at high turning on and off (for instance) but will cook at a continuous 50% of power. It makes a huge difference.
Panasonic has also implemented what they call Cyclonic Wave Technology which “surrounds food with ultra-efficient 3D waves to create a fast, even, and healthy cooking experience” and Turbo Defrost which allows you to defrost and cook your food faster while retaining flavor, texture and nutrients.
One innovation that at first caused a scratching of the head was there is no longer a number keypad, the menu is driven with simple to use timer features and “Picto Labels.” What they call Picto Labels are simply well-designed Icons. After reading and familiarizing myself with the new menu control panel found that the new layout is far superior and smoother in operation.
The innovation list goes on with new features for sensor cooking and an interactive menu screen with step by step cooking instructions.
The unit is 2.2 cubic feet which is considerably larger than out last unit which I believe was 1.6 cubic feet, yet the foot print is not as large as I had imagined. Fits nicely into the same space as our last unit.
If you do purchase the Panasonic, make sure to remove the lovely blue plastic shipping cover. At first glance I thought it was a nice blue hue of stainless steel.
Like the lit control panel for use at night. The one improvement I would have liked to have been included in the design was for the control panel to light up at night by simply touching the panel. To light up the control panel at night you must first open the door.
We cooked our breakfast this morning using the Panasonic and was able to place three large breakfast bowls on the glass tray together and everything came out deliciously.
Big thumbs up. With my experience with the last unit I highly recommend you taking a good look at the Panasonic unit, believe you will be delighted with the new Microwave by Panasonic.
Bon Appetit
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+11points
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Dive right in and do something amazing with your photos. Auto-generated photo and video slideshows and collages are created just for you and delivered upon launch. Get up and running quickly with the new home screen - see what's new since your last version, discover fun things to try, and get inspiring ideas, help, and tutorials. Effortlessly organize, edit, and create thanks to photo and video automation powered by Adobe Sensei AI technology. Try artistic techniques and effects with 73 step-by-step guided edits. Easily make movies in the redesigned Quick Edit mode. And share your favorite memories in everything from fun memes and animated GIFs to printed artwork and full-length movies.
Customer Rating
5
My go to Photo and Video Editor - Good Stuff
on January 12, 2019
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
The new Photoshop Elements 19 is very useful for editing home pictures.
Though, not as powerful as the normal Photoshop it has more than enough features for home use.
The navigating of Photoshop Elements is a little difficult at first but you will get used to it.
Adobe Premiere Elements 19 video editor is like Adobe Premiere 15. Again, like Photoshop, not as many features as the full Adobe Premiere but is great for making home movies.
I use this to make videos for my YouTube channel and Photoshop Elements to make thumbnails and they work fine.
Many will enjoy the products AI driven creations helping you to create your masterpieces of your last vacation or birthday without all the heavy lifting.
Overall, Adobe Premiere and Photoshop Elements 19 are great for home movies and personal photos but if you are looking to do more with your software then I recommend buying the full versions of the software.
Being a user of the full Photoshop professional, I find the lighter versions quite adept working with photos and videos. Bottom-line it is easy to work with and delivers excellent results. They are go to products.
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Only at Best BuyRecord your Ultra HD gameplay with this AVerMedia Live Gamer Portable 2 Plus capture card. It has HDMI 2.0 pass-through for lag-free performance in 4K and 1080p resolutions, and the PC-free mode supports game console and smartphone connections. Include live commentary and party chat recording by connecting a headset to this AVerMedia Live Gamer Portable 2 Plus capture card.
Customer Rating
4
Capable Portable Capture Card
on December 3, 2018
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
The Aver Media Live Gamer Portable 2 Plus capture card is small, lightweight and packed with excellent features in a portable capture card.
There is standard HDMI in and out with 4k pass through at 60 FPS but only 1080p capturing. You have the option to record to PC, Micro SD card, or stream.
The software that comes with the capture card is very laggy and hard to navigate. They say it works with OBS studio, but I couldn’t get it to work.
Had an issue when I first received the capture card bogging my PC down to the point it was unusable. That issue was corrected by bumping the memory from 8 GB to 16 GB.
An impressive portable capture card, but the software could improve.
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The Brother Work Smart Series MFC-J895DW is the ideal print, copy, scan and fax solution for home, home office or small office needs. This wireless color inkjet all-in-one delivers reliable, high-quality output and enables wireless mobile device printing from your desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet. This easy-to-use wireless color inkjet all-in-one delivers affordable printing and has a 2.7" touch screen for effortless workflow navigation. The automatic document feeder, 150-sheet capacity paper tray and bypass tray handle a variety of sizes and specialty papers. Automatic duplex (2-sided) printing helps save paper while the compact design helps save desk space. Cloud connectivity lets you print from and scan to popular Cloud services directly from the printer. There's no network setup needed for Near Field Communications (NFC) one "touch to connect" mobile device printing and scanning. Includes a two-year limited warranty and free online, call, or live chat support for the life of the printer.Prints up to 12 ISO ppm* in black, up to 10 ISO ppm* in color
Customer Rating
3
Nice space saving all-in-one
on November 29, 2018
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
The Brother MFC-J895DW is a nice all-in-one printer with many features.
One thing that stood out when I got this printer was how small it was, a perfect fit in my child’s room and would fit nicely into a tight office/work space.
This printer runs through ink quickly and the cartridges have a standard yield of 200 pages. Prints quick enough, but bars/lines when were evident when printing solid backgrounds at normal setting. Word document type was fine at normal settings, but areas of black background were not solid black.
Features that stand out for me:
150-sheet adjustable paper tray capacity
NFC "touch to connect" print & scan
2.7" Color touchscreen
Sorting function
Mobile connectivity
Wireless 802.11 b/g/n, Ethernet, NFC, Wi Fi Direct, and USB 2.0
NFC "touch to connect" print & scan
2.7" Color touchscreen
Sorting function
Mobile connectivity
Wireless 802.11 b/g/n, Ethernet, NFC, Wi Fi Direct, and USB 2.0
This is a nice compact printer for someone who does not do heavy printing and does not mind changing cartridges often. It is better suited for specific requirements that utilize scanning and faxing frequently that is space efficient.
Build quality is excellent as I have found with past Brother printers that have served me very well.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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+5points
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Game at the speed of light with this HP OMEN sequencer keyboard. Its optical-mechanical switches provide a 0.2ms response time that's perfect for high-speed gaming. Five macro keys offer options for custom commands, and dedicated media keys offer streamlined content control. This HP OMEN sequencer keyboard offers extensive customization through its OMEN Command Center software.
Customer Rating
4
Game on an excellent price
on November 5, 2018
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
The HP Omen Sequencer Gaming Keyboard has great key switches with many different features. This keyboard comes with the Cherry Mx blue switches which offer great tactile feedback with a clicky sound.
Fully-customizable RGB backlighting with 16.8 million RGB colors with the Omen Command Center software. You can personalize your keyboard to your delight.
This keyboard also has 5 programmable macro keys plus media keys. The only downside to this keyboard is that when I game the oversized spacebar gets in my way.
Overall the Hp Omen Sequence is a great keyboard with few drawbacks. The keyboard feedback is not exactly my cup of tea, but many will love the feel.
The keyboard appears to be highly durable and should withstand many years of key pounding Blazing Attacks. Response time is exceptional, optical.
The keyboard is great in midst of heavy gaming.
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Personalize your video game streaming workflow with this Elgato Stream Deck mini interface. Six programmable one-touch LCD keys provide quick access to your favorite apps and functions, and its Multi Actions feature lets you program multiple tasks to a single key. Assign ready-made icons or design your own to further customize this Elgato Stream Deck mini interface.
Customer Rating
4
Solid sleek affordable macro board
on November 5, 2018
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
The Elgato Stream Deck Mini is a very sleek, customizable macro board that can fit in the pocket. Dimensions 2.3” tall by 3.3” in width and has 6 buttons and the ability to create an unlimited number of folders.
Downloading the Elgato Stream Deck software allows you to have ultimate control over your streaming. The software caters toward the online video streamers integrating services like Twitch and Mixer.
Using the Stream Deck, you can send quick chat messages to your stream, see how many viewers you have, open programs, and much more. Setup the Stream Deck with three profiles; one each for multimedia, gaming, and streaming.
The Stream Deck Mini is 50 dollars less than the full one and has 9 less keys. The Mini is good for a small desk or someone who streams on the go. You might want to invest in the full version if you want to make a living streaming.
Overall this is a very good sleek affordable macro board.
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Step up your game with this Logitech HERO Core wired gaming mouse.Customize RGB lighting to match your style and environment or sync to other Logitech G products. G502 High Performance Gaming Mouse features Logitech HERO 25K optical sensor for maximum tracking accuracy and precision. No matter your gaming style, it’s easyto tweak G502 to match your requirements, with custom profiles for your games, adjustable sensitivity from 200 up to 25,600 DPI, and tunable weight system that allows for tuning and balancing of up to five additional weights for just the right balance andfeel.
Customer Rating
5
A worthy predecessor to the G502 Spectrum
on October 24, 2018
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
Is the Logitech G502 Hero a worthy predecessor to the older G502 Spectrum?
Not much difference on the outside of the G502 Hero than with its predecessor, the G502 Spectrum. Smart, if the design works there is no need for a re-engineering of the style.
The new G502 has the new HERO optical sensor. The Hero sensor now goes down to 100 dpi and up to 16000 dpi; compared to the old Spectrum’s 200 and 12000 dpi maximums. Nice if you are gamer and require spot on control in the heat of the game.
The new HERO tracker will additionally now track on glass, you can certainly skip the mousepad.
New braided cable is thinner which is a welcome change as it keeps the cable from binding up, which is an issue with the G502 Spectrum. It also comes with 5, 3.6-gram weights to customize the mouse to your own preference.
Highly recommend the G502 Hero over its predecessor the G502 Spectrum, price point is the same and tracks more accurately on more surfaces than the Spectrum.
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Dive into your favorite games with this Alienware wireless gaming headset. A noise-cancelling microphone keeps your voice clear as you call out commands to teammates, and 7.1 virtual surround sound enhances the audio quality so you never miss a whisper. Featuring two custom lighting zones and 6.8 million colors, this Alienware wireless gaming headset lets you create a custom look that accents your signature gaming style.
Customer Rating
5
Headphones built for the Win! Excellent for Music.
on September 22, 2018
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
Have tested several high-end gaming headphones before and after using the Alienware for a couple weeks find that none of the previous headsets are of the caliper of this new Alienware Gaming Headset.
The Headphones are striking in their design, have never looked at a headphone set before and thought, wow they look cool, these do.
Most comfortable headset I have ever had on my head with unique designed ear-pads, kudos on ear-pad design! One seemingly small item which I “really” like is that within the ear-pads the letters “L” and “R” are imprinted in large font type. Have many times spent too long looking for a tiny little raised letter designating which ear it should be worn over. Additionally, they are extremely light.
These headphones deliver a rich 7.1 surround sound experience great for gaming and listening to music.
Our “professional in-home gamer” was convinced that the wireless connection would lag, he was incorrect in this matter. He never uses the wire and tells me there is absolutely no noticeable latency lag. My recommendation on this is that he does not go for slow stuff, and as they say the proof is in the pudding.
In addition to the Wi-Fi connection your options included USB and audio jack cables.
With up to 18 hours of playtime you can game wirelessly without limits.
Downloading the free Alienware Headset Center allows you to tune everything exactly the way you want for a customized gaming experience. The RGB is fully customizable within the software and allows you to get markers on your screen depending on where the most noise is coming from. Basically, wall hacks.
The Alienware Gaming Headset has received a resounding FIVE STAR Rating from the in-house gamer. Now if he would just let me use them occasionally!
Overall the Alienware Gaming Headphones provide an Amazing Gaming and Music listening experience and I easily give it a Five Star Rating and highly recommend them
Game on.
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+8points
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Take music wherever you go with this Marshall Kilburn II Bluetooth speaker. It produces clear midrange sound with deep, powerful bass, and it provides 20 hours of playtime on a single charge, so you can listen to playlists all day. This Marshall Kilburn II Bluetooth speaker has a solid metal grille for durability.
Customer Rating
5
Classic Marshall - Legendary Sound
on August 31, 2018
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
Vintage Marshall Rock ‘n Roll in a five-and-a-half-pound Box of Tunes.
Unplugged, Amped Road Tunes from the Company that made it possible to get Stadium-Filling, high gain crunch we now associate with rock. Legendary Marshall Amplifiers.
Have no data but believe there must be generous magnets on the back of the speakers. Which in my opinion is where all good hard-hitting clear sounds originate.
My impression, wow. When I unpacked the speaker noticed first the quality, the textures of the material, the analogue knobs and the superb engineering.
Sync to phone was immediate.
Started running the speaker through different genres starting with Jazz and heading through to some earlier 80’s Rock, at first was not jazzed by the complete sound. Detecting some tinny high notes. Bass and Midrange was spot on, started fiddling with the Analogue Bass and Treble knobs.
Hours later I am sitting here loving this speaker.
One surprise was how well the sound carried from my living room and through my kitchen. The sound across the two room was rich and full, impressed.
Having Bass and Treble control is a Huge plus in my book. And they are smoking hot real analogue knobs including the volume, not some small plastic push buttons. The knobs look and feel great, Old School Rings the Bell.
Battery appears to last forever. When I first got my hands on the speaker I spent the rest of the day listening to music well into the later evening. There are ten red bars on the top indicating battery charge. Four days later after I had played music all afternoon and evening there are still seven bars of charge!
The box is obviously very rugged and built to travel and resist moisture. Fits quite nicely about the house as well with its distinctive design.
The Retro Vintage Marshall Amp look is worth the price of admission, the box is stunning. You need only glance at the box to see that this is top shelve Legacy Engineering.
Jazz, Rock, & Classic are all crystal clear, delivering well-balanced Highs, Midrange and Bass which are Rich and Full. Crank it up for an experience in the legendary loud of Marshall.
If you want a Great Looking Bluetooth receiver that delivers exceptionally wonderful music, if you love music, then you need to have a look at the Marshall Kilburn II. You will be glad you did.
Bottom-line – Love this Music Box with a Blast from the Past!
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+10points
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Enjoy room-filling audio in any living space with this LG Hi-Fi shelf system. Its two 150W speakers produce loud, detailed sound, and it streams music via Bluetooth when you pair it with an Android device. This LG Hi-Fi shelf system has an EQ function that optimizes the audio based on the music you're listening to.
Customer Rating
3
Bass to Spare & 300 Watts at Very Reasonable Price
on August 20, 2018
Posted by: vrs99
The Ck43 Hi-Fi Shelf system pumps out amazing bass, enough to please the whole party, for a reasonable price.
System has plenty of options for connecting with your music with Bluetooth, CD, Dual USB, LG TV Sync, Aux, and FM Radio integration. Impressive.
You have control over the music with an Auto DJ, USB Recording, LG Sound Sync, Music Flow Bluetooth, and a Digital Equalizer.
Tested the Bass on the Ck43 and compared it to a high-end Bluetooth system and the Ck43 went down to 20hz while the other system’s bass bottomed out at 45Hz. If you like Bass, you will find this unit delivers.
Was looking forward to the ability to pair with my LG TV via LG Sound Sync/Bluetooth and use the system as a sound bar replacement. The good, the system easily pairs up, but the sound is not what I was looking for with my TV. Keep in mind that sound is very subjective.
What is really pleasing was that between the LG TV, the CK43 and my Direct TV there are three controllers and you only needed one controller to rule the system. Very nice to use the Direct TV controller to control the volume of the sound system and the first time have ever had that control. Kudos to LG!
Treble is not hitting the high notes for me and has no direct way to adjust other than choosing from various pre-sets. The back of the speakers is unfinished pressboard, not aesthetically pleasing.
If you are looking for a Rockin’ Bass kicking machine at a very reasonable price the Ck43 Hi-Fi Shelf System may very well fit your needs and double as a decent LG synced TV sound system.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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vrs99's Review Comments
p>HP Split 13-g110dx Convertible 2-in-1 Laptop: With the power of a laptop as well as the portability of a tablet, this split convertible HD touch-screen laptop provides the best of both worlds to work or play wherever you go.Learn more about the New Windows ›
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 5Good value with limitation
By CSatTX
from Houston, TX
I am writing this review using the Split X2. Bought it on Black Friday. This is a tablet and a laptop combined. With a i5 CPU, 13 inch screen, and the price, this is a very good value. For a laptop, the weight (4.4 lbs) is OK, not great.
The only con on this item is it is non-expandable. First, the memory is only 4GB and soldered. It cannot go to 8GB. Second, there is supposed to be a HD space in the keyboard unit like the other X2 models. For some reason this particular model does not have that feature.
So if you can live with 4GB memory and 128GB SSD, this is an excellent machine. I am running Lightroom and MS Office on this machine and performance could have been better.
vrs99
Drive expansion
December 29, 2013
The X2 does accept a 500GB drive in the keyboard.
0points
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p>HP Split 13-g110dx Convertible 2-in-1 Laptop: With the power of a laptop as well as the portability of a tablet, this split convertible HD touch-screen laptop provides the best of both worlds to work or play wherever you go.Learn more about the New Windows ›
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 54 convience of tablet and power of a real computer
By nearlynormal
from springfield, IL
4 out of 5. Works as advertised. The screen works as a nice sized tablet. It could certainly use aUSB port onthe screen. If you aren't carrying the keyboard and want to show some photos from a flash drive you're out of luck.
vrs99
TN
Adding flash storage
December 31, 2013
It is true the tablet does not have a USB port to throw some pictures into. But you can insert a micro SDHC card into the top/tablet. You can currently get 64 GB Micro SDHC card class 10 which will fit nicely and increase the tablets storage by 50%.
Personally I store almost 11,000 high resolution picture files which requires 29 GB of storage. So I am guessing that 64 GB would suit the average user.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
Utilizing 4 high-performance antennas and power amplifiers, this Linksys Smart Wi-Fi WRT1900AC dual-band Wireless-AC router offers optimal wireless strength and signal coverage, so you can easily connect devices throughout your home or office.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Rock Solid
By vrs99
from TN
Replaced my Linksys EA 6700 router with the WRT1900ac on my home network. The EA 6700 is a good router but it is not in the same class as the WRT1900ac.
The signal is outstanding, solid and fast throughout the whole house and outside too boot.
Setup is smooth and easy, especially if you are familiar with latest versions of the Linksys software. The router has plenty of features and added a few more since the last router versions.
Has the best Network Map I have seen, informative and quickly shows where your bandwidth is being used.
If you need/want a powerful router that is flexible and expandable (according to Linksys) in the future take a hard look at the WRT1900ac.
vrs99
TN
Plan on using eSATA? MUST READ - be Forewarned
September 3, 2014
One of my main decisions in purchasing the WRT1900ac was to attach my NetGear NAS on the eSATA port for easier access across my network.
No such luck.
Spent time with Linksys tech and neither my eSATA NAS from NetGear nor my external eSATA drive will work with the WRT1900ac.
Linksys does have a compatibility chart - somewhere - but not in their spec listings of what works with their router.
If you want to use eSATA do your homework and see if your device is compatible.
Tough Luck if your device is not on the list.
0points
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Upgrade your laptop's storage with this Samsung 850 PRO MZ-7KE512BW internal SATA III solid state drive, which offers a generous 512GB capacity for digital data. SED (Self-Encrypting Drive) technology controls access to private information.
Overall
1 out of 5
1 out of 5Crashed and Burned after 44 Days - Good Luck
By vrs99
Fast SSD - and Extra Fast to Crash in just 44 days. Of course it was on a Friday evening and cannot speak to Samsung until Monday. Cannot Chat with them as they do not offer Chat for SSD's.
Luckily it crashed two weeks after the 30 day return period to Best Buy. Guess it is a good thing they offer 10 year warranty? But have heard they will return a refurbished unit, which will not be good on 44 day old product. Must be living on the bleeding edge, should have stuck with the Toshiba, which I can't see a real life difference in speed.
vrs99
TN
After a Day of Wrestling with the SSD
July 11, 2015
After pulling every rabbit out of my hat I finally got the SSD going again. Have to completely reload OS, etc. starting at Windows 8. Not fun.
But I am "somewhat" happy that I was able to get the drive working. Not sure what happen to the drive, but have some suspicion of a setting in Magician (software system for the 850 Pro) which boosts speed?
+2points
2of 2voted this comment as helpful.
Only at Best BuyUpdate your portable technology kit with this HP Omen 17-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine combines a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor with 12GB of DDR4 RAM for ultra-fast performance on the go. An island-style backlit keyboard equipped with dedicated macro keys makes this HP Omen 17-inch laptop easy to use in the dark.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Hp omen gaming laptop
By Martinezjorge7
I recently bought the 16 omen laptop and I was able to return mine and be able to upgrade the the newest one it has a better graphic card and an new design with a better cooling vent with a 1 tb hard drive
vrs99
TN
NO DVD
July 12, 2017
There is no DVD built, you would have to use external.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
HP OMEN by HP Laptop: Power through the virtual landscape with this versatile HP Omen 15-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine packs a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX video card for superior graphics performance. The 1TB hard drive inside this HP Omen 15-inch laptop provides plenty for space for gaming profiles and other multimedia files.
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 5Excellent laptop, but not the best value
By Xephyroth
from Colorado Springs, CO
This HP Omen is the 3rd gaming laptop I've ever owned, and it's undoubtedly the best one I've had the pleasure of using. However, this product isn't perfect out of the box.
FIRST IMPRESSION / UNBOXING:
Out of the box, the first thing that I noticed is that this laptop has impressive build quality. The sand-blasted brushing brings a pleasant aesthetic while also bringing solid weight and durability. It's not incredibly flashy, so it doesn't scream "gamer" like a lot of other laptops, but it definitely brings a touch of the "gamer" aesthetic without being overzealous. The notebook is also much thinner than I expected, as I've been used to much thicker gaming laptops, but I suppose the lack of an optical drive attributes to that. The power brick is fairly small and compact for a machine that's capable of entry/mid-level gaming.
Out of the box, the first thing that I noticed is that this laptop has impressive build quality. The sand-blasted brushing brings a pleasant aesthetic while also bringing solid weight and durability. It's not incredibly flashy, so it doesn't scream "gamer" like a lot of other laptops, but it definitely brings a touch of the "gamer" aesthetic without being overzealous. The notebook is also much thinner than I expected, as I've been used to much thicker gaming laptops, but I suppose the lack of an optical drive attributes to that. The power brick is fairly small and compact for a machine that's capable of entry/mid-level gaming.
DISPLAY:
Turning the display on, the 1080p IPS matte display is nice and bright, and viewing angles are decent without too much color shifting. Bezels aren't too large, and it's not something I noticed until just now while writing this review. While I'm used to Quad-HD and 4K resolutions, I was not displeased with this display in any fashion. The webcam is above the display and can record at 720p/30fps. Not the best, but not the worst webcam I've seen.
Turning the display on, the 1080p IPS matte display is nice and bright, and viewing angles are decent without too much color shifting. Bezels aren't too large, and it's not something I noticed until just now while writing this review. While I'm used to Quad-HD and 4K resolutions, I was not displeased with this display in any fashion. The webcam is above the display and can record at 720p/30fps. Not the best, but not the worst webcam I've seen.
KEYBOARD:
Typing on the keyboard is pleasant with the chiclet-style keys. It didn't take me too long to get used to the keyboard, having come from mechanical keyboards and MacBook Pro keyboards. The addition of the num-pad is certainly nice, as well. The keyboard is backlit red (as you'd expect with the Omen), but settings are very simplistic compared to other gaming laptops. The backlighting has 3 states: fully on, WASD on, or fully off. No, there are no fancy effects, and I wouldn't expect any at this price. I do find it a little bit surprising that you can't dim the backlighting, but I rarely dim the backlight on my keyboards, anyway, so it'd be a useless feature for me.
Typing on the keyboard is pleasant with the chiclet-style keys. It didn't take me too long to get used to the keyboard, having come from mechanical keyboards and MacBook Pro keyboards. The addition of the num-pad is certainly nice, as well. The keyboard is backlit red (as you'd expect with the Omen), but settings are very simplistic compared to other gaming laptops. The backlighting has 3 states: fully on, WASD on, or fully off. No, there are no fancy effects, and I wouldn't expect any at this price. I do find it a little bit surprising that you can't dim the backlighting, but I rarely dim the backlight on my keyboards, anyway, so it'd be a useless feature for me.
TRACKPAD:
Out of the box, the trackpad sensitivity was incredibly low for my personal taste. After making some adjustments to the Touchpad Settings in Windows 10, I found a sensitivity that worked well for me. The touchpad does not physically click, but there are left/right trackpad buttons. Initially, I did find the buttons to be awkwardly placed, but I actually got used to them fairly quickly. While the touchpad isn't the best I've ever used, it is pretty good, in my opinion. 2 and 3 finger gestures work, as well.
Out of the box, the trackpad sensitivity was incredibly low for my personal taste. After making some adjustments to the Touchpad Settings in Windows 10, I found a sensitivity that worked well for me. The touchpad does not physically click, but there are left/right trackpad buttons. Initially, I did find the buttons to be awkwardly placed, but I actually got used to them fairly quickly. While the touchpad isn't the best I've ever used, it is pretty good, in my opinion. 2 and 3 finger gestures work, as well.
SOUND:
The Bang & Olufsen speakers surprised me. They have good volume and a pleasant sound signature. However, they're bottom-firing, so when you put the laptop on your lap, the frequencies dampen and you lose a bit of treble/mid-range impact. Keep in mind, this is with the "B & O Play Experience" toggled on from the "Omen Audio" application. You'll definitely want to leave that on if you're using the speakers, or else the bass will disappear and will sound really anemic. I did notice some clipping at max volume when bass-heavy music was involved. Headphone jack works well as you'd expect, but doesn't promise anything fancy, so don't bother trying to drive headphones with high impedance. The built-in microphone array is good for video/voice chat session, but don't expect it to compete with a USB desktop microphone in terms of sound quality. For all casual purposes, it does just fine.
The Bang & Olufsen speakers surprised me. They have good volume and a pleasant sound signature. However, they're bottom-firing, so when you put the laptop on your lap, the frequencies dampen and you lose a bit of treble/mid-range impact. Keep in mind, this is with the "B & O Play Experience" toggled on from the "Omen Audio" application. You'll definitely want to leave that on if you're using the speakers, or else the bass will disappear and will sound really anemic. I did notice some clipping at max volume when bass-heavy music was involved. Headphone jack works well as you'd expect, but doesn't promise anything fancy, so don't bother trying to drive headphones with high impedance. The built-in microphone array is good for video/voice chat session, but don't expect it to compete with a USB desktop microphone in terms of sound quality. For all casual purposes, it does just fine.
PERFORMANCE:
This laptop comes with a 4-core / 8-thread Intel Core i7 processor. For most basic tasks, this is actually overkill. But for gamers, this is great, as more games are utilizing more threads. The GTX 1050 can play any older game at very high settings, and can still play many modern titles at medium / high settings at 1080p. 8GB of RAM is enough for most people, but individuals who multi-task with a lot of resource-intensive chrome tabs and extensions may find themselves wanting more. While the 1TB hard drive is rated for 7200RPM, I still find it unacceptable to not have the operating system installed on a Solid State Drive (SSD) for a machine at this price point. You will not be unlocking the full potential of this machine while your OS runs on a slow drive like this. Thankfully, the upgrade process is fairly simple. After consulting the service manual found on HP's support website, I unscrewed the 10 screws from the bottom of the laptop and removed the bottom panel by starting with the side closest to the display hinge. From there, you'll have access to the SATA drive bay, the M.2 SSD slot (unoccupied, but does support NVMe drives), and 2 RAM slots (with only 1 occupied). I suspect that each RAM slot supports up to 8GB, but I could not find any confirmation in any of the documents available on HP's support website.
This laptop comes with a 4-core / 8-thread Intel Core i7 processor. For most basic tasks, this is actually overkill. But for gamers, this is great, as more games are utilizing more threads. The GTX 1050 can play any older game at very high settings, and can still play many modern titles at medium / high settings at 1080p. 8GB of RAM is enough for most people, but individuals who multi-task with a lot of resource-intensive chrome tabs and extensions may find themselves wanting more. While the 1TB hard drive is rated for 7200RPM, I still find it unacceptable to not have the operating system installed on a Solid State Drive (SSD) for a machine at this price point. You will not be unlocking the full potential of this machine while your OS runs on a slow drive like this. Thankfully, the upgrade process is fairly simple. After consulting the service manual found on HP's support website, I unscrewed the 10 screws from the bottom of the laptop and removed the bottom panel by starting with the side closest to the display hinge. From there, you'll have access to the SATA drive bay, the M.2 SSD slot (unoccupied, but does support NVMe drives), and 2 RAM slots (with only 1 occupied). I suspect that each RAM slot supports up to 8GB, but I could not find any confirmation in any of the documents available on HP's support website.
I happened to have an unused SATA-based SSD, so I swapped that with the 1TB HDD and used the software that came with my SSD to transfer the OS from the HDD to the SSD. After this process, my HP Omen was substantially faster with booting the OS and running applications—a night & day difference.
BATTERY:
I haven't tested the battery life to an enormous extent, but enabling a battery estimation feature in the BIOS allows Windows 10 to report the estimated time (not just %) on battery. Depending on your brightness, power profile and workload, HP estimates 9 hours of mixed usage, and almost 7 hours of video playback. So far, I think that claim is accurate.
I haven't tested the battery life to an enormous extent, but enabling a battery estimation feature in the BIOS allows Windows 10 to report the estimated time (not just %) on battery. Depending on your brightness, power profile and workload, HP estimates 9 hours of mixed usage, and almost 7 hours of video playback. So far, I think that claim is accurate.
I/O:
The HP Omen doesn't support Thunderbolt 3, but all the USB ports support USB 3.1 (1 Type-C, 3 Type-A. There's also a gigabit ethernet jack, HDMI (HDCP 2.2, 4k@60Hz), and Mini DisplayPort. It also supports a full-size SD card which can be fully inserted into the laptop without sticking out. As mentioned before, it also sports a headphone and microphone jack.
The HP Omen doesn't support Thunderbolt 3, but all the USB ports support USB 3.1 (1 Type-C, 3 Type-A. There's also a gigabit ethernet jack, HDMI (HDCP 2.2, 4k@60Hz), and Mini DisplayPort. It also supports a full-size SD card which can be fully inserted into the laptop without sticking out. As mentioned before, it also sports a headphone and microphone jack.
CONCLUSION:
The HP Omen is a great laptop. It provides great features while also having room for a few upgrade. However, I do feel that an SSD should be included at this price—even a cheaper SATA-based M.2 or 2.5" drive would be fine. For a performance-oriented machine like this, skimping on the SSD is a poor decision on HP's part—especially at this price-point. I have seen competitor's laptops with the i7-7700HQ, GTX 1060, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD go on sale for cheaper. So in that regard, I do feel the HP Omen isn't providing as good a value, but it is objectively a good laptop—perhaps, just not as good a value when compared to other options around the same price.
The HP Omen is a great laptop. It provides great features while also having room for a few upgrade. However, I do feel that an SSD should be included at this price—even a cheaper SATA-based M.2 or 2.5" drive would be fine. For a performance-oriented machine like this, skimping on the SSD is a poor decision on HP's part—especially at this price-point. I have seen competitor's laptops with the i7-7700HQ, GTX 1060, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD go on sale for cheaper. So in that regard, I do feel the HP Omen isn't providing as good a value, but it is objectively a good laptop—perhaps, just not as good a value when compared to other options around the same price.
vrs99
TN
Support Manual web site?
July 14, 2017
Do you have the link to the HP Support Site that has the Support Manual?
Have been looking and must be in the wrong place - Thanks
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
HP OMEN by HP Laptop: Power through the virtual landscape with this versatile HP Omen 15-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine packs a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX video card for superior graphics performance. The 1TB hard drive inside this HP Omen 15-inch laptop provides plenty for space for gaming profiles and other multimedia files.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Zoom Zoom Zoom – Game On
By vrs99
from TN
This machine looks like it is going fast sitting on the desktop. The exhaust system vents on the back edges of the laptop brings to mind the tailpipes a supercar might be sporting. When it is cranking through benchmarking the cooling system and exhaust ports are doing a job, pushing volumes of hot air away from the machine.
The HP Omen is the most bang for the buck that I have ever seen in a laptop, this box is loaded with edgy technology. Not going through a list of specs, those are easy enough to find, what is impressive is that all techs are up to date, not last year’s stuff. Too many times have seen corners cut to save a dollar. Not here. Not one USB 2.0 in sight, which is surprising seeing that we just built beast of a desktop a month ago with the latest Z270 Kaby Lake i7 7700K, USB 2.0 ports still in use on an advanced motherboard. Kudos to HP.
Take a close look at the specs, you will find 802.11ac with a solid 866.7 Mbps connection. “Dual Force functionality splits traffic across two data streams, sending gaming traffic over the fastest connection available (typically wired), and all other traffic over WiFi.”
Other ports of interest (not a complete listing check the spec sheet):
1 USB 3.1 Type C
3 USB 3.1
Mini DisplayPort
3 USB 3.1
Mini DisplayPort
What I love is the fact you can purchase a HDD Omen model and then add your M.2 NVMe drive of choice, that is cool. If you are not yet familiar with M.2 NVMe you should take a look. In a word (or more) they are fast, about seven times that of a standard SSD.
What is interesting is that with the HDD the system boots up in 9 seconds, that is fully populated with my programs/anti-virus and all my files. Impressive. Being spoiled by SSD’s I must tip my hat to HP; this machine runs tremendously smooth with the 7200 RPM Hitachi HDD.
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 (4 GB GDDR5 dedicated memory) discrete GPU ran through the Unigine Heaven Benchmark smoothly turning good numbers while the cooling system kept the GPU at a respectable 68 degrees. Notable, that with all the heavy iron under the hood the system manages the temp easily.
Ran my favorite game, Civilization VI through its paces today set on the highest graphic settings and it ran like a champ.
Looks, it has the looks, brushed aluminum case with an excellent finish. Nice touches all-around.
Know it is a way cool machine as my kid, the gamer in the house is explaining all the great and subtle reasons why it would be better for him to hang onto the machine. Yeah right!
What I am getting use to is the keyboard offset, a bit to the left to make room for the full size numeric pad, which is a nice touch. Keyboard is fine and well suited for heavy accurate work, or gaming for that matter.
Want a blistering rig in your hands at an excellent price point, one that can kick it at games and can be easily expanded, check out The Omen.
vrs99
TN
Maintenance and Service - Upgrade Manual
July 15, 2017
If you purchase the Omen and wish to upgrade memory or add M.2 SSD you can find the manual here:
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c05533785
+3points
3of 3voted this comment as helpful.
HP OMEN by HP Laptop: Power through the virtual landscape with this versatile HP Omen 15-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine packs a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX video card for superior graphics performance. The 1TB hard drive inside this HP Omen 15-inch laptop provides plenty for space for gaming profiles and other multimedia files.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Zoom Zoom Zoom – Game On
By vrs99
from TN
This machine looks like it is going fast sitting on the desktop. The exhaust system vents on the back edges of the laptop brings to mind the tailpipes a supercar might be sporting. When it is cranking through benchmarking the cooling system and exhaust ports are doing a job, pushing volumes of hot air away from the machine.
The HP Omen is the most bang for the buck that I have ever seen in a laptop, this box is loaded with edgy technology. Not going through a list of specs, those are easy enough to find, what is impressive is that all techs are up to date, not last year’s stuff. Too many times have seen corners cut to save a dollar. Not here. Not one USB 2.0 in sight, which is surprising seeing that we just built beast of a desktop a month ago with the latest Z270 Kaby Lake i7 7700K, USB 2.0 ports still in use on an advanced motherboard. Kudos to HP.
Take a close look at the specs, you will find 802.11ac with a solid 866.7 Mbps connection. “Dual Force functionality splits traffic across two data streams, sending gaming traffic over the fastest connection available (typically wired), and all other traffic over WiFi.”
Other ports of interest (not a complete listing check the spec sheet):
1 USB 3.1 Type C
3 USB 3.1
Mini DisplayPort
3 USB 3.1
Mini DisplayPort
What I love is the fact you can purchase a HDD Omen model and then add your M.2 NVMe drive of choice, that is cool. If you are not yet familiar with M.2 NVMe you should take a look. In a word (or more) they are fast, about seven times that of a standard SSD.
What is interesting is that with the HDD the system boots up in 9 seconds, that is fully populated with my programs/anti-virus and all my files. Impressive. Being spoiled by SSD’s I must tip my hat to HP; this machine runs tremendously smooth with the 7200 RPM Hitachi HDD.
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 (4 GB GDDR5 dedicated memory) discrete GPU ran through the Unigine Heaven Benchmark smoothly turning good numbers while the cooling system kept the GPU at a respectable 68 degrees. Notable, that with all the heavy iron under the hood the system manages the temp easily.
Ran my favorite game, Civilization VI through its paces today set on the highest graphic settings and it ran like a champ.
Looks, it has the looks, brushed aluminum case with an excellent finish. Nice touches all-around.
Know it is a way cool machine as my kid, the gamer in the house is explaining all the great and subtle reasons why it would be better for him to hang onto the machine. Yeah right!
What I am getting use to is the keyboard offset, a bit to the left to make room for the full size numeric pad, which is a nice touch. Keyboard is fine and well suited for heavy accurate work, or gaming for that matter.
Want a blistering rig in your hands at an excellent price point, one that can kick it at games and can be easily expanded, check out The Omen.
vrs99
TN
Adding M.2 SSD
July 18, 2017
Added a M.2 SSD to the Omen and nuked all the partitions on the HDD and added it back to the system. Day and Night performance. That is one aspect I like about this model is that it does not come with an installed M.2 drive, you can pick your own SSD ads capacity.
Screams with the new M.2 and have an additionally terabyte of storage on the HDD, whcih I use to sync my files to frequently before syncing with the NAS.
Great machine.
+1point
1of 1voted this comment as helpful.
vrs99's Questions
vrs99 has not submitted any questions.
Only at Best BuyUpdate your portable technology kit with this HP Omen 17-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine combines a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor with 12GB of DDR4 RAM for ultra-fast performance on the go. An island-style backlit keyboard equipped with dedicated macro keys makes this HP Omen 17-inch laptop easy to use in the dark.
Is this laptop too heavy for college or university students?
Here is the link to the spec sheet - will answer many of your questions.
http://www8.hp.com/us/en/images/OMEN_Laptop_17_an013dx_tcm245_2468782_tcm245_2469233_tcm245-2468782.pdf
http://www8.hp.com/us/en/images/OMEN_Laptop_17_an013dx_tcm245_2468782_tcm245_2469233_tcm245-2468782.pdf
7 years, 4 months ago
by
vrs99
Only at Best BuyUpdate your portable technology kit with this HP Omen 17-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine combines a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor with 12GB of DDR4 RAM for ultra-fast performance on the go. An island-style backlit keyboard equipped with dedicated macro keys makes this HP Omen 17-inch laptop easy to use in the dark.
Is this laptop VR ready?
Here is the link to the spec sheet - will answer many of your questions.
http://www8.hp.com/us/en/images/OMEN_Laptop_17_an013dx_tcm245_2468782_tcm245_2469233_tcm245-2468782.pdf
http://www8.hp.com/us/en/images/OMEN_Laptop_17_an013dx_tcm245_2468782_tcm245_2469233_tcm245-2468782.pdf
7 years, 4 months ago
by
vrs99
Add stability to your home network with the Amped Wireless HELIOS-EX Wi-Fi Extender. With DirectLink technology, it avoids signal loss by adding another 5GHz Wi-Fi channel to the standard setup, which it then uses strictly for receiving signal from the source. This Amped Wireless HELIOS-EX Wi-Fi Extender covers an area of up to 12,000 sq. ft. and includes four Gigabit network ports.
Can this extender be connected with a hard wire from my router? or does it have to get its signal wireless from the router and then broadcast the wireless signal to computers. Where the extender located will better if its signal can be hard wired
Typically if you want to use a wire you will run it from your computer to the box, and that you can do with this device.
7 years, 4 months ago
by
vrs99
Browse the internet or play your favorite apps on this Acer tablet. It runs on an Android operating system and is powered by a quad-core 64-bit processor for full functionality. Google Mobile Services and Microsoft Office Suite are preloaded on this Acer tablet for out-of-the-box work or play capabilities, and DTS-HD Premium Sound lets you enjoy videos.
THIS Acer - Iconia One 10 - 10.1 - Tablet - 32gb - White IN SALE in best buy, IS NEW OR USED?
It is a new model. To be sure you can check to see if it is model B3-A30.
8 years ago
by
vrs99
Which is better: AMD A8-Series or Intel® 4th Generation Core™ i3
I am going to purchase a new laptop and I've narrowed it down to either:the HP Pavilion 12-E017DX or the HP Pavilion 12-E019DX. The thing holding up my puchase it that I don't know what the diference is between the processors. I only use my laptop for general use...email, web surfing, facebook, etc. Can someone please tell me what the difference is and which one is better? Thanks
Personally without going and looking at the specs of the AMD card I would recommend going with the i3. The Intel chips are superior and deliver more performance for the price.
If you can stretch it go for the Haswell i5 which offers superior performance over the i3 and sips juice from the battery. Good Luck
If you can stretch it go for the Haswell i5 which offers superior performance over the i3 and sips juice from the battery. Good Luck
Products from my answer
HP - Split 2-in-1 13.3" Touch-Screen Laptop - Intel Core i5 - 4GB Memory - 128GB Solid State Drive - Black/Silver
(175)10 years, 10 months ago
by
vrs99
TN