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- Review count14
- Helpfulness votes54
- First reviewJuly 23, 2017
- Last reviewAugust 7, 2017
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.7
- Review comment count1
- Helpfulness votes10
- First review commentAugust 1, 2017
- Last review commentAugust 1, 2017
- Featured review comments0
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The new MacBook Pro is razor-thin, featherlight, and now even faster and more powerful than before. It has the brightest, most colorful Mac notebook display. And it features up to 10 hours of battery life.* It’s a notebook built for the work you do every day. Ready to go anywhere a great idea takes you.
Posted by: Ohio
from Cincinnati
I decided to get the Macbook Pro just after the update in June 2017. The major driving factor was the fact that it was now offered without the Touch Bar / Touch ID for a reduced price. While I do hope my next Mac includes these technologies, it is great that now you have the option to shave some of the cost off of an already expensive machine. Keep in mind that all of the new Macbooks / Macbook Pros have USB-C only and this particular model only has 2 USB-C ports. Compare this to the more pricey version with Touch Bar which has 4 USB-C ports. Overall, it is a great machine and the small form factor still blows me away when I compare it to my old Macbook Pro. The one downside is that a USB-C to USB adapter is not included and needs to be purchased separately... it seems like it should come with a computer at this price point.
My Best Buy number: 0557770142
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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0points
1of 2voted this as helpful.
The Apple USB-C-to-USB Adapter lets you connect iOS devices and many of your USB accessories to a MacBook with a USB-C port. Plug the USB-C end of the adapter into the USB-C port on your MacBook, and then connect your flash drive, camera or other standard USB device.
Posted by: Ohio
from Cincinnati
With USB-C but no standard USB ports on the newer Macs, this adapter is a necessity. It is essentially required if you want to connect any older USB device to these new machines. The real question is why it isn't just included in the box to begin with. Another needed cable is the USB-C to Lightning cable if you plan on using an iPhone or iPad. Sure, new technology tries to convince you that you will rarely need a corded connection, but it really important to have for the convenience issues that arise. Overall the USB-C to USB adapter and USB to Lightning are the two cables that I have found useful with my new computer that only has USB-C ports.
My Best Buy number: 0557770142
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+7points
8of 9voted this as helpful.
The all-new Magic Mouse 2 has been enhanced to deliver more comfort and functionality than ever before. It includes a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery that charges fast, lasts about amonth or more between charges, and eliminates the need for disposable batteries. With the included Lightning to USB cable, you can charge your device and automatically pair it with any Mac.
Posted by: Ohio
from Cincinnati
There are a few things I love about this mouse.
1) It now is rechargeable via lightning cable and requires no batteries. In the alkaline battery version the batteries lasted forever, but it is still nice to know that essentially it is impossible to run out of power if you plug in the mouse occasionally.
2) The touch surface is incredibly responsive. In what could easily turn into a disaster, the design of the touch interface really delivers good tracking clarity and gesture control. After just a few hours of use all of the commands seem second nature.
3) Design. Some functionality is lost in the fact that there are not two physical buttons (i.e. this is not a great gaming mouse), but it is all made up for in style. Of course Apple products value form over function and this is no different. the sleek design was so clean that it essentially looks identical to the Magic Mouse 1.
A few considerations for this mouse are notable. Firstly, if you want to be able to right click with the mouse, you need to enable the function in the settings of your Mac. Does anyone really use this mouse without the right click enabled? Since it is turned off by default I could see someone thinking that since there is only one huge physical button that it might not have the ability to right-click... which would be frustrating. Some gestures are annoying. Again, the ones that are intuitive are quite helpful, but some of them are just overboard and need to be disabled. Again, I could see this being frustrating to a new user or a user with limited knowledge. Lastly, it is pricey - my Magic Mouse one lasted for years and years and still works perfectly. I would like to think that this mouse will be the same. With an item that takes day to day use and abuse I could see that some might be hesitant to spend $70 on a mouse.
1) It now is rechargeable via lightning cable and requires no batteries. In the alkaline battery version the batteries lasted forever, but it is still nice to know that essentially it is impossible to run out of power if you plug in the mouse occasionally.
2) The touch surface is incredibly responsive. In what could easily turn into a disaster, the design of the touch interface really delivers good tracking clarity and gesture control. After just a few hours of use all of the commands seem second nature.
3) Design. Some functionality is lost in the fact that there are not two physical buttons (i.e. this is not a great gaming mouse), but it is all made up for in style. Of course Apple products value form over function and this is no different. the sleek design was so clean that it essentially looks identical to the Magic Mouse 1.
A few considerations for this mouse are notable. Firstly, if you want to be able to right click with the mouse, you need to enable the function in the settings of your Mac. Does anyone really use this mouse without the right click enabled? Since it is turned off by default I could see someone thinking that since there is only one huge physical button that it might not have the ability to right-click... which would be frustrating. Some gestures are annoying. Again, the ones that are intuitive are quite helpful, but some of them are just overboard and need to be disabled. Again, I could see this being frustrating to a new user or a user with limited knowledge. Lastly, it is pricey - my Magic Mouse one lasted for years and years and still works perfectly. I would like to think that this mouse will be the same. With an item that takes day to day use and abuse I could see that some might be hesitant to spend $70 on a mouse.
My Best Buy number: 0557770142
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+21points
21of 21voted this as helpful.
Charge your iOS product effortlessly with this Apple USB-C to Lightning cable . The USB port also lets you sync your iPhone or iPad with your computer. This Apple USB-C to Lightning cable is compatible with the newest generations of Apple devices, so it can be used with an iPhone 5 as well as an iPad mini.
Posted by: Ohio
from Cincinnati
In the last few years the Macbook / Macbook Pro has replaced traditional USB ports with USB-C. The only laptop model left to support the old standard USB is the Macbook Air. The real question is... why isn't this cable included with the new computers? For $25 the price is a bit steep, but it is useful for charging the Magic mouse and connecting an iPhone directly to the computer. Overall, for the high price of adapting to a new standard it would be nice if Apple included this cable. It is a must-hand if you are thinking of getting the new Macbook/ Macbook Pro/ iMac, as is the USB-C to USB adapter.
My Best Buy number: 0557770142
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Razer Naga Hex V2Upgrade your gaming system with this Razer Naga Hex gaming mouse. With a tilt-click scroll wheel and a seven-button mechanical thumb wheel for a total of 14 programmable buttons, the design ensures you'll never misclick. Redesigned with comfort in mind, this Razer Naga Hex gaming mouse accommodates the most popular play styles.
Customer Rating
1
Buggy trainwreck of a mouse; horrible software
on August 2, 2017
Posted by: Ohio
from Cincinnati
I was in the market for a premium gaming mouse with some macro functionality. My goal was to get something that was high end, allowed me more comfort during play, and was highly responsive. Unfortunately before even getting a chance to put any of these lofty goals to the test, the Naga Hex V2 unfortunately failed even the most basic functions of a $5.99 bargain bin mouse.
Here were some MAJOR flaws with the Naga Hex V2:
1) Razer Synapse. It is inherently flawed and buggy. The concept seems at first logical: upload your button map profiles to the cloud and sync to all of your devices. However, spotty connectivity meant that more often than not a default map was loaded, the wrong map was loaded or the mouse just had completely unpredictable functioning each time it was unplugged or the computer restarted. NOT a good start.
2) Sensor issues. After returning for a replacement mouse I found that something is seriously wrong with the laser or driver on this mouse. The cursor would freeze every 5-10 seconds in an unpredictable fashion. After following all tech support requests they agreed to replace under warranty.
3) Ergonomics. I actually was surprised that the mouse isn't held like any mouse that I had encountered before, but this was little advertised. Your pinky digit sort of needs to float off by itself. Sure this might be common knowledge to mouse experts but it is another factor that contributes to the learning curve of the mouse.
4. Poor creativity with Chroma. The most useless but cool function of the mouse is the LED lights. However, the options are extremely limited. It also failed to sync properly with other Chroma devices and again I will blame Synapse.
5. Calibration tool. It is completely broken. When trying to select a Firefly mousepad to calibrate with, the program would crash. HOW is this possible that all of this buggy software is allowed by Razer without fixes?
OVERALL - this mouse is major investment risk and I would absolutely not recommend it. Synapse is the worst concept executed in the absolute worst way. I wanted to buy in to how cool all of the lights and cloud services could integrate but after this purchase I am never buying a Razer product again.
My Best Buy number: 0557770142
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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0points
1of 2voted this as helpful.
Get all the music you want with an Apple Music subscription. Listen to millions of songs, curated radio & playlists, recommendations for you, exclusives, and more. Choose from a 3 or 12-month membership to enjoy on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, Mac, or PC. Sign-up required. Individual membership only. Membership automatically renews annually after pre-paid period expires. Taxes may apply.
Posted by: Ohio
from Cincinnati
Apple Music is great, but it becomes even better if you create a Family account in iCloud. Normally the subscription is $9.99 but currently I have a 6 member family in my iCloud, reducing the cost to just above $2 per person per month. Even at the original cost, the convenience of having an entire music library at your disposal which is organized and requires no local storage space is amazing. Apple music is also good for integrating with the TVs in the house. I currently have 4 Apple TV 4th generations, which in a party situation means that Apple Music can run on any of the screens in the house. There are other alternatives like Spotify, Amazon, etc but none that I have found that integrate so well with the other devices that I have seemed to accumulate.
My Best Buy number: 0557770142
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
Trigger your smart lights with movement. The battery-powered Hue motion sensor can be easily installed anywhere in your home.
Posted by: Ohio
This is an affordable little addition to the Hue system but it has pretty specific uses. While it is advertised mostly as a convenience option for turning on lights when entering a room, I think it has more practical uses.
Putting a detectors in the stairs and setting the sensor to function at night only has been a real safety improvement for having to go downstairs in the middle of the night. Allowing it to put lights on at a fraction of the brightness means that you can use it as a night light with the Hue lights you already have installed. Best of all, it eliminates the need to get out a smartphone and works on a timer to set the lights back off.
A new generation of this device must surely be due soon. It does seem that some security and Home Kit features were left out initially, but for the low price I do think that it is an effective device.
My Best Buy number: 0557770142
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Nest Protect Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm - 2nd Generation (Battery): Nest Protect reliably detects and alerts you to the presence of smoke or carbon monoxide in your home. The alarm speaks to you in a calm, clear, human voice, telling you the location of the danger. It also provides smartphone alerts and battery status updates to help protect your home.
Customer Rating
5
Adds peace of mind, easy to check on iPhone
on August 1, 2017
Posted by: Ohio
Currently I have 2 Nest Protect 2nd editions and one more on the way. At first, I was caught up in the difference between the battery and wired edition, but most of what I researched showed that the wired version is essentially obsolete since battery version can sync their signals with WiFi anyway.
Overall, I have found these to be great upgrades to old detectors. I was upgrading 10 year old smoke detectors, so I was glad to add the carbon monoxide sensor with the Nest on upgrade. Overall, the app makes it so SIMPLE to check up on the sensors and make sure that everything is online and with full battery. It just adds more reassurance than checking on detectors manually.
One extra feature that I like is the path light. I installed one outside of a bathroom, and now the LED glows when getting up in the middle of the night. Apparently the LED is low energy drain, so I will see how it holds up over time.
Due to the ease of use and ease of checking these detectors I plan on replacing all of my home detectors eventually. Since I also have the Nest security camera, it all integrates into one app which has always functioned perfectly. Overall I think Nest is probably the way to go for the Smart Home movement as it is reliable, high quality and has never caused me any problems.
My Best Buy number: 0557770142
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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-1point
0of 1voted this as helpful.
Meet the Nest Cam Outdoor security camera. It stands watch 24/7, rain or shine. Plugs into power so you never have to worry about dead batteries. And sends an alert to your phone when it detects activity. It even lets you talk back through the Nest app. This is what an outdoor security camera should be.
Posted by: Ohio
Case and point: this camera is currently the best out there in terms of build quality, usability and network support. There are troves of IP cameras out there that are cheaper, but the question becomes: how easy is it to check up on the camera and get useful information from it?
Since installing in a backyard a few months ago I was most surprised about the camera record quality. On a sunny day it clearly captures full 1080p video that can be watched from any of my mobile devices. At night, the quality is lower but probably just due to the fact that there isn't as much light input.
Nest has a great ecosystem, which is huge to consider with this camera. Since all of the data uploads to their servers and is processed in real time for face alerts, etc, no data is at risk on site at home. This of course comes with a cost.
The reason why this product might not be for everyone is that is is a PREMIUM subscription product. It costs about $100 a year for the data and alert services. To me, this is justifiable since it is uploading 24/7 at 1080p quality and Nest takes care of all of the data management and processing. I have never once had an issue with app connectivity. Overall, I would rather have a system that I pay for that works than one that is mediocre and requires tons of adjusting and babying.
Lastly, I think this camera works so well because I have fiber internet. If you have a slow internet upload it just simply may not be clear or work. You really need a network that is capable of handling the constant uploading at HD quality. If you don't, I would be careful before considering this since all the data must be uploaded and cannot be saved locally.
While I only have one camera currently I play to install about 4 more to the exterior of the house. The ease of use, quality and great user interface have really proven exceptional to me.
My Best Buy number: 0557770142
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Introducing wireless AirPods. Just take them out and they're ready to use with all your Apple devices¹. Put them in your ears and they connect instantly. Speak into them and your voice sounds clear. Simplicity and technology, together like never before. The result is completely magical.
Posted by: Ohio
On first impression the AirPods did not impress me... a $159 price tag for wireless earbuds that otherwise come standard in any iPhone? Upon further inspection the quality and functionality of these headphones are truly revolutionary.
1) Impeccable sound quality - watching movies with Apple TV is crystal clear, blocks out sound for live TV at night for partner sleeping alongside. Solves these functional issues.
2) Multiple uses - have found it switches nicely between Apple TV 4th Generation and iPhone, make calls, use for Apple Music, use for Airplay Screen mirroring... fascinating.
3) Long battery life with gauges displayed on the lock screen.
4) Case serves as a travel charger and all pieces are high quality (which it to be expected given the price...)
2) Multiple uses - have found it switches nicely between Apple TV 4th Generation and iPhone, make calls, use for Apple Music, use for Airplay Screen mirroring... fascinating.
3) Long battery life with gauges displayed on the lock screen.
4) Case serves as a travel charger and all pieces are high quality (which it to be expected given the price...)
Overall the price tag means that few people should be able to justify the high cost of these AirPods. However, if you have no problem spending money for the absolute best on the market you shall not be disappointed.
My Best Buy number: 0557770142
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Ohio's Review Comments
Meet the Nest Cam Outdoor security camera (2 pack). It stands watch 24/7, rain or shine. Plugs into power so you never have to worry about dead batteries. And sends an alert to your phone when it detects activity. It even lets you talk back through the Nest app. This is what an outdoor security camera should be.
Overall1 out of 5
1 out of 5Buyer Beware: Requires monthly plan
By ConnieB
If you think you are going to have live surveillance without purchasing the monthly surveillance plan, then think again. What you actually get is a snap shot of some activity that gives you very little information. For instance, you will get a snapshot of a car that enters the activity zone but it will NOT provide any other activity that happens after the initial snapshot. You won't know if someone exited the car and/or breached your zone without purchasing a plan.
Ohio
Cincinnati
August 1, 2017
With all due respect the need for a subscription is made pretty clear from the get go. I do agree that it seems expensive since the hardware is already expensive, but uploading, processing and storing 1080p video 24/7 for a year has its cost.
+4points
10of 16voted this comment as helpful.
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