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- Review count193
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- First reviewFebruary 11, 2013
- Last reviewMay 14, 2025
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- Average rating4.2
- Review comment count7
- Helpfulness votes6
- First review commentNovember 29, 2013
- Last review commentJanuary 31, 2017
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- Answer count43
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- First answerMarch 24, 2015
- Last answerNovember 6, 2021
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This compact full-frame F2.8 wide-angle zoom lens is an excellent match for α-series cameras, with advanced technology ensuring that camera performance is fully realized from ultra-wide 16 mm to wide 25 mm focal lengths. Outstanding G Lens resolution and bokeh are available throughout that range, and precision AF means fast, sharp focus. Great for wide-angle stills as well as movies.
Customer Rating
5
The first lens for your bag
on September 18, 2024
Posted by: CraigB
Great
Compact
Lightweight
Fast
Quiet autofocus
Low distortion
Good for macro shots
Great for low light
Great sun stars if you are a fan
Compact
Lightweight
Fast
Quiet autofocus
Low distortion
Good for macro shots
Great for low light
Great sun stars if you are a fan
Not So Great
External zoom
Limited zoom range
AF/MF switch hard to use by feel
External zoom
Limited zoom range
AF/MF switch hard to use by feel
This review comes from a standpoint of a prosumer that uses the lens for content for work. I mostly do landscape and macro photography. I am not as well versed on full usage compared to a full-time professional photographer and so this lens is a perfect fit having the key features without being as high and as their G Master line.
Out of the box the lens is surprisingly light and compact. You could be forgiven for mistaking it for the kit lens. It is that compact. The weight isn’t much different either, but that f/2.8 aperture is a dead giveaway. While I mostly do landscape photography, the weight feels far more manageable for vloggers. Also, with such a wide angle you could keep the camera closer and minimize shaking without relying on electronic stabilization as well as reduce arm strain. It does have an external focus, but it doesn’t move very far and likely won’t affect balance if you use a gimble.
For my main usage, it handles low light easily and can pull detail out of landscapes at night with limited noise even without a tripod. It creates nice bokeh balls that are slightly oblong at f/2.8 and become round starbursts as you step up. Daytime macro shots are sharp with limited distortion mainly evident in the corners at f/2.8. It quickly resolves as you step up. It also does a respectable job at portrait photography with a nice bokeh. If you like sun stars, they are very clean and crisp at f/22. It does exhibit minor issues with flare in certain scenarios and in some cases the included hood helps. The hood can store reversed on the lens, but it does block access to the AF/MF switch and lock button.
Autofocus is smooth, fast, and silent with little to no focus breathing. It is fast enough to keep up with my dog. Unfortunately, I’m not always fast enough. The manual focus ring feels smooth and tight. While zoom doesn’t do much it is also smooth and tight. Adjusting f-stops is easy with satisfying clicks between stops and a firm click to lock out manual controls.
So far, the only issues I have found are minor. On my Alpha a7iii lens correction is grayed out. In checking, I am on version 4.0 firmware and the latest is 4.01 but there is no mention of support. That said, distortion is minimal and primarily when used wide open. It is rarely visible in landscapes and can be easily corrected in post if needed. If you prefer to have distortion corrected in body, you may want to verify your camera body supports this lens directly. Another issue is the AF/MF switch. It isn’t very pronounced and doesn’t move easily. While this is good to prevent accidental changes it does make it harder for you to turn it on and off without turning the camera around to find the switch.
Overall, the Sony FE 16-25mm f/2.8 lens is a versatile lens to have in your bag. While others are better in certain areas, this lens makes you question if you want to add the extra weight. The only area it falls short in is zoom which could be fixed by pairing it with its companion zoom lens.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Customer Rating
3
Good system, after fixing
on September 10, 2024
Posted by: CraigB
Great
Well built
Light for the size
Solid frame
Sharp screen
Good screen brightness for indoors
No screen wobble
Good typing experience
Nice trackpad
Windows Hello with presence detection
Good speakers
Long battery life (after BIOS update)
Quiet in most use cases (after BIOS update)
Good webcam
Offers both USB-A and USB-C
Includes touchscreen
Upgradable SSD
Well built
Light for the size
Solid frame
Sharp screen
Good screen brightness for indoors
No screen wobble
Good typing experience
Nice trackpad
Windows Hello with presence detection
Good speakers
Long battery life (after BIOS update)
Quiet in most use cases (after BIOS update)
Good webcam
Offers both USB-A and USB-C
Includes touchscreen
Upgradable SSD
Not So Great
Fans ran at maximum until a BIOS update was installed
Estimated battery life was only 4 hours until BIOS update
BIOS update was not showing in installed Acer support tools
Loaded with bloatware
Acer Jumpstart spams you with ads
Website shortcuts are added to start menu requiring knowledge of how to remove them
AI presence detection sometimes keeps locking PC while in use
Palm rejection inconsistent for some users
Keyboard backlight doesn’t activate by touchpad
Webcam has motion blur and is overexposed
RAM not upgradable
Fans ran at maximum until a BIOS update was installed
Estimated battery life was only 4 hours until BIOS update
BIOS update was not showing in installed Acer support tools
Loaded with bloatware
Acer Jumpstart spams you with ads
Website shortcuts are added to start menu requiring knowledge of how to remove them
AI presence detection sometimes keeps locking PC while in use
Palm rejection inconsistent for some users
Keyboard backlight doesn’t activate by touchpad
Webcam has motion blur and is overexposed
RAM not upgradable
The first thing that must be said is that before you judge the hardware you need to remove the built-in adware and update the BIOS.
Out of the box the laptop has a sleek and thin profile. While not the thinnest chassis out there it strikes a balance between thinness and rigidity. The chassis feels sturdy, and keyboard deck flex is minimal. The screen hinge is firm with no wobble but still having enough give to allow one finger opening in most cases. The laptop strikes a good balance of strength versus weight where the outer shell feels strong enough to resist most dents without being too heavy. The matte finish resists fingerprints well and even if it does pick them up, they are not very visible at most angles.
Setup 4/10
The basic Windows setup is what you would expect but what happens after is where it feels like Acer shipped this model just a little too early. To start, the Acer installed software took a long time to setup hanging on several occasions. Behavior before the first updates was inconsistent but issues persisted after updating. It could be because the BIOS version installed was not ready for release. Out of the box the fans always spun at full speed regardless of if the system was on silent mode. To make matters worse, even though the fans aren’t that loud they do have a very noticeable bearing whistle that is hard to ignore. After all updates were done the system, including checking for updates in the Acer tools, the system still ran the fans constantly at full speed and could barely manage 4 hours of usage. Upon further digging, a BIOS update was found on the Acer support website that did not show up in the included Acer support tools. After installing the update, the system quieted down and it responded to changes in mode. Unfortunately, after the BIOS update the screen brightness controls stopped working requiring an uninstall and reinstall of the graphics and display drivers. During this entire troubleshooting process, the Acer support tools reported everything was fine. Hopefully Acer will update the support tools to ensure these updates are applied automatically out of the box, so the less tech savvy don’t run into these issues. After several rounds of updates and troubleshooting the system stabilized.
The basic Windows setup is what you would expect but what happens after is where it feels like Acer shipped this model just a little too early. To start, the Acer installed software took a long time to setup hanging on several occasions. Behavior before the first updates was inconsistent but issues persisted after updating. It could be because the BIOS version installed was not ready for release. Out of the box the fans always spun at full speed regardless of if the system was on silent mode. To make matters worse, even though the fans aren’t that loud they do have a very noticeable bearing whistle that is hard to ignore. After all updates were done the system, including checking for updates in the Acer tools, the system still ran the fans constantly at full speed and could barely manage 4 hours of usage. Upon further digging, a BIOS update was found on the Acer support website that did not show up in the included Acer support tools. After installing the update, the system quieted down and it responded to changes in mode. Unfortunately, after the BIOS update the screen brightness controls stopped working requiring an uninstall and reinstall of the graphics and display drivers. During this entire troubleshooting process, the Acer support tools reported everything was fine. Hopefully Acer will update the support tools to ensure these updates are applied automatically out of the box, so the less tech savvy don’t run into these issues. After several rounds of updates and troubleshooting the system stabilized.
Unfortunately, the updates and corrections weren’t the end of issues. After the system stabilized it became evident how much bloatware Acer installed. Of course, Windows now installs third party apps by default, but this system went a step further. First, McAfee is installed by default with a 30-day trial. Not great but easy to remove. Something slightly more useful is a 100GB upgrade to Dropbox for a year. The worst were the baked in shortcuts to online games. They were not installed but configured as internet shortcuts on the start menu. For someone that isn’t tech savvy they would have a hard time figuring out how to remove them as you can’t just right click and uninstall. The system also started displaying notification ads for more games. After further inspection, the culprit was Acer Jumpstart. It seemed to serve no other purpose than to serve game ads which would just pop up at random. While frustrating, the solution is simply to uninstall Jumpstart. After this last round of troubleshooting and clean up, the system seemed to work smoothly.
Screen 7/10
The screen gets reasonably bright at 300 nits. It works very good for indoors, but outdoor usage would be more difficult. The 2.5K resolution means text and images are very sharp. The display is a 120Hz variable refresh rate and it shows. Motion feels very smooth and natural. Colors seem pretty accurate, but I do not have any tools to verify. Contrast is good but not standout and it won’t wow you like an OLED, but it is very nice, nonetheless. It says it supports HDR video streaming, but the HDR effect is limited with only 300 nits brightness. Overall, the screen is very nice but not a standout.
The screen gets reasonably bright at 300 nits. It works very good for indoors, but outdoor usage would be more difficult. The 2.5K resolution means text and images are very sharp. The display is a 120Hz variable refresh rate and it shows. Motion feels very smooth and natural. Colors seem pretty accurate, but I do not have any tools to verify. Contrast is good but not standout and it won’t wow you like an OLED, but it is very nice, nonetheless. It says it supports HDR video streaming, but the HDR effect is limited with only 300 nits brightness. Overall, the screen is very nice but not a standout.
Keyboard 8/10
The keyboard is good with a decent amount of travel and a distinct activation point. Keys do wobble a bit but typing overall is consistent with missed keys being rare. Backlight uniformity is good with no major inconsistencies although an extra brightness level that is a little brighter would be nice. Also, when the keyboard backlight goes to sleep it does not turn back on if you touch the trackpad. This means you must touch a key, and maybe activate something or make an accidental selection when turning the backlight back on. Other systems typically allow you to just swipe on the touchpad to wake the backlight. When the backlight is off the keys are reasonably visible although not the easiest to see.
The keyboard is good with a decent amount of travel and a distinct activation point. Keys do wobble a bit but typing overall is consistent with missed keys being rare. Backlight uniformity is good with no major inconsistencies although an extra brightness level that is a little brighter would be nice. Also, when the keyboard backlight goes to sleep it does not turn back on if you touch the trackpad. This means you must touch a key, and maybe activate something or make an accidental selection when turning the backlight back on. Other systems typically allow you to just swipe on the touchpad to wake the backlight. When the backlight is off the keys are reasonably visible although not the easiest to see.
Touchpad 8/10
The touchpad has a nice feel and glides easily. Operation is consistent and reliable. The downsides are that it is still a diving board style touchpad and palm rejection is inconsistent. If you have smaller hands the palm rejection can cause your cursor to jump to a new location in the middle of typing. If you have larger hands, this rarely occurs. The diving board design means it only clicks at the bottom left and right of the touchpad which can make click and hold to drag more cumbersome. Regular taps and double taps work anywhere on the touchpad and work very well.
The touchpad has a nice feel and glides easily. Operation is consistent and reliable. The downsides are that it is still a diving board style touchpad and palm rejection is inconsistent. If you have smaller hands the palm rejection can cause your cursor to jump to a new location in the middle of typing. If you have larger hands, this rarely occurs. The diving board design means it only clicks at the bottom left and right of the touchpad which can make click and hold to drag more cumbersome. Regular taps and double taps work anywhere on the touchpad and work very well.
Webcam 6/10
While the webcam is rated as a QuadHD sensor, it doesn’t appear that high resolution in daily usage. The reason is poor low light performance and motion blur. Even in a reasonably well-lit room you can see noise in the image and objects will blur as they move. This can be improved somewhat by turning down the exposure, which is set too high causing faces to be washed out. The image is of lower quality than one would expect based on the numbers. Overall, it is still a decent camera and works well. It just isn’t a standout.
While the webcam is rated as a QuadHD sensor, it doesn’t appear that high resolution in daily usage. The reason is poor low light performance and motion blur. Even in a reasonably well-lit room you can see noise in the image and objects will blur as they move. This can be improved somewhat by turning down the exposure, which is set too high causing faces to be washed out. The image is of lower quality than one would expect based on the numbers. Overall, it is still a decent camera and works well. It just isn’t a standout.
Where it really works well is in Windows Hello. The moment you open the laptop it quickly sees you and unlocks the system making manually logging in rarely if ever needed. Acer includes presence detection which is a nice feature that you can set to automatically lock the computer the moment you walk away and then wake up and unlock the moment you approach. You can set the activation distance and lock time. Most of the time it works well but every once in a while, it decides to lock the computer while you are working and then immediately unlock it. Increasing the lock delay helps but reduces security. It would be great if Acer could refine this further as it makes security so transparent you can keep your computer safe without even trying.
Speakers 6/10
The speakers fire to the sides and downward but surprisingly don’t typically sound muffled. They get plenty loud with good range, but the sound quality isn’t the type that you would likely choose to listen to your favorite music using them if you have the choice of headphones. You can adjust the EQ and surround simulation effects using DTS controls which can give the effect of making the soundstage be directly in front or sound wider than the actual laptop. Overall, they sound like good midrange speakers that are well matched to a midrange computer.
The speakers fire to the sides and downward but surprisingly don’t typically sound muffled. They get plenty loud with good range, but the sound quality isn’t the type that you would likely choose to listen to your favorite music using them if you have the choice of headphones. You can adjust the EQ and surround simulation effects using DTS controls which can give the effect of making the soundstage be directly in front or sound wider than the actual laptop. Overall, they sound like good midrange speakers that are well matched to a midrange computer.
Battery Life 10/10
The first thing that needs to be said again is battery life is only good after applying the latest BIOS update. Before the update the fans would be on full blast continuously draining the battery fast. After the update the system is quiet, and battery anxiety isn’t an issue. More often the issue is remembering that the system needs to be charged. Even once battery saver turns on at 30% you still have plenty of time left for casual usage. What is also nice is you can simply close the lid and come back later to no noticeable change in battery. No slipping it into your bag only to find it later feeling like it is on fire with a dead battery. In most cases bringing a charger isn’t needed unless you are doing heavy work.
The first thing that needs to be said again is battery life is only good after applying the latest BIOS update. Before the update the fans would be on full blast continuously draining the battery fast. After the update the system is quiet, and battery anxiety isn’t an issue. More often the issue is remembering that the system needs to be charged. Even once battery saver turns on at 30% you still have plenty of time left for casual usage. What is also nice is you can simply close the lid and come back later to no noticeable change in battery. No slipping it into your bag only to find it later feeling like it is on fire with a dead battery. In most cases bringing a charger isn’t needed unless you are doing heavy work.
Performance 10/10
Performance before the BIOS update felt sluggish, and the system ran warm. After the BIOS update you can run the system in silent mode for most task with no noticeable hit to performance. If you have a heavy application, such as video editing, this could be different but even during editing photos the system felt snappy and capable with no noticeable lag.
Performance before the BIOS update felt sluggish, and the system ran warm. After the BIOS update you can run the system in silent mode for most task with no noticeable hit to performance. If you have a heavy application, such as video editing, this could be different but even during editing photos the system felt snappy and capable with no noticeable lag.
Noise 7/10
This would be 10 if the system could always be used on silent as it is truly silent. However, if you need to use it on normal or turbo and those fans kick in you will notice they have one Achilles heel. While overall quiet, they do emit a whistle sound that is noticeable. Temps were good but if you are the type sensitive to high pitched sounds this whistle could be off-putting. That said, this only applies to heavy workloads as in most cases the system is dead silent.
This would be 10 if the system could always be used on silent as it is truly silent. However, if you need to use it on normal or turbo and those fans kick in you will notice they have one Achilles heel. While overall quiet, they do emit a whistle sound that is noticeable. Temps were good but if you are the type sensitive to high pitched sounds this whistle could be off-putting. That said, this only applies to heavy workloads as in most cases the system is dead silent.
Final Thoughts
The Acer Swift 14 AI is a solid system hardware wise. If Acer would tone down the bloatware and make critical updates out of the box easily available this could be a nice system for a lot of people. If you, or a friend, have any sort of tech skills and are comfortable with a manual BIOS update this can be a solid system with adjustments.
The Acer Swift 14 AI is a solid system hardware wise. If Acer would tone down the bloatware and make critical updates out of the box easily available this could be a nice system for a lot of people. If you, or a friend, have any sort of tech skills and are comfortable with a manual BIOS update this can be a solid system with adjustments.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Introducing the Tineco FloorWasher Pet 5 Series, the ultimate cordless floor washer designed for pet-friendly homes. This 3-in-1 marvel combines a wet/dry vacuum cleaner, mop, and self-cleaning unit, delivering superior cleaning performance. With its advanced iLoop Sense technology, it intelligently detects messes, adjusting suction and water flow for optimal results, extending runtime up to 35 minutes. Perfect for pet owners, it features an anti-odor cleaning solution, a pre-treated pet brush roller for easy pet hair removal, and advanced odor control. Enjoy quick-drying floors, a 38% larger tank, and hands-free maintenance with self-clean mode. Clean smarter, not harder.
Customer Rating
4
Not for all cleanups but helpful
on August 21, 2024
Posted by: CraigB
Great
Quiet
Light
Easy to read display
Sensor helps find dirty areas
Includes extra rollers and cleaning tools
Partially Self-Cleaning
Open side of roller cleans close to baseboard
Charging stand has storage for all accessories
Rollers treated to prevent odor buildup
Quiet
Light
Easy to read display
Sensor helps find dirty areas
Includes extra rollers and cleaning tools
Partially Self-Cleaning
Open side of roller cleans close to baseboard
Charging stand has storage for all accessories
Rollers treated to prevent odor buildup
No So Great
Poor Wi-Fi setup
App serves no meaningful purpose
Limited it what messes it can clean
Not good for spot cleanup
Battery life limits thorough cleanups
Self-Cleaning mode still requires manual work
Dirty tank awkward to empty/clean
Only works with Tineco cleaning solution
Poor Wi-Fi setup
App serves no meaningful purpose
Limited it what messes it can clean
Not good for spot cleanup
Battery life limits thorough cleanups
Self-Cleaning mode still requires manual work
Dirty tank awkward to empty/clean
Only works with Tineco cleaning solution
The Tineco Floorwasher Pet 5 Series is a long name for what is a slightly modified version of the regular Floorwashers in the same series. The difference is the cleaning solution has ingredients to help with odors and bacteria and the microfiber rollers are treated as well. In the box it is has 3 rollers, 2 filters, and a cleaning brush. The charging/cleaning stand has a storage area for the extra items except the 3rd roller. It is nice that they include extras so you can clean one and let it dry while having the next ready to use. You can use it with or without the cleaning solution, but the instructions of course say only to use the official cleaning solution. Unfortunately, when checking online forums, it seems like when other clean solutions were tried it didn’t work well with the machine causing issues.
Setup 10/10
Setup out of the box is very simple. Just take the handle and push it into the base. It clicks into place. After that you just choose a spot for the charging/cleaning base and plug it in. The whole process takes less than 5 minutes. It will probably take you longer to take it out of the box.
Setup out of the box is very simple. Just take the handle and push it into the base. It clicks into place. After that you just choose a spot for the charging/cleaning base and plug it in. The whole process takes less than 5 minutes. It will probably take you longer to take it out of the box.
Wi-Fi and App 2/10
It is no surprise Tineco doesn’t really market the app and Wi-Fi features very much on this unit as they don’t really provide any value. The instructions in the box and text outside don’t list the function. Only by watching other videos was it discovered this unit has such capability. Even after watching videos pairing was a pain as the app struggled to locate the device. You are supposed to be able to scan the barcode behind the freshwater tank but the app would never recognize it. The only way to pair was by manually connecting to the washer’s built in Wi-Fi and continuing through the app. After getting it connected the only functions possible was to see if the washer was charging or running, set the voice volume, and issue a self-cleaning. Unless you want to turn down or turn off the voice prompts you would be fine skipping the app setup.
It is no surprise Tineco doesn’t really market the app and Wi-Fi features very much on this unit as they don’t really provide any value. The instructions in the box and text outside don’t list the function. Only by watching other videos was it discovered this unit has such capability. Even after watching videos pairing was a pain as the app struggled to locate the device. You are supposed to be able to scan the barcode behind the freshwater tank but the app would never recognize it. The only way to pair was by manually connecting to the washer’s built in Wi-Fi and continuing through the app. After getting it connected the only functions possible was to see if the washer was charging or running, set the voice volume, and issue a self-cleaning. Unless you want to turn down or turn off the voice prompts you would be fine skipping the app setup.
Usage 8/10
The first thing you notice is the Floorwasher is very light and easy to control. Coming from an old floor washing machine from another company the difference is very noticeable. The handle is comfortable to hold and makes turning very easy. Regardless of if the unit is in Auto mode or full power it is very quiet. It has enough power to where you can feel the roller pulling you forward as you clean. It takes a couple of seconds but eventually the entire roller becomes saturated with cleaner and gets the entire floor. You will notice a line of spots that are more wet than the rest, but they dry up quickly. By default, it starts on Auto mode. There is a manual mode where you can set it to low or high with low having a runtime of 35 minutes and high 28 minutes. In most cases you are better off keeping it on Auto and it will stay on low unless a mess is detected. While 35 minutes may not seem like much this unit is best suited for either a heavy spot cleanup or a quick whole floor light cleanup. In both cases the battery life has been more than enough. While it is easiest to keep it on Auto mode and let it detect messes, the performance of the iLoop dirt detection was hit or miss. It was able to detect more of a mess in front of the stove and dishwasher but didn’t see any mess in front of door with muddy dog pawprints. Then, it maxed out saying a door in the laundry room was as dirty as it gets and stayed that when even when switching rooms. It stayed this way until turned off and back on again. It seems some things on the floor can fool the detector to where it doesn’t adjust.
The first thing you notice is the Floorwasher is very light and easy to control. Coming from an old floor washing machine from another company the difference is very noticeable. The handle is comfortable to hold and makes turning very easy. Regardless of if the unit is in Auto mode or full power it is very quiet. It has enough power to where you can feel the roller pulling you forward as you clean. It takes a couple of seconds but eventually the entire roller becomes saturated with cleaner and gets the entire floor. You will notice a line of spots that are more wet than the rest, but they dry up quickly. By default, it starts on Auto mode. There is a manual mode where you can set it to low or high with low having a runtime of 35 minutes and high 28 minutes. In most cases you are better off keeping it on Auto and it will stay on low unless a mess is detected. While 35 minutes may not seem like much this unit is best suited for either a heavy spot cleanup or a quick whole floor light cleanup. In both cases the battery life has been more than enough. While it is easiest to keep it on Auto mode and let it detect messes, the performance of the iLoop dirt detection was hit or miss. It was able to detect more of a mess in front of the stove and dishwasher but didn’t see any mess in front of door with muddy dog pawprints. Then, it maxed out saying a door in the laundry room was as dirty as it gets and stayed that when even when switching rooms. It stayed this way until turned off and back on again. It seems some things on the floor can fool the detector to where it doesn’t adjust.
Cleaning Performance 6/10
Considering this a marketed as a pet floor washer you would think it would be designed to handle the dirt and mud of pets. Unfortunately, this assumption is only partially true. While it can clean up fresh heavy messes easily or light dust and hair, what it can’t do well is cleaning up dried up messes. If your pet tracks in mud and it dries to your floor, even multiple passes are unlikely to get all the mess. For heavier messes that are fresh it does a great job of cleaning things up. The one area where the Floorwasher pet does best is the lighter broad cleanups of the house to get light dust, dirt, and all the lingering dog hair off the floors. A vacuum or mop can pick it up, but this picks up all the fine debris leaning the floors clean enough to walk barefoot without feeling like you are walking on sand. Having the roller exposed on one side is also helpful as it can clean closer to the baseboard to get up the grime that sticks right in the seam. The only thing more thorough is getting on your hands and knees and scrubbing, which you will still need to do to the baseboard as the roller doesn’t handle that part. If you are wanting something to get that last lingering particles off the floor so you can walk barefoot in peace, it is hard to do better than this.
Considering this a marketed as a pet floor washer you would think it would be designed to handle the dirt and mud of pets. Unfortunately, this assumption is only partially true. While it can clean up fresh heavy messes easily or light dust and hair, what it can’t do well is cleaning up dried up messes. If your pet tracks in mud and it dries to your floor, even multiple passes are unlikely to get all the mess. For heavier messes that are fresh it does a great job of cleaning things up. The one area where the Floorwasher pet does best is the lighter broad cleanups of the house to get light dust, dirt, and all the lingering dog hair off the floors. A vacuum or mop can pick it up, but this picks up all the fine debris leaning the floors clean enough to walk barefoot without feeling like you are walking on sand. Having the roller exposed on one side is also helpful as it can clean closer to the baseboard to get up the grime that sticks right in the seam. The only thing more thorough is getting on your hands and knees and scrubbing, which you will still need to do to the baseboard as the roller doesn’t handle that part. If you are wanting something to get that last lingering particles off the floor so you can walk barefoot in peace, it is hard to do better than this.
Tool Cleanup 7/10
It hasn’t been long enough to test how well the antibacterial and anti-odor properties work but so far there have been no problems. It does seem to help that after cleaning you can put the wet roller on the stand to fully dry. When placed back on the dock the Floorwasher will say if it needs to run a cleaning cycle. To do so you just press a button. Once it is done you have to do some manual work to finish up. You must empty and clean the dirty water tank, suction tube, and roller. The dirty water tank is pressure fitted into the base. You pull the top off and dump the contents out of the base easy enough. The top portion with filter is a bit more of a mess as hair and other crud sticks to it. Hair also gets stuck in the drain of the main unit, which is part of where the cleaning brush comes in. You also must pull the roller off and clean the suction intake. While not very hard, the cleanup isn’t as automatic as you are led to believe. This translates to each time you have a mess you are going to ask if the mess is worth using the Floorwasher and dealing with the cleanup process or if you are better off with paper towels or maybe a quick wet mop and rinse. This is why larger fine cleanups are mostly where it shows its value.
It hasn’t been long enough to test how well the antibacterial and anti-odor properties work but so far there have been no problems. It does seem to help that after cleaning you can put the wet roller on the stand to fully dry. When placed back on the dock the Floorwasher will say if it needs to run a cleaning cycle. To do so you just press a button. Once it is done you have to do some manual work to finish up. You must empty and clean the dirty water tank, suction tube, and roller. The dirty water tank is pressure fitted into the base. You pull the top off and dump the contents out of the base easy enough. The top portion with filter is a bit more of a mess as hair and other crud sticks to it. Hair also gets stuck in the drain of the main unit, which is part of where the cleaning brush comes in. You also must pull the roller off and clean the suction intake. While not very hard, the cleanup isn’t as automatic as you are led to believe. This translates to each time you have a mess you are going to ask if the mess is worth using the Floorwasher and dealing with the cleanup process or if you are better off with paper towels or maybe a quick wet mop and rinse. This is why larger fine cleanups are mostly where it shows its value.
Final Thoughts
The Tineco Floorwasher Pet 5 Series isn’t all in one floor cleaning solution the advertising might lead you to believe. However, if you are the type that wants your hard floors to be completely clean of any fine debris and crud worthy of walking on barefoot, then this floor washer could be a good fit. Just treat it as a additional tool to add to your floor cleaning tools and not a replacement.
The Tineco Floorwasher Pet 5 Series isn’t all in one floor cleaning solution the advertising might lead you to believe. However, if you are the type that wants your hard floors to be completely clean of any fine debris and crud worthy of walking on barefoot, then this floor washer could be a good fit. Just treat it as a additional tool to add to your floor cleaning tools and not a replacement.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Power, precision, and elegance define the 2024 ROG Zephyrus G16. Featuring a premium aluminum chassis with customizable lighting, this laptop merges style and durability. Its ultra-slim 0.59” profile and lightweight 4.08lb 16” chassis redefines portability without compromising performance. Whether you're a gamer, creator, or both, the Zephyrus G16 stands ready, equipped with Windows 11, the latest AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 Processor, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 laptop GPU. ROG Intelligent Cooling features liquid metal for reduced CPU temperatures and upgraded Arc Flow Fans for improved airflow to sustain peak performance on the Zephyrus G16. Immerse yourself in the OLED ROG Nebula Display and enjoy rapid 0.2ms response times, vivid 2K resolution, and a smooth 240Hz refresh rate.
Customer Rating
5
Nearly perfect with tweaks
on August 7, 2024
Posted by: CraigB
Great
Amazing screen in the 2.5K sweet spot
Great typing experience
Great speakers
Light for the size
Very thin for the performance
Aluminum chassis feels premium and strong
No screen wobble unlike first generation
Windows Hello via camera
Full sized SD card slot
Includes MUX switch
Ports are further back than older generations
Large, smooth trackpad
Upgradable SSD and Wi-Fi card
Truly silent in silent mode
Surprisingly quiet even on Turbo
Keyboard stays cool
Amazing screen in the 2.5K sweet spot
Great typing experience
Great speakers
Light for the size
Very thin for the performance
Aluminum chassis feels premium and strong
No screen wobble unlike first generation
Windows Hello via camera
Full sized SD card slot
Includes MUX switch
Ports are further back than older generations
Large, smooth trackpad
Upgradable SSD and Wi-Fi card
Truly silent in silent mode
Surprisingly quiet even on Turbo
Keyboard stays cool
Not So Great
Warranty service still controversial
Diving board style trackpad rattles
Keyboard backlight color and brightness uniformity issues
Still uses heat pipe instead of vapor chamber
Single zone RGB keyboard
RAM not upgradable
MediaTek Wi-Fi performance inconsistent
No ethernet port
Warranty service still controversial
Diving board style trackpad rattles
Keyboard backlight color and brightness uniformity issues
Still uses heat pipe instead of vapor chamber
Single zone RGB keyboard
RAM not upgradable
MediaTek Wi-Fi performance inconsistent
No ethernet port
Out of the box, the ROG Zephyrus G16 looks and feels premium even compared to previous laptops from Asus. What strikes you first is how thin and light it is for gaming laptop while feeling sturdy.
Chassis and Ports 9.5/10
The aluminum has a matt finish which resists fingerprints. The edges also have a slight chamfer so they don’t dig into your arms when you are typing. The new slash lighting is more subtle than the previous AniMatrix. Charging is via a slim power adapter which is double sided and looks like an oversized rectangular USB-C plug. While it does support USB-C charging, Asus said they added this plug because pushing that much current via USB-C would require a much larger power brick and far worse power efficiency. While not ideal, the compromise is appreciated as the 200-Watt power brick is very light and compact. A nice change from older models is the IO is pushed to the back of the chassis away from where you might have your mouse. Both sides have one USB-C and USB-A allowing more flexibility of connections. The Wi-Fi and SSD are both upgradeable. Unfortunately, the current Ryzen AI 9 series is limited to soldered RAM by AMD. Thankfully the included 32GB should be food for many years.
The aluminum has a matt finish which resists fingerprints. The edges also have a slight chamfer so they don’t dig into your arms when you are typing. The new slash lighting is more subtle than the previous AniMatrix. Charging is via a slim power adapter which is double sided and looks like an oversized rectangular USB-C plug. While it does support USB-C charging, Asus said they added this plug because pushing that much current via USB-C would require a much larger power brick and far worse power efficiency. While not ideal, the compromise is appreciated as the 200-Watt power brick is very light and compact. A nice change from older models is the IO is pushed to the back of the chassis away from where you might have your mouse. Both sides have one USB-C and USB-A allowing more flexibility of connections. The Wi-Fi and SSD are both upgradeable. Unfortunately, the current Ryzen AI 9 series is limited to soldered RAM by AMD. Thankfully the included 32GB should be food for many years.
Screen 9.8/10
While other screens might be better on paper, this screen is the whole package. You get the best of both worlds with variable refresh rate and OLED and difference is immediately noticeable. On startup you just see the ROG logo on an inky black background instead of dark gray. Even better is colors look accurate regardless of if you are watching HDR content or playing a game. The 2.5K screen is also in the sweet spot of resolution allowing sharp text and visuals without overtaxing the GPU. Another bonus is the pixel arrangement of this OLED means text stays sharp without any odd fringing noticeable on some other gaming OLEDs which means the screen performs well doubling as a productivity monitor for school or work. The screen appears to be north of 500 nits with a mild anti-glare coating that maintains contrast. This translates to a screen that performs well in a dark room or well-lit room.
While other screens might be better on paper, this screen is the whole package. You get the best of both worlds with variable refresh rate and OLED and difference is immediately noticeable. On startup you just see the ROG logo on an inky black background instead of dark gray. Even better is colors look accurate regardless of if you are watching HDR content or playing a game. The 2.5K screen is also in the sweet spot of resolution allowing sharp text and visuals without overtaxing the GPU. Another bonus is the pixel arrangement of this OLED means text stays sharp without any odd fringing noticeable on some other gaming OLEDs which means the screen performs well doubling as a productivity monitor for school or work. The screen appears to be north of 500 nits with a mild anti-glare coating that maintains contrast. This translates to a screen that performs well in a dark room or well-lit room.
Keyboard 9/10
The keyboard is single zone RGB. It also exhibits some backlight uniformity issues with certain keys being dimmer as well as some keys having a rainbow or off-white appearance when set to white. It isn’t horrible but it does degrade the premium feeling slightly. Thankfully this is only a minor downside as the rest keyboard is great. Keys have a good amount of travel and don’t exhibit any noticeable ghost with a fast response. I have more problems with poor activation in typing than gaming with laptop keyboards missing presses. This is the first keyboard that allows me to type comfortably without missing anything. I also type heavy and appreciate good dampening. While not at the level of a custom mechanical keyboard, it has very good landing with a soft thump at the bottom. The feeling is like a silent tactile key switch with a distinct activation point. This means the keyboard is well suited to both gaming and productivity work.
The keyboard is single zone RGB. It also exhibits some backlight uniformity issues with certain keys being dimmer as well as some keys having a rainbow or off-white appearance when set to white. It isn’t horrible but it does degrade the premium feeling slightly. Thankfully this is only a minor downside as the rest keyboard is great. Keys have a good amount of travel and don’t exhibit any noticeable ghost with a fast response. I have more problems with poor activation in typing than gaming with laptop keyboards missing presses. This is the first keyboard that allows me to type comfortably without missing anything. I also type heavy and appreciate good dampening. While not at the level of a custom mechanical keyboard, it has very good landing with a soft thump at the bottom. The feeling is like a silent tactile key switch with a distinct activation point. This means the keyboard is well suited to both gaming and productivity work.
Trackpad 7/10
The trackpad is a bit more of a mixed bag. The trackpad is probably the largest on the market on a laptop now. It’s comically large but it does mean you have plenty of space to set the tracking speed slower can still reach anywhere on the screen without lifting your finger. Reports coming from Asus were saying it would be a haptic touchpad which would have been great. Unfortunately, it is a traditional diving board trackpad. This works perfectly fine when using tap to click but if you need to drag and drop you will find the bottom of the keyboard had to reach and press. Palm rejection also can be inconsistent from time to time degrading the typing experience. Thankfully it works the vast majority of the time but every once in the while when typing you will find your cursor jumps to a random spot in the middle of typing.
The trackpad is a bit more of a mixed bag. The trackpad is probably the largest on the market on a laptop now. It’s comically large but it does mean you have plenty of space to set the tracking speed slower can still reach anywhere on the screen without lifting your finger. Reports coming from Asus were saying it would be a haptic touchpad which would have been great. Unfortunately, it is a traditional diving board trackpad. This works perfectly fine when using tap to click but if you need to drag and drop you will find the bottom of the keyboard had to reach and press. Palm rejection also can be inconsistent from time to time degrading the typing experience. Thankfully it works the vast majority of the time but every once in the while when typing you will find your cursor jumps to a random spot in the middle of typing.
Speakers 9.5
While it is easier to get good sound out of a larger chassis, the sound from these speakers is still surprising. The two large speaker grills to the sides of the keyboard certainly help but the overall tuning of the speakers is one of the best if not the best. Others might have slightly more bass, but the overall result is well balanced and plenty loud. In fact, if you set Dolby in Dynamic mode people two rooms over will know exactly which game you are playing. Out of the box the tuning is good but can tuned to your liking via the Dolby software. This G16 is only the second laptop I have owned where listening to music without headphones felt like a viable option.
While it is easier to get good sound out of a larger chassis, the sound from these speakers is still surprising. The two large speaker grills to the sides of the keyboard certainly help but the overall tuning of the speakers is one of the best if not the best. Others might have slightly more bass, but the overall result is well balanced and plenty loud. In fact, if you set Dolby in Dynamic mode people two rooms over will know exactly which game you are playing. Out of the box the tuning is good but can tuned to your liking via the Dolby software. This G16 is only the second laptop I have owned where listening to music without headphones felt like a viable option.
Battery 9/10
The 90Wh battery is a good compromise between weight and battery life. Of course, if the system is set on Performance using the dGPU you are probably going to be looking for an outlet in about 2 hours but for casual use or gaming using the iGPU you should be able to manage at least 4 hours. Regular productivity work on silent eco mode I have not been able to get a good estimate of because the longest single stretch of usage was over 5 hours. Based on usage so far in this mode it wouldn’t be a surprise if the battery could last for 7-8 hours at minimum.
The 90Wh battery is a good compromise between weight and battery life. Of course, if the system is set on Performance using the dGPU you are probably going to be looking for an outlet in about 2 hours but for casual use or gaming using the iGPU you should be able to manage at least 4 hours. Regular productivity work on silent eco mode I have not been able to get a good estimate of because the longest single stretch of usage was over 5 hours. Based on usage so far in this mode it wouldn’t be a surprise if the battery could last for 7-8 hours at minimum.
Performance 9/10
I know some might wish Asus offered the G16 with an 4080 or 4090 but the overall compromise feels worthwhile to keep the chassis thin and light at the expense of a few FPS. The one area where the 4070 falls short isn’t really an issue with Asus but Nvidia and their decision to hamstring it with only 8GB of VRAM. There have been games where it felt like the card had more headroom but was running into the VRAM limit. Halo Infinite is an example. Plugged in on Turbo with the dGPU in Ultimate mode the system easily returned 76.2FPS Avg, 107.6 Max, 29.8 Min, 52.1 1% Low, and 1.7 for 0.1% lows. The game ran smoothly until it had to grab from system memory causing a sharp dip. The effect was harder to see in Forza as pushing the limits with all setting maxed out, native resolution, and DLSS off it could still achieve 61FPS overall in the benchmark but did have a stutter count of 27 and GPU limited percentage of 99.1% showing the CPU isn’t a bottleneck to performance. Trying Doom Eternal on Ultra Nightmare returned 105FPS Avg, 130.8 Max, 86.6 Min, 77.5 1% Low, and 24.2 0.1% Lows. Overall, in most cases the VRAM was the limiting factor before the CPU, GPU, or memory. The included screenshots also performance if you use the iGPU for extended gameplay on battery. While performance using the Ryzen 890M iGPU is only about ¼ that of the RTX4070 it has the benefit of using up to 16GB of system memory as VRAM. It has the opposite limitation in that you will hit the performance ceiling of the iGPU long before running out of VRAM. Just remember to change the VRAM allocation from the tiny amount AMD allocates by default.
I know some might wish Asus offered the G16 with an 4080 or 4090 but the overall compromise feels worthwhile to keep the chassis thin and light at the expense of a few FPS. The one area where the 4070 falls short isn’t really an issue with Asus but Nvidia and their decision to hamstring it with only 8GB of VRAM. There have been games where it felt like the card had more headroom but was running into the VRAM limit. Halo Infinite is an example. Plugged in on Turbo with the dGPU in Ultimate mode the system easily returned 76.2FPS Avg, 107.6 Max, 29.8 Min, 52.1 1% Low, and 1.7 for 0.1% lows. The game ran smoothly until it had to grab from system memory causing a sharp dip. The effect was harder to see in Forza as pushing the limits with all setting maxed out, native resolution, and DLSS off it could still achieve 61FPS overall in the benchmark but did have a stutter count of 27 and GPU limited percentage of 99.1% showing the CPU isn’t a bottleneck to performance. Trying Doom Eternal on Ultra Nightmare returned 105FPS Avg, 130.8 Max, 86.6 Min, 77.5 1% Low, and 24.2 0.1% Lows. Overall, in most cases the VRAM was the limiting factor before the CPU, GPU, or memory. The included screenshots also performance if you use the iGPU for extended gameplay on battery. While performance using the Ryzen 890M iGPU is only about ¼ that of the RTX4070 it has the benefit of using up to 16GB of system memory as VRAM. It has the opposite limitation in that you will hit the performance ceiling of the iGPU long before running out of VRAM. Just remember to change the VRAM allocation from the tiny amount AMD allocates by default.
Cooling 9.9/10
Just like the Intel version of the G16 with the RTX4070, this version uses a heat pipe instead of a vapor chamber. Thankfully, it seems like Asus has done some reworking to this solution as the reports of the Intel version being loud and having a strange pitch from the 3rd fan don’t seem present in this version. In fact, in all the gaming laptops I have owned including several ROG laptops the cooling is by far the quietest. Even on Turbo mode with everything max out the fans are easily drowned out by the very capable speakers. Of course, the hot spot on the system in this mode would be uncomfortable on the skin the placement of the fans means you won’t feel it during gaming. The two main cooling fans are directly below where your hands rest on the keyboard, and you can feel air being pulled in from these areas actually giving a slight cooling effect. The major of the heat is shifted to the back center of the chassis just in front of the monitor and the center back. Both well away from your hands. Coming from older systems that tried to cook your hands this is a welcomed refinement.
Just like the Intel version of the G16 with the RTX4070, this version uses a heat pipe instead of a vapor chamber. Thankfully, it seems like Asus has done some reworking to this solution as the reports of the Intel version being loud and having a strange pitch from the 3rd fan don’t seem present in this version. In fact, in all the gaming laptops I have owned including several ROG laptops the cooling is by far the quietest. Even on Turbo mode with everything max out the fans are easily drowned out by the very capable speakers. Of course, the hot spot on the system in this mode would be uncomfortable on the skin the placement of the fans means you won’t feel it during gaming. The two main cooling fans are directly below where your hands rest on the keyboard, and you can feel air being pulled in from these areas actually giving a slight cooling effect. The major of the heat is shifted to the back center of the chassis just in front of the monitor and the center back. Both well away from your hands. Coming from older systems that tried to cook your hands this is a welcomed refinement.
Wi-Fi 3/10
This was left for last so as not to ruin the rest of this laptop. Unfortunately, Asus keeps choosing MediaTek for the Wi-Fi solution and issues persist. First, sitting right near a Wi-Fi 6E access point it would choose the 5GHz band and not even full speed at that. Making matters worse it randomly disappears from Windows. Turning off all power management of the driver in Device Manager helps some this but overall, the card is main black mark against this system. Thankfully, it is replaceable and better options are relatively inexpensive. It would be the one upgrade purchase you should plan for if you get this system.
This was left for last so as not to ruin the rest of this laptop. Unfortunately, Asus keeps choosing MediaTek for the Wi-Fi solution and issues persist. First, sitting right near a Wi-Fi 6E access point it would choose the 5GHz band and not even full speed at that. Making matters worse it randomly disappears from Windows. Turning off all power management of the driver in Device Manager helps some this but overall, the card is main black mark against this system. Thankfully, it is replaceable and better options are relatively inexpensive. It would be the one upgrade purchase you should plan for if you get this system.
Final Thoughts
Asus did a great job of striking a balance between performance, versatility, and portability with the ROG Zephyrus G16 and it feels like a major upgrade from previous generations. Now if they could sort out the warranty controversy things would be perfect. If the ROG Zephyrus G16 is in your budget it is worth serious consideration.
Asus did a great job of striking a balance between performance, versatility, and portability with the ROG Zephyrus G16 and it feels like a major upgrade from previous generations. Now if they could sort out the warranty controversy things would be perfect. If the ROG Zephyrus G16 is in your budget it is worth serious consideration.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Play your way with the ROG Ally X, the ultimate Windows gaming handheld. Access all your games as the Ally X is fully compatible with Steam, GOG, Xbox Game Pass, Epic, and more. Powered by the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor and equipped with 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1TB of storage, the Ally X can handle all your gaming demands. Its 80Wh battery and redesigned ergonomics ensure comfort during long gaming sessions. With ROG Intelligent Cooling, featuring a Zero Gravity thermal system and dual fan design, the Ally X stays cool and quiet in any orientation, letting you game your way. The Full HD 120Hz high refresh rate display with FreeSync Premium provides a crystal-clear view of the action, even in fast-paced games. Experience gaming like never before with the Ally X.
Customer Rating
5
A "Pro" version of the Ally
on July 29, 2024
Posted by: CraigB
Great
Great speakers
Quiet in on Turbo
SD card slot
Great 120Hz screen with V-Sync
2280 NVME allows more upgrade options
RAM faster and larger than standard Ally
Higher TDP for Silent and Performance on battery
Double the battery from the standard Ally
New hand grips are more comfortable
Great battery life for the form factor
2 USB-C ports and one with Thunderbolt
Works with external GPU for more horsepower
Supports multiple game platforms
Windows OS allows Xbox emulators
Can be used as your regular pc
Improved cooling system barely gets warm
Thumbsticks support Aura Sync
Buttons are clicky similar to an Xbox controller
Controls have been improved and feel tighter
Asus provides optimum game settings for most games
Great speakers
Quiet in on Turbo
SD card slot
Great 120Hz screen with V-Sync
2280 NVME allows more upgrade options
RAM faster and larger than standard Ally
Higher TDP for Silent and Performance on battery
Double the battery from the standard Ally
New hand grips are more comfortable
Great battery life for the form factor
2 USB-C ports and one with Thunderbolt
Works with external GPU for more horsepower
Supports multiple game platforms
Windows OS allows Xbox emulators
Can be used as your regular pc
Improved cooling system barely gets warm
Thumbsticks support Aura Sync
Buttons are clicky similar to an Xbox controller
Controls have been improved and feel tighter
Asus provides optimum game settings for most games
No So Great
ASUS controversy over warranty issues
RAM and Wi-Fi not upgradable
Still not OLED
D-Pad squeaks
Right shoulder button randomly triggers in 1 game
Speakers quieter after firmware upgrade
Included stands feel cheaply made
Buttons get blocked from working in certain games, including volume
Supports 100-watt charging but only includes 65-watt charger
Windows still has poor touchscreen support
ASUS controversy over warranty issues
RAM and Wi-Fi not upgradable
Still not OLED
D-Pad squeaks
Right shoulder button randomly triggers in 1 game
Speakers quieter after firmware upgrade
Included stands feel cheaply made
Buttons get blocked from working in certain games, including volume
Supports 100-watt charging but only includes 65-watt charger
Windows still has poor touchscreen support
First, if you have an original Ally, Extreme or non-Extreme edition, the Ally X isn’t likely a big enough upgrade unless you just have money to burn. The best way to think of the Ally X is more of a “Pro” version of the original Ally instead of a new version. It isn’t a massive upgrade to every part of the Ally but careful changes to the original to fine to the design. For the most part they succeeded.
Out of the box, the most notable change is simply the color change from black to white. There is still a cheap cardboard kickstand in the box but now it is in two pieces which is a small improvement as it won’t tip over now. The Ally X supports 100-watt charging but the charger included is still the original 65-watt. Looking closer, the hand grips are slightly larger and more rounded making holding easier for someone with larger hands. The bottom left and right corners have been rounded as well so you don’t have a squared off edge. Asus mentions the new shoulder buttons are upgraded Hall sensors but what they don’t mention is they are more curved giving a distinct feeling of the upper and lower buttons. Another subtle change is the power button with fingerprint reader is now recessed slightly. This makes finding the button by feel easier than the original Ally.
Controls 8/10
The new design feels more comfortable in the hand. It is slightly heavier, but it makes it feel solid. The larger, more sculpted hand grips and shoulder buttons make it feel easier to hold with a more natural feel in the hands. The lower should buttons have a longer travel that feels smoother. The upper shoulder buttons have a clicky feel to them with a distinct activation point. The joysticks feel firmer giving better feedback making movements feel more precise. The d-pad feels completely different with a more domed design with 8 distinct activation points. The one thing that made it feel slightly cheap was it would randomly squeak during usage. Thankfully this didn’t effect performance. The XYAB buttons look the same but have slightly more travel and a more clicky feeling very similar to an Xbox controller. Asus says they have changed the spacing between the joysticks and the d-pad and buttons which is nice, but there is still one small downside. The right joystick is very close to the touchscreen. This means that sometimes when playing you can cause random things to happen as you trigger controls in the game. For example, in Halo you can accidentally trigger your weapon to fire as you are moving. Strangely, when this happens the weapon sometimes continues to fire until you are out of ammo. The activation was random so it can’t be said if that is exact problem. This also happened on the original Ally and one option mentioned was to disable the touchscreen. It would be great if Asus offered option in Command Center to disable the touchscreen quickly for situations like this. I have had it trigger when pressing the Y button hard sometimes. So far, I have only had this happen with versions of Halo so it might be a software issue, but it is worth verifying if you purchase one. There are other game specific control quirks that might need to be worked out. The vibration motors would run constantly in Halo Reach but work perfectly fine in ODST.
The new design feels more comfortable in the hand. It is slightly heavier, but it makes it feel solid. The larger, more sculpted hand grips and shoulder buttons make it feel easier to hold with a more natural feel in the hands. The lower should buttons have a longer travel that feels smoother. The upper shoulder buttons have a clicky feel to them with a distinct activation point. The joysticks feel firmer giving better feedback making movements feel more precise. The d-pad feels completely different with a more domed design with 8 distinct activation points. The one thing that made it feel slightly cheap was it would randomly squeak during usage. Thankfully this didn’t effect performance. The XYAB buttons look the same but have slightly more travel and a more clicky feeling very similar to an Xbox controller. Asus says they have changed the spacing between the joysticks and the d-pad and buttons which is nice, but there is still one small downside. The right joystick is very close to the touchscreen. This means that sometimes when playing you can cause random things to happen as you trigger controls in the game. For example, in Halo you can accidentally trigger your weapon to fire as you are moving. Strangely, when this happens the weapon sometimes continues to fire until you are out of ammo. The activation was random so it can’t be said if that is exact problem. This also happened on the original Ally and one option mentioned was to disable the touchscreen. It would be great if Asus offered option in Command Center to disable the touchscreen quickly for situations like this. I have had it trigger when pressing the Y button hard sometimes. So far, I have only had this happen with versions of Halo so it might be a software issue, but it is worth verifying if you purchase one. There are other game specific control quirks that might need to be worked out. The vibration motors would run constantly in Halo Reach but work perfectly fine in ODST.
Cooling 10/10
Asus usually does a great job on their cooling solutions and the Ally X is no slouch. Even when gaming while plugged in with 30W Turbo the Ally only became slightly warm in the center. You can feel them working because they can push out good amount of heat that you can feel straight out of the top air vents. During extended gameplay there wasn’t any sign of heat buildup either. This is likely due in part to the cooling redesign where the fans seem to be on most of the time. Because of the sound profile they are barely audible even at full tilt.
Asus usually does a great job on their cooling solutions and the Ally X is no slouch. Even when gaming while plugged in with 30W Turbo the Ally only became slightly warm in the center. You can feel them working because they can push out good amount of heat that you can feel straight out of the top air vents. During extended gameplay there wasn’t any sign of heat buildup either. This is likely due in part to the cooling redesign where the fans seem to be on most of the time. Because of the sound profile they are barely audible even at full tilt.
Audio 9/10
Asus says have upgrade the speakers to be louder than the previous generation. When first unboxed that was true, but after some updates the answer is more that it depends on what you are doing. Watching YouTube videos or playing music the new speakers are noticeably louder and have much better range. While the no substitute for good headphones or discreet speakers they are good enough to make you question if you really feel like using headphones. After a recent update some games became noticeably quieter. For example, in Halo the music and sounds seem noticeably quieter. This can be improved by turning off Dolby audio, but it is still quieter. The same is also true in Minecraft. However, in Forza the opposite is true. Sounds are just as loud as the Ally X was first unboxed, so the change is something software related. A full solution hasn’t been found but overall, it is a minor issue. Every game has been plenty loud for most situations, and any weren’t they were was when headphones would be best anyway.
Asus says have upgrade the speakers to be louder than the previous generation. When first unboxed that was true, but after some updates the answer is more that it depends on what you are doing. Watching YouTube videos or playing music the new speakers are noticeably louder and have much better range. While the no substitute for good headphones or discreet speakers they are good enough to make you question if you really feel like using headphones. After a recent update some games became noticeably quieter. For example, in Halo the music and sounds seem noticeably quieter. This can be improved by turning off Dolby audio, but it is still quieter. The same is also true in Minecraft. However, in Forza the opposite is true. Sounds are just as loud as the Ally X was first unboxed, so the change is something software related. A full solution hasn’t been found but overall, it is a minor issue. Every game has been plenty loud for most situations, and any weren’t they were was when headphones would be best anyway.
Battery Life 10/10
While there are a lot of subtle tweaks, the battery upgrade is the not-so-subtle change. Doubling the size from 40 Wh to 80 Wh puts the battery size squarely into the laptop category with hardly any change in the overall weight or feeling. On silent mode it isn’t hard to get over 6 hours of gaming out of this device. If you are playing retro games or willing to turn down the quality even more, you can manually adjust the TDP down to 7 watts and you could possibly get over 11 hours of gameplay. Of course, if battery life is less of a concern, you can push it up to 25 watts and boost up to 30 watts for 2 minutes and still have a good chance of getting over 3 hours of gameplay. In testing, turning off CPU Boost seems to really help extend on battery gaming. Unless your game is CPU bound, leaving CPU Boost on just pushes more power to the CPU unnecessarily killing your battery life. The Silent power profile has been bumped from 10 to 13 watts and Performance from 15 to 17 watts and yet gameplay on battery is still longer than the original Ally. Overall, it is a great feeling to know if you have the option to turn down the power and the battery would likely last longer than you would gaming. Overall, unlike my original Ally, with the Ally X I don’t pay as much attention to battery life unless I need to take it for an extended period. I can play for a bit and set it down. When I return I can feel confident there is enough battery left for a good 20 or 30 minutes to relax. You can’t do the same with a regular gaming system or a console. It feels as quick and convenient as playing a game on your phone.
While there are a lot of subtle tweaks, the battery upgrade is the not-so-subtle change. Doubling the size from 40 Wh to 80 Wh puts the battery size squarely into the laptop category with hardly any change in the overall weight or feeling. On silent mode it isn’t hard to get over 6 hours of gaming out of this device. If you are playing retro games or willing to turn down the quality even more, you can manually adjust the TDP down to 7 watts and you could possibly get over 11 hours of gameplay. Of course, if battery life is less of a concern, you can push it up to 25 watts and boost up to 30 watts for 2 minutes and still have a good chance of getting over 3 hours of gameplay. In testing, turning off CPU Boost seems to really help extend on battery gaming. Unless your game is CPU bound, leaving CPU Boost on just pushes more power to the CPU unnecessarily killing your battery life. The Silent power profile has been bumped from 10 to 13 watts and Performance from 15 to 17 watts and yet gameplay on battery is still longer than the original Ally. Overall, it is a great feeling to know if you have the option to turn down the power and the battery would likely last longer than you would gaming. Overall, unlike my original Ally, with the Ally X I don’t pay as much attention to battery life unless I need to take it for an extended period. I can play for a bit and set it down. When I return I can feel confident there is enough battery left for a good 20 or 30 minutes to relax. You can’t do the same with a regular gaming system or a console. It feels as quick and convenient as playing a game on your phone.
Performance 10/10
Of course, this will never compete in performance with a system has a discrete GPU, but it is surprising how capable the Ally X is for the size. While it is the same CPU as the previous generation, the upgraded RAM helps. With the original Ally the default setting was 4GB of ram for the GPU and 16GB for the system. With Ally X the system can keep the 16GB but now the default VRAM is doubled to 8GB. Older games this isn’t much of an issue but in games such as Forza 2023 this translates to being able to run on High detail settings without RSR and still being to stay north of 35FPS when on 25-Watt Turbo in the Benchmark tool. Halo Infinite was able to maintain a minimum of 30FPS on 25-Watt Turbo but with settings on high. That isn’t ideal, but it was a bit surprising to see it able to keep frame rates above 30. The highest playable preset was Medium with a low of 45FPS. On legacy titles, such as Halo Reach, the Performance preset could keep framerates above 55FPS. If you prefer a slower pace or just want more game time on battery, Minecraft on default settings could run easily on Silent smoothly and play for 3 hours and still have more than half of the battery left. I didn’t bother trying RTX as RTX support even with Nvidia GPUs is hit or miss in Minecraft. I’m still playing around with Emudeck and retro games, but this is where if you needed to go the distance without charging you have a good chance. Games up to SNES and Sega Megadrive run easily at 13 watts and likely much less. I have more games and tweaking to do where I don’t know where to start and that is a nice problem to have. For modern popular games you can save the time tweaking and just visit the ROGAllyLife website and get the best settings for the game for the power profiles that work.
Of course, this will never compete in performance with a system has a discrete GPU, but it is surprising how capable the Ally X is for the size. While it is the same CPU as the previous generation, the upgraded RAM helps. With the original Ally the default setting was 4GB of ram for the GPU and 16GB for the system. With Ally X the system can keep the 16GB but now the default VRAM is doubled to 8GB. Older games this isn’t much of an issue but in games such as Forza 2023 this translates to being able to run on High detail settings without RSR and still being to stay north of 35FPS when on 25-Watt Turbo in the Benchmark tool. Halo Infinite was able to maintain a minimum of 30FPS on 25-Watt Turbo but with settings on high. That isn’t ideal, but it was a bit surprising to see it able to keep frame rates above 30. The highest playable preset was Medium with a low of 45FPS. On legacy titles, such as Halo Reach, the Performance preset could keep framerates above 55FPS. If you prefer a slower pace or just want more game time on battery, Minecraft on default settings could run easily on Silent smoothly and play for 3 hours and still have more than half of the battery left. I didn’t bother trying RTX as RTX support even with Nvidia GPUs is hit or miss in Minecraft. I’m still playing around with Emudeck and retro games, but this is where if you needed to go the distance without charging you have a good chance. Games up to SNES and Sega Megadrive run easily at 13 watts and likely much less. I have more games and tweaking to do where I don’t know where to start and that is a nice problem to have. For modern popular games you can save the time tweaking and just visit the ROGAllyLife website and get the best settings for the game for the power profiles that work.
Final Thoughts
While the ROG Ally X could use further improvement, it is overall a solid evolution of the original Ally. While it comes with the downsides and complexities of a Windows gaming device, it also comes with all the upsides and options. If it is in your budget and you can look past the controversy with Asus warranty support, the ROG Ally X is the best Windows gaming handheld on the market now.
While the ROG Ally X could use further improvement, it is overall a solid evolution of the original Ally. While it comes with the downsides and complexities of a Windows gaming device, it also comes with all the upsides and options. If it is in your budget and you can look past the controversy with Asus warranty support, the ROG Ally X is the best Windows gaming handheld on the market now.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Tap. Unlock. You're Home. Yale Assure Lock 2 Plus makes key-free access easier and more secure than ever before. Using Apple home keys, a simple tap with your iPhone or Apple Watch is all it takes to lock or unlock your door- and for even faster access, add your Home Key to your Apple Wallet app with Express Mode enabled. Remotely let people in, lock up, send custom entry codes, and track who comes with real time notifications from anywhere through the Yale Access app. For added peace of mind, never worry about locking the door behind you with advanced Auto-Lock and advanced DoorSense technology. To use home keys, iPhone XS or later with iOS 15 or later and Apple Watch Series 4 or later with watchOS 8 or later are required.
Posted by: CraigB
Great
Easy to unlock/lock
Solid Feel
Includes Wi-Fi module
Ability to detect if door is ajar/open/closed
Multiple install options
Allows temporary and scheduled access
Reliable once set up
Wi-Fi module is swappable with other modules
Doesn’t require battery draining Wi-Fi for Homekit
Easy to unlock/lock
Solid Feel
Includes Wi-Fi module
Ability to detect if door is ajar/open/closed
Multiple install options
Allows temporary and scheduled access
Reliable once set up
Wi-Fi module is swappable with other modules
Doesn’t require battery draining Wi-Fi for Homekit
Not So Great
Multiple install options are more complicated
No manual unlock method
App setup slow
Homekit is via Bluetooth restricting speed and distance
Short battery life with Wi-Fi module (worse with poor Wi-Fi)
Multiple install options are more complicated
No manual unlock method
App setup slow
Homekit is via Bluetooth restricting speed and distance
Short battery life with Wi-Fi module (worse with poor Wi-Fi)
The Yale Assure Lock 2 has a clean and simple appearance. The back only has the lever to lock the deadbolt and the front only has the keypad with the Yale logo. The numbers aren’t visible until you tap the pin pad or logo area. The kit includes a Wi-Fi module for remote access which can be changed with other modules. Included in the box is an optional DoorSense Magnet which allows the lock to know if the door is closed, ajar, or open.
Installation 8/10
The physical installation includes a very detailed booklet with measurements for different sized doors and offsets so you can ensure the lock is compatible with your door and how to install it for your specific door. While it does add complication it ensures a proper install if you follow it completely removing any guesswork. Hardware is included for several installation scenarios. The app also has videos to walk you through the install step by step although strangely they are displayed in widescreen format while in portrait mode. You can’t view them full screen to make them easier to view. If you have a computer or tablet handy it might be easier to just look up the videos on YouTube as Yale has posted them to their channel. The basic setup through the app was straightforward and easy requiring only patience as the pairing, update, and setup process is slow. It also walks you through setting up the Wi-Fi module which adds extra functionality like the ability to change settings remotely, set up guest codes, Autolock, Autounlock, and remote alerts for events.
The physical installation includes a very detailed booklet with measurements for different sized doors and offsets so you can ensure the lock is compatible with your door and how to install it for your specific door. While it does add complication it ensures a proper install if you follow it completely removing any guesswork. Hardware is included for several installation scenarios. The app also has videos to walk you through the install step by step although strangely they are displayed in widescreen format while in portrait mode. You can’t view them full screen to make them easier to view. If you have a computer or tablet handy it might be easier to just look up the videos on YouTube as Yale has posted them to their channel. The basic setup through the app was straightforward and easy requiring only patience as the pairing, update, and setup process is slow. It also walks you through setting up the Wi-Fi module which adds extra functionality like the ability to change settings remotely, set up guest codes, Autolock, Autounlock, and remote alerts for events.
Homekit pairing was similarly easy but even slower. First, you need to have either a Homepod or Apple TV nearby. While it doesn’t say, the connection to Homekit is via Bluetooth. This was also verified by removing the Wi-Fi module and it was still accessible via Homekit. In my case this meant with my Apple TV a fair distance apart the setup was slow and laggy. Status and controls are also slow until I put a device closer. The good thing is once setup is complete Apple Home immediately noticed the new Homekey and prompted to add it. No other setup is needed and both the phone and Apple Watch automatically installed the key. While not a Yale issue, the Homekey didn’t work for one family member. When they would tap their phone, it would just say done and nothing would happen. The only way to fix it was to remove the family member from Apple Home and reinvite them.
Once connected to Homekit the lock was exposed to automations meaning it could be set to lock automatically when all family members left the house. It could also be set to unlock when a family member arrives. This is not recommended as it could unlock when you are just nearby the house and not in front of the door. There could be some creative workarounds with a more sophisticated automation but careless use could leave your house unlocked.
Usage 9/10
Coming from an old Yale Smart lock it seems they have improved the internals of the Assure Lock 2. The lever feels more smooth and solid and doesn’t get hung up when locking like the old version did even using the original striker plate. Actuation is also easier but does sound a bit loose with a metallic clunk on lock and unlock which is more common on budget and mid-range locks. During daily use the lock as been very reliable.
Coming from an old Yale Smart lock it seems they have improved the internals of the Assure Lock 2. The lever feels more smooth and solid and doesn’t get hung up when locking like the old version did even using the original striker plate. Actuation is also easier but does sound a bit loose with a metallic clunk on lock and unlock which is more common on budget and mid-range locks. During daily use the lock as been very reliable.
Unlocking via the keypad is treated as a secondary feature. The numbers are not visible to start. You must tap the keypad area or the Yale logo for the numbers to light up. Locking from the outside requires you to touch the Yale logo. While the keypad is touch sensitive, it requires a large area pressed to register your finger. Pressure doesn’t make a difference, but size does even requiring some family members to use their thumb to properly register a key press. It works, but isn’t quite a standout in quality.
Homekey with an Apple Watch or iPhone is the star of the show with this lock. You just hold it up to the keypad for 1-2 seconds and the door unlocks automatically. Yale seems to have also improved the lock/unlock speed compared to their older models. The motor sounds more powerful and the deadbolt moves more quickly. The slowest part of the unlock process was waiting for the phone/watch to unlock the door. It has been so convenient that the family is ready to change the other locks in the house.
An interesting benefit is the Apple TVs in the house show who just entered. You can be watching TV and when a family member unlocks with their Apple device the TV will show the name of the family member and which door they unlocked. While it is a small feature it is really handy to know who just came in while you are watching a movie loudly.
Since this has no manual unlock method from the outside you don’t want to be caught with dead batteries. There is a backup option of using a 9-volt battery but of course most people don’t just carry those around. One thing that isn’t well documented is how to check the battery level. The Yale app doesn’t show battery life and only tells you when they are low, but the Apple Home app does show battery percentage remaining. Unless you just ignore the notifications, you should have plenty of time to put a fresh set of batteries in.
The main downside is a limitation of Homekey. As of the time this review was written there is no way to share a Homekey without giving someone access to your entire Apple Home. The only current restriction is you can block there access away from the home. It would be nice if Apple does implement this so you don’t have to make a choice between creating pin codes for guests or giving them full access to your entire smart home.
Final Thoughts
The Yale Assure Lock 2 is a sleek and easy to use Homekey lock. After you start using it, it’s hard to imagine going back to traditional locks. The main features missing are on the Apple Home side so it is hard to fault Yale for this. If you are in the market for a Homekey lock, like the sleek looks of the Assure Lock 2, and don’t want to wait for the next generation which can detect proximity to unlock nearby then the Assure Lock 2 is a solid offering.
The Yale Assure Lock 2 is a sleek and easy to use Homekey lock. After you start using it, it’s hard to imagine going back to traditional locks. The main features missing are on the Apple Home side so it is hard to fault Yale for this. If you are in the market for a Homekey lock, like the sleek looks of the Assure Lock 2, and don’t want to wait for the next generation which can detect proximity to unlock nearby then the Assure Lock 2 is a solid offering.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The most flexible laptop, reimagined — Surface Pro helps you get the most out of your day with accelerated performance that unlocks a new AI era to enable Copilot experiences, and battery life₅ to keep you going all-day long. All wrapped up in an ultra-portable design that can replace your tablet, your laptop, and does more than you could ever imagine.
Customer Rating
4
Great hardware, hindered by Windows desktop focus
on July 3, 2024
Posted by: CraigB
Great
Solid build quality
Barely drains battery while asleep
Silent during normal usage
Fast
Can still run legacy programs
Good speakers
SSD easily upgradable
Repairability greatly improved
Slightly rounded edges more comfortable
Sturdy kickstand stays where it is placed
Includes Wi-Fi 7
Two USB-C ports
Solid build quality
Barely drains battery while asleep
Silent during normal usage
Fast
Can still run legacy programs
Good speakers
SSD easily upgradable
Repairability greatly improved
Slightly rounded edges more comfortable
Sturdy kickstand stays where it is placed
Includes Wi-Fi 7
Two USB-C ports
No So Great
Several AI features advertised require a subscription
Windows sending data to Microsoft by default
Increased bloatware built into Windows
Windows increasing advertising
App store still limited
Apps have limited touch optimization
Limited usability without keyboard cover
Several AI features advertised require a subscription
Windows sending data to Microsoft by default
Increased bloatware built into Windows
Windows increasing advertising
App store still limited
Apps have limited touch optimization
Limited usability without keyboard cover
At first glance looks identical to is predecessor. The only outward difference is the edges have a slight curve compared to previous models. This makes it feel more comfortable in the hand. It has some weight to it but feels solid and well-built with no hint of flex. The SSD is upgradable via a cover held on magnetically and according to iFixit, repairability has been greatly improved. The original magnetic charger is still featured and still a bit finicky to connect with weak magnets. USB charging is also supported.
Setup 6/10
Each time Microsoft makes an improvement to Windows they seem to add a change that takes a step backwards. Setup is the familiar Windows setup but now it is even harder to set up with a local account, OneDrive is automatically enabled, and the base Office Suite is installed by default. Also, during setup Windows Updates are required to be installed before you can even start using the device. Taking a sleek new Surface out of the box only to be stuck waiting 30 minutes for Windows Updates is a bit of a letdown. Once you are in you are greeted with preinstalled third-party apps you did not choose. It would be better if the system just did something like open the Windows Store on first login so people could see and choose what they wanted to install instead. Maybe even have a welcome page on the store that displayed options for essential apps to help without installing first.
Each time Microsoft makes an improvement to Windows they seem to add a change that takes a step backwards. Setup is the familiar Windows setup but now it is even harder to set up with a local account, OneDrive is automatically enabled, and the base Office Suite is installed by default. Also, during setup Windows Updates are required to be installed before you can even start using the device. Taking a sleek new Surface out of the box only to be stuck waiting 30 minutes for Windows Updates is a bit of a letdown. Once you are in you are greeted with preinstalled third-party apps you did not choose. It would be better if the system just did something like open the Windows Store on first login so people could see and choose what they wanted to install instead. Maybe even have a welcome page on the store that displayed options for essential apps to help without installing first.
General Hardware 8/10
As a 2-in-1, the Surface hardware is very nice and does a good job of being a good laptop and tablet but not outstanding for either. As a laptop the kickstand is too sharp for extended use on your lap as it digs into your legs. As a tablet it feels more comfortable to use the kickstand and watch videos versus holding in portrait mode as a reading device. Desktop or docked is best as it feels as good as seamless as desktop computer.
As a 2-in-1, the Surface hardware is very nice and does a good job of being a good laptop and tablet but not outstanding for either. As a laptop the kickstand is too sharp for extended use on your lap as it digs into your legs. As a tablet it feels more comfortable to use the kickstand and watch videos versus holding in portrait mode as a reading device. Desktop or docked is best as it feels as good as seamless as desktop computer.
Speakers 9/10
It’s surprising how capable the speakers are with everything crammed it this chassis. Coming from an older Surface, the speakers in the Surface Pro 11 are not only much louder but far more capable with more range. They are still limited in bass but still do surprisingly well for the size. Of course, music would sound better on discrete speakers or headphones the built in ones are nice for casual movie or music sessions. Voices are produced with good depth making them easier to understand than tablets years ago where voices were thin and hollow.
It’s surprising how capable the speakers are with everything crammed it this chassis. Coming from an older Surface, the speakers in the Surface Pro 11 are not only much louder but far more capable with more range. They are still limited in bass but still do surprisingly well for the size. Of course, music would sound better on discrete speakers or headphones the built in ones are nice for casual movie or music sessions. Voices are produced with good depth making them easier to understand than tablets years ago where voices were thin and hollow.
Cameras 6/10
Camera quality in tablets has improved greatly in the past few years. Since Qualcomm processors were originally built for mobile, they have dedicated camera processing, and it shows. The quality is very good with minimal noise and decent dynamic range. No surprise it doesn’t compete with high end dedicated cameras but it a marked improvement from older webcams and nearly as good as modern smartphones. Using the AI features for automatic tracking or background blur is similar to previous webcams but without any lag.
Camera quality in tablets has improved greatly in the past few years. Since Qualcomm processors were originally built for mobile, they have dedicated camera processing, and it shows. The quality is very good with minimal noise and decent dynamic range. No surprise it doesn’t compete with high end dedicated cameras but it a marked improvement from older webcams and nearly as good as modern smartphones. Using the AI features for automatic tracking or background blur is similar to previous webcams but without any lag.
Battery Life 9/10
This is where having the Qualcomm processor really shows. Previous generations of Surface had decent battery life when doing basic work but still didn’t last long. Once you start to push them the fans would ramp up, the tablet would start to heat up, and the battery would drop fast. While the Surface Pro 11 won’t win any awards for the longest battery life, it is still vastly improved and removes a lot of anxiety of running out of battery. Of course, what you have installed and running in the background makes a difference but overall, it has been easy to get a full day of casual usage out of the battery. Furthermore, performance doesn’t feel any difference regardless of whether it is plugged in or not. The larger difference is noticed based on the performance profile you choose. While you can still definitely burn through the battery quickly leaving open heavy apps running the background, battery life is significantly better. Where this shows through the most is in standby time. Previously Windows devices, including an older Surface Pro, would lose half their battery or more overnight on standby if not turned off, the Surface Pro 11 can just go to sleep and when you wake it up the next morning you might have lost 1 or 2% battery. With the Surface Pro 11 you can just put it to sleep, and odds are when you come back in a few hours or a day or even two you will still a good amount of battery life waiting to be used. No more opening your bag to a hot laptop and a dead battery. Legacy X86 apps that run in the background will eat through your battery faster but still better than in the past. Hopefully further optimization for non-native apps will improve this in the future. Adjusting to battery life takes some time as normally seeing 34% battery life on an old Windows device would have you looking for your charger. On this Surface you can check back after 20 minutes of use and only dropped from 34% to 32%. There have been times where this Surface has gone over 2 days without needing a charge with sporadic use.
This is where having the Qualcomm processor really shows. Previous generations of Surface had decent battery life when doing basic work but still didn’t last long. Once you start to push them the fans would ramp up, the tablet would start to heat up, and the battery would drop fast. While the Surface Pro 11 won’t win any awards for the longest battery life, it is still vastly improved and removes a lot of anxiety of running out of battery. Of course, what you have installed and running in the background makes a difference but overall, it has been easy to get a full day of casual usage out of the battery. Furthermore, performance doesn’t feel any difference regardless of whether it is plugged in or not. The larger difference is noticed based on the performance profile you choose. While you can still definitely burn through the battery quickly leaving open heavy apps running the background, battery life is significantly better. Where this shows through the most is in standby time. Previously Windows devices, including an older Surface Pro, would lose half their battery or more overnight on standby if not turned off, the Surface Pro 11 can just go to sleep and when you wake it up the next morning you might have lost 1 or 2% battery. With the Surface Pro 11 you can just put it to sleep, and odds are when you come back in a few hours or a day or even two you will still a good amount of battery life waiting to be used. No more opening your bag to a hot laptop and a dead battery. Legacy X86 apps that run in the background will eat through your battery faster but still better than in the past. Hopefully further optimization for non-native apps will improve this in the future. Adjusting to battery life takes some time as normally seeing 34% battery life on an old Windows device would have you looking for your charger. On this Surface you can check back after 20 minutes of use and only dropped from 34% to 32%. There have been times where this Surface has gone over 2 days without needing a charge with sporadic use.
Performance 9/10
While running a full operating system it mostly runs as snappy as a tablet with a lightweight mobile OS. Native apps feel fluid with no perceived loss in performance. On some legacy X86 apps you can occasionally feel more of the translation happening, but it mostly seems to occur on install or launch where times are slightly longer. Once things are up and running for the translation process for non Arm apps feels transparent and doesn’t present a problem unlike the old Windows RT days. In fact, even installing legacy keyboard and mouse drivers went off without a hitch. A bonus is that even though it has fans, they have been inaudible if they have even been on. Also, the case has only felt barely warm to the touch. So far, the only issue encountered was Apple Music. The Windows Store won’t install because it says it is not compatible with the processor which is strange that the only error has occurred with a modern app and not a legacy one. For a first generation of a new series of Arm processors for Windows the transition feels far smoother like they got it right this time. It doesn’t feel like a compromise this time but an upgrade.
While running a full operating system it mostly runs as snappy as a tablet with a lightweight mobile OS. Native apps feel fluid with no perceived loss in performance. On some legacy X86 apps you can occasionally feel more of the translation happening, but it mostly seems to occur on install or launch where times are slightly longer. Once things are up and running for the translation process for non Arm apps feels transparent and doesn’t present a problem unlike the old Windows RT days. In fact, even installing legacy keyboard and mouse drivers went off without a hitch. A bonus is that even though it has fans, they have been inaudible if they have even been on. Also, the case has only felt barely warm to the touch. So far, the only issue encountered was Apple Music. The Windows Store won’t install because it says it is not compatible with the processor which is strange that the only error has occurred with a modern app and not a legacy one. For a first generation of a new series of Arm processors for Windows the transition feels far smoother like they got it right this time. It doesn’t feel like a compromise this time but an upgrade.
Software usage 5/10
As a fan of Windows, it is hard to see Microsoft seem like they are going to hit a home run and then miss. The core of Windows is still the same old Windows, but Microsoft really needs to decide how committed they are to convertibles from a software perspective. This, more than anything else, brings down the Surface and other Windows convertibles. While adding new features to Windows, the touch experience on Windows still feels stagnant and a missed opportunity. They made small changes to increase the size of some touch targets, but it would be nice to see them bring some of the touch features of Windows 8 to Windows 11 in a thoughtful manner. An example would be offering swipe gestures in tablet mode. Another example is “New’ Outlook. By default, when opening Outlook when using it as a tablet, buttons are small and crowed and controls are nested in a way that works best with a mouse. There are no gestures to browse emails and each line is small. Deleting or archiving an email takes multiple presses. Another example is sometimes the onscreen keyboard. Sometimes it would not launch, launch completely white until restart, or close in the middle of typing.
As a fan of Windows, it is hard to see Microsoft seem like they are going to hit a home run and then miss. The core of Windows is still the same old Windows, but Microsoft really needs to decide how committed they are to convertibles from a software perspective. This, more than anything else, brings down the Surface and other Windows convertibles. While adding new features to Windows, the touch experience on Windows still feels stagnant and a missed opportunity. They made small changes to increase the size of some touch targets, but it would be nice to see them bring some of the touch features of Windows 8 to Windows 11 in a thoughtful manner. An example would be offering swipe gestures in tablet mode. Another example is “New’ Outlook. By default, when opening Outlook when using it as a tablet, buttons are small and crowed and controls are nested in a way that works best with a mouse. There are no gestures to browse emails and each line is small. Deleting or archiving an email takes multiple presses. Another example is sometimes the onscreen keyboard. Sometimes it would not launch, launch completely white until restart, or close in the middle of typing.
Microsoft also needs to tone down their advertising, specifically within the OS. By default, Windows now shows you ads for Office and OneDrive on setup, then third-party ads in the start menu, then pushing more ads within the sidebar. This is all by default. It would be better if Microsoft would just send an email showing what was offered or put a page in app store. It feels like Windows is becoming more of an advertising platform than an OS. At the very least these should be opt in features, not opt out.
AI Features 6/10
Right now, the AI features feel incomplete. Understanding the differences is confusing. The AI camera effects are nice but with many returning to the office, video meetings have reduced the need. Live translation but I don’t know anyone to try live translation on and unfortunately don’t have access to the summary tools. The main AI tools that have are useful are for editing photos. With Windows Photos you can retouch photos, remove and replace backgrounds, smart erase. With Paint you can sketch a basic design and use Cocreator to help you enhance your design. Cocreator and Image Creator are still in the early stages, so results are inconsistent. There are other AI tools that Microsoft shows you can use to summarize documents and write things for you, but they don’t explain well those are in a different product called Copilot Pro that is an additional subscription beyond Office 365. With the integrated NPU it would have been nice if Microsoft included those without a subscription.
Right now, the AI features feel incomplete. Understanding the differences is confusing. The AI camera effects are nice but with many returning to the office, video meetings have reduced the need. Live translation but I don’t know anyone to try live translation on and unfortunately don’t have access to the summary tools. The main AI tools that have are useful are for editing photos. With Windows Photos you can retouch photos, remove and replace backgrounds, smart erase. With Paint you can sketch a basic design and use Cocreator to help you enhance your design. Cocreator and Image Creator are still in the early stages, so results are inconsistent. There are other AI tools that Microsoft shows you can use to summarize documents and write things for you, but they don’t explain well those are in a different product called Copilot Pro that is an additional subscription beyond Office 365. With the integrated NPU it would have been nice if Microsoft included those without a subscription.
Final Thoughts
The Surface Pro 11 on the hardware side is a solid device. Microsoft needs to work on having a clear and concise path for where they are taking Windows with regards to advertising as well as tablet controls. Hopefully some of the subscription features will trickle down to be included with Windows as they seem compelling. That said, if you are looking for a quality Windows 2-in-1 device the Surface Pro 11 is a solid option, and the Arm chip is a gamechanger.
The Surface Pro 11 on the hardware side is a solid device. Microsoft needs to work on having a clear and concise path for where they are taking Windows with regards to advertising as well as tablet controls. Hopefully some of the subscription features will trickle down to be included with Windows as they seem compelling. That said, if you are looking for a quality Windows 2-in-1 device the Surface Pro 11 is a solid option, and the Arm chip is a gamechanger.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Next-level versatility comes in the perfect pair — Surface Slim Pen (2nd Edition) stores securely and recharges in the premium keyboard, featuring a large glass touchpad and luxurious, Alcantara material covering. Ready to pair with Surface Pro (11th Edition), Surface Pro 9 and Surface Pro 8.*
Posted by: CraigB
Great
Nice typing experience
Backlit
Light
Includes dock for pen
Pen automatically orients for charging
Nice typing experience
Backlit
Light
Includes dock for pen
Pen automatically orients for charging
No So Great
Keys squeak
Trackpad rattles
Keyboard sometimes stops working
Keys squeak
Trackpad rattles
Keyboard sometimes stops working
The Slim Pen and Keyboard combo provides a good all in one solution for input on the Surface. The deck feels roughly the same as it has for years. It feels solid and light. Overall typing is good with decent key travel. Activation requires a bit heavier touch than some keyboards, but activation is reliable. A slight detraction from the overall typing experience is a slightly loose rattle when tapped and a squeaking sound when keys are pressed. It sounds very similar to the sound on low profile chiclet keyboards suggesting it is a tradeoff for having these types of shallow keys. If you have had previous Surface Type covers the sound and feeling will be familiar. If you prefer a solid and stable typing experience, you will likely prefer laying the keyboard flat on a surface. When propped up the typing experienced has a slightly hollow feel due to the thinness of the cover. The touchpad is on the smaller side but it glides smoothly with excellent tracking and palm rejection.
The addition of a Slim Pen dock is nice. You don’t even have to worry about how you place the pen into the dock. When your drop it in the magnets flip it to orient correctly so it charges without fuss. They work well enough that if you get close enough it is like it magically pulls the pen into the dock and flips it around all on its own. When the keyboard is propped up the pen is hidden out of sight in the dock. A small but nice touch is when you attach the cover to the Surface it automatically pairs the pen making the process seamless. The pen has a nice medium weight and size to it. It feels a little strange at first being round, but it is easy to get used to and the oblong shape makes it easy to hold and orient to keep the button where you want it. The writing experience is good but not quite pen like. The feeling is smooth with a small amount of friction. It is funny that Microsoft calls it a pen when it has an eraser. The back of the pen serves as both a button and an eraser. By default, it brings up OneNote when clicked. If you flip it around it erase just like a pencil. In fact, it even has a slightly rubbery texture just like a pencil.
Beyond the minor squeaks and rattles the combination of the Slim Pen and Keyboard cover feels nice. It is a perfect compliment to the Surface Pro.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Crucial® DDR5 Memory has the blazing speed and massive bandwidth needed for the next generation of multi-core CPUs. This innovative technology empowers your system to multitask better, load, analyze, edit, and render faster, game with higher frame rates, uncover data insights faster, enhance productivity to save time and money, significantly reduce lag for heavy workloads and optimize power efficiency over the previous generation. Crucial DDR5 Memory can enable your computer to harness performance that was once only possible with extreme performance memory.
Posted by: CraigB
Great
Crucial reliability
Simple black aesthetic
Low profile will fit in most laptops
Lifetime warranty
Higher throughput than DDR4
More memory for RAM hungry applications
Crucial reliability
Simple black aesthetic
Low profile will fit in most laptops
Lifetime warranty
Higher throughput than DDR4
More memory for RAM hungry applications
Not so great
High CAS latency than DD4
High CAS latency than DD4
Out of the box you’ll notice that these SODIMMS have a nice all black look, except the blue Crucial. Of course, you aren’t likely going to see it much in a laptop but if all black internals in your laptop, like some gaming systems, it matches nicely. They have no heatsinks included and no mention of heatsinks. They are very low profile meaning they should have no problem fitting in all but the thinnest laptops. The good thing is Crucial has a compatibility checker on their website to verify if this kit is compatible. The kit is straightforward and offers just the SODIMMS.
Installation was extremely easy. The most challenging part wasn’t even upgrading the RAM but removing two stubborn screws from the bottom shell of the laptop. Apparently, some newer laptops now pause for what seems like an eternity when memory is changed, possibly performing extra verification. Upgrading RAM on older laptops only caused a onetime 10 second pause on startup. It isn’t certain if this is laptop specific or something extra in verification with DDR5 but the initial startup after installation on these sticks was a pause with a blank screen for over 3 minutes. No fan noises or boot logo. Just 3+ minutes of keyboard lights and tense silence. Thankfully nothing was wrong, and the system just asked if I was ok with the memory change. After confirming the change, everything went smoothly.
These sticks are rated at 5600MT/s but will downclock in a slower system. CAS Latency is 46 which seems crazy high but more common for DDR5 and from reports is offset by the much higher transfer speeds. My gaming laptop is fully compatible so straight after install they were running at the full 5600MT/s. Gaming performance seemed unchanged but most games I play are more GPU bound than CPU bound with the previous 16GB being plenty. Where the upgrade to 32GB has made a difference for me is photo editing. GNU Image Manipulation Program is a nice free tool for photo editing but has a habit of slowing down even fast systems. The stuttering while editing larger photos was also gone. While upgrading to 32GB didn’t make GNU Image Manipulation Program lightning fast it did make a noticeable difference, particularly during the initial load time. The normal pauses that would happen during editing larger photos are all but gone taking a point of frustration out of editing. Even during extended usage there was no perceptible decrease in performance. However, this might not all be due to the memory as my system also has an integrated RAM head spreader. The good thing with Crucial is the memory is also backed by a Lifetime warranty so if any problems arise you can feel safe that you are covered.
While not everyone needs 32GB of RAM today it certainly doesn’t hurt performance. If you are content creator or have a use case where the normal 16GB of RAM isn’t going to cut it, the Crucial DDR5 is solid choice. Just be sure to take advantage of their compatibility checker to ensure the best experience.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Homey Pro (Early 2023) is the next generation of smart home hub. It is packed with state-of-the-art technology to talk to and unify your smart home devices. It is compatible with WiFi, Bluetooth LE, Zigbee, Z-Wave Plus, Infrared, Matter, and Thread technologies. So it works with over 50,000 devices from more than 1,000 brands—and counting. Use Homey Flow within the Homey app and make all your devices work together seamlessly, And when you use Homey Pro in conjunction with the Homey Bridge (sold separately), you can extend wireless coverage throughout your home.
Customer Rating
3
Powerful but limited device support
on June 12, 2024
Posted by: CraigB
Great
Compatible with all smart home communication protocols
Also includes IR functionality
Antennas seem strong
Low power usage
Powerful automation controls with flows and advance flows
Makes complicated automations much easier
Integrated Raspberry Pi 4 has enough power for fully local processing
No subscriptions required for main functionality, including remote access
Remote access doesn’t require a port forward
Clean interface that makes setup much simpler
Can be placed anywhere using a POE to USB-C adapter
Ready-made complete smart home solution
Good support for smart home devices popular in Europe
Automatic updates
Compatible with all smart home communication protocols
Also includes IR functionality
Antennas seem strong
Low power usage
Powerful automation controls with flows and advance flows
Makes complicated automations much easier
Integrated Raspberry Pi 4 has enough power for fully local processing
No subscriptions required for main functionality, including remote access
Remote access doesn’t require a port forward
Clean interface that makes setup much simpler
Can be placed anywhere using a POE to USB-C adapter
Ready-made complete smart home solution
Good support for smart home devices popular in Europe
Automatic updates
Not So Great
Static homepage with limited customization
Multiple steps to get to configuration of devices
Heavy reliance on community apps
Many community made apps abandoned or infrequently updated
Limited support for smart devices popular in the US
Advance functionality of many devices not showing available
Doesn’t register capabilities of generic Zigbee devices making them unusable
Slow to update and sometimes doesn’t update status of devices on/off
Doesn’t seem to support native Zigbee groups
Lighting commands feel slow when part of a flow
Limited troubleshooting when something goes wrong
Doesn’t support live video on cameras, only manual snapshots
Local backup requires connecting hub to computer in DFU mode
Connecting devices often takes multiple tries
App would randomly lag for a long period of time on opening
App would periodically say it can’t find the hub until app restarted
Static homepage with limited customization
Multiple steps to get to configuration of devices
Heavy reliance on community apps
Many community made apps abandoned or infrequently updated
Limited support for smart devices popular in the US
Advance functionality of many devices not showing available
Doesn’t register capabilities of generic Zigbee devices making them unusable
Slow to update and sometimes doesn’t update status of devices on/off
Doesn’t seem to support native Zigbee groups
Lighting commands feel slow when part of a flow
Limited troubleshooting when something goes wrong
Doesn’t support live video on cameras, only manual snapshots
Local backup requires connecting hub to computer in DFU mode
Connecting devices often takes multiple tries
App would randomly lag for a long period of time on opening
App would periodically say it can’t find the hub until app restarted
Homey Pro has every imaginable communication protocol included up to the latest Matter and Thread. In the box is the Homey Pro, USB-C cable, and USB-C power adapter. Homey Pro can connect via ethernet using their optional USB-C to ethernet adapter or you can use a third-party POE to USB-C adapter which allows more placement options. Internally it has a Raspberry Pi 4 compute module which is kind of nice because it means there could be a possibility of modding the hub in the future.
HUB Setup 6/10
Setup could potentially be one of the easiest out there if it wasn’t for one issue. Setup is clean and polished but during the process the app just stopped with no further feedback. After waiting for a while and no change, the app was forced closed and opened back up ready to go. Thinking this was fluke the system said an updated needed to be installed. Once the install started the app gave no further feedback and acted stuck. After waiting approximately 15-20 minutes the app was forced closed again. On reopening, everything seemed fine suggesting the app didn’t reconnect after the update.
Setup could potentially be one of the easiest out there if it wasn’t for one issue. Setup is clean and polished but during the process the app just stopped with no further feedback. After waiting for a while and no change, the app was forced closed and opened back up ready to go. Thinking this was fluke the system said an updated needed to be installed. Once the install started the app gave no further feedback and acted stuck. After waiting approximately 15-20 minutes the app was forced closed again. On reopening, everything seemed fine suggesting the app didn’t reconnect after the update.
Inviting family members also wasn’t as easy as expected. When sending the invite family members received the invite to join, would create an account, and then only be given the option to set up their own Homey Pro. No error or feedback was given. An obscure forum mentioned it works on cellular. When family members turned off their Wi-Fi then the invite processed correctly. It was small things like this where one second Homey felt polished and then a problem would occur with no feedback and nothing listed in their support that brought down the experience.
Device Setup 5/10
While Homey has been around for 10 years this seems like it could be their push into the US market. Support for devices in Europe seems to be pretty good. If you have lots of Ikea smart home products you are well supported with Homey. While well supported that doesn’t mean seamless. When paring an Ikea E26 bulb if I told it to just pair a Zigbee device it would find it but not know what to do with it. I had to choose to specifically pair an Ikea E26 bulb and then it worked properly. Some officially supported devices would pair correctly without needing to choose a specific device. After installing the official device app Homey would report it as an unknown device but still work correctly which was strange. Other devices such as Leviton switches have official support, but the pairing processes is different than normal required triggering the pairing process twice. This wasn’t explained and required another forum search. On other smart home platforms, you can usually get a generic device to work even if there isn’t official support. I have some generic door and window sensors that work on every other platform I’ve tried. They just show up as generic contact sensors. Homey paired with them but wasn’t able to do anything with them.
While Homey has been around for 10 years this seems like it could be their push into the US market. Support for devices in Europe seems to be pretty good. If you have lots of Ikea smart home products you are well supported with Homey. While well supported that doesn’t mean seamless. When paring an Ikea E26 bulb if I told it to just pair a Zigbee device it would find it but not know what to do with it. I had to choose to specifically pair an Ikea E26 bulb and then it worked properly. Some officially supported devices would pair correctly without needing to choose a specific device. After installing the official device app Homey would report it as an unknown device but still work correctly which was strange. Other devices such as Leviton switches have official support, but the pairing processes is different than normal required triggering the pairing process twice. This wasn’t explained and required another forum search. On other smart home platforms, you can usually get a generic device to work even if there isn’t official support. I have some generic door and window sensors that work on every other platform I’ve tried. They just show up as generic contact sensors. Homey paired with them but wasn’t able to do anything with them.
Beyond connecting devices some are missing advanced features even with official support. Leviton dimmer switches support customizable ramp rates for turning on and off. Even with official support the options aren’t shown in Homey. In Power User mode you can send raw commands to the device to configure these options. Leviton lists the parameters but trying it through Homey just returns an error with no specific information.
For cameras, regardless of manufacturer support, the only option is to manually trigger a snapshot of the camera. You can use the cameras in flows and send snapshots, but live viewing is not an option for any manufacturer.
For robot vacuums there are similar limitations. With an officially supported vacuum, like Roomba, you can see the status of the vacuum as well as start, pause, and stop but you cannot select a single area to clean. While nice, this does limit your automation options to cleaning the entire house.
Speaker options are limited with Sonos having the best support. Echo devices work but took repairing the devices after pairing as they immediately lost connection. Some receivers have support from the community but for others the apps are essentially abandoned, such as Pioneer.
Speaker options are limited with Sonos having the best support. Echo devices work but took repairing the devices after pairing as they immediately lost connection. Some receivers have support from the community but for others the apps are essentially abandoned, such as Pioneer.
Interface 6/10
The Homey interface is clean looking but limited in what it displays and how much customization you can do. You can add favorites and rearrange icons, but the icons can only show status with a customizable status in the top right corner. Icons do not animate to illustrate device status. Some icons a single tap will activate/deactivate whereas others require a long press to bring up options which feels a bit disjointed. In the case of lights you can tap on their icon to turn them on/off. A long press will bring up screens of options for the switch which you can swipe between, but then you can’t dismiss the options with a similar swipe unless you happen to touch a very small bar at the top where the close arrow is. Interactions in the interface switch between taps, long presses, and swipes in ways that don’t always feel natural. The good thing though is in most cases the controls work very fast with little to no lag unlike systems that control via the cloud.
The Homey interface is clean looking but limited in what it displays and how much customization you can do. You can add favorites and rearrange icons, but the icons can only show status with a customizable status in the top right corner. Icons do not animate to illustrate device status. Some icons a single tap will activate/deactivate whereas others require a long press to bring up options which feels a bit disjointed. In the case of lights you can tap on their icon to turn them on/off. A long press will bring up screens of options for the switch which you can swipe between, but then you can’t dismiss the options with a similar swipe unless you happen to touch a very small bar at the top where the close arrow is. Interactions in the interface switch between taps, long presses, and swipes in ways that don’t always feel natural. The good thing though is in most cases the controls work very fast with little to no lag unlike systems that control via the cloud.
Automations 10/10
While there are other options that could offer even more powerful automations Homey makes it far easier out of the box to create advanced automations. For some their advanced flow system will look like other options out there but unlike others this is built into the system. It allows you to create automations graphically, link them together, and even test them and watch visually how your automation works to ensure you got it right.
While there are other options that could offer even more powerful automations Homey makes it far easier out of the box to create advanced automations. For some their advanced flow system will look like other options out there but unlike others this is built into the system. It allows you to create automations graphically, link them together, and even test them and watch visually how your automation works to ensure you got it right.
Final Thoughts
There is so much more that could be said about Homey Pro. In the simplest terms the Homey Pro is attempting to be a solution that is simple but offers the power of more DIY solutions. While it has done a great job of simplifying the complex tasks, the simpler tasks feel like they need further refinement. If they could improve device support for more popular US brands and improve the interface Homey Pro would have a compelling option for many people. If you are looking for a middle of the road smart home solution that allows you to do complex automations simply without coding and would like a ready-made solution, then Homey Pro could be a solid solution for you. Just be sure to check the device compatibility list first or be ready to change devices if you already have some.
There is so much more that could be said about Homey Pro. In the simplest terms the Homey Pro is attempting to be a solution that is simple but offers the power of more DIY solutions. While it has done a great job of simplifying the complex tasks, the simpler tasks feel like they need further refinement. If they could improve device support for more popular US brands and improve the interface Homey Pro would have a compelling option for many people. If you are looking for a middle of the road smart home solution that allows you to do complex automations simply without coding and would like a ready-made solution, then Homey Pro could be a solid solution for you. Just be sure to check the device compatibility list first or be ready to change devices if you already have some.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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CraigB's Review Comments
Watch your favorite movies, TV shows and sporting events in crisp 1080p resolution with this Samsung UN65FH6001FXZA HDTV, which features Clear Motion Rate 240 to preserve picture detail during fast-action sequences.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5This is an awesome TV for the cost
By Korom
from Raleigh, NC
First, this is a fantastic monitor. If you have a receiver for your HDMI switching and watch TV with the sound through that receiver then this is the PERFECT TV for you. I use it with my Denon e300 receiver, all my HDMI inputs go into the receiver with one HDMI cable going to the TV. Minimal fuss and muss. The picture quality is truly incredible for a LCD TV, the blacks are very very good, almost as good as my Panasonic Plasma but its understandable that its not that good as LCD cannot show true black like a plasma can. I checked 3 bars for the sound quality but honestly I never used the internal speakers. I gave this 5 stars and would have given it 6 stars if I could have (on a 5 star scale) because the picture quality is just that good.
Bottom line: Fantastic TV for the price.
CraigB
Texas
An LED TV is a type of LCD TV
November 29, 2013
Folks. For those of you telling this reviewer that he is talking about the wrong TV because he calls it an LCD, it is an LCD. LED TV's are still LCD TV's. The difference is the backlight behind the LCD is LED's instead of CCFL(fluorescent). Both still have and LCD screen that you actually look at up front.
+2points
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Microsoft Band 2 (Large): Keep track of your health and fitness goals throughout the day by monitoring your heart rate, steps taken, calories burned, sleep quality, hours slept and other helpful metrics. Just pair with your Windows Phone, Apple iOS or Android device via Bluetooth to receive alerts at a glance.Discover how the technology of Microsoft Band 2 can assist you in a healthy, productive lifestyle. Learn more ›
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Best fitness tracker for the money
By CraigB
from Texas
When choosing high end fitness bands, my choices went back and forth between the Microsoft Band 2 and the Fitbit Surge. Fitbit has been in the business for fitness wearables for longer but I chose the Band 2 for what I felt was better value for my money. I purchased during a $50 off sale making it even more attractive and $50 less than the Surge. My main phone for this review is a Lumia 1520 with Windows 10 Mobile. I assume others will write reviews of the phone for other platforms and that is where this review starts. This fitness wearable is by far the most compatible. It supports iOS, Android, and Windows Phone/Mobile. Fitbit does as well but support for Windows Mobile is more limited. Comparing it to the Surge, it has more customizability, color screen, and a partially metal build. It feels more premium than the Surge. The metal does have 2 downsides. The first is that the finish used shows scratches extremely easily. See included picture. The second is that sweat and soap cause a foul smell very quickly requiring regular cleaning.
The Band 2 can be worn in two positions. The first is with the screen facing outwards like a watch. I tried this but it felt uncomfortable and viewing the screen was awkward particularly considering the screen doesn’t have a vertical view. This leads me to my preferred position which is with the screen facing inwards. It is much more natural to view and operate. It also feels more comfortable and is in fact the recommended way to wear the device. If there was any concern it is that wearing it inward the screen is always contacting surfaces when you lay your arms down. It uses gorilla glass but it still concerns me that I might scratch the screen. Every fitness wearable wasn’t completely comfortable to wear for one reason or another but this one starts to feel about like a watch after an adjustment period. Before you get the size right you might put it a place that binds you wrist or hits a nerve. I also learned it can get the heart rate just fine without tightening it down so far you hit nerves. Just like a watch it will take some fiddling to find your perfect tightness. Fortunately, the latching mechanism feels strong and has more adjustments than a tradition watch as well giving you more flexibility. Just make sure you use the sizing guide on the size of the box to choose the correct size. It shows wrists sizes with the wrist sideways.
Now the big question is how it works for tracking vitals. I haven’t worked with VO2 Max so I can’t comment on that but after getting the fit correct, the heart rate seems pretty close. Checking manual it was usually within about 10BPM or less from actual. Tracking steps seems a little different. It is difficult to verify but it seems to be a little high on the number of steps sometimes compared to my old hip worn pedometer. It just seems like I can reach 5,000 steps fairly easily. I am not a runner so I have not tested the GPS but I have read that some units have come from the factory with a bad GPS. What’s really nice is with all the vitals it gathers, more than just heart rate, it should be a fairly accurate color estimate. It has guided workouts you can add but I used the generic color tracking and added my own workout types to track. You can add things like HIT and weight training for your own purposes but it uses all the sensors to estimate the color burn instead of estimating based on the workout type. I feel this is more accurate but cannot verify. When you start workout mode, by default the screen stays on showing your workout time and heart rate. I suspect it is not as accurate as a chest band but it seems pretty good. After your workout is done you can see the entire workout on your phone or the website with your heart rate the entire time and your max marked. If there was any gripe it would be that you can’t have it vibrate when you hit your target or max heart rate. That would have been a great feature but, who knows. Maybe they will add it in the future. You can even use the website to compare your vitals to others in your height, weight, and age category. It’s all anonymous and very informative.
When not working out it still tracks your heart rate all the time but the other useful time to check is when you are sleeping. It can detect your sleep but if it gets it wrong you can only delete the time, not edit. You are better off starting your sleep tracking yourself. While sleeping, it will monitor you and in when you wake up you can see what your resting heart rate was overnight to get an even better picture of your health. It also has a smart alarm you can activate. If you want to wake up at a set time, just set the alarm and it will vibrate to wake you up. What I really like is if you activate the smart alarm and set it for 7:30am it will wake you up somewhere between 7:00am and 8:00am when you are most awake. That means you don’t wake up to an alarm feeling like you haven’t rested. You can even set the strength of the vibration.
Since this is a little bit of a smart watch you can add some apps. Since the phone doesn’t have any memory though, expect to only have them work when around your phone. It can control music on your phone and even use voice recognition with Cortana. I am running a prerelease build of the phone software so on occasion the connection dropped but it wasn’t hard to get back. I have found the notifications actually quite nice. I can leave the phone in one place in the house and still get notifications and respond to basic texts. I can also connect my phone to the stereo and change tracks and turn the volume up or down. It’s a standard feature for a smart watch but this is a fitness wearable and much cheaper than a smart watch. There are even some extra apps you can add and some third part utilizes to customize it further but if you want a smart watch more you might want to go that route. If you want a smart fitness tracker, this thing is hard to beat.
Pros
Solid (premium) build quality. It often gets looks and people asking what it is
Tracks more vitals than any other fitness wearable
Comfortable after figuring out your preferred fitment
Bright, sharp screen with auto brightness
Smart Alarm
Customizable workouts
Workout coaches
Customizable with smart watch type features
Solid latching mechanism
Good battery life for its functionality (2 days with no GPS and auto on screen)
Fast charge time (30 minutes to 80%)
Gorilla glass screen
Works on iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, and Web. The web is the most feature rich
Integrates with Health Vault
Constant heart rate
Portal to compare health
Rich sleep stats including restful sleep, times awake, resting heartrate, and recovery
Solid (premium) build quality. It often gets looks and people asking what it is
Tracks more vitals than any other fitness wearable
Comfortable after figuring out your preferred fitment
Bright, sharp screen with auto brightness
Smart Alarm
Customizable workouts
Workout coaches
Customizable with smart watch type features
Solid latching mechanism
Good battery life for its functionality (2 days with no GPS and auto on screen)
Fast charge time (30 minutes to 80%)
Gorilla glass screen
Works on iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, and Web. The web is the most feature rich
Integrates with Health Vault
Constant heart rate
Portal to compare health
Rich sleep stats including restful sleep, times awake, resting heartrate, and recovery
Cons
Cannot change band because electronics are built in
Metal area is a trap for sweat and soap requiring regular cleaning to prevent odor
Cannot change screen orientation
Awkward wearing screen outward
Metal finish is easy to scratch
No build in memory to bring music and store GPS while leaving phone behind for a time
Water resistant instead of waterproof
Possible to scratch screen with it facing downward
Sync is a bit slow
Cannot change band because electronics are built in
Metal area is a trap for sweat and soap requiring regular cleaning to prevent odor
Cannot change screen orientation
Awkward wearing screen outward
Metal finish is easy to scratch
No build in memory to bring music and store GPS while leaving phone behind for a time
Water resistant instead of waterproof
Possible to scratch screen with it facing downward
Sync is a bit slow
CraigB
Texas
Additional Findings
January 9, 2016
I just wanted to add an extra observations to my original review.
For those of you who want to view the display outside in sunlight, it doesn't seem to get that bright. For me that is not a big deal because outside exercises are typically the type where I don't use real time tracking but if you are the type who needs to read the display in direct sunlight, you might find it difficult. I will be checking further and report back if I find anything because indoors it is so bright that I wonder if I have done something wrong in the setup. Even with this finding I still feel it is the best for the money.
Also, if you happen to swap between phones or get a new phone you will have to factor reset the band. I periodically switch phones and discovered this. The system is designed to easily replace your band while using the same phone but if you move the band to any phone, even one that was restored from a backup of your original you will have to factory reset the band and set it back up. Not a huge deal because little is actually stored on the phone.
One other huge bonus for Windows Phone/Mobile users. If for some reason you either forget or choose not to wear your band and have a Lumia that is capable you can use it to augment your Band. Sometimes for different reasons I don't want to wear my band and only need to track steps. If I just keep my Lumia 950 in my pocket, it will track my steps and add them to what the band couldn't track. That particular feature is one I really love. The only caveat to that is while it updates the steps on the app and portal, the extra steps from your phone don't get transferred back to your band. This means if you took 2,000 steps with your band and phone and an additional 5,000 with only your Lumia the app will report 7,000 steps total which is correct but your band will continue to report 2,000 steps. Minor quibble though for a great additional feature for Windows Phone fans.
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ecobee ecobee3 Programmable Touch-Screen Wi-Fi Thermostat: Maintain a comfortable home with this programmable thermostat, which is Apple® HomeKit-enabled, so you can control the temperature remotely using your compatible device. Home IQ helps you conserve energy.
Overall
1 out of 5
1 out of 5cant set custom temps..sensors are glitchy
By annaj
i was trying to get this thermostat to set 4 or 5 different temps automaticly per day. an ecobee tech couldnt help me get this done on my web portal account . the sensors dont read the occupancy after being in the room for hours like being in a bedroom all night when u wake up the sensor will read unoccupied or sitting in the living room all day the same thing will happen after a few hours. a regular programable thermostat would have been a better choice.
CraigB
Texas
Did you try IFTTT
February 7, 2016
I was just wondering if you have looked into IFTTT to set those custom automatic temps. I haven't tried your exact scenario but the Ecobee3 can be connected to an IFTTT account to extend it's functionality.
0points
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Your household wants to play, stream and work online all at once. With this Linksys router, you can do it all without buffering or other interruptions. Use the Smart Wi-Fi app to get started, control, and monitor your home network from anywhere.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Solid router with good range and speed
By CraigB
from Texas
I am posting this review after about a week of use. If I find anything more significant after posting I will add it as a reply to my original post. Be sure to check there for additions.
I needed to upgrade my WiFi because the internet service in my area was about to be upgraded to exceed the capacity of my current wireless N solution. This router seems as if it was marketed towards moderate power users as well as people with less technical skills who need an upgrade. Packaging is minimal the same as most routers today. It comes with a CD for documentation but it is not used for setup. This is a good thing because as an AC router most people upgrading to this would have newer devices, few of which have an optical drive.
I needed to upgrade my WiFi because the internet service in my area was about to be upgraded to exceed the capacity of my current wireless N solution. This router seems as if it was marketed towards moderate power users as well as people with less technical skills who need an upgrade. Packaging is minimal the same as most routers today. It comes with a CD for documentation but it is not used for setup. This is a good thing because as an AC router most people upgrading to this would have newer devices, few of which have an optical drive.
For the non-technical
This is not very hard to set up. You plug power into the only spot it fits. There are three antennas that screw into very noticeable spots on the back. And the internet plug is clearly labeled. The instructions tell you what to do in a few steps to get the device to take care of the rest. It also has the wireless already set up if you are afraid to do it and even comes with a sticker with the information so you will know what the password is to get on the WiFi. It already has a guest WiFi too but there is a separate login so someone can’t just borrow your internet without you giving them the password. If you feel more comfortable there are apps for iPhones and Android phones to control the device. Speed and range are very good but if you can it is always recommended to install it as close to the center of your house and avoid metal. The router can pretty much take care of itself after that and it shouldn’t require any further work.
This is not very hard to set up. You plug power into the only spot it fits. There are three antennas that screw into very noticeable spots on the back. And the internet plug is clearly labeled. The instructions tell you what to do in a few steps to get the device to take care of the rest. It also has the wireless already set up if you are afraid to do it and even comes with a sticker with the information so you will know what the password is to get on the WiFi. It already has a guest WiFi too but there is a separate login so someone can’t just borrow your internet without you giving them the password. If you feel more comfortable there are apps for iPhones and Android phones to control the device. Speed and range are very good but if you can it is always recommended to install it as close to the center of your house and avoid metal. The router can pretty much take care of itself after that and it shouldn’t require any further work.
For the technical people
If you are looking for a device with tons of granular settings, this might not be the device. Of course the power users I am referring to would probably be better suited sticking with the WRT series. I doubt this device will ever see an aftermarket firmware. It attempts to have a clean interface but that means it will feel slower than a power user router for some settings changes as transitions and animations run their course. Setting changes that require a reboot happen nearly as fast as the fastest routers out there. Although the stock firmware attempts to look fancy and simple it still has a decent amount of settings for all but the most extreme power users. The antennas use a standard connection so if you wanted to upgrade to larger ones later that is possible. Hardwired speed has been very good. I’m just a casual gamer but this hasn’t slowed me down at all and I cannot tell the different hardwired from my old gaming router. Wireless speed is actually very good as well although I was never able to achieve the 1300Mbps link speed advertised even right next to the unit. I maxed out at 900Mbps and it is possible that is related to my AC devices. My old router would drop down to the 39Mpbs on the opposite side of my house whereas this one can maintain at least 177Mpbs and often more.
If you are looking for a device with tons of granular settings, this might not be the device. Of course the power users I am referring to would probably be better suited sticking with the WRT series. I doubt this device will ever see an aftermarket firmware. It attempts to have a clean interface but that means it will feel slower than a power user router for some settings changes as transitions and animations run their course. Setting changes that require a reboot happen nearly as fast as the fastest routers out there. Although the stock firmware attempts to look fancy and simple it still has a decent amount of settings for all but the most extreme power users. The antennas use a standard connection so if you wanted to upgrade to larger ones later that is possible. Hardwired speed has been very good. I’m just a casual gamer but this hasn’t slowed me down at all and I cannot tell the different hardwired from my old gaming router. Wireless speed is actually very good as well although I was never able to achieve the 1300Mbps link speed advertised even right next to the unit. I maxed out at 900Mbps and it is possible that is related to my AC devices. My old router would drop down to the 39Mpbs on the opposite side of my house whereas this one can maintain at least 177Mpbs and often more.
So far during my ownership the stability of this device has reminded me of the old Linksys routers how even the cheap ones never locked up. I’m hoping it stays this way. If you want to change settings, you can do so the standard way most technical people do via the IP address or it has a built in URL. Thankfully it doesn’t require some odd application for initial setup. Unlike standard routers, this one is cloud connected when you choose so meaning remote access is passed via the cloud. It does support some dynamic DNS options but they seem more to push you towards connection via their cloud. Fortunately, this is optional except if you want to take advantage of the built in USB ports and access files remotely. I don’t have a spare drive to test right now so unfortunately I could not test the NAS performance. It does have a very basic QoS which allows you to set up to 3 services or devices as high priority but that’s pretty much it. It has some newer options but then oddly has more old services, such as Real Player and Rhapsody.
Pros
Large, replaceable antennas
Great Range
Reliable
Gigabit Ports
Fast Processor
Status lights can be turned off
Decent amount of features for all but the heavy power users
Doesn’t require a special application for setup or CD
Has USB ports for attaching a hard drive
Offers automatic firmware upgrades to keep security up. Good for keeping non power users safe (Can be turned off)
Documentation is thorough if you need help. You just click help on the top bar
Major changes that require a restart are almost unnoticeable to users as it restarts fast
Has WiFi secured by default and requires a password to be configured during setup. This is good if you are buying one for family and just want it secure without needing to help them. It even has a handy sticker with device specific WiFi passwords so someone can’t just look up a default WiFi password for the unit and borrow internet.
Large, replaceable antennas
Great Range
Reliable
Gigabit Ports
Fast Processor
Status lights can be turned off
Decent amount of features for all but the heavy power users
Doesn’t require a special application for setup or CD
Has USB ports for attaching a hard drive
Offers automatic firmware upgrades to keep security up. Good for keeping non power users safe (Can be turned off)
Documentation is thorough if you need help. You just click help on the top bar
Major changes that require a restart are almost unnoticeable to users as it restarts fast
Has WiFi secured by default and requires a password to be configured during setup. This is good if you are buying one for family and just want it secure without needing to help them. It even has a handy sticker with device specific WiFi passwords so someone can’t just look up a default WiFi password for the unit and borrow internet.
Cons
Interface tries too hard to be attractive slowing it down with animations
Only supports 2 Dynamic DNS providers.
QoS settings seem to cater to power users but offer little customization
QoS rule changes require moving service or devices boxes around and the interface jumps quickly between sections. This often causes you to accidentally move something you didn’t intend to.
Included “Apps” are of limited usefulness and only work on iOS and Android which leaves out anything Windows (No Windows 10 Universal Apps) and no Mac. No configuring your router with touch, like via a Surface, using a Windows App.
Interface tries too hard to be attractive slowing it down with animations
Only supports 2 Dynamic DNS providers.
QoS settings seem to cater to power users but offer little customization
QoS rule changes require moving service or devices boxes around and the interface jumps quickly between sections. This often causes you to accidentally move something you didn’t intend to.
Included “Apps” are of limited usefulness and only work on iOS and Android which leaves out anything Windows (No Windows 10 Universal Apps) and no Mac. No configuring your router with touch, like via a Surface, using a Windows App.
Final Notes
Higher end units near this price point I have owned have had large aluminum heatsinks to dissipate heat. This one has one very small heatsink. I suspect heat stress will be higher on this unit and might be why this case has such a large open cavity you can easily see straight through the vent holes. I suspect longevity will be lower but only time will tell. So the unit has not felt very warm so fingers crossed.
Higher end units near this price point I have owned have had large aluminum heatsinks to dissipate heat. This one has one very small heatsink. I suspect heat stress will be higher on this unit and might be why this case has such a large open cavity you can easily see straight through the vent holes. I suspect longevity will be lower but only time will tell. So the unit has not felt very warm so fingers crossed.
CraigB
Texas
Longer term observations
February 22, 2016
Adding to my original review I have found some new observations to add to this router. I switched to using it as an access point, which takes a little digging, and found out that once you do so you lose a lot of features that should still work but are removed. For example, as an access point you get no guest networks. You can only have 1 2.5GHz WiFi and 1 5GHz. All features such as WMM and QoS are completely gone. Remote administration is turned off. I have also experienced an odd condition where my Xbox One cannot connect using the exact same key as my old router that my Xbox was connected to. I have also experienced 1 lockup where the unit just completely stopped responding and had to be power cycled. Over all it's still a good router but it feels like it could use a little more firmware refinement.
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Microsoft Band 2 (Large): Keep track of your health and fitness goals throughout the day by monitoring your heart rate, steps taken, calories burned, sleep quality, hours slept and other helpful metrics. Just pair with your Windows Phone, Apple iOS or Android device via Bluetooth to receive alerts at a glance.Discover how the technology of Microsoft Band 2 can assist you in a healthy, productive lifestyle. Learn more ›
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Best fitness tracker for the money
By CraigB
from Texas
When choosing high end fitness bands, my choices went back and forth between the Microsoft Band 2 and the Fitbit Surge. Fitbit has been in the business for fitness wearables for longer but I chose the Band 2 for what I felt was better value for my money. I purchased during a $50 off sale making it even more attractive and $50 less than the Surge. My main phone for this review is a Lumia 1520 with Windows 10 Mobile. I assume others will write reviews of the phone for other platforms and that is where this review starts. This fitness wearable is by far the most compatible. It supports iOS, Android, and Windows Phone/Mobile. Fitbit does as well but support for Windows Mobile is more limited. Comparing it to the Surge, it has more customizability, color screen, and a partially metal build. It feels more premium than the Surge. The metal does have 2 downsides. The first is that the finish used shows scratches extremely easily. See included picture. The second is that sweat and soap cause a foul smell very quickly requiring regular cleaning.
The Band 2 can be worn in two positions. The first is with the screen facing outwards like a watch. I tried this but it felt uncomfortable and viewing the screen was awkward particularly considering the screen doesn’t have a vertical view. This leads me to my preferred position which is with the screen facing inwards. It is much more natural to view and operate. It also feels more comfortable and is in fact the recommended way to wear the device. If there was any concern it is that wearing it inward the screen is always contacting surfaces when you lay your arms down. It uses gorilla glass but it still concerns me that I might scratch the screen. Every fitness wearable wasn’t completely comfortable to wear for one reason or another but this one starts to feel about like a watch after an adjustment period. Before you get the size right you might put it a place that binds you wrist or hits a nerve. I also learned it can get the heart rate just fine without tightening it down so far you hit nerves. Just like a watch it will take some fiddling to find your perfect tightness. Fortunately, the latching mechanism feels strong and has more adjustments than a tradition watch as well giving you more flexibility. Just make sure you use the sizing guide on the size of the box to choose the correct size. It shows wrists sizes with the wrist sideways.
Now the big question is how it works for tracking vitals. I haven’t worked with VO2 Max so I can’t comment on that but after getting the fit correct, the heart rate seems pretty close. Checking manual it was usually within about 10BPM or less from actual. Tracking steps seems a little different. It is difficult to verify but it seems to be a little high on the number of steps sometimes compared to my old hip worn pedometer. It just seems like I can reach 5,000 steps fairly easily. I am not a runner so I have not tested the GPS but I have read that some units have come from the factory with a bad GPS. What’s really nice is with all the vitals it gathers, more than just heart rate, it should be a fairly accurate color estimate. It has guided workouts you can add but I used the generic color tracking and added my own workout types to track. You can add things like HIT and weight training for your own purposes but it uses all the sensors to estimate the color burn instead of estimating based on the workout type. I feel this is more accurate but cannot verify. When you start workout mode, by default the screen stays on showing your workout time and heart rate. I suspect it is not as accurate as a chest band but it seems pretty good. After your workout is done you can see the entire workout on your phone or the website with your heart rate the entire time and your max marked. If there was any gripe it would be that you can’t have it vibrate when you hit your target or max heart rate. That would have been a great feature but, who knows. Maybe they will add it in the future. You can even use the website to compare your vitals to others in your height, weight, and age category. It’s all anonymous and very informative.
When not working out it still tracks your heart rate all the time but the other useful time to check is when you are sleeping. It can detect your sleep but if it gets it wrong you can only delete the time, not edit. You are better off starting your sleep tracking yourself. While sleeping, it will monitor you and in when you wake up you can see what your resting heart rate was overnight to get an even better picture of your health. It also has a smart alarm you can activate. If you want to wake up at a set time, just set the alarm and it will vibrate to wake you up. What I really like is if you activate the smart alarm and set it for 7:30am it will wake you up somewhere between 7:00am and 8:00am when you are most awake. That means you don’t wake up to an alarm feeling like you haven’t rested. You can even set the strength of the vibration.
Since this is a little bit of a smart watch you can add some apps. Since the phone doesn’t have any memory though, expect to only have them work when around your phone. It can control music on your phone and even use voice recognition with Cortana. I am running a prerelease build of the phone software so on occasion the connection dropped but it wasn’t hard to get back. I have found the notifications actually quite nice. I can leave the phone in one place in the house and still get notifications and respond to basic texts. I can also connect my phone to the stereo and change tracks and turn the volume up or down. It’s a standard feature for a smart watch but this is a fitness wearable and much cheaper than a smart watch. There are even some extra apps you can add and some third part utilizes to customize it further but if you want a smart watch more you might want to go that route. If you want a smart fitness tracker, this thing is hard to beat.
Pros
Solid (premium) build quality. It often gets looks and people asking what it is
Tracks more vitals than any other fitness wearable
Comfortable after figuring out your preferred fitment
Bright, sharp screen with auto brightness
Smart Alarm
Customizable workouts
Workout coaches
Customizable with smart watch type features
Solid latching mechanism
Good battery life for its functionality (2 days with no GPS and auto on screen)
Fast charge time (30 minutes to 80%)
Gorilla glass screen
Works on iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, and Web. The web is the most feature rich
Integrates with Health Vault
Constant heart rate
Portal to compare health
Rich sleep stats including restful sleep, times awake, resting heartrate, and recovery
Solid (premium) build quality. It often gets looks and people asking what it is
Tracks more vitals than any other fitness wearable
Comfortable after figuring out your preferred fitment
Bright, sharp screen with auto brightness
Smart Alarm
Customizable workouts
Workout coaches
Customizable with smart watch type features
Solid latching mechanism
Good battery life for its functionality (2 days with no GPS and auto on screen)
Fast charge time (30 minutes to 80%)
Gorilla glass screen
Works on iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, and Web. The web is the most feature rich
Integrates with Health Vault
Constant heart rate
Portal to compare health
Rich sleep stats including restful sleep, times awake, resting heartrate, and recovery
Cons
Cannot change band because electronics are built in
Metal area is a trap for sweat and soap requiring regular cleaning to prevent odor
Cannot change screen orientation
Awkward wearing screen outward
Metal finish is easy to scratch
No build in memory to bring music and store GPS while leaving phone behind for a time
Water resistant instead of waterproof
Possible to scratch screen with it facing downward
Sync is a bit slow
Cannot change band because electronics are built in
Metal area is a trap for sweat and soap requiring regular cleaning to prevent odor
Cannot change screen orientation
Awkward wearing screen outward
Metal finish is easy to scratch
No build in memory to bring music and store GPS while leaving phone behind for a time
Water resistant instead of waterproof
Possible to scratch screen with it facing downward
Sync is a bit slow
CraigB
Texas
Band split after serveral months
May 23, 2016
As others who have discovered after owning the Band 2 for a while, the band itself tends to split. Even if you are gentle the rubberized material just doesn't seem to hold up. The good news in my case is I leave reasonably close to a Microsoft Store. I brought it to them and as always they took great care of me. The assistant store manager was the one who assisted me and he said that Microsoft is aware of the problem and is already working to fix the issue. I had the same problem with the first generation Type Cover for the Surface. Back then they took care of me and ultimately Microsoft corrected the issue. It's unfortunate this kind of thing gets through but at least it doesn't seem to be a hassle to get it resolved.
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Enjoy powerful performance with this compact HP Pavilion Wave computer. The Intel i3 processor provides fast data handling, while the 1TB hard drive lets you store plenty of files. This HP Pavilion Wave computer has 8GB of RAM to run the latest applications and four USB ports for connecting multiple accessories.
Overall3 out of 5
3 out of 5Still can't get the speaker/microphone to work.
By Murphdad013
from New York , ny
The HP help line is terrible and Best Buy was no help at all. In fact I spoke directly ....finally...with someone at HP who said that my Paviliion Wave needed an external microphone headset for montonaccess Cortona. WRONG!!!!
CraigB
Texas
It has a built in microphone
January 16, 2017
I own this unit and it has a built in microphone. I use it for Cortana regularly. Sounds like the support person got it wrong.
0points
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Arlo Pro takes the worrying out of life with the 100% Wire-Free indoor/outdoor home monitoring system. Arlo Pro includes rechargeable batteries, motion and sound-activated alerts, 2-way audio, a 100+ decibel siren, and 7 days of free cloud HD video recordings. Arlo covers every angle to help keep you safe and protected.
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 5Good system with lots of potential
By CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Extremely Quick setup (A 2 camera system takes roughly 30 minutes)
Very easy set up. It comes with basic instructions but the app nicely walks you through each step
No need to run wires
Compact
Discreet cameras easily blend in with lighter color homes
Good daytime video quality for the price
Includes microphone and speaker
Flexible mounting options. Included option is easy but other fixed mounts can be used
Large rechargeable batteries
Motion trigger is supposed to get an update to determine if the motion is by a person
All devices get regular security updates. Even the cameras get updated wirelessly. Nice considering cameras are a new target for hackers.
Inanimate objects don’t seem to cause false motion triggers
Standard external hard drive can be used for local storage
Basic plan included for free
Easily expandable
Extremely Quick setup (A 2 camera system takes roughly 30 minutes)
Very easy set up. It comes with basic instructions but the app nicely walks you through each step
No need to run wires
Compact
Discreet cameras easily blend in with lighter color homes
Good daytime video quality for the price
Includes microphone and speaker
Flexible mounting options. Included option is easy but other fixed mounts can be used
Large rechargeable batteries
Motion trigger is supposed to get an update to determine if the motion is by a person
All devices get regular security updates. Even the cameras get updated wirelessly. Nice considering cameras are a new target for hackers.
Inanimate objects don’t seem to cause false motion triggers
Standard external hard drive can be used for local storage
Basic plan included for free
Easily expandable
Cons
Support for Windows is poor for the new touchscreen devices.
No Windows app for Windows 8 and 10 devices of any size.
Video quality, mainly night time, is probably not good enough for legal purposes.
Night video quality makes recognition near impossible past approximately 10 feet
Easy to steal or move regardless of mounting
Camera speaker is not very loud
Provided screws use too fine of a thread and the metal head strips out easy
All videos are public if someone can intercept your emails on the way to your inbox. (Email delivery by design is not encrypted so if someone intercepts your emails on the way they can see any of your videos with audio)
Recording time is fixed so even if motion or sound is still occurring you can miss recording
Web interface has some bugs such as freezing on zoom, Live play button disappears, and touch doesn’t work.
Sound recording doesn’t occur until a few seconds after video recording
At least one camera exhibited a noticeable “ticking clock” sound when recording audio
Connecting them hardwired defeats the weatherproofing
Instructions do not give tutorial about advanced features but rather let you discover them
No organizer for hard drive recordings
Dependent on good upload internet speeds. The more cameras you have, the faster the upload speed you need. This can be a limiting factor for some.
Long lag time to start live viewing even with very fast connection
Support for Windows is poor for the new touchscreen devices.
No Windows app for Windows 8 and 10 devices of any size.
Video quality, mainly night time, is probably not good enough for legal purposes.
Night video quality makes recognition near impossible past approximately 10 feet
Easy to steal or move regardless of mounting
Camera speaker is not very loud
Provided screws use too fine of a thread and the metal head strips out easy
All videos are public if someone can intercept your emails on the way to your inbox. (Email delivery by design is not encrypted so if someone intercepts your emails on the way they can see any of your videos with audio)
Recording time is fixed so even if motion or sound is still occurring you can miss recording
Web interface has some bugs such as freezing on zoom, Live play button disappears, and touch doesn’t work.
Sound recording doesn’t occur until a few seconds after video recording
At least one camera exhibited a noticeable “ticking clock” sound when recording audio
Connecting them hardwired defeats the weatherproofing
Instructions do not give tutorial about advanced features but rather let you discover them
No organizer for hard drive recordings
Dependent on good upload internet speeds. The more cameras you have, the faster the upload speed you need. This can be a limiting factor for some.
Long lag time to start live viewing even with very fast connection
Setup was very easy, particularly for a security camera system. The entire process is achieved by following the steps one by one as the app tells you. Install the app, set up your Arlo account, plug in the base unit to power and internet, sync the cameras, hang the cameras, and you’re done. A two camera system only took approximately 30 minutes. The kit includes metal bases, screws, and wall anchors but the screws are small and easy to strip. The metal bases work with a strong magnet included inside the camera. Although convenient, the metal bases allow someone to easily steal or move these expensive cameras so placement is important. Netgear offers screw in mounts for a more rigid and secure mounting. The entire hardware and software process has had a lot of thought put into making it easy. There are no complicated router changes needed to be made at all or complicated programming. Oddly some features, like changing the recording quality, must be done on a regular computer for which there is no app.
There is one strange feature omission from Netgear. This system has a Pro designation and yet support for regular, more modern computers, is limited. Businesses by and large use Windows computers and the most popular type of Windows computers selling today are Windows 2-in-1 convertibles with touchscreens this trend is forecasted to increase and yet this system is barely even useable by any touchscreen Windows device. This is also odd because what better way to check out a security video than on a large screen. You are forced to use a browser to view videos which the experience varies based on browser. Simple things like moving a slider don’t work because the website doesn’t work with touch. Browser administration has other bugs, such as the Live Video button disappearing. If this was an app you wouldn’t have to worry about how the end user’s choice of browser affects the experience. Not having a Universal Windows app is a missed opportunity. I have seen a large increase in clients that are buying Windows 2-in-1 systems instead of desktops or Android/iOS tablets for their primary system. A Windows Universal app they could support such systems, or any other form factor of Windows for that matter. Imagine if the app was on Xbox One in your living room and you want to check on things outside. Just say “Hey Cortana, open Arlo” and you could see your video feed or videos quickly and easily from the convenience of your couch on a big screen. That would be great. If you have smaller Windows devices, the website is unusable. It tries to get you to use an app that doesn’t exist. Oddly enough if you have a link to a shared video the same website will serve you the video in a mobile optimized format. Smaller Windows devices and Windows Mobile devices are left unsupported. Future updates and app releases could easily alleviate this but for now Windows support is poor.
The base unit comes with a Sync/Siren button, network port, and two USB ports for storage. The siren is loud and sounds like newer smoke alarms. It can be trigger locally, by the app, or via configurable rules such as motion or audio sensing. You can switch the base unit to modes for recording for motion and/or audio, no recording, or armed or disarmed based using Geofencing. You can also define your own custom modes allowing specific cameras and audio for each to be on or off. Due to battery restrictions, there is no continuous recording. Recording time from motion is a default of 5 seconds regardless of if the motion continues. Cameras include built in IR for night vision, motion sensor, microphone, and speaker and are weatherproof assuming the charging plug cover is on. One large difference with the Pro version is the inclusion of large rechargeable batteries which should last quite a long time between charging. When video is recorded, it is uploaded via your internet connection to your account meaning a good upload internet speed is important. Videos are stored in a calendar format and can be viewed, shared, or deleted from the interface.
Overall performance when factoring in the price for features was good. Shuddering and lag was minimal with surprisingly good wireless range. Remote viewing of live video is reasonably quick although it still took several seconds and is highly dependent on your internet upload speed. Audio took about 2 seconds to start every time after a motion trigger recording or manual live viewing and had a slightly audible tick-tock sound. The built-in speaker is barely audible at max volume. As with all security systems, there is a loss of some detail to do recording compression. Daytime recordings show signs of video compression but subjects are still reasonably recognizable at approximately 25 feet. Nighttime viewing brings recognition down to approximately 10-15 feet before subjects hard to recognize. Although not official, friends in law enforcement said it is not good for legal purposes as they must have a definitive, recognizable face to use the video. Motion detection was generally good but people moving fast could often elude the recording. Due to the fixed recording time, the system could also miss recording an event if it ran past the configured time.
A big concern is the video sharing feature. Arlo by default emails you anytime it records. It conveniently sends you a screenshot of what it recorded. However; the email sends a direct link to the video that can be viewed without logging in. This would be even more concerning if you had cameras in your house. By definition, is sent unsecured between providers. Although the industry is trying to improve that, you should always assume your emails have no encryption when sent to you. This means that it is possible and relatively easy for criminals to eavesdrop and see your videos with audio without ever knowing your account info. The good thing is that is easy to remedy turning off the feature that emails you when it records a video. That way the link to the video won’t be sent out on the web unsecured and your videos are still stored in the cloud without being shared openly. Hopefully, Netgear will remedy this in the future.
Overall, it is a nice system for the price point when compared to the competition. Compared to legacy DVR and NVR security camera systems this makes the whole process a lot more accessible for the average consumer. As long as you keep your expectations in line it is a nice system. All security camera systems, particularly ones costing less than $2,500 have limitations.
Overall, it is a nice system for the price point when compared to the competition. Compared to legacy DVR and NVR security camera systems this makes the whole process a lot more accessible for the average consumer. As long as you keep your expectations in line it is a nice system. All security camera systems, particularly ones costing less than $2,500 have limitations.
A standout feature, even comparing to high end systems, is this system will automatically get updates for security. Anyone who watched the news in late 2016 saw that the biggest hack was perpetrated using devices, such as camera systems, that weren’t updated. That is something still lacking in the “professional” security camera world. You also won’t have to hire someone to come pull wiring through your house or small business. Cameras can be placed wherever you can mount a base. If for some reason, such as poor signal, the place doesn’t work they are easy to move. It not be a real high definition security camera system but it also costs nowhere near as much. Just be sure you can accept the Cons before buying. The overall system is well thought out and with continued improvement of the listed cons this could be the best system for nearly any price.
CraigB
Texas
New developments after extended use
January 31, 2017
I have discovered some new elements to the system with more use.
The first is that I did find a way to adjust video quality via the app and not just the website. It turns out the way it is displayed is as one of 3 choices instead of a slider.
Next is that the cameras only work with Netgear's proprietary charger. Even though it uses USB both the manual an other say it only works with the Netgear one.
Finally I discovered that the motion detection does sometimes act strange. I purchase one additional camera and for some reason no matter the sensitivity of the motion it records a motion even every 30 seconds at night. I have observed that it seems to happen more if my neighbor has a light on but even that is not consistent.
+4points
4of 4voted this comment as helpful.
CraigB's Questions
CraigB has not submitted any questions.
Discover incredible sound and playback from this Pioneer Elite 9.2-channel network A/V receiver. The unit supports 4K video and incredible multidimensional audio so that you can enjoy movies, TV shows and everyday media with a cinema-style experience. This Pioneer Elite 9.2-channel network A/V receiver works with Google Assistant to play on vocal command.
Does the Pioneer vsxlx-303 have a Blue lighted standby power button? I see that the vsxlx-503 has a Blue lighted standby power button.
It doesn't have a Bluetooth light or button but there is a blue light showing when it is in standby for network or wireless.
6 years, 8 months ago
by
CraigB
Handle storage demands with this Western Digital SATA solid-state drive. Its 560MB/s read speed and 530MB/s write speed are suitable for intensive applications, and its 2.5-inch form factor fits most desktops and laptops. The solid-state drive has no moving parts, making the drive resistant to shock to protect your data. Includes the WD SSD Dashboard to keep track of the drive's status.
Does this fit in all macbooks?
It might fit but not all SSDs play well with Macbooks. Usually it takes someone being the first to try and see if it works and if all features, such as trim, are supported. Unless you know how to check for trim on a Mac or feel like taking a leap of faith your best bet is to check the Mac forums to see if someone with experience has already verified the drive.
6 years, 9 months ago
by
CraigB
Only at Best BuyMonitor the exterior of your home with this Lorex active deterrence DVR security system. An eight-channel 4K Ultra HD DVR records and plays back crisp, high-quality video, while the remote-triggered siren and bright LED light work to scare off intruders. With color night vision, the cameras included with this Lorex active deterrence DVR security system provide a clear look at your property even in low lighting conditions.
hmm.. NO PoE ? .. does this run on regular old school BnC connections ??? if soooooo..... i have old lorex 720p cameras on BnC right now ... wonder if i can just order cameras and swap out ??? thanks for the help for whoever answers these questions
It uses a Siamese cable with the standard bnc connections. Swapping cameras is unlikely to work. The cameras are still analog but use a newer MPX protocol which requires a support DVR and cables. Also, certain features of the camera, such as the light and siren, only work on compatible DVRs.
6 years, 10 months ago
by
CraigB
Only at Best BuyMonitor the exterior of your home with this Lorex active deterrence DVR security system. An eight-channel 4K Ultra HD DVR records and plays back crisp, high-quality video, while the remote-triggered siren and bright LED light work to scare off intruders. With color night vision, the cameras included with this Lorex active deterrence DVR security system provide a clear look at your property even in low lighting conditions.
Does this camera have tots of false positive motion alarms? Does it have thermal sensing for motion ?
It uses frame comparison for motion detection with a sensitivity setting. There is no PIR(thermal) motion detection included.
6 years, 10 months ago
by
CraigB
Step up your game with this 15.6-inch Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop. The high-performance AMD Radeon RX 560X graphics card provides powerful gaming performance and detailed graphics that look great on the Full HD display. This Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop features an AMD Ryzen 5 processor for a smooth and responsive user experience.
I just finished with a chat session with Acer support, who informed me this unit ONLY supports DDR4-2400, NOT 2666. This unit comes with 2666, but runs at 2400 according to CPUZ. Which is contrary to what TeamAcer has stated here. Acer needs to clarify.
HWInfo is reporting mine memory is running at 2666. Makes me wonder if their documentation is just wrong. Maybe a last minute revision.
6 years, 11 months ago
by
CraigB
The only purifying fan to clean a whole room properly*. We design our purifying fans to go beyond test chamber conditions and focus on real home conditions – this is more than just having an efficient filter.*Dyson engineers and research concluded that to clean an entire room properly, you need to sense pollution events automatically; capture ultrafine pollutants; and project cleaner air around the room using Air Multiplier technology. Only the Dyson purifying fan is designed and tested to do all of this.**Dyson technology helps create a cleaner, healthier home - Our vacuums and purifiers are scientifically proven to capture particles as small as allergens and bacteria.
How often do you need to replace filters
This is dependent on how often the purifier runs and how dirty your air is. It has a built in monitor that indicates the remaining filter life of both filters. The best way to maximize life is to keep in on automatic as it will only run when it is needed based on air measurements.
7 years, 2 months ago
by
CraigB
Add music to your day with these Sony wireless headphones. Their noise cancelling technology uses artificial intelligence to adapt to your environment and reduce background sounds for enjoyable listening. The Quick Charging battery on these over-ear Sony wireless headphones provides up to 35 hours of playback for convenience.
Is the Sony better than the Bose quiet ll When it come s to noised
That's more subjective but they do cancel low frequency droning noises well. Typically Bose is considered top rated on noise cancelling quality but these do a nice job. They don't cancel out sharp noises like a gunshot or higher pitched sounds like talking which is typical for active noise cancelling. An example be if you have a fan blowing on you it would cancel out the low droning sound of the motor but you would hear the sound of the airflow.
7 years, 2 months ago
by
CraigB
Enjoy superior sound and voice quality with these Jabra Elite wireless headphones. Integrated controls let you answer calls, adjust the volume or pause music with the touch of a button, while the included carrying case doubles as a charging station. External ambient noise keeps you aware of your surroundings, while a background noise filter delivers crisp, clear voice calls. With Bluetooth connectivity, these Jabra Elite wireless headphones are easy to pair to a mobile device.
Are they water and sweat resistant? Also what is the difference between these and Jabra Sport? A Thanks
The Elite are IP55 rated and the Active or IP56 rating so just a little better for water resistance. The active also have motion tracking for workouts. Both offer a 2 year warranty for dust and water if you register them via the app.
7 years, 4 months ago
by
CraigB
Enjoy superior sound and voice quality with these Jabra Elite wireless headphones. Integrated controls let you answer calls, adjust the volume or pause music with the touch of a button, while the included carrying case doubles as a charging station. External ambient noise keeps you aware of your surroundings, while a background noise filter delivers crisp, clear voice calls. With Bluetooth connectivity, these Jabra Elite wireless headphones are easy to pair to a mobile device.
hi. can you control the volume from the buds?. what does the multi function button control?
The left earbud has volume up and down and skip track and repeat track. A quick tape on one of the two buttons is for volume and a long press is for changing tracks.
7 years, 4 months ago
by
CraigB
Enjoy superior sound and voice quality with these Jabra Elite wireless headphones. Integrated controls let you answer calls, adjust the volume or pause music with the touch of a button, while the included carrying case doubles as a charging station. External ambient noise keeps you aware of your surroundings, while a background noise filter delivers crisp, clear voice calls. With Bluetooth connectivity, these Jabra Elite wireless headphones are easy to pair to a mobile device.
How long does the battery last in a single charge
The listing is 5 hours. You can get an additional 2 charges out of the case for a total of a rating of 15 hours.
7 years, 4 months ago
by
CraigB