CraigB's stats
- Review count172
- Helpfulness votes2,719
- First reviewFebruary 11, 2013
- Last reviewMay 12, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.2
- Review comment count7
- Helpfulness votes6
- First review commentNovember 29, 2013
- Last review commentJanuary 31, 2017
- Featured review comments0
Questions
- Question count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First questionNone
- Last questionNone
- Featured questions0
- Answer count43
- Helpfulness votes53
- First answerMarch 24, 2015
- Last answerNovember 6, 2021
- Featured answers0
- Best answers7
Save time when you batch-edit photographs with Adobe Photoshop Elements 15. Sort photos automatically with the software’s enhanced smart tagging feature and find pictures via geotags or visual similarity. Specialized tools within the program let you fix frowns, remove camera shake and remove red-eye, making Adobe Photoshop Elements 15 an invaluable addition to your photography needs.
Customer Rating
5
Featured packed affordable photo tool
on November 20, 2016
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Powerful photo tool for the price point
Contains many of the more advanced features and filters of the full Photoshop
Large number of options allows you to restore or correct even challenging photos
eLive section in the organizer provides a ton of helpful tutorials
Comprehensive online help
Includes photo organizer which can help organize pictures by folder, people, and places
Wizards and auto modes are included to ease the complexity
Powerful photo tool for the price point
Contains many of the more advanced features and filters of the full Photoshop
Large number of options allows you to restore or correct even challenging photos
eLive section in the organizer provides a ton of helpful tutorials
Comprehensive online help
Includes photo organizer which can help organize pictures by folder, people, and places
Wizards and auto modes are included to ease the complexity
Cons
Can be complicated for people not familiar with the full version of Photoshop
Many adjustments have no manual mode and are limited to auto or a few selections
Interface has a dated feel
No touch interface for newer Windows devices
Requires a separate Adobe account to activate instead of just offering from the Windows Store
No way to merge two photos. At least none that I could find. Copy and paste is disabled
Online help is somewhat confusing as searching return results for all products. You have to manually choose Elements.
Can be complicated for people not familiar with the full version of Photoshop
Many adjustments have no manual mode and are limited to auto or a few selections
Interface has a dated feel
No touch interface for newer Windows devices
Requires a separate Adobe account to activate instead of just offering from the Windows Store
No way to merge two photos. At least none that I could find. Copy and paste is disabled
Online help is somewhat confusing as searching return results for all products. You have to manually choose Elements.
Photoshop Elements has been around for quite some time now. Years ago, nearly the only option you had if you had for advance photo editing was Elements big brother, Photoshop. It was far too complicated and expensive for the average consumer or prosumer. Thankfully Adobe created Elements at a far more affordable price with most options needed for almost everyone but professionals. Early on, Elements was very different from Photoshop which meant someone familiar with Photoshop at work was not familiar with Elements at home. By making Elements a truly simplified version of Photoshop it means more options for assistance and better familiarity for people using the full version at work. That’s a definite plus in my book.
There are two parts included in this software. The organizer and the editor.
The organizer helps people with large numbers of photos keep them organized. You specify locations where the organizer can find photos and it will search and display them in the folders they contain. Built into the organizer is a facial recognition tool to further assist in keeping your photos organized. When the software is open, it scans your photos in the background to categorize people and then you can add names to the faces making quick access to photos of a person quick and easy once done. If your photos contain location information the organize is also able to extract the information and show the photos based on the location on the map where they were taken which can be very useful for those times when you just can’t remember where you were when you took the photo. You can also name the locations on the map. If you want your photos fully organized, you can even go as far as defining the event a group of photos are taken. If that is not enough you can even add tags to photos so you can search by keywords later. Much of this information is specific to Elements and not in the photos so when it asks you to back up your settings, it would be a wise choice so if something goes wrong you don’t lose all your organizing work. Once you are done organizing and want to share your photos, the organizer can help with options for Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, as well as other traditional options such as DVD.
The editor handles all the basic tasks of photo editing and then goes further. Just like every other photo touchup tool, you have automatic options if you don’t wish to get hands on. It does a nice job in most situations. If you are looking for an editor with an array of manual options, you may be served better by the full version of Photoshop. An example is you can choose to automatically set levels or choose from a few thumbnails of options but if you want to manually compress the levels to optimized photos to the fullest you will be disappointed. A decent compromise is that you do have the option to remove a color cast. For most, including a good number of prosumers, this should be more than adequate with an attractive price. There are an array of affects(filters), textures, and frames to give you plenty of options to tweak your photos to your liking. A few new options, at least to me, are haze removal and shake reduction. I have a lot of older photos that were taking with a digital point and choose with a very average dynamic range. Photos outdoors often produced a washed out, hazy look. With haze reduction, I can adjust them to bring some vibrancy and make them a more attractive. I am sure this has been around for a while but, for me, this was a treat to discover.
For the future, I would love to see Adobe modernize the style of their interface. I would also like to see this ported to a UWP version for Windows with full touch capability. A few more manual controls, including levels, and the ability to copy and paste between photos would go a long way. Some navigation buttons, such as switching between photos in organizer, would also be better if a little larger.
Photoshop Elements 15 is a great product for the price. If the most you ever do is click auto adjust, this is likely overkill. If you are a professional that uses Photoshop at work and want something more affordable at home, then this could also work out great. The core groups that I feel Elements is a great fit for are power users, prosumer photographers, or aspiring professional photographers with a tight budget. There is also a Premier version as well as version with Video Editing if you need extra functionality. As a bonus, the techniques and skills learned in Elements will give you nearly everything you need while helping your comfort level and knowledge if you ever upgrade to the full Professional version.
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
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.
Customer Rating
4
Attractive, good performance, with minor misteps
on October 24, 2016
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Pros
Appealing design
Very clean setup with minimal wires
Nicely balance built-in speaker
Compact size
Capable Core i series desktop processor
Enough memory for all but the most demanding tasks
HDMI and Displayport
Dual monitor capable
USB-C for the future
Includes wireless keyboard and mouse
Multiple microphones for Cortana
Appealing design
Very clean setup with minimal wires
Nicely balance built-in speaker
Compact size
Capable Core i series desktop processor
Enough memory for all but the most demanding tasks
HDMI and Displayport
Dual monitor capable
USB-C for the future
Includes wireless keyboard and mouse
Multiple microphones for Cortana
Cons
Traditional hard drive
Massive power brick with proprietary plug
Difficult to upgrade hardware
Doesn’t fully take advantage of new technology in Windows 10
Keyboard can miss keys with faster typing speeds
Keyboard is a bit cramped
Mouse feels sticky and clicks require too much effort
Hard drive and fan can be a bit noisy for some
Traditional hard drive
Massive power brick with proprietary plug
Difficult to upgrade hardware
Doesn’t fully take advantage of new technology in Windows 10
Keyboard can miss keys with faster typing speeds
Keyboard is a bit cramped
Mouse feels sticky and clicks require too much effort
Hard drive and fan can be a bit noisy for some
With regular box PCs becoming less popular, many companies are looking to change the definition of computer. HP is looking to take the standard drab looking computer case and turn it into something attractive you don’t mind having on a desk and it looks like they have succeeded. A nice feature for those looking to reduce clutter is the using HDMI and DisplayPort for monitors means smaller cords. Combine that with a built-in speaker and included wireless mouse and keyboard and the clutter is almost nonexistent. Just be prepared to find a place to fput the extremely large power brick.
I have enjoyed having a much neater desk, and more space. The built is speaker has a good range for a computer in this price level. It is listed as a 360-degree speaker but you will still notice exactly where the sound comes from. Keeping the sleekness in mind, the other option would have been monitor speakers which don’t have the range of the one in the tower. A built-in tower speaker is a good compromise. Of course, it doesn’t have tonal range or bass for audiophiles but for most people it has a pleasing range. If you want separate speakers, you would either use the front stereo jack, an HDMI audio extractor, or USB sound card. However; this does seem defeat the purpose of this design. Another possible problem with separate speakers could be the extra microphones tuned for use with Cortana. They work very well to understand commands given combined with the built-in speaker, but I suspect separate speakers would defeat this tuning. I can walk in the office and call Cortana without touching the computer to start up music, get the weather, or get the news. The experience has been more enjoyable than expected.
The included keyboard and mouse are adequate. If you have a lower typing speed you will likely find it works just fine. If you type faster, you might notice this keyboard will tend to miss keystrokes unless you bang on them hard. The mouse is adequate for this price point. It is ambidextrous and neutral. It feels a little sticky on a mousepad and the buttons require a more firm click than a higher end unit, but for the package deal it is appropriate. The wheel on the mouse is surprisingly good.
This Wave, being the lower end model, comes only with integrated graphics. It works good for regular tasks and casual gaming. If you need more horsepower, there is an upgraded model with a separate graphics card. Neither is intended for hardcore gamers or people who like to customize.
The one thing that surprised me about this design is that it a modern design with good specs in most places but includes an Achilles heel. With such a modern design, it has a standard hard drive. Hybrid drives are not that much more expensive and SSDs have come down in price significantly. It seems odd that this modern system uses an old school hard drive. This could be a blazing fast system with an SSD but the traditional hard drive crunching comes up often sounding like an old computer. Installing an HP printer on other modern computers takes no more than about 8 minutes. This system took 45 minutes to install one and 25 to install the other. In modern times, this feels like an eternity. The higher end model that includes an SSD likely doesn’t exhibit this issue but it is surprising they didn’t address this across the board.
This system is intended to be displayed and out in the open, likely on the desk. This is where the choice of a traditional hard drive is also quite odd. Old hard drives make a distinct sound that sound somewhat like crunching. When you place this computer out for display on a desk or shelf, it amplifies that sound taking away from the overall experience. Another noise of note is the case fan can be heard as what can be best described as a faint purring sound. The fan can get very loud at initial startup. So far, even during heavy usage it has not needed to run at full speed. Overall, the regular sounds are not overly intrusive but do take away from what could be a more refined experience. I am extremely picky about sound so the vast majority of people will never notice. For those like me, you will still be ok but you know what to expect.
If you have owned other HP computers, you will know that they usually come preloaded with software of questionable use. Although this system is no exception, the software is easily removed. Oddly what seems to be missing and would be useful is a hardware diagnostics. Other HP systems I have had included robust diagnostics to check everything in the event strange things started occurring with the computer. I have searched everywhere, including on startup, and can find none. Another small misstep is that HP didn’t take advantage of the advanced technology of Windows 10. Instead of promoting the games included in the store that work quite well, they preinstalled WildTangent games which are full of advertisements and require managing a separate account. The system applications, while updated in style, are still traditional applications meaning you must manually update them and address them as well. It is a shame they weren’t redesigned as apps that could be automatically maintained by Windows and updated without fuss. On a more advanced note, it would have been nice to see HP take advantage of a new technology in Windows which would have allowed the system to be restored via the web if needed. Currently, the only way to reinstall Windows is via the information on the hard drive. Windows 10 has a new recovery system that HP could have used in the event of failure, for whatever reason, the system could be restored via an automatic download from HP very easily. This could have further enhanced the customer experience but it was nowhere to be found.
Overall, the HP Wave is a very nice system with a modern design. With some minor adjustments, such as using an SSD in all models and modernizing the apps, this could have been a near perfect system. It most certainly feels like an HP system, but it feels like they have improved the design while keeping prices manageable. The system is designed well overall and can be a nice upgrade for someone needing a new system. It would be nice to see HP will make some minor tweaks with the next generation of what is already a very nice new design. Until then, the current HP Wave a very capable and elegantly designed desktop computer.
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+8points
8of 8voted this as helpful.
Make driving routines more enjoyable with this OverDryve car system. Its voice assistant capabilities let you read and send text messages by command and also play music in your car without taking your hands off the wheel. The built-in dash cam of this OverDryve car system lets you record trips and capture every moment on the road.
Customer Rating
2
Decent hardware needing a software update
on September 29, 2016
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Summary
Decent hardware needing a software update
Decent hardware needing a software update
Pros
• Large screen visible under most conditions
• Navigation is very good
• Includes traditional atlas in digital form
• Includes trip planner including defining waypoints and stops
• Adds hands free calling to older cars
• Includes mount
• Magnetic mounting base is secure and convenient for connecting and removing the tablet
• Includes screen protector
• Third party app stores can be added
• Map updates are included
• Lane guidance is included on major roads
• Traffic information is provided if you have internet
• Has built in speaker and commercial GPS
• Tablet can actually be used outside of vehicle as a tablet
• Provides multiple options for outputting sound to your vehicle’s stereo
• Large screen visible under most conditions
• Navigation is very good
• Includes traditional atlas in digital form
• Includes trip planner including defining waypoints and stops
• Adds hands free calling to older cars
• Includes mount
• Magnetic mounting base is secure and convenient for connecting and removing the tablet
• Includes screen protector
• Third party app stores can be added
• Map updates are included
• Lane guidance is included on major roads
• Traffic information is provided if you have internet
• Has built in speaker and commercial GPS
• Tablet can actually be used outside of vehicle as a tablet
• Provides multiple options for outputting sound to your vehicle’s stereo
Cons
• Screen with mounting bracket is very large and likely will only work in larger vehicles
• Stays connected to phone at all times in range, even when not in the vehicle potentially missing calls and texts in your house while the tablet is in your car in the garage.
• Tones for navigation and warnings are not customizable
• Bracket can block camera
• Connecting via stereo jack causes background high pitched sound regardless of vehicle
• Collision warning app is too slow to be effective
• Dash camera function has choppy video and is very poor quality at night
• Speakerphone seems too quiet
• Compass sometimes orients in wrong direction
• Others reported microphone very quiet and I sounded far away
• Update system removed from Android presenting possible security risk
• Lags from time to time
• Navigation movement can jump in sections instead of smoothly moving vehicle on road
• Requires phone internet tethering to be fully affective
• Voice commands too limited. Nearly every function requires looking and tapping on the screen creating distractions. You cannot do things like control navigation. You must manually enter address
• Voice command button is too small
• Voice commands inconsistently use build in or phone recognition sometimes requiring phone internet or just causing commands to be run on phone instead of tablet. Telling the table to navigate to a location instead causes phone to navigate
• Screen with mounting bracket is very large and likely will only work in larger vehicles
• Stays connected to phone at all times in range, even when not in the vehicle potentially missing calls and texts in your house while the tablet is in your car in the garage.
• Tones for navigation and warnings are not customizable
• Bracket can block camera
• Connecting via stereo jack causes background high pitched sound regardless of vehicle
• Collision warning app is too slow to be effective
• Dash camera function has choppy video and is very poor quality at night
• Speakerphone seems too quiet
• Compass sometimes orients in wrong direction
• Others reported microphone very quiet and I sounded far away
• Update system removed from Android presenting possible security risk
• Lags from time to time
• Navigation movement can jump in sections instead of smoothly moving vehicle on road
• Requires phone internet tethering to be fully affective
• Voice commands too limited. Nearly every function requires looking and tapping on the screen creating distractions. You cannot do things like control navigation. You must manually enter address
• Voice command button is too small
• Voice commands inconsistently use build in or phone recognition sometimes requiring phone internet or just causing commands to be run on phone instead of tablet. Telling the table to navigate to a location instead causes phone to navigate
Full Review
The Rand McNally Overdryve is intended to be targeted at car owners who want the features of a modern car in an older car. To start, the screen is 7 inches wide which puts it squarely in the territory of modern built in stereos with large screens. I have experienced no problems with screen brightness except if the vehicle is getting a lot of sun from the side causing glare. It does include an anti-reflective screen protector but I haven’t used it because of bubbling problems. The screen is capacitive touch, which is nice. It is as sensitive as any modern smartphone.
The Rand McNally Overdryve is intended to be targeted at car owners who want the features of a modern car in an older car. To start, the screen is 7 inches wide which puts it squarely in the territory of modern built in stereos with large screens. I have experienced no problems with screen brightness except if the vehicle is getting a lot of sun from the side causing glare. It does include an anti-reflective screen protector but I haven’t used it because of bubbling problems. The screen is capacitive touch, which is nice. It is as sensitive as any modern smartphone.
The OverDryve has the ability to connect to your phone via Bluetooth and act as a speakerphone and music control. This seems nice as first but uncovers where the software is the weak part of this device. This tablet doesn’t know when you turn your car on and off. Pushing the power button only turns off the screen. This means that when you get home as long as the tablet is in range of your phone all sounds go the tablet. You either have to turn the tablet off each time or manually disconnect via Bluetooth each time if the tablet will be in range. It’s that or expect to miss a lot of calls and texts at home.
Continuing with Bluetooth, for me, uncovered another problem. The tablet is supposed to be able to play your phone music over your car stereo. The problem is none of my phones would reliably see the OverDryve as a valid Bluetooth streaming device. This meant most of the time it would just play the songs on the speaker the phone I tried. Once in a blue moon it would connect correctly and all would be well.
Phone calls fared better as all of my phones would consistently see the OverDryve as a valid phone connection but even here the software issues crop up. Voice dialing would not work unless I could successfully launch the voice dialer directly on my phone. Otherwise you would have to look at the tablet and browse contacts there. I found this particularly distracting. Also, when talking to people over the tablet people kept saying I sounded far away. They could understand me but even speaking loudly didn’t seem to fix the issue.
Phone calls fared better as all of my phones would consistently see the OverDryve as a valid phone connection but even here the software issues crop up. Voice dialing would not work unless I could successfully launch the voice dialer directly on my phone. Otherwise you would have to look at the tablet and browse contacts there. I found this particularly distracting. Also, when talking to people over the tablet people kept saying I sounded far away. They could understand me but even speaking loudly didn’t seem to fix the issue.
OverDryve touts is voice controls but this is another area where the software needs further refinement. For basic tasks such as making phone calls you can have the OverDryve pass the call request on for your phone to handle. For other tasks, such as navigation, the OverDryve wants a constant internet connection. It might have offline maps but to use your voice to set a destination would require tethering, which I don’t have. It just took away from a possible great experience. The lesson here is don’t expect to depend on the voice controls.
Other apps such as collision avoidance or dash cam feel far from complete. I could come up full steam to a car at a stop light without so much as a peep but would often get false collision alerts while sitting still or when I was in a curve with cars in the opposing lane. Even when it correctly detected a possible collision the response was so slow it was too late. It also has a non-customizable warning that literally says “warning” in a rather dated double toned voice with double red “warning” text. The dash cam suffers the same lag making me wonder if the jittering video and slow response is slow hardware or poor optimization. Depending on your exact mounting choice you might also find the stand prevents proper use of these utilities. In any case, I would not recommend relying on them at the current time.
Maps and here they don’t disappoint. There is an atlas app that you can browse the old style maps. There is even a route planner where you can set POIs and via points so you can, say for instance, plan your router to pass through a town you always wanted to visit. Instructions so far have not let me down although I would prefer speech over a tone for when it is time to turn. There are options for real time traffic updates, that require tethering, or predictive traffic based on history. I don’t have tethering. I connected it via the recommended stereo jack for navigation. On every vehicle that I used the stereo jack option, the OverDryve would have this constant background whine which would become quite annoying if the tablet was not saying anything or playing music. I also experienced were GPS lag and more often incorrect compass orientation.
Overall I would say this is an interesting device that can be great but in some ways is oddly placed. It really is hard to fully utilize it without an internet connection, which then likely means you have a smartphone. If you have a smartphone, larger ones are not much smaller in size and can do all of the same things and possibly do them faster. Better yet, there are not app enabled stereos that you can buy for a similar price that seamlessly mirror your smartphone without the feeling of jumping between phone and tablet.
If you are comfortable installing your own aftermarket stereo or are willing to pay an installer then getting a newer “app enabled” car stereo would be a sleeker, more integrated way to get these features.
So this begs the question. Who exactly is this tablet for? If you are a person with larger vehicle that has a feature phone with tethering and who wants modern car features, this is for you. If you are person with a smartphone with tethering or just don’t care about voice recognition and really just want to have a large screen for your navigation and phone features in your larger vehicle this is also for you. If they fix the software issues this device would be much more desirable.
So this begs the question. Who exactly is this tablet for? If you are a person with larger vehicle that has a feature phone with tethering and who wants modern car features, this is for you. If you are person with a smartphone with tethering or just don’t care about voice recognition and really just want to have a large screen for your navigation and phone features in your larger vehicle this is also for you. If they fix the software issues this device would be much more desirable.
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Share this review:
+12points
14of 16voted this as helpful.
Prevent dead zones around your home with the help of this Linksys Wi-Fi range extender. It works with all types of Wi-Fi routers, and it uses multi-user MIMO for speed and efficiency. This Linksys Wi-Fi range extender can be used to create a different access point or to extend the field of the router’s connection.
Customer Rating
2
Standard range extender with some software issues
on June 15, 2016
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
I purchased this extender to address a particular problem. My house is long and the internet enters on one end. This means my wireless router doesn’t reach the opposite end very well. Signal strength is good but speed drops noticeably. I was hoping for this to compliment my EA9500 as it was said to be designed specifically for this router. In the end what I have come up with is a mixed bag.
For the far end of the house my speed has definitely improved. The problem is it has done so at the expense of speed in the middle. The actual router itself has excellent speed and good range. Without the extender I can achieve over 300Mbps in the center of the house. With the range extender, the highest I regularly achieve is 200Mbps. The problem is this range extender, even when paired with the router it is designed for cuts the original speed in half. I have a 400Mbps internet. Directly connected to the primary WiFi I can get 376Mbps, on the WiFi. When the extender is involved it uses half the bands for a return signal effectively cutting any speed in half. This would be fine if the range extender only did this at the far end of the house. The problem is that in the middle sometimes the signal strength is stronger from the extender by just a little compared to the router and so I end up losing speed. I would push the extender further out but the signal strength to the extender is too poor.
This brings me to another issue, the configuration. The box says it has an easy way to determine signal strength leading to believe there is some sort of meter on the outside of the unit. There is not. In fact you have to manually log into the unit to see signal strength. The problem with this is the documentation for setup isn’t the greatest. Once the instructions were sorted out another issue is that sometimes during the initial setup it just doesn’t connect to the source router but you can’t be sure if it is not connecting or just slow. The instructions tell you if you are extending a compatible router you can keep the same WiFi name but instructions are vague on how to do this. They mostly point you to using WPS. From what I can tell this can only extend 1 2.4GHz and 1 5GHz network and the companion router actually provides a total of 4, two primary and two guests. I wasn’t able to figure out if it actually extends the guest networks but reading the documentation I am led to believe it does not.
There is a possible workaround to the speed issue is to use this as a hardwired extender as it has an Ethernet port. The far side of my house, like most, doesn’t have Ethernet as this point so I couldn’t test but from what I can tell it doesn’t exactly extend the WiFi when hardwired so much as create a _EXT WiFi. This means if you have a WiFi called MyHouse then the extender will create another called MyHouse_EXT. Again I didn’t have a way to try this but that isn’t exactly seamless roaming.
There is a possible workaround to the speed issue is to use this as a hardwired extender as it has an Ethernet port. The far side of my house, like most, doesn’t have Ethernet as this point so I couldn’t test but from what I can tell it doesn’t exactly extend the WiFi when hardwired so much as create a _EXT WiFi. This means if you have a WiFi called MyHouse then the extender will create another called MyHouse_EXT. Again I didn’t have a way to try this but that isn’t exactly seamless roaming.
Currently I have the extender paired to my router via WiFi. The WPS failed for me so I had to use the password method. The instructions don’t tell you but when pairing with a compatible router you enter the password for the WiFi you are extending.
In regards to reliability it has been a mixed bag. I have had some power issues lately so I can’t blame everything on the extender but I have had to reset it at least 5 times in about 2 weeks. Sometimes everything will look ok but I just can’t browse the internet. I reset the extender and everything is good again. In the end it has been helpful and I am hoping if I can get a cable to the other side of the house it might be more helpful. At this point I have mixed feelings about this unit. All in all though this unit is still new and nearly every grip of mine can be fixed by future firmware upgrades which it doesn’t automatically. I’m hoping that it will improve over time.
Pros
Does extend range
Improves speed in distant areas
When paired wirelessly with a compatible router it offers seamless roaming
Clutter free case with no external antennas means it can be installed in the open without getting snagged or bringing attention to itself
Brings up a warning webpage if the main WiFi is not accessible making troubleshooting quicker. You know you have to reset your router instead of the extender.
Can be wired or hardwired
Can act as an affordable standalone wireless AC access point
Automatically updates firmware
Does extend range
Improves speed in distant areas
When paired wirelessly with a compatible router it offers seamless roaming
Clutter free case with no external antennas means it can be installed in the open without getting snagged or bringing attention to itself
Brings up a warning webpage if the main WiFi is not accessible making troubleshooting quicker. You know you have to reset your router instead of the extender.
Can be wired or hardwired
Can act as an affordable standalone wireless AC access point
Automatically updates firmware
Cons
Cuts speed of main WiFi in half even when paired with the router that it is a companion for
Overlaps the primary WiFi zone and can cause loss of speed in the overlap zone
Can be unstable. Sometimes it just loses the connection with the main router and needs to be unplugged
Poor documentation
Leans heavily on WPS setup which is less secure to leave active
Slow bootup and connection makes you think the unit is not connecting
Signal Strength meter is software based slowing down placement and feels less intuitive
Internal antennas don’t reach as far
Cuts speed of main WiFi in half even when paired with the router that it is a companion for
Overlaps the primary WiFi zone and can cause loss of speed in the overlap zone
Can be unstable. Sometimes it just loses the connection with the main router and needs to be unplugged
Poor documentation
Leans heavily on WPS setup which is less secure to leave active
Slow bootup and connection makes you think the unit is not connecting
Signal Strength meter is software based slowing down placement and feels less intuitive
Internal antennas don’t reach as far
Final thoughts. Overall if this range extender can be an affordable way to extend your existing WiFi without requiring a complete change as long as you can accept its limitations, setup woes, and stability. It has no standout features but can get the job done. Stability issues will likely be sorted out in a future firmware upgraded, which are automatic. Hardware wise it is a decent box. It just needs software refinements. If Linksys could find a way to pair a unit such as this with their routers without cutting the speed in half then it could be a perfect solution for those who want a high end router without dealing with a mesh. This unit can still get the job done but it won't surprise you with great features and easy setup.
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Share this review:
+12points
12of 12voted this as helpful.
Your household is busy streaming media, working online, and playing games every day. This Linksys Wi-Fi Router will expand your network coverage, send signals directly to your devices, and deliver a lag-free connection, even when you’re all online at the same time.
Customer Rating
5
Fast, Nearly Perfect 8 Port Gigabit Router
on May 13, 2016
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Let me just start off by saying this router is huge for a consumer device, and that’s a good thing. It’s substantially larger and heavier than most small business routers I install for work and faster. I cringe when routers are very small and light because they typically means they are typically underpowered and will tend to overheat. This thing is at least twice the size of the average consumer wireless router. It’s even a little bigger than most enthusiast routers. It also has some real weight to it which I would assume would be due to some real metal used for heat dissipation and that’s big plus in my book. Another plus is it looks to use a large passive cooling system which is more reliable than the tiny fans of the active coolers. If I am correct, that means this router will last a long time and stay stable since most of my routers in the past typically get worse with age due to heat stress when they get pushed and mine even stays in an air conditioned closet.
Besides noticing the size you will notice how many antennas it has. There are a total of eight which is great and is the reason why it is Tri-Band Quad Stream. For power users the bummer is that the antennas are not able to be upgraded or replaced. I suspect that is because you don’t just start relocating the different antennas of a Tri-Band MU-MIMO router to random parts of your house because they are typically tuned to work as connected. That said, if you want maximum speed and strength and have a huge house or you need to put this to the far end with lots of walls you might want to invest in their companion repeater. In my case I have a slightly larger than average house and needed to install it to one end. I can say the signal reached just fine although speed dropped down. The good news is I was still able to achieve near max speed of my internet, which is no small feat for WiFi since my connection is 400Mb. So far this the first WiFi able to actually utilize my internet. You do have to use the 5GHz range as the 2.4GHz range cannot support full speed. My last Dual-Band MU-MIMO router was good but just couldn’t seem to fully max things out. The MU-MIMO has been doing a nice job of keeping max speed on all my devices, which according to the interface is 25. So far I haven’t observed streaming of multiple devices degrading the quality.
Now for a small downside. This router claims to be able to handle wireless AC up to 5.3Gbps total with one being 1000Mbps at 2.4GHz and two being 2166Mbps at 5.0GHz. I tried every device I have including a new Surface Book and, being right next to the box, the highest link speed I could achieve was 866Mbps. Now best case scenario that means actual theoretical speed could be as high as half the link speed or 433Mbps which is far lower than the roughly 1083Mbps, 2166Mbps/2, you would expect from the ratings on the box. It’s still strange that I could not at least get the link speed of 2166Mbps when standing within 2 feet. Of course wireless includes a lot of variables and this is still far faster than most people would ever need for wireless but it’s worth noting. Of course these speeds are rough estimates though because I was able to achieve 344Mbps on a speed test when I had a link speed of 450Mbps. Either way, comparing to others I have used, it feels faster.
For anything but the most hardcore gamers the wireless should work great but you might also find the built in 8 port Gigabit switch handy. I think for power users that is a standout feature in this price range. Every other router I’ve had in this range only comes with 4.
For gamers this router gives you good speed both wired and wireless assuming you have a good adapter on the computer side. My ping times on wireless are usually in the low 20s. I rarely used hardwired anymore so I can’t comment on wired ping times. The processor should be able to keep up with even the heaviest gaming and although I have not been able to full stress test it, based on my experience with different routers I don’t see this having any trouble. If you are a power user and want to adjust every feature you should get all the important ones. Just don’t expect to adjust things like transmit power or anything like that. It has the standard features such as QoS adjustments (called Media Prioritization), port forwarding, and UPnP. For QoS you get a limited number of slots so you can’t go full power user on it and the Download Bandwidth must be manually entered. Other routers I have had could dynamically measure speed and adapt automatically. Another nice aspect is that even comparing this to my old AC1900 wireless router, which I thought was fast, this is faster. Before I was getting fast enough speeds to where the website was the issue, or so I thought, but this router seems to just be able to pipe through web pages even faster. Some websites are noticeably faster. The router does have a built-in speed test functionality but it’s funny because it can’t actually keep up with the router. You can see my comparison picture showing the built in speed test versus a third party. The router was able to easily handle my 400Mbps internet where their speed test would show speeds of only 10-20Mbps. If you have a fast connection and use the built in speed test you are likely going to see abnormally slow speeds. Don’t believe them.
For my configuration I am happy they keep this basic and include an embedded website for administration. I say this because I purchased a router that required a smartphone app and being a Windows Mobile user I was left without a way to set it up. I couldn’t even use a regular computer to configure it which was frustrating. However; this router can be configured via a smartphone app, for iOS and Android. For those like me who can’t use the app the nice part is you can just plug in a computer, turn on the router and browse the internet. It will bring you directly to the router configuration when you first try to go online. You can type IP address if you want to but for those less techy it just brings you their configuration wizard. You can stick with the easy method and create a cloud connected account or you can take full control and remove cloud connectivity. I like having the option to keep my settings out of the cloud so having the option is nice.
You can use this as a WiFi Access point if you really want to but you lose most of the functionality. It turns into a purpose built access point with nearly all features gone including QoS, Cloud controls, and guest WiFi are gone. That said, if you just need fast WiFi for yourself and are already happy with your router this can still fit the build even if it might be a bit of overkill.
Overall since installing this router has been very stable, fast, and has had good range. Even though this router is not perfect it does seem to strike a nice balance of features, performance and price and that is how I based my rating. I’ve been very happy with the performance. As with any of my other reviews I will post updates in the comments of my review if I discover something new.
Pros
Feels sturdy and like it’s built to last
Plenty of antennas for speed and coverage
8 Port Gigabit Switch!
2 USB Ports
Fast Dual Core
MU-MIMO
Tri-Band Quad Stream
Very Stable
Easy to set up with most configuration options available
Has been able to handle anything thrown at it without slowing
Still has an embedded website for configuration
Has cloud connectivity but doesn’t require it
Feels sturdy and like it’s built to last
Plenty of antennas for speed and coverage
8 Port Gigabit Switch!
2 USB Ports
Fast Dual Core
MU-MIMO
Tri-Band Quad Stream
Very Stable
Easy to set up with most configuration options available
Has been able to handle anything thrown at it without slowing
Still has an embedded website for configuration
Has cloud connectivity but doesn’t require it
Cons
Fixed Antennas
Large size can make it hard to install in certain locations
Only 1 port is USB 3
Link Speed does is not as high as claimed even no new devices
No Windows App
Fixed Antennas
Large size can make it hard to install in certain locations
Only 1 port is USB 3
Link Speed does is not as high as claimed even no new devices
No Windows App
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
Microsoft 640 Prepaid Cell Phone for AT&T Prepaid: Stay connected and productive wherever you are with this Prepaid cell phone, which features 4G LTE speed and Wi-Fi for flexible Internet connection options. Easily browse Web sites and flip through features using the 5" touch screen, and snap photos with the 8.0MP rear-facing camera.
Customer Rating
5
Excellent affordable phone
on April 13, 2016
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
Some would immediately dismiss the phone because it is Windows. I happen to like Windows Phone because of the way it displays information I am able to be more productive but at the very least you should try it out for yourself without someone else telling you it's not good. It might not have all the first party apps but in most cases their are good third party apps. Compared to other phones in the same price range the speed is better and the camera is better. For a cheap smartphone it feels like you are getting a great value. It also can be upgraded to Windows 10 Mobile once approved by AT&T which means you won't be outdated as many of the new Windows apps are Universal and need Windows 10. It has an SD card slot which, unlike others, can easily be used to store most apps meaning you aren't limited to just 8GB for apps. For a little more this cheap phone can have more useable storage than much more expensive phones. If you don't need to have every single first party app out there and just want a great value of a phone that integrates nicely with Windows 10, this phone does great.
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+4points
4of 4voted this as helpful.
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.
Customer Rating
5
Solid router with good range and speed
on February 6, 2016
Posted 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.
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
What's great about it: Simple setup, Removeable antennas, Good set of features, stable, fast, long range
What's not so great: All plastic build with small heatsink, Fancy interface slows it down
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
-2points
2of 6voted this as helpful.
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 ›
Customer Rating
5
Best fitness tracker for the money
on January 2, 2016
Posted 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
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+4points
4of 4voted this as helpful.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Cell Phone for AT&T: This phone is constructed from metal and glass for a sturdy, high-quality build, while its ultra-fast processer makes for exceptional multitasking. It comes packed with features, like a fingerprint reader, advanced cameras on both sides of the phone, and a heart rate monitor. Plus, Samsung Pay allows you to swipe this phone as if it were a credit card to process fast, secure payments without pulling out your wallet.AT&T Next option available. Learn more ›
Customer Rating
3
Beautiful hardware with a mixed bag of software
on April 20, 2015
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
First let me say that I think this is the nicest looking Galaxy phone to date. Even the screen seems better if that is possible. I believe polycarbonate may be more durable but the metal and glass finish just looks and feels more premium. Hardware wise, the phone feels very well built with excellent quality control. The antennae seems like the best yet as I have been getting great reception. That is not normally Samsung’s strong point. If I had any gripes about the hardware it would be the battery size, ear piercing tone of the speakerphone, and the camera bump in order from biggest gripe to smallest. I’ve had to turn the speakerphone all the way down and the tones can sometimes still hurt for certain words people say. That isn’t a deal breaker though as it is only occasionally.
The main gripes are primarily software related. Even though TouchWiz has been optimized, it still lags in odd places. You know it’s not the hardware because it can breeze through demanding tasks while lagging on the simple thing. TouchWiz also seems to kill the battery faster. I switched to Hola Launcher and gained significant battery life and smoothness. Battery life is still just average to below average. The problem is you can’t completely switch out the lack of optimization, just minimize it. I’ve had my stock dialer freeze in a phone call 5 times now not letting me hang up and no I don’t have a lot going on. I’ve gone to launch the camera that supposedly launches in 0.47 seconds only to have it take 2 or 3 seconds to launch and randomly taking another 5 seconds to show a picture I just took. Mind you, this is not all the time but again this is with no real background tasks to speak of. That’s why I call it a mixed bag.
On the camera front, gone are the days of the blue hue on every picture you take. The pictures are more natural and nearly always exactly the way you would expect. Comparing to my old Lumia 1520 though, it still loses out in dark shots for clarity, noise, accuracy, and speed. Daytime shots are a pretty much level playing field. This is the first Galaxy phone that takes decent enough low light pictures I wouldn’t mind sharing.
Voice recognition is the area where things seemed to have taken a step backwards. There is no button to launch S-Voice and Google Now doesn’t seem to work using OK Google. The frustrating part is being one using texting over Bluetooth a lot on my old phones, this one just can’t seem to do it. Even set to read texts via Bluetooth, it never does. If I want to text someone at work that I’m on my way completely hands free to stay safe, I can’t. My old Lumia could do that every time without a problem. I’ve tried every app I can find and none of them work worth a darn. If I want to ask facts to Google Now, nothing can be beat. Problem is I want voice recognition where I needs hands free and Google Now, S-Voice, or anything in Google Play seem up to the task. This for me is the biggest gripe but it seems I’m in the minority on this. Windows Phone did spoil me on voice recognition over Bluetooth.
In short, the GS6 is definitely more refined than a GS5. This is a definite improvement for people upgrading. Depending on where your priorities lie, this is either a killer phone or just a nice phone. I lean personally feel it is a nice phone but a definite improvement over previous models.
In short, the GS6 is definitely more refined than a GS5. This is a definite improvement for people upgrading. Depending on where your priorities lie, this is either a killer phone or just a nice phone. I lean personally feel it is a nice phone but a definite improvement over previous models.
Pros
TouchWiz has been better optimized
Nice looking phone
Outstanding screen
Premium feel and build quality
Good call quality and signal. Better than previous versions
Consistent picture quality with more accurate colors. Good shot to shot consistency
Better low light picture quality than previous versions
TouchWiz has been better optimized
Nice looking phone
Outstanding screen
Premium feel and build quality
Good call quality and signal. Better than previous versions
Consistent picture quality with more accurate colors. Good shot to shot consistency
Better low light picture quality than previous versions
Cons
Average to below average battery life
TouchWiz is still inconsistent
Fingerprint scanner still not anywhere as consistent as TouchID requiring multiple attempts
Bluetooth controls/texting still lacking and possibly worse compared to iOS and Windows Phone even if fact checking is superior
Voice activation of assistant seems to be gone or not working
Camera launch speed is very inconsistent
Camera struggles to figure out to take a picture in lower lighting and often lags compared to the Lumia phones I have had
Fixed battery that has low life
No microSD expansion
Average to below average battery life
TouchWiz is still inconsistent
Fingerprint scanner still not anywhere as consistent as TouchID requiring multiple attempts
Bluetooth controls/texting still lacking and possibly worse compared to iOS and Windows Phone even if fact checking is superior
Voice activation of assistant seems to be gone or not working
Camera launch speed is very inconsistent
Camera struggles to figure out to take a picture in lower lighting and often lags compared to the Lumia phones I have had
Fixed battery that has low life
No microSD expansion
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+8points
8of 8voted this as helpful.
Easily capture 4K Ultra HD video footage with your enabled smartphone, tablet or camera with this SanDisk Extreme Pro microSDXC memory card, which features a 64GB capacity, read speeds up to 95 MB/sec. and write speeds up to 90 MB/sec.
Customer Rating
5
Consistent, stable performance
on March 24, 2015
Posted by: CraigB
from Texas
I bought this card for my Nokia Lumia 1520. I needed a card that supports 4K recording. I have used lower end Sandisk cards and they were just not up to the task. After strenuous usage they would drop out and sometimes lose data. I also tried a Samsung Pro microSD and it was a fast. inexpensive card but would drop out temporarily with strenuous usage. I put this SanDisk card through it's paces by doing a full restore of the data on my phone which if I remember correctly was about 23GB. It ran overnight and usually other restores take several attempts and require a reboot to get the card back and this one did not drop out once. During the restore, the area of the phone where the card is installed got very warm but it never dropped out. That is no small feat in microSD.
If I had one possible gripe, I would say I believe the card might have a higher latency than some other slower cards. It's a common issue that when you increase max throughput that you increase random access times. I don't store any critical apps on the card for reliability but comparing it to my Samsung Pro card it seems to take a little longer to do things that require accessing a small amount of data quickly. I haven't benchmarked it but rather just did a side by side comparison with an identical 1520. The phone with Samsung card shows all apps available quicker. Also, with 4K recording there is a stutter when starting the video that goes away after about the first 2-3 seconds. The Samsung card doesn't seem to have that stutter at the beginning but still does show one at random intervals. Once the Sandisk card gets a continuous stream of video pushed to it, it seems to stabilize and work great. Without further testing, I can't say if it is a card issue related to random access speeds or maybe a glitch in the Lumia Denim update. In the end, it is a minor gripe in an otherwise very stable card that performs consistently.
My score is based on a comparison to other high speed cards I have owned so I did not take away a star for the possible random access times. I also rated it on the fact that with some careful checking and Best Buy's price match guarantee, this card can be purchased for a much better price.
My Best Buy number: 2528554201
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+9points
9of 9voted this as helpful.
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
2of 2voted this comment as helpful.
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.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
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
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
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.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
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.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
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
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
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.
Bring out your creativity to share your life stories. Adobe Sensei AI technology* and automated options do the heavy lifting so you can instantly turn photos into art, warp photos to fit any shape, and more. Add moving overlays or 3D camera motion to take your photos to a whole new level, and save them as MP4s for easy sharing on social. Grow your skills with 60 Guided Edits that step you through how to create perfect pet pics; extend, remove, or replace photo backgrounds; and more. Effortlessly organize your photos, and craft personalized creations like dynamic photo and video slideshows with all-new styles and inspirational quote graphics. Transform your favorite photos into gallery-quality wall art, beautiful prints, and unique keepsakes with the built-in prints and gifts service. †And enjoy an updated look that makes the software even easier to use and navigate. *Adobe Sensei is the technology that powers intelligent features across all Adobe products to dramatically improve the design and delivery of digital experiences, using artificial intelligence and machine learning in a common framework.†FUJIFILM Prints & Gifts service is available in the U.S. only.
Can photoshop Elements 2022 edit both video and photos? Thanks,
Photoshop Elements does photos. Premier Elements does videos.
2 years, 6 months ago
by
CraigB
Sit back, relax and let the Samsung Jet Mop automatically clean your floors. Samsung’s Jet Mop automatically cleans all type of floors, like tile, vinyl, laminate or hardwood. This robotic mop features dual spinning fiber pads that easily and quickly remove dust and dirt. Now, you can simply take it easy as the intelligent Jet Mop does the hard work for you.
Does this unit require water(specific) or cleaner(special brand)? Example: deionized, distilled, tap, boiled, spring. Example: fabuloso, pledge, mop and glow, bleach/water, brand compatible.
Unfortunately, the instructions say to use only water and nothing else.
3 years, 6 months ago
by
CraigB
Monitor your property and capture 1080p footage with this eufy smart floodlight camera. The super-bright 2500-lumen motion-activated lights provide excellent illumination for nighttime recording. This eufy smart floodlight camera offers the option to livestream HD video from your smartphone, and two-way audio communication lets you interact with visitors from afar.
will it work with homekit
Not at this time but Eufy did add Homekit to their other cameras. Maybe this one will be added later.
4 years, 1 month ago
by
CraigB
eufy eufyCam 2, 2-Camera Surveillance System: See everything that happens around your home in 1080p HD with this eufy eufyCam 2 kit. Quick and easy to set up, two wireless cameras and a home base provide all that you need to get started, while smart integration ensures you can easily connect to other smart devices. This eufy eufyCam 2 kit provides 365 days of use from a single charge for continuous observation.
How are people posting reviews of these cameras, with photos and everything, when it's not available for pre order? Where are people buying them?
Probably the same way Amazon does. They let some regular people have a chance to try the product a little early and review it. They do that for movies and restaurants all the time to see if any tweaks need to be made before opening things up wide scale.
4 years, 6 months ago
by
CraigB
eufy eufyCam 2, 2-Camera Surveillance System: See everything that happens around your home in 1080p HD with this eufy eufyCam 2 kit. Quick and easy to set up, two wireless cameras and a home base provide all that you need to get started, while smart integration ensures you can easily connect to other smart devices. This eufy eufyCam 2 kit provides 365 days of use from a single charge for continuous observation.
How many cameras can connect to the home base?
I read in one place where it said 20 but the biggest question would be storage until they offer the USB expansion dongle. There is a place in the app help that talks about formatting up to 128GB flash drive so many that is already supported.
4 years, 6 months ago
by
CraigB
Why can't i sort the the home theater projectors by "Native Resolution"
One of the most important features of a home theater projector is its Native Resolution. Please allow us to filter our selection by this very important parameter. Every other retailer's site allows this. It does not give me a warm and fuzzy feeling when you hide important information about a product.
Because in the consumer space, most projector manufacturers no longer release their native resolution. Projector Central is a good site for info but if you are looking for true, native 4K resolution you are looking at likely over $10,000.
4 years, 7 months ago
by
CraigB
Work or play on the go with this Dell G5 15 notebook. The 15.6-inch FHD display delivers a clear crisp picture, while the NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti graphics card supports most modern games. This Dell G5 15 notebook has a 256GB SSD and 1TB hard drive for ample storage and quick file access, and the Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM offer quick multitasking.
On the 1660 Ti model, does it ship with a DisplayPort input?
Work or play on the go with this Dell G5 15 notebook. The 15.6-inch FHD display delivers a clear crisp picture, while the NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti graphics card supports most modern games. This Dell G5 15 notebook has a 256GB SSD and 1TB hard drive for ample storage and quick file access, and the Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM offer quick multitasking.
Hi, I bought this laptop. I don't know how to activate windows 10 included. Thanks
Make sure all updates are installed first and then run the Windows Activation Troubleshooter under Settings->About. You will see text offering to troubleshoot. Took a slew of updates and three times troubleshooting before it stopped.
4 years, 9 months ago
by
CraigB
Work or play on the go with this Dell G5 15 notebook. The 15.6-inch FHD display delivers a clear crisp picture, while the NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti graphics card supports most modern games. This Dell G5 15 notebook has a 256GB SSD and 1TB hard drive for ample storage and quick file access, and the Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM offer quick multitasking.
What is the display refresh rate?
It's 60Hz. It's probably the only negative of this rig. Dell does offer it with a 144Hz screen.
4 years, 9 months ago
by
CraigB
Remove hair without wax or razors using the Lumilisse by Conair hair removal device. Rapid pulses of intense light help prevent hair regrowth, delivering permanent results with consistent use. The FDA-cleared device uses sensors to safely activate. Choose between continuous mode for large areas or manual mode to target specific trouble spots. The Lumilisse by Conair hair removal device includes two attachments to ensure perfectly smooth results all over.
Can this be used on Facial and Neck hair?
There is a special tip for facial hair but you can't use it very well around the chin and jaw line or close to the eyes. It is best to make sure to follow the initial test as for some it can cause a rash or heat burn. My wife has PCOS and tried to use it to treat the facial hairs and it caused a heat burn and very dry scaly skin and she could not continue to use it there.
5 years, 1 month ago
by
CraigB