swemoney's stats
- Review count209
- Helpfulness votes157
- First reviewMay 14, 2016
- Last reviewJune 5, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.9
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- Answer count12
- Helpfulness votes10
- First answerJune 10, 2016
- Last answerApril 18, 2021
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- Best answers2
Work and play beautifully with this 13-inch 2-in-1 Dell XPS convertible laptop. Its InfinityEdge display and FHD resolution provide a portable home theater viewing experience, and it handles high-bandwidth multitasking thanks to its Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM. The 512GB solid-state drive of this Dell XPS convertible laptop secures stored applications and files. Learn more.
Customer Rating
4
Why can't PC laptop makers get trackpads right?
on July 20, 2017
Posted by: swemoney
Right away, I'll start by saying I haven't used a Windows laptop in quite some time. I've been using MacBook Pro's almost exclusively for any actual work for over a decade. This laptop doesn't convince me to change that and it's almost exclusively based on the quality of the trackpad. MacBook trackpads have always been leaps and bounds above any PC competition but I figured with the amount of time that has passed, maybe they did some catchup. Not so much. I've tweaked most of the trackpad settings to make it somewhat functional, but haven't been able to get anything that I really enjoy using. If you use the full "click", you'll almost always move the mouse before activating the very rigid click. Using the tap to click is better but still a pretty "meh" user experience. Right clicking happens a lot by accident with certain settings. All of that said, I don't have other PC laptops to compare this to. Maybe this trackpad is amazing compared to other PC laptops. My guess is it's probably pretty comparable though. If you haven't noticed, I don't like this trackpad.
Since the trackpad is one of the MAIN ways you interact with the computer (hence why I find it very important to work properly) the saving grace for this computer is that it's touchscreen. A lot of the issues you experience with the trackpad can be alleviated by just touching the screen instead. This isn't intuitive because I don't think about touching my laptop screen at all (I actually actively avoid it), but once you start to remember that this is a touchscreen, it starts to feel a little better to use.
The processor is a pretty low end i7 but it's an i7 which makes it pretty beefy for a laptop. Plenty of ram and a decent amount of storage space. The specs on this computer are pretty nice and I'm looking forward to pushing it to see what it can do. It's got a fingerprint reader for unlocking. The package is small but not too small. The keyboard feels nice. The unit I received had a dead pixel on the screen but Dell is sending me another unit so I don't see it as an issue. I haven't tried to play any games on the system but it doesn't have a a dedicated graphics unit so I can't image being able to run many super intense games on it. Other than that, the internals of this computer are pretty nice.
So, bottom line, this computer gets a lot of things right but the one thing it doesn't get right is, by my own opinion, one of the most important things in a laptop as it's one of your main interaction points. If trackpads are not important to you in any way, and/or you are intent on using the touchscreen for most of your mouse interaction, you'll probably be OK with this computer. If you come from using MacBooks almost exclusively, you'll immediately be turned off by this system based on the trackpad alone.
My Best Buy number: 0039332332
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Improve your audio experience with this Samsung three-channel soundbar. This unit, which has a built-in subwoofer, channels high-resolution full-spectrum sound and eliminates the need for an extra bass speaker. Use 4K pass-through to connect your Blu-ray player or other UHD device to the Samsung three-channel soundbar for stunning multi-channel audio and a clear picture.
Customer Rating
4
Great if you want a plug, play and forget setup
on June 26, 2017
Posted by: swemoney
I switched out my bottom of the barrel, surround sound in a box setup for this soundbar. My surround sound is a 5.1 setup but I thought, considering the small size of my living room, that this soundbar might be good enough and maybe I'll even buy the wireless surround sound upgrade later. After a couple of days, I switched back to my original 5.1 system, but not because this was a bad soundbar, I just think it wasn't as much of my cup of tea being someone who enjoys tinking with settings.
Pros: If you want a nice sounding, plug in power and an HDMI cable and your done setup (as long as your TV supports ARC, which it should if it was made in the last half decade at least), this is the soundbar for you if it's in your price range. For a "3.1" setup, the sound that was produced was pretty good. Testing out John Wick 2 on it and some of the sounds even sounded like they were coming from behind me. So they do a good job of throwing the sound everywhere in a room. Setup is really simple. You just plug in power and your HDMI into the ARC channel on your TV and you're done. Turn it on and it should detect and switch to "TV ARC" automatically so you'll hear any sound coming from your TV through the soundbar. It was pretty easy to connect to wifi and update the device with the Samsung Multiroom app. I didn't play around with much more of that, but if you have multiple supported Samsung speakers, I guess you can manage where the audio goes. You can even set this up to use bluetooth or wifi to get your TV audio if your TV supports that. Or you can connect your phone via bluetooth to listen to music. Lot's of options as far as connecting to this speaker. If it's in your budget, you have a lot of options as far as upgrades for this system too. There's a wireless surround addon that upgrades it to a 5.1 setup. I believe there is also a dedicated sub woofer upgrade you can buy. And there's an extra bracket you can attach to your TV to mount the soundbar just below your TV instead of leaving it on a shelf (brackets for mounting the soundbar to a wall are included).
Cons: That's where the options stop. There are very few sound setup options. I'm sure this is a result of it being a contained unit and they've been optimized for some specific settings. I would still have loved some more tweaking options. The subwoofer is built in to this unit and as a result, the bass sounds aren't anything impressive. They aren't terrible but you won't be shaking the house down like you would with a dedicated subwoofer (sold separately, I think). It's part of the pros list, but the all the upgrades for this thing can probably double the price. So I'd say that's also a con. One more thing that might have been just an issue with my setup was, there seemed to be strange times when the soundbar would just turn itself off. No indicator on the device to say it was going to sleep or anything, but while using certain apps on my AppleTV, the soundbar would turn off unexpectedly. For instance, watching something in the Netflix app on our AppleTV, if we paused it for a handful of minutes and came back, we'd be presented with no sound and had to turn the soundbar back on. If we were just hanging out on the AppleTV main menu, the soundbar stayed on. The soundbar also stayed on all night when the TV had no input source at all. So I'm not sure what was up with that and it can probably be resolved with an update at some time.
Bottom line: If you want to tweak every little thing about your sound system, you might want to look elsewhere. Also, if AppleTV is your main content consumption device, you might want to wait for a firmware upgrade. The random shutdowns were annoying. If you want a really simple setup that sounds good and you just plug in and rarely think about it's existence, this could be the item for you but make sure the upgrades are part of your budget if you intend on doing that in the future.
My Best Buy number: 0039332332
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Enjoy optimal sound clarity from the Pure Digital Drive system of these Audio-Technica wireless over-ear headphones. You can easily answer calls or control the volume with the built-in microphone and tap controls. These Audio-Technica wireless over-ear headphones hold a charge for up to 15 hours to get you through long playlists.
Customer Rating
4
Sound good. Comfort is ok.
on June 1, 2017
Posted by: swemoney
I do like these headphones but I'm indifferent on the comfort level. The ear cups seem kind of small (or I have large ears that I'm only now realizing 35 years into my life). My ears feel like they are resting on the inside of the cups in these. It just feels, initially, kind of weird. I wouldn't say that that aspect makes them uncomfortable, though. Just something I noticed right away. The other part that I'm indifferent about is the amount of pressure they apply to my head. It's small, but I do feel like these squeeze my head a little harder than I'd like them to and could be an issue for you with prolonged use. I am not sure if they'd loosen up a bit after a while.
Sound sounds really good. I'm no audiophile so I can't comment on numbers or anything but just listening to music sounds really good. I also listen to mostly Apple Music so I can't comment on what kind of quality you're going to get with lossless audio or anything. Bass sounds good without sounding like they're trying to artificially overpower it. They get loud, if that's how you like to listen.
Controls are pretty minimalist. The power is an actual switch (haven't seen this in a while). The volume is a toggle slider (you slide it up or down and springs back to the middle). The "touch pad" thing they use for answering calls or play/pause takes a second to get used to where it is. It also has a little bit of a delay, so sometimes you'll hit it twice because you didn't think it registered and then it will just pause and play again right away. You can get used to it with time, though.
Overall, I'd recommend trying these on first before buying, but give them a few minutes to form an opinion because my instant impression was that they were going to be a lot less comfortable than they ended up being. Sound is good, but again, try before you buy to make sure they sound good to you because I don't have your special ears.
My Best Buy number: 0039332332
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Meet your large household’s high-bandwidth requirements with this tri-band Linksys Max-Stream Wi-Fi router. It performs at up to 4 Gbps for high-speed Internet access, and its MU-MIMO technology lets everyone at home enjoy smooth, simultaneous gaming and media streaming on multiple devices. This Linksys Max-Stream Wi-Fi router has six adjustable external antennas for maximum area coverage
Customer Rating
4
Another good router from Linksys
on May 12, 2017
Posted by: swemoney
I've found this router to be pretty much on par with the router they released last year (the EA9500, AC5400). Range seems pretty comparable and very adequate for my needs. I get coverage everywhere in my home and only see a bar drop below max in the very corners (where it will only drop 1 bar so still very good coverage).
Theoretical maximum speed is a little lower than last year's offering, but I don't see that being an issue for most people. Unless you're streaming a lot of things at the same time from inside your home, your internet will definitely be the bottleneck for most things you do.
All in all, I'll continue to use my EA9500. The price difference of the EA9300 and EA9500 is pretty small now a days so I don't think I can recommend this newer one that touts a slower speed. But if you can't find the EA9500 for a similar price, you won't be doing yourself a disservice by going with the 9300.
My Best Buy number: 0039332332
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Experience high-quality sound anywhere with this Polk Audio BOOM Bit wearable Bluetooth speaker. Its steel spring clip attaches it securely to your clothing, providing great audio without blocking out noise from the surroundings. The 3-hour battery life of this compact Polk Audio BOOM Bit wearable Bluetooth speaker keeps the tunes coming on any adventure.
Customer Rating
4
Definitely good enough
on May 2, 2017
Posted by: swemoney
I would never expect AMAZING sound to come out of a speaker as small as this one. The sound that comes out of this speaker is definitely not amazing but it's actually really good when you consider the size and price of this small thing. I'm not really an audiophile or anything so I can't give you a in depth critique of the exact quality of the sound, but I do think that it's worth the price if you're looking for something that's very portable and easy to stick to your person.
My Best Buy number: 0039332332
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Keep floors clean effortlessly with this Dyson cordless vacuum cleaner. Its powerful cleaner head removes ground-in dirt from carpets. The built-in HEPA filter in this Dyson cordless vacuum cleaner removes allergens from your living environment, and the vacuum transforms to a hand-held for spot cleaning.
Customer Rating
5
Different but pretty nice
on March 22, 2017
Posted by: swemoney
We have a dyson ball pet vacuum and really like it but it's very big so it's kind of an actual "chore" to use. If we need to vacuum something up quickly, it's kind of a pain. I remember the days of the old "Dust Busters" when cordless vacuuming was absolute garbage. After the hesitation, I'm really happy with this one.
It's quite small and mounting the charger was really easy. The mount is pretty versatile. You can hang the vacuum, long extension and one of the attachments from the actual charging part. Underneath, there's room to connect 2 other attachments for storage. I would have liked to see something (even just a mesh bag or something) to store the remaining attachments but it's not that big of a deal.
Using it as an actual upright vacuum is comfortable but kind of weird to get used to. You have to hold the trigger button while you vacuum so it feels a little unnatural. The trigger is very light and easy to press, so it's not difficult to hold and I'm sure, after some time, I'll get more used to it and it will feel more comfortable in my hand. I used the longer lasting, "40 minutes per charge" setting and felt like the suction was plenty for whatever I'd really need a quick, cordless vacuum for. I don't imagine a scenario where I'll ever NEED the super max deluxe setting. My favorite thing to do was all of the edges where the carpet meets the molding. I rarely do this with our normal upright vacuum because it's annoying to lug the huge thing behind and the bulky hose just doesn't make it a very comfortable thing to do, so I just don't. With this one, I just plugged in the thin attachment to the long extension and was able to suck up all the loose kitty litter that's been tracked into those corners over a long time.
Emptying the container is pretty easy, now. It took a couple of tries because I didn't know how it was going to work. There's a big caution type of sticker around the container that shows you how to do it but I didn't really know HOW it was going to work. So the first time I lifted the lever and the top "filter" started to raise up, it gets a little stuck so you have to pull harder. I pulled harder and the bottom just unhinges and I dumped kitty litter all over the floor. Good thing I had a vacuum in my hand. My next attempt, I did over the garbage can but I was still unsure about what released the bottom so after I pulled the filter up a little bit, I to push it back in before the bottom had dropped out. This does not work. The filter WILL NOT push back in until the bottom door has opened. It's not hard to empty once you understand how it works. Just pull the "lever" it tells you to pull and keep pulling until the filter section comes all the way up and the bottom drops out.
All in all, I can definitely see myself getting a lot of use out of this vacuum. Probably a lot more than the full upright just based on how easy it is to pick up and get a quick job done. I'd recommend it.
My Best Buy number: 0039332332
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Make your home an internet haven with this versatile Linksys Velop wireless Wi-Fi system. Three identical tri-band dual-stream AC2200 routers, each equipped with a quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor, deliver lightning-fast internet. Equipped with Bluetooth 4.0/LE, this Linksys Velop wireless Wi-Fi system is simple to set up and pairs easily with computers, tablets and smart devices.
Customer Rating
3
Great for the less tech savvy with large homes
on January 18, 2017
Posted by: swemoney
Overall, I think this is a great system for those that just need wifi and don't have a lot of need or desire to tweak and customize their networks. If you require more in the way of features and customization options, you may want to go another route.
Setup process is as advertised and very easy to manage when it works right. The only issue with setup is when something goes wrong. I found that the setup process has a hard time recovering and picking up where you left off so it requires you to reset everything to stage one and try again. I actually set these up in my rather small apartment and had an issue during setup where the internet couldn't be found (this was a modem without a router setup). After waiting a while, I decided to relaunch the app and see if it could figure things out. It did not and I needed to completely reset the routers to start again. It wasn't a huge deal as the setup process isn't super long so I'd call it a minor setback.
Wireless range was very nice with only 2 set up (again, I don't live in a large place so this was to be expected. I probably could have gotten away with a single access point). Speed tests of my internet were as they should have been (around 110mbps). The only problem I, personally, had with this system is the lack of options when it comes to customizing your network. It's very basic stuff, which is probably all most of you need. I was able to connect another switch to the extra ethernet port on the Velop to give the rest of my wired devices their access again, which was nice.
After testing in my home for the day, I disconnected everything, packaged it all up exactly how I had found it and handed the system to my father who has a much larger area where he needs wifi. He isn't technically illiterate but he's also not super advanced with networking or anything. I'm usually the one that sets up his networks for him. I told him to set up the whole system without me and let me know how it goes. His report was as similar to mine when it comes to setup. He said that the setup process was easy but when there was an issue, the process had a hard time recovering and required a restart. In his case, it was a range issue where the Velop lost the connection to his phone so the purple light on top stopped being purple and he couldn't reconnect. He told me that he restarted the whole process and things worked fine the second time.
I was hoping this system would allow him to get wifi into his garage (which is probably 100 feet from the front of the house) but the signal had trouble locating the extra Velop when he tried to place it in the garage. He currently has 2 on the main floor of his home and 1 upstairs and says the signal seems to be good and speed tests appear to be what he would expect from his internet. Next time I go to visit, I'll have to see if there is some location he can place them to get the signal to hit his garage. He might just have insulation in his walls that wifi has a hard time penetrating because he's never had a lot of luck getting wifi outside.
Bottom line, if you aren't super into customizing every aspect of your network and you have a large area to blanket with wifi, this is probably going to be a good device for you. The app makes setup a relative breeze (even if you have to restart it once) and it also makes the few settings that you DO have pretty easy to tweak and view. If you require a lot of extra settings or even a web interface, you should look at something else. Mostly, I just wish this had a "advanced" toggle somewhere that would open up most of the options you'd find on even other more basic routers.
The "would I recommend this to a friend" question really just has to do with how technical I feel my "friend" is. This isn't a technically centered device and that's fine as long as you aren't expecting one. For the price, it's probably a little much for what you get, though.
My Best Buy number: 0039332332
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Whip up more smoothies and more with this Nutri Ninja blender. Its powerful 1200W motor base blends frozen fruits and desserts in seconds, and the Pro Extractor Blades extract nutrients from fruits and vegetables. With a 4-cup bowl, this Nutri Ninja blender lets you create enough nutritious treats for your entire family.
Customer Rating
5
Ninja knows how to cut things into tiny pieces
on December 30, 2016
Posted by: swemoney
I wish I used a blender and food processor more than I do. I will definitely need to start now that I have this guy. We had a Ninja blender in the past and used it occasionally with decent results. I really like the multiple functions this one can do, though. With the food processor bowl and the cups for blending up smoothies, all with a single base, it reduces some of the clutter of needing multiple full machines hanging around the kitchen and it doesn't hurt that it does such a great job. The "Auto-iQ" boost is a nice addition that helps take some of the guess work out of getting things to blend just right.
Overall, another fine machine by the folks at Ninja. If you need something that chops a lot of stuff into tiny tiny pieces, this is your machine!
My Best Buy number: 0039332332
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Revive your Apple Watch conveniently with this Belkin Valet Charger power pack. A single charge of its 6700 mAh battery refuels a watch up to eight times, and an embedded smart chip detects connected devices for automatic wireless charging. This Belkin Valet Charger power pack includes a USB port for simultaneously charging additional devices.
Customer Rating
5
Came in handy on holiday vacation
on December 28, 2016
Posted by: swemoney
This battery pack made my holiday vacation a lot more convenient. The charger that came with my Apple Watch is inside a "dock" and attached to my night stand so it's a little bit of a hassle to remove. Instead, I just brought this battery pack with. For charging your Apple Watch exclusively, it's really great as I was able to get a few night's charges without the battery indicator even moving. If you want to fully charge your phone as well, you'll need to recharge the pack during the day as a leaving my phone plugged in at night did drain most of the battery (this isn't really a normal use case, but I wanted to test it out). The size of the pack makes it very easy to carry around with you as well.
Overall, I would recommend this battery pack to carry around with you when you need some extra power for your phone and you'll be away from your Apple Watch charger for longer than usual. Vacations are ideal.
My Best Buy number: 0039332332
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Philips Sonicare AdaptiveClean Brush Heads (2-Pack): Get a deep, gentle clean with help from these brush heads, which feature a flexible design that conforms to the grooves of your teeth and gums for enhanced plaque removal. When the blue bristles fade to white, it's time for a replacement.
Customer Rating
5
Nice and firm toothbrush heads
on November 17, 2016
Posted by: swemoney
I've been using Sonicare tooth brushes for a long time now and I really like these new heads. They feel very firm but not so much that it hurts or anything. Hard to describe. It just feels like they're doing their job even better than the older brush heads (which I also thought did a very good job). I'd recommend these brush heads if you're looking for something new.
My Best Buy number: 0039332332
I would recommend this to a friend!
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With no wires in the way, Bose SoundSport Wireless Sports Earbuds keep you moving with powerful audio. Perfect for exercise and running with a sweat and weather resistant design and StayHear+ tips designed for comfort and stability. The Tile app makes your headphones easy to find if they ever go missing.
Is it possible to remove that clip on the wire?
Clip is formed plastic around the wire, so not unless you break the clip. You can move it up and down the wire. I barely noticed it, myself.
8 years ago
by
swemoney
With no wires in the way, Bose SoundSport Wireless Sports Earbuds keep you moving with powerful audio. Perfect for exercise and running with a sweat and weather resistant design and StayHear+ tips designed for comfort and stability. The Tile app makes your headphones easy to find if they ever go missing.
Is this earphone compatible with Andriod phone?
I didn't test them out on an Android device, but they're bluetooth headphones. So if your Android device supports Bluetooth audio, they should work fine.
8 years ago
by
swemoney