Samsung LN37A550 37-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Customer Ratings:

I bought the Samsung LN37A550 from Amazon in mid-May. I comparison shopped for several months, and found that the Samsung is on equal footing as the Sony Bravia XBR-Series KDL-37XBR6 37-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV and Sharp Aquos LC37D64U 37-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV models in performance, but (at the time) was more affordable than either. Here's an in-depth run-down of the top-of-the line models from each of those three brands using MY comparison criteria. Hopefully it helps you.

Price

These are prices from Amazon.com (not their "marketplace partners" or whatever they're called). I'd recommend purchasing from Amazon itself, as they offer the free "white-glove" delivery, which means that the delivery company will bring the TV into your house, unpack it, and haul away the packing materials. My TV was delivered 3 days after I ordered it, and many others who reviewed on this site have had the same experience.

Also, keep in mind Amazon's financing offers if you open an Amazon.com credit account see below for more details.

Samsung LN37A550: Retail is $1200. I've watched Amazon's price fluctuate between $1040 and $1200. Today the price is $1064, which is as good as I've seen. In addition, Samsung TVs often have financing deals mine was 1-year, no payments and no-interest financing, and I've also seen 18-month specials.

Sharp LC37D64U: Retail is $1400, and the fact that it was selling for about $1350 a month ago strongly influenced my decision. Today the price is $1016, which may have changed my purchase based solely on the size (Sharp is slightly narrower see below and the Samsung is a REALLY tight squeeze in my space). I have not seen ANY financing deals on Sharp TVs through Amazon pay it all up front.

Sony KDL-37XBR6: Retail is $1500. Today's price on Amazon is $1400 a major consideration (about $350 price difference), but there's also a 36 (read it again, 36) month no interest offer on this TV right now. Minimum monthly payments are required.

Contrast Ratio, Response Time, and Frame Refresh Rate

Keep in mind that different manufacturers use different methods to measure these specifications, so they can not be simply compared using numbers. All I can say is that I viewed them in a couple of different retail locations, and there is little difference in picture brightness / blurring between these models. All are capable of 1080p picture.

Samsung: 15,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and 5 ms response time. 60 hZ refresh rate.

Sharp: 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and 6 ms response time. 60 hZ refresh rate.

Sony: 25,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and unpublished response time. 120 hZ refresh rate. The refresh rate is where the Sony has an advantage over the others. I'm not going to get into it here, but here's a great article from CircuitCity.com explaining refresh rate in clear, simple terms ( All I'll say is that, in-store with a BluRay disc, the 120 hZ setting on a 46" screen looked AWESOME. Some have complained that it produces a "soap-opera" effect. Not being a big fan of soap-operas, I have no idea what they are referring to. Personally, I don't think it's enough of a reason to spend the extra $300+, because of screen size. With a bigger 50"+ screen, your eye will catch blurring across the screen, but on a screen of this size I have never noticed any blurring with my 60 hZ model.

High-Def Inputs

These all have the HD connections below, along with Digital Audio outputs, and other (S-video and composite video, and stereo audio) inputs.

Samsung: 3 version 1.3 (latest) HDMI Inputs (2 in rear, 1 on side), 1 USB input (for viewing JPGs and listening to MP3s), 1 PC input, and 2 component video inputs.

Sharp: 2 HDMI Inputs (Amazon and Sharp's website don't say they are version 1.3, which is supposedly faster and therefore better quality), 1 PC input, and 2 component video inputs. Also has side inputs.

Sony: 4 HDMI Inputs (3 in rear, 1 on side; again, Amazon and Sony don't say version 1.3, but I would think it's GOT to be..... don't know why they wouldn't publish this, though), 1 PC input, and 2 component video inputs.

Sound

Most reviews I have read complain about the Samsung's sound quality (most common in complaint is that the speakers sound "tinny"). I turned off the speakers before I ever hooked the TV up to an input (I've got a surround sound system), so I can't speak to this. I bought the TV for the picture, not the sound, but if that's important to you, read other reviews. I've read a couple of complaints about the Sharp model, but they didn't seem quite so angry as the complaints regarding Samsung, so I'm guessing it's acceptable sound.

Size

Size can be a consideration for many in purchasing a TV of this size. I was space constrained only in width. If you've got space constraints and 37" in width, you might also consider the Toshiba REGZA 40RF350U Super Narrow 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Super Narrow Bezel, which measures just 36.77" wide. I have not seen it in action, so I can't speak to it's performance, but other Toshiba LCDs that I HAVE seen did not compare to these 3 TVs in picture quality.

Samsung: 36.1 inches wide and 40 pounds with stand (32 pounds without)

Sharp: 35 and 23/64" wide (yes, some people really squeeze that tight) and 45 pounds with stand (39 without)

Sony: 36.3 inches wide and 47 pounds with stand (40 without)

Warranty

All of these TVs have 1 year parts / 1 year labor manufacturer warranties.

Additional features:

Each brand offers their own graphics processing engine that claims to be the greatest thing ever, as well as other features. One interesting feature which is really more of a marketing ploy is connecting other devices made by the same brand to this TV and just being able to use the TV's remote to control that device. For example, buy a Sony TV and a Sony Blu-Ray player, and you can control the Blu-Ray player without reprogramming your remote. Good if you don't want to buy a Universal Remote, but I see it more as a way to get you to buy more components from that brand. Your choice!

So there you have it. I can say with a lot of certainty that you will be pleased with any of these three models, and it's more a matter of preference for a certain brand, pricing sensitivity, and the sound issue that you have to make up your mind. As for me, I couldn't be happier with my Samsung purchase.

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Olympus PEN E-PL3 14-42mm 12.3 MP Interchangeable Lens Camera

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $399.99
Sale Price: $249.99
Today's Bonus: 38% Off

The axiom that is so true: The best camera for you is the camera that is with you! Grew tired of backaches while hiking with my Nikon DSLR gear, which increasingly never left the house. Bought an Olympus XZ-1 as a camera that could always be with me ... and was so impressed with it that I wanted its "big brother" for better image quality when on walkabouts or hiking. The Olympus P-3 seemed a bit too much; the PM-1 seemed a bit too little; the PL-3 seemed just right (especially with the tilting screen). The form factor and menu navigation features of the XZ-1 and PL-3 are very similar. The XZ-1 is pocketable; the PL-3 is not due to the protruding lenses. Getting some of the best photos of my life with both the XZ-1 and the PL-3 ... because they are with me.

There is another side to this, and that is that people often appear uncomfortable around people taking photos with large DSLRs with large protruding lenses. I feel none of this discomfort using either the XZ-1 or the PL-3 in public places.

Exploring capabilities with the Olympus 14-42mm kit lens and the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens (have the new Panasonic "X" lenses and the Olympus 45mm lens on order). The Panasonic 20mm is incredible small, making the PL-3 feel and operate like a small rangefinder camera. The f/1.7 lens allows one to take natural light photos in places impossible with slower lenses. The Olympus 14-42mm kit lens appears to be of high quality, although it does have a plastic lens mount (please manufacturers ... charge us the extra cost and ban plastic lens mounts!). The SLRgear website is an excellent place to compare lens quality with its graphs and metrics, and the Olympus kit lens fairs better than comparable lenses with metal mounts with respect to center and edge sharpness across the zoom spectrum.

On the downside, the PL-3 menu structure is difficult to navigate. One must do considerable research to become familiar with the options. Also, the LCD screen is excellent in all but bright sunlight. An Electronic Viewfinder (VF-2 or VF-3) is a necessity to do more than guess what you are photographing in bright sunlight. The add-on flash in the PL-3 kit is so small that it is only good for fill in or firing a larger flash such as the Olympus FL-36R via the RC flash capability. Wish that Olympus had something similar to the excellent Nikon SB-400 mini-flash for the Pen-series cameras. Finding it difficult to get the almost perfect bounce flash effect that the SB-400 provided in the FL-36R/add-on camera flash combination.

The movie quality in the PL-3 is excellent compared to my Nikon D5000 (in my experience "live view" in DSLRs tend to be a joke). The tilting LCD screen is proving especially handy for movies. As others have commented, the new Pen-series auto focus for movies tends to hunt but in my experience this happens only when when the subject is moving quickly or I fail to keep the camera steady (cameras belong on fluid-head tripods to take quality movies).

I've been a photo enthusiast since 1973 when one needed a SLR or medium-format camera to get acceptable image quality for 8x10 and 11x14 prints. I've followed and experienced the technology from film through the DSLRs to, now, the new ILCs. I'm amazed at the quality one can get from something the size of the PL-3!

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Sony Alpha A290L 14.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm Lens

Customer Ratings:

Took my new A290 to the local park/aircraft museum & got really great photos with everything set to standard. A tree with grey/green foliage, came out looking 100% natural, where other cameras have not looked so good. Green grass looked perfect. Metering excellent, and white balance looked great when the white balance was left at auto.

This might have the same sensor as the Sony A380, but I think Sony have subtly tweaked the settings for jpegs as they look fantastic.

I used to have a Nikon D40, & while it took fantastic photos, the menu system was infuriating compared to the A290.

Other comments:

1. Battery needs to be charged for about 4 hours in total (including an hour *after* the charging light goes out.)

2. 18-55 kit lens zoom action can feel a little stiff when brand new. (Not too uncommon with budget lenses)

This lens is pretty good according to the experts though. And much sharper than the old 18-70 Sony kit lens.

3. The camera strap is fine, but not easy to thread through on one side. But I always have trouble with these!

4. ISO 1600 shots taken indoors show faint noise. (Prob. about the same as a Nikon D3000 worse than Canon 1000D/Rebel XS.) However, the A290 has far less noisy high ISO pictures than any compact with a small sensor.

5. The eye detection sensors that switch off the display are a nice feature.

6. Nice to hold having a rubberised finish.

8. Great value for the money!!

9. I've really enjoyed my first outing with this camera. A lot of fun to use.

Re. Battery life. Battery life can be hugely improved if the 'Eye Detect Autofocus' function is turned off.

With this turned on the A290 seems to be continually trying to focus.

Also turn of the 2 second review display after each photo.

With these two functions turned off I got 346 photos with the battery still showing 3/4 full charge. Temp. was

around 20 degrees C & included a bit of reviewing of photos but not much.

The automatic eye detect function still works & turns off the display when you raise the camera to your eye.

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Olympus 300mm f/2.8 Super Telephoto ED Lens for Olympus Digital

Customer Ratings:

I spend a lot of time photographing birds. They don't cooperate. You need a lot of lens and a lot of light to get a decent shot. This lens is simply terrific at both. The colors are excellent, the pictures are crisp across the entire image and there is no chromatic aberration anywhere.

The four thirds system provides very quick auto focus, crisp and responsive manual focus and relatively light weight. I say "relatively" because this is a big lens. You'll need a tripod or monopod to use it in all but the brightest conditions.

The lens is amazingly sturdy in the field. It was undamaged by a fall that cracked two of my ribs. It works consistently and reliably in very hot (90 degrees plus) and extremely cold (-45 F) conditions. I've carried it outdoors all day at temperatures below zero and never had a problem.

Highly recommended.

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Adobe CS6 Master Collection

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $2,599.00
Sale Price: $2,250.00
Today's Bonus: 13% Off

Have had extended contact with Adobe about installation and registration of CS6. Have had to uninstall and reinstall, individual programs or entire suite at least 2 dozen times. The Adobe uninstall tool is a joke. I have had over a dozen calls with technical support. While some support staff seem to have some knowledge of the programs the majority continue to put you on hold with the resulting phone calls of up to 2 hours. Over 2 hours on several occassions. Some of the problems deal with poor language skills but they are mostly lack of familiarity of the registration part of the program. After about an hour many of the support staff get very nervous or frustrated and at least one stated that he had been working on my problem too long, minutes later I was mysteriously cut off and had to start another hour plus call with again no resolution. The one time that I was being turned over to a supervisor I was on hold for 1 and 1/2 hours with no one ever picking up I have used Smart Suite since CS2 and can now say that until they get the staff training up to speed technical support will be a disaster.

Adobe Support was always the state of the art for a US software company. Until buying CS6 I had not had to contact them in over 5 years for any problems! If I was an investor in this company I would be concerned with the company management that allows such poor customer service to thrive. We are very disappointed with Adobe.

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Hammermill Color Copy Paper, 100 Brightness, 11 x 17 Inches, 28

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $37.99
Sale Price: $21.20
Today's Bonus: 44% Off

This is a great paper for the price, use it a lot for presentations and colors are sharp and pop off the page, Highly recommend! I find it to be a shame when someone gives a poor review to a product based on the shipping and packaging by another company, this has nothing to do with the product, leave a comment on the vendor profile so we know not to use them for anything they are selling not just this product.

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Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens

Customer Ratings:

We take sports photos (football). this camera is great!! it takes great action photos. the 55-300 lens is great to get close up shots from half way across the field. the 18-55 lens takes very nice close ups. the 32GB card gives me 6 thousand pics at a setting of fine/ large jpg files that is about 4mb per pic. even though you can get everything in the bag it is too small and it will be the first thing that i replace. the wide angle add on lense does work but i have not had much time to work with it. however the 2x telephoto add on lense hooked to the 55-300 lens makes the camera unable to auto focus and even on manual pics are foggy. All other items in this kit work like i would expect them too. all in all i love the camera and the two nikon lenses. I would suggest the d5100 and the two nikon lenses to anyone who wants a good nikon

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Samsung UN55C6300 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV (Black) (2010

Customer Ratings:

In considering what TV to buy my parents, I had the apparent choice between buying an led LCD or a plasma. I opted to get the led, but you wouldn't really be wrong to go the other route. My parents just wanted any TV that was bigger than 50 inches while I, being somewhat of a techy, needed to find the best TV over 50 inches. Well, here you have what I would call the third best TV over 50 inches (the 8500 and 8000 models being better) at the time of this review. This is the first of Samsung's new line of lcds to come out this year, and it narrowly beats out last years 6 and 7 series TVs by offering a better contrast ratio (4,000,000-1 vs. 3,000,000-1) for virtually the same price point. Otherwise, it's pretty much identical after reviewing the specs. Newer is better though in this case also because of the firmware upgrades and other fine improvements in engineering and technology.

The TV was delivered about 5 days after I purchased it through Amazon, and it took about 15 minutes to set up. Out of the box the thing looks incredible. It's as thin as a blackberry! Some assembly was required with a phillips head and about 10 screws to attach the tv to the stand, but it was only 4 steps total and added to the suspense. After plugging in literally two cords (the hd component cables and the power cord) you are up and running. When the picture came on it was CRYSTAL clear. It puts every other TV I've seen to shame. You can go to Best Buy and do a side by side comparison and you won't find anything better. Forget about the plasma, this is the way to go. I could describe in more detail how great the picture is, but suffice to say it's flawless from movies to news to sports. Even if this is not your first HDTV, you will notice a big difference. I bought a 32" 240 mhz set in Decemeber and this tv is in another league. The LED side panel illumination works well, and there is very little adjustment of the settings necessary to achieve true to life picture quality.

"True to life" will be understood in a new way when you buy this TV. The longer it has been since your last TV purchase, the more breathtaking this advancement in technology will be. Regardless, this will be a TV that will have a useful life for years (longer than a plasma) and will always look amazing. That being said, I would get the warranty (2 years) for an extra 170 or so.

Note: I chose lcd over plasma because lcds are noiseless and don't have the risk of picture burn-in. The 58' plasma I was looking at is the same price. This TV is better than plasmas priced less at the time of the review. If price is the main concern, I might do an in store side by side comparison with cheaper plasmas to see if the difference to you is worth the money.

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JVC GZ-E300 Full HD Everio Camcorder, 40x Optical Zoom, 200x

Customer Ratings:

It is the best camcorder we have ever used for being so compact. We used it at our son's wedding. All modes: still shots and video and couldn't have been more pleased with the quality. It deserves more than five stars.

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Sony NEX-5N 16.1 MP Compact Interchangeable Lens Touchscreen

Customer Ratings:

(Minor updates below added in June 2012). I bought the NEX-5N in mid-October 2011 just before a trip to Europe. The bottom line: it takes superb photos without flash, especially in truly adverse lighting conditions (wine caves 1,000 years old, for example). As others have written, the camera with the 18-55 zoom takes extremely high quality photos there's no quality penalty to get the benefit of the small size and light weight vs. a top DSLR. So I think it could be used happily by both people trading up and people trading down. But the camera does have quirks, some serious. Many other reviews cover the overall high points of the camera, so I'll focus on a few review elements I think need reinforcement.

The NEX-5N has a full auto mode, but I hope most buyers will take the trouble to learn the camera's full capabilities, because the camera can produce some amazing photos once liberated from auto mode. However I have to say that the learning curve is steep, not just because the camera has a lot of capability, but also because the user interface is a real pain in the neck until you adapt to it. The lack of dedicated controls, a consequence of the small size, creates a lot of complexity in daily use.

Here's a specific example to illustrate some of the potential frustrations. The camera can take an auto-HDR (high dynamic range) photo. It will instantly merge three shots that it auto-brackets (in steps you specify) to yield a picture that would take several minutes to produce if you had to merge three shots yourself using editing software. Great ability, but here are the steps if you haven't customized the menus: 1. turn off raw if you were using it, which requires at least 3 menu presses. 2. press menu again and select the "brightness/color" controls. 3. scroll to and select DRO/Auto HDR. 4. scroll to and select HDR. 5. if desired, press "option" and then change the HDR exposure differential for bracketing (ranges from 1 EV to 6 EV). 6. Press OK twice. In total, you have to go through 6-9 key presses to get the camera ready to take an HDR photo. Then to go back to normal shooting, you have to go through all the steps over again. Your subject has to be no livelier than a sloth to allow this to work out.

You can avoid many of those steps by customizing the menu buttons. This requires first understanding what the camera can do and how you will use it, which will realistically take a few days of experimentation. Then you have to futz with programming the menus for a while until you have the customization set the way you want it. Then you have to get used to the new customized menus. In other words, there's a steep initial investment to get usable access to all the power the camera possesses. Most DSLRs have serious learning curves as well, so to me this isn't a reason to avoid the NEX-5N. But it is something to be prepared for. I found that I was taking low-light photos that I couldn't have taken with any DSLR I'm familiar with, so I ended up being quite happy with the camera, but I did some cursing at it before I got to that point.

The best features:

1. Extraordinarily good native low-light capability, plus several modes that enhance that underlying natural capability of the camera and lens: examples include hand-held twilight mode, anti-blur mode, auto-HDR, and dynamic range optimization. All four are different. It really benefited my photos once I figured out how those modes differ and when to use them. My shooting may not have been typical -I was spending hours a day in ancient wine cellars, gothic cathedrals, and the like, but even for snapping a low-light shot in a restaurant with friends (no flash), the camera was great.

2. The size and weight are unbeatable. I bought a Kata Grip-10 DL camera bag, which on paper was supposed to be a skosh too small for the camera, but it worked out perfectly. I could wear the Kata bag on my belt, zipped closed with camera inside, flash attached, a spare battery, spare SD card, and the "raincoat" that shipped with the Kata bag, all fairly inconspicuously.

3. The tilt screen makes a real difference.

The features the jury is still out on:

1. The detachable flash was on my list as a problem until I actually used the camera. The last two weeks I left the flash attached all the time and that worked fine, although I found I almost never used the flash. When I did use it, it overexposed the main subject almost every time, so I dialed back the flash output slightly. Once I get the optional viewfinder, I think I'll be able to put the flash aside and not miss it much.

2. Movies. I am not a big movie shooter so this was not a critical item for me. I hoped I would receive a camera after the "clicking noise" was fixed in manufacturing, but no, mine does click during video recording. Sony is kidding themselves if they really think the clicking noise only occurs when people are moving the camera in an unnatural way. It's almost constant. But I will send it in and from all I've read it will be fixed quickly, and the newer units supposedly won't have the problem. So I'm not agonizing about that. UPDATE: I originally wrote that I couldn't get large movies shot in AVCHD mode to transfer to a computer using Windows 7, and when an SD card that contained a mix of AVCHD movies and stills got close to full, the stills wouldn't transfer either. I didn't lose any pics or video but I worried. Updating -since my original post, this problem seems to have gone away. It's possible that there was a hardware problem with my built-in card reader, which got swapped out during a computer repair and now transfers seem to work ok. Since I didn't see others reporting the same problem, I assume the hangup was at my end.

3. The LCD screen on its default setting ("auto") is hard to see in bright sunlight, BUT there is a setting you can scrabble your way to with many clicks that will brighten it significantly. This setting makes the LCD usable even in bright sunlight, but it also messes up the color rendition of the LCD, adding an orange hue and oversaturating the other colors. It also seems to drain the battery at a vigorous clip. So there are two approaches you can use: turn on the super-brightness setting just for the key times you need it and then remember to turn it off again, or buy the apparently wonderful EVF viewfinder (for more than three bills!) and use the LCD much less overall. I haven't tried the viewfinder yet but I'd like to. It eradicates a lot of the price advantage of the NEX-5N vs a DSLR, however.

The features that are not so good:

1. Focus can be slow in low light. That's largely due to the lack of phase-detection focusing, which isn't easily addressed in this type of camera. The focus-assist light eventually gets it right almost every time, but it might take a second or even two.

2. If you set the camera to Auto-ISO, you can't control the highest ISO the camera will use. It will range up to ISO 3200. It's great that the camera takes pretty clean shots at ISO 3200, but that's no excuse for omitting a way for the photographer to limit the top ISO to a much lower number if he or she needs lower noise. Even many inexpensive cameras offer that option.

3. Menus are complex and cumbersome and require lots of clicks to change settings, as previously described. In addition, by default the camera is set up to provide "advice" every time you click a menu key, overlaying your menu choice with a paragraph of information you didn't request. This is helpful for about three minutes and is then a big pain until you figure out how to turn it off.

4. The shutter makes the same sound as a DSLR and can't be changed, so there's no shooting stealthily. Since there's no mirror to make a slapping noise, I'm not sure why the shutter is as loud as it is. I wish Sony would change this if possible.

5. The touch-sensitive screen is, in my opinion, a failed opportunity. It's way too easy to touch something by mistake and change a setting inadvertently. On a small pocket snapshot camera, touchscreens may be useful. And in theory the touchscreen could be good on the NEX-5N too, I suppose, but I found it messed me up, so I turned off the touch capability. You may be more dexterous than I am so this may not bother you.

6. The only thing I missed by deactivating the touchscreen was the "touch to focus here" capability. That was good when I meant to use it, but also terrible when I didn't mean to use it. Linked to that issue: focus tracking. Sony advertises that the NEX-5N will track a moving subject once you touch the spot on the LCD screen you want it to track. But it doesn't work. It just makes the focus jittery and unpredictable. The focus will not reliably track anything. Sony should have improved that before going live with it. The concept is great.

6. The movie mode button is badly positioned within a hair's breadth of where your right thumb, or sometimes part of your right index finger, can rest on the camera. I recorded at least ten unwanted movies a day just brushing the movie button without meaning to. The biggest problem this created was that when I went to press the shutter to take a still photo, nothing happened. Only then did I realize the camera had been recording my useless mutterings for the last three minutes. So I lost a few still shots from having to stop the movie recording and get back to stills.

7. Minor points: the default settings for DRO and HDR are too weak to make a difference, so at first those look like failed offerings. But they just need to be tweaked to a stronger setting and they work fine.

8. Update: My son owns a Canon T3i so we've compared pictures taken with the two cameras, although not in any truly rigorous way. The Sony NEX-5N build quality is higher than the T3i (less plastic), the rotating barrel feels more solid, and mostly importantly, the resolution of the Sony seems better. If you read online lens reviews, the Sony 18-55 kit lens seems higher quality than the kits lenses that come with even DSLRs costing a lot more.

Summary: While the list of negatives I've enumerated seems long, on balance I think the strengths of the NEX-5N substantially outweigh the weaknesses. In the world of ILC cameras, the NEX-5N seems to be in a league of its own when it comes to pure image quality. To a serious photo enthusiast or professional, image quality is where everything starts and ends. The NEX-5N takes exceptionally high quality photos, especially in low light. The NEX-7 has additional strengths including even higher image quality in good light, but apparently doesn't quite match the NEX-5N's low noise in low light according to other reviews, and it costs a lot more. I'm happy with the NEX-5N.

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Toshiba Mini NB305-N410BL 10.1-Inch Royal Blue Netbook - 11

Customer Ratings:

I have been in the market for a netbook for over a year now. I have spent many a hour pouring over reviews online, watching youtube unboxings and reviews, and actually doing a lot of hands on in retail stores with all of the options out there. I am thrilled to say that after only 24 hours with the Toshiba NB305-N410WH, I know that I waited for just the right one.

The reviews for its' predecessor (the NB205) had put that netbook on the top of most professional reviewers list. And, indeed in my own hands on tests, it was right at the top as well. My main concern was the battery that stuck out of the back on that model. I had come close to overlooking this drawback, as I was so pleased with the rest of the model. What kept me from it was a concern I had read from some reviews indicating that sometimes streaming video would skip or get stuck (a universal concern on most netbooks)either due to processor or graphics.

Here is why I LOVE this little fella:

* The battery issue has been totally adressed, and in fact, upgraded. They have redesigned it and no more ugly bulge of battery sticking out of the back. Plus, they now say it has an 11 hour battery. My test of this gave me around 9.5 hours doing very basic surfing and setup. Not quite 11 hours, but am still elated with 9.5 hours. I can now really feel comfortable about leaving the power cable at home for the day. (however, the power cable is actaully fairly small) (Update 1/21/10--In further testing of the battery life, I seem to now be averaging more like 7 hours under heavy usage, meaning video watching and constant use. I am still more than happy with that. Light usage will give you more like the 9.5 hours I mentioned.)

* I'm extremely happy with the performance. Everyone needs to keep in mind that netbooks have never been designed for processor intensive tasks, but this little guy rocks! The new "Pinetrail" Atom N450 platform seems to be a great fit for this netbook. The graphics engine is updated, as well. I have had absolutely no delays in any streaming video on YouTube or Netflix. (I did notice just a bit of stuttering in Hulu only when watching something full screen but this isn't an issue for me.) Surfing is snappy and responsive, just the way that I like it. For anyone that may have been on the fence about getting a netbook because they were concerned it might not perform, hop right off that fence and get the NB305. Seriously, I have a Macbook Pro and Dell laptop and this one has instantly become my "go to" for surfing on the couch or from bed. And, I know this will be the one I now take anywhere out of the house.

* The overall look and feel of the NB305 is truly "best in class". My big gripe with a ton of netbooks out there is their glossy covers-especially the black, but even other color glossy covers are fingerprint magnets. They just always look smudged and feel cheap to me. I got the textured white model and just love it. Even though I am sure it is all plastic, too, it just looks more expensive. The cover totally repels fingerprints and just "feels good". The keyboard and trackpad have received universal love in the previous model and I absolutely agree. The keyboard is extremely easy to type on. No issues at all for me there. The trackpad is truly a selling feature as it is multi-touch. I have this on my Macbook Pro and LOVE it on this netbook. I love being able to do the 2 finger scroll up and side to side. It really makes surfing the web a joy. (I now curse my Dell for not having this.) This model actually reduced it's weight to 2.6 lbs making it super easy to take with you. The bottom does heat up a bit but I never felt uncomfortable having it directly on my lap. (Update 2/20/10: Ok, there have been times when it has been uncomfortable on my lap. Especially if you are blocking the vents, which is easy to do when on your lap. I now just set it on the protective sleeve I bought for it and we're good to go.) This new model has sleeker look than previous models, a little more streamlined in the front. Overall, form factor gets a big A+.

So, there are a couple areas for improvement, however, I don't think they are "deal breakers" given the other areas where the NB-305 excels:

1) The speakers are not great. Actually, they're pretty bad compared to my Mac and Dell. This is definitely an area to improve on, but have found this to be true of all the netbooks I have been able to hear. I'm not saying that you can't hear what you are watching, but I will plan on using earbuds for watching video or listening to music.

2) I'm a little bugged that these just come with Windows7 Starter and not Windows7 Home Premium. I feel a little "punked" into having to pay an extra $80 for the upgrade (which was extremely simple and fast, by the way. I was able to do it right online--no need for external optical drive). Some people will be fine with Windows7 Starter as it does allow you to do basic functions, but I ultimatley had to cave in and upgrade. You aren't able to personalize things in Windows7 Starter, which was a minor but grating flaw. (On a side note, I am really liking Windows7 Home Premium. This netbook handles it fine.)

3) I'm kinda concerned that this did not come with any restore cd's. Yes, I realize that this doesn't have a cd/dvd drive, but I guess I just like the comfort of having them if needed. I know that I should back up the system on my own, but I guess I just am not sure what happens if the OS crashes or hard drive has to be replaced. I think there must be new ways to restore, nowadays. I guess I will hopefully never cross that bridge.

4) (Update 2/20/10: It does get quite warm around the vents. This may or may not be an issue for you. I can deal with it.)

Overall, I think you can see that I am obviously extremely happy with this purchase. If you have been waiting to buy a netbook, I would give this one some serious thought. Two enthusiastic thumbs up!

(UPDATE 1/19/10: I did upgrade to 2GB of memory and would recommend it. I didn't really need to, but can't resist trying to upgrade my gadgets, and everything is just a little faster and I just watched Heros on Hulu full screen and didn't notice issues that I had before. I didn't even mind the speakers come to think of it--although the speakers are still the only weak link hardware wise. Installing the memory is a snap. You just need a tiny Philips screwdriver to remove one screw from back cover, pop out the old, pop in the new, replace the cover and boot it back up. It was recognized by the netbook with no problems. There is a video on YouTube on doing this to the NB205 model and the process is exactly the same for the NB305. Still very happy.)

(UPDATE 2/20/10: The type of memory that I got was the one that Amazon usually suggests: Crucial Technology CT25664AC800 2GB 200-pin SODIMM DDR2 PC2-6400 Memory Module.

I also purchased CaseCrown sleeve: CaseCrown Double Memory Foam Netbook Pouch (White Faux Suede) to Carry the Toshiba Mini NB305 10.1-inch Netbook Very happy with that, too. Fits like a glove and makes it super easy to transport the NB305 and feel it is very protected.

Overall, still extremely happy.)

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ViewSonic ViewPad 7 7-Inch Android 2.2 Tablet - Black (Wifi

Customer Ratings:

OK I received my VPad7 yesterday afternoon, and so far I'm MOSTLY Happy!

It's zippy, but I do wish they had put in a 1Ghz processor. Will probably force it out of a Honeycomb Upgrade.

I can not get Adobe Flash to install, but so far I haven't found that to be an issue on the web.

Viewing Angels not a problem, Battery life We'll see after it's conditioned but so far I'd estimate 4-8hrs depending on activities.

Tested Transformers 720p HD and not one flicker

Sound from it's little speakers Impressive!

Dropped my T-Mobile SIM in and BOOM instant Big Phone :D The Speed only shows Edge, but I'm in a funky location.

Phone quality Just got off a 1 hour conference call using both the speakerphone option and the plugin headset. No complaints from anyone. I heard the other end just fine.

Reception signal is actually BETTER with this than with my actual T-Mobile HD2 phone.

Highly Recommend getting a MicroUSB card as the internal memory is minimal. Get the more expensive FAST card for better performance.

Streaming music, sounds Great just as nice as an MP3.

GPS works like a champ!

Angry birds works great :D

My only other Gripe is the keyboard It functions fine, but I'd like to use the Market's Better Keyboard, which after installed and enabled doesn't swap out for the swype keyboard that is standard.

I may look into the "rooting" options that people have done with it's big brother, but so far it's handsomely accomplished everything I've tasked it with!

If you're looking for a Bigger Screen Smartphone, and don't want to pay that extra Data Fee that the carriers are forcing on us, this is CURRENTLY your best option! and with that extra Data Fee you can't use it's competitors (Galaxy Tab for example) as a phone, even though they have the capability.

If I have luck with rooting and installing any custom ROM, I'll post my results. It's not a top priority ATM as it's satisfactory as it is.

TO Viewsonic Get is certified for Flash, and unlock it so I can use whatever virtual keyboard I want and you'd get 5 stars!!

Update: 5/30 OK after using it awhile I've come up with two major flaws this may be MY actual device, or an actual design flaw 1) Charging has become a game I have to Cinch the Power cord behind the Tablet using something to Hold it in place back there then maneuver the USB plug just right or it won't charge. 2)the "Buzzer" now goes off if you hold the the Tablet too tight or if its in my computer bag; and won't stop until you slap it. So it now sits in a cradle, it functions fine and I still use it, but not outside of my home office.... I should have returned/exchanged it, but I had such problems getting basic information from Viewsonics' Customer Service, I just re purposed it and got the XOOM which I LOVE 110%. Hopefully no one else has had this issue, if not for that I'd Still give it 4 Stars.

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Rokinon 24mm F/1.4 Aspherical Wide Angle Lens for Nikon

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $849.00
Sale Price: $629.00
Today's Bonus: 26% Off

I own the Rokinon 85mm, 35mm as well as the Tokina 11-16. This is the 4th lens I've purchased for DSLR Videography projects and I bought it because of the wider angle and extra shallow depth of field/bokeh it can give at 1.4 on my crop sensor 550D.

Pros:

1.Lens is fast and equivalent to a full frame on a crop sensor.

2.Wide F1.4 Great Bokeh. Excellent Low Light Capabilities...Did I mention bokeh..yea bokeh. yum

3.Thick Focus Ring like all Rokinons. For easy follow focus additions

4.Cheaper than any 1.4 Canon with comparible optics. This is a steal. Clients won't know the

difference and they would have to be a camera lens enthuisiast to tell.

Cons:

1.This IS a manual lens but for Videography you can't Auto Focus

anyway which is alright with me. When doing photography I use a magnetic viewfinder

for precision at f1.4

2. F1.4 is Extremely soft tho. In comparison to the Rokinon 85mm at 1.4 which is very sharp, this lens

fails. Its seems a tad bit dreamy but when stopped down to f4-5.6 it gets dead sharp

The comparison between the 85mm at 1.4 is a bit frustrating which is

the only reason I took 1 star away. Clients will not notice softness with mixed video footage.

and bokeh just makes everything look extra professional to them..gotta love that bokeh.

Conclusion:

This is an essential lens for cropped sensor camera buyers on a budget. Lens is a well made and will give you wider shots with great Depth of Field. I recommend this lens and the 85mm rokinon. I would have skipped the 35mm rokinon for this lens. Make sure your lighting doesn't suck because slight over exposure enhances the 1.4 softness. (I shoot everything at 1.4,manual iso because I love bokeh.) Be careful..Did I mention bokeh?..yea bokeh.

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King e-TTL Professional Wireless Flash Trigger with 3 Receivers

Customer Ratings:

I have owned these for a few months and have done multiple shoots with them. I find the fact that you cannot control the exposure compensation of individual flashes or groups when using multiple light set ups very frustrating. If you just want a one light set up then the TTL functions work great, but I often use multiple light set ups and I of course must have different outputs for each of the lights, thus I do not typically use these for TTL. I have, however, found that they work pretty wonderfully when used in manual mode. I shoot Canon 5dMII with a 580exii and 2 430exii's and it is so nice to be able to change the output of each light separately! No more running from lightstand to lightstand changing power settings or flash head zoom settings!

I seem to be having one problem with them though. Occasionally, something happens and the units get out of sync and will not fire until they are powered off and them back on again. It's easy to fix and has never happened more than once or twice on a shoot, but it's definitely worth mentioning here.

As far as quality of build, the entire housing is made of plastic including the bottom hotshoe mount. It's not the horribly pieced together and thin plastic that you get with some of the other cheap triggers out there. They look and feel like good quality devices and they have held up well to what I consider pretty extreme abuse.

It doesn't seem like it would be difficult for them to integrate these better with the canon ttl system so that different groups or individual flashes can have different EV's. Until then I will continue to use these to decrease my leg work while shooting in manual.

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Wide Angle/Macro Lens FOR THE CANON DIGITAL REBEL T3I T2I

Customer Ratings:

The lens is cheap, and I know enough about optics and cameras to be forewarned that I may have just thrown away $17.00. The lens arrived in a plastic bubble envelope (Sigh). I was prepared for the worst. The manufacturers box was crushed badly (second Sigh). Then I find that this is made by Vivitar, a fact not mentioned in the product description (well maybe this isn't so bad). Then I noticed that the magnification factor is 0.43 and not 0.45x as shown in the product photo (Not a real big deal, but kinda makes one wonder how careful these folks are). I tried it out on my Canon T2i 18-55 lens. There is vignetting at 18mm zoom, although the manufacturers suggestion is to use the maximum wide angle setting. However at this setting it is the equivalent of a 12mm lens (35mm film photography-I just can't get used to the small sensor focal length factors). Vignetting disappears at about 24mm zoom (16mm in 35mm equivalent). At 35 mm zoom the lens gives me a 24mm focal length equivalent. So for $17.00 I get to extend my wide angle capabilities below the 28mm equivalent on the standard Canon lens to as low as maybe 15-18mm in 35 mm equivalents with the supplementary lens. Hey not bad for a cheap lens. I'll probably only use it for those special times I need an extreme (for me) wide angle. When I did 35mm film photography I had a 21mm, 24mm, and a 28mm wide angle. Mostly I used the 28mm, sometimes the 24mm and rarely the 21mm. So right now with only a bit of testing, this looks like I didn't waste $17.00 after all.

UPDATE: I did more testing and the most significant result is that the there is significant chromatic aberration outside the central 50 percent of the photo. The aberration is most noticeable at higher magnifications. It seems that if you do some judicious cropping and don't make big enlargements is won't be so noticeable--particularly at 8 x 10 or maybe 11 x 14.

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LG 440G Prepaid Phone With Double Minutes (Tracfone)

Customer Ratings:

I like the flip phone format, it is very convenient and the 3G Internet and email speeds are great.

Sound quality is about average. The speaker phone is distorted at top volume of 7, so just lower it to 5 or 6. This isn't a phone you are going to speak on the speaker phone a lot, just to monitor when someone puts you on hold for a couple of minutes. It has a good camera and video capability. It is easy to upload small MP3 files to use as free ringtones for people on your contact list. There is also a handy button for composing text messages. You can download Google Maps for use if you are driving and need directions.

This phone isn't for heavy web use but can come in very handy in an emergency because you can easily check your email. It does not have an add-on slot for SD memory. You cannot transfer photos from your phone unless you have another bluetooth device.

UPDATE: With the recent price increase for this phone, I would recommend the LG 840G instead. It is a better phone and has triple minutes, wi-fi, and better sound quality.

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Konica Minolta Magicolor 1690MF Multifunction Color Laser Printer

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $449.00
Sale Price: $299.00
Today's Bonus: 33% Off

On the positive side, it prints very quickly in black, a little slower in color (it's a four-pass CMYK printer, meaning it prints Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black in individual runs or passes) but the quality of the color images are fantastic and are only limited by the quality of paper used. It scans acceptably well, not spectacular, but more than well enough for my needs. Haven't tried the fax portion and don't foresee doing so.

There are only two negatives that I've found: the machine is noisy even when not in use; it has a loud cooling fan that will run for a long time (more than 20 minutes); and it's shipped with what seems like only a few drops of black toner. If you buy this printer and plan to do any amount of printing right away, you need to get more black toner, pronto. The toner cartridge that came with it lasted less than a week with moderate usage.

So far I like it and would recommend it. The printer part of it gets five stars, the scanner four stars. The other qualities--noise, set up, features--bring the overall rating to four stars.

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