Sunday, 31 July 2011

Negative Scanner - negative scanner, epson v300


Epson V300 Photo



RATING

I can only give five stars when I have a comparison with my use of another scanner--but I strongly suspect such a comparison would not change my opinion of this one. I am delighted, and it exceeds all my expectations. Therefore, four stars and probably five.



USES

I had two purposes for a scanner: My primary function is to preserve long out of print and often rare history and theological texts, making them available to other scholars and researchers-- thus, it had to be a flatbed. The second was to preserve and share old photos.



Twenty four hours ago I purchased this unit, led to this choice by reviews, and finally deciding based upon the LED scanning technology, the portability, the price and the bundled software. It cost me twenty dollars more (one hundred total) for the V300 which I believe is the same as the V30 except the V300 has the inclusion of the 35mm film and slide holding frame which I think could be of use to me.



MODES

I don't know why they use the terms they do for the modes of use. They ought to be: Photo mode, Text mode, Auto mode and Professional mode. Instead, Photo is called "Home", Text is called, "Office", Auto and Professional are what you would think. The menus are otherwise intuitive, but you can (as I did) read the manual if you want.



PHOTOS

I started with photos. 300 dpi resolution is sufficient for all of my needs, but I tried 1200 to see what it would do. Using 1200 is 400% of original, and using that setting, and zooming in using common photo software, the detail was far beyond my expectations--almost like a crime movie zooming in on the subject's glasses to see the reflection of the photographer. Almost. This is well beyond my needs, as I am preserving photos as they are-- not photoshopping for improvements. Yet...



RESTORATION

I could not resist trying the automatic restoration. I began with the default setting of 300 dpi, which I will use across the board from now on--simply because it is more than adequate for my uses. I have a black and white family photo from the 1890's, and I had to view the original under bright light to make out any detail, so faded was it. Seconds later, the preview image in "Home" mode" (see above) and leaving the default for "color photo," showed a perfectly balanced contrast, popping out detail my eye could not detect in the original. Excellent.



I then took a 1941 color portrait, and left the settings in "Home Mode" 300 dpi, and "color restoration" checked. The original's color was skewed, almost no red remaining. A push of the button and the image burst out in what I believe must have been the original colors. Excellent.



The last photo test was of a snapshot of me in which the flash had made my skin appear pasty white, while I was actually quite tan. I used the Professional Mode and played with the controls removing a bit of red, removing green on the intuitive graph display for that purpose, and playing with the other controls for few seconds resulting in a very good final product.



TEXT

Scanning whole books into pdf files is my main use. But I tested more than that.



OLD NEWSPAPWER CLIPPING

My first test was actually a ninety year old newspaper clipping. Using "Office" mode, I did nothing but preview and then scan. The software did its thing and perhaps a minute later I had opened the pdf document using acrobat (the free version) and the image was an exact replica. I used the text select tool in Acrobat to select the entire article and then pasted it into MS Word. The supplied OCR software (ABBYY FineReader Sprint Plus) had done a fair job for a free bundled product and a terrible ink speckled original (like all newspaper print in hose days). The pdf file was perfectly readable as it was. The ability to search ad find specific words and phrases would be easily seen in the version of what I copied from the pdf file and then pasted into Word. The result was good enough to make sense to my eye and brain to read it, but the ink speckle from the original showed up as various characters, and quite a few "are enn" showed as "emm" as well many other common OCR scanning errors. It was along way from being usable for citing directly--perhaps ten minutes of clean-up for that one full column of news print.



My second test was also old newspaper but well preserved in a scrap book. There were four items on the page I tested, and in "Office" mode, I simply selected the four parts of the page that included the actual clippings in the preview pane (the selection is easy, fast and called a "marquee." I would call it a "cropping selection tool." Then I clicked all, and all four boxes surrounding the four clippings were selected. Next, I selected pdf as the output file type from the file-folder icon on the main window, and then selected scan. Again, the software did its thing. I received a four page pdf file, a page for each selected item. The results of the image and the OCR test were the same as before.



BOOKS

Finally, I scanned a single page from a very old textbook with a rather awkward to read font. Using the same settings as before, the pdf file was perfect, and the OCR work was far better. A proofread and a few mistakes on that one page. Still, that is more editing than I will want to do, but that is a software upgrade--not related to the hardware. The software allows you to scan each and all page into a single pdf document if you prefer, and which I will make use of.



OCR SOFTWARE

I am pleased with the product, and very glad the low-end OCR software worked better than I feared--as I will have no problem upgrading that software to a professional level for a hundred dollars or so--within my budget. For now, from the text, even requiring more editing than I will want to do, it was, none-the-less, very readable. Our eyes and minds will see thnouglre the eniors and quickly correct as we read! The actual density of errors was reasonable for a starter version which is what is included. Og course the OCR software has nothing to do with the perfect image of the pdf file--it only impacts searching that pdf file for specific words and phrases. I will add that the ability to search a text using Acrobat that I already have is the same as the scanned images on many of the research sites I use. I want the search ability for indexing and hyperlinking within the final pdf file. I am told that Adobe's product will supply that ability and the high OCR accuracy that I need.



OVERALL

There are more features, other software included, but for my purposes... my expectations were far exceeded by what was delivered--a delight to have such easy and quick success. My two unknowns are 1) results of my upgrade to more powerful OCR software, and 2) the longevity of the scanner unit.



I do wish the software would allow me to name the current scan more easily. The default is to use serial ordinals, so that my scanning project folder is merely img001.jpg, img002.jpg, and so on. This leads me to...



SPEED

Speed is an afterthought to me. I have only used this product on my laptop (I needed a portable scanner, and this and my laptop will easily fit together in my backpacking trips to the library). It is a four year old lap top as of this writing (summer 2009) which is just a bit slow by this year's standards. I found myself, feeding the scanner with a new original, pressing scan, and then going to the Window Explorer window to change the default name of the last scan to something descriptive, and finishing just as it was time to feed the scanner again. In other words, if the process of scanning and saving was any faster then the machine would be waiting on me; I rarely waited on it (except when using OCR--that takes a few more seconds per page.



POSITIVES

Out of the box, excellent and rewarding results far exceeding expectations.

The inclusion of a starter OCR product was very helpful, although ultimately insufficient for my needs--just as both vendors (Epson and ABBYY) knew they would be--the low-end software just to give the buyer a taste.

Intuitive hardware and software controls

Resolution capability beyond anything I could ever find use for

Speed easily meeting my needs.

Size and weight make trips to archives with it and the laptop in my backpack possible and easy.

Primary (Epson) software functions well and quickly--providing almost everything I would expect



NEGATIVES

The menu "mode" names are odd and inappropriate.

Some of the terms on the menus are also unusual compared to what I am used to in photo-editing software.

Not "plug and play," you must install the software from the supplied CD.

No hard copy user manual (but I was the only one who ever read them anyway)

No ability to custom name each scan file on the fly (no "save file as" pop-up window).



Buy it, you'll love it. If it lasts a long time, I may even name it. Epson Perfection V300 Photo Color Scanner (Black) - Negative Scanner - Slide Scanner - Scanner - Epson V300'


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Universal Charger - universal charger, usb


After reading so many complaints from people receiving non-OEM chargers I was a little hesitant to order this product. If I was only going to receive some cheap after market piece of junk I might as well head on over to eBay and buy a .01 charger there. When I went to add the product to the cart I realized that the default seller is not Amazon, but if you look at the other options Amazon does indeed sell this charger for about .35 more than the low bidder. I doubted that Amazon was going to send me the wrong thing so I went ahead and changed my order to pay .35 more for the Amazon one. Well, it just arrived (11am Saturday morning via UPS ordered Friday with Amazon Prime. Holy smokes what service!!) and it is indeed the Verizon Charger. It still has the $29.99 verizon store price tag on it! So long story short, buy it from Amazon and you will get the real deal. I feel badly for the honest 3rd party sellers that suffer from the misdeeds of the unscrupulous but this is one of those items that you just need to go with Amazon to insure you get what you are paying for. Verizon Vehicle Charger with USB Port

The picture on the Amazon sales page clearly shows the "VERIZON" logo and "VERIZON" branded package. The item as delivered has no logo or branding and was packaged in a clear plastic bag. I already had unbranded aftermarket chargers that would charge the phone so I feel cheated.

The picture on on the website shows the charger with a verizon logo, but i received one without a logo and the little plastic piece came unglued. Ships in a little plastic bag not in retail packaging. Hey you get what you pay for, just don't expect a charger with a verizon logo.

I normally don't write reviews, but this product got me irritated. Contrary to what the box says, it cannot charge 2 phones at the same time. The corded micro USB charged the battery just fine on my Droid Pro and my wife's Droid X, but when I tried to use the USB outlet with a Motorola OEM USB to micro USB cord, it would not charge. I made 2 returns to the Verizon store thinking it was a defective charger before one of the other sales reps overheard me complain and stated it does not have enough power to charge a phone, a bluetooth headset maybe, but not a phone. It even states on the charger's packaging that it will charge 2 phones at once! Maybe two dumb phones, but definitely does not have the juice for 2 smartphones. I returned it for a refund. I will not spend $23 on a product that only half works.

As many others have stated, I DID NOT receive the Verizon brand car charger as pictured in the advertisement. I ordered this item from The OEM Shop and received it within about 3 days, which was great. However, it was not a Verizon car charger in an unopened box, as some lucky folks received. It was a no-name charger in a plastic bag. The little plastic piece on top was hanging off and fell off as soon as it was taken out of the package.I didn't dare try charging my Droid Incredible with it, since it was literally falling apart. OEM shop responded promptly to my email, not with a proper replacement, but by telling me to "recycle" my damaged item and saying they will credit me in 3-5 days...clearly they didn't want the piece of junk either! (It's been almost a week and nothing yet). Luckily, I got a charger on CellPhoneShop.net for $11.00 (it says CMS as the brand?) and it has been working great.



**Update**I received a refund of my purchase price and Brian, from OEM was very nice. He called me and emailed me to offer a replacement device at no cost to me. He did advise me that they have NO VERIZON origianl charges but the ones they have "work just fine". I got the replacement promptly, but have yet to use it, as it is still the same as what I got originally, just minus the brokemn plastic piece. There is no info on the item whatsoever to identify who made it and where. Still using the one I got at CellPhoneShop with no problems at all.

I didn't order through Amazon. The charger I received was not a Verizon charger. It had a piece of black plastic that fell off where the Verizon logo should have been. I would have paid more to return it than it cost. After I submitted negative feedback the seller replaced it with a Motorola charger and refunded my money. I have to give them credit for good customer service.

The item is NOT branded and the plastic piece where the company logo should be is not secured in any way, shape or form. It works but it is not the item as pictured. Its a cheap off-brand charger so buyer beware.

Simply put, this device was defective right out of the box. Did not work once. Do not be seduced by the low price, you will still end up having to buy a more expensive charger to replace this one. Save yourself the trouble, do not buy this charger! - Universal Charger - Verizon - Car Chargers - Usb'


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Computer Accessories


I bought this to connect a laptop to my Samsung LN40A650 LCD TV, but the Samsung does not like the way the pins are wired in this cable. It is definitely the cable, because after trying 2 other laptops without success, I used another VGA cable that was previously on a desktop PC system. That one did the trick. With the 10ft cable I bought, the TV didn't recognize the PC input was connected. The VGA cable from the desktop PC worked, though I can only get up to 1300x768 resolution, not up to 1920x1080.



This 10ft cable still works, because it is now being used for the desktop PC instead. Just don't expect it to work with LN40A650. You may be taking a risk with any Samsung TV from 2008/9.



I also searched online about this problem, and it is a common. Apparently not all VGA cables are made the same way. This one just isn't made the way Samsung needs it to be. It will probably work with most other devices. 10ft Hi Resolution monitor cable (Male to Male)

I am using this cable to connect my compaq presario to my Samsung HDTV LCD 32inch and the image is great. I had no trouble connecting or anything. No loose screws and the quality of the cable wrapping is very good.

I'm using the cable to connect my PC to my 32" HDTV. They were easy to connect and fit perfectly. The picture was very clear. I wish I bought the ones with audio, though. I had to use my computer speakers.

This is very long, ten feet long to be exact. It's also very high quality, it looks very professional. It's an old technology VGA cable, so basically you should buy the cheapest one of these that you can, like this one, because expensive wires on old technology deliver about the same performance as inexpensive wires.



And, if you're wondering, a Male to Male VGA cable means that you plug one end into your monitor and one into your computer. A Male to Female is an extender.



Pros:

+Very long, it can connect anywhere

+Economical

+Sleek and black



Cons:

-Very long, if you only need a short distance, you'll have a lot of extra cord

The only pins wired are the red, Green, Blue video and the Verticle and Horizontal Syncs. Ground return for all signals is provided through the connector shell. While the video quality is good, any Plug and Play functions or PC based power functions (standyby, etc) are non-operational. This leaves many monitors fully powered up even when the PC is in Standby or turned off!

I am using this cable to connect my laptop to my 720p HDTV. With any other cable in the house, my laptop detects my unusual monitor resolution (1360x768) and allows me to select it appropriately in the display settings. With this cable however, the correct resolution isn't even an option. I tested each of the 15 pins, and only 5 of them are connected to anything! I know VGA cables don't need all 15 pins, but when I use a cable that has all 15 pins connected everything works fine. For my application this cable is completely worthless.

This is exactly what you need, best bang for your buck on vga-vga cables. It also comes with a built in audio-in cable on each side. Makes me happy! It's a thicker cable compared to others that usually ship with a monitor (which is good), It carries the signal better, and I see a slightly better picture when using this one.

I basically used this cable for a simple monitor hook up, because the standard 6 ft cable would not be long enough for the office setup I had. The image it produced was noticeably blurry, with a slight shadow effect. I thought I might be able to just ignore, but it was too frustrating. I returned it for a refund and ended up purchasing this cable on Amazon: "Cables To Go - 29607 - 12ft Ultima HD15 M/M SXGA Monitor Cable", which works beautifully. I highly recommend going for the better quality cable here.'


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Not Recommended - groomer, beard trimmer


I am a lifetime beard grower, and have had many different trimmers, and I happen to by a Wahl one day, and its outlasted all my other big name trimmers, and i totally mistreated it and abused it, and it still trims like a dream.



So I decided when i was looking to update my trimming kit to look at some Wahl Timmers, and i was not dissapointed, its plastic and feels lite but it does the job, and it does it the first time. It comes with everything i needed, and the cradle held everything pretty well. The instructions included are very useful as well.



I would recommend this if your looking for a budget trimmer, I bought a wahl as a back up, cheap trimmer, and its become my primary trimmer.



++This is not a shaver, i think people are confusing this for a different job, This is made to trim, maintain, and sculpt a beard or mustache. If you try to shave it will pull your hair or not cut well++

As far as the quality of the trimmer, you get what you pay for. I had a wahl trimmer for about 10 years that was plastic, but it was great. This one is cheap plastic that feels like its going to fall apart. The main drawback is that is sucks that battery life up fast. The first batteries i put in were cheap, so i upgraded to quality batteries with little difference. I use it every other day and i say batteries will last maybe a month if you dont mind the pulling when the batteries get worn down.

This set piqued my interest about a year ago when I spotted it on sale on another website, only to find out that it was cheaper on Amazon. It turned out to be a pretty good deal.



Let me start by echoing other users' reviews: the plastic that this trimmer and its accessories are made with feels extremely cheap. However, I have not had a single issue with it, and, like a good book, its what's on the inside not the outside that matters. This thing trims very well, and has been used about once or twice a week for the last year, so it holds up. The comb is fairly standard, though I've never had a use for it. The blade guard is a nice touch, especially if you leave it in the storage base without use for a period of time.



As for the storage base, while its made of very cheap, thin plastic, it holds everything nicely and helps keep your bathroom sink well organized. It is kind of odd they didn't bother to make it big enough to hold the nose trimmer, however.



As for the nose trimmer itself, it doesn't work as well as you might think. Unfortunately, simply spinning it along the inside rim of your nostril doesn't quite cut it, as you have to get underneath the hair and push slightly up into your nostril to get the hair properly removed. It does the job well, but its a longer process than it really needs to be. You'll spend a few extra minutes longer than you'd expect to make sure you got all the hair trimmed that you wanted to. I've also recently ran into an issue with the nose trimmer on/off switch doing whatever it wants. If I flip it to 'off' once its on, it sometimes stays on, then will either turn off once in the 'on' position, or stay the course. A few good smacks against my hand remedies the problem, but I use this thing maybe once or twice a month, so its durability seems to be lacking.



I gave this a 4-star rating because of the nose trimmer, and to a much lesser extent the comb and supplied oil, since I haven't had a need for them as of yet. Its still a very good trimmer at an excellent price, and will certainly serves your basic trimming needs.

I had a Conair rechargable. Unfortunately I lost the cord to recharge it so I picked up this one. Wow, was that a mistake.



I don't have a very thick beard, yet I found I had to go over the same spots again and again to get any sort of semblance of evenness.



It tears at my hairs at times and can be somewhat painful.



It makes a LOT of noise.

This product is horrible. I picked one up thinking it would do the job, and after a couple uses I placed it in the trash can. This product will grab a hold of your facial hair and tare them out at the roots. It is extremely painful to use. I do not recommend this product to anybody.



My beard is not thick at all, I would classify it at medium, yet this trimmer fails to trim it properly.

I bought this as a gift for my husband, he likes the little stand that organizes all the accessories & it's versatile enough to meet all of his needs - trims beards, sideburns, eyebrows, moustaches, etc.

better than my previous trimmer by far. right length cutter heads which my other did not have, at 3 times the price. This in my opinion is a true value.

Vendor was great with fair postage and a very low price. - Mens Grooming - Groomer - Beard Trimmer - Beard Trimmers'


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Tahoe


As always Bosch products are great. BUT the shipping from this store leaves a lot to be desired!!! We ordered a set of 8. It took 4 shipments to receive all 8 Some were out of the boxes, some were packed in envelopes, some did not have any protective material around the electrodes. NEVER AGAIN!!! Bosch (4509) HGR9LQI0 9 Platinum IR Fusion Spark Plug, Pack of 1

I put these into my Focus and could see an immediate improvement. I probably change my spark plugs more often then I need to, but better early then late. So far they seem to be out performing my old plugs with 60k miles.

Have used and reccomend the +4's for some time, have them in a 3/4 ton GMC right now - and yes I definitely notice some extra crispness to my acceleration and performance with these plugs. Went with the Iridium center electrode this time, as the platinum center electrode plugs only get me about 50k miles before starting to show significant erosion. The performance bump and cleaner burn are worth the extra cost, as far as I'm concerned.

As I age, less is more. The plugs do not requre gapping! My son installed these and the volant air system, what a difference. Power, idling, and launching my 5800 pound truck. Altough the truck is not a green truck, installing the plugs and air system increased in town from 11.4 to 13.1 or so. Set and forget!

As soon as I took a drive after I installed these plugs with a set of MSD 8.5mm wires I noticed a good difference in throttle response (Acceleration) and after a couple fill ups I can honestly say there was little to no fuel economy increase, which is kind of disappointing. We'll see how long these last but for what I got them for (Performance) they work for me, the price was right and it was nice that you do not gap the plugs.

My 2005 Chevy Silverado w/ a 5.3L V8 and both a Cold-Air Intake and a Flowmaster Exhaust system is running better then ever! My truck feels like a beast when its going up the freeway ramp and roaring up any hill. I installed these spark plugs and MSD spark plug wires when my truck hit 100k.

This is the best spark plugs I ever used,you dont have to gap them becaue of the way they are made. As soon as I put them in my chevy truck I could tell how well they work. Also my MPG went up by two miles. So at 27 gal x 2 = 54 miles a tank. Gas is 4.56 a gallon where I live so that is a good savings.'


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Tahoe Tahoe Tahoe

Wall Charger - sansa fuze, wall charger


This works with my SanDisk Sansa Fuze 4 GB Video MP3 Player (Blue). I was so worried because of the bad review, but maybe some people ordered the wrong product?? It works just the way it is supposed to. I was a bit surprised that it is not as cheaply made as I thought it would be and at the speed of charge. So very happy I can power it up in my car & office! -And the extra cord is a lifesaver. AND I can use the wall & car chargers on anything with a USB cable. (That is pretty amazing & has uncluttered all of my cords in my car. I only have to keep two cords and the plug-in piece instead of five cords.) I think I kind of love this thing. 3 Piece Value Combo Accessory Bundle Kit: USB Car Charger + USB Travel Charger + USB Data Sync Cable for Sansa Fuze Series MP3 Player

I lost or misplaced my Sansa USB Data Sync and was happy to find this at a reasonable price. You can't beat this 3 Piece Combo Accessory Bundle Kit for the price. I use the USB Travel and Wall Charger to charge other mp3 players and phone. I recommend this Kit if you have any electronics that can be powered or charged by using USB connector.

I had found this product because I lost my one and only sync cable for my Sansa Fuze. I didn't even know I could buy an ac or car adapter let alone all 3 for such a cheap price. They all work just fine and I received them very quickly. I would have bought these months ago if I had known they existed.

I love this product! It is so handy for my car, and it works very well. I also really like that I can charge my mp3 player, while it is playing.I just plug my player into the aux port. I highly recommend this product.

This is an accessory group that every Fuze owner would want. You can charge while in a car or at your desk and listen to music at the same time while its charging. And with this you will have an extra cable. - Fuze - Accessories - Wall Charger - Sansa Fuze'


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Wall Charger - sansa fuze, wall charger wall charger Wall Charger - sansa fuze, wall charger

Gps Carrying Case - gps carrying case, garmin nuvi case


There are two types of GPS carrying cases out there. There are small, light, clip-to-your-belt cases that are good for carrying your unit when you leave the car for a while, and don't want to leave your GPS behind to tempt thieves. But it's also nice to have a safe and sturdy place to store your GPS between trips. This just might work for you.



I use the case to hold my NUVI and a spare power cord. The cigarette lighter adapter on my main cord self-destructed once, and since then I've always carried a spare with me. The main power cord I leave attached to my beanbag-like "Garmin portable friction mount" (a must-have item for NUVIs, much better than a suction cup on your windshield), and just wind it a couple of times around the base. The friction mount, and this case, stack up nicely on a shelf until I need them, and then I have only two things to grab and take with me.



One reviewer mentioned the suction cup mount won't fit inside the case along with the NUVI and power cord. I threw mine away, so I can't say either way. If you are still using the suction cup, and want to stow it with your GPS, this case probably isn't for you. But if you use the friction mount, and want to bring a spare power cord handy, this works great. HDCSXL: Extra Large Hard Shell Case For Garmin, TomTom, Mio GPS with 4.3" Screen

Case is hard shell for protection. The photo appears to show what looks like a Garmin Nuvi to me with the adaptor and dash mount tucked neatly in the pocket of the case. Forget it. There is probably enough room for it all, but unless your dash mount folds flat it does not fit as shown. Even removing the GPS clip from the swivel ball mount, you are still left with the rigid ball arm and base that simply does not fit as shown. If you try and use the storage pocket, you simply cannot close the case as the suction base presses on the unit. Can you make it fit? Sure, by sticking the suction base along side the GPS unit itself and not using the pocket as shown and somewhat forcing the case closed. Don't know about other makes, but I do not recommend whatsoever for Garmin Nuvi.

While this is a great protective case and will keep your Nuvi fairly safe, the photo used to promote the item is misleading. I like the unit but I have a Garmin Nuvi 765 and just a s the previous poster wrote the windshield mount will not fit in the case properly. The mount has a rigid ball as part of the mount and that is the piece that will not safely fit in this case. Yes you can force it but that is taking a chance that if you drop the case it will press upon your screen and possibly damage it. Otherwise it's an excellent case and will allow you to store most of the other components you need to take store. The area you see in the photo with the net mesh is where you store the accessory items. Good solid material and well manufactured, strong zipper. I give it 3 stars more if the photo was changed.



Bill

This case was exactly what I was looking for. I have a 4.3" TomTom plus the power cord and traffic antenna. Everything fit nice and snug. The case does come with an insert that is intended to cradle the gps but I had to take it out to fit everything in. The insert would perhaps come in handy if I had a smaller gps unit. Overall I would recommend this product.

I bought this case for my TomTom 340 XL after much deliberation and reading a lot of reviews. It holds the TomTom perfectly and seems to cradle it protectively in the soft foamy indentations for it. My cord with the traffic unit fits in the mesh pocket inside the case. So both my TomTom and the cord that it needs to use it fit nicely inside this case!

I bought this for my tom tom with 4.3" screen. There is JUST enough room for the mount, power cord and unit to fit snugly in the case even with the little removable insert. Nice sturdy case for the price which was one of the lowest prices I could find.

I have a Garmin Nuvi 780 (4.3" screen) and it fits fine. The case has plenty of space, though doesn't fit all the cords and accessories (picture may be deceiving; depends on model/size of cords/type of mount). This case will comfortably hold the GPS, USB cable, plus other small accessories. It does not hold the window mount (suction cup) or power adapter (my model) without cramming.



The case is tough, but not a true 'hard shell'. The zipper and stitching are fine. With the removable inner padding/cradle the GPS unit will be thoroughly protected. The inner mesh pocket is good, but not stitched straight across. The shell itself is not padded on the inside.



My main gripe is that there is not a second elastic band to hold the GPS in its side of the case. This means that when you open the case the GPS could fall out. So what I've done is move the inner padding into the mesh pocket and place the GPS unit in there, but now this means the accessories won't be held in place on the other side.



Overall it is still a good product, especially for the low price. Other cases I've seen have only enough space for the GPS unit alone. I wanted some additional space, so this case works for me. There's enough space you could have two units in the one case. - Gps Carrying Case - Case - Garmin Nuvi Case - Garmin Nuvi 780'


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Flat Panel Mount - lcd wall mount, wall mount


I recently purchased 2 Samsung LCD TVs, 40" for the master bedroom and 52" for the family room. Initially I was planning to purchase one articulating mount for the master bedroom and one simple titling mount for the family room. However, based on the quality of this unit, I purchased 2 articulating mounts. In addition to providing flexibility in viewing angles/positions, articulating mounts are great for the initial set-up and subsequent rewiring or replacement of components (you do not have to take off the TV; you simply pull it out and the back of the TV is easily accessible).



This unit is heavy (definitely 2-person job to mount the wall plate), solid, and made with high quality materials. Installation was pretty straight-forward. Instructions were somewhat terse (small/tiny diagrams) and not clear (e.g., which screws/bolts/spacers to use when attaching the back beams to the TV), but they were not that difficult to figure out.



Here are some recommendations:

1) Make sure that the back beams are attached to the TV at equal height. Even if you use the same holes, there is about 0.125" play when tightening the bolts. Otherwise, the TV could be not level even if the wall plate is level.

2) If you have a low margin of error for the height of the mount (I had to mount them in a built in cabinets with 1" gap on all 4 sides), attach the back beams to the TV first and measure the distace between the top of the TV and the point where the beam will "hook" on to the plate. Then figure out where to drill the holes based on the distance between the point where the beam will "hook" on to the plate and the center of openings for the screws/bolts.

3) Always measure twice and use a high quality level to make sure that the mount is level. VideoSecu Articulating TV Wall Mount for Most 37"-55" TV, Dual Arm Extends up to 26 Inch From Wall Free HDMI cable 1VH

This is an awesome product! It's very strong and feels very stable even when the TV is fully extended from the wall! It was simple to install and mount the TV. I checked with my local electronics store and they wanted $400-$500 for an articulating mount that wasn't nearly as strong and stable in the store display. I highly recommend this mount to everyone even if you don't intend to use the articulation. The articulation makes it so much easier to make connections on the back of the TV! I can't find words to say how great this product is! The value and strength are the best I've found anywhere!

I purchased this product a few days ago on Wednesday and received it on Saturday. I had the cheapest shipping so I was quite impressed to get it so quickly.



The item out of the box felt very sturdy and looked great. The directions were very easy to understand. There were a lot of diagrams and there were pictures for every nut and bolt size. There was a vast array of screw sizes as well as different lengths.



I have a 42 inch LG plasma and the brackets were easy to install. What's nice is the bracket came with screw extenders because the mount could not screw flush to the back of the tv, the tv had some screws that poked out the back.



Installation of the mount to the wall was easily as well. You will need a drill to make the initial holes as well as a ratchet to tighten the wall bolts. The mount has a leveler on it but we used our own leveler to level the system.



The brackets on the tv easily sit on the mount and voila you are done.



There is enough space to plug wires in the back of the tv infront of the mount. I would recommend using the spacers for the additional room. It is amazing how far the tv swings out and to the side. I will have to post pictures of my tv.



All in all this is a great system for the value ($75), hands down. I would definitely purchase another in the future.



Cheers!

I have had a 52" Philips LCD for over a year now and have been searching for a swivel mount that can come off the wall so I can wire or re-wire my componets to the tv. Every mount I came accross at my local stores (Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target) were all in the hundreds, some close to $400.00. Rediculous! I decided to check online and see what I could find. So I googled large LCD swivel mounts and I found a lot on Amazon that sell thru another party. I found three mounts that stuck out for me, this one, another made by cheetah,and another one made by Videosecu. I ultimatley eneded up choosing this one beacuse it has duel arms that hold the LCD up instead of just one (Cheetah mount) I wanted to make sure that the arms would hold up my 89lb LCD.



I ordered the mount on Decemebr 16th and recieved it on December 23rd. On Amazon.com the description said it weighs between 40 lbs. and 50 lbs. for the shipping weight. The package I recieved weighed 21.5 lbs, So I assumed they sent me the wrong mount so I opened it up any ways to take a look and I looked online to see if the model numbers were the same and they were except online the model number was MW360BH and the one I received was MW360B does the missing H really matter I thought? Inside the box does not give you a max load weight but all other measurements were correct and matched. I deceided to put the mount up any ways. I read on other reviews for this product that the hardware given in the box to hang the mount were less than efficent so I looked at them and yes, they are pretty low grade lag screws, so I went to Home Depot and bought four 5/16x3 lag screws and four 3/8 washers. I also before hand bought a stud finder that finds the middle of the studs. Make sure that your studs are no more that 16.5 inches apart or else the mount will NOT work. Make sure you hit the middle of the studs with the lag screws or else you will be crying your self to sleep over a busted LCD or plazma that fell off the wall. The mount it self is very sturdy and is made of good solid materials. I measured to the center of my wall and then marked where the studs are. I drilled small pilot holes and screwed one top corener in and while I held it up I checked where it was with a level marked the the side to be drilled. That was the hadrest part do. This job might require a another person. The mount is not easy to hold up, level, and screw down by your self. After I got the mount bolted down I checked the stability of it by putting some weight on it. I weigh 220lbs and hung most of my weight on it and it did not budge at all. Put the tv on and slid it on evenly. Perfect. Buy this mount! - Lcd Wall Mount - Wall Mount - Flat Panel Mount - Tv Wall Mount'


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Noise Cancelling Headphones - headphones, philips


I basically live on airplanes. I fly somewhere over 250,000 miles a year every year. I'm also an amateur audiophile and have a really cool 2 channel stereo system, as well as lots of other high end audio gear. I've owned nearly every brand of noise cancelling headset, as well as used ones I haven't owned. These are by far the best value out there for Around the Ear headphones, bar none. Its true that if you have large ears, these may cramp your style, but this is true of ALL around the ear headphones worn over a long period of time. Thats why most major manufacturers have also introduced OVER THE EAR units as well.



As far as noise cancelling and sound quality, these headphones are at the top of the class. I've worn the ridiculously expensive Bose QCs for years, and the price is downright scandalous. I always am amazed at how many suckers pay for these, when they are no better or worse than all the other ones I have.



At the moment, I have Sennhieser PC300, Philips HN110, Sony HC6 (I think) and have sold my Bose QC2s to pay for ALL of these. So I have both an over the ear (sennheiser,sony) and around the ear (philips). I travel with either the Sennhieser (90% of the time) and the Philips (10%) of the time, but I use the Philips 100% of the time for at home game playing and music listening when I don't want to wake the family. I travel with the Sennheisers more often simply because they take up much less space in my carry on bag. But on long flights (asia, etc), I bring the philips



The Sennhiesers are over the ear and probably have the nicest sound quality, but these Philips are a nearly close second. The Philips also have very very good noise cancelling. The Sony's are generally decent, and are basically balanced overall, not excelling at any one thing. I tend not to use them that much, as they don't have great audio quality.



My ears are not that huge I guess, and these Philips are nice to wear for me. The Bose hurt quite a bit over time, just like any around the ear. I recently wore a pair of Bose QC3 over the ears on a flight from London to New York, and they hurt quite a bit as well (they were complimentary on a American Airlines business class flight). And the sound quality was lousy, as well as the noise cancelling was sub par.



But Bose spends lots O' money on marketing. Philips is basically inept at everything but making things. So you would have to search for these to discover them as a value.



A couple of rules of thumb.



1) ALL around the ear headphones will hurt if you have large ears.

2) NO noise cancelling headphones cancel all noise....they all work the same way, there is no magic (if you are into reading technical specs, you can see this for yourself, don't take my word for it)

3) Bose are priced 5-6 times what they could be priced

4) Most NC headsets between $35-$100 have decent sound quality and around the same NC characteristics

5) ALL over the ear headsets have marginally less NC characteristics than around the ear due to the physical design



Conclusion. Don't be fooled by fancy TV ads, billboards, and other seductive marketing. The product cost the same as all the others inside. Noise Cancelling has been around for 30 odd years, and hasn't changed that much, beyond miniaturization of the silicon chips that cancel the noise, and huge improvement is small speaker quality. But these are not exclusive to one manufacturer. Anyone can make decent NC headphones.



From someone who has worn them all, and has a taste for music and lives on airplanes, I can recommend these units. You could buy 10 pair of these for the functionally equivalent bose QCs, and not really experience any difference. Philips HN 110 Folding Noise-Canceling Headphones

Overall I rate these phones as a very good value for the money, and think anyone considering noise-canceling headphones should consider them.



Also, I think I can clear up some confusion about some reported problems with these phones.



There are indeed two revisions of the Philips HN110 phones, as was briefly mentioned in a prior review.



The older version (which I spotted at Walmart) has a very different earcup mounting arrangement with a silver tinted plastic part between the headband and earcups. I think this older style is responsible for most of the negative comments about parts breaking (because one individual's review specifically complained about the "silver portion that connects the muff" breaking).



I have the [presumably newer] type that is shown in the Amazon picture above that has a crosswise black plastic hinge piece that holds upside-down U-shaped adjustable chromed wire earpiece supports, and I have had no problems with parts breaking with this model.



Some have complained that the `noise cancelation' is not very effective, but I think it works quite well, easily on a par with some of the 300+ dollar offerings from the likes of BOSE.



Some may not fully understand the limitations that apply to ALL phones of this type, and may have unrealistic expectations.



To cancel noise, the phones sample the outside noise with microphones on the outside of each earcup, then guess how much of this noise will leak inside to the listeners ear, so they can create a cancellation signal.



This cancellation signal is flipped around to be 180 degrees out of phase so that when it is applied to the speakers inside each earpiece, it will cancel out the outside noise that has leaked inside.



This process can only work well for a limited range of frequencies in the lower range, because at higher frequencies the audio waves become so short that the phones can not accurately predict the `phase' of sounds leaking in from different angles (which makes it impossible to accurately create an `out of phase' signal to cancel out the noise).



These limitations are essentially based on physics, and apply to ALL phones whether they cost 35 dollars or 350 dollars.



So to test this type of phone, we need to use lower frequency sounds like road noise, or engine drone, NOT higher frequency sounds like speech.



In their favor, the Philips HN110's are `around the ear' type headphones, which do provide some `passive' higher frequency blocking (by acting like earmuffs) to complement the `active' lower frequency cancellation done by the electronics. Also, the 'around-the-ear' design makes it much easier for the phones to accurately predict the noise leakage (and therefore to more accurately cancel it) which allows the low cost HN110's to actually out perform some other non-around-the-ear offerings which cost hundreds more.



The only down side is that some folks (particularly those with larger ears) have reported that the HN110's may become uncomfortable during extended listening sessions (though I have found them to be extremely comfortable).



I also find the audio performance of the HN110 phones to be very pleasing, but I am not one of those folks that like to listen to their music at ear splitting dB levels (or that confuses `thumpa-bump-bump' overdriven bass with music). - Noise Canceling - Philips - Travel Headphones - Headphones'


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Canon Multifunction - canon multifunction, multifunction printer


We owned a Canon IP6000 a few years ago and decided to buy an Epson Artisan 800 because of it's multi tasking capabilities. That was a total mistake! I have had 4 printers in the last 2 years, under warranty, that Epson had to send me because the features kept going out on it!



I bought this printer at Staples yesterday and I am very pleased with it so far. The text quality is better than Epson's and the photos are spectacular, just like the Canon that we used to own. The photos turn out just like you had them developed at the store. I waited for a month and a half for this printer to come out and I am not disappointed that I waited. Well worth the investment and I will be sticking with Canon! Canon Pixma MX882 Wireless Office All-In-One Printer (4894B002)

I waited about a month and 1/2 for this printer to become available after its release earlier this year. I purchased the printer at Staples for 199.00, but returned my 'old' one and received a 50.00 rebate, so my net cost was 149.00 for this product. I found the 3" LCD very easy to read and also very user friendly, as it takes you step by step while installing the printer to your network for the first time. It took about 30 minutes from out of the box, to fully function properly. I was torn between purchasing a laser vs an ink jet, but determined my needs were better suited for an inkjet and I was pleasantly surprised on the quality of the pictures I created via the printer. The colors were amazing! I will upload a sample shortly. I found the wireless connection which allows me to print wirelessly without having to connect using a cable from the computer was awesome, as my wife usually works on her laptop, and this is great feature! The Canon MX882 operates with five ink cartridges; so when one specific color runs out, you just need to replace that one cartridge and not the entire array. I also noticed Canon installs easily to reach 'shortcuts' on your pc to easily manage your function for your printer. The scanner worked well, as I was quikly able to scan an old 4x6 photo and upload it to my pc for easy sharing. You can also scan to e-mail as it will open up your e-mail and attach a scan to a new message. In a nutshell, very, very user friendly and the quality of the prints were great.

I recently replaced my old Pixma ip4000 with this new MX882. Set up was straight forward and without a glitch. The machine is nice to look at and prints very high quality photos and documents with great speed. The display makes it easy for those who are "technology challenged" to scan, copy, or fax without difficulty.



The wireless printing setup was fast and flawless.



My only reservations about this machine are:



1. The shiny black plastic body is a major dust collector and difficult to keep clean.

2. You can use EITHER the Ethernet connection OR the wireless connection, but not both. This is disappointing and requires you to toggle the printer between modes.



All in all I am very happy with this Canon multifunction machine. It is far superior to all the troublesome HP multi-functions that I've had in the past.

We recycled our fax, photo printer, laser printer, and scanner with this one machine, and also gained wireless printing, duplex printing/scanning, and an auto document feeder. Very happy with the speed. We fed in some school applications into the feeder, set duplex scanning on the computer app, and had it generate a pdf saved in our computers documents folder. Very nice.



There is an app on the iPhone/iPad that allows you to send pictures to the printer as well, but it does not seem to support printing email or documents yet. The cost per page will be more than our laser printer (4.7 vs. 2.4 for text prints), but the new functionality is worth the increase in per page cost. Less happy with Amazon, we ordered it Jan 11, had to cancel and got a better deal at local stores offering $50 trade in for old printer.

I love this printer..It prints out great pictures if you load the memory card into it..Didn't print well if I printed from my computer for pictures.. Printes 4x6 photos in about 15 seconds...Very fast..Crisp and clean pictures.. The scanner is amazing! Very good scanner so very good copier! Its easy to setup, love the wireless.. My only downfall is the fax..I'm new to this fax stuff, so I dunno if its me or the machine, but it will send faxes out, but it wont receive them.. Its on a shared phone line, and I thought it would just detect what type of call is incoming and if it were a fax it would auto receive..I tried the auto setup and it did not receive a fax, I tried to manual set it, and it would not receive a fax.. Good thing I don't have a need to receive alot of faxes but other then that, I'm glad I can send them out..Also the ink lasts a good amount of time..I printed out over 100 4x6 and still have a good amount of ink left...So..all in all, everything else is great and I love this printer! - Multifunction Printer - Inkjet - Photo Printer - Canon Multifunction'


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Anime


Often when an anime series becomes wildly popular, it spawns several sequels, spin offs, and other such things. The "mobile Suit Gundam" series is one of those series. It's been around for 20 years and shows no signs of stopping. But can an anime so amazing transcend through time and still manage to keep the same themes without becoming cliche and also be fresh? Yes, yes it can. And "Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team" is proof. "8th MS Team" is one of the many Gundam titles that Bandai has released as part of it's Gundam invasion. The 12-episode OVA series came out in 1996 and takes place in the year U.C. 0079 of the Gundam Timeline. The story chronicles the story of Fedearation pilot, Lt. Shiro Amada and his team of Mobile Suit pilots as they try to survive the remainder of the One-Year War. But Shiro's fate is altered by the war when he falls in love with a Zeon pilot named Aina Sahalin. How can love survive in a battlefield filled with hatred? Watch and see. Unlike other Gundam series, that often involve dynamic battles that take place on both Earth and in space, "08th MS Team" strictly remains within the imposing environments of South-East Asia. Also, unlike the wildly popular "Gundam Wing," the Mobile Suits in this series are not shown as celestial gods, but what they were originally intended to be; war machines. The Gundams in this series are treated more like tanks and airplanes rather than "the ultimate harbringers of death" like in many anime series featuring giant robots, a staple theme in the Gundam series. The story is well-done and brings a new-light on the Gundam story from 20 years ago. The events in this story take place at roughly the same time the events in Mobile Suit Gundam take place. Having the story take place on the neglected Earth battlefield allows for a perspective that does not screw up the Gundam history (*cough cough* Stardust Memory *cough cough*) and at the same time allows for something new. The characters are very interesting. As with most of the Gundam series, watching the characters interact with one another is just as amazing as watching the Mobile Suits battle. Each character has his or her own dillema and manages to develop themselves as better characters through out the entire series. This is possibly one of the best cast acts seen in any anime, almost surpassing that of "Fushigi Yuugi's" and "Patlabor's," and that is a lot. The animation is also extraordinary, there is rarely a dull moment in the action portrayed on screen. And since the series is only 12 episodes long, it allows for animation that can rival most Hollywood movies. It also allows for no re-used scenes in any of the action sequences, which anime like "Dargon Ball Z" and "Ronin Warriors" has become so fond of doing. The music is also well-orchestrated and paced in quite well with the rest of the series. True, although it's not the amazing pieces created by Two Mix for "Gundam Wing," it's still something you would want to hum to when in the car. My only gripe with this series is that it leaves a few things up in the air as far as backgrounds go. Sometimes, I wondered more about the deeper stories the characters have to tell, I'm quite sure they are as interesting as the main story. Well, it IS a 12-episode OAV so there is not enough time to dive into every one's stories, but it's still a wanted addition that would have probably enhanced the series. Also, if someone doesn't know what a Zaku or a Gouf is, then they will be left in the dark as to some of the terminology used in the series. Luckily, DVD's 2, 3, 4 have bonus clips and MS Encyclopedia's under their extras that will turn a beginner in the Gundam universe into a Mobile Suit Master. In the end, "The 08th MS Team" is a highly reccomended anime, and a must-have for any fan of Gundam, as well as a must-have for anyone who fancy's themself a Gundam-head. This series will want you to suit-up...again...and again...and again... -RW Mobile Suit Gundam The 08th MS Team (Vol. 4) [VHS]

Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team is one of if not the best Gundam series out there, and this final DVD to wrap it up is by far the most action-packed. In Episode 10, Norris Packard goes head-on against the whole 08th MS Team in his heavily armed & formitable looking Gouf Custom. This is my favorite of all the 08th MS episodes purely for the battle sequences and the emotional interaction between Norris and Aina. This gives you the feel for the more undeveloped character of Norris, the stead-fast retainer of the Sakhalin family, and somewhat of a father in Aina's eyes. Combined with the master artwork and along wtih Episodes 11 & 12, Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team Volume 4 is a DVD you must own a experience for yourself.

Well, I was wrong about my prediction that the lost subplot from episode 8 would be somehow reincorporated into these last episodes. Now I am simply confused as to why something would be shown on television (good ol' Toonami) but be cut from the DVD! On the whole, I suppose the subplot was not immensely important, but it did bridge a few plot gaps and give some very deep insights into the characters (especially Shiro and Commander Kojima).But enough about that...Those lost fifteen minutes of story have been completely compensated for by the addition of an entire 30 minutes of conclusion! The 13th episode, "Last Resort" barred from television due to its grisly war-imagery and extended nude sequence. I'm almost sorry to say I found myself laughing at the beginning of the episode, as we see Michel and Kiki making their way down the river in a boat and with Michel giving a voiceover straight out of APOCALYPSE NOW! I suppose they have a similar premise: an insightful search for a man who defied all odds and struck out on his own to find peace and happiness. Of course, this offers a slightly more positive view than A.N., with Shiro lacking the God-complex of Marlon Brando. This is a heartwarming, tearjerking little story of the true horrors of war as it can only be told...through the children. But not just any children; these are the children of the Flanagan Agency! The human manifestation of all the Nuremberg scientists put into one callous, evil form that-dare I say-puts Commandante Ginias to shame!And of course I cannot give this volume its due praise without mentioning everyone's favourite Zeke-Weapons: The Gouf Custom and the Dom! Norris is truly a force to be reckoned with! But the best part about the volume is that it is the end! I know that sounds like I'm glad the series is over. On the contrary, I cannot wait for the movie to be released to DVD (called Miller's Report). I am just saying that anyone can build up a plot and get everyone to shift themselves closer to the edge of the seats, but to actually carry out the climax and the falling action and resolution takes far greater skill. This achieves this goal to such a glorious extent that I can only attach the title of "gifted" to this series' staff! MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM is truly a timeless classic.'


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Dell Laptop Battery - laptop battery, dell battery


Be sure to get the "RoHs" battery featured here. I purchased a 9 cell battery from another seller at about the same time as this 9 cell battery. This one holds a 3 hour 40 minute (plus time to spare) charge (I tested with media player playing the first half the time and a backup running the second half - no idle time) and the other barely gets past 2 hours. HUGE difference. Also the other battery gets warm - not this one. Nice! I highly recommend this product.



As for the seller, the shipping time was fast and the price is decent, esp for what you're getting (it's like two thirds cheaper than buying direct from Dell if I'm not mistaken).



One one of the best buys I've made over the past 12 months. Kudos! 9 cell Battery For Dell Inspiron 1525 1526 series replace RN873 GP952 M911 X284G series Ac Laptop Notebook Main Battery

The first gotcha was that this battery is quite a bit bigger that the one it replaced (RN 873) but it fit the slot fine. Just stick out and down a little.



Second gotcha was absolutely no directions which should be not problem but...Apparently Dell uses a Smart Power system which has thousands of complaints on the internet.



Anyway, I powered down, installed battery and powered up. Power options said 63%. OK so far. 12 hours later still 63%....Uh Oh.



Long story (about 7 hours of Internetting, calling, attempted BIOS flashes etc) developed many horror stories about LIon batteries and Dell power adapter. The dreaded "unknown device" syndrome.



Here's how Dell recommended a reset. First, power down and remove battery. Second, unplug AC Power adapter from computer AND wall. Third-Wait till green light goes out. In my case, went and got coffee and watch a show.



Fourth - plug adapter into wall and computer and power up WITHOUT the battery installed.

After boot up, insert the battery.



It worked?!!?!

I bought this battery to replace the worn-out battery on my 2-year-old Inspiron 1525, which is battery model M911G. The one I received didn't fit the computer and it didnt look like the battery pictured above. Return was easy through Amazon, but disappointed that the battery didn't fit. Possibly my mistake, as the product description says it fits M911 (but doesn't say M911G).

For those that are confused about the physical size of the replacement battery; this is an extended size battery. There is the standard size that is flush with your laptop when inserted, and there are the extended sizes that protrude out approximately one inch from the back of your laptop. You will find this same protrusion on any extended size battery you buy directly from Dell. It will stick out the back a little, and that is normal. The standard size is a six cell battery and will give you a shorter run time on a charge. This is a nine cell battery, and this is how they get more run time out of the battery... it's bigger ;)



Considering the same size battery from Dell costs $179; I would say paying $39 is a bargain (price I paid at time of purchase). It would still be a bargain even if it lasts only half as long.



You can save yourself some headaches though on having to replace your battery more often than necessary:



- If you generally have your laptop plugged in and the battery is sitting there fully charged all the time, unplug it and let the battery run down a bit (about 40%) and then remove it. Your laptop will function just fine without the battery. When you need to use the battery, put it back in, let it charge up a bit, and use it.



I can't give this product a five star rating as I haven't had it for an extended period of time. I received it, plugged it in, discharged it, charged it up to full and it shows about 6.5 hours of run time with the backlight on the LCD at dim. Ran it down to 40% and put it away for storage. I'll come back and edit this review a few months down the road.



[EDIT - Addition - Jan 31, 2011]



Well, a few months down the road has passed by. First, a little background info so you can relate my usage to what I am saying. I am a full time tech college student, I drive a small fifteen minutes both ways to campus, and I attend class four days out of the week. I have the computer on pretty much the whole time as that is where I store my notes, take my notes, and do some of my homework. I use the the battery fairly frequently. With all that use my battery still reads 6.5 hours. Not sure if it is reading right or not, but it does hold a charge through all my classes down to about the 15-20% mark at worst (depending on usage). I do keep the battery on power saver settings while in school; display dimness turned all the way down, display turns off in 3 minutes, goes to sleep in fifteen minutes, WiFi turned off unless I need to look something up. I do occasionally turn the display brightness up, but turn it back down after. Do realize that the more you are demanding out of your laptop, it will shorten how long your battery will be running, I am pretty much using it for Office 2007. I remove the battery on the weekends as I can run it off the power cord at home.



I have been pretty satisfied with the battery, so much that when my wife's laptop had her battery kick the bucket I went and ordered one for her also (she has the same brand/model laptop as I do). I would buy this battery again and am changing my rating for it to a five star. - Laptop Battery - Dell Battery - Laptop Batteries - Replacement Battery'


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Vga Cable Xbox 360 - vga, xbox 360 cable


I ordered this cable due to my strong refusal to pay $40 for the Microsoft cable. I feel that there could not be ANY cable used to hook up your consoles worth that price! This cable has gold plated contacts just like the Microsoft cable, and fits in to the Xbox 360 perfectly, unlike some aftermarket accessories. After using this cable to connect my 360 to my LCD monitor, all that was needed was to select the resolution I preferred. This cable produces very good image quality. Some 360 games even have settings that allow you to select tv or monitor mode (like the Orange Box). The shipping and handling costs more than the cable, but even after this , you save $30 over buying the Microsoft cable. This cable is also a very good imitation of the Microsoft cable, using what appears to be the same color and specification cable materials. If you wish to hook your 360 to an LCD monitor, buy this cable......you WON'T regret it!. Xbox 360 HD VGA Audio/Video Cable 6ft

I bought this the other week and i must say I'm surprised at how good the quality is for the price! My room mate has the official Microsoft one and I figured I'd give this one a shot because it's so cheap. I'm glad I did because I cannot tell the difference when playing on 1920 x 1080 resolution between the two. Excellent product for an excellent price :)

Ignoring some negative reviews, I bought this knock-off of the Microsoft product. While the audio works fine, the picture on my Dell E172FP monitor had a yellow overtone with streaking across the bottom of the screen. A week later I went out and bought the $40 Microsoft product and the picture is great. So, as nice as the price tag on this product looked, it simply did not function well for me.

Well i buy this cable for my 360 and my new monitor and a have to say that it works ok but no like i was expecting, the signal is not 100% clear and the image is not fantastic, but well this is a generic product and for the price is ok i think. My recomendation is that if you have the money buy the oficial microsoft cable!

The cable they sent me was defective, and resulted in a blurry image on the screen. When I tried to return it, I had to send multiple emails to the company and received replies from multiple different people before they finally gave me the necessary information to return the product. Not the best customer service, but not terrible. At least they let me return it.

Received on time, works perfect with my monitor, no issues at all. Games look a lot more crisp. Had to buy a small RCA adapter at radio shack so I can plug it into my speakers. Works well and it sounds good.

Great price compared to Microsoft cable, but if you want high quality,this is not for you. The image appears a bit grainy and the the image has noticeable smudge trails. there is no ghosting/lag produced, but the image is just poor. I would not recommend it, maybe I just got a defective product, but if you want high quality, go for the $40 one from Microsoft. I'd return this, or hope to get an exchange, but I'd spend too much money in the process of shipping, so I'll just deal with this till it rots.

It works fine, except that there is a slight doubling of everything on the screen to the right of each object. Letters seem to have two of each stacked upon each other. I am using it on a Samsung monitor I have, and I am fairly confident it is the cable that is causing the problem because I used a friend's cable and my picture was flawless after that.

I been looking for a way to hook up my XBOX 360 to my computer monitor and i was about to just buy a xbox 360 ELITE and get a HDMI cable. But then i found out about this cable saw it was $30 bucks at gamestop and looked on here and it was way wayyyy cheaper. I got a DVI cable for my computer to my monitor and the VGA adapter for the 360 to the monitor. with a audio splitter for my computer speakers and im very happy with everything i got and it was about 25 bucks for all and thats including shipping so it was very cheap. People say they see ghost well i did at first but try adusting your monitor and theres display resolution on your 360 that you can adjust too to fix it. Thats what I did and now its flawless.

Look I got this cause I aways buy 3rd party when I can. save money is what we are all try to do. now as far as it working I am very happy with this cable work grate with my plasma. so if your looking to save then buy, if you really don't care then go on and buy the MS cable. - Vga - Xbox 360 Cable - Video Games - Vga Cable Xbox 360'


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