Guy Low Price Electronic: 28 Jan 2010

Thursday 28 January 2010

Bosch 4100-09 - bosch, table saw

Bosch 4100DG-09 10-Inch Worksite Table Saw with Gravity-Rise Stand and Digital Rip Fence

I bought this tool as my first table saw. I have been quite happy with the saw, but I question the value of the digital rip fence, especially at a $100 premium. My experience has been that it needs frequent calibration to the blade and turns itself off too soon. I find that the optical scale works better for me. I also find the aluminum table top sometimes marks the pieces being cut and precludes the use of magnetic feather boards or jigs. Overall a good saw for the price if you don't spring for the digital fence. Bosch 4100DG-09 10-Inch Worksite Table Saw with Gravity-Rise Stand and Digital Rip Fence

This is one heck of a saw. Everything is thought out. Everything is right there where you need it. Everything screws down tight and it's obvious that the people who designed the saw thought long and hard about how people work and put everything on the saw and in an easily accessible place to help them work. Using it is a joy. Yes, you pay about $200 more than the Rigid jobsite saw to get that experience, but it's one heck of a pleasant experience. The whole saw makes sense and works well.

The riving knife is great, and the blade guard makes complete sense. It takes about 15 minutes of practice to be able to whip the guards on and off, but once you're really got it it's astoundingly easy. It is also VERY easy to work with this saw with all the guards in place, and that's important.

A shopvac easily plugs into the back of the saw, and it does reduce dust significantly. You're still getting out the broom and dust plan, though.

It takes a bit of muscle to get this across a lawn and into a pickup truck, but it's not that bad. The stand is not wobbly at all once it's up and ready to work.

One problem I had was the fence would chatter as I tried to slide it back and forth. Quite annoying for a $700 saw. I smeared some paste wax on the rails, though, and the problem totally disappeared. I can now slide the fence back and forth with one finger, and it glides--almost--like a puck across an air hockey table. Cool.

I bought this back in February 2008, and I also purchased the outfeed extension, an excellent accessory (as is the left side extension). The long rails on the outfeed extension banged the digital box, but a call to Bosch customer service had them overnighting a new, shorter set of rails to me. Wow. That's customer service.

If you have a wife how demands to put a car in the garage ("It's my workshop, honey! Why do you keep calling it a garage?") or a need to take a saw around to different places or if you want to do your cutting in the driveway so you can clean up the sawdust with a leaf blower (and with MDF, this is a great way to do it), this saw is the cat's pajamas. I love it.

I bought this saw for myself. I am a woman in my 60's with a passion for laying laminate floors. This saw is easy to assemble, and comfortable to use because the table easily elevates to the perfect height for you. I did my kitchen and dining room floors with it in one 3 day period and thanked my lucky stars for it.

The price online was really a bargain for a Bosch. It far outstrips everything I saw online or up close and personal at the local home improvement stores.

Almost better than its simple setup and movablity is being able to fold it up and store it compactly. My sons are getting in line to use it next and no problem - easy to tranport.

This is my first worksite saw and it's simply great. I'm installing hardwood floors, baseboards, steps, and trim and this saw does everything. The fence is true and the adjustable height blade ensures that there will be minimum tear-outs. In fact, I haven't gotten any yet! The best feature has to be the gravity-rise stand. Talk about ingenious. A single twist of the lever and it'll fold/unfold with ease. What sold me on this saw was a review conducted by a master cabinet maker who put this saw through the same paces as he would his expensive cabinet saw...guess what...it performed admirably. I'm picky about my work and wanted a good saw that I can tote around from job to job. This is the one. I'm proud to say that I own one of these and have recommended it to several of my friends. Buy this and you won't be disappointed.

My main review of this saw is on the 4100-09 saw page rather than here. I only give this one 2 stars because you can save $100 on the price of this saw by buying the 4100-09 and the Digital Scale separately on Amazon.

Don't know why Amazon is charging $802 for this unit as it sits... but the Digital unit for the 4100-09 is only $102 on top of the $599 price of the 4100 and it is EXACTLY the same unit that is on the 4100DG-09 shown here for over $800. That's a savings of nearly $100.00.

It takes about 10-minutes to install the Digital unit on the 4100-09, turning it into this unit. Easy!

Don't waste your money. Go with separates and save!

UPDATE: Amazon has now changed their pricing structure on this item and the review above no longer is valid. Good on 'ya Amazon for valuing this item as it SHOULD be! Cheers!

Got mine yesterday (Sept 21, 2009), uncrated it and put it together (including gravity rise stand) with no problem. Instructions were easy to follow and illustrations clear. All measurements were dead on including miter slot to blade, 90 degree and 45 degree stops, and fence to blade. Also bought the two support extensions which installed easily. The only problem I encountered was the fence to blade zero with the pointer. I couldn't move the pointer far enough to zero it out with the fence against the blade. I will call Bosch about this but it doesn't appear that any additional adjustment is possible. It's out about 1/16th inch and I suppose I'll get used to it but for the money it should be dead on. The digital fence window is hard to read through but not impossible. I give the saw a fat 4 on a 1-5 scale because of the problems noted above but would buy it again in a heartbeat. - Portable Table Saw - Bosch - Portable Saw - Table Saw'

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Battery-operate - battery-operate, x-acto

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I don't usually write these reviews, but I was extremely irritated with the way this product turned out for me.

As a high school math teacher I am always in need of a good pencil sharpener, but considering I personally buy more than half of my school supplies, I couldn't afford to spend a lot on one. After reading the reviews, and deciding to purchase it, I anticipated receiving a great working sharpener for little money!

NOT THE CASE. After "teaching" my students how to work the sharpener - hold the pencil firmly, press VERY gently, take it out quickly - over and over again, it broke. It constantly would break the lead off the pencil and get stuck in the sharpener. And finally it just completely quit working. So after only four weeks of school, it is getting no use whatsoever but collecting dust in my desk, while my students are back using 99cent plastic sharpeners. It worked great for me personally, but for a classroom of young adults/teenagers, it is not worth it! X-Acto 16750 Battery-Powered Pencil Sharpener, Black

My old battery operated pencil sharpener died a miserable death a few months ago and I needed a replacement. I vacilated between a battery-operated one and an electric one. I finally decided on the battery-operated sharpener as I have noticed no difference in the life length between the two--I use electric ones on my desk at work. At any rate, I decided on the X-ACTO Razor Blade Battery Sharpener. I also purchased a package of rechargeable batteries for it.

The sharpener has worked perfectly each time that I have used it. Another reviewer mentioned art pencils and it is a valid point to take into consideration. I haven't used art pencils in a while so cannot speak to that. One complaint mentioned that the catch-container is only large enough to sharpen 1 or 2 pencils before it needs to be emptied. That has not been my experience. I can go several days--and several sharpenings--without needing to empty the container.

My only complaint about the sharpener--and it has been my complaint with most of those I have owned--it's noisy as in very. The cat runs out of the room each time that I use it. That said, it is a small price to pay for a perfectly sharpened pencil.

just about every time i've ever use this thing it pulls the lead out of the pencil and clogs the sharpening device with said lead. you have to take it apart and dig out the lead and then grind away another inch of pencil to compensate for the lead that fell out. if you are very lucky you only need to waste about 3-4 inches of pencil to get one point.

I needed a portable, light, and inexpensive sharpener for my pencils- regular graphite #2, a variety of drawing pencils (including charcoal and graphite in assorted soft/hardnesses), colored pencils, and watercolor pencils. This sharpener has done a perfect job on all of them. I haven't had any problems with tips breaking off or shattering, and the pencil tip is always a perfect razor-fine sharpness with a good balance of wood to graphite/lead. I especially like that I no longer have to use an X-Acto knife to get my pencils to a good sharpness for the different grips I use when I draw.

The only caveat to this sharpener is you must hold the sharpener in one hand and the pencil in the other, unless you manage to secure it to your work surface. The motor is powerful that either the pencil or the sharpener will try and spin when you insert a pencil and it turns on. But if you secure both pencil and sharpener, it only takes one or two rotations for the pencil to be sharpened completely. Beware of over-sharpening, which will weaken your pencil and sometimes I have a tendency to do. Less is more with this unit.

I can't recommend this sharpener enough. It can be a little loud (but not loud enough to cause shock and awe, or be heard in the next room) but what pencil sharpener isn't? It's small, inexpensive, sharp, hard-working, and super-portable. For only a few dollars for than a cheapy plastic "do it yourself" model, it's an essential tool for any artist, student, household, or crafter.

This thing was a disaster, and I gave it a chance. Really, I did. A few years.... It simply chews up pencils. Just when you think it's almost sharp, snap! Broken lead, and somehow, it breaks the lead way down the shaft so you have to chew off another inch or two before you finally get something resembling a sharp pencil. So frustrating!

Oh, and don't even get me started on what happens to those broken leads! You have to take off the shaving-catcher/cover thing and get something like a toothpick to dislodge it while the darn blade keeps moving..... Arrrggghh! Then, when you try to put the cover back on, it feels as though it's going to break, (though in all fairness, it never did).

In. The. Trash. Can. Sharpened all 24 required pencils for my son's school by hand, thank you very much. - Battery-operate - Electric Pencil Sharpener - X-acto - Battery'

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Escort Passport Radar Detector - escort passport radar detector, escort passport radar

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WHICH ONE IS BETTER? READ AND FIND OUT. I bought both the Escort 9500ix and Beltronics GX65 for a week long, on dash, real world comparison. They both are sold by the same company and they offer a 30 day, money back guarantee. I figured, what the heck.....I'll try them out, side by side. These units were both mounted at the same level on the window of my truck.

I read all the reviews I could get my hands on and narrowed it down to these two radar detectors. The Escort 9500ix and Beltronics GX65 models are touted as the most sensitive window mounted units available with the new "GPS" advantage.

DISPLAY- Both units have the option of dim, medium, bright, dark and auto mode. The Escort 9500ix has blue lights. The background of this unit is black, but glows blue around the numbers, to a point of skewing the display a little bit. At night, it is easier to read. The Beltronics GX65 has red lights with a pure black background. The GX65 display is crystal clear, day or night. Advantage Beltronics GX65. Importance - Moderate.

POWER CORD- While sitting behind the wheel, the Escort 9500ix cord plugs in on the left hand side of the detector unit. The Beltronics GX65 cord plugs in on the right hand side. Depending upon the set up of your vehicle, SPECIFICALLY THE LOCATION OF YOUR POWER SUPPLY, this could make a big difference. Both of the detectors have a dark display mode, where the display goes completely black (for night use, so other drivers can't see your detector). While using dark mode, the only thing that lights up is the very end of the power cord, where it plugs into the power supply. The unit still makes sound, but only you will be able to see the light at the power supply. Very ingenious idea! Advantage to neither. It depends upon the location of you power supply. Importance - Moderate

SIZE and BUTTONS - Both units of virtually the same size, however, I personally prefer the shape and button layout of the Beltronics GX65. Importance - Low

WINDOW MOUNT - Both the 9500ix and GX65 use the same exact window mounts. For an expensive $500 dollar radar detector, I feel that the mounts are very cheesy. My old mount on my $79 Whistler was superior to this window mount. Both of these units tap the window when driving. This is due to the design of the mount. The mother company needs to improve this window mount in my opinion. Importance - Moderate

GPS "LOCKOUT" CAPABILITY - Both units have the ability to "Lockout" any false signal. When you know the detector is sensing a false signal, all you need to do is tap a button three times and it will permanently lock out the false signal. This is an absolutely fantastic feature. Both detectors also have the ability to warn you of red light cameras, photo cameras and speed traps. This is also a nice advancement. You can manually set the detector to warn you of any known speed trap in your area. Nice feature! The only GPS negative is when you're driving down the interstate and you drive over an intersection with a red light camera. The detector will sound, even though your not going through the light. This is the only negative I've found regarding the GPS system. Importance - VERY HIGH

AUTO LEARN - This feature is only on the 9500ix. You drive a false signal 3 times and the 9500ix will automatically lock out the signal permanently. For any proactive person (most people who purchase a radar detector!), this feature is not that important. The moment I drive by any false signal, I lock it out immediately. Why would I wait to drive by it 3 times? It only takes three taps of a button. On the other hand, for someone who is electronically challenged, this feature might be a lifesaver. With this feature, theoretically, after a few weeks of driving, you should be able to drive around your home area, never touch your detector and all false signals will be locked out. Therefore, no more false alarms, Police warnings only! Advantage: Escort 9500ix. Importance - Moderate

SENSITIVITY - This area is the most important of all. The reviews and tests I've read online, showed the 9500ix as being slightly more sensitive to Ka, K band and laser. It's only a few hundred feet, but that could be the difference between a speeding ticket or not.

These results are not scientific, but in every situation I encountered, the 9500ix picked up true police radar a second to a few seconds quicker the the GX65. This is really the main reason I decided to keep the Escort Passport 9500ix. In my opinion (and the scientific results back it up), the sensitivity of the 9500ix is superior to the GX65. Advantage: Escort Passport 9500ix. Importance - CRUCIAL.

THE WINNER, and better detector where it matters most is.................. the ESCORT PASSPORT 9500ix. I shipped the Beltronics GX65 back for a full refund. Escort Passport 9500ix Radar/Laser Detector (Black) - 9500ix - Escort Passport Radar Detector - Escort Passport Radar - Passport'

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Game Accessories - stylus pen, game accessories

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I bought this product for my 10 year old daughter. It came within a week of purchasing and according to my daughter fits better into her DS than the original. She loves to change out the colors depending on her mood. New 4 Piece Stylus Pen Set Multi Color for Nintendo DS Lite

Somehow I have lost the original ndsl stylus, luckily I managed to buy a replacement here through eforcity. Shipment was quick and the best thing is there are 4 different colored stylus, so I can just use whichever one I like.

I reccomend this stylus. Don't spend your money to an expensive stylus that is works just as good. My daugther lost her 2 stylus that came with her DS and I had to get her a new one. I found this here on Amazon and I'm glad I looked here first. She loved the different colors she keep changing her stylus whatever color she's in the mood for. I loved these and so did my 8 y.o daugther. Go get this don't hesitate!!!!

I'm so glad to find this set of styli. My kids keep losing theirs and these were perfect. They are inexpensive, they snap into their DS Lites and hold there just like the original styli. I've tried them, and they feel comfortable in the hand. Now, I don't have to worry about my kids scratching their screens tapping with other pointy objects. So far, so good!

My niece lost the stylus pen for her Nintendo DS Lite (rose) while she was visiting me. I looked up this product on Amazon and was a little shocked at just how inexpensive it was. Sometimes when things are so cheap, the quality is poor, but I decided to buy it using standard delivery. It arrived in three days from the time I placed the order online. Each stylus is individually wrapped and the pink and white styli look great with my niece's Nintendo. The quality is high and seems to be an exact replica of the original. She's happy with the product and I'm very happy with the price and the quick delivery of the product to my home. Go ahead and buy with confidence.

The manufacturer of this product actually made the tips that fit into the actual pen. This did not work well for the set that I purchased. Within the first two minutes of use, one of the tips fell off (since they are clear we have been unable to find it to try and reattach it with super glue.) This occurred again with 2 other pens in the pack. Within less than 1 week of having a 4 pack, I only have 1 that is still good for use. As for the look and ability to use it like the original, it is great, as long as the tip is attached. I would not recommend this for anyone that uses their stylus on a regular basis. I purchased mine for my children ages 7-13. I am just thankful that the set was inexpensive.

My almost 5 year old has a bad habit of chewing on things (I keep waiting for her to outgrow it!), and she's already demolished one stylus. I couldn't believe the price of these ($1.35/set!!) and had to grab a few.

I don't know what an original DS Lite stylus looks like, I've only bought an off-brand. My daughter's DS Lite is a hand-me-down from my niece and didn't come with a stylus - but I think these are probably close to the original and very nice. Especially when you consider the low price and FREE shipping!

A few reviewers must have gotten a bad set, because I ordered four sets and all 16 pens are fine. The tips look great and all 16 snap into the DS's stylus slot and STAY in place. I'm completely satisfied with my purchase and definitely recommend these pens for your (or your child's) DS Lite. They would also be a nice little gift to give along with a DS game for birthdays or Christmas. - Stylus Pen - Replacement - Game Accessories - Nintendo Stylus'

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Classic Accessories

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Okay boat owners, if you are like me you probably didn't want to spend a lot on your boat to self winterize your boat. I live in Maine and we have had one pant load of snow this year. I knew the cover I bought was going to need to be able to hold up against anything a Maine winter could throw at it. This cover has held up very well indeed.

1) The material is rugged yet flexible, breathes and is remarkably water repellent.

2) The color I choose was gray, because I have enough blue tarps floating around in my neighbors yards! Go with the gray.

3) The tie down straps are stong enough but may be the weak link over the long haul. They are nylon and have good clips to fasten under and through the hull of your boat. You can crank 'em down tight to get a good fit and this helps to shed the water.

4) The elastic band that hold it close to the hull once installed, seems good and able to last for several seasons (that said this is the first season for me)

5) One of the worst things you can do to a boat , or any other mechanical device for that matter, is wrap it so tight it cannot breathe! This cover has two ventalation holes at the top of the cover in the stern. They seem to work well.

You might as well just throw out the little plastic tarp stand they provide with the cover.It us useless which I didn't mind because I knew I wanted to make my own out of wood any way.

One other thing about this tarp, there are a gazilion merchants selling this particular "Classic" brand. I happened to call the one who had the best price in Seattle and was glad I did. He recommended that I get it larger than the measure indicated on the description if there were any doubt about it fitting my 21' bow rider. BEST advice I have gotten in a while as I needed the extra material to get a really good tight synch for winter. GO LONG man if you can. You can always bind the extra to your trailer or some other anchor point.

Hope this helps those out there that want to maintain their own boat in a cost effective way. Classic Accessories StormProTM Boat Cover (Grey, Model D)

Receiving this product I was pleased to feel the thickness of the material. The internal elastic around the bottom edge helps keep the cover on and also helps when installing it. However it didn't fit my boat. I did return it and purchase the same cover in a larger size. Your situation may vary but I urge you to think about buying a larger size than you think you might need.

I purchased the "E" version of this cover. The Amazon site said it was for boats 20-22' in length and proper for a V Hull Runabout. My boat is a 21' V Hull Runabout. The length was actually just about right. However there were no "width" indications on the Amazon web site page so I went to the Auto Barn web site where there was a more detailed chart. That chart indicated the "E" size would handle boats up to 106" wide. My boat is 96" wide. It didn't fit the width by a wide margin, more than a foot short of the needed width. I spoke with a representative of Auto Barn who said the width was meant to be the actual beam width - the widest part of the boat. I believe they do not properly allow for the height of the boat above the bond line nor do they properly account for the windshield.

I asked to exchange the cover for the next larger size. Auto Barn does not do exchanges. I had to RMA the cover back to Auto Barn and go back to Amazon to order the next larger size. It cost me $40 to ship the cover back. So I've now paid $40 for a product that didn't meet the stated size chart. I'm not happy about that at all.

Now that I have the "Model F" cover for 22-24' boats with up to 116" it is longer than needed and still just barely fits the width. I will not be able to use this boat for trailering on the road because it will not fit tight and would flap in the wind and perhaps scratch the boat. For me this is okay though because I have an official custom designed Yamaha cover (very expensive) that I use for road travel. This cover is just for storage. If you want to use a cover for road travel you may have to look elsewhere.

Bottom line. The cover is great, Auto Barn policy not so good, buy a larger size than you think you need if you have a taller boat with a tall windshield.

For reference I have a 2006 Yamaha SX210. I don't think it is much different than other brand runabout with standard windshields.

So far, so good. Received the cover a few days ago and installed. Not as thick as my original factory cover, but its also about half the weight, so relatively easy to install by myself. I have a 17'-8" V-Hull I/O runabout and Model D (17'-19') fit great. Its a tad too wide, but nothing a few tarp clips won't fix. Overall good fit for a non-custom cover.

The steel gray color looks great on my black boat and I like how the straps run all the way across the width of the cover. Like other reviewers I found that yes, the pole included was a bit flimsy, but once tied down it worked fine. Then again, in California mine won't have to stand up to 100 lbs of snow! Now, let's just see how the cover holds up in the summer sun!

WORD OF CAUTION: Make sure you put foam or something soft like microfiber cloth along any sharp edges as you install and before strapping down. It straps down with force and will probably tear along swim-ladder hinges, bimini frame and other metal hardware -- I almost learned that the hard way!

I bought this on the strength of the reviews. My husband didn't want to spend the money and thought our patched boat cover was good enough, but it leaked one too many times when he got sloppy with the supports and rain pooled on it. This cover was a lot thinner than our old one, so my husband was skeptical, but it looked very nice. We put it up the day we got it, skipping the pole because of the reviews and putting our own supports under it. It was a great fit. We had no rain overnight, but the next morning, the cover was soaked through with dew. This is a nice-looking dust cover, but that's about it. We let it dry then repacked it and did an online return through Amazon. UPS picked it up the next day, and we promptly got a full, hassle-free refund. Way to go, Amazon! Can't say the same about this cover. I rarely write reviews but wanted to warn others.'

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Cloth Diaper - swim diaper, thirsties

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Bought this Bummis swim diaper along with trying the Flap Happy and iPlay brands (wrote rviews for those as well).

-Pros for the Bummis reusable diaper: Very cute styles, very easy to get on & off due to the velcro (works more like putting on a diaper versus pulling up swim diapers on a wiggling 1-year old). The pool center where my son takes swim class requires BOTH a disposable little-swimmers like diaper and a reusable or swim short over top (so much for being green). This diaper works especially well over a disposable. Also, they seem very true to size. Bought the large for my 1-year old ~23lbs and it fits him but with plenty of room to grow (and over a disposable).

-Cons: No absorbant layer or padding inside, just a mesh lining. The iPlay swim diap is much better in terms of leak-proofing. Also, since the legs and waist aren't elastic if, god forbid, there's a #2 situation I wouldn't trust this diaper to hold anything in. I won't be using this swim diap on its own in our community pool, but I will use the iPlay brand solo.

-Toss-up: The velcro sides make for easy on/off but can cause snags and collects fuzzies when put into the dryer with our pool towels.

Four stars for using over a disposable for those of us who have to. Would rate lower if worn solo. Bummis Swimmi Cloth Diapers, Turtles, Medium (15-22 lbs)

We bought a couple of these for our two weeks in Maui for our 4 month old twins, 12 and 15 pounds - girl/boy. The colors/patterns were very unisex and looked super cute on both of them with their blue and hot pink rash shirts. My dad was super paranoid about the babies in the pool because the week before (they live there) someone's grandkids contaminated the pool and they had to shut down and he didn't want to be "that guy." Despite his paranoia we swam swam swam and the diapers seemed a snug but comfortable fit and I felt good that poo wouldn't escape. I will warn you that they are not water tight so urine goes right thru - fine for pool and beach not for in the condo on the couch when you are trying to get second baby dressed and sun-screened for pool. I think the only swim dipes with absorption are the disposable but even those are not the best and you have to take them off right out of the water and replace because they are swishy soaked. These you can leave on and let the child dry in the air or take off and put on lounge chair or umbrella where they dried very rapidly. Great for my little ones probably super good for older baby / toddler that pees less often - mine are still like puppies - just letting lose at every cool breeze.

This product works well. It is just as effective as the little dipper swim diapers that you can buy that are disposable. The best part is that you can use it over & over. Bear in mind what they are used for. If you arent comfortable with cleaning something up that has poo in it then maybe these arent for you. They fit well but when I ordered them I was concerned that a large may be too big. Unfortunately my son has already outgrown them. I guess it is hard to tell when you are ordering a product like this online. He is not quite 2 years old and of average size. There have been some floaters that have escaped while in the pool but no worse than any other product. Somehow its ok if my son makes #2 in the pool. Anyway I think you would be hard pressed to find anything that is completely effective at preventing escapage until you have a kid that is potty trained. As gross as it is there really aren't any alternatives.

I purchased the Large Swimmi (22-30lbs) because my 16 month old just reached the 22lbs pound range. I returned it to purchase the same in Medium (15-22lbs) because my son is built very thin and has no tush. The Medium fits well and I think it will still accommodate him for awhile. Even if it doesn't and I have to re-purchase the Large, it is still cheaper than having to buy a pack of disposable swim diapers.

This diaper was what I expected. It is very cute and comfortable for him, easy to put on/take off for me. I bought it because I was spending a fortune on disposables. My son wore this in the water and I changed him as soon as he got out because they definitely do not hold pee. Luckily he has not made a shidoobie in it yet so I haven't had to deal with that. Overall a nice product.

Love this swim diaper. We use cloth diapers normally, so did not want to use disposable swim diapers. Our daughter goes to swim class at the Y so is swimming all year round. In the previous size, I bought the only reusable swim diaper available locally but it pulled on and off like underwear. It contained the accidents fine, but my husband really didn't like trying to change her after, which could get messy. So, I ordered this one because it velcros like a diaper to make changing messy diapers easier. She has not actually stooled in this diaper since we got it, so I can't be certain how well it would work for it's intended purpose. However, it does fit well and seems comfortable for her. It is also very cute. It does not hold urine, but no swim diaper (even the disposable) does. - Swim Diaper - Thirsties - Pool Diaper - Diaper'

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17 Inch Laptop Backpack

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First I pretty much live out of my backpack, so its used all the time. I mostly use either a bicycle or a motorcycle to get myself around with the backpack holding everything I need. At a minimum I usually have a laptop and a change of clothes with me among other personal and work things in the backpack. I also occasionally travel and like being able to also fit everything I need for the trip in the pack so I don't need to hassle with checking in bags. So I want something that can work as a duffle bag, briefcase, laptop case and small suitcase.

I really liked my previous backpack which was a Rosewill RBG-1701BP. After more than a year of solid use it started fraying around the shoulder straps and worse developed a hole in the bottom corner of the main compartment. I would have just rebought the Rosewill, but unfortunately it doesn't appear to be available anymore. So started the search for a replacement. Basically it was going to be a comparison against the Rosewill. Out of all the backpacks I considered the Targus Drifter II measured the best. Here is what was important to me and how the Targus measured up.

- I'm 6'3" and want the bottom of the pack to ride more on my lower back, not the middle of my back so I wanted something at least 21". The Targus meets the length requirement, however when fully loaded up it didn't ride as comfortable as the Rosewill. Basically the weight road differently on my lower back than the Rosewill. I believe the reason is because of 2 things that Rosewill did a little different in their design. One is the way Rosewill layed out their back pads with the side pads going the length of the backpack. The Targus has shoulder pads with a big pad across the bottom. The second and more important reason is Rosewill adds structure stiffness within the back part of the backpack which causes the weight to be more evenly distributed along the side pads which again went along the entire length of the backpack. It also built a stiffness into the front of the backpack. This is also really nice when standing the backpack up. The Rosewill stands on its own. The Targus will fall over if nothing is inside to keep it up. This would be my first suggestion to Targus for feature improvement. By the way the Rosewill stiffness added no noticable weight to its backpack.

- From a pocket perspective, they are pretty much comparable. Both provide extra padding for the laptop which I like although the laptop pocket is padded a tad better on the Rosewill. Targus does have one extra purse like pocket that I really like because of its convenience right at the top of the pack that Rosewill didn't have. A definite point for the Targus side.

- The shoulder straps on the Rosewill were thicker with more padding which made them more comfortable than the Targus shoulder straps, however that is one area that also started fraying on the Rosewill. The Targus straps aren't that bad and over time I've become use to them.

- Last obviously durability was important. I definitely didn't want a flimsy nylon bag. The materials used by Targus looks and feels durable. I like the water resistant bottom. Something that was missing from the Rosewill. So far I've been happy with how its holding up for the couple of months I've had it. We'll see how it wears over time. Targus Drifter II Backpack Designed for 17-Inch Laptop TSB239US (Black/Gray)

This bag is awesome! Tons of pockets and seems to be built very well. My only complaint is, it doesn't fit ALL 17.3" laptops. For example, it fit my 17" HP Envy perfectly but my 17.3" ASUS G74 doesnt fit into the laptop sleeve and I'm forced to put it into the large book pocket.

Good backpack but would not hold my ASUS GX74 in the protected pocket would love for it to worked but the Targus XL was the one that worked out fine for me.Targus Drifter II Backpack Designed for 17-Inch Laptop TSB239US (Black/Gray)

I am currently going to school and also need a laptop bag... This backpack is AMAZING the only thing it does not have is a spot for the kitchen sink and an mp3 player pouch on the strap. It has several pockets and a hidden one inside the lower back cushion. Airflow is GREAT and while it does take some getting used to you only feel a portion of the weight!!! I would buy this thing for much more than i did!!! If you need to carry books and a laptop this is the bag! if you need just the laptop and accessories than look elsewhere. If you need more i would go with the XL. Currently I have 3 textbooks, 3 notebooks, A Wacom tablet (in it's case), a 15.6" laptop, several accessories, a change of clothes and a hoodie in mine and it's still comfortable!!! The only time i notice the weight is when getting on/off my bike or when putting on/removing the backpack!!!'

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Book Of Mormon

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I was trying to find a good triple combination. I downloaded many samples, but this was the only one that had the chapter headings as well. I am quite pleased with my purchase, although I am still trying to get used to reading the scriptures on my Kindle. It is nevertheless very convenient due to the small size and weight for the Kindle device, so overall I am quite pleased. LDS TRIPLE COMBINATION (Premium Kindle Edition): Book of Mormon | Doctrine and Covenants | Pearl of Great Price - CONTAINS FULL CHAPTER HEADINGS (ILLUSTRATED) (Latter Day Saints LDS)'

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Glues - glues

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We use "Elmer's Glue Sticks" for our kid's school posters and science fair displays, as well as in our small shop to make temporary signs.

I like that it is purple when it is applied because it makes it easy to see where the glue has been applied and it does dry colorless so it doesn't show through light color paper. This is not very strong glue and it is easy to remove items that have been attached using it, so we take a stick with us if we have to transport the poster or display board to touch-up anything that might have come loose.

Overall, a good glue stick for paper and small craft projects - Recommended! Elmer's Washable Dissappearing Purple School Glue Sticks, 3 Pack, 22 grams Each (E562)

The schools always ask for these jumbo glue sticks, but they're really hard to find at a good price, (they're usually at least $1.50 a piece). I usually end up sending in a bunch of small glue sticks, but my son complains that he goes through them more quickly than his friends with the jumbos. This 3 pack is a good deal, (with Amazon Prime), and I won't have to buy the mega pack at Staples, nor hunt around.

I only gave it 4 stars because I find that all glue sticks fail to hold very well, and these are no exception. That said, it's a pretty basic school supply and I'm buying!

My 9 year old son was so excited to see all the goodies in the bzzagent Elmer's/X-acto kit that he ran and got paper and started cutting and pasting. The end result? A boat for the rolly polly's!! Unfortunately, it didn't take long for his boat to get smashed up and become shipwrecked!! Onto the next crafting project! Glue worked really well before he smashed it!

Teachers ask for a lot of glue sticks for classroom. By the time I went to sales at stores they were out, appreciated being able to buy these for a good price. And it was nice to be a little crazy and do a price per gram - I would never have done that in the store but was surprised how different the costs were. I've always been happy with Elmer's produts. - Glues'

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Photography

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Before purchasing this phone, I checked out the iphone and Evo. The Evo didn't turn me on that much. The iphone, although the look and feel is "quality" at the highest, in my opinion, performance lacks. The main reason for me to purchase a cell phone was(is)to have the option to purchase stocks when I'm away from my home computers. Since 4g is not offered here in Florida, I needed a phone that can go from (A)to(B) without hesitation, because in this business, hesitation can cost me much more than the cost of the phone in the long run. When I first tried the HTC Mytouch from Tmobile--my dreams came true! First off, the processing speed is outstanding. Also, upload and download times are just as fast or faster than my wifi connected computers. Tmobile has the HSPA+ connection, which is much faster than 3g. This phone for me is the "Bomb"! If there is anything negative that I can say about this phone, I wish the volume was a little louder, other than that, I cannot speak enough about it. Whether for business or pleasure--You can't go wrong with this phone!!! T-Mobile myTouch 4G Android Phone, Black (T-Mobile)

This phone is wonderful except... battery life was disappointing until I figured a few things out.

My need: at least 18h of moderate (shall I say worry-free) usage between charges. I had this phone for more than a month before I figured out how to reliably not drain its battery in far less than a day:

The solution: an alternate mail subsystem.

The big killer is in android 2.2's support for exchange. Every couple of days it gets stuck in high power mode - disharging in less than half a day. Fortunately one of my students found a workaround: run a better exchange synch program. I just removed my exchange account from android synch and instead installed nitrodesk's touchdown - which costs something like $10 and has a free month trial. After this, my phone could reliably hold a charge for more than a day. I imagine that others publish similar software, but i stopped looking when touchdown worked.

The rest of this review is about tweaking:

How I get closer to 2 days on a charge:

* using 2g-3g switch applet (free from marketplace): 2g draws less power than 3g/4g, and is usually fast enough. Note this phone calles 2g "gsm" and 3g/4g "wcdma"

* using the built-in power control applet, I keep wifi and gps off most of the time.

* displaying the "circle power" applet (free from marketplace) on my home screen

Notes making touchdown comfortable (this took a week to figure out)

* In order to get the android contacts app to see my exchange contacts maintained by touchdown:

** enter contacts->settings->view

** select which data source to use (I select only Touchdown)

* Displaying email & agenda nicely:

** Touchdown has applets in various sizes for displaying email or agenda. I eventually chose to put the little agenda applet on my home screen, and the universal applet one screen to the right.

** For full functionality, you need to start the touchdown application. I put this shortcut on my home screen

* to delete into "deleted items" rather than really delete

** tap "move to folder" (big green arrow into folder icon)

** tap on "deleted items"

A few favorite apps:

* new york times

* public radio live stream (for cbc-1)

* google voice

* touchdown - only because it not a battery hog

* circle battery meter

I purchased this phone with a 2 year contract, so I really wanted to love it. Unfortunately, I have some issues with it. I rated this item based on the attributes of the phone itself, not T-Mobile's service, and not the Android operating system. But as you need both of these to use the phone I'll include them in my review. I use the phone in a variety of ways throughout the day. I depend on it as I travel around for work (checking my email, making calls, using the data connection), and I also use it in my free time for browsing the web, using interesting programs, finding stuff and getting directions, listening to music, and reading books. It can do all of these things, some better than others, and it's capabilities are miles ahead of my old smartphone, as long as I have reception and a charged battery, which unfortunately is not as often as I would like.

The phone itself: It has a beautifully large and clear touchscreen (and appears to be scratch-resistant), a nice camera that takes big but usually blurry pictures and HD videos, it is thin and light (compared to my old smartphone) but still seems pretty tough. You can look at the advertised features, it does in fact have and do all that stuff. There are two major problems for me, and that is why I rate it 3 stars instead of 5. Battery and Buttons.

Battery: It lasts me a little over half a day. I use the phone a lot, but not a crazy amount. If you use it for any length of time doing anything, the battery is at 25%. Worse, if the phone can't get reception it seems that it burns through the battery just as quickly searching for reception as if you were running a program or talking on the phone. If you sit in a building with the phone on and no reception for four hours, the battery is pretty much dead. And not getting reception can happen pretty frequently. My old smartphone could go for a couple of days without charging it unless I was really using it very heavily. I have not made it through an entire day yet without the battery dying or being very low.

Buttons: Besides the annoying placement of the buttons (it is difficult to hold the phone without pressing a button), I have a real problem with the power button. The power button at the top of the phone is not recessed, it sticks out a little. It is also very sensitive, if you gently run your finger along the top of the phone you will depress the button. When I put the phone into my pocket the impact of the phone with the inside of my pocket depresses the button about half the time. This should be a minor annoyance, just waking up the phone for a little while. However, EVEN IF THE PHONE IS TURNED OFF gently depressing the button will turn the phone back on. So when I am in an area with no reception and I want to turn the phone off to conserve the poor battery life, if I put the phone back into my pocket, or anything presses against the top of the phone, it turns itself back on and when I pull out my phone a few hours later, surprise! My battery is dead! This button should be slightly recessed, and you should have to hold it down for a few seconds to turn the phone on when it is powered off. To me, this is inexcusably bad design on something that should be a no-brainer.

Software: This is my first Android phone, and I am not an expert, but you are probably also an Android novice, and might have the same trouble as me. If you are an Android pro just skip this part. Android has got to be the best feature of the phone, but it is still a source of frustration for me. It is very customizable and has a crazy array of programs that take advantage of every possible functionality of the phone, many of the most useful programs come preinstalled while all the others are available from the Android market. You can search, download, and install programs from the phone itself without hooking it up to a computer, so it is entirely self-sufficient. I love this, and could go on about how useful this is. Unfortunately it comes preinstalled with a suite of T-Mobile software that is baked into the phone. You can't delete it, you can hardly modify it, and I pretty much hate all of it. T-Mobile has apparently decided that I am a pre-teen girl, and has dumbed down everything for me and integrated social networking with all aspects of my phone. I personally would have preferred a blank phone with a link to the Android market and a functional phone, address book app and clock. Fortunately, the ability to get any app from the Android market has overcome these drawbacks for me. I had a serious problem with just making phone calls using the preinstalled phone app (ironic, on a CELL PHONE). I have a lot of contacts, so when I want to call "Andrew" I get a whole list of "Andrew..." and there is no room for the last name because they decided to use the space for a picture that I have to set up or provide from Facebook. I have to click on the entry to see if it is the Andrew I want, and doing that initiates a phone call to that person. I have to contact a lot of different people all the time and this was driving me nuts. So I just installed a new (free) phone app from the Android market, and problem solved.

The problem I have with Android itself is that it seems that third party applications have much more control over my phone than I do. I don't have access to the files on the phone, which is crazy. I downloaded a file that one of my programs needed to function, and I realized that there was no way for me to find the file on the phone. You have to download a third-party app and give it permission to have full access to your phone for the privilege of seeing your own files. You can't close programs, you can just open something else or go back to the home screen, which sort of minimizes the program. How do I not have an option to close a program? Guess what, you have to download an app for that! A third party app that again gets access to your whole phone, is always on, and potentially destabilizes your device. Finally, many of the apps seem to be cloud-based, they need an internet connection to function. Privacy concerns aside, this is fine unless you don't have reception, which is a little too frequent for me.

T-Mobile: I live in the northeast and I travel around, and T-Mobiles coverage area is not that great. If you are not in a populated area you probably won't get good coverage up here, and there are huge areas with no coverage at all. The reception doesn't penetrate buildings very well, in my experience. The HSPA+ connection that makes this phone "4G" is pretty fast, but it seems to me that it usually takes a few seconds (sometimes more than a few) before the data begins to transfer, which negates the extra speed unless you are downloading a large file, which is where it really shines. To be honest, I use the phone a lot but I'm not downloading movies or anything, so it works pretty well as long as I have any kind of reception, even if it is not HSPA+. But it won't be replacing my home internet anytime soon.'

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Toddler Scooter - toddler scooter, 3 wheel scooter

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This is the best scooter...our girls both got one for Christmas and as its 18 degrees out, they ride them inside( around and around the kitchen island...LOL...not a big space, but still fun for them until they could be outside), and it is quiet and SO good for our oldest's coordination...the younger (4) could ride ANYTHING skillfully within seconds, but our 5 year old is a bit less physically quick to find her balance etc. BUT... our oldest was riding it like a pro within minutes, and they both love love love riding them. These scooters are small and light but sturdy and so well made (SO awesome). They have a brake in the back that is super easy to use (also a cool feature) and the scooter itself CAN tip over, but the way its built makes it so it isn't tippy and so a child getting their balance will be ok. It doesn't tip over unless a kid literally falls somehow, and it takes little to no balance to ride them once the initial few moments of getting on the thing is over. Otherwise, it balances itself great. I would buy these again and again, and when they get older, we will get the larger size. Thank goodness my sister told me that these were what my nephews had and they were light years better than the other scooters they had owned and their friends had. Her boys are REALLY active and rode those things hard, but they LOVED them, and SHE loved them, and she said every friend that saw them asked her for the info because although most of them had scooters, they weren't as safe while still having all the fun of a scooter. If you want a scooter, THIS is the scooter for your younger kid...OR get the larger size for your bigger kid. I have nothing but RAVES for this scooter. Not one single "love this, BUTTTTT...." They have been 100% fantastic. mini kick Scooter - AQUA

The first time you take this out and slot the bar in (1 simple step assembly), it is hard not to be impressed by how cool this scooter is. The steering-by-leaning is a nifty technical set-up and has been very quickly mastered by my three year old. She had no experience with this sort of thing, but was flying around within minutes.

We had one of these for my son which we handed down to my daughter before buying it in pink, new, for her. All the kids on our block have them and they are totally awesome. Best for steering, balance, stability. Would buy again and again.

The product is well made. However it should be noted that the product has some shortcomings (if they are of any importance to you):

1. The steering is not foldable. In other words, it does not fold down in a nice compact way like the Razor scooters do.

2. The steering is not extendable. It is a one size device.

I did not know these prior to purchase since none of the other reviewers mentioned it. It is not too much of a problem, but it was certainly a bit disappointing for me given that this is more than twice the price of other scooters and yet lacks these basic features.

As other reviewers have mentioned, depending on your child, it could take some time to master. The downside to the "lean to one side to steer in that direction" is also that the turning radius is very large. Unlike other scooters, this makes sharp turns difficult to do.

My 2 y-o tried this scooter at the playground. He flew away since the first minute. And he can make turns very easily too. This scooter is his favorite toy ever. My older kid has a radio flyer to compare - it's too heavy... useless. The mini kick is expensive but my son plays with it every day. He goes with me to restaurants, stores and playgrounds with this scooter - stroller is so 1 1/2 y-o! :)

I was glad to pay for a toy like that. After all, I got a maxi scooter for my older kid.

About the color: it's beautiful for boys or girls.

Our daughter is 4 1/2, and scoots 1/2 mile to preschool and back with me accompanying with our son in the stroller. This scooter has greatly extended the range of our family walks, and virtually solved the dawdling problem we had when she was walking. And now our son, who is not yet 2, has learned to scoot too! Guess we'll be getting another now. Great, great scooter. Far more awesome and life-changing than I had ever imagined.

I got two of these scooters as Christmas presents for my twins. They have been asking for a scooter since the summer and since they just turned three, I thought it was a good age to get them something like that. I went to the usual stores first to look at three-wheeled-scooters and I was disappointed at the poor quality and/or the poor maneuverability. I was sure that there must exist a better option. I searched the web and VOILA!- I found these. First off, the colors are awesome. Second, they look just like 'big boys&girls' scooters, which counts for a lot when you are three. Third, after reading scooter blogs, I was convinced that these are well worth the money in terms of quality of workmanship and maneuverability. I am so pleased with my choice - my kids look like Pros on these wonderful little machines. We took them to the park the day after Christmas, and everyone (kid & adult) was staring at my twins who were effortlessly scooting around. They got the concept of how to operate the scooters within minutes, and after an hour there was no stopping them (or getting them off the scooters!!!). Learning how to use the break took a couple of days, but they got it down. The scooters were very easy to put together, and all the parts look to be well made. I'm sure we'll enjoy these for years to come.

My kids have had these for 2 years, and they have been very durable and have provided hours of fun. They are very stable, and really helped my kids develop balance. The front wheels pivot as you lean, so it teaches the sensation of leaning into a turn that will prepare them for riding a bicycle or a two wheel scooter. It is a perfect first scooter. - Toddler Scooter - Mini Scooter - 3 Wheel Scooter - Scooter'

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