Guy Low Price Electronic: 6 Oct 2010

Wednesday 6 October 2010

Drive Enclosures - hdd enclosure, external hard drive case

This was one of the funnier 'electronics' items I ever got and... I like it but anyone considering it should be aware that this case does not travel well - see below.

The most interesting feature about the case is the design, so to speak. If you can imagine your HDD inside a box of Altoids Curiously Strong Mints and you don't mind it being there then this case is for you. There are no screws or hinges or locks and none are needed for as long as your case doesn't move much. What you get is a little tin box where you press the top part on after you literally squeeze in your 2.5 SATA drive and it kind of clicks in and it stays that way because it's not easy to reopen it.

This is great design - how come no one else thought of it? - and I applaud it but, like I said, I would not carry this case in my shirt pocket or even in my laptop bag. Murphy's law being what it is, the lid just might pop open and the HDD may come out and, in the process, maybe damage the case own USB interface or, worse, its own connectors, making itself useless. However, as a stationary external HDD solution, it's tops on the price/performance curve.

- INSTALLATION - Without exaggeration, it took less than 2 minutes, most of the time spent to actually open the empty box because it comes closed. Must be careful with those connectors but that's all. Once you snap in the lid, your drive is encased and ready to use. On a Vista and on a Windows 7 computer it was recognized within seconds.

- CONTENTS - Other than the tin/aluminum case, you get a little USB cable to connect to your computer [mine was junk - see my note below]. It's split for 2 'A' (wider connectors), just in case your HDD needs to draw power from 2 USB ports but my 500GB, 2.5" SATA is happy with just one. You should make sure that your HDD is connected to a 'powered' USB port - some USB port splitters/hubs do not power all or some of their ports. There is also a postage-sized manual that discusses setup under Windows 98 or Windows 2000 and when it's safe to disconnect the drive - the English is a solid B+. I don't believe I found any warranty promises but warranties on items this inexpensive are silly to begin with. There is also some cheap neoprene-like pouch, presumably to be used while traveling. It's actually a good thing to have, IF you insist on taking your encased disc on the road because it improves the odds of keeping the whole thing together - remember, there are no screws.

- PERFORMACE - For a stationary drive, it fully meets my expectation. The interface is USB 2.0 so you should expect way over 100MB/s when it comes to data rates. The aluminum/tin case, being metal, is quite good at dissipating heat and the disc seems to be running pretty cool inside.

I am very happy with this inexpensive case and I will consider getting more if I end up with more loose 2.5" SATAs (it happens when you upgrade or your old laptop turns obsolete) and decide to use them as stationary external HDDs or simply to store the discs and put them away for data archiving while keeping easy access to the data via the USB port.

____________________________

Note:

After posting the review above where the case was used with one of my own USB cable, I actually used the supplied 'free' USB wire and, to my surprise, the disc was either not recognized, I was being prompted to format the perfectly good disc or, from time to time, it WAS recognized. On occasions, the LED would blink red indicating that the the disc was 'writing' something (scary) and it would not stop unless I turned off the computer.

To make the story short, IF you are having trouble connecting the disc to your computer with the supplied USB wire, the first thing you should do is try another USB cable. I hope that most of the USB cables shipped are good but... you never now. I'm taking a star away for the scare I got - asking me to 'format' a perfectly good drive. 2.5" SATA Hard Drive Case (Blue) 500GB Max Capacity

I took the 80 Gig drive from my PS3 out (it's the PS3 that came with MGS4) and put in a 640Gig drive. Then I ordered this little blue firecracker. Cracked open the case (no screws) and slid the drive in (took about 30 seconds). Next, went to the start menu in Windows 7, typed "run" in the search box and typed diskmgmt.msc. Last step - formatted the drive. Now I have an iPod sized 80 Gig drive that cost me about $10. If I need to "secure" this bad boy from cracking open, I guess I could slap some duct tape around it, seem pretty tight though. Bottom line .... this is the case to get if you want to enclose the 2.5 inch drive you take out of your PS3.

This Sata drive is great. I love the fact that it can easily pop open and get your SATA drive in there

fast. No screws are necessary. Easy to check out a bad SATA drive, without needed a screwdriver. A++

It is a very versatile enclosure, you can easily swap SATA drives with no down time, because it doesn't require screws; The only minor complaint I can have is the shipment, the envelope is not enough protected to avoid little dents in the metallic surface; but besides that it is the perfect enclosure for me.

This is a great exteranl drive for the price. Its light weight, easy to open. It work first time with my 250G Western Digital 2.5". Couple things of interest though is that when I loaded a 15G SSD the r/w indicator light stayed red all the time even thought it functioned perfectly as an exteranl drive. Other than that I think it is a great product!

a wonderful item with simple design and ease of instalation and functionality of sata int hd upto 500gb capacity! In this encosure case, the int hd ( mind well only sata ) is fitted in groove and no extra micro screws or s. driver is needed to fit in the enclosure and it is plug n play with only one usb2.0 plug. nothing being hot during operation. imagin all these in a price of only $8( no tax, no shipping),that is only possible at amezon!cheers. - Sata Case - Hdd Enclosure - Hard Drive Enclosure - External Hard Drive Case'

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Los Angeles History - los angeles history, hollywood

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If you are just discovering Judy Garland, then this book is a must buy. Filled with beautiful photos, first-hand anecdotes, and a well-organized format, the reader will get a sense of what an amazing force Judy Garland was/is in the entertainment world and what her peers thought of her as well. For die-hard Garland fans, this book will not be anything to knock you out of your chair. The majority of the beautiful photos have already been seen and most of the anecdotes have previously been heard or published. For example, it was great to see all the "Annie Get Your Gun" wardrobe test shots in one place, but only one or two were new to me. I was hoping that this book would be filled with rarities, but instead, it's a thoughtful tribute put together by one of Garland's most knowledgeable fans, John Fricke. One of the curious choices for this book is a design theme of repeating the same photo on one page in different shades. Sure, it looks nice, but for Garland fans & scholars, the space could definitely have been used better by filling it with different photos or more quotes. As a stand-alone book, it should really rate five stars; when compared to the abundance of other books about Garland already available that cover much of the same material, I would probably say three stars is more appropriate as I have to wonder whether there was a really a need for this one in the first place. Judy: A Legendary Film Career

Author John Fricke has made a career out of writing books and appearing on programs about Judy Garland. Fricke is considered one of the "authorities" on Judy. He has been very good to Judy, and Judy has been very good to him. Unlike other biographers, he is very respectful, and in awe of, Judy's extraordinary entertainment legacy. Fricke is not interested in digging up any dirt, or dwelling needlessly or unnecessarily on the "dark side" of Judy. But with "A Legendary Film Career," Fricke has now respectfully celebrated Judy for the third time. I wondered, what could Fricke tell me about Judy's extraordinary life and career that he did not cover in his previous books "The World's Greatest Entertainer" and "Judy: In Art and Antecdote?" The answer for me was: absolutely nothing new. Then again, I've studied Judy Garland all my life. For those who don't know that much about her, or are discovering her for the first time, this book will be a must-buy. "A Legendary Film Career" is a very large, very attractive book. It is lavishly illustrated (there is a nice selection of candid on-set photos from director Victor Fleming's personal scrapbook for those who adore Judy as Dorothy in "The Wizard Of Oz") and handsomely packaged and presented. But so was Fricke's earlier coffee-table book "Judy: In Art And Antecdote." My four-star rating is based on "A Legendary Film Career's" overall lavish design.

This book begins with a lengthy introduction and an extremely thorough 25 or so page Biography. This is followed by appreciative pages devoted to Judy's amazing impact on radio, television, and, most importantly, live concert performances. As each of her films is discussed and analyzed here in detail, a definite pattern emerges. And it is not a particularly pretty picture. Judy comes across as the most talented, and most exploited and victimized, star in Hollywood history. Artie Shaw famously remarked that Judy's daily "reality" at MGM "was what I would call insanity." God only knows how many mental and emotional inner demons Judy wrestled with. But whatever personal or professional insanity was going on behind the scenes, Judy, more often than not, rose gloriously to the occasion in performance. In fact, Judy often rose above and beyond the occasion. That is to say, Judy often elevated her material to a level of brilliance it would not have had without her. Actress Elaine Stritch watches Judy's films for professional and personal inspiration. When watching Judy's films, Stritch commented, "Never have a caught her in a lie. And never have I caught her "acting."

Such career highlights as "The Wizard Of Oz", "Easter Parade" and "A Star Is Born" are deservedly celebrated. I also urge Judy's fans to take another look at "For Me And My Gal" (1942) and "In The Good Old Summertime" (1949). Judy's performances are absolutely wonderful. Her final film "I Could Go On Singing" (1963) remains as under-appreciated as "Meet Me In St. Louis" (1944) is over-rated. "I Could Go On Singing," with all of its semi-autobiographical overtones, would make an excellent double-feature with "A Star Is Born." No, "I Could Go On Singing" is not as brilliant as "A Star Is Born." But, in "I Could Go On Singing", Judy elevates this "soap opera with songs" to levels of brillance and truth. Judy. all heart and soul, always revealed truth in performance.

Lengthy sections of the book are also devoted to films that Judy started to work on but did not complete (notably, 1949's disasterous "Annie Get Your Gun"), or films that Judy was considered for but ultimately did not participate in. As Fricke correctly and shrewdly observes, "there's really no reason to regret what "wasn't", at least not when "what is" remains so present, palatable, and persuasive."

...nicely done, well researched (no surprise there) and well laid out. John Fricke has put out consistently excellent work over the years on Garland's career and its lasting impact on American culture as well as being able to put it in context of its time. His research is impeccable and his access to the real records and real sources make his work on subjects like this both substantive and admirable. For so long, the truth has been sacrificed for juicy stories and unnecessary innuendo. At least someone is busy setting the record straight while there are still a few souls around who were actually there and speak to all that.

"Judy: A Legendary Film Career"

by John Fricke

Running Press, 352 pp., $30

Reviewed by Gordon Stevens

John Fricke has done it again; this time he far exceeds his previous books on Judy! I have known John for a number of years and always enjoy listening to him.

There are facts in here that are new to me, and I thought I knew them all. I can't imagine the research John did for this book; it must have taken him years. He lists Judy's films as far back as the earliest ones with the Gumm sisters and he includes a list of films for which she was considered.

Not just a book for fans of Judy Garland ,Film historians interested in the "golden years in Hollywood" will find this a welcomed addition to their library. The facts and stories about MGM are priceless. Its a book you will refer to time and time again .

I believe this book should be in the collection of anyone intersted in the history of Hollywood . - Hollywood - Film Making - Los Angeles History - Mgm'

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Iphone Earphones - ipod earbuds, earphones

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OK, if I had really dug around I would have noticed this before purchasing -- the volume controls don't work with the iPhone 3G (and according to the Apple page I have since discovered, neither does the mic input).

So it's more or less useless to me since the mic and volume control are the two useful features of having a headset with my iphone (I use it to listen to music on the bus, answer phone calls while walking, etc). This seems to be the standard Apple iPhone headset, at least that's available via Amazon -- yet its key features don't work for the largest portion of iPhone users?!

Stupid move by Apple. Avoid if you have a 3G. I know it's at the end of the details about the headset, but I'm sure that I'm not the only one who might guess that the remote and mic might actually work on "Apple Earphones with Remote & Mic" Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic (OLD VERSION)

I bought these specifically for my Ipod Touch, 2G. Sound quality is good, they are basically the standard Ipod ear buds. If you're interested in making Voip calls through your touch, then these are a must. I use them for making phone calls through Skype (using the Fring app). They work perfectly out of the box (and yes, it is hard to open!) I called my husband's cell phone and he reported my sound quality being just fine. It's too bad that they don't work on my Mac too...

I got these headphones as a replacement for my iPhone headphones, those lasted for about 10 months. These only lasted 2 months!

Sound quality wasn't that bad but it wasn't great either, ease of use was ok but after only 2 months of regular use they started acting up. I'd get calls and I could answer them but they couldn't hear me on the other end. I didn't expose them to water, pull them, yank them, twist them or put them in a position where they would become damaged. So, what's up with these headphones! And also, it's not like they're [...] bucks each! For $[...] + I should get some quality in exchange don't you think?

Now I need to replace this piece of crap and get me some headphones that work and last. I strongly suggest you stay away from these headphones if you plan on using them for more than 2 months.

I bought this product initially for my iPod Touch 2nd Gen to use with new iPod Touch Skype application. I am a heavy user of Skype and was missing mobility feature of Skype and mic in iPod Touch. Now both are full filled. I can now receive and make VOIP calls using Skype from my iPod Touch and Apple earphone Remote with Mic. The best part is, I also have a MacBook Aluminum (late 2008), when I plugged the headphone into MacBook, it worked flawlessly. Now I can even control iTunes (volume, paly/pause and track forward only) from the little remote and can use the mic with Skype, Yahoo Messenger, GTalk and other audio related application. Initially I was planning to buy Apple in-ear headphone with remote & mic, which costs $80. Then thought it's not worth it, as by paying $20 more I can buy a Bose in-ear headphone. But this $30 Apple Earphone is really 4 in 1 - Headphone + Remote + Microphone + Spare headphone for iPod Touch. Recommend this product if you have iPod Touch 2nd Gen and/or MacBook/Pro Aluminum. Don't buy it if you have iPod Touch 1st Gen or MacBook white, it won't work.

I got these for my ipod touch 2G and they work like a charm. I needed something that would allow me to use the nike + ipod application AND not having to go crazy about clicking the right controls on the ipod. With a couple clicks you can FFW/RWD a song, pause and +/- the volume. The nike ipod app for the touch needs a little improvement to work as well as the nano did but this headphones help a lot.

ALSO, you can use your ipod touch as a Skype phone with these headphones. Very convenient! - Ipod Earbuds - Iphone Headset - Ipod Accessories - Earphones'

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Tactical Footwear - military, tactical

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I have worn multiple combat boots include danners, bates, corocan, oakley and these Rockys. These are hands down the best combat boot I have ever used and will buy them again if they aren't issued, and most people who have them will say the same.

The sole lasts long and doesn't slip

The oakleys I was wearing prior to this were easily torn and very slippery. I have personally written 2 medical boards for guys with herniated discs and one of the exacerbating factors was them slipping on the aircraft or pavement . . . they were wearing oakleys

I have not had any issues with these rockies from a physician perspective

For fitting, I am a 10.5 brooks running shoe, 9.5 Oakley, 10 Rocky Men's Rocky S2V Vented Military / Duty Sport Boots Sage Green, SAGE GREEN, 7

I got a pair of these prior to deployment, they broke in really fast and are incredibly light and comfortable, and they also dry out quickly. Its a summer weight boot, so i keep in might what environment you'll be using it in. The soles have started to degrade slightly, but overall are holding up great.

These boots seem pretty solid, unfortunately for me they don't come in anything wider than 2E so I ended up returning them. Sometimes 2E is wide enough, sometimes it is not. In this case, it was not. The toe-box in particular seems a little cramped.

Fantastic boot. Been wearing these for a couple of weeks now and I will never look back. The way this boot is designed allows the wearer to worry less about breaking them in and just concentrate on doing the job without tearing up your feet with blisters. Which, for those in the military, is always a pain in the ass. Great in any type of terrain and weather. A massive problem with a lot of boots is once they're wet, they usually turn brittle once they dry. I haven't had that problem yet with these. The only drawback with these is the laces they come with; they feel like theyre made out of the wax material you use for those sew-all needles and getting them undone, especially in a hurry, is a nightmare. But, if thats a massive issue its easy to fix......get new laces lol. Two thumbs up for these bad boys.

I wore these boots through Infantry Officer Basic Training and US Army Ranger school last summer, and they were great. Their durability is unmatched. What really makes these boots perfect for Ranger School is the insole. The insole is very thick and provides great cushion and stability for your foot, which is extremely valuable when you have a 100lb rucksack on your back.

Sadly, Florida Phase did destroy my boots, but only because of how leather reacts to the swamps. The boots were fine all through school, but when I let them sit out for a week after Ranger graduation, the swamp water hardened the leather so much that they became unwearable. I liked these boots so much that I bought another pair and am now wearing them in Afghanistan.

In my mind, you won't find a better boot no matter how much you spend.

I bought these boots in September 2009 right out of Basic at Ranger Joes in Georgia. 16 Months later, the only problem with them is that they are starting to shred up the laces every couple of weeks. Currently, this pair is on its 8th month of a deployment, so they are looking a little rough. I just ordered me a new pair of Rocky's. As long as they are authorized for wear, I will have them on my feet. Probably the most comfortable boot right out of the box. I would agree that you should 1 up your size for these boots because the toes will be a little cramped. Hope this helps. - Danner - Military - Tactical - Tactical Footwear'

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Metal Connector Nailer - framing nailers, deck building

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I've had the Bostitch MCN-150 for just about a year now. In that time it has paid for itself two or three times over. One house, with lots of straps and hangers and one deck rebuild with a couple hundred joist hangers is all it took. This tool can do in an hour what it would take a person all day to do by hand. And it saves your fingers in the process. Anyone who has tried to set tico nails in tight spaces knows what I mean. I really can't stress the time savings enough. The size of this gun is great, you can get into some amazingly tight spots and because of the innovative tip design, you can shoot at less than ideal angles.

That being said: There are two cons to this tool. It only holds small clips of nails (24, i think) so you are constantly reloading, but even with a clip of 50 you would be reloading often because of the speed that you can shoot. When nailing off long Simpson type straps, you really notice this. The other con is the fact that you can only shoot 1.5" nails. Which is a bummer here in California, where longer nails are often required. But apparently they now have the MCN-250 which addresses both of these issues. I will be ordering one of those also.

I have also used the Hitachi NR65AK, which is good, but I really think the Bostitch is better and for the price of the Hitachi you could order both Bostitch models and still be in the same ballpark.

One last thing. You can use other companies nails in a pinch. The manual stressed using only Bostitch Nails, but I was forced to use Senco at one point. They work OK but jam in the track occasionally due to burs on the nails. But they'll get you through. Bostitch MCN-150 StrapShot Metal Connector Nailer

we love this little guy...makes quick work of decks, roof ties, hurricane straps, and the like...you will never want to frame without it....we got ours through HD Contractor services for $219...so far the unit is flawless and durable..and the case keeps her ready and clean between jobs.

Quality tool. Used it for a couple deck jobs and I must have hung 100+ joist hangers, it made the difference between making and losing money. Payed for itself the first day in speed and effectiveness. I used a swivel air hose connector for the tight areas. Great addition to my air tools.

If you're in a trade long enough you start getting excited when new, well thought out and engineered tools appear. A while back, the JLC reviewed the Bostitch StrapShot metal connector nailer. After reading the review I knew that there would be a job in my future that would be THE job that would be the perfect excuse to purchase this nailer and put it to use.

Oh Baby!! Where have you been all my life! During the age of dinosaurs we used to beat in teco nails with rocks. That was kind of hard on the rocks and our fingers. Then during the middle ages we would beat in those blasted nails with our 24 oz. serrated face framing hammers. Did you ever notice how the holes in the metal connectors were always just a little bit tinier than the loose (not collated) teco nails? If you didn't hit that frickin' nail with just the right amount of blast the hammer would home in on the nearest thumb and index finger - usually yours - and scrape off a nice thick layer of skin.

Then came the last decade of the 20th century. Homo Constructus Almosterectus, evolved to the point where we actually could nail those pesky metal hangers with our pneumatic framing nailers. The only thing you had to worry about was placing the tip of the nailer near the hole the nail was meant to go into. For those who had difficulty achieving this, numerous jokes involving hair were coined.

Along came the Bostitch MCN-150 StrapShot nailer. If there were a Nobel prize for innovative tool development, I would nominate the boys at Bostitch. It fits in tight joist spaces, it actually uses the nail point to locate the point of aim and after 1 week of daily usage, installing many hundreds of Simpson connectors, I can honestly say we had not one misfire.

If you're in the building business and your crews aren't using this nailer chances are they're not making you any money either. The only complaint I have is the local lack of nails for this gun. Until they become available I'll just keep on ordering them up on Amazon.

I originally purchased a Porter Cable palm nailer, thinking that this was going to be the best [and only] option for hammering home the hundreds (ok...thousands) of nails required to fasten all of the hurricane ties and joist hangers for my 500+ square foot deck.

Thankfully I was wrong and happened to come across this nailer which I was more than happy to add to my collection of pneumatic tools.

My joists are 12" on center and this gun fits as promised in that tight space. Yes - it would be nice if the magazine held more nails than it does, but if that were the case, it wouldn't fit between the joists. I've shot over 1,300 nails so far, both 10d and 8d, and haven't had a single jam...which is good because the nose of the gun doesn't open to clear jams similar to my other porter cable nailers.

I'm a 1-man operation, and using this gun has allowed me to do 75% of the framing for the 2-level deck in less than a week of working only at night after I get home from work.

Overall, I couldn't be happier with the gun - with that said, I still haven't even used my palm nailer - I guess that I'll save that little guy for another project. The only downside to this nailer is it's versatility after the project is over...unless you're going to put a few decks onto friend's houses, it's not an 'around-the-house' nailer, since it won't fire if it doesn't detect a metal strap that you're trying to shoot through.

If you build decks or use a lot of hangers like hurricane clips that are required nowadays, this gun is a must. For the price you can't beat it, it does exactly what it's supposed to do and the size is perfect. I purchased the larger gun that does the same thing with replacing the tip and liked it but the gun is huge, didn't work well between joists so I broke down and bought this gun and love it. The other gun will only be used if I need two guys going together with hurricane clips, but the MCN-150 will do all of the grunt work. If you have the Rap-A-Nail gun the nails will work in this gun. - Metal Connector - Metal Connector Nailer - Framing Nailers - Deck Building'

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Pencil Sharpener - pencil sharpener, electric sharpener

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Before purchasing the X-Acto Electric Pencil Sharpener, I paid half the price for an electric sharpener from Wal-Mart that lasted over five years. This product has lasted a mere five months. Rarely used, it often sticks, overheats after only a few uses, and then ceases to work at all.

I had hoped a sharpener of better quality would last longer, especially considering it isn't even used very often. It would seem I was mistaken. X-Acto Electric Pencil Sharpener (1818)

This "sharpener" won't sharpen. When you try to use it, the pencil tip comes out slightly lopsided, with the lead covered with wood on one side all the way to the tip -- wood beyond the farthest reach of the lead. Result: the wood-tipped pencil won't write, won't even deposit a mark on the paper. And it isn't the pencil's fault. I tested three different lead pencils and four colored pencils. I even gave each pencil a second sharpening, a second chance. Same result each time: tip covered with wood.

The cause of the problem seems to be that this sharpener has only one roller-cutter. Manual sharpeners have two roller sharpeners and work perfectly (but have to be screwed in place -- no desktop use, block venetian blinds on window sills -- and can't be placed in certain locations where the hand crank becomes inaccessible). The X-Acto 1818, with its single cutter, doesn't seem to hold the pencil at the correct angle. The pencil isn't gripped between two cutters. That seems to account for the lopsided cutting.

I suspect that this model requires precision assembly, so that the cutter is installed at the perfect angle. Since other reviews suggest that this model sometimes works, my conclusion is that buying this model is a gamble. In my case it was a complete waste of money: the "sharpener" simply didn't work. So if you buy one, you are gambling. You may get a properly assembled one that works, and you may get one that doesn't. - Electric Sharpener - Home Office - Pencil Sharpeners - Pencil Sharpener'

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Bosch Table Saw - table saws, woodworking

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I had a lot of frustrating little problems when I first got the saw but now that it's worked out it well worth it.

This is actually my second 4100. The first one was damaged when the box came open during shipment and the table top was scratched up by parts of the cart legs. It didn't help that the way it was packed the only thing separating the table top and the cart legs was a thin pieice of styrofoam with a cut out in the middle.

Anyway I received the second saw undamaged. There were some fit and finish issues. The table top had what looked like black fingerprint marks. I tried getting it off but couldn't...oh well...no big deal it's cosmetic. The second problem was not so trivial. The riving knife assembly was loose and not square to the table or lined up to the blade. There were no instructions in the manual on how to align it. I emailed Bosch customer service but it took them awhile to respond (5 days). In the interim, I figured it out myself. There's two allen bolts that adjust the riving knife from side to side and a screw with a locknut that adjust the angle. After that the saw ran fine and the new guard system worked as advertised...modular and very easy to use.

The saw was running fine for about a week when I ran into my third problem. As expected the blade supplied with the saw dulled out pretty quickly. I replaced with the Freud LU83R010 10-Inch 50-Tooth Thin Kerf Combination Blade that I bought just for the occasion. I tried a few crosscuts and the new blade cut like butter. I decided to rip a 24 inch piece of 3/4" plywood. To my horror the wood binded between the riving knife and the fence as it went past the back of the blade. I checked the alignment and tried again...same thing the wood binds as it goes pas the back of the blade. Tried my Irwin Marathon 80T blade and same thing. It turned out that the Freud LU83R010 and the Irwin 80T has a 0.092" kerf while the riving knife is 0.091" wide. Talked to Bosch customer service and they confirmed that is a problem. Their suggestion was to try a blade with the wider kerf. I tried the Bosch PRO1050COMB with a 0.128" kerf and a Bosch CB1040 with a 0.098" kerf and they work fine. So beware when using thin kerf blade with this new riving knife/guard system. Bosch 4100-09 10-Inch Worksite Table Saw with Gravity-Rise Stand

I am a finish carpenter and had been going back and forth between the Ridgid Table Saw and Bosch. Although I've used the Ridgid before, after researching the Bosch for couple of months, I decided to buy it. This saw is more expensive than the Ridgid but I must say it is worth the extra bucks. Very sturdy and accurate (once you do your initial setup). The gravity rise stand is ingenious and although I do not mind the 2 step folding saws, this saw always puts a smile on my face as I use the rise stand. Its so simple even a kid could work it.

The saw is higher than your standard table saws by about 3 inches. It does not sound much but it did feel awkward at first after using standard saws for such a long time. You do get use to it quickly though.

The rip fence is dead on and the soft start feature is a nice addition that prevents overload.

The saw is heavy but is easily loaded to the bed of your truck/van by placing the handles on the bed and sliding it back.

One of the worst features of this saw is the wheels. They are not large enough to carry over stairs. You will, I repeat you will scrape the metal bars behind the wheels frequently. Do not try to roll this saw over finished stairs. I am surprised that the engineers at Bosch did not recognize this.

Overall though, this saw is the best portable saw that I have used in years.

I have been using this saw for several months and am quite happy with it. I bought it mostly because of the safety features: riving knife, blade guard, and anti-kickback pawls. Early reviews said that these devices are so easy to use that owners actually will use them, and that has been my experience.

The saw is well designed in other respects, too. The fence and miter gauge are easily adjusted and accurate. The blade height adjustment wheel is convenient. The only thing I don't like is the clumsy blade bevel adjustment: to change the blade angle, you unlock a rather stiff lever and the blade and motor assembly flops around--you just push it to where you want it and tighten the clamping lever. I would have preferred a wheel like the height adjustment.

The gravity-rise stand is neat. I don't transport the saw to job sites (I'm a hobbyist woodworker), but I have to work in my garage, and need to store my tools against the wall. The saw is easy to fold up and stores in very little space.

The saw arrived in good shape, although when the UPS driver took it out of the truck, the manual fell out. It's easy to see how some people get a saw with no manual. If this happens to you, I suggest you download the manual from Bosch's web site. I did this before the saw arrived in order to learn about it as soon as possible. Yes, it's 84 pages long, but after page 20 or so, odd-numbered pages are in French and Spanish--if you don't need either of those languages, you can just print out the even-numbered pages.

I recently acquired a thin-kerf Forrest Woodworker II blade. I was a little nervous about it because of the reviewer who had trouble using a thin-kerf blade because the kerf is too narrow for the wood to clear the riving knife. The kerf of the Forrest blade is variously reported as 3/32", which is .094", and .100", and the riving knife is .091" thick. I had no trouble with the wood binding on the riving knife, in both crosscut and ripping operations. (The blade cuts beautifully, too--recommended.)

All things considered, this is a good portable saw for the price. I'd have gone with a larger saw if I had room for one, but I have to be able to tuck my tools off to the side in order to put my vehicles in the garage.

Rather than go into detail about what it does well, I'll just list my complaints:

- The included blade is of mediocre quality (though that's to be expected from stock blades these days)

- The texture of the table top looks like bead blasted metal, but from what I can tell it's some sort of spray coating. It's rubbing off in some areas to reveal a smoother surface underneath. Honestly, I'm not sure why they didn't just leave it that way.

- The included miter gauge fits sloppily in the slot. I had to purchase an aftermarket unit with adjustable width in order to make decent crosscuts.

- There is no way to lock the blade height, so it may change gradually because of vibrations or accidental nudging as you work. This can be a problem if you are doing partial cuts (such as dadoes for box joints) and need a constant depth.

- A considerable amount of dust goes to the floor under and behind the saw, even when hooked to a shop vac.

- The blade tilt adjustment is awkward. It has positive stops at 45 and 90 degrees, but anything else is best done with a good angle gauge and a helper to hold it in place while you use both hands to set the blade angle.

- The storage for the included push stick is on the back of the saw, instead of one of the sides where it would be easily in reach. - Portable Table Saw - Table Saws - Table Saw - Woodworking'

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Red Laser Pointer - laser pointers, red laser pointer

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Based on the other reviews it seems kind of random what the actual product you get here is. Some come with boxes (mine did not), some have buttons that stay on when pressed (mine did not), some people get webcams (I did not)...however, at $2 this was totally worth the price for me. I had a momentary freak out when I got it because it didn't work, but then I realized that it doesn't come with batteries and I needed to put two AAAs in there. Like other reviewers mentioned, there are no instructions or anything, so here, I'll save you two seconds: negative ends go in first. Powerful Red Laser Pointer Pen Beam Light 5mW

I'll be honest, when ordering this item I had no idea the benefits it would reap. Now, with my brand new webcam (wait, what? Yeah, that's right) my new WEBCAM I get to chat with my family on Skype. I'm not entirely sure I wanted a webcam when I was ordering a RED 5MW LASER POINTER but it works. Long story short, I ordered a red laser pointer and received a webcam. I would not trust this company when buying anything from them, you just might not get what you want.

Pen was just what I was looking for. It is powerful,but the only drawback is holding the button down all the time it is on. I must have read the details wrong as I would not have bought this one. For those that can hold the button all the time, this is a great pen.

I actually have no use for this but I bought it anyway. For that price I thought why not. But this is very powerful. I tried pointing the thing at a tree at a distance and you can see it (about a block away).... I don't know exactly how far the beam actually goes but that's powerful enough for me.

This is a nice laser pointer. It does not have a beam as this says, but is fairly bright. I don't think it is a 5mW, maybe 2 or 3 at best. You have to warm it up before it will output a laser continuously. I recommend this for presentations or playing with your cat, but not if you're looking for a laser beam.

I both it for teaching purposes but it's not comfortable at all if you need to press the button for more than a minute. Also after a month of regular use the laser stopped working!! I payed less than 3 dollars so it wasn't a big deal.

you may think that this laser sucks because of the low price, but its awesome. my 3 year old brother loves lasers and when i showed it to him, he started throwing it at the hard floor and its still working - Cat Toys - Laser - Red Laser Pointer - Laser Pointers'

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Heavy Bag - everlast, gloves

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Title Platinum Hybrid Gel Fist Wraps are a convenient alternative to plain fist wraps. The regular size fit well for me at 5'6" 170 lbs. They provide sufficient gel padding for intermediate-to-experienced kickboxers to have required protection when practicing against the sandbag. If these are to be used by a beginner one might want to consider full glove protection so as to cover the fingers completely. Easy to wash, easy to dry. It is a great advantage to find them through Amazon as ordering on Title's web site requires that the card and delivery address be the same. All in all, the product does what it says well, fits comfortably and is easily cared for. TITLE Platinum Hybrid Gel Fist Wraps, L - Everlast - Gloves - Boxing Gloves - Hand Wraps'

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Household Supplies - battery, battery charger aa

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I don't write many of these but I saw the bads one and had to share my experiance. We have a 1 year old child and were going through batteries like crazy. We bought one of these in the hopes it will help. I must say buying the charger and batteries in addition is not cheap but helps save money in the end.

The screen to tell you how charged the batteries are is great. The batteries last almost as long as a regular battery. I remember as a kid (i'm 29) that recharable batteries were really bad, they would die on pretty much the same day. But that is no longer the case. We liked the charger and batteries so much we bought a second charger and all we use is recharables now. We use AA,C,D and i'm about to buy more AA do to the need and am going to try the 9V for the portable radio.

I have not tried any other large rechargers but I havn't had a need to. The quality is the same as others I have seen at the store, constructed with hard plastic and charges them quick. It's easy to open and close and using it is self explanatory.

All in all a great product and a money saver we love both of ours and have had them for over 2 years. If I needed another charger I would go right to this one. Energizer CHFC Family Charger

This charger worked really well for the first year or so I owned it. Now I am finding that it only charges batteries 30%-- and I'm not talking about the same old batteries I've had (which have only seen maybe 5 or so charges)... This happens even with brand new rechargeable cells. I've tried experimenting with charging 4 at a time vs 8, and have not seen a difference. It seems to recognize that some batteries are charged more than others when activated but does not fully charge them anymore. I'm going to give it one more shot to see if it can at least handle 1 cell at a time before throwing it in the dumpster. I don't think I've even come close to matching my investment in rechargeable batteries yet... I wish I would have just bought disposables...

This charger does not work with non-Energizer brand batteries. It will not recognize them and will not charge them even if it does recognize them, instead indicating that they are "bad". Expect more from such a famous brand name battery maker. I do not recommend this product, instead I would recommend a cheap chinese made recharger that will recharge anything and everything you put in it. I'd rather overcharge the occasional battery than have 36 useless off brand NiMH batteries sitting around the house that I can't get any electricity into.

I saw the negative comeents and read the good ones as well. As with anything electronic, there are going to be ones that work and those that don't. It may be a quality control issue. I have had this unti for almost three years at work and it is used consistently. I have never ahd a problem. It does what it is designed to do, recharge batteries. I use the batteries in a digital camera for ID photos and fr a flash unit. Again, never had a problem with the baterries performing and lasting a reasonable amount of time. Considering the cost of constantly buying more replacement baterries, I'll take this any day. If your cost analysis says something diferent, then you should do what's best for you. Even replacing the charger every couple of yearsis more cost effective than buying batteries over the same period of time.

I agree--it seems to be poor quality. Did not buy it on Amazon, but have owned this Energizer family charger for about 3 yrs. Only used it regularly for about a year or so, and it's already stopped working. Even before it quit altogether, it seemed to be charging the batteries inconsistently. Kind of defeats the purpose of saving $ by recharging batteries, if you have to replace the charger after only 18 months!

I dont know why there are some bad reviews on this unit! I am happy that I have found this item. It is sturdy and made out of hard plastic. As you would expect from a brand name like Energizer.

The LCD panel on the top of the panel is very well though out. It shows you how much charge remaining until the batteries are fully charged.I find it extremely useful.

And it takes almost all kinds of batteries.

I mainly got this unit for C and D cells. But it take AAA & AA & 9V as well. You put the batteries inside the charger and shut the lid and it starts charging. Simple.

And this is not expensive as well very reasonably priced.

Go get it if you are looking for a good charger.

Great charger. No problems. I'm a photographer and use this several times a week for NiMH AA/AAAs with no problems. Came to the page to buy another and saw the negative comments - thought I'd chime in. First off, there is no way a charger can recognize non-Energizer batteries. This charger works on every brand battery I've purchased - name brand, foreign, cheap, etc. Secondly, about 1 in 8 NiMH batteries are duds. The duds charge, but drain much faster than the others. I mark suspected duds and monitor their behavior - recycling them if necessary. Duds happen regardless of the charger (I have several different chargers). So it's not the charger that's ruining batteries; the batteries were bad to start with. Also, this is a charger - not a tester. Use a battery tester to check battery juice. This charger, like most, will indicate low charges on its LCD screen as it begins recharging. This display is not exact; not meant to accurately indicate pre-charge battery levels. Finally, new NiMH batteries require 'seasoning' to reach full and lasting capacity. So the more you use/charge the batteries, the better they perform - at least until they start aging. As with all the chargers I use, once the batteries indicate a full charge, I rearrange the batteries in the charger to top them off.

This thing is awesome... I bought some 15 minute Energizers and after a year they wouldn't charge anymore... Someone told me to buy this unit and it would charge them... Well not only does it charge them but they seem to last longer than they ever did before... I have also charged no name Big Lots, solar lights & you name it in this thing and it seems to lenghten the life of every battery I've put in the thing... You can charge 8 AA's at once! I love it...Even has a cool charge meter LCD on the front... - Battery Charger Aa - Battery Charger - Battery - Nimh'

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Portable Vehicle Gps - garmin nuvi 1450lmt, garmin

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Love it, love it, love it!!! No more windexing those nasty rings on the windshield from previous mount. It takes a little more space to store, but you pull it out and it's ready. Just plop it on the dash, console, passenger seat, etc. All other GPS manufacturers should jump on this idea! Garmin Portable Friction Mount (Factory Refurbished) - Garmin Gps - Garmin Nuvi 1450lmt - Garmin Nuvi - Garmin'

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Navigation

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One of the questions most people will have is: is the Move Navigation Control required to play the Move? The quick answer is--not right now. I'll put it another way: I ordered one with my Playstation Move Starter Bundle. After playing 5 different Move games and demos, it's still unopened in the package. My guess is it'll stay that way for a while.

The Move Navigation controller is really just a Dualshock controller that's designed to fit in one hand more comfortable. As with the Dualshock, it has a joystick, four directional buttons, and the most commonly used "X" and "O" Playstation buttons all within easy reach of your thumb.

Sony designed the Move controller (wisely IMO) not to have a joystick nor directional buttons. That makes it simpler and more elegant, but it also makes certain things (such as scrolling through a menu list of options) awkward to do with the Move controller alone (although not impossible--you can navigate through menus using the Move controller alone by pressing and holding the Trigger button and moving the controller up, down, left, and right).

But so far I've found so far that just holding the Dualshock in my left hand and controlling the buttons and joystick with my left thumb is sufficient, if a little clunky, for most of what I need to do (unless you have freakishly long thumbs the "X" button will be hard to reach--but happily, pressing the "Move" button on the Move controller will do what you need in most cases).

I'd assumed that like the Wii Nunchuk the Navigation Controller would have motion control built-in so you can control the on-screen action with both hands. It doesn't. For games that require motion control using two hands, you'll need to buy a second Move Controller. Most games that support two-handed operation will also provide the option to play one-handed, but I strongly recommend getting the second Move Controller, as it makes the experience truly immersive. Gladiator Duel on Sports Champions is a great example.

As new games are created for the Move I'm sure the Navigation Controller will become more useful, especially with FPS-type games where you need to move and shoot at the same time. But if you're looking to save a little money, I'd recommend holding off on the Navigation controller for now and spending the money on a second Move controller instead until you find a game that really needs it. Playstation Move Navigation Controller

This was originally titled the "sub-controller" and that was much more fitting. Sony is somehow getting away with charging $30 for half a dual-shock. Only, it's not really half a dual-shock as it features NO RUMBLE. So, you're getting half a six-axis, right? NO. There is NO motion control feature included for your $30. This, to me, is the most disgusting thing about the Move setup, especially considering you REALLY DO need the navigational controller for games like RE5 and Heavy Rain (you can play with half a dual-shock, but it gets to be very uncomfortable very fast).

I can almost guarantee Sony will add rumble to the navigational controller within the next 6 months (probably prior to the release of Killzone 3). So, if you're not a hardcore gamer, I'd wait. If you ARE and you REALLY want to use motion control on RE5 and Heavy Rain, I would recommend this, albeit reluctantly at this price.

Is there anything wrong with the controller? Not really. It's well designed and mostly comfortable. The bumper button is too close to the thumbstick, which can lead to numb fingers and a sore wrist, but if you don't have large hands, this may not be a problem. Sony just needed to add either motion or rumble or both to justify this price. Nintendo charges $19.99 for their sub-controller (IE - "nunchuck") and it has motion control.

The navigational controller would be priced right at $19.99 with rumble. Or at $9.99 as it currently is. Better yet, Sony could have included it in the starter pack and made everyone happy.

Holy PS3 accessories :)

The Navigation Controller is Motion Controller's (aka 'the Move') natural complement. It is not a 'must buy' at this time but it helps to have one for certain games where it's meant to be operated with 'the other' hand. If you don't have one, you can get away with a DualShock or a Sixaxis.

To make an informed decision on whether a purchase is warranted at this time (or ever) it's important to be aware of the following:

- At the time I am writing this, not too many 'Move' games need the Nav. Probably because, one week after Move's official launch there aren't too many Move games out there but that will change - I just ordered Heavy Rain which does use the Nav and I've had Little Big Planet 2 on order for quite a while.

- There is nothing that that Nav can do that your DualShock or Sixaxis can't. In fact, the Nav Controller is nothing but the left side of the DualShock 3 plus the X and O buttons (PS button too) and minus rumble and motion sensitivity. You can, therefore, use your DualShock instead of the Nav on games that may require it.

These being said, the Nav is a well-designed, quality built accessory that does what it's supposed to do very well. It may not look like much but holding and using it feels 'natural' and all the familiar controls are easy to reach even though it may take a little practice to get used to the unexpected but necessary O and X. And, of course, the Nav does NOT come with a wrist strap because it does not need one. The Nav Controller will not be used to hack and slash or punch or parry. As its name implies, its main use is for 'navigation', meaning mostly the analog joystick, but the L2/L3 triggers and the D-pad are also there when needed - in Aragorn's Quest you use the L2 to raise the shield.

Rating the Nav controller for what it is and what it does, I find no faults with it whatsoever. I appreciate its exceptional design, quality and its apparent durability. Some of the early Move games that take good advantage of the Nav Controller include Heavy Rain, MAG, Aragorn's Quest at the time of this review, Little Big Planet 2 coming up in a couple of months, many in between, I hope. To the extent that the Move proves itself a success with game developers, the Navigation Controller will find its uses and its users. I believe it to be so because holding the DualShock in one hand while swinging the Motion Controller with the other is not a good way to play a game.'

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500 Gb External Hard Drive - seagate, portable hard drive

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UPDATES IN THE LAST PARA

I have clarified a few things that other reviews had issues with and gave it a low rating.

For Starters: Since I use Both Mac & PC, I can 1000% say that it works on both these operating systems.

Some customers had issues with the drive going into sleep mode after 10 mins or so. Well, the copying process does not stop, just because the drive has gone into SLEEP mode.

You can take this SLEEP feature off by:

Process 1: Downloading a Free Seagate Manager program available on the Seagate website.

(I did not do this, I used process 2, described next)

OR

Process 2: Formatting the drive and remove the pre-installed Seagate software. Then the drive will NOT go to SLEEP Mode.

How to Format a Drive in Windows:

Plug the Drive --> Go to My Computer --> Right click on the Seagate icon--> Click "Format"

How to Format a Drive in Mac 10.4 or earlier:

Open Macintosh HD --> Click Applications --> Click Utilities --> Open "Disk Utility" --> Select the Seagate disk listed on the Left Side --> Click "Erase" tab --> Choose Volume Format to "MS-DOS" (I chose this so that I can use it on Windows & Mac).

(For the newer MAC 10.6.1 or later, I guess Format is : "Mac OS Extended (journaled)", as rightly pointed out to me by a learned customer IB...Thanks dude!)

Design: Compact & Sleek. Little bigger than the iPhone, but lighter than the iPhone (8GB)

Connection: NO A/C Power outlet needed. Only single USB port is needed, everything provided in the box. So you just take it out and plug it and use it.

Compatibility: Both PC & Mac. Although on the box it says "FOR PC", it was detected by my MAC and will work with both.

Size: Though it says 500GB, we get 465.35GB. And this is the case with most hard drives.

Speed: Forget about the specifics - it is FAST!!

Well worth your money, right!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~UPDATE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many customers have asking me why the format process did not work for their Mac?

The reason is, I have a Mac version 10.4.1 and I clarified that in the review.I guess there are a few changes for 10.6.1 and I added that too. If your MAC OS does not fit the description, the best way to start is by finding out OS version of your MAC & then search online on how to format it OR take it to an apple store.

Basically, the STEPS on how to format remain the SAME. But you might find some different Volumes Format based on your OS version. Volume Format will change as new Operating Systems (OS) keep sprouting.

When I bought this drive, there was not a single review which spoke about MAC Compatibility, let alone the other issues. But I took the risk and bought it for $100 or so.

Also, if you compare other reviews vs. mine. My review does not speak about how many songs I have on my drive, who gifted me this, how my life has changed with the new drive, how my office folks like it, how it fits in my pocket although the it is a trouser from my high school.

No offense, they are good individually. What I mean is....one review answer about plug n play....another spoke about light weight (by how much they didnt say)...another complained SLEEP issue...But none answered MAC compatibility, Format, Weight etc

My review has even answered everything that can happen with this drive. (Except that "What will happen if it breaks down" :P ) Seagate Expansion 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive ST905004EXA101-RK

---update at end---

I purchased this drive a few weeks ago and have been very pleased with it. The only junk it was the warranty registration program. Run it then delete it. Disk comes pre-formated for NTFS. I went ahead and did a quick format to get rid of the existing folders on it. The drive goes into standby mode after 5 minutes bye default. This is quickly remedied and set to your liking with free Seagate Manager program available on Seagates website. Also this program give you the ability to do backups, and computer syncs.

Pros -

Quiet drive

very fast

small and sleek

no power supply needed

only requires use of one usb port

Simple/Custom Backups with Seagate Manager

Sync Option with Seagate manager

Cons-

Goes into standby in 5 minutes by default. Easily changeable with Seagate Manager

Case Logic Compact Portable Hard Drive Case listed as an option to purchase with this is TOO SMALL for this drive. This is an issue with Amazon not the drive itself.

Overall I am very please with this drive I have used it on multiple laptops and pcs without issue. I would suggest this over the new WD essential drives that come pre-installed with a bunch of crapware.

------UPDATE--------- 12/17/2010

First Google seagate freeagent download select the Seagate link then select Free Agent GO link. File name is FreeAgentCN.ZIP

I have have used this drive for the last year still performs as well today as it did a year ago. This is still a great buy.

I bought this drive for three reasons:

1. Large capacity in a small form factor,

2. The ability to power/access it from a single USB port,

3. It was on sale at Amazon for under $70.

I started using it on my laptop when it arrived yesterday and was impressed: small, and it worked well with the short standard mini-USB cable. Then last night I plugged it in to my desktop and went to transfer over my 400 GB movie directory. It kept failing after about 10 seconds, at which time Windows 7 would report that I had just attached it. My first thought was it was due to the "sleep" utility, so I downloaded and installed the Free Agent tool from Seagate and set the timeout to Never. Didn't make any difference. I then used the test tool in the utility software and the it reported a drive failure at about 8%, and said I should contact Seagate for an RMA. All my other small external drives (except for an ancient 30 GB) need a splitter USB cable: one end connects to the drive and the two other ends connect to the PC, using the extra USB port for power. As I had nothing to loose, I gave one of those cables a try - it works fine. So, it appears that the drive needs more power than my PC can provide on a single USB cable.

I'm tempted to send it back, but I'm off on vacation tomorrow and it is a perfect drive for that. I may contact Seagate when I get back - maybe my drive is bad?

- - - - Update - - -

It worked perfectly on my trip, and it was nice to have the space. I've now tried this drive on four PCs - my desktop, my father's desktop, and two laptops. It works fine with the single cable on all but my desktop. This is strange, as I've tried the on-board USB ports and the ports on two add-in cards (one as USB-2 with four ports, and the other a USB-3 with two ports) and the drive will only work if I use a USB splitter cable. So, I have to say that the experience I reported in this review is unusual, and I can understand why others report it works fine with the single cable. - Usb Hard Drive - 500 Gb - Seagate - Portable Hard Drive'

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