Product Reviews:
Reviews From All Categories:
Desktops
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Price:
$799.00
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$799.00
The Bottom Line
As much as we like the look and feel of Velocity Micro's Vector Campus Edition desktop, we can't recommend it. It suffers from poor bang-for-the-buck, a lack of configurable options, and a narrow upgrade path.
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Price:
$399.99
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$399.99
Specs:
Intel Pentium Dual Core E2180 (2 GHz), 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 320 GB Standard, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, Tower, 667 MHz, Pentium Dual Core, 1 year warranty, Personal computer, Max 2 x 1 GB module
The Bottom Line
With stiff competition from other sub-$400 PCs, eMachines' T5247 has a hard time standing out. It will certainly serve as a basic productivity system, but other desktops will help you stretch your computer dollar even further.
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Digital cameras
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Price:
$228.68
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$228.68
Specs:
Ultracompact, 10.1 megapixels, 3 x, 2.6 in LCD display, 15.4 MB - Integrated
The Bottom Line
If it weren't for the poor LCD, the Exilim EX-Z1050 would be a pretty good camera.
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Price:
$959.00
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$1,371.45
Specs:
SLR, 14.6 megapixels, 2.7 in LCD display
The Bottom Line
Pentax's 14MP K20D is a great choice for a midlevel SLR and offers a lot of bang for the buck.
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Laptops
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Price:
$679.99
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$679.99
Specs:
Intel Pentium Dual Core (1.86 GHz), 3 GB DDR II SDRAM, 5.7 lbs, 15.4 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP 1
The Bottom Line
There is nothing inherently wrong with the entry-level Toshiba Satellite L305, but both Dell and Sony have 15-inch budget laptops that offer more for less.
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Price:
$599.99
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$599.99
Specs:
AMD Athlon 64 X2 (1.9 GHz), 3 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 6.8 lbs, 17 in TFT active matrix, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
The Bottom Line
Unless you need a 17.1-inch display, there are better entry-level laptops than the Toshiba Satellite L355D-S7815.
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Routers
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Price:
$179.99
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$198.95
The Bottom Line
The WRT610N can satisfy both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz wireless clients with its solid performance, great design, ease of use, and its ability to work as a network storage device when coupled with an external hard drive.
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External Hard Drives
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Price:
$299.99
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$299.99
Specs:
VOX BlackBox Hard drive array, PC, Mac, Unix, 4 pin USB Type B, RJ-45, Hot-swap
The Bottom Line
The Vox BlackBox is a 1TB NAS drive that serves up a lot of storage but not many features for a good price. Though you may be tempted by its low cost per gigabyte, be warned it's noisy and plagued by brutally bad software.
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PDAs
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Price:
$269.99
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$299.99
Specs:
1 GB, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, 5.2 in x 0.8 in x 2.6 in, Stylus, Keyboard
The Bottom Line
The Sony Mylo Communicator 2 is a huge improvement over its predecessor, but the Wi-Fi handheld will have a hard time competing with the similarly priced and better featured iPhones, Sidekicks, and Helio Oceans of the cellular world.
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Price:
$269.99
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$299.99
Specs:
1 GB, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, 5.2 in x 0.8 in x 2.6 in, Stylus, Keyboard
The Bottom Line
The Sony Mylo Communicator 2 is a huge improvement over its predecessor, but the Wi-Fi handheld will have a hard time competing with the similarly priced and better featured iPhones, Sidekicks, and Helio Oceans of the cellular world.
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LCD Monitors
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Price:
$449.99
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$449.99
Specs:
Flat panel display / TFT active matrix, 24 in - Widescreen, 1920 x 1200, 0.27 mm, 5 ms
The Bottom Line
With its offset neck and thin chassis, the BenQ V2400W presents a unique look. In addition to the sleek design, its low price and strong performance earn this 24-inch LCD our recommendation for home or office use.
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Mice
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Price:
$19.99
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$19.99
Specs:
External, PC, Mac, USB, 800 dpi, 4 pin USB Type A, Mouse, Wired, Laser
The Bottom Line
Macally's otherwise unremarkable Turtle laptop mouse at least has the good sense to keep its USB cable out of sight, thanks to a retractable cord.
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Headphones
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Price:
$39.99
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$39.99
Specs:
Headphones, In-ear ear-bud, Green, Stereo, Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, Atomic strap, Perfect acoustic chamber
The Bottom Line
The Radius Atomic Strap Earbuds are a solid option for 3G iPod Nano owners who like lots of bass and don't want to break the bank to get it. They're not the most versatile earphones, though.
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Price:
$39.99
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$39.99
Specs:
Headphones, In-ear ear-bud, Cyan blue, Stereo, Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, Atomic strap, Perfect acoustic chamber
The Bottom Line
The Radius Atomic Strap Earbuds are a solid option for 3G iPod Nano owners who like lots of bass and don't want to break the bank to get it. They're not the most versatile earphones, though.
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Compact Photo Printers
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Price:
$94.99
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$102.33
Specs:
Compact photo printer - Dye sublimation - Color, 4 in x 8 in, Wired, PC, Mac, USB, Direct print USB
The Bottom Line
The Canon Selphy CP760 takes the pain out of printing photos with its plug-and-play design and straightforward usability, and the $100 price tag makes it an excellent companion printer for quick prints in the home.
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Inkjet Printers
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Price:
$68.92
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$92.49
The Bottom Line
With so many other inexpensive photo inkjets on the market today, we can't recommend the Lexmark z2420--it's prone to paper jams, prints at a snail's pace, and produces unacceptable quality prints.
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External Hard Drives
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Price:
$299.99
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$299.99
Specs:
VOX BlackBox Hard drive array, PC, Mac, Unix, 4 pin USB Type B, RJ-45, Hot-swap
The Bottom Line
The Vox BlackBox is a 1TB NAS drive that serves up a lot of storage but not many features for a good price. Though you may be tempted by its low cost per gigabyte, be warned it's noisy and plagued by brutally bad software.
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