Toshiba L555-S7008 i5-430m 2.26ghz/4gb/500gb/dvd Review

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(More customer reviews)My old laptop died and I needed a new one fast since I had a paper due in two weeks. I ordered this 17.3 inch laptop and they gave me a delivery date only one day before my paper's due date. Imagine my surprise when it came in only four days later. I was able to plug it in, run a cable to my old computer and was up and running that day. I got my paper don in plenty of time for a rewrite and wound up with an A in the course. By the way, I'm at ITT Tech and do know something about computers. Toshibas are the best. My old computer was a VAIO from Sony and though I only had it for two years, and I paid a lot for it since it was top of the line, the DVD player went out six months after I bought it, the sound was horrible and the screen started going out on it just a few weeks before went out completely. It was in the shop several times.
Now my new Toshiba is perfect and I really like the fact it has a numeric keypad and I can do math calculations on it.

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Compaq Presario CQ5500F Desktop PC - Black Review

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(More customer reviews)Well I just received this computer about two days ago, but despite this, I think I can make a pretty good assessment about its pros and cons thus far. I'll begin by saying that from an aesthetic viewpoint, this computer looks very nice. The case itself is matte, but the front bezel itself is a nice, glossy finish that really does look nice, all things considered. It has two USB 2.0 ports on the front as well as jacks for both headphones and a microphone, so no need to reach around to the back of the unit if you don't feel like it. Oh yes, just so you're not as confused as I was at first, the power button is technically located on what would be your right hand side if the computer's front is facing you, situated near the top of the case. The button is illuminated by a somewhat irritating bright blue LED, a lighting choice that seems to have become popular in the computer market these days, so it's kind of a take it or leave it thing depending on how you feel about such. The only ridiculous part of the external design is, in my opinion, the terribly designed bay for the DVD reader. A plastic flap obscures the drive itself, and to open it, one presses a silver button directly underneath this flap. Now this is all fine and dandy until you try to use it: would a nuclear power plant have a computer monitoring the reactor that is rendered inoperable after turning it on? The same issue takes place here--the plastic flap actually flips over the button itself after opening, making it a totally unnecessary fiasco to press the button again to let the drive read a placed disc. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that after a few uses the flap becomes a little stiff; it will show some difficulty closing after the drive door recedes. This is not anything severe, but you will probably have to push it closed manually. There's one more big issue that came up, actually: NO CASE FAN. I'm surprised this evaded my notice for so long. This computer should run pretty cool, and a case fan can run anywhere from $5-20, but the fact that they didn't include this is actually really underhanded if this is HP's idea of "cutting costs." Still, it hasn't blown up on me yet, and a fan is shipping in the mail. 1/2 point off.
The hardware itself is decent; nothing mindblowing in this box to be sure. Two gigs' worth of DDR3 memory should give this computer some decent punch, but why not upgrade to four and max out its potential?***NOTE*** Apparently Amazon was wrong about the memory type. Another reviewer found it to be DDR2 memory instead of DDR3, so plan accordingly before purchasing!***NOTE*** The PSU is 250 watts, I believe. This should be enough to power everything on board adequately, but in case you were intending to add a second hard drive or add a graphics card, upgrading the power supply may be wise. In any case, it only comes with two power couplings for SATA-type devices, both of which are already in use by the hard drive and DVD drive. It does have some older MOLEX-type adaptors, however, and the motherboard hosts one IDE slot. I do have to mention that the power supply is kind of a pain in the rear to remove, though. The box also hosts one PCI slot, two PCI-e and one PCI-e16, I think. I'll verify this later. Graphics are integrated--not what you would want for gaming, but I find they're adequate enough to play PoxNora online with minimal hiccups, so it can carry you through in many cases. Processor is an AMD Sempron, which is a lower level unit, although it's definitely strong enough to run Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit without any issue. I'm having the hardest time finding out what's the biggest processor the motherboard will take, however; even the HP website and several manuals I've read thus far seem not to be willing to divulge this useful bit of knowledge. Overall, though, I think I can recommend this one as a purchase, especially for this ridiculously low price.
***EDIT*** They (Amazon) just lowered this PC's price to under $300 for a few days. It has since went back up to the default price, sadly. I'm not sure if that means I bought a lemon, but this is a definite must buy if you need decent computing power and the latest Windows OS at a price so low it could be called criminal. Just remember that Windows7 Home Premium does have some compatibility problems with older programs...to remedy this, you will need to change to either Professional or Ultimate.

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GSI High-Powered Ultra-Secure 150Mbps USB 2.4 GHz Wireless WIFI Long Range Network Mini Adapter - IEEE 802.11 b/g/n Interface - For PC/Laptop/Notebook/Computer Hot-Spot Internet Connection - Smallest Size For Travel or Home Use Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this to replace the internal wireless adapter in my Toshiba Satellite L645D. It works nearly as well as an Intel PRO Wireless card I had in another machine, able to pick up signals from next door strong enough for everyday browsing and a little downloading on the side. The catch is you just have to go to the manufacturer website to get the latest drivers instead of using the CD it comes with (at least for Windows 7 64bit).
A little larger than your thumbnail, it is a very subtle addition to a laptop or a virtually invisible one for desktops, and with the size of the thing I think you'll get the most bang for your buck out of this tiny wireless antenna.

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Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5087 15.6-Inch Laptop (Trax Texture in Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)The connection on the side where you plug the AC charger is BAD!! Have to wiggle the plug to get it to charge and be careful that you don't bump it or you have to wiggle the cord again. This should not be happening, the laptop is only about 6 months old. This laptop comes with no web-cam. I would not reccomend this laptop to anyone.

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DELL LATITUDE D810 INTEL CENTRINO 1600MHZ 1024MB 60GB CDRW/DVD WIFI 15.4" WIDESCREEN LCD XP PRO LAPTOP Review

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(More customer reviews)Great item a little on the large size but sturdy and works great. Well worth the price.

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Samsung SGH-A237 Charging USB 2.0 Data Cable for your Phone This professional grade custom cable outperforms the original Review

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(More customer reviews)The product is great as far as it was intended and offers much more than I will use. The CD that is shipped with it is trash and does not work, my computer made such a howl when I tried to install the software on it that I will not ever put that thing in my HP CQ60 Presario laptop again. I run Windows Vista Home Premium 32 bit. I was able to download the Samsung PC Studio 3 utility from the Samsung Web site which is needed to use the datacable to connect the Samsung A237 phone to a computer. This was free.
The datacable is well worth the price at Amazon and allows the maintenance of information on the phone using the Samsung PC Studio 3 utility. This cable allows the phone to be charged via the USB port on the computer it is connected to as well as use the phone as a modem for connecting to the Internet. Ring tones can be downloaded from computer to the phone and managed also. Information on the phones SIM, phonebook, addresses, calendar, messages, and mulitmedia files can all be managed from a computer screen using PC Studio 3.


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Dell Inspiron 545 Piano Black Desktop PC with 22-Inch HD Monitor (Windows 7 Home Premium) Review

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(More customer reviews)This computer is a replacement for a relative's ancient Dell Dimensions system. I bought it and am setting it up for him. I personally have several Windows XP computers myself, 1 Vista, and 1 Snow Leopard (iMac), and I do know a lot about computers and networking, so this review will have those above thoughts in mind as I write it.
Positives:
* Monitor (5/5)
The supplied 22" has an exceptionally sharp screen, and I have no complaints about it at all. Perfect size, and works very well even at mid-range settings (I like 1920x1200, but lower resolutions are still sharp, unlike experiences I've had in the past with other computers & monitors).
* Windows 7 (5/5)
I can't find anything to complain about with 7. It is intuitive, and does everything I need easily and without having to jump through hoops. I was familiar with the earlier Windows releases, so there was basically no learning curve for me with 7. I am also a big Snow Leopard fan, but now with 7, in my mind they are pretty much equals.
* Box (5/5)
The piano black looks nice. I like that the DVD drive and the card reader slots are covered when not in use to keep dust at bay. It runs quiet, so that is much appreciated. I also prefer the Intel processor VS AMD, and like that it came with 6Mb RAM and a large hard drive.
* Keyboard (4/5)
The supplied keyboard is basic, and is a USB connection (not wireless). It works well, and is no frills. No complaints.
* Speakers (3/5)
The speakers are slimline, and very light. They won't get real loud, but are fine for basic needs. If you are planning on doing anything like watching movies frequently, you may consider upgrading them. Absolutely fine for everyday use though.
* Performance (5/5)
For my relative's needs (internet, email, youtube, etc), this is perfect. Video works great, and the speed of 7 is satisfactory. I did some benchmark testing, and the processor and drive score high, with the only downfall being the graphics ability. Nobody will notice that though, unless you are into hard core gaming.
* Amazon (5/5)!!!
The price is terrific, and is actually a much better deal than I could get from Dell directly (at least as of this writing, deals change all the time). Also very much appreciated the $3.99 1-day shipping! I'm a prime member so I could have had free 2-day shipping, but I wanted to make sure it was delivered when someone would be here so the 1-day worked out great.Negatives:
* Mouse (2/5)
The mouse is also a USB connection (not wireless), and is pretty cheap. It is optical and tracks fine, but just feels real cheap. I'll probably replace with a nicer wireless mouse.
* Dell supplied software (1/5)
The only real issue I'm having is the Dell supplied software crashes repeatedly. None of it is very useful, so I just disabled it and all is well. Please note that this is NOT a Windows 7 issue, but an issue with the Dell utilities software itself. I suspect they will have updates that will fix it, but for now, it liked to crash, so I just disabled it. I also uninstalled the supplied anti-virus software and installed one I like better that is free, but that is just a personal choice.Overall:
I am very pleased with this computer! The hardware (except for the mouse) is better than expected, especially the monitor. I would recommend this setup without hesitation, especially for those that are mainly going to do emails & internet. This is a stellar deal as well, and I feel you get a lot for the money.
Thanks for reading.UPDATE 11/29/09: I did purchase the Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Pro keyboard and mouse set to replace the supplied Dell ones for this system. This was a fantastic upgrade! I highly recommend the Wave Pro setup. It integrates well with Windows 7, and has dedicated keys on the mouse and keyboard for Aero among other things. With this mouse and keyboard, I like the system even better.


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Belkin Surf N300 Wireless N Router Review

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(More customer reviews)A lot of people have complained about the Belkin Surf F7D230 - the older version of this router sold in a blue/white box. I got the revised version F7D6301, which seems to work just fine for me.
I am replacing my good-ole Linksys WRT54G v1.0 with the Belkin Surf N300 F7D6301. Here are my comments:
* I bought it for $29 at Walmart on Black Friday, otherwise it sells for about $45.
* I did not use the Setup CD that would install a 95MB setup/monitoring program.
* If you have Windows 7, the setup is easy enough, just connect the power cable, hook up the router to the modem and you are set. The only other thing you need to do is to enter the preset password located on a small card on the side of the router. You can later access the router settings by entering http://192.168.2.1/ in your browser and set up a more convenient WPA/WPA2 under "Security" located in the left hand side navigation area.
* If you are not tech savvy, run the setup CD, it pretty much does it all for you.
I then ran a network test on speedtest.net and Belkin Surf outperformed my old router in download speeds Linksys 12 Mbps vs. Belkin Surf 20 Mbps. Upload speeds were exactly the same 1.85 Mbps. Please note that speeds will vary due to your provider and what type of plan you have.
Then I tested the range performance. I walked outside with my laptop, about 150 feet and after connecting to one and the other, I noticed that the signal strength was "fair" for my old router and "good" for the Belkin. Also, the speeds have dropped significantly for both routers, but the Belkin still outperformed the old Linksys; 2-4 Mbps for the Linksys vs. 6-8 Mbps for the Belkin.
Pros:
+ Over all, the router is a great choice for the $price$.
+ No dropped connection issues, signal strength is good all over the house.
+ I can surf the web even 150 ft. away from the router.
+ The internet speed is improved.
Cons:
- Not that it matters, but the router feels like it is made out of cheap plastic. For those who like good looking/feeling things, this is definitely not the best choice. However, if you don't care about visual appeal, tuck this thing away from the view and let it do it's job.
The rest is up to you...


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Belkin Surf N300 Wireless N Router

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Linksys WMP54G PCI Wireless Adapter Refurbished Review

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(More customer reviews)Don't bother using this PCI card if you are running Windows 7, especially if it's x64; I run the 64-bit version and it was a horrible nightmare trying to get this card to first be recognized, then be stable. save yourself some heartache and get something else. Google "WMP54G Windows 7 64" and all you get is issues.

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Zoom CableModem 5241 - Cable modem - external - USB / Ethernet - 42 Mbps Review

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(More customer reviews)I used previosly the modem model 5041 over 5 years already. There were issues with connection at first time, but it was solved when I called to my provider (Comcast by the way). Since then I never had any problems with this equipment. I would keep it till it die of the old age but on Dec 14 2009 Comcast upgraded its network so I had to pick new modem from their approved list of modems for 3 days before of marked day. I checked reviews and picked the ZOOM 5241. I have wireless router (linksys 54G) connected to my 5241.
What did I do for setup.
1. Unplugged old modem from power, coaxial and router,
2. Plugged new modem 5241 to his power adapter, coaxial cable and router (with RJ45 connector),
3. Lunched Internet browser (Firefox or IE),
4. I got Comcast page with instructions automatically (It wouldn't let go for another until setup is done),
5. Followed technician instructions (which not require any special skills),
6. Entered my current account number and Comcast shown me all my data including physical and mac addresses. I did not plug in directly from modem to PC. At first Comcast did not pass linksys. I just ignored it and "run diagnostic" (which is just a button) again. Everything was set up automatically. After too reboots I got perfect connections wire and wireless.
Downloading speed jumped up dramatically.
PS. One week later.
Zoom 5241 works now with renewed Comcast network very good. However once I lost connection but because of the my LinkSys 54G wireless router. After I hit reset button on it I got all my connections back. So it was a linksys issue. Right now Zoom + Linksys work flawlessly. And I noticed that downloading speed went up about 10 times faster (Limewire from 15-24 Kbs to 200-500 Kbs - 250 average).
Well 5041 is useless for Comcast IP for today anyway but 5241 works perfect. I picked mine in Fry's Electronics with described above characteristics for $54.
Good luck

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