ProductWiki unbiased product reviews

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q830

MSRP $1,450.00 Released January, 2009

Pros

large 18.4" display with respectable 1680 x 945px resolution (over 720p approaching 1080p)
powerful components - Core i7 processor, DDR3 memory, dedicated Nvidia graphics with 1GB of VRAM
HDMI output

Cons

display is not 1080p
off-center touchpad
glossy plastic enclosure - cheap looking, fingerprint magnet

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 30• 2 contributors• 0 taps

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Western Digital WD TV Mini

MSRP $99.99 Released October, 2009

Pros

includes remote control
compact
sleek aesthetic - small, minimalist design

Cons

no HDMI output
no support for the popular open MKV container
not a good value compared to the WD TV or WD TV Live

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 30• 2 contributors• 0 taps

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HTC Droid Eris

MSRP $99.00 Released November, 2009

Pros

microSDHC memory expansion
3.5mm audio output
HTC Hero-like trackball for navigation

Cons

old ARM11 core at only 528MHz (stable platform but mediocre performance)
only Android 1.5 at initial release (even the G1 is already updated to 1.6!)
mail in rebate, arghh!

ProSCORE
2 reviews

Oct. 29• 2 contributors• 1 tap

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Vivitar ViviCam T328

MSRP $99.00 Released January, 2009

Pros

face and smile recognition
affordable price
accepts easy to find, capacious and affordable SD memory cards

Cons

cheap no-name brand
basic point and shoot
glossy plastic

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 29• 3 contributors• 0 taps

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Keen Targhee II Mid Boots

MSRP $125.00 Released January, 2009

Pros

Extremely durable, doesn't fall apart after a few months like cheap brands
Lace clips at top of boot prevent untied strings from loosening the boot - very handy
Webbing is reflective at night

Cons

Wicking ability is limited; doesn't withstand the sweatiest feet
Waterproofing degrades after time

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 29• 1 contributor• 1 tap

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Spore Hero

MSRP $49.99 Released October, 2009

Pros

good graphics
gain new parts and open new environments
colourful and visually interesting creatures and environments

Cons

frame rate issues with a few creatures on the screen
frame rate issues really get in the way of timing based combat
creatures cannot be shared online (Wii)

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 29• 2 contributors• 0 taps

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Acer Aspire Z5610

MSRP $900.00 Released September, 2009

Pros

DVD-RW drive can be swapped out for Blu-ray recorder
Big 23" 1080p HD display with 5ms response time
more affordable all-in-one/performs well considering the slim factor

Cons

unattractive large lower bezel
not a real Core 2 processor on the lower end model, older architecture
components are not easily replaced, upgraded or re-used when the unit gets old

ProSCORE
3 reviews

Oct. 29• 4 contributors• 0 taps

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Western Digital My Book Studio 2nd-gen

MSRP $269.99 Released October, 2009

Pros

RAID 0/1 support for enhanced speed or storage redundancy
large variety of inputs - USB 2, FireWire 400/800, eSATA
external capacity gauge

Cons

RAID 0 by default - speed/capacity over data redundancy
no kensington lock slot
build quality has declined from the previous generation offering - thinner enclosure walls, less vibration reduction

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 29• 2 contributors• 0 taps

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HP TouchSmart tx2z Series

MSRP $999.99 Released February, 2009

Pros

compact
convertible (into tablet mode)
impressive onboard AMD/ATI Radeon graphics - much faster than Intel GMA options

Cons

no eSATA, FireWire or digital video out port (HDMI, DisplayPort, etc...)
5.8 pounds with AC adapter
glossy plastic enclosure - fingerprint magnet

ProSCORE
2 reviews

Oct. 29• 3 contributors• 1 tap

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Technics SL-1200MK2

MSRP $500.00 Released --

Pros

Industry standard in regular turntable
Holds it's value
Dust cover supplied

Cons

No pitch lock
Only one star/pause button (not handy for turntablists)
No big price drops in the last 10 years

ProSCORE
2 reviews

Oct. 29• 3 contributors• 2 taps

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Sony ALT-SA33PC

MSRP $200.00 Released September, 2009

Pros

includes remote control
uses USB transmitter for easy use with any PC
allows you to connect your own high quality amp and speakers to best fit your setup

Cons

USB transmitter isn't very elegant
no built in amp or included speakers
expensive for what it is

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 29• 3 contributors• 0 taps

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Acer Aspire One P531h

MSRP $419.00 Released December, 2008

Pros

lightweight
good build quality
affordable price

Cons

standard netbook internals - no deviation from the norm
battery life doesn't measure up to similarly priced alternatives from Asus
small trackpad

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 29• 3 contributors• 0 taps

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Britax Boulevard

MSRP $309.00 Released January, 2008

Pros

Convertible - front and rear facing
Comfortable for your little one
Easy to install

Cons

Harness is a little hard to tighten
Straps get twisted easily
limited number of fabric choices

ProSCORE
3 reviews

Oct. 28• 4 contributors• 2 taps

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Borderlands

MSRP $59.99 Released October, 2009

Pros

Available for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3
single player, multiplayer and 4-player co-op modes
joins first person shooter with RPG elements

Cons

easy to hit the level cap - much like Fallout 3
poorly presented story
stupid enemy AI

ProSCORE
2 reviews

Oct. 28• 3 contributors• 2 taps

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Microsoft Explorer Mouse

MSRP $79.95 Released September, 2007

Pros

3-year warranty
BluTrack tracking technology - improved usability on non-standard surfaces
can last for 3 weeks without being charged

Cons

annoying blue light
transmits on the crowded 2.4GHz radio frequency band
no way to tell when the mouse is fully charged - despite 'charged' indicator

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 28• 2 contributors• 0 taps

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Motorola Droid (Sholes)

MSRP $299.00 Released November, 2009

Pros

open Android 2.0 OS
WiFi
large 3.7" touchscreen with high resolution (854 x 480px)

Cons

annoying $100 mail in rebate to get to $199 price point
flash memory isn't integrated into the device, the only option is microSDHC (not as fast)
no multi-touch as in the GSM version for Europe (and though Android 2.0 would support it)

ProSCORE
7 reviews

Oct. 28• 11 contributors• 2 taps

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HP HDX 16-1370US

MSRP $949.99 Released July, 2009

Pros

HDMI output
Altec Lansing speakers with built-in subwoofer
affordable price

Cons

large and heavy - poor for mobility
no Blu-ray optical drive
display is not 1080p capable

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 28• 2 contributors• 1 tap

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Garmin-Asus Nuvifone G60

MSRP $299.99 Released October, 2009

Pros

non-slip rear surface
standard USB port for connectivity
loud speaker

Cons

late to market - announced in early 2007, many affordable GPS-enabled phones have come and gone
2.5mm headset/headphone jack
poor software platform - no good default apps, no app store / easy to customize OS

ProSCORE
2 reviews

Oct. 28• 3 contributors• 0 taps

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FujiFilm FinePix S200EXR/S205EXR

MSRP $599.99 Released July, 2009

Pros

optical image stabilization
RAW format support
14.3x optical zoom

Cons

large size
high price
non-removable lens

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 27• 2 contributors• 1 tap

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Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympics Games

MSRP $49.99 Released October, 2009

Pros

can use the Wii balance board in some of the events (not required)
Festival mode - takes players through the entire winter games, from the opening to closing ceremonies
available for Wii and the DS

Cons

individual sports are better executed in different Wii games
a lot of simple and uninspired gameplay
lacks online multiplayer

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 27• 3 contributors• 0 taps

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Averatec Voya 4400 Series

MSRP $1,299.00 Released April, 2008

Pros

semi-rugeddized design
affordable price for a rugged design
spill-resistant keyboard and touchpad

Cons

heavy
poor specifications - low screen resolution, weak processor, limited RAM, etc..
relatively unknown manufacturer

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 27• 2 contributors• 0 taps

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DJ Hero

MSRP $119.99 Released October, 2009

Pros

as fun as addicting as the earlier guitar variations of the play-it-yourself genre
huge number of artists / genres are covered
a good number of mixes were created by well known DJs

Cons

mostly Hip-Hop - too little Trance/Techno
DJ character is not in sync with the music - often not touching the board when he/she is required to
can't create your own DJ

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 27• 2 contributors• 1 tap

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Nokia N97

MSRP $693.00 Released June, 2009

Pros

32GB of internal storage
QWERTY keyboard
microSD expansion slot

Cons

very expensive
no open source or lossless music format support
only 3 rows of characters on the keyboard - space button is not in its proper place

ProSCORE
13 reviews

Oct. 27• 22 contributors• 5 taps

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HP Envy 15

MSRP $1,799.00 Released October, 2009

Pros

great screen (LED backlight, 1080p resolution)
extra battery slice fits underneath the entire laptop which means you don't need to swap out batteries for more life
Great overall performance

Cons

trackpad is very buggy
extra battery slice weighs almost 3 pounds on its own
pretty expensive

ProSCORE
3 reviews

Oct. 27• 5 contributors• 2 taps

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Forza Motorsport 3

MSRP $60.00 Released October, 2009

Pros

Gorgeous graphics (significant upgrade over Forza 2)
improved damage physics, cars can roll over now
built-in replay video editor and uploading to the net

Cons

rewind doesn't work at the beginning and end of races for some reason
loading times are just long enough to be somewhat annoying
force-feedback on the wheel isn't as strong as in other games

ProSCORE
4 reviews

Oct. 27• 5 contributors• 3 taps

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Jensen JiMS-210

MSRP $109.99 Released January, 2009

Pros

AM/FM tuner
alarm clock functionality - wake to any of the three sources (iPod, radio, CD player)
MP3 compatible CD player

Cons

relatively unknown brand
not iPhone compatible
poor 90-day limited warranty

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 27• 2 contributors• 0 taps

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Way of the Samurai 3

MSRP $49.99 Released October, 2009

Pros

over 15 different endings - the choices you make determines the outcome of the game, good replay value
create your own weapons to suit your fighting style and tastes
play through different lifestyles (samurai, bandit, etc...)

Cons

horrible last-gen graphics
iPhone version is boring

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 26• 2 contributors• 0 taps

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Lenovo ThinkVision L2251x Wide

MSRP $299.99 Released November, 2009

Pros

ergonomic stand - tilt, swivel, pivot and adjustable height
professional business aesthetic
energy efficient and environmentally friendly

Cons

odd DisplayPort digital input - not standard like DVI is
not 1080p capable
high price for what it is

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 26• 2 contributors• 0 taps

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Gateway ZX6810-01

MSRP $1,399.99 Released November, 2009

Pros

powerful components - Core 2 Quad processor, dedicated ATI graphics, DDR3 memory
comes with Windows 7
built-in digital tuner

Cons

not capable of being wall mounted
all-in-one design makes replacing, upgrading or re-using components difficult or impossible
no Blu-ray drive

ProSCORE
2 reviews

Oct. 26• 4 contributors• 1 tap

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Disney Sing It: Pop Hits

MSRP $39.99 Released October, 2009

Pros

teaches children proper singing technique
available for the wii, Playstation 2 and Playstation 3
multiple singing modes make it good for those who know the songs well, want to compete against their friends

Cons

microphone is required and not included
only 30 songs
makes your kids lame

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 26• 2 contributors• 0 taps

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Toshiba Satellite U505-S2970

MSRP $900.00 Released January, 2009

Pros

comes with Windows 7
13" LED backlit display
LED backlit keyboard

Cons

older components Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 CPU, DDR2 memory
Intel GMA graphics - only good enough for media, basic productivity, poor for 3D

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 26• 2 contributors• 0 taps

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Palm Pixi

MSRP $100.00 Releases November, 2009

Pros

runs webOS
lighter and slimmer than the Pre
2.6" touchscreen display

Cons

like the Pre, it will be exclusive to Sprint
no WiFi
less powerful and versatile than the Pre

ProSCORE
2 reviews

Oct. 26• 4 contributors• 0 taps

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JVC HA-S700

MSRP $60.00 Released February, 2008

Pros

Circum-Aural, ear-surrounding earphones
Frequency response: 8 - 25,000Hz
iPhone compatible plug and 6.6ft extension cord

Cons

strictly mid-fi sound quality
thin cheap feeling cord

ProSCORE
2 reviews

Oct. 26• 2 contributors• 0 taps

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JVC TH-BA1

MSRP $400.00 Released September, 2009

Pros

affordable price
better value than the all-in-one Blu-ray model
dedicated wireless subwoofer

Cons

no HDMI
cannot match a true surround sound system
wireless subwoofer is transmitted to over the crowded 2.4GHz radio frequency band

ProSCORE
2 reviews

Oct. 26• 3 contributors• 1 tap

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End The Fed

MSRP $21.99 Released September, 2009

Pros

Refreshing perspective on the economic meltdown
Sheds new light on the Federal Reserve
Author's argument cites history, Austrian economics and personal anecdotes

Cons

Congressional hearings chapters are a little dry

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 25• 1 contributor• 1 tap

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Kodak Theater HD Player

MSRP $299.95 Released September, 2008

Pros

Full HD Output
Easy to setup
Plays watchable Youtube content

Cons

You have to install Crapware to get the streaming things going

ProSCORE
2 reviews

Oct. 25• 4 contributors• 2 taps

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Toshiba Satellite T115

MSRP $599.99 Released October, 2009

Pros

amazing battery life (8-9 hours claimed based on model)
affordable price
great compromise between a netbook and a full laptop computer

Cons

slow single core processor and Intel GMA graphics - can't do many everyday tasks such as watching high definition media, intensive flash / flash video
glossy black plastic all over

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 23• 4 contributors• 0 taps

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Sony DPF-D92

MSRP $169.99 Released January, 2009

Pros

1GB of internal memory
Alarm clock and calendar features
Bluetooth ready with compatible adapter - for wireless transfer of photos onto the device (requires adaptor sold separately)

Cons

large bezel
Sony branding right on the bezel
same resolution as smaller frames

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 23• 2 contributors• 0 taps

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Acer neoTouch S200

MSRP $470.00 Released October, 2009

Pros

5MP camera with LED flash
3.5mm headphone jack
WiFi

Cons

runs Windows Mobile
T9 keypad with a touchscreen? No physical QWERTY
Acer is not a well known phone manufacturer, one of their first attempts

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 23• 2 contributors• 0 taps

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Epson PictureMate Charm PM 225

MSRP $154.88 Released October, 2009

Pros

better than lab quality prints
borderless
2.5" LCD display for PC-less previewing and cropping of photos before printing

Cons

vendor lock-in for expensive replacement ink and paper

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 23• 2 contributors• 0 taps

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HP Pavilion dv8

MSRP $1,999.99 Released October, 2009

Pros

comes with Windows 7
large 18.4" display with full 1080p capable resolution
HDMI output

Cons

poor build quality, plastic enclosure
potential durability issues based on previous generations
high price - starts at $2000

ProSCORE
4 reviews

Oct. 23• 6 contributors• 1 tap

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Apple Magic Mouse

MSRP $69.99 Released October, 2009

Pros

multi-touch capable touch surface - utilizes figure gestures just like an Apple trackpad
no scroll wheel - won't break, easy to clean
ambidextrous design

Cons

not compatible with operating systems other than Mac OSX
Does not come with rechargable battery. Have to replace the AA's.
short and narrow - difficult to use comfortably (designed with aesthetics in mind rather than ergonomics)

ProSCORE
4 reviews

Oct. 23• 8 contributors• 1 tap

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Onkyo P3

MSRP $770.00 Releases March, 2010

Pros

Nvidia ION platform - includes a quality dedicated graphics chip for enhanced media and 3D rendering
compact size
includes 2GB of memory standard - vast improvement over the usual 1GB

Cons

ridiculously expensive for what it is
poor performance due to single core Intel Atom processor - not capable of gaming, HD flash, 1080p content, etc...
modularity of the design doesn't really matter with something already that small

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 23• 2 contributors• 0 taps

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Zune Player

MSRP $0.00 Released November, 2006

Pros

Manage the Zune
Simple to use
Has a store to buy music and rent movies

Cons

Only on Windows
Consumes a lot of resources, even when lowering graphics quality

ProSCORE
3 reviews

Oct. 23• 3 contributors• 2 taps

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Apple iMac 27-inch 3rd-gen

MSRP $1,699.00 Released October, 2009

Pros

large 27" LED backlit display - quality IPS panel, huge 2,560 x 1,440px resolution
beautiful all-in-one hardware design
4GB of memory and 1TB of disk space standard

Cons

no HDMI output (stuck with the relitively unused DisplayPort)
no Blu-ray optical drive options
high price for the majority of consumers

ProSCORE
8 reviews

Oct. 23• 12 contributors• 4 taps

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Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time

MSRP $59.99 Released October, 2009

Pros

Superb combat system
Puzzling puzzles
Fun weapons

Cons

More of the same
Formulaic

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 22• 2 contributors• 0 taps

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Sanyo VPC-HD2000A

MSRP $599.99 Released October, 2009

Pros

full 1080p video recording at 60FPS
8MP still shots
10x optical zoom

Cons

no optical image stabilization
no internal storage
high resolution video at higher frame rates eats through storage space at very high levels - limits recording time

ProSCORE
1 review

Oct. 22• 2 contributors• 0 taps

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Google Picasa

MSRP $0.00 Released January, 2004

Pros

program interface is fast and smooth
integrates well with Picasa Web Albums (upload, download, synchronization)
free

Cons

uses a lot of memory
few editing tools
import can be slow and annoying if you have a lot of images on your SD card

ProSCORE
3 reviews

Oct. 22• 3 contributors• 3 taps

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Canon PowerShot G11

MSRP $499.00 Released September, 2009

Pros

optical image stabilization
RAW format support
large 2.8" tilt/swivel display with respectable resolution (461k dots)

Cons

no HD video mode
same form factor as previous cameras in the series - slightly heavy and large
cost

ProSCORE
4 reviews

Oct. 22• 6 contributors• 2 taps

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HP Envy 15 BEATS Edition Series

MSRP $2,299.99 Released January, 2009

Pros

powerful high end internal components - Core i7 processor, DDR3 memory, ATI Radeon 4830 w/ 1GB of dedicated memory
LED backlit full 1080p capable display
slick all-black enclosure

Cons