Gyration Air Mouse GO Plus with Compact Keyboard GYM1100CKNA Review

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(More customer reviews)
*******HOW LONG HAVE I OWNED THE GYRATION GO AIR MOUSE & COMPACT KEYBOARD?*******
I have owned this Compact Keyboard and Go Air Mouse Combo for well over a year. I bought it to replace my IR (infra red) Silitek SK-7551 compact keyboard + pointing device for my Home Theater PC (HTPC).
*******WHY DID I NEED IT?*******
Since I have an HTPC it's connected to my HT receiver in my living room and its used to play back DVD, music, stream online video (YouTube). And usually in an HTPC setup the the actual computer case is next to the TV and HT Receiver while you sit a couple of feet away (11ft in my case) from the set up. So you need a wireless keyboard/mouse and remote to work everything.
I have had some sort of an HTPC for about 6 years and in these years the MOST used device (besides the universal remote) is the MOUSE. The SK-7551 retailed for $25 but is no longer made. The OLD mouse was a pointing device in my Silitek Keyboard which meant I had to cradle the weight of the entire keyboard just to use the mouse. So I realized that I need a separate mouse and keyboard but did not want to spend on high end stuff like Logitech DiNovo. Plus the Silitek Keyboard was IR which means I needed to ALWAYS point to the receiving station (placed under the TV) for me to make it work. *******SO HOW WELL DOES IT WORK?*******
Note the OLD keyboard on my HTPC was an IR or infra red keyboard which means the two sensors MUST be in the line of sight to work. That was the bad news, the good news was that it was immune from interference. Any RF product that run at 2.4 Ghz (like the Gyration Keyboard&Mouse) will have some interference. Even a microwave can cause some interference.
Here are some observations:
1) The Gyration KEYBOARD is a compact 88 keys RF keyboard and it's very light. But I do have some delay between initial keystrokes and them appearing on screen. But once the letters start appearing on screen the delay is minimal. But it can get irritating but you get used to it.
2) If you plan to use this as the ONLY keyboard & mouse connected to your PC you need to enable USB mouse and keyboard in your BIOS. The RF receiver that comes with the product plug into your USB device. Otherwise you cannot use the mouse or keyboard when you are in the BIOS.
3) The RF USB receiver seems to work better when plug it in the front USB ports. This could be because my HTPC has 802.11G PCI card with antenna in the back and plugging it in the back with both devices on 2.4Ghz may not be a good idea. But if you have a toddler in the house like I do, that's not very feasible to put it in the front USB port. So I bought 3 ft USB extension cord and plugged one end in the rear ports but the actual RF receiver is safely hidden in the TV cabinet. Since its RF it works through walls.
4) The STAR of the system in the Gyration GO Air Mouse. It can be used as an optical mouse and if you pick it up it becomes an gyro controlled air mouse. It works "pretty well" most of time. The Go Air tools software controls hand gestures and they work well too. But I cannot get the back and forward swipe motions for Firefox to work. Every time I gesture to go back in the FireFox browser it will do it but it will also open ANOTHER Firefox window. The solution is to open an IE window, minimize it and then use Firefox. When you do this the back and forward motion in Firefox works fine. This is a Firefox specific problem...its irritating but I have learned to live with it.
The above problem only happens with back and forward gestures in the Firefox browser, if you use IE you wont have to deal with it. The short cut to programs are really cool and they work well.
The other problem is with the battery. It does not hold charge that long (and I mean like a standard on your table bluetooth or wireless mouse), the solution is pretty simple keep the mouse + charger as close to your couch as possible this way you use it and when you are done put it back on the charge and its always on the charge till you need it. It will hold a charge for about 2-3 hours enough for you to get through a DVD movie.
*******OK OK...DO YOU RECOMMEND THAT WE BUY IT?*******
I did NOT buy this from Amazon, there was a very very slickdeal for this combo and it cost me about 1/4th of it's current Amazon Retail (at the time of writing).
Do I think its a great product for $100 + ? No, go for a Logitech DiNovo Mini for a little more.
Do I think its a great product for $50-100? Meeh, it depends.
Ok so is it a great product for under $50 ? ABSOFRIGGINGLUTELY :-)


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Brother MFC-990CW Color Inkjet All-in-One with 5.8GHz Cordless Handset and Wireless Connectivity Review

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(More customer reviews)Despite all the models on the market, and the rather cheap prices for All in ones, it seems to be impossible to find one unit that does everything well. It's sort of like finding a mate, you just might have to settle on some things.
I previously had the HP 7310 all in one, which I previously reviewed on here, but a lightning storm fried the fax board in it. The rest of the unit still worked, but I didn't want to get a separate fax machine. I called HP's customers service, and all they wanted to do was sell me a new expensive unit, at what they told me was a discount price. It was actually much cheaper elsewhere online.
This would be a five star unit if not for some major flaws. I chose this unit mainly because it has an answering machine and cordless phone built in. I also liked the glossy black look of the unit.
The unit has a very nice 4.3 lcd touchscreen which works quite well. Its responsive, has good color and easy to use. It tilts up and down, but this is largely unnecessary. The menus however, are a bit tricky to use, and it takes some playing with it to find out where all your settings and adjustments are located. Also when using the screen to scroll answering machine messages, I found it somewhat difficult to scroll back to listen to a previous message. It keeps taking you back to the beginning of the message you are listening too. It's actually easier to scroll forward and go back around, if you don't have many message saved.
The buttons on the front are raised and are the perfect size. They have good tactile feel and they allow you to easily change your functions, fax, copy, scan or photo capture.
There are some slots on the front of the unit for things like a USB flash drive which you can print your pictures directly from. It shows them on the lCD screen, and you scroll through them. It also is Bluetooth and WIFI capable, though mine is hooked with a wire, so I haven't tried these.
As far as the design of the unit, its mostly good. Its smaller and more compact then many units. It only features a 15pg Adf, versus the 30-50pg ones you see on some machines, but I rarely need to fax or copy more then 5pgs at a time anyway. What matters more is that this unit actually scans all the pages one at time, where my HP, frequently would grab too many pages and you ended up having to send them through one at time.
Faxing or printing in black in white was relatively quick, though trying to fax in color took about a minute per page. You do not want this unit for printing pictures. The people came out looking so red, it looked like they had been severely burned. Granted it was on regular paper, but I've printed decent pictured on regular paper before. You also will probably don't want this unit if you are going to do a lot of scanning photos. It has a 36bit scanner versus the 48bit seen on some other units.
The software in general I felt was good, but the OCR software sucked. It scanned all the words right, unlike my previous hp's software, but it completely ignored all spacing and format. Not ideal, if you want to scan and edit a form.
The power cord is not detachable from the unit, not a big deal to me, but it was datachable on my old HP. What I really didn't like was that the USB cord instead of attaching at the back, is threaded up inside the machine. Because of the bulb near the end of the wire, it requires bending and folding the wire some to get it attached and down in the triangle space provided. This is not good for the wire.
The paper tray which pulls all the way out, is rather flimsy, is made of cheap plastic and only holds about 100pgs. However, it's not as flimsy as some units such as Epson's Artisan 800, and a number of other units. More importantly though, I've had no paper jams and the pages don't drop on the floor after printing.
This unit like a number of Brother units, also supposedly uses it own ink to periodically clean itself. You cant shut this off, so even if not using the printer, you will find your ink is being lowered. You only have to replace one cartridge at a time though.
The real flaw with the unit is actually its biggest marketing feature, the fact that it has a built in 30 min answering machine and an attached cordless phone. I use my phone and fax on the same line and was tired of having my answering machine conflict with the fax. By having them in the same unit I hoped to avoid this conflict and guess what? It did. The machine knew when to pick up for messages or fax. No more conflict. Coodles to Brother for being the only manufacturer to offer a built in answering machine and cordless phone in some of their all in one units. Unfortunately, Brother apparently chose to use cheap mics or speakers for its built in phone system. So much to my disappointment, the answering machine messages come out garbled. Not all the time, but about half the time. Why bother to include an answering machine if you are going to do such an unacceptable job? I use my answering machine a lot and I don't want to have to guess what the message is saying. I tried just turning on my old answering machine, and turning off Brothers, but its fax then continues to try and pick up during calls. So I have to unplug the phone cord from the Brother, which means you cant use the cordless phone.
The cordless phone looks and feels nice, has raised buttons (though not backlit) and a decent orange backlit lcd screen and caller ID. Unfortunately the cordless phone also has speaker and or mic problems. Sometimes I can hear my echo while talking, and sometimes other people complained of static noise on the other end.
I sent my first one back, and ordered another one from a different place thinking maybe I got a lemon, but its has the same problems. Brother's customer service line was of no help at all. So now I'm torn, the unit looks nice, prints text fast and well, and faxes text quickly. Those are the main things I use it for, so I've thought about keeping it despite its major flaws. However I don't like the idea of keeping a brand new unit that comes with one of its major features being defective. Every unit on the market seems to have some types of flaws or problems, so I'm not sure where to settle.
UPDATE 9/5/2009- I decided to keep the unit, and for the most part I am content with it. I would probably raise the the star rating to 3 or 4, despite the problems I mentioned. I managed to change the settings so that the fax doesn't always try to pick up and only does so now when I actually get a fax. I rarely use the cordless phone due to its speaker problems, and I keep the answering machine off.
The USB port displays the pics from my flash drive on the LCD screen, but takes awhile to load them, and they are difficult to scroll through to find the ones you want.
I still haven't tried the wireless and probably won't since it's hooked to my computer. The paper tray needs to be a little bit bigger, as I find I have to refill it a little too often. Also be warned, this machine really burns through ink with it's automated cleaning process. I've had to replace the black ink a few times already and the color inks are all half empty despite the fact I almost never print anything in color. I do think the text print quality was slightly better on my old HP, but it's not a major difference. The scanner door feels like it isn't properly attached, like it's going to come off, but I beleive this is so you can lay bulky items on the scanner bed and still lay the door somewhat flat.
Overall I like the design of the unit and it has performed well with black & white printing and faxing, which are my primary uses for it.

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The Brother MFC-990CW Color Inkjet All-in-One with 5.8GHz Cordless Handset includes a 5.8GHz handset and prints, copies, scans, faxes, and more in one sleek, compact device. And with its built-in wireless networking, you can easily set up the printer to work with all the computers on your home or office network.
Built-in 4.2-Inch Touchscreen for Easy Menu Navigation The MFC-990CW features a 4.2-inch touchscreen that makes it easy to navigate menus, preview faxes, and preview/edit photos directly without a computer. You can edit and print photos directly by using either the built-in media card slot or by connecting a PictBridge-enabled camera or USB flash memory. The media card slot supports compact flash, memory stick, memory stick pro, SD, SDHC, xD, and xD TypeM/TypeH.
Print Top-Quality Photos and Documents Fast The MFC-990CW prints both documents and photos at up to 6000 x 1200 dpi and can reach speeds of up to 33 ppm black and 27 ppm color. The printer has two separate trays: a 100-sheet tray for documents, and a separate 20-sheet bypass tray for 4 x 6-inch photos. The printer supports paper sizes up to legal size (8 x 14 inches) and can print borderless photos. It uses separate ink cartridges for each color, so you only replace the color that runs out.
Built-In Networking Lets Everyone Use the Printer The printer has both wired and wireless networking built in, making it simple to set up the printer to be shared by everyone in your office or home. The built-in wireless supports 802.11b/g and features one-button wireless setup for simplicity. Security standards supported include SSID, WEP 64/128-bit, WPA-PSK, and WPA2-PSK. For those without wireless, there is also a 10/100 Base-TX Ethernet port.
Copy and Scan with the Same Device The MFC-990CW lets you copy and scan as well as print from the same device. The stand-alone copier doesn't require a PC and can make both black-and-white and color copies at a speed of 22 cpm black and 20 cpm color. It can scale copies from 25 to 400 percent of the original, and it supports sorting and 2-in-1/4-in-1 copying. A 15-sheet automatic document feeder lets you scan and copy pages unattended.
The flatbed scanner has a maximum optical resolution of 1200 x 2400 dpi at 36-bit color depth for high-quality scans. It works with both Mac OS and Windows, and includes Scansoft PaperPort v11 SE with OCR software for Windows and Presto! PageManager software for Mac.
Send and Receive Faxes and Take Calls Cordlessly A high-speed Super G3 33.6K bps fax modem lets you send and receive black-and-white and color faxes at up to three seconds per page. A 15-sheet auto document feeder lets you fax documents unattended. In addition to functioning as a stand-alone fax, the unit also works as a PC fax.
A built-in 5.8GHz cordless telephone handset offers clear conversations when you roam around your home or office, and you can expand its functionality to up to four optional handsets. The device also has a full-duplex speaker phone for hands-free convenience. The built-in digital answering machine holds up to 29 minutes of messages.
The MFC-990CW measures 18.4 x 7.1 x 14.8 inches (WxHxD) and weighs 18.7 pounds. It is Energy Star certified and is backed by a one-year warranty.

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Creative Inspire S2 Bluetooth Wireless Multimedia Speaker System Review

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(More customer reviews)These speakers are great. The audio quality is spot on for their price and size. And they'll get loud... really loud... without distorting. The subwoofer puts out great beats, and has a bass level potentiometer on the back. I've connected these speakers to my desktop via the included Bluetooth dongle. I plugged it in and Windows (7) installed the software in a matter of seconds, requiring nothing from me besides turning on the speakers. I also have them paired with my phone (MotoDroid) and my Bluetooth enabled laptop. Pairing was problem-free with both of those, I just have to push the button on the Bluetooth dongle to disconnect them from my desktop first. Also, I can have music playing off of my desktop using the speakers while using my Bluetooth headset to talk on my phone, all within about five feet of each other, and there's no interference or troubles. Overall, I would suggest these speakers to anybody.

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Toshiba Satellite L635-S3020 LED TruBrite 13.3-Inch Laptop (Grey/Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I used to have a much older model Toshiba Satellite (Cannot remember the model number off the top of my head). I later gave it to my nephew and purchased an Acer Apire One, which after about a year of use (gentle use at that) it ceased to function at all. The time then came for me to shop around and with me not being much of a Mac person, I settled on this laptop after looking at other brands all over.
I am very pleased with the construction and performance of this laptop. The battery life I find is adequate (I do web surfing, reports, and photo editing), all which lasts me roughly at least 4.5-5 hours. The Eco-friendly feature is very intuitive since it saves battery life dramatically when you turn this on. Screen is very easy to read, keyboard is good enough to use.
My only slight complaint is the speakers, they aren't the best, however they are not bad by any means, a tad quiet if you will. However if you plug in headphones in (I have headphones that cover over your entire ear), and voila, the Dolby Advanced Audio really kicks in!
I do recommend this laptop, it's not too heavy, and it is very well rounded. I've owned it for about a week thus far and have absolutely no regrets purchasing it.

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Toshiba Satellite L635: Full-Powered Mobile Computing with 13-Inch Screen
Ideal for students, on-the-go small business owners, or the family that needs a laptop that is small enough to travel, the Toshiba Satellite L635 (model L635-S3020) features a 13.3-inch screen and weighs less than 5 pounds. It's a great choice for handling computing essentials at home, school or work--from surfing the web and downloading video to managing household finances or studying for finals. And its high-gloss Fusion Finish in Helios Gray will be sure to raise a few eyebrows.

This all-purpose, eco-smart machine features a stunning LED-backlit display with 720p native high-definition resolution. While light on its feet, the Satellite L635 is packed with powerful computing resources you expect to find in larger-sized laptops, including a SuperMulti drive that can burn a plethora of disc formats and built-in speakers with Dolby audio processing.

You'll also be able to burn through the hottest new digital media, content creation and advanced 3D gaming with the breakthrough performance of the Intel Core i5 processor--with 4-way multitasking processor power to work on four tasks simultaneously.

Thanks to the built-in webcam and Toshiba Face Recognition software on this machine, you'll enjoy a more convenient way to communicate, log on or share your laptop among the family. Other high-tech features include a power-saving Eco Utility to help reduce power consumption based on your needs and one USB/eSATA combo port.

This Satellite comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version).



Key Features
13.3-inch widescreen HD TruBrite LED-Backlit display not only renders stunning visuals, but it's more environmentally friendly as it uses less power (1366 x 768 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio).


2.4 GHz Intel Core i5-450M dual-core processor for smart performance with a speed boost (2.66 GHz with Turbo Boost Technology; 3 MB L3 cache). Intel's Turbo Boost technology maximizes speed for demanding applications, dynamically accelerating performance to match your workload--providing more performance when you need it the most. It also comes equipped with Intel HD Graphics--an advanced video engine that delivers smooth, high-quality HD video playback, and advanced 3D capabilities, providing an ideal graphics solution for everyday computing.


500 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)


4 GB of installed DDR3 RAM (expandable to 8 GB)


Intel HD Graphics with 64 MB - 1696 MB dynamically allocated shared graphic memory.


8x SuperMulti DVD drive with double layer support and Labelflash printing, which enables you to personalize your discs and keep them looking attractive and organized with direct-to-disc laser printing.


Wireless Connectivity
With its integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking capabilities, this laptop provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers).
With integrated Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, you can communicate and synchronize wirelessly with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as printers and cell phones.



Built-in stereo speakers with Dolby Advanced Audio blends a suite of technologies to deliver a stunning audio experience from headphones or your laptop speakers. It analyzes audio signals and restores tones often lost in encoding, mimicking the same optimization techniques that go into tuning movie theaters and mixing rooms, resulting in brighter highs and deep, thumping bass tones. It also expands stereo signals to 6.1- or 7.1-channel playback for a listening experience that will have you talking long after the performance.


Included Toshiba Software:
Toshiba Media Controller offers simplified media sharing. Using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, it lets you share videos, music and pictures from the media library on your laptop with compatible devices in your home entertainment network, or with other compatible laptops and devices, like an Xbox 360 game console. And you can do it all without moving equipment, burning discs or fumbling with cables.
Toshiba Bulletin Board is an easy-to-use organizational and productivity app that lets you build your own personalized space on your desktop. With Toshiba Bulletin Board, you can quickly and easily manage your to-do lists and calendars, plus create your own custom work area by pinning your favorite photos, documents, links and more.
Toshiba ReelTime helps you cut down the time it takes to search for files. The easy-to-use app takes traditional text-based file structures one step further to help you find what you're looking for more quickly. Accessible from your taskbar, it shows you a visual timeline of your recently accessed files--using graphical thumbnails--so you can easily identify and get to your files faster.



Included Toshiba Utilities:
Toshiba eco Utility makes it easy to go green as you go mobile. Hit the Eco Button and you'll launch the Toshiba Eco Utility, which puts all sorts of easy-to-read information on your screen, and gives you the ability to adjust the power settings on your laptop. It also activates a light showing you're in the Eco Mode. The Toshiba Eco Utility lets you pick the optimal power plan for your situation. Choose High-Performance when you need every watt you can get, Power Saver for the least energy consumption, or Balanced as a perfect blend of the two.



Up to 3.25 hours of battery life (6-cell battery; 48 Wh)


Dimensions & Weight: 12.95 x 8.7 x 1.45 inches (WxDxH); 4.8 pounds



Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to.

And with Windows Anytime Upgrade, you'll be able to add new features to your PC in as little as 10 minutes. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process, it requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings



Environmental Specifications
Energy Star 5.0 certified
Gold EPEAT designation for meeting standards to help reduce its environmental impact.
RoHS compliant effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances

Learn more about Toshiba's environmental commitment.

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25th Anniversary of Toshiba Laptops
This year, Toshiba celebrates its 25th anniversary of innovations and quality in the notebook PC business. Beginning with the launch of the Toshiba T1100, the world's first clamshell-type, fully functional laptop PC, Toshiba has led the with such innovations as the first laptop with a color monitor in 1991 and a laptop with integrated CD-ROM drive in 1995 (followed by the addition of a DVD drive in 1998). And in 2009, Toshiba unveiled the world's first ultraportable laptop with 512GB solid state drive.

Today, Toshiba continues to be a leader in eco-friendly manufacturing, with virtually all of its consumer laptops earning EPEAT Gold status for meeting standards that help reduce overall environmental impact.

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Acer Aspire AS5734Z-4725 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was a bit leary of buying an acer because it was so cheap, but a friend of mine has an aspire netbook and said it was fine. At first look, it does seem cheap, its case is plain black plastic, but performance was another story. It is lightning fast with my DSL internet. There is the usual amount of extra software to uninstall and the volume of the speakers is not the best, but I use a subwoofer/external speaker, so it didnt make a dif. I have had it for a few months now and am very pleased. I am now a fan of acer.

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Acer Aspire 5734Z: Multitasking Power
Offering dual-core processor performance and great digital media features, the affordable Acer Aspire 5734Z (model AS5734Z-4725) makes it easy to handle computing essentials at home, school or work--from surfing the web and downloading video to managing household finances or studying for finals. You'll have plenty of screen real estate thanks to the widescreen 15.6-inch display with HD resolution, and you'll be able to keep in close contact with friends, family, and business associates with the integrated webcam.
Navigate smoothly on the Multi-Gesture Touchpad. Click here for a larger image.

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Toshiba Satellite A665-3DV LED TruBrite 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)^*If I could I would give it 3 1/2 stars. I really couldn't decide between the two, so please get as much as you can out of the context.*^
Quick Pros and Cons--
Pros:
Packed with cutting edge hardware
Decent display
3D BLU RAY!!
Great looks
Decent speakers for portable
Pretty justifiable for gaming but not perfect
Nvidia 3d package and software is impressive
Cons:
Runs extremely hot
Short battery life
3d can be a gimmick depending on the content
SLOW boot times can be up to 2 minutes from complete shutdown state
3d Glasses are very uncomfortable and don't have great coverage
Performance is not always solid and framerate drops do occurThe Toshiba A665 3DV Laptop: One of three (competing with Asus and Acer) brand new 3D capable notebooks to enter the market. Personally this was a budget-wise entrance into the much hyped recent 3d technology. I can honestly say that the 3d hype eventually got to me in and I decided to narrow my search for a 3d capable laptop instead of just a standard notebook.
**Overview**:
I caught wind somehow of a new PC/X360 game called 'Sniper Ghost Warrior'. It looked like a ton of fun and I really wanted to get back in touch with my earlier PC gaming days. Being a diehard playstation gamer myself, I figured this to be the opportune point to buy my first laptop. More importantly however, this is a much cheaper solution to get into the world of 3d without spending a fortune because 3D TVs as of now are upwards of 2000 dollars, include that with the limited 3d-capable software of consoles and you have a real pocket gouge.

**Review**
Let me make this very clear: The Tiding factor in my decision between this model and the Asus g51j 3d model was the capability of 3D BLU RAY! This is HUGE. Not only is a blu ray player a very nice bonus, but the implementation of a software patch later this year will allow you to watch whatever blu rays are available in 3d. Once again, this comes down to the price point: being an efficient machine that does it all without having to go buy a 3d capable BD player and TV. Whether you would rather watch your movies on the big screen is an entirely different story.
Let me just say, the blu ray playback(no 3d) on this display has been fairly disappointing. I am so peculiar with my displays, I like my pixels very tight and my image razor sharp but not overblown. I hate a soft and dull image. This screen isn't that, but it's not what I expected. I used 'Crank' on Blu Ray as demo material(one of the most pixel popping blu rays out) and I was not extremely impressed. I used one great reference scene where the camera is following Jason Statham down a brick alley, the white artisan style bricks usually have so much depth and crystal clear pixels. They just didn't seem to pop as much with this display. However further viewing proved the display and BD Drive to be ample for viewing, however it doesn't match up to a great small-medium 720p TV in my opinion, which doesn't seem possible: Generally the smaller the screen, the higher the pixel count(more pixels "built in) to the LCD screen and the sharper the picture(take the super sharp display of the apple iPad. The screen is so tiny but the resolution is virtually double because there are so many pixels on such a little screen). But then again this is a computer, not a TV, and I guess with the 3d capability it almost makes up for it.
--Gaming is a much different and extremely complex situation as far as graphics. All games are developed differently, have different settings, and you can tune settings in game and in windows providing a hugely complex situation which I can't firmly give a good answer as to how it looks. All I will say is that coming from console gaming (where graphics generally aren't pushed to the limits) this display is more than enough to fit my graphics tastes.

--Onto the hardware for gaming: I think in general terms, this computer packs more than enough hardware to get the job done... by the books and on paper, HOWEVER: On my first playthrough of sniper ghost warrior (a very pleasing game visually, but no crysis) I quickly ran into some framerate issues on the first mission(not even with 3d on). Not huge at all, but at a certain point in the map things would start to slow down/lag and if I jumped or looked in a certain direction things would get jaggy but not unplayable at all. It was hard at first to get over that tiny little hiccup however, seeing that I just dropped $1600 for a top notch, technologically supreme piece of hardware(this thing was built for gaming and media). Just playing Left 4 Dead 2 (in 3d) last night I ran into some huge framerate issues, but mostly at the very end of the mission.
--Early Problems/Performance issues:
I ran into some very frustrating issues early on, but it seems to be working itself out fairly decently now.
**PLEASE HERE ME LOUD AND CLEAR ON THIS: I suspect that these framerate issues may be a result of the hard drive, even though it is a 7200rpm, I'm not sure what other specs it has(cache etc.), however I can't imagine that it's too sophisticated due to it being a laptop drive. The main reason I suspect that it is the hard drive is because in general use, this thing has terrible seek times. The One thing that really got to me was that from a shutdown state, this laptop takes a SOLID Minute to 2 minutes JUST TO BOOT UP. I mean I'm talking you can't do a single thing, not even open the task manager(ctrl-alt-delete) while it's booting up. All you can due is stare at the time glass. For some reason though it doesn't always take this long to boot up. It seems like it's getting a lot better, I think I just booted up last time in about 30 seconds or less. The only thing I can figure is that it has really arranged things and prioritized allowing the most important things to be processed first. I've also run into slow multitasking and program running a few times. I have a feeling that the frame rate drops in L4D2 were a result of something else happening, possibly even a BS automatic windows update that starts without notification or permission(though you can turn them off).
I also ran into problems with the 3d glasses losing sync, flashing, flickering all the time, until I realized that the transmitter works best pointed directly at the glasses, unlike most bluetooth/wireless hardware.
--Aesthetics:
The laptop itself looks very savvy, has great innovative looks and seems to be durable and solid. The lid and main chassis(under the keyboard) has a matted, thin linked chain pattern finish. It's pretty eye catching and helps minimize fingerprints. The mouse pad melts right into the rest of the the base, without being recessed which I liked. Overall it's a pretty good looking piece. The keys are smooth plastic and feel great. They have a great, thin, lightweight feel to them without being flimsy or cheap feeling. The only thing I didn't really like was that the lid doesn't lock, it just closes flush with the base. Not really a big deal but I was just used to that with my brother's laptop. I should also note that the keyboard is not backlit. Some of the manufacturers misleadingly label a whole series as having a "backlit keyboard", when in fact only some models have a fully lit keyboard. This model has a thin lit bar at the top of the mouse pad along with a LED under the logo in the corner and the media controls at the top being lit. One of the media controls themselves is the button to which you turn the lighting on or off. They lay flat/flush with the chassis and are touch sensitive, no actual button mashing.
One thing I hate: LITTERED WITH STICKERS!!! Most noticeably is a MASSIVE sticker with the model and different features all with logos and a 25th toshiba anniversary graphic in the bottom right covering more than half the distance from the right side to mouse pad. Combined with, oh, a half dozen other stickers and the smooth aesthetics are immediately killed, but you won't be bothered by that for long.
--Inputs/outputs:
This laptop has pretty basic I/Os. 3 USB ports, power cord, standard computer monitor out, ethernet, a hard drive connection, HDMI out, and headphone and microphone jacks.
++ This is somewhat of a disappointment for audiophiles as there are no audio outs( optical would be nice but I don't even know if any laptops utilize that). You're basically left with an 1/8 jack which you could buy various cables and adapters. Of course you could use HDMI, but as a fairly new format not all stereo receivers and audio devices are going to have that. The only reason I really criticize is because I'm into music production which relies on tons of higher end cable formats that you simply aren't going to get to communicate with a PC without lots of trouble. For everyone else these I/Os should be fine. Oh, there's a SD memory card slot on the front side. Also the harmon kardon speakers are quite impressive for their tiny size. They have okay bass and they don't sound cheap. Any type of surround is represented poorly however and gamers and audiophiles will quickly be turning over to their favorite headset.
--Battery Life:
I haven't adequately tested it but I estimate it at about an hour to two hours, gaming or just general OS usage. I guess it's really a given considering the hardware, this isn't a netbook designed to last, but more of a desktop replacement if you want to see it that way. I should note that this estimate is based on full out, bright screen, hardware pushing settings. Toshiba provides this laptop with an "eco mode" which can be turned on by a touch sensitive button...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: Toshiba Satellite A665-3DV LED TruBrite 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)


Toshiba Satellite A665-3DV: True Stereoscopic 3D Multimedia Entertainment
Enjoy premium sights and sounds as you take your 3D games to a whole new dimension with the Toshiba Satellite A665 3D edition laptop (model A665-3DV), which features a 15.6-inch HD TruBrite widescreen 3D display with LED backlighting and a 120Hz refresh rate. It's powered by the 1.73 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7-740QM processor, which provides a speed boost to 2.93 GHz in Turbo Mode. When compared to the previous Core 2 Duo generation of processors, the Intel Core i7 Quad-Core series performance has increased up to 137 percent.

You'll enjoy a 3D experience right out of the box with the included NVIDIA 3D Vision kit (with software, a pair of wireless active shutter glasses and an emitter), enabling you to get in the action quickly with easy set-up and intuitive conversion of supported content for stereoscopic 3D viewing. The system supports functionality that will become available in new drivers and software enhancements, so you'll be able to take advantage of new capabilities such as the ability to play Blu-ray 3D content and more.

The A665-3DV includes a read-only Blu-ray Disc optical drive lets you play high-def Blu-ray Disc movies in crystal-clear resolution as well as create your own DVDs and CDs with the Super-Multi drive. And you'll get excellent video playback as well as gameplay from the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 350M graphics processor, which includes 1 GB of DDR3 video memory.

Toshiba's A665 series laptops has been redesigned with the Fusion X2 Finish--an elegant matte textured surface with a gloss trim that's durable, uniquely stylish, and less prone to fingerprints. It's also packed with exclusive Toshiba technology, including a power-saving Eco Utility to help reduce power consumption based on your needs, USB Sleep-and-Charge port, and a hard drive impact sensor that protects your data.

Thanks to the built-in webcam and Toshiba Face Recognition software on this machine, you'll enjoy a more convenient way to communicate, log on or share your laptop among the family. And this laptop also includes the innovative Sleep and Music functionality, which lets you listen to music through its speakers without booting up.

This Satellite comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version).



Key Features
NVIDIA 3D Vision Technology enables you to step in to a whole new world of three-dimensional movies and gameplay. Combined with the 120Hz 3D display of this laptop, advanced software, and included high-tech wireless glasses, NVIDIA 3D Vision transforms hundreds of PC games, 3D movies and digital photographs into an eye popping, interactive experience. Just slip on the stylish specs and fire up your laptop.
3D-ready, 15.6-inch widescreen HD TruBrite LED-Backlit display not only renders stunning visuals, but it's more environmentally friendly as it uses less power (1366 x 768 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, 120Hz refresh rate).


1.73 GHz Intel Core i7-740QM processor (with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.93 GHz) delivers maximum processing power in response to peak demands. Intel's Turbo Boost technology maximizes speed for demanding applications, dynamically accelerating performance to match your workload--providing more performance when you need it the most. It also comes equipped with Intel HD Graphics--an advanced video engine that delivers smooth, high-quality HD video playback, and advanced 3D capabilities, providing an ideal graphics solution for everyday computing.


640 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)


4 GB of installed DDR3 RAM (expandable to 8 GB)


NVIDIA GeForce GTS 350M with 1 GB of dedicated DDR3 video memory (up to 2781 MB of total available graphics memory) provides up to 10 times the performance of integrated graphics with amazing visuals and Windows 7 compatibility. Let your GPU do the work for video playback with NVIDIA PureVideo HD technology--helping extend battery life, reducing fan noise, and freeing the CPU for multitasking. And experience the new visual capabilities and features built into Windows 7 with a new class of GPU-accelerated video and image processing applications built with Microsoft's new DirectCompute API.


Watch Blu-ray Disc movies in crystal clear resolution with the read-only Blu-ray drive; also supports reading/writing of CD-R/RW, DVD±R, DVD±RW, DVD±R DL, and DVD-RAM The drive also offers Labelflash printing, which enables you to personalize your discs and keep them looking attractive and organized with direct-to-disc laser printing.


Wireless Connectivity
With its integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking capabilities, this laptop provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers.
With integrated Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, you can communicate and synchronize wirelessly with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as printers and cell phones.



Harman Kardon stereo speakers bring an added dimension to music, movies and gaming with rich, immersive virtual surround sound.
Dolby Advanced Audio blends a suite of technologies to deliver a stunning audio experience from headphones or your laptop speakers. It analyzes audio signals and restores tones often lost in encoding, mimicking the same optimization techniques that go into tuning movie theaters and mixing rooms, resulting in brighter highs and deep, thumping bass tones. It also expands stereo signals to 6.1- or 7.1-channel playback for a listening experience that will have you talking long after the performance.


Included Toshiba Software:
Toshiba Media Controller offers simplified media sharing. Using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, it lets you share videos, music and pictures from the media library on your laptop with compatible devices in your home entertainment network, or with other compatible laptops and devices, like an Xbox 360 game console. And you can do it all without moving equipment, burning discs or fumbling with cables.
Toshiba Bulletin Board is an easy-to-use organizational and productivity app that lets you build your own personalized space on your desktop. With Toshiba Bulletin Board, you can quickly and easily manage your to-do lists and calendars, plus create your own custom work area by pinning your favorite photos, documents, links and more.
Toshiba ReelTime helps you cut down the time it takes to search for files. The easy-to-use app takes traditional text-based file structures one step further to help you find what you're looking for more quickly. Accessible from your taskbar, it shows you a visual timeline of your recently accessed files--using graphical thumbnails--so you can easily identify and get to your files faster.



Included Toshiba Utilities:
Toshiba eco Utility makes it easy to go green as you go mobile. Hit the Eco Button and you'll launch the Toshiba Eco Utility, which puts all sorts of easy-to-read information on your screen, and gives you the ability to adjust the power settings on your laptop. It also activates a light showing you're in the Eco Mode. The Toshiba Eco Utility lets you pick the optimal power plan for your situation. Choose High-Performance when you need every watt you can get, Power Saver for the least energy consumption, or Balanced as a perfect blend of the two.
Sleep and Music lets you enjoy your favorite tunes through speakers built into your Toshiba laptop without booting up--helping you conserve battery life. Just plug your portable player into the microphone jack, step back and enjoy.
USB Sleep and Charge offers a great way to keep your portable electronics powered up without requiring your laptop to be on. With this laptop's Sleep and Charge USB port, you'll be able to charge your smart phone, MP3 player, and other portable electronics--all without having to keep your laptop awake.
Hard Drive Impact Sensor takes the worry out of taking your most important files and multimedia on the go. Able to detect sudden movement along three different dimensions, the impact sensor (a complex system of hardware and software) helps safeguard your data by "parking" the hard drive heads in the event of a drop or sudden movement. And it works faster than you can blink to help protect your laptop and all-important data.



Up to 4.4 hours of battery life (12-cell battery; 98 Wh)


Dimensions & Weight: 14.98 x 10 x 1.48 inches (WxDxH); 5.8 pounds



Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to.

And with Windows Anytime Upgrade, you'll be able to add new features to your PC in as little as 10 minutes. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process, it requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings



What's in the box
This package contains the Toshiba Satellite A665-3DV notebook PC, 3D glasses, 3D emitter, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions.

It also comes with the following software:
Norton Internet Security 2010 (30-day trial); Microsoft Works 9; Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Edition (60-day trial); Google Toolbar; Microsoft Windows Media Player 12; Microsoft Silverlight; Toshiba PC Health Monitor; Toshiba Online Backup (30-day trial)
This laptop is backed by a 1-year limited hardware warranty.

Environmental Specifications
Energy Star 5.0 certified
Gold EPEAT designation for meeting standards to help reduce its environmental impact.
RoHS compliant effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances

Learn more about Toshiba's environmental commitment.

Learn More


25th Anniversary of Toshiba Laptops
This year, Toshiba celebrates its 25th anniversary of innovations and quality in the notebook PC business. Beginning with the launch of the Toshiba T1100, the world's first clamshell-type, fully functional laptop PC, Toshiba has led the with such innovations as the first laptop with a color monitor in 1991 and a laptop with integrated CD-ROM drive in 1995 (followed by the addition of a DVD drive in 1998). And in 2009, Toshiba unveiled the world's first ultraportable laptop with 512GB solid state drive.

Today, Toshiba continues to be a leader in eco-friendly manufacturing, with virtually all of its consumer laptops earning EPEAT Gold status for meeting standards that help reduce overall environmental impact.

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Yamaha RX-V567BL 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Each, Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)When my old TV died I replaced it with a new HD LCD. One of the things that bothered me was audio sync with the picture. I started checking into the problem and found that the sound being sent to my faithful old Technics receiver was being decoded faster than the video sent to the TV was. After some research and listening at local retailers I decided on the Yamaha RX-V567.
Here is why:
-HDMI 1.3 compatible. Syncs audio and video for high definition sources.
-Passive HDMI switching. Switches sources even when the receiver is off.
-Scene settings. Allows you to set an input, sound field program, initial volume level, etc for each of 4 scene buttons.
-YPAO. Makes setup of speaker levels a snap. Not so great for setting equalizer settings though - but that's just an opinion.
-Sound delay. Up to 320 ms sound delay that can be set manually.
-Direct Sound Processing Mode. Shuts off all unused portions of the receiver and processes surround stream using only the DAC and amplifier.
-Customizable Input labels. Set a custom label for any input.
-Tons of customizable options from setting speaker impedance, to allowing the use of multiple remotes, to an 8 band parametric equalizer that can be set differently for each input. As a matter of fact there are so many options that after a month of owning the receiver I don't think I have seen them all. Don't feel intimidated by this though, the receiver is configured so you won't need to mess with a whole lot of this stuff if you don't want to.
-Yamaha amplifiers. Awesome sound and plenty of volume.
-DAC processes a ton of digital standards up to and including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD and switches automatically or can be set for each source.
Things I didn't like:
-The only thing I didn't like was the fact the manual came on CD.
-The remote has lots of smallish buttons and no back light. A bit disappointing as it is expected to be used as a universal remote.
Also Available:
-Optional IPod dock and Bluetooth receiver. These are available but I myself don't own either. I have a Logitech Squeezebox for playing digital music as I don't care for compressed music sources.
-Sound Field processing. Again something I don't use but its there.
I am very pleased with the receiver so far. It has surpassed my expectations in many ways not the least of which is the ability to customize just about everything about every input on the thing. Sound quality is excellent and setup is quick and simple - it took longer to straiten out the YPAO cable than it did to set it up, and the sound field setup is excellent.
This is the first Yamaha electronics device I have ever owned and I am very impressed with it so far.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha RX-V567BL 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Each, Black)

The Yamaha RX-V567BL 7.1 Channel AV Receiver is a powerful receiver to help take your home theater experience to the next level. It features the latest HDMI specifications (4 inputs/1 output) with Audio Return Channel and 3D-readiness (with firmware upgrade), 1080p HDMI compatibility, an onscreen display, and renowned Yamaha technologies like SCENE and CINEMA DSP. Expand your options even further with optional docks (sold separately) to add your iPod, iPhone, or Bluetooth sources.

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Toshiba Satellite L655D-S5076 LED TruBrite 15.6-Inch Laptop (Grey/Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Worth every penny when it comes to looks, performance and display.
I've owned a Dell Inspiron 6400 before this, so my entire review is influenced by my personal experience with that machine.
The Dell I owned was a highly customized laptop with some of the best specs available to me 3 years ago. But the battery sucked. (Only time will tell how good the battery is on this TOSHIBA)
The one thing I miss in my Toshiba is Bluetooth, since I'm used to transferring pictures and taking back up from my phone all the time, over bluetooth. A conenience definitely, but its absence in Toshiba is definitely not a Limitation.
Pros:
- The Display is brilliant. At its highest setting, the screen looks bright enough to be able to read even in bright sunlight in a park (not that I do it, but its just an example to give you an idea of how bright it is)
- The Multi-touch fingerpad is quite useful once you get used to it. You can tweak its settings from the properties, and I have my 'Right Mouse Button', 'Middle Mouse Button', two finger scrolling, pinch zoom, picture rotation, all set on my fingerpad. I barely have to use the buttons under the finger pad. A lot of other settings enable me to control my mouse pointer like a well seasoned chef playing with a chef's knife!
- The processor, albeit a tad noisy, does perform the way it is supposed to. I mean hey, its a Quad core, and so I tested it out by having Firefox and Chrome with 4-5 tabs each open while I played Left 4 Dead. I could never do this on my Inspiron (Core 2 Duo with a 2 GB RAM, but here on TOSHIBA it was a breeze!!! (Touchwood!)
- The battery lasts me a good 2.5 - 3 hours with lots of applications running, some videos, and gaming (all of this at 50% screen brightness) which I think is pretty decent.
- I like the little button above the fingerpad which lets me lock/unlock my fingerpad; so if I'm merely typing something, I can avoid mouse interference when my wrist or palm brushes over it mistakenly, by simply pressing that button and locking the mousepad.
Cons:
- The fingerpad is placed on the left half of the computer, so using it with my right hand is a little inconvenient. I am ambidextrous so it isn't too big a deal for me, but still I wish it was a little more to the center.
- There's no depression or demarcation of the fingerpad from the rest of the body (except that it gets a little rough textured) so my fingers tend to run out of the fingerpad when using it to scroll or do fancy stuff.
- A little noisy at times. The fan starts running and doesn't give up... It doesn't happen all the time, and its not a big problem to me, but its just something I noticed. (Considering the fact that there are 4 processors at work here, I think high fan work is expected)
- Definitely a finger print magnet.
- The keyboard and mousepad buttons seem a little delicate and too plastic-ey!
-Lack of Bluetooth!
- Loads of useless software comes pre-installed, but you can always remove it, so its not a major problem to me.
Summary:
Overall, I think this is a very good machine, perfect for someone who is not into extreme computing or super rich!
Good price, more than a decent performance, and good battery life.
I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to buy a nice processor at a nice price!
The reason I've given it 5 stars despite a not too short list of cons is because none of those cons are a deal breaker to me, nor do they even remotely outweigh the pros of this product.
UPDATE (6/4/2011):
The battery life is not so great as i expected initially. It lasts me exactly 2 hours, when using on power saver setting or eco mode. This is not too good specially considering how I don't use a lot of applications at the same time, but mostly browsing. All in all, I say if you don't mind plugging your laptop for charging every now and then, this is a good choice considering its performance. but if portability is even the remotest concerns you have, this one's not the best choice. Would I still buy it, probably not, since there are other laptops with almost as good a performance, but a better battery life at a close enough price.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Toshiba Satellite L655D-S5076 LED TruBrite 15.6-Inch Laptop (Grey/Black)


Toshiba Satellite L655D: Fashionable, Affordable and Portable with 15.6-Inch Screen
Offering a redesigned chassis with a sleeker body, the nicely affordable Toshiba Satellite L655D-S5076 notebook PC makes it easy to handle computing essentials at home, school or work--from surfing the web and downloading video to managing household finances or studying for finals. And its high-gloss Fusion Finish in Helios Gray will be sure to raise a few eyebrows while you're on the go.

You'll be able to burn through the hottest new digital media, content creation and advanced 3D gaming thanks to the quad-core AMD Phenom II Mobile Processor P920 and the installed 4 GB of DDR3 RAM.

This all-purpose, eco-smart machine features a stunning 15.6-inch LED-backlit display with 720p native high-definition resolution. Thanks to the built-in webcam and Toshiba Face Recognition software on this machine, you'll enjoy a more convenient way to communicate, log on or share your laptop among the family. Other high-tech features include a power-saving Eco Utility to help reduce power consumption based on your needs and one USB/eSATA combo port.

This Satellite comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version).



Key Features
15.6-inch widescreen HD TruBrite LED-Backlit display not only renders stunning visuals, but it's more environmentally friendly as it uses less power (1366 x 768 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio).


1.6 GHz AMD Phenom II P920 quad-core processor (with AMD M880G Chipset and 2 MB L2 cache) lets you enjoy movies, music and games like you never have before, with amazing detail, clarity and color. Plus, you can experience Microsoft Windows 7 the way it was intended. All this with the freedom to do more on the go with long battery life rating.


320 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)


4 GB of installed DDR3 RAM (800 MHz; expandable to 4 GB)


ATI Radeon HD 4250 graphics card provides exceptional features, performance and power-efficiencies that enrich what you see and do (256 MB - 1917 MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory).


8x SuperMulti DVD drive with double layer support and Labelflash printing, which enables you to personalize your discs and keep them looking attractive and organized with direct-to-disc laser printing.


Wireless Connectivity
With its integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking capabilities, this laptop provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers.



Built-in stereo speakers with Dolby Advanced Audio blends a suite of technologies to deliver a stunning audio experience from headphones or your laptop speakers. It analyzes audio signals and restores tones often lost in encoding, mimicking the same optimization techniques that go into tuning movie theaters and mixing rooms, resulting in brighter highs and deep, thumping bass tones. It also expands stereo signals to 6.1- or 7.1-channel playback for a listening experience that will have you talking long after the performance.


Included Toshiba Software:
Toshiba Media Controller offers simplified media sharing. Using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, it lets you share videos, music and pictures from the media library on your laptop with compatible devices in your home entertainment network, or with other compatible laptops and devices, like an Xbox 360 game console. And you can do it all without moving equipment, burning discs or fumbling with cables.
Toshiba Bulletin Board is an easy-to-use organizational and productivity app that lets you build your own personalized space on your desktop. With Toshiba Bulletin Board, you can quickly and easily manage your to-do lists and calendars, plus create your own custom work area by pinning your favorite photos, documents, links and more.
Toshiba ReelTime helps you cut down the time it takes to search for files. The easy-to-use app takes traditional text-based file structures one step further to help you find what you're looking for more quickly. Accessible from your taskbar, it shows you a visual timeline of your recently accessed files--using graphical thumbnails--so you can easily identify and get to your files faster.



Included Toshiba Utilities:
Toshiba eco Utility makes it easy to go green as you go mobile. Hit the Eco Button and you'll launch the Toshiba Eco Utility, which puts all sorts of easy-to-read information on your screen, and gives you the ability to adjust the power settings on your laptop. It also activates a light showing you're in the Eco Mode. The Toshiba Eco Utility lets you pick the optimal power plan for your situation. Choose High-Performance when you need every watt you can get, Power Saver for the least energy consumption, or Balanced as a perfect blend of the two.



Up to 4 hours of battery life (6-cell battery; 48 Wh)


Dimensions & Weight: 14.96 x 9.84 x 1.49 inches (WxDxH); 6.4 pounds



Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to.

And with Windows Anytime Upgrade, you'll be able to add new features to your PC in as little as 10 minutes. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process, it requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings



Environmental Specifications
Energy Star 5.0 certified
Gold EPEAT designation for meeting standards to help reduce its environmental impact.
RoHS compliant effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances

Learn more about Toshiba's environmental commitment.

Learn More


25th Anniversary of Toshiba Laptops
This year, Toshiba celebrates its 25th anniversary of innovations and quality in the notebook PC business. Beginning with the launch of the Toshiba T1100, the world's first clamshell-type, fully functional laptop PC, Toshiba has led the with such innovations as the first laptop with a color monitor in 1991 and a laptop with integrated CD-ROM drive in 1995 (followed by the addition of a DVD drive in 1998). And in 2009, Toshiba unveiled the world's first ultraportable laptop with 512GB solid state drive.

Today, Toshiba continues to be a leader in eco-friendly manufacturing, with virtually all of its consumer laptops earning EPEAT Gold status for meeting standards that help reduce overall environmental impact.

Get 17% OFF

Click here for more information about Toshiba Satellite L655D-S5076 LED TruBrite 15.6-Inch Laptop (Grey/Black)

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Yamaha YHT-493BL 5.1 Channel 500 Watt HTiB System (Each, Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Got this one for Xmas. Took me less than an hour to set it up with my DirectV HD-DVR with HDMI cable. Has to order extra HDMI cable. Instruction is not very clear on the DVR hook up. It took some guessing but eventually hooking up with no problem. iPhone dock is not included and costs another $100. Ouch. We are enjoying the sound quality, especially for movie watching. Only minor complaint about the size of the subwoofer is a bit bigger than we thought (approx. 14 inches cube). The SCENE button for TV only work for using "component video cable" hook up. I used HDMI cable for my HD-DVR, therefore, I can't use the "TV" on the SCENE button. Very minor issue. Overall, it's a very enjoyable system.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha YHT-493BL 5.1 Channel 500 Watt HTiB System (Each, Black)

Yamaha's YHT-493BL 5.1-Channel HTiB System is the easy way to enjoy the cinema experience at home. Featuring 500 watts of power (100Wx5), the latest HDMI specifications, and popular Yamaha technologies like SCENE and CINEMA DSP, you'll be sure to get the most out of your high-definition movies and music.

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Samsung HT-BD7200 Bluetooth Speaker Bar Home Theater System (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Okay, so first lets start with what has not been listed in the product listing:
Blu-ray Profile 2.0 compliant for playback of BD Live material on compatible discs(needs internet connection)
Upconverts DVDs selectable 480i/480p/720p/1080i/1080p output via HDMI
Plays Blu-ray discs, DVD-Video discs, DVD-RAM, DVD-Rs, DVD-RWs, DVD+Rs, & DVD+RWs
Plays CDs, audio CD-Rs, CD-RWs, CD+Rs, CD+RWs, & MP3 CDs
Plays digital picture CDs (JPEG) and DivX videos
Built-in decoding for Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital True HD, DTS, and DTS-HD Master Audio (No DTS ES Discrete 6.1
DTS 96/24 DTS Neo 6)
3-channel amplifier (133 watts x 2 for front speakers, 134 watts for subwoofer)
Has a USB port for connecting an optional thumb drive or hard drive
Wi-Fi capable (needs optional USB adapter) and Ethernet port
Built-in support for Netflix movie and Pandora music services (you need to subscribe)
Has built-in iPod dock with audio, video, and iPhone support
Bluetooth-enabled (listen to your TV with a wireless Bluetooth headset)
No component or composite inputs
No coax input
No XM or AM radioSo, with all of these features, I can tell you that this is ok if you have a small space and no children. The finish is very glossy and shows every bit of dust and fingerprints and likely will easily scratch. The sound is a bit lacking when compared to a a true 7.1 system with a good (Onkyo) receiver. So, even though this decodes DTS-HD as well as DD True HD, it's kind of useless with this system. While it will decode those, you will not really get to appreciate it. Also, the sub is a bit weak. You have a 3 channel amp to run 2 speakers and the sub. So, if you simply do not have the room and you have to worry about neighbors, this is an okay system. I was thinking about giving this 4 stars, but after all, you can do better without spending that much more.

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Blu-Ray Home Theater

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