Countless Wasted Hours

I was in the market for a monitor to replace my 17in LCD that came with my desktop, and although there was nothing wrong with mine, I wanted to have a bigger screen to be able to have two word documents open side by side for school and work purposes. I also wanted something that was reasonably priced, and also have the flexibility of playing games and watching movies from time to time, and this monitor by far meets all my requirements.

The wide screen is perfect for viewing documents without having to change the settings on the resolution in which the letters would be so small to read, and for this price I was not able to pass it up.
The build in speakers are adequate, however when I am listening to music or doing anything related to media I enjoy the full sound that my logitech speakers provide, needless to say I was not interested on the sound the speakers provided, only on the image the monitor has.

The monitor comes with the software and drives on a CD, but I did not even open the package, I just pluged it in and I let Vista find the latest drivers for it and I had no issues updating the latest drivers and installing them (although it was not necessary).

Overall I am happy with the purchase and I would recommend this monitor to anyone looking into upgrading without having to spend too much money. The case of the monitor itself is sleek and looks really good, and if it was not because of the HP logo, I would confuse it with the Samsung brands cause it looks like my plasma TV.

Compare Prices for the HP 2009M 20-Inch HD LCD Monitor at Amazon

My review is mostly for Enthusiast/Professional Photographers…

I needed a new powerful desktop with 64-bit processing. My Sony Vaio desktop that once was cutting edge two years ago,is now not able to keep up with many of todays demands. Especially my updated versions of Photoshop CS, and Lightroom 2.3 which works native in 64-bit.

64-bit allows windows to accept, use and maximize a computer with 4+ gbs of RAM. The HP Pavilion Elite M9550F comes pre-installed with a maxed out 8gbs of ram.

So for a photographer using high end software, and downloading large amounts of files. This computer works swiftly and effortlessly.

On my older sony desktop, it took about 15 minutes to download 4gb off of a compact flashcard. I could not do any other task while it downloaded, or risked data loss or the download not completing.

It takes about a minute to download with the HP, and I listen to music and/or check emails with no detectable slow down in the system.

On my old desktop, if I changed modules in lightroom, or did any form of editing it took a few seconds to see the changes. I sometimes had to hit Ctrl+Z so I can see the before image. With my new HP,… It’s so fast that I miss the changes if they are not drastic. The screen appears to blink, because it responds so fast to my commands.

The onboard 1TB of storage is another huge plus. There are still very few desktops on the market with an internal 1TB drive. I have purchased three 1TB external hardrives, with two mirroring the HP’s internal drive. There is a bay available that can be used for an additional internal drive, and you can purchase a HP Media Drive up to 1TB to plug right into a special bay. No wires, or software is necessary.

I distribute CD’s to models and clients often. The LightScribe technology that is part of the CD/DVD drive lets you etch custom labels and artwork right on a LightScribe-enabled CD or DVD. This allows you to look professional and a cut about the rest.

There are several ways to hook up a monitor, so I have the VGA attached to my old CRT monitor, and HDMI port attached to a 30inch flatscreen. Using dual displays is just a few clicks, and takes your image editing to another level.

There are a lot of features that I’m sure I missed, but these are the standout features to me, using it for photography.

Compare Prices for the HP Pavilion Elite M9510F Desktop PC at Amazon

My first Apple was an Apple II Plus way back in 1980. Those five hundred dollar each 5.25 drives still haunt me. Then came 1985 and I switched to Microsoft and sold my box of Apple stuff. Since then I have been a Windows user both personally and professionally, finishing up a third career as a systems person managing hundreds of installations, servers etc etc. Upon retirement (who else has three laptops and five desktops running Linux, XP, Vista, and now OS X) I began to dabble once again in the Apple world. I think it was Vista that pushed me over the edge; Vista and all the evildoers who try to infect our PC machines with viruses and malware. Dante should have a new circle of Hell for them.

First I tried a MacMini to try out the operating system. It wasn’t easy to upgrade but I did it–bigger HD and more memory. I love that little machine and it was cheap.

Then my old Toshiba laptop began to exhibit signs of death. Time for a decision. I could continue to use my test box Dell laptop D600 (solid machine) with three swapping HD’s–Linux, XP, and FreeBSD (yeah, I know), or make the switch to Apple for good.

Being retired and semi-poor, I researched and went with this new MacBook White 2.0. First you just have to upgrade the HD and memory, but that is easy and cheap. The Momentus 320/7200 and some Crucial memory are the way to go, and your total cost is only about 130 bucks. Using SuperDuper to clone the drive is dead easy.

The MacWhite is kinda ugly, no doubt about it. Even my wife who is a very practical, no nonsense computer user and never cares what a computer looks like as long as it works, said it was an ugly little thing, yes? And yes, for the same bucks you can get a seemingly faster PC laptop with bigger screen. But hey, for a bigger screen, I use my MacMini on a nice old 19inch LCD. Laptops are for laps, for traveling, for packing around, and for daily use. If you can only afford one and want both, then by all means spend a couple of grand and get the big one with 17inch screen.

Overall I like the following: OS is a dream to use; ergonomics the best, software better than most and no time wasted on all that junk that you have to do to keep XP/Vista safe and running smoothly. Could that be the Unix ancestry? I think so. Weight and size are just fine for my needs. It is portable and connects quickly to foreign and domestic networks. I like the firewire that they kept, and the superdrive they added. I like the keyboard and ease of cleaning the case.

Things I would change if Apple hired old computer guys from the trenches: keypad on this model probably not as cool as that on the more expensive model; a black model would cost so much to offer for the same price; the display okay but again probably not as cool as the 1250 dollar model of the same machine with the aluminum case and backlit screen. Which has a smaller carbon footprint–polycarbonate or aluminum? Who knows. It seems tough and probably won’t dent.

If you want good guts, though, and aren’t a fashion conscious poser, then this is the box for you. Take the 3 or 4 hundred dollar savings and buy some extra goodies–bluetooth mouse, case, and some software plus upgrades and you will be much happier.

If you want a gamer, go upscale or get a high-end PC. I have Fusion on my MacMini and the Vista package only gets used about once a month. I may try the boot camp routine on this laptop if Windows 7 is worth anything, then again, by then I may be totally brainwashed and have only Linux and OS X.? Ubuntu sure has come a long way.

The price schedule could be improved for Apple products but then again, sometimes even a used Lexus is a better deal than a new Chevy.

I give it 4.5 stars. Good luck and enjoy your Macbook.

P.S. Oh yes, there are lots of good videos, training materials etc to get you from PC to Mac. And one last thing: their delete key is too bizarre: it is really a backspace key, but you can fool it into becoming a PC delete key by holding down the fn key while you use it, then it goes forward like we old PC geeks are used to seeing.

Compare Prices for the Apple MacBook MB881LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop at Amazon

I upgraded to a new Vista laptop last year, and have been unhappy and frustrated with it from the start. When my daughter’s laptop died a horrible death, I really didn’t want to go through the same Vista pains with her, so I decided to replace it with a Mac (it’s going to be a Christmas present, so shhh!). As designated tech support for my family and friends, I started learning everything I could about Mac before she started asking questions. The more I learned about it, the more I wanted one for myself, and now that I have one, I am really kicking myself for not switching last year.

It’s simply beautiful. I know it sounds like I drank the apple-flavored Kool-Aid, but the Macbook really is a marvel of elegant form and function. It feels solid and substantial, without being bulky and heavy. the aluminum design is a work of art, and I really appreciate all of the eco-friendly choices that were made regarding the components.

The LED screen is brighter and clearer than my old laptop’s LCD screen. Looking at them side by side, the difference is amazing (and my old laptop was marketed as a portable entertainment PC, with an upgraded screen). I don’t know what kind of LCD screens some of the other users have, but the Macbook screen is far superior to any notebook screen I’ve ever seen.

The back-lit keyboard is great – no more keyboard light needed. The keys have a solid feel to them, they’re not mushy or noisy like some keyboards can be, they’re just right, and the key layout is just like a full-size keyboard – no more hunting to figure out where the heck the backslash key is hidden or hitting the wrong key because your pinky slipped off of an undersized shift key.

I’ll admit that I couldn’t figure out the trackpad at first, but I felt like a dork once I realized how simple it is. I did change the settings so that I can tap to click in addition to pressing down on the trackpad (since that’s what I’m used to). It’s just incredibly easy once you get going. Swipe two fingers down the pad to scroll, swipe four for expose, tap with two fingers for secondary-click… it does more straight out of the box than my old highly-programed touch-pad. And after about an hour, the gestures become second-nature.

As far as the built-in speakers go, they’re nicer than I expected, especially since I can’t figure out how the heck they fit any speakers into such a tiny case. Seriously, it’s like the whole case is the speaker. As I type this review, I’m listening to the album Paradise Lost by Symphony X and It sounds pretty good to me. of course, it sounds even better played through my Klipsch Room Groove, but um.. hey… they’re integrated laptop speakers – though they are very nice ones.

There are only two USB ports, but since the keyboard and trackpad are so functional, you won’t need external input devices (though a number pad is a must for me when doing a lot of data-entry). I only use USB for external storage and synching my iPod, so it’s not a problem for me (my iPod touch has a program that lets it act like a number pad when I need one). If I ever need more devices at once, I’ll get a USB hub.

Now, it’s confession time: As a Windows-centric IT Professional, I never liked Apple much, and I spent many years making fun of Mac and Mac users. When OS X came out, I couldn’t justify further ridicule, so I just ignored Mac whenever the subject came up. After using Leopard for a short time, I can tell you that I don’t have the appetite to eat the big heaping serving of humble pie that I’m owed. Leopard is slick and smooth and oh so fast. I’m truly enamored with iLife and iWork, and Time Machine is just about perfect (better than shadow copies, for the Windows guys and gals). It’s packed with a lot of little things (like Spotlight and Preview) that are unobtrusive and helpful, which is a vast improvement over Vista’s annoying and unhelpful features.

So, now I’m a happy convert. I still have two programs that are Windows-only (until I find replacements), and I still go back to my old (1 year old) laptop occasionally (for just the two, I don’t want to bother with Boot Camp or Parallels). I hate going back to Vista after using my Macbook. Even though that laptop technically has higher RAM and processor specs than the Macbook, it’s slow and clunky in comparison. I always sigh in relief when I can put it away again.

Bottom line: I love my Macbook and I wish I hadn’t waited so long to make the switch. If you’re worried about switching to Mac, visit an Apple Store – even if you have to make a day trip to get there, it will be worth it. Spend a little hands on time with the Macbook, and check out all the free classes the store offers. If you buy from the store, they will move your files from your old PC for you (for free). If all of that doesn’t convince you, then come see me, and I’ll offer you a tall, refreshing glass of Apple-flavored Kool-Aid.

I just got my BDP-S5000es yesterday. I had been using Sony’s original BDP-S1 in our home theater and have enjoyed its picture and audio quality for the past 2 years. I have auditioned other Blu-ray players including the Pioneer Elite series, but never really saw or heard any clear cut reason to spend $$$$ to upgrade – until now.

The BDP-s5000es is an enormous improvement in both video and audio quality of any of the units that I have tried.

First, the picture. Stunning is the only way I can describe it. I am veiwing Blu ray movies through a 1080p projector on a 120″ screen. If there are any problems with the image in terms of color, saturation or clarity, you’ll see it with the picture that large. It is flawless. The few scenes I have been able to play so far all have better contrast, greater depth and more intensity than my previous player. In short, it looks as good as film to my eyes.

The sound is equally as impressive. Up until now, I have been using the audio processor in my Krell preamp to decode the 5.1 and 7.1 soundtracks with results that were far superior to the analog output of my older player. The downside was that I couldn’t decode the Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD signals that many of the discs now have. The BDP-s5000es has and outstanding built in decoder for these HD formats and an equally impressive analog output stage that allows for the most realistic recorded audio presentation I have ever heard. The difference isn’t subtle, but it is difficult to describe. An example of what I am talking about is in the the James Bond movie “Casino Royale”. In one scene, James and Vesper walk out onto a terrace after losing a poker game to his rival. In the Dolby Digital soundtrack, the sounds of the city are all there in the background – clear, clean and pristine – a well recorded sountrack. However, when I played same scene using the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack through the analog outputs of the 5000es, it sounded like – correction – it felt like the walls of my room disappeared and I was outdoors. It was startling. It didn’t sound like a great recording, it made me feel like I was there. The subtle spatial and sensory information that is lacking from many recordings was all there to be heard and felt.

As for the setup, it was very quick and easy. There was one small quirk that I noticed. Because I am using the players decoder and analog outputs, I needed to go into the audio setup of the Sony to adjust speaker levels and positions. The setup process went quickly enough as I was able to match all of the speaker levels up or down in 1/2dB increments except for the subwoofer. I needed to boost the output to the sub by 1.5dB but the Sony would only allow me to turn it down, not increase the level. I had to start over using the sub’s output as the reference level and match the other speakers to it. Not a big problem, but a bit strange.

The network connection went without a hitch. I plugged in the cable and it immediately checked to see if there was an update for the firmware. This is an important reason to consider Sony when making a purchase. As I mentioned, I have the original Sony Blu Ray player and after 2 1/2 years, they are still offering software improvements which allow it to work flawlessly with the latest BD titles. I have updated that machine at least 7 times (from v1.1 to v4.2), all for free, and each time the machine works faster and better. There are not many companies out there that continue to support their products with free upgrades and for such a long period of time. Most just want you to buy the newest model rather than improve your current one.

Also, I saw a previous review about the loading time and thought I’d respond. There is a setting in the setup menu that decreases the time to boot up and load a disc dramatically by leaving the machine in kind of a standby mode. I didn’t time it, but I’d say the few discs I’ve tried to play so far loaded in under 10 seconds with this mode turned on. The downside is that the unit uses more power to do this because it keeps the fan and processor running even when the power switch is off. My guess is that the previous reviewer has not turned that feature on (the default setting for this feature is “off”).

The Panasonic DMP-BD60 blu ray player is amazing and a part of their new series of blu ray players. Finally, a quality blu ray player at a reasonable price. Seems the long wait of inflated costs for a player is settling down. Here you pay a reasonable price for high quality.

Just last November I purchased my first blu ray player. I have a high end TV – 37″ hd LD and a high end receiver – Sony STR-DG920. I wanted to get a player at an adequate price so I could explore and see if blu ray was for me. I bought the Memorex MVBD2510. The first 5 movies I played were ok but the machine was big and clunky, took minutes to load and was very difficult to manoeuvre with the remote. Then discs wouldn’t play for I needed a firmware upgrade. Got one 12/18 – very difficult process. Some movies played and then all the latest blu ray releases would say I needed another firmware update and Memorex did not have one. My machine was useless. But at least I did see that I loved blu ray when I was able to view it.

So I started my research and ended up with the new Panasonic machines. I read excellent reviews by consumers and critics alike and checked their past pattern with firm upgrades, customer service and overall quality with reviews of their previous players. Seemed Panasonic was the way to go. Again, I am thrilled with this player. Finally I can play all blu ray discs and the loading time for all seems to be under 10 seconds. The picture quality is also so much better than the video I got with the Memorex player. This player is small, sleek and impressive looking and does a superb job all around.

The remote is ever so simple to use, the set up of the machine took a few mere minutes. The player also comes with an actual easy to read instruction manual rather than just providing a cd like many modern electronics do. To hook it up to my computer was so easy and BD Live works flawlessly. Also the machine manually checks for updates every time I turn it on. When a put a disc in I can sit back, relax and not wait minutes for the disc to load or watch a YOU NEED AN UPGRADE screen appear.

I also think it is very important when reviewing a blu ray player and its capabilities to remember that the player is only as good as the other equipment you have. The better hd television you have, the better the picture quality. The better receiver, the better video and audio you will have. I found the up conversion of standard DVDs here to be amazing. DVDs that were faint and difficult to watch with the Memorex player took on a whole new life here. Finally I don’t mind watching regular DVDs. The manual says how it will up convert to 1080p or whatever the highest option is but the piece of equipment the player is hooked to must also be able to display such options or you will not get the quality. My receiver upgrades to all the same levels that the Panasonic player does so I am guaranteed the best video and audio all the time. Also, all my hook-ups are done simply with HDMI cables and this guarantees the highest quality and performance from your equipment. (I just want to again note that if you feel this player does not work as well for you that you take a look at the quality of your other equipment.)

Blu ray is an investment but now is a great time to build up a high quality home theatre system. Here we have a high end blu ray player with all the whistles and capabilities at a great price. It is now possible to get blu ray movies at much more reasonable prices as well and more and more films come out on blu ray every week. I find that a true blu ray experience is better than seeing a film at the movies. The picture clarity is astounding and the audio with all the true and lossless options on all discs now make the films more than come to life. Even dialogue driven films sound amazing. This Panasonic player also delivers video with great color contrast, crisp detail and a great line between blacks and whites. Audio again is impeccable.

I have only the highest praise for this player and also Panasonic themselves. I have to call them for one question I had and I was on hold only 1 minute and got the most helpful person. Every time I called Memorex it included at least a 20 minute wait. Here is a blu ray player of the highest quality that will perform for you and it is available at a price that won’t break your wallet.

Highly recommended.