MnstrMike
Top 250 Contributor
MnstrMike's Stats
- Review Count149
- Helpfulness Votes871
- First ReviewAugust 5, 2011
- Last ReviewAugust 24, 2025
- Featured Reviews0
- Average Rating4.1
Reviews Comments
- Review Comment Count3
- Helpfulness Votes5
- First Review CommentNovember 5, 2012
- Last Review CommentJune 18, 2017
- Featured Review Comments0
Questions
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- First QuestionNone
- Last QuestionNone
- Featured Questions0
- Answer Count41
- Helpfulness Votes48
- First AnswerNovember 22, 2010
- Last AnswerDecember 8, 2021
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Create anywhere with the new Dell 14 Premium. Delivering faster performance with Intel Core Ultra processors Series 2 and an immersive 3.2K OLED display option in an iconic design.
A Workstation Ultra-Portable Hybrid
Customer Rating
3.0
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TLDR
-Tries to be an ultra-portable (the ports prove it), but is more of a workstation in disguise due to the keyboard, trackpad/palm rest and overall design aesthetic.
-Not a huge fan of the Soft touch keys. Just enough lag to notice.
-CPU and GPU do a great job
-32GR RAM keeps things snappy
-1 TB Storage is great
-fingerprint reader is on point; has worked EVERY TIME!
-Large 6-Cell 70Wh battery output
-it rears its ultra-portable roots once again when you pop the bottom cover off and see what can be upgraded...M.2 and battery. RAM is soldered and other items were another layer deep.
-Recommendation: if you don’t know what you want to be when you grow up...this is a great laptop. If you have specific needs for an ultraportable or a workstation, you will want to find something else.
I give a 2.5 Star rating because of the trackpad/palm design, use as a workstation/desktop replacement 3.5 Star.
GIVE ME A NOVEL TO READ
How bad is this keyboard?
That is the second question I asked myself after unboxing and seeing this big flat slab.
The first question, was, Holy Crap...how much does this thing weigh?
To which, I pulled out my digital scale, along with a few other ‘Premium’ laptops I had laying around.
3lbs 14.6 ounces. So nearly 4lbs. And after using two other ‘Premium’ laptops with 14 inch touch screens, the difference in weight is laughable.
Focusing back to the keyboard, it is quiet, which should be expected. The keys are not as bad as I thought it would be and they are a bit concave, so it helps with touch feel. However, if you have any length of nail, just know in a few months the keys will most likely be heavily scratched, as will the exterior lid, but at least they will match!
What I quickly found I don’t care for though is the exaggeratively large track pad!
My palm/thumb keeps hitting the trackpad and causes the pointer to jump locations and change where I am typing and even deleting portions of text.
Since the design of the trackpad integrates seamlessly into the palm rest, the trackpad is at the same height of the palm rest. Its active portions are from around the middle of the Left-ALT key to the middle of the Copilot key. It then extends from just below the space bar all the way to the edge of the laptop.
If you don’t have proper typing technique (ie. one finger type) you won’t have any issues.
If however, you do know how to type properly, then you will find your palm glancing the keypad constantly and moving the cursor from where you are typing. Or even highlighting massive amounts of text and deleting it!
Thankfully the quick undo edit exits, but I find this task being required frequently very infuriating.
I really think this comes down to the fact that the trackpad is not recessed. Looking at my other laptops, they all have the same ratio of trackpad to palm rest size, but they are all recessed. Therefore, my palm never comes into contact.
With the DELL 14 Premium, the palm rest area is large, so most of the time it has been a pleasant experience, but at just the right angle your wrists can hit the edge and its quite pronounced, so any length of time is unpleasent.
So the two solutions I could think of was either to limit the ‘laptop’ use and use as workstation with a keyboard and mouse. Or disable the trackpad all together and just use the touch screen.
And that is when I realized that the XPS/Premium naming doesn’t mean ultra-portable any longer.
Since DELL’s lineup rebrand sounded eerily similar to the MacBook lineup (processor dependent), I looked at the specs of the 14 Pro series and the dimensions are nearly identical. With the M4 Max chip, the weight is the closest by comparison with the DELL 14 Premium still being heavier by a couple ounces.
The difference when looking at the design of the MacBook Pro is that it looks sleek and light...like an ultra-portable. Where as the DELL 14 Premium doesn’t. And being that the Premium replaces the XPS branding, its clear DELL has changed what that means...last year already, as the DELL 14 Premium is actually just has a rebranded 2024 XPS model with an updated CPU; everything else is the same. Minus the logo change too.
By comparison, the Galaxy Book5 Pro 14 steals the exact design of the MacBook Pro 14, but at almost a pound lighter and half the computing power.
My weeks long use hasn’t been all bad when treating it as a workstation, the screen is awesome, the CPU and GPU are great, 32GB RAM definitely helps keep things snappy, but since it tries to play the ultra-portable card there is no upgrading the RAM; M.2 and battery only. Also, only having 3 USB-C ports, and no USB-A or HDMI means you will need a dock as a workstation. The USB-C are all Thunderbolt 4 though, so choose the side that works best and the same goes for charging. Nice that it still has the headphone jack and a MicroSD slot for...something.
The chassis design is solid and premium when it comes to the hinge and no creaking from the chassis when picking up when open. The soft touch is a little too slick for my hands, but keeps it from slipping when using in ‘lap’ mode and needing to adjust or let go to reach for something.
One-handed open is possible thanks to the weight, but this clamshell likes to close tight to protect its pearls.
Recommending this laptop is a little hard because of DELL’s design decisions. On a sliding scale of Ultra-portable to Workstation/desktop replacement, this falls squarely in the middle to me. Portable yes, but with noticeable heft. Powerful, yes, but get the right configuration out-of-the-box. Its the value for dollar that really makes this hard. Then you jump to the actual daily use.
Have nails that extend past your fingertips? You will hate this keyboard.
Use the palm rest while typing? Better to turn off the touchpad and just use the touch screen.
But it has a gorgeous screen and purrs along great.
The lines are too blurred for me on this one and in the end it is really hard to recommend it. If it had an RTX GPU 3xxx minimum series, then falls directly as a casual gaming laptop and I could overlook literaly any of the usage issues. But since they did away with that option in this series that is no longer an option. The Intel Arc Graphics can handle some light gaming for sure, but its not enough to overlook where the DELL 14 Premium is lacking.
Hopefully for 2026, DELL has a redesign in the works for the DELL Premium series, if they don’t I fear they will miss out the Ultra-Portable segment because as of right now, they don’t have one.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-1point
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Meet Yale Code, the non-connected door lock that brings key-free entry to your door an an approachable price point. Ideal for those who are new to electronic locks, or just want an affordable way to upgrade their home, Yale Code has a simple DIY installation process that doesn~t require any professional help, and there~s no app or phone set-up is needed. Create and store up to 20 key-free entry codes directly in the lock itself, and share secure and convenient access with friends, family, housemates, caretakers, and more. The backlit keypad ensures that you can easily read its numbers for entry at any time of day, and the backup key allows all members of your household to choose their preferred way to unlock the door. With its sleek design and low profile, Yale Code looks great on any door while bringing trusted security to your home.
Slim Profile and Quick Setup
Customer Rating
4.0
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This the third different brand of non-wireless electronic keypad lock that I have installed and I can say it was as easy as the rest.
I am not a proponent of bluetooth or other such wireless unlock methods.
The instructions for the Yale Lock are very straightforward to a degree. The only step that seemed to missing from the printed instructions is that the deadbolt needs to be engaged before Step 8 can be performed. It is best to have the door open.
My first go at Step 8, the interior deadbolt latch wouldn’t engage the deadbolt more than a few millimeters. I had to take off the interior cover, used the key to engage the deadbolt fully, then put the interior cover on. At that point the interior latch worked.
My door was setup for Left-Hand deadbolt action, it is defaulted to Right-Hand.
Step 3 specifically states to have in an “unlocked” position after installing the deadbolt for when the exterior keypad is being installed.
When you jump to Steps 6 & 7 it states the interior “Thumbturn” needs to be in the correct position given the orientation of your deadbolt ie. Left-Hand or Right-Hand orientation.
At this point though there should be some extra notes that state the deadbolt should be in the locked position.
All-in-all it was still less than a 30 minute process from removal of the old deadbolt to the installation of the Yale Lock.
I like the slim nature of the Yale compared to some others I have installed and the “Black Suede” color is nice. As you can see in my pics, I have installed it on climate controlled Exterior door, so weathering won’t be an issue.
They only dislike I have found with this Yale Lock is that unlock method is Yale Button-Key Code-Yale Button, where the first press of the Yale Button is to activate the keypad and then the last is to unlock. When locking it only takes a single press of the Yale Button.
There is an auto-lock feature, but it is OFF by default which is something I personally never would want, but I can understand having the option.
I can gladly recommend this product.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Wireless smart security camera, two-year battery life, 1080p HD day and infrared night live view, two-way talk. Sync Module Core included ~ 1 camera system
Quick & Easy Setup-Requires Subscription
Customer Rating
4.0
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If you're looking for the quickest and easiest camera system to setup, the Blink Camera 4 doesn’t get much easier. Takes about 20-30 minutes in all. If you are adding to an account you already have, about 15 minutes. I do like that you can watch multiple properties by just adding Sync Modules at those locations and then syncing a camera to that module.
And a single Blink Plus Subscription covers the cloud storage as long as you don’t exceed the 10 device limit between the systems.
I have been using the Blink System for quite a few years now and not much has changed externally with the camera. Resolution upgrades and such, but still 2 year battery life off of 2 Energizer Lithium Batteries, which is a requirement for the cameras. I wished the mount would have changed as they are not the easiest to attach the camera to. You feel like you are going to snap the arm the entire time; even though I never actually have.
If you won’t be placing these under an eve or awning, there are third-party mounts that come with a housing and way better mount that allows more directional setup than the included mount.
The app is pretty straightforward on the setup. I do like that you have the ability to create just a Blink Account or can link to your Amazon Account. With the latest Sync Modules: Core (included) and Core XR, there are no USB slots for attached storage, so to use the system you have to purchase a subscription plan.
If you don’t want to have to purchase a subscription plan $100 year for up to 10 devices or $30 year for one device.
If you don’t want a subscription then the only option is to purchase the Sync Module 2 for $50 that has USB port for attached storage. I have been using this and when away from your home accessing the stored Clips does run a little slower than the Cloud Subscription option, but not enough that it bothers me.
So far per Blink all of the newest cameras are compatible with the Sync Module 2 so you should be good for quite a few years.
For one camera the first year price is cheaper just getting a Subscription and the 2 year price breaks even. Year three is where buying the Sync Module 2 and USB Storage becomes the cheaper option. If you know you are going to want more than 1 camera, then going the local storage route quickly becomes the cheaper option.
I can definitely recommend the Blink system for ease of use and reliability. Adding the Solar options is great for putting cameras in places you really don’t want to have to get to again…even in 2 years (if using the recommended battery saving settings).
One area the Blink system has never ventured is interior door sensors and motion sensors, so if you are wanting those specifically then you will need to look elsewhere. But there are Interior Cameras with Pan-Tilt-Zoom.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Big AI power. Simple to use. The MediaTek Kompanio Ultra~s 50 TOPS NPU boosts productivity and creativity with Smart Grouping, on-device image generation in the Gallery app, and more. The OLED display delivers crisp, vibrant visuals-perfect for photo editing and streaming-while quad Dolby Atmos speakers bring immersive audio. Thin, light, and built for self-starters, it lasts up to 17 hours.
IMHO, the ONLY Chromebook Plus to Consider!!
Customer Rating
4.0
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Living with this for a week I am beginning to see the bright spots with a Chromebook, specifically a Plus model. For the majority of my workflow I can get by with browser only applications, but there are still a few, like video editing, that just do better in a dedicated app on a traditional OS. I’m sure if you are doing sub-5 minute videos, a browser based video editing software isn’t bad, but it's hard to find that not behind a large paywall.
For the longest time my only experience with a ChomeOS device has either been on a standard Chromebook on the cheaper end of the spectrum or using ChromeOS Flex on really good hardware which is fantastic, but severely limited without Play Store access.
I recently was using an older Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 13.1” OLED with the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 and 8GB RAM released in 2021 and I was amazed at how fast and fluid that device was. It doesn’t carry the ‘Plus’ moniker, but it definitely ran better than any of the previous Chromebooks I had used before, albeit the 8GB RAM probably helped a lot too; compared to the typical 4GB of most Chromebooks.
All of this to say this Chromebook Plus Lenovo 14 edition with 16GB RAM and MediaTek Kompanio Ultra processor has set the bar really high! So high, if you are considering a Chromebook Plus, I would only look at the competition to see where they are falling short.
I’ve mostly been working off of a Galaxy Book5 Pro 14, which at launch was about twice the price of this Lenovo 14 CBP and while both of these devices have OLED screens, Samsung’s edges out the Lenovo. But the fact that it is an OLED is great. I honestly can't and won't do a non-OLED for laptops anymore. The depth of color is just great and OLED is great on battery life.
Battery Life is the top selling point I think with this particular Chromebook Plus. ARM vs x86 processors are just killing it when it comes to ChromeOS battery life and also horsepower under the hood. I compared the Geekbench scores to a few of my devices I use and/or have around the house and the scores were really good in comparison.
I’m currently sitting at 64% with web-browsing, YouTube watching , gaming, and article writing, including the Geekbench tests all on battery. This also includes too many hours to count of standby, but just closing the lid. Out-of-the-box, there were updates and I stayed plugged-in until all of those were complete.
This could easily power you through a full work-day untethered and maybe even two.
Keyboard
The feedback is alright, no issues typing, but the key press sound can be hollow and “clicky” at times. A lot quieter than a mechanical keyboard…which I despise, but still gives me that vibe every now and again. Mostly the ‘Enter’, ‘Backspace’, and ‘Shift’ keys. So pretty much the largest keys on the board outside of the space bar which doesn’t give me those sounds.
The feedback is alright, no issues typing, but the key press sound can be hollow and “clicky” at times. A lot quieter than a mechanical keyboard…which I despise, but still gives me that vibe every now and again. Mostly the ‘Enter’, ‘Backspace’, and ‘Shift’ keys. So pretty much the largest keys on the board outside of the space bar which doesn’t give me those sounds.
I do like that they are a concaved. They are a little slick, but with use I’m sure that will go away. There are some new keys in the layout as there is not longer just a circle for the “Search” key, but a + in a diamond with caps. So it has essentially become another Fn Key as you use Fn + Caps to turn on ALL CAPS.
Which the Fn key and top-row is also an addition to this Chromebook from more the more traditional Chromebook keyboard layouts.
It did take a little muscle memory retraining with the different keyboard layout from the other Chromebooks I had been using, but it doesn’t take long to get used to it.
Touchpad
It also carries that hollow sound if fully pressing to select. If just tapping to select then no issues and gliding works as well as you would expect and hope for.
It also carries that hollow sound if fully pressing to select. If just tapping to select then no issues and gliding works as well as you would expect and hope for.
Screen Hinge is solid, but there will be no one-handed opening. You can get maybe a half-inch open then it just wants to lift the whole device off the table.
Sound Quality is goodish. If you haven’t had an earbud in or listening through a traditional sound system, then just turning on YoutTube video or listening to music, it sounds pretty good. But if you did have earbuds in or where just listening through a sound system, then its sounds pretty bad. It is a laptop, so I wasn’t expecting something stellar…the Dolby Atmos certification is just a joke anymore and clearly just an extra sticker that can be bought and added to the “feature list” of the laptop. This is an industry wide pet-peeve.
Build Quality
This is really nice for a plastic setup, it keeps the device very light. The underside has a wavy texture. Not sure if that is supposed to be a radiator effect to help with cooling? This is a fanless design which for a laptop is nice since it feels like most laptops I have used over the recent years, put the intake/outake in spots that are not really conducive to the title of ‘Laptop’.
This is really nice for a plastic setup, it keeps the device very light. The underside has a wavy texture. Not sure if that is supposed to be a radiator effect to help with cooling? This is a fanless design which for a laptop is nice since it feels like most laptops I have used over the recent years, put the intake/outake in spots that are not really conducive to the title of ‘Laptop’.
One aspect I really like of the Lenovo 14 is some light gaming can be done. Playing Call Of Duty: Mobile with HD resources and Super Resolution turned on in Game Settings showed no stutter or delay and ran really smooth. Previously I played on a Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra and gameplay was the same. I didn't try any cloud gaming, so can only speak to local online games.
One item that I like that Lenovo seems to be consistent with on their devices is the mechanical Camera Slide. I feel like its the laptop equivalent of a physical Alert Slider, I don’t worry too much about spying, but it’s also a great option for meetings if accidentally turning on video when you don’t mean too.
As stated previously, I still need a traditional OS for a few areas of my workflow, but I would venture a guess for most people that Browser and Android Apps cover their needs. My biggest gripe against Chromebooks in general is the limited storage and soldered parts. However, this seems to be the future of all Laptops and its always been the case for smartphones and tablets, so I guess its time to get with the program. Thankfully, Lenovo choose to cut costs in areas besides the processor, RAM and Storage. And at least on a Chromebook, storage is not typically a high priority when considering the usage needs and what they are really designed for.
Popping off the backcover, you can see everything tucked away and the massive battery that adds to the long-run time of this device and there is no upgradeability outside of the battery and the wireless card.
I can definitely recommend the Lenovo 14 Chromebook Plus if you are looking at the Chromebook lineup for your computing needs and honestly even for most people besides, Elementary and High School students, I wouldn’t recommend a traditional Chromebook unless for the most basic of needs.
Looking at the competition in this lineup, the processor is going to give the best battery life, same computing power, and Lenovo is sneakily coming in well under price of the others. The 16GB DDR5 RAM is going to keep this setup running for quite a few years…especially when the ChromeOS transitions to running full Android under the hood!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Boost productivity with a high-performance desktop designed to fit in any space. Featuring built-in AI, powered by Intel Core Ultra desktop processors (Series 2).
Snappy PC, Minimal Expansion
Customer Rating
3.0
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First impressions is its a snappy little pc!
The form factor is a little odd considering once you open the case (tool-less as they advertise), there isn’t much to upgrade.
Upgrade Bays:
2 PCI-E x1 slots
1 PCI-E x16 slot
1 SATA-3 + Power Port
2 x UDIMM RAM slots (16GB DDR5 included)
M.2 1TB 2230 (included) or 2280
2 PCI-E x1 slots
1 PCI-E x16 slot
1 SATA-3 + Power Port
2 x UDIMM RAM slots (16GB DDR5 included)
M.2 1TB 2230 (included) or 2280
Included power supply is 180w, so it greatly limits what the PCIEx16 slot can be used for. Any low-watt GPU is not worth the addition compared to the iGPU. I wish the chip had been paired with the Intel ARC instead of UHD.
While there is a SATA-3 port, there is nowhere to attach an HDD or an SDD; mostly true. The chassis on the front side of the pc has a “rail”, and if the front cover is removed there are 2 holes that a SDD bracket screw could fit through. Only one screw hole could be used, but with the rail as a support a 2.5” SSD would be fine since there are no moving parts.
But, it would probably be better to just get a PCIEx16 M.2 adapter.
Setup took about 2 hours for Windows updates. For some reason Dell did not have Support Assist installed. There were some driver updates and a BIOS update right away. Support Assist makes it easier to install the BIOS update.
I don’t really see a need for a form factor this size given the limitations of actually using the expansion bays they made available. I had I high hopes for a small home media PC.
The processor is powerful enough to do some content creation, as long as, your preferred software doesn’t utilize GPU.
Anything else though, it will handle just fine and if you are just going over spreadsheets and such it has plenty of power to handle it. An extra RAM module for fun wouldn’t hurt either.
Depending on your needs this could be overkill and given the lack of room, the expansion bays are not actually useful unless you need more display ports or want to add a Soundcard.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
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ACCENTUM Open brings a dose of Sennheiser~s legendary sound in a lightweight, breathable open design. With German engineering that just works~no instructions or app needed. With up to 24 hours of battery life, seamless multitasking, and IPX4 splash resistance, these earbuds deliver rich, natural sound without isolating you.
Great for the Spoken Word
Customer Rating
3.0
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Sennheiser is definitely a brand that is synonymous with quality audio products. The Accentum Open are not my first of their products, but I have to say, I don’t feel they represent the quality that they are known for at least not when listening to music.
I struggled at first to like these earbuds as I predominantly use earbuds to listen to music, YouTube, and podcasts. And it is the later two where these buds are the best. The bass is really low, so makes hearing the spoken word really easy. In music and some movies, you won’t get that immersive feeling, but you definitely won’t have to stop and replay to catch what was said or turn on Closed Captioning.
Device setup was very easy, NO APP necessary to setup, but that also means no way to change any of the tap commands.
Connection was easy, but according to the quick guide (see photo) you have to open the case, plug in to charge for 15 seconds, then go to Bluetooth settings on your smart device, press each bud for 3 seconds to connect.
The lid is extremely easy to close, so I must have closed nearly 3 times in the 15 seconds when I had them open and trying to plug-in to my laptop USB port. Honestly, not sure how necessary these steps are as I didn’t even take the buds out of the case and my phone recognized the buds and paired.
I did try the companion app too, but it does not recognize the buds and there is even a spot in the Help section for these buds that states the app is not needed.
The buds themselves are very light which is nice, but the “ear” part of the bud is the same molded plastic as the posts which translates to being slippery in the ear. If you want a set of buds to just have sitting next to the couch or bed and you won’t be moving around much, these would be fine for that. However, if you plan to be walking or moving around then I am not too confident that these would stay in. Workouts and bending over are definitely out.
Of course, everyone’s ears are shaped differently, so your usage may be different than mine. Typically I need a silicone cover to keep a bud in my ear.
The touch controls are very responsive and that I will say is a huge plus. When taking out the buds though, most these days have a near-field auto stop as it recognizes the buds are no longer close together. These apparently do not as when I was trying to take the right bud out, I was holding on the touch point and it was changing the volume and starting/stopping the playback.
I was expecting a different kind of Sennheiser quality that delivers more immersive sound, but I got something different that makes hearing the spoken word easier.
Speaking to the lack of of a companion app again and the buds being named Accentum OPEN, Sennheiser has removed the need for pass-through hearing as the buds are designed natively to allow that. With the low amount of bass this is also achieved.
I can definitely recommend these buds for the niche person who is wanting something more than just music listening and prefers the spoken word.
The two biggest knocks against the product are the ear fitment and music quality.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Withings BPM Vision is an FDA-cleared digital blood pressure monitor for home use that delivers precise systolic & diastolic measurements, heart rate tracking, and instant color-coded feedback~all displayed on a 2.8~ high-resolution LCD screen. Your results are immediately visible, making health tracking effortless.
Great BPM Device
Customer Rating
5.0
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This isn’t my first home Blood Pressure device, but it is my first Withings product and one that has Smart features.
Withings has a lot of smart health products available on the market that can be paired with this smart Blood Pressure device to help you achieve your health goals.
Setup of the device was very simple and straightforward. I didn't run into any issues.
While my smartwatch can give my heart rate, having a dedicated device for blood pressure that is as easy as pushing a button and I feel a more accurate heart rate reading is a definite plus.
The BPM Vision has both bluetooth and wifi connections, which allows for multiple users of the device and sending the results to their device. On the BPM Vision screen, each session has the option to select the user.
There is also a “x3” feature that will take your measurements three times in a row and give you the average for a closer reading.
Overall, its a great device that will definitely get used as I work toward my health goals.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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ThermBack LED transforms how you manage lower back pain. With a science-backed combination of heat with infrared, vibration, and LED light, this wearable wrap provides fast-acting relief from lower back pain at home or on-the-go. Say goodbye to your basic heating pad and embrace a smarter way to ease back discomfort. ThermBack LED delivers precisely placed, science-backed doses of each therapy~heat with infrared across the entire lower back, vibration on muscles and tissues, and LED along the spine. When combined, these therapies work together to relieve lower back pain, improve mobility, reduce stiffness, and speed up the recovery process more effectively than heat alone. The sleek, comfortable design stays in place with everyday movement and fits most body shapes with easily adjustable Velcro straps and extra elastic compression straps that provide a more personalized fit. Whether you're a gym enthusiast suffering from repetitive strain, a golfer wanting to play a round without discomfort, or simply seeking relief from impeding lower back pain, ThermBack LED is a convenient, effective way to get back to doing the things you love.
Soothe-sational + Wire-Free!
Customer Rating
5.0
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It's a good device to add some heat to your back or even upper body. If you get it tight enough you can use it on your legs or arms.
The heat does get warm even through a typical cotton T-Shirt. If you are accustomed to an electric heating pad, it doesn’t get as hot as one of those, but still good enough.
I specifically got this for the ladies in my household who use the heating pad each month. The ThermBack gives the option to untether, so its a good option when the couch isn’t an option. The vibration affects are nice, the LED light therapy I can’t say as effective as I don’t know how to know. I’ve heard good things about it, so we shall see.
Battery LIfe is rated at 180 minutes (3 hours) but that is dependent on usage. The battery pack takes 5v-20v @3amp max. 20watt charging took around 2 hours to fully charge. A 40w minimum charger is needed to use the ThermBack in an unlimited use capacity. For our household use, the 180 minutes holds pretty true.
Powering On/Off is easy. Once on, it does however automatically start a default session. You can power the unit on to where only Bluetooth is operational so that if you connect via the App you can choose from a number of pre-programmed sessions varying from 10 minutes to 20 minutes in length. Without the app, heating and vibration functions are 20 minutes and LED light only is 10 minutes.
It is definitely getting its use in this household!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The HP OfficeJet Pro 9730e delivers fast color printing, 500-sheet paper capacity, and handles files up to 11x17". It includes wireless and printer security capabilities to keep your multifunction printer up to date and secure, and is the world's only wide-format printer with P3 Color~.
Easy Large Prints
Customer Rating
4.0
I’m used to Laser Printers and their size and weight. This is larger, but lighter.
One aspect I really like about HP is the ease of setup. Using a smartphone or tablet you can easily set it up with an app. Setting up with Windows 11 is as easy as the Android app, but the Android app has a lot more options and a faster use. I did run into issue trying to print in the Wide Format.
I setup Tray 1 with Letter and Tray 2 with Tabloid (11x17).
Try as I might I could not get my poster image to print to Tray 2 even though Tray 2 was selected. Via the Android app no issues at all. This was a JPG document, printing a PDF did not have this issue.
Unboxing the printer was very easy, even by myself. The top two pieces of styrofoam are easily removed and the printer is inside a large plastic bag with handles, so lifting it out is very easy.
The build quality seems to be good overall. The paper tray slides do not slide out so smoothly, but they are secure and not flimsy. The scanner bed and is wide format, but the ADF can only scan up to Legal size paper, which is pretty typical.
Print quality is really good and definitely has a bit more vibrant color than laser jets that I am used to. The heat really changes the look a bit. I was shocked at how quick it could print a colored poster from hitting print to finished, in around 20 seconds. Ink obviously is a little heavier and there needs to be a bit of drying time, so remember that when you are printing a poster. On a monochrome poster that was used, there is a gradient in the background and not sure why but it had clear lines when it was printed. I did print from PDF at highest quality so its possible there was an issue with the file type.
My daughters are taking classes in digital design and have some projects requiring 11x17 printing and unfortunately at school there are always issues with their printers and/or getting connected. So having this on hand definitely helps them get their jobs done and move on.
For the price, you really cannot beat the feature set and print quality. I know I spoke on the build quality and it was more of FYI. This will be used for home use and so will last a very long time. In a business setting, a small office I think this would last. The duty cycle per month is rated at 30,000 prints so at least the internals are designed to keep up with high print office demand.
I can easily recommend this printer if you are looking for cost efficient wide format printer.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Galaxy Book5 Pro gives you premium performance and pro-level power in a device designed to move as fast as you do. From creating presentations to editing large files, the AI-powered Intel Core Ultra 7 processor makes it all feel unbelievably fast and smooth. With its lightweight build and long-lasting battery, you can seamlessly transition from your desk to a cafe to a client meeting without missing a beat. Packed with cutting-edge technology, Book5 Pro has smart features like AI Select~ and Copilot AI assistance to help you simplify complex tasks and streamline your workflow. Because work rarely happens on just one device, Book5 Pro is also built with advanced features that make it easy to work in sync with the rest of your Galaxy devices. Get an important notification or need to respond to a text mid-project? Phone Link ~ puts your phone screen right on Book5 Pro, allowing you to access all your important phone features and control it right from your PC. Sharing big files between your devices? With Quick Share~ you can do it wirelessly, quickly and safely. Plus, Auto Hotspot~ kicks in when your Wi-Fi doesn~t, so your laptop stays connected even when your day takes a detour. No matter where work takes you, Galaxy Book5 Pro keeps you a step ahead.
My New Favorite Brand!
Customer Rating
4.0
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Out-Of-The-Box
My first impression of this laptop is excellent. The more I use it the more I like it. I have a few gripes, but overall this is definitely replacing my ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (the laptop I had with OLED and ruined me on anything else)!
My first impression of this laptop is excellent. The more I use it the more I like it. I have a few gripes, but overall this is definitely replacing my ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (the laptop I had with OLED and ruined me on anything else)!
Build Quality is solid. I love the how sturdy and planted it feels with no creaks when typing away on the lap or opening/closing the lid, or just generally picking it up and moving it around. You can definitely see where Samsung has gone hardcore after the Macbook line in design and thankfully (at least for now) has more ports available, meaning a dock is not necessary to actually get some stuff done.
The OLED screen is nice and bright and quite anti-reflective. The touchscreen is very responsive, but doesn’t always hit the spot I am touching; mostly when typing and moving the cursor point. Hitting an onscreen button has never been an issue.
Key travel feels good, puts out a little bit of a sound, but overall a good experience. The layout of the keyboard and trackpad is on center which is nice compared to some laptops that feel the touchpad should be positioned more to the left, which is quite annoying to me. The touchpad is very responsive and works as one would hope it to.
The keyboard itself looks a little generic in design and layout and reminds me of a Chromebook. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The backlight is nice and has 3 levels of brightness 0-30-60-100. 30% feels barely on and hard to tell between 0%. I tend to use 60% as my default for early morning and evening use.
Removing the bottom cover took a bit of finesse, but I got it done. Typically when rubber feet are used to hide the screws, it has a double sided tape. When they are removed it tends to stretch the grommet and then they don’t quite fit properly when replaced and/or the adhesive weakens. Samsung chose to use snap-in grommets which take a bit of pressure to remove, but are quite nice for reuse. There are 4 only four screws and a lot of tabs around the perimeter, so proceed with care and caution. The chassis design is such that the bottom cover sits slightly lower than the frame. The only location one could get any leverage was at the hinge, which is not my first choice of applying pressure.
Samsung Eco System
If you are already using a Galaxy phone or tablet, adding the laptop into the eco-system is nice.I have used my Tab S9 Ultra as a second screen with an ASUS laptop and it was a little too laggy compared to a standard external display. Using it with the Book5 Pro was a little better and would do if necessary, but I will use my portable external display as necessary.
If you are already using a Galaxy phone or tablet, adding the laptop into the eco-system is nice.I have used my Tab S9 Ultra as a second screen with an ASUS laptop and it was a little too laggy compared to a standard external display. Using it with the Book5 Pro was a little better and would do if necessary, but I will use my portable external display as necessary.
The Book5 Pro is being added into my Samsung Eco System of S24 Ultra and Tab S9 Ultra. Having the official Samsung Notes app for Windows is now very nice as I use that quite a bit on both of my devices. But the redundant apps are a bit overkill. Some of these are production suites and others are for cross-device communication/sharing and a few are just duplicates of what Microsoft already has available like AI, Camera, Wallpaper, News, two Notes apps, Search, Screen Recorder.
The Book5 Pro does come with a LOT of Samsung apps pre-installed, 26 to be precise.
AI Select
Bixby
Camera Share
Galaxy Book Experience
Galaxy Book Smart Switch
Live Wallpaper
Multi Control
News
Noteshelf Samsung
Quick Search
Quick Share
Samsung Account
Samsung Care+
Samsung Cloud Assistant
Samsung Device Care
Samsung Find
Samsung Flow
Samsung Gallery
Samsung Notes
Samsung Pass
Samsung Settings
Samsung Studio
Samsung Studio for Gallery
Screen Recorder
Second Screen
SmartThings
Bixby
Camera Share
Galaxy Book Experience
Galaxy Book Smart Switch
Live Wallpaper
Multi Control
News
Noteshelf Samsung
Quick Search
Quick Share
Samsung Account
Samsung Care+
Samsung Cloud Assistant
Samsung Device Care
Samsung Find
Samsung Flow
Samsung Gallery
Samsung Notes
Samsung Pass
Samsung Settings
Samsung Studio
Samsung Studio for Gallery
Screen Recorder
Second Screen
SmartThings
However, I will say the Samsung Studio app is a welcomed addition. Microsoft Clipchamp has been my go to for quick video creation as it is way cheaper than Adobe CC, offers a lot of great features, but also requires an internet connection to be used. Samsung Studio shines in this one aspect as internet is not necessary to use. It is not as feature rich as Clipchamp when it comes to AI capabilities, but a lot of free add-ons exist when downloaded first, like stickers and audio overlays. Thankfully this app is even more feature rich than the smartphone version.
Dislikes…there are a few items I am not fond of:
Screen design. Samsung decided to use heavy curves on the corners of the screen, which I find ridiculous on a laptop. Sharp 90 deg angles should be the only design.
Screen design. Samsung decided to use heavy curves on the corners of the screen, which I find ridiculous on a laptop. Sharp 90 deg angles should be the only design.
Keyboard FN Key: with all the extra apps and even a dedicated Samsung Settings menu, Samsung decided that a FN lock option was not necessary which again seems ridiculous considering the hot-key features are a primary function today for most users.
Battery Life is a bit misleading from Samsung’s advertising. Based on testing of 16” model on local, 1080p resolution [which competes with the 3K resolution advertising] video playback, default video player [full screen], 150 nit brightness, default earbud volume, Wi-Fi and mobile network off, keyboard backlight off. 14” model is up to 21 hours. Results vary with settings, usage and other factors…all from Samsung.com product page.
The “recommended” setting in Windows is the 2880x1800 @ 200% scale. I prefer the 150% scale for best use of the 14” screen size, however, the 1920x1200 setting @100% scale gives pretty close to the same amount of available screen space, so I will probably switch to that setting to get better battery life. I in now way reached 21 hours, closer to about 6 hours. But then I also realized that Samsung defaulted the Battery Saver to only charge to 80% for battery health. So, hopefully I can get around 10 hours of battery life with updated display settings and fully charged battery and that I would be totally fine with.
Not a big fan of the non-upgradeable memory.
Final Thoughts
I can definitely recommend the Book5 Pro. The 16GB RAM does pretty well, but if you plan to do a lot of editing, the 32GB option would be best, which then doubles the storage from 512GB to 1TB. The price hike isn’t the worst I’ve seen, but Samsung takes the opportunity to hike the price on what a single 32GB RAM module would cost and a 1TB M.2 drive would cost. Personally, the 16GB RAM is enough, but I will add either a 2TB or 4TB M.2 for ample storage.
I can definitely recommend the Book5 Pro. The 16GB RAM does pretty well, but if you plan to do a lot of editing, the 32GB option would be best, which then doubles the storage from 512GB to 1TB. The price hike isn’t the worst I’ve seen, but Samsung takes the opportunity to hike the price on what a single 32GB RAM module would cost and a 1TB M.2 drive would cost. Personally, the 16GB RAM is enough, but I will add either a 2TB or 4TB M.2 for ample storage.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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MnstrMike's Questions
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Camcorder with webcam functionality
I need a reasonably priced camcorder that can also serve as a webcam. Which models have this feature?
It all depends on what you will use it for most. Any line-up of camcorders will do just fine for a webcam and on sale you can get a webcam for around $30.
For home videos, it all just depends what you are going to be doing, if you need a super zoom lens 30x or higher? Standard Def or HD? If you are only going to be putting them on a PC or do you want to watch directly on TV? There are still the tape versions available that you use the camcorder as a VCR. Or you can buy one that burns directly to mini-DVD's, holding 60 minutes of video. The last option records to SD cards and can hold anywhere from 2 hours to 16 hours, just depending on the size of card or built-in memory. Most of these camcorders only can record for about an hour to an hour and a half because of battery charge.
I know it's a lot of questions and doesn't really answer yours. Going off of "Reasonably priced and webcam" for specifications means anything less than $150 will work for your purposes.
For home videos, it all just depends what you are going to be doing, if you need a super zoom lens 30x or higher? Standard Def or HD? If you are only going to be putting them on a PC or do you want to watch directly on TV? There are still the tape versions available that you use the camcorder as a VCR. Or you can buy one that burns directly to mini-DVD's, holding 60 minutes of video. The last option records to SD cards and can hold anywhere from 2 hours to 16 hours, just depending on the size of card or built-in memory. Most of these camcorders only can record for about an hour to an hour and a half because of battery charge.
I know it's a lot of questions and doesn't really answer yours. Going off of "Reasonably priced and webcam" for specifications means anything less than $150 will work for your purposes.
Products from my answer
Toshiba - Camileo H30 High-Definition Camcorder with 3" Touch Screen - Black
Samsung - Ultra Compact Camcorder with 2.7" LCD Monitor - Purple
Flip Video - UltraHD (3rd Generation) Camcorder - 2 Hour - Black/Silver
14 years, 9 months ago
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Posted by:
MnstrMike
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Knoxville, TN