EagleCroft's stats
- Review count72
- Helpfulness votes795
- First reviewOctober 11, 2013
- Last reviewFebruary 5, 2024
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- Average rating4.3
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- First review commentApril 6, 2014
- Last review commentApril 6, 2014
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- First answerAugust 22, 2018
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Performance meets versatility. From intensive video and graphics files to high-octane gaming, the most powerful Surface laptop yet combines speed, graphics, and long battery life with the versatility of a laptop, tablet, and portable studio. Tackle your biggest demands with quadcore powered 10th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, blazing NVIDIA® graphics, and high-resolution PixelSense™ Display designed for Surface Pen* and touch.
Customer Rating
4
Very Powerful, and Innovative Design
on July 27, 2020
Posted by: EagleCroft
from Ocala, FL
Welcome to my review of the Microsoft Surface Book 3 15” Model:SLZ-00001. Before I begin I would like to disclose that I have been provided the Surface Book 3 in exchange for and as fair compensation of my time testing and reviewing the product in a fair, honest and unbiased manner.
If you are reading this review it’s most likely because you are thinking of buying a high-end laptop computer and you want to see what other buyers have experienced before you pull the trigger. That’s what I hope to help you with. There is a lot of marketing material available from the manufacturer easily available to you online. My review is based on the way I use a computer, and my life experiences (i.e. I’m not writing a sales pitch).
A powerful computer is needed for specific applications; (1) those that require lots of number-crunching CPU power such as writing and compiling source code, (2) graphics intensive applications that require powerful GPUs for video editing, photo-editing, graphics design and rendering, 3D modeling, VR, and gaming. There are differing levels of capabilities within these classes, and generally speaking the more you spend the more power you get. In review is the Surface Book 3 SLZ-00001 model, which features a 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor, and an nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 TI GPU. Internal storage is provided by a 256GB SSD, RAM comes in at 16GB. There are a ton of other features, but for the purposes of what I believe the target customer will be - these are the primary factors to focus on.
Executive Summary: I used the SB3 for compiling code (via Microsoft Visual Studio), and for editing videos and photos, for CAD and 3D modeling. I do consider myself a power user who works in technology, but my profession is not editing videos or using CAD software for modeling and design. If your needs fall into that category and you have above average power needs in your profession - my advice is to skip over this particular model and jump up to the top of the line and get the Surface Book 3 with the nVidia Quadro RTX 3000 GPU. Max out the memory and the SDD, and you will have a monster of a machine to use for Solidworks, or AutoCad, or heavy duty video renderings. The Quadro RTX 3000 GPU is a fantastic graphics processor, it pushes this laptop into the desktop replacement arena. If you can afford it, get that one!
Let’s get to it!
Software I installed and ran:
Adobe Photoshop Premiere Pro (professional video editor)
Adobe Photoshop & Lightroom (professional photo editor)
Adobe Photoshop Elements & Premiere Elements (consumer photo and video)
Dassault SolidWorks (3D modeling)
AutoDesk AutoCad (3D modeling)
Avid Media Composer (Video Editor)
Microsoft Visual Studio
Adobe Photoshop & Lightroom (professional photo editor)
Adobe Photoshop Elements & Premiere Elements (consumer photo and video)
Dassault SolidWorks (3D modeling)
AutoDesk AutoCad (3D modeling)
Avid Media Composer (Video Editor)
Microsoft Visual Studio
Results
PPR installed and ran without any issues, updates occurred quickly and no problems. I didn’t notice any issues until I started rendering very large video files and optimizing them. Then I notice lag in the system. The CPU utilization was high, but not terrible, neither was the memory overwhelmed. I could only surmise the issues I was experiencing were due to the GPU in this particular notebook. The average user may never notice, but the professional would absolutely notice.
P&L installed and ran without any issues, updates occurred quickly and no problems. App start time was a little better than average I would say, likely due to the high speed RAM and speedy SSD. I had no problem editing large uncompressed images, I noticed no lag at all. It really performed well, and the imaging on the LCD panel was beautiful and very accurate colors. I was impressed.
Elements (photo & video), installed just fine and came up quickly. No surprise each application worked splendidly, since these are essentially lite versions of the professional packages which I just discussed. The Surface Book 3 handled these without breaking a sweat.
Now we start getting into the heavy stuff… Modeling software is a notoriously power hungry application, particularly on the video system. But I wanted to see if the SB3 was up to the challenge. SolidWorks installed and configured fine. It had it moments during the install, and during updates. But it’s a big application, so I wasn’t surprised. SW3D ran fine until I introduced some rather large files to work on. It didn’t crash, but it did slow down and became noticeable when rendering and moving 3D objects. Again, I was likely seeing the limitations of the built-in GPU. I wouldn’t recommend it for the pro, but the enthusiast is going to be okay.
ADAC - same story, installation was none-eventful. But I did have the same type of issues running large AutoCad files as I did with SolidWorks. For the average hobbyist and tinkerer this machine would suffice. But not for a power-user, especially one that is using this for their business.
Avid Media Composer is a great video editing system, but a bit complicated. I had more problems running this one than I did Adobe Premiere when editing and rendering large videos. No crashes, just laggy and not as speedy as my desktop workstation which has a high end video card in it. Again, it worked - and did the job. But doesn’t compete with a professional video editing machine.
Installed Microsoft Visual Studio and everything worked smoothly and super fast. I loaded up some raw uncompiled code, and it had no problem at all in crunching through it. As quick as my desktop PC I do most of my work on. Excellent performance all around.
Application Testing Summary
All the applications installed and ran, and were entirely usable. Professional level power-use of the applications were a challenge to the SB3 at times, most likely due to the video GPU in this particular unit. Microsoft does offer a huge step up in the SB3 family featuring an NVIDIA® Quadro RTX™ 3000 GPU. If I was going to buy a laptop for 3D modeling or complex video editing - I would absolutely buy this model. My guess is that with that GPU onboard any lag I experienced in my tests would vanish. The RTX 3000 is a monster graphics processor for a laptop, and many of the current graphics applications (including those I tested with), will make use of the capabilities in the GPU. If I ever get my hands on that model I’ll rerun the tests and let you know.
Likes
Beautiful design and top notch build quality (Apple level construction)
Choice of materials - sturdy shell, stiff surfaces underneath, soft-touch on top.
Gorgeous screen, big, bold and vibrant (3:2 aspect 3240x2160). Best screen I’ve seen on a laptop, Period.
Battery life is advertised up to 17.5 hours. However I never hit the posted times - but I believe them! I’m actually shocked at how good the battery life is considering there’s a power i7 CPU, a super bright LCD panel, and a speedy GPU. Credit goes to intelligent battery power saving, and a dual-battery configuration (one in the tablet and one in the base). But remember if you go into tablet mode you’ll be running on just the one smaller battery so time will be seriously diminished.
Keyboard is wonderful! Best keyboard on a laptop I’ve used, and I’ve used many. Again, no expense was spared in building this impressive machine.
Touchpad is big and responsive, with the right amount of sensitivity in the goldilocks zone.
SD Card slot, since just about every gadget uses one for storage.
Discrete nVidia 1660 ti GPU built into the base is like a supercharger on a muscle car. But remember when you undock the video chip stays in the base not in the tablet.
Microsoft engineers thankfully put some nifty touches in this design. For example when you discount the tablet (undock), you are free to roam about. But wait, what happens if your tablet battery runs down? Do you have to go back and redock? Nope! The center connector that binds the table to the keyboard base doubles as a power port. So you simply use the same connector to charge the base to charge the table. Neat!
I like the power adapter, it is lightweight, small, and doesn’t look like every other adapter I have in my drawers at home (a good thing). I’m also intrigued that a 3-prong plug (with ground), is not used. Instead a standard 2-prong plug connects to a socket. This is actually wonderful, but I am curious why and how they decided on this. But I like it!
Beautiful design and top notch build quality (Apple level construction)
Choice of materials - sturdy shell, stiff surfaces underneath, soft-touch on top.
Gorgeous screen, big, bold and vibrant (3:2 aspect 3240x2160). Best screen I’ve seen on a laptop, Period.
Battery life is advertised up to 17.5 hours. However I never hit the posted times - but I believe them! I’m actually shocked at how good the battery life is considering there’s a power i7 CPU, a super bright LCD panel, and a speedy GPU. Credit goes to intelligent battery power saving, and a dual-battery configuration (one in the tablet and one in the base). But remember if you go into tablet mode you’ll be running on just the one smaller battery so time will be seriously diminished.
Keyboard is wonderful! Best keyboard on a laptop I’ve used, and I’ve used many. Again, no expense was spared in building this impressive machine.
Touchpad is big and responsive, with the right amount of sensitivity in the goldilocks zone.
SD Card slot, since just about every gadget uses one for storage.
Discrete nVidia 1660 ti GPU built into the base is like a supercharger on a muscle car. But remember when you undock the video chip stays in the base not in the tablet.
Microsoft engineers thankfully put some nifty touches in this design. For example when you discount the tablet (undock), you are free to roam about. But wait, what happens if your tablet battery runs down? Do you have to go back and redock? Nope! The center connector that binds the table to the keyboard base doubles as a power port. So you simply use the same connector to charge the base to charge the table. Neat!
I like the power adapter, it is lightweight, small, and doesn’t look like every other adapter I have in my drawers at home (a good thing). I’m also intrigued that a 3-prong plug (with ground), is not used. Instead a standard 2-prong plug connects to a socket. This is actually wonderful, but I am curious why and how they decided on this. But I like it!
Dislikes
Terrible speakers. It’s a shame too because the internal audio system is top-notch. I’m surprised Microsoft didn’t do better… They bought the right audio processors and amplifiers but not the right speakers. Shame. Having said that if you plug a good pair of amp’d speakers into the earphone jack you will get amazing sound!
Position of headphone jack. Who’s idea was it to put the headphone jack on the top of the bezel? It makes no sense when the system is used as a laptop or a tablet. Then again, most people are going to use bluetooth. I guess I should be thankful that they included a jack at all (since Apple no longer does).
Only one power port. I use a Chromebook for light-duty tasks (surfing), and I really love it. One thing it has that I wish the SB3 had is a power port (USB 3), on either side of the laptop. This is so convenient! I can sit on either side of an outlet and plug in without having to reroute the cable. Such a simple thing, but so useful!
Microsoft makes a beautiful pen that works with the Surface Book 3, in fact it should be packaged with the SB3. And yet, it’s an option you have to buy. So I did not have one to use in my tests. A huge disappointment, and I found it confusing…
I have a love/hate thing going with the hinge. I’m sure it’ll grow on me, but I don’t see the appeal. It’s innovative I guess, but the best solution? Not so sure. Time will tell. I just don’t like the gap when the unit is closed. Also the hinge has a limited range of movement. Just not a fan, but I’ll live with it.
Position of headphone jack. Who’s idea was it to put the headphone jack on the top of the bezel? It makes no sense when the system is used as a laptop or a tablet. Then again, most people are going to use bluetooth. I guess I should be thankful that they included a jack at all (since Apple no longer does).
Only one power port. I use a Chromebook for light-duty tasks (surfing), and I really love it. One thing it has that I wish the SB3 had is a power port (USB 3), on either side of the laptop. This is so convenient! I can sit on either side of an outlet and plug in without having to reroute the cable. Such a simple thing, but so useful!
Microsoft makes a beautiful pen that works with the Surface Book 3, in fact it should be packaged with the SB3. And yet, it’s an option you have to buy. So I did not have one to use in my tests. A huge disappointment, and I found it confusing…
I have a love/hate thing going with the hinge. I’m sure it’ll grow on me, but I don’t see the appeal. It’s innovative I guess, but the best solution? Not so sure. Time will tell. I just don’t like the gap when the unit is closed. Also the hinge has a limited range of movement. Just not a fan, but I’ll live with it.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Improve your listening experience with this Belkin SoundForm Elite Hi-Fi smart speaker. The Push-Push dual woofer design delivers deep, distortion-free bass, and the Speaker Active Matching technology helps maximize sound quality. Google Assistant integration lets you control this Belkin SoundForm Elite Hi-Fi smart speaker and play songs from your library using voice commands.
Customer Rating
4
Good first attempt. But I wanted to like it more..
on June 23, 2020
Posted by: EagleCroft
from Ocala, FL
Belkin is a solid technology company that has been building quality products over a wide spectrum of consumer electronics categories for many years. The Belkin company story is quite interesting, and worth reading on their website (in About Us). From assembling cables in a garage, to being part of parent company Foxconn - this is a substantial company with huge engineering resources. I mention this mainly because for a company not known for building portable speakers - they entered the field in a big way. The portable speaker market is saturated, and Belkin did a smart thing... They partnered with French audio company Devialet who set the speaker world on its ear with the introduction of the Phantom speaker. If you have ever walked into an Apple Store and seen a strange 'space-alien' looking speaker pumping out gobs of amazing sound - then you have experienced Devialet's astounding technology. Unfortunately technology like theirs comes at a price, around three thousand dollars! This price point makes bringing this magnificent product out of reach for most people (me included). Until now... Belkin struck a deal with Devialet to license their speaker technology. It is a brilliant idea, and I was so hopeful! There are many things I love about the SoundForm Elite speaker, but alas I come away disappointed because the potential is there but the execution was not. I came away feeling this product wasn't fully baked, and wasn't ready for marketplace prime time. I'm not saying the speaker isn't worth considering, but this could have been a huge slam-dunk for Belkin if they had just worked on this a bit more. I have high hopes for a version 2.0, or other more mature products in the Belkin speaker line-up. If you are the type that needs to have the newest toy on the block - then check this out. Otherwise this speaker is a mixed bag and requires careful consideration and comparison.In its price category are many fantastic speakers, from big brand name audio companies. This was a good first attempt by Belkin, and I applaud them for the effort. However, they missed out on a home run here. Give it a listen in a Best Buy, compare it to Bose or make your way back to the Magnolia section in the store and check out other high end portable speakers. This is a good speaker worth your consideration. It's just a little sad because it could have been a contender!
Hits
Devialet's "push-push" and "SAM: speaker technologies
Beautiful audio reproduction
Gets loud without distortion
Good build quality
Pleasant aesthetics
Innovative packaging of several technologies
Integration of Google's Smart Home technology
Wireless inductive charging worked well
Support for a few streaming music services (Spotify, Google Music, Pandora, etc.)
Voice controls through Google, with whole house capabilities
WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity
Devialet's "push-push" and "SAM: speaker technologies
Beautiful audio reproduction
Gets loud without distortion
Good build quality
Pleasant aesthetics
Innovative packaging of several technologies
Integration of Google's Smart Home technology
Wireless inductive charging worked well
Support for a few streaming music services (Spotify, Google Music, Pandora, etc.)
Voice controls through Google, with whole house capabilities
WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity
Misses
Giant wall-wart. I hate these power adapters. Please spend another few pennies and place a cord in between the transformer and the wall outlet. Serious pet-peeve of mine.
The cloth covering on the speaker is loose and I can foresee it catching on something and getting pulled and damaged. I see no easy way of replacing it.
No primary ON/OFF button
Google voice command doesn't support Power On or Power Off
Lacking a dedicated APP that should be developed for this
Flush buttons are difficult to use with any precision and no haptic feedback.
Volume buttons do not adjust up or down with enough granularity. I found it difficult to find a happy volume level (without using google assistant)
Lacking a mini-jack for line input. I have a high-res audio player that I can't connect to this speaker. That is silly.
Lacking a battery for portability. This runs only on AC. I live in a part of the country that loses power every winter, and sometimes in the summer. Why couldn't Belkin have either built in a rechargeable battery pack. Or made it a modular system where a rechargeable battery could be added on as an option? I can only assume cost savings (again).
The power connector leading to the underside of the speaker kept getting tugged out unexpectedly. I had to re-seat it a number of times. Finally I put a piece of duct tape on it to keep it from falling out. Bad design.
Google assistant has many clicks and pops that are made when an event occurs, these are system sounds. The problem is they get equally loud along with music. So crank up your music, get a text message on your mobile phone - and your in for a loud attention sound. Annoying.
No USB or Lightning connector for input or for charging.
No sensitivity settings for the flush buttons
Control panel surface is a fingerprint magnet.
Lacking controls on the speaker itself. Could use more functionality and Belkin should include a built-in display to show status and other controls.
The speaker froze-up on me twice while switching between whole house (wifi) mode, and Bluetooth. I had to reset the speaker to factory defaults (pinhole button on bottom of speaker), to clear it up.
I see no option to update firmware to fix bugs (which I encountered)
No support for Apple or Amazon music streaming services
Minuscule user's guide and not much more information online
Not great at low volume level listening. Audio quality suffers.
Unboxing was nothing interesting, quite boring really. For a premium product I expect more of how Apple boxes up their products.
Giant wall-wart. I hate these power adapters. Please spend another few pennies and place a cord in between the transformer and the wall outlet. Serious pet-peeve of mine.
The cloth covering on the speaker is loose and I can foresee it catching on something and getting pulled and damaged. I see no easy way of replacing it.
No primary ON/OFF button
Google voice command doesn't support Power On or Power Off
Lacking a dedicated APP that should be developed for this
Flush buttons are difficult to use with any precision and no haptic feedback.
Volume buttons do not adjust up or down with enough granularity. I found it difficult to find a happy volume level (without using google assistant)
Lacking a mini-jack for line input. I have a high-res audio player that I can't connect to this speaker. That is silly.
Lacking a battery for portability. This runs only on AC. I live in a part of the country that loses power every winter, and sometimes in the summer. Why couldn't Belkin have either built in a rechargeable battery pack. Or made it a modular system where a rechargeable battery could be added on as an option? I can only assume cost savings (again).
The power connector leading to the underside of the speaker kept getting tugged out unexpectedly. I had to re-seat it a number of times. Finally I put a piece of duct tape on it to keep it from falling out. Bad design.
Google assistant has many clicks and pops that are made when an event occurs, these are system sounds. The problem is they get equally loud along with music. So crank up your music, get a text message on your mobile phone - and your in for a loud attention sound. Annoying.
No USB or Lightning connector for input or for charging.
No sensitivity settings for the flush buttons
Control panel surface is a fingerprint magnet.
Lacking controls on the speaker itself. Could use more functionality and Belkin should include a built-in display to show status and other controls.
The speaker froze-up on me twice while switching between whole house (wifi) mode, and Bluetooth. I had to reset the speaker to factory defaults (pinhole button on bottom of speaker), to clear it up.
I see no option to update firmware to fix bugs (which I encountered)
No support for Apple or Amazon music streaming services
Minuscule user's guide and not much more information online
Not great at low volume level listening. Audio quality suffers.
Unboxing was nothing interesting, quite boring really. For a premium product I expect more of how Apple boxes up their products.
I guess I set my expectations too high for this speaker. But all is not lost, the potential is still there to create a stunningly good speaker. It just isn't this revision. The unit cost is high, probably due to the licensing fees from Devialet. But that still doesn't excuse the lack of many features and straight forward refinement for this device. I hope the product manager for Belkin is reading this review. Please go back and make this into the product it was meant to be. I'll send you the requirements if you like! You guys are very close, everyone deserves a second chance. Take yours, and swing for the fence this time!
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Generate big sound in your cozy entertainment space with these KEF bookshelf loudspeakers. Their Uni-Q driver array uses damped tweeter loading tubes to produce crystal-clear trebles and low-distortion inductors on the crossover for clean, powerful bass. The fluid dynamic port design of these KEF bookshelf loudspeakers prevent midrange leakage for enhanced clarity.
Customer Rating
5
Brilliant Imaging with a Full and Rich Sound Stage
on January 27, 2020
Posted by: EagleCroft
from Exeter, NH
About 18 years ago I fell in love… With a pair of speakers! I bought my first pair of KEF tower speakers, which featured the Uni-Q technology speakers. I’d already owned a pair of B&W tower speakers, so I was familiar with what audiophile speakers sounded like. What I mean by that is speakers that don’t color the original sound. High-end speakers are meant to be transparent and not add anything, they should reproduce audio the way it was recorded. What I loved about my first KEFs (Q50’s), was their ability to reproduce vocals. In my opinion at that time and price point, nothing else came close.
Fast forward to 2020 and KEF is continuing to create magnificent audio speakers. The case in point is the Q350 Bookshelf Speaker system. These speakers pack a punch in a small package and feature KEFs newest Q-drivers. These speakers also feature state of the art materials, from the custom in-house drivers to the solid non-resonant cabinets. The Q-series speakers are unique coaxial design drivers. KEF places the tweeter in the middle of the woofer to blend the sound waves in an even distribution, and increase clarity and sound stage.
From a stylistic/aesthetic perspective, you are either going to love the look of these or hate them. These do not come with speaker covers, so what you see is the full-on raw speaker driver in a very crisp, tight-right angled cabinet. These are not pretty speakers, in my opinion. But they are cool to look at! If you want speakers to be heard and not seen, these may not be your cup of tea. But if you like the look of high-tech speakers - you’re going to love them! You can get speaker covers from KEF, for an added cost. But don’t do it! These are incredible speakers that and audiophile will want to see uncovered.
There are lots of speakers in this price range to choose from, and it is hard to know which to go with. For me, it comes down to what I like to listen to. If you want wall-thumping, bass-pounding speakers - you’re not going to find that here. But if you enjoy accurate reproduction of audio, particularly in the midrange. I love to hear clear, rich full vocals. Q-series just do it so well. The audio imaging is so precise, so open sounding. I love them!
If you are looking at these KEFs you probably already have an appreciation for audio, and you know that KEF is a top tier brand. The Q350 will perform equally well in a small room, to a large one. You can pair them with just about any amplifier, and still get a great sound. I paired mine to an esoteric tube amp which isn’t particularly powerful but puts out clean warm sound. I can power these speakers just fine and the speakers are efficient enough to deliver amazing balanced audio. But if you really want to amaze your friends, put these on a high-end amp and push the watts through the channels. I hooked these up to my 900-watt per channel Rotel amp and I was just floored. They sound so good!
If you made it this far in my review, I hope you’ll treat yourself to a pair of KEFs. They are incredible speakers and well worth their price point. One bit of advice I will leave you with is if you do get a pair take your time in setting them up. The position plays a huge part to get the best experience out of these. These are bright speakers, with incredible imaging. Depending on your room size and shape you may need to move them around a bit, and point them in directions you may not have originally planned on. Once you get the direction and position just right you will be treated to beautiful soundstage and imaging that will make you smile ear to ear.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The BISSELL® air320 Air Purifier is part of the BISSELL lineup of premium lifestyle air purifiers that join form and function in your home. The air320 is designed with clean lines, smooth edges, modern legs, a discreet cord wrap, and a fabric filter that fit into the design of almost any home. Beneath the unique design is a powerful machine you'd expect from BISSELL - a trusted brand in homecare. The washable fabric pre-filter on the front of the machine is part of this air purifier's 3 stage filtration. This filtration system also includes a pleated high efficiency filter to capture hair, dust, pollen, and dander and an activated carbon filter to capture home odors, pet odors, and volatile organic compounds. The air320 is controlled by a soft-touch dial that allows users to adjust the fan speed. The air320 can accommodate large rooms like bedrooms, living area, basements, and dining rooms. It is tested to the AHAM standard to have a Smoke CADR of 199 for rooms up to 308 sq. ft., making it great for bedrooms, living areas, basements, and dining rooms. You’ve trusted BISSELL to clean and care for the floors and surfaces in your home. Now, let us clean your air! Plus, every purchase of this product helps save pets! BISSELL® proudly supports BISSELL Pet Foundation® and its mission to help save homeless pets. When you buy a BISSELL product, you help save pets, too. We’re proud to design products that help make pet messes, odors and pet homelessness disappear.
Customer Rating
5
No, it's not a speaker! It's an air purifier...
on January 5, 2020
Posted by: EagleCroft
from Exeter, NH
“Is that a speaker?” If I had a nickel for every time I have been asked this question… Well it’s not a speaker, but ‘yep’ it certainly looks like one. That’s not a dig at the design mind you, in fact it’s a compliment. The Bissell Air320 (model 2768A), is a very good looking air purifier, a series of words you probably wouldn’t expect to be strung together. Design meets functionality in the Air320, Bissell invested wisely in making its air purifier visually attractive. I really like it!
The design is minimalist, and blends into most decors. It’s unobtrusive, but pleasant to see if noticed in the room. The design to me looks very European, something you might see in an IKEA store. Its clean lines, and quality materials exude quality in a somewhat organic-looking design. I really appreciate that Bissell took the time to make this unit not look like every other air purifier on the market (most of which look too plasticky and more at home in an office or industrial setting).
More important really than the clean design is its ability to produce clean air. After all that is its primary purpose, aesthetics aside this is built to filter air in an enclosed environment. I live in an apartment complex that has a daily cacophony of odors wafting down the hallways and ingressing my living environment. Sometimes I don’t mind, because there are some good cooks around me. In the warmer months I can always open a window. But… In the cold winter months that option is out the window (pun). Then mix all the smells coming down the hallway together, including those that insist on cooking stuff not so pleasant smelling - and well I need something to clear the air while not opening a window.
I sat the Air320 just beyond the inside of my apartment door which opens into the hallway. I figure this is the best spot for it to grab and filter the smells that find their way in.
Pro’s
- Triple filtration system, including an activated carbon filter that works great for reducing odors.
- Automatically adjusts the level of filtration when particulate increase is detected
- Very quiet, gentle sounding 5-speed fan with automated night mode.
- High quality materials
- Beautiful design
- Small legs keep it elevated off the floor
- Simple controls make it a cinch to use
- Compact size fits easily into any room
- Excellent cord management
- Easy to replace filter
- Low power usage and energy star compliant
- Well known manufacturer
- 5 year warranty!
- Triple filtration system, including an activated carbon filter that works great for reducing odors.
- Automatically adjusts the level of filtration when particulate increase is detected
- Very quiet, gentle sounding 5-speed fan with automated night mode.
- High quality materials
- Beautiful design
- Small legs keep it elevated off the floor
- Simple controls make it a cinch to use
- Compact size fits easily into any room
- Excellent cord management
- Easy to replace filter
- Low power usage and energy star compliant
- Well known manufacturer
- 5 year warranty!
Con’s
- No built-in timer (but has automated functions)
- Filters are expensive but worth it
- No built-in timer (but has automated functions)
- Filters are expensive but worth it
My primary goal was to reduce the odors coming into my apartment, and the Air320 is doing a very good job. Does it eliminate all of odors? No… But I never expected it would filter out 100% of the smells. But the filtering is working and that combined with an occasional candle or aromatherapy make a much, much better living environment. I’ve also found that it normalizes the air in the apartment, meaning that it always has the same fresh air quality without varying all over the place. It’s an investment for sure, but what price for a quality of life? I expect this to last for many years, and even with routine cleanings and new filters will cost just pennies a day. Plus I’m saving on energy by not having to open a window to air out my apartment. That alone pays for the price of the purifier and its filter replacements. Of course reducing odors is probably not the primary reason someone will be thinking about buying an air filtration system. But that is what I wanted it for, and it does a great job! If it works as well in all of its other applications - then this is a no-brainer.
Excellent product from design to functionality. Give this one a look if you are in the market.
Oh one last comment as a recommendation to the manufacturer: include a sticker to put on the front that says “Not a Speaker!” :-)
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The Blue Yeti X is a state-of-the-art flagship USB microphone for professional-level gaming, streaming, podcasting, YouTube videos and more. With enhanced Blue VO!CE software, Yeti X delivers legendary Blue broadcast sound with greaterclarity than ever—in four versatile pickup patterns.
Customer Rating
4
Mic Drop! Worth every penny!
on January 1, 2020
Posted by: EagleCroft
from Exeter, NH
If you are looking for the best of the best usb mic on the market today, look no further than the Blue Yeti X. This is not only one of the best quality mics on the market, but it looks the part too. It has a nice metal base and a matte black finish on the microphone piece itself.
The Blue Yeti X is the first dedicated mic that I have used on my PC setup at home due to my headset breaking; and I will say it was one of the easiest installations of a mic I’ve ever seen. All I needed to do was plug into the next available usb and I was all set. My experience using this mic has been incredibly good as well. I was able to test my voice and have a few friends listen to me online as well and there wasn’t a single complaint and, in fact, they could all hear me more clearly than on the headset.
There are only a couple negatives with this mic. The first is the light on the front of the mic itself. It is an indicator of how loud you are and is a simple way to determine if you need to turn down your mic input volume. However, it is always on and some may find this distracting especially if their room is dark. I have personally never found this feature distracting. The only other downside to this mic is the price. While the price may be a bit more expensive then other mic, what you get is an incredible product.
I highly recommend this mic if you are one of those people that take conference calls through skype online or are trying to start up a streaming channel, either way, this is a great mic that Blue Yeti has provided.
I recommend saving up your quarters to buy one!
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HP Spectre x360 Convertible 2-in-1 Laptop: Improve your productivity on the go with this 13.3-inch Full HD HP Spectre x360 two-in-one notebook. The 512GB SSD with 32GB of Intel Optane memory ensures fast startups and loads frequently used programs in seconds. This ultra-thin, lightweight HP Spectre x360 two-in-one notebook has an Intel Core i7 processor and 8GB of RAM that smoothly run demanding tasks and let you multitask freely.
Customer Rating
5
An incredible machine
on November 20, 2019
Posted by: EagleCroft
from Exeter, NH
This little HP Spectre laptop is quite an amazing machine. Laptops have come a long way from the first ones I worked with, in every way they can be measured. I’ve worked professionally in the computer field for 30 years, so I have a bit more insight than most. In fact, I worked for a company back in the 90’s designing the first thin and light notebook computers. At that time those were state of the art. I recall launching our newest, fastest laptop featuring a 486 processor, 512MB of memory, and a huuuuge 1GB hard drive! For it’s day, that was an amazing machine and it cost several thousands of dollars to own one. When I’d bring one of those on an airplane it would draw attention. Remember this was in the 1990’s.
Fast forward to 2019 and laptop computers have advanced so far beyond what we had thought was possible in a small consumer product. It’s really quite startling how far technology has come. The HP Spectre laptop has more power, more features, more capacity than even the desktop computers from just a few years ago. It’s an incredible device, let me tell you a bit about it.
The form-factor is just packaged so well, it is super thin and super lightweight. I remember how hard we worked on creating thin notebooks back 20 years ago, and those would dwarf the size of the Spectre. The average consumer has no idea how much engineering goes into designing and creating a device like this. The materials used to build the chasis and the outer shell aren’t something most consumers thing about. But it’s vital to use specific materials to ensure stiffness, rigidity, heat dispersion, strength, resistance to scratches, texture, environmental temperatures, and so on. The hinge design is also extremely critical, to ensure they never fail. The ports and inlets need to survive intact over hundreds or thousands of hours of use. This is a science in and of itself, and most people won’t notice it. I do though, and I’m very impressed with Spectre. It’s construction is top notch, HP engineers did a great job figuring out the right materials to use to create the body of this machine. I feel confident that this laptop will last a very long time without failure. And on top of all the functional necessities that the body must provide, it’s also beautiful to look at and to hold. A great design all around!
Powering the Spectre is a 10th generation Intel i7 processor (specifically a i7-1065G7), which Intel introduced in Q3 of 2019. This processor is state of the art, you are getting the latest in CPU technology for laptops in this computer. I could write a full paper on how amazing this processor is. Think about this, the processor has 4 cores, sort of like having 4 independent CPU’s all in one unit working in harmony. Each runs at a base frequency of 1.3 GHz, with boosts up to 3.9 GHz (turbo speed). It connects to the rest of the system on a 4 GT/s bus (giga transfers per second). Think of that as a multi-lane super highway by which data is transported around. It’s super fast, resulting in extremely low (unnoticeable), latency. An i7 CPU like the one used in the Spectre has over 2.1 Billion transistors on a chip not much bigger than your fingernail. It’s mind boggling, the amount of engineering in this chip alone is worthy of a much higher price tag than you’ll pay for this whole system.
But maybe you’re not into all the techno-mumbo-jumbo. You just want a machine that will perform and impress! Well, let’s talk about that… This is an extremely versatile computer, it does many things extremely well. It replaces your desktop computer, it replaces your tablet computer, it replaces your gaming computer, it doubles as an entertainment center. The Spectre is to laptops what the smartphone is to a cell phone. It’s a Swiss-Army knife of technological functionality packaged together in a sleek yet durable design. You can seriously replace a lot of single function devices with this machine. Making the cost of ownership extremely affordable!
So let’s take a look at what it can do…
The combination of the latest generation of i7 processor (i7-1065G7), embedded onto a super fast bus, connected to 8GB of high speed, high bandwidth RAM, pouring data in and out of a 512GB SSD that uses 32GB of Intel Optane memory results in incredible performance! Whether you are cranking out giant spreadsheets, rendering vectorized graphics, playing the most intense VR game, facetiming with your coworkers, or editing your family home videos - the HP Spectre will do it all in stride! The processing power of this mini-might is just incredible.
All of that performance needs an equally great display to show off visually, without lag, and in realistic colors. The 13.3” screen does just that, it’s really beautiful! I love the vivid colors that it renders, on a panel that looks great straight-on or even from an angle. The bright backlight makes it possible to use this laptop outdoors, where lesser display panels would get washed out. The color depth and clarity are as good as those on laptops costing hundreds more.
And of course the screen on this laptop does a neat gymnastic type trick, literally doing a backflip to morph from a laptop into a tablet. The Spectre has an engineered hinge that allows the planel to fold back on itself, and in doing so disables the keyboard and touchpad. When transformed into this configuration screen shows off its touch sensitivity. You can use the panel just like you would a tablet, or smartphone. You can use your fingers or the included pen for detailed work.
The sound system built-into the Spectre is from high-end Swiss audiophile company Bang & Olufsen. That’s just another remarkable part of this system, HP did not cut any corners when designing and building the Spectre. B&O make highly regarded top-end audio systems, that cost more as discrete audio components than this entire laptop retails for. I’m blown away! The audio coming from such a small and thin device is impressive. Piping the audio out to headphones or your home entertainment center is even better!
The backlit keyboard is just great, and easy to see in a dark room. The touchpad is big and responsive, yet not jittery or imprecise like some lesser laptops I’ve owned. The sides and corners of the Spectre provide ports for every modern connection. The built-in camera provided me sharp, lag-free video streaming. The webcam kill switch is a terrific and thoughtful switch that HP engineers decided to include. Very clever! The high speed WIFI capabilities are beyond what my current Internet Provider can accommodate, so I’m guaranteed not to be outdated any time soon! The transmit and receive rates are faster than my desktop computer!
There are so many things I can rave about this system, with very few negatives. Actually the only negative for me is the price. But you get what you pay for in this world. If you want the best, if you want something that will last, you have to spend a bit more. In my opinion with all things considered, the power and performance to price offering of the Spectre is a spectacular deal. My favorite feature? It’s so hard to say, because there’s so much to like here. But I’ll say it’s a tie between the long battery life and the gem-like design of the unit as a whole. I’ve run this thing on battery for over 14 hours before needing to find a plug. It’s a long distance runner for sure! The all aluminum body, and high quality build, in a shapely form make even ardent Apple owners look over and admire this machine. I recommend you buy one!
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Cook meals or reheat food while conserving counter space with this compact 25-liter Breville Compact Wave soft-close microwave. The soft-close door offers quiet, gentle closure to avoid disturbing others, and the preset options provide consistent quality with the press of a button. This Breville Compact Wave soft-close microwave features a mute button for silent operation, and the child lock helps prevent accidental use.
Customer Rating
5
A well designed and constructed compact microwave
on November 12, 2019
Posted by: EagleCroft
from Exeter, NH
Not a lot to get excited about when you’re looking to buy a new microwave. Unless you are buying on that will fit a custom installation in cabinetry. In this case the category of microwave is one that will sit on a counter top. Prerequisites are that it should first and foremost heat food quickly, and evenly. It should be attractive and look good sitting on a counter top. It shouldn’t take up a lot of space, and be intuitive to use. The build quality should be very good to excellent, and be engineered and built with materials that will provide a very long product life.
The Compact Wave™ Soft Close checks off all those boxes for me, plus a bit more… The thing that I like the most (above all the usual things that a microwave needs to do), is the soft-close door. That may not sound like much of an important feature, however I really appreciate it. The old microwave would not only be loud while it was in operation, but whenever certain members in my family would close the door they did so with a ‘slam’! It would be so annoying to hear this someone make a bag of popcorn late at night (and smell it too), then when they removed the bag that just toss the door close. This microwave eliminates that annoyance for me! The soft-close feature thwarts the abusers from slamming the door! Good for Breville for figuring out unique ways to make a better product. To top it off they added a mute button so that the microwave doesn’t disturb others when cooking completes, with beeping sounds.
The Breville is packaged well, the layout is familiar and takes up minimal space on the counter top. Yet the interior heating area is surprisingly large, rated at 25L. I haven’t run into anything that I wanted to heat up that didn’t fit. I’ve also been happy with the evenly heated food it produces. The turntable continuously revolves round and round so that the food position is never in one spot for too long.
I like the shortcut buttons it provides for common foods that most people will heat in a microwave. It makes using the unit with different foods easy to figure out, and consistently good results time after time. Breville did a great job executing this feature without making it overly complex. I like the added touch that you can easily add more time to the programmed cycle if needed. I also like the big knob that is used to adjust cooking times, and other things. The reheat and defrost features worked great, de-thawing food evenly using lowered power levels.
The stainless steel case is both attractive and easy to keep clean, and it looks good in my kitchen. Heating times are quite impressive! Normally compact microwaves don’t do as good of a job heating quickly as larger microwaves do. Impressively this compact unit is the best of both worlds, it’s compact and heats up food very quickly.
I’m thoroughly impressed with the Compact Wave™ Soft Close microwave from Breville. I am glad that it comes with a full one-year warranty (though I hope never to have to use it). I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a high quality microwave that will fit neatly on a counter top or shelf. Favorite feature is the soft close door and overall quiet operation.
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Get fresh breath and healthy gums with this Philips Sonicare ExpertClean electric toothbrush. The built-in sensor controls applied pressure to help avoid gum inflammation and soreness, while the soft, flexible bristles reach deep between teeth for up to 10 times better plaque removal. This Philips Sonicare ExpertClean electric toothbrush has three intensity modes to fit your personal preference.
Customer Rating
5
You Track your Steps, now Track your Brushing!
on October 21, 2019
Posted by: EagleCroft
from Exeter, NH
The best keeps getting better! I’ve been using Philips Sonicare electric toothbrushes for years. I’ve also owned other brands, but I kept returning to Sonicare. Why? I have found Sonicare offers the best performance to value of any brand (that I’ve tried). I’ve been using the 7300 for just about a month and it has been just excellent! The new feature that the 7300 offers over the last model I owned is the pressure sensor. I would wear through brushes pretty quickly on my prior models. Turns out I was applying too much pressure while brushing. This reduces the lifespan of the brush head, and lessens the effectiveness of the brush sonic motions. This new model and its accompanying tracking application software guides you to apply the right pressure while brushing, and provides a report of your brushing through the app. Think of it as tracking your steps per day in another popular electronic health device. This tracks your brushing effectiveness. Very cool! Your teeth deserve it!
Pro’s
Typical Philips high quality build and materials
Excellent battery life (I’ve taken it away for weekend trips without the charger)
Outstanding performance in cleaning my teeth, gets into all the nooks and crannies
Intensity setting allows to dial up or down the vibrations (for those with sensitive teeth)
Progress Report (via bluetooth), application is like tracking steps but for my teeth
Pressure sensor with haptic response makes me a better brusher
Handy travelling case makes it neat and easy to take on the road
Different brush heads included (1 C3 Premium Plaque Control, 1 G3 Premium Gum Care)
Typical Philips high quality build and materials
Excellent battery life (I’ve taken it away for weekend trips without the charger)
Outstanding performance in cleaning my teeth, gets into all the nooks and crannies
Intensity setting allows to dial up or down the vibrations (for those with sensitive teeth)
Progress Report (via bluetooth), application is like tracking steps but for my teeth
Pressure sensor with haptic response makes me a better brusher
Handy travelling case makes it neat and easy to take on the road
Different brush heads included (1 C3 Premium Plaque Control, 1 G3 Premium Gum Care)
Con’s
It’s kind of expensive, but like with all things “you get what you pay for”. In the long run this is a wise investment in preventative maintenance. My dentist visits have been much less eventful since I began using Sonicare toothbrushes. My dental hygienist noticed the difference right away! There’s a lot less scraping and pain now when I go in for my semi-annual cleaning.
It’s kind of expensive, but like with all things “you get what you pay for”. In the long run this is a wise investment in preventative maintenance. My dentist visits have been much less eventful since I began using Sonicare toothbrushes. My dental hygienist noticed the difference right away! There’s a lot less scraping and pain now when I go in for my semi-annual cleaning.
Highly recommended! A bargain at twice the price!
PS. If anyone from Philips happens upon this review, you have a couple of misspellings on the 7300 product page. “...The progress report tracks four performance areas: brushing time, frequency, the brush head usage and the amount of pressure used as you brush. No need to have your phone with you in the bathroom. The progress report is avaible for you - anytime, anywhere. Importantly, tracking the use of each brush head prevents them from becoming ineffective and alerts you when to replace them forongoing results.” (avaible, and forongoing).
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The reliable Brother HL-L3210CW compact digital color printer is a great choice for the busy home or small office. Quick print speeds of up to 19 pages per minute¹ plus manual feed slot accommodates varied printing needs and can handle a variety of paper types and sizes including card stock, envelopes and more. Connect with versatile options including built-in wireless or USB interfaces and print wirelessly from mobile devices. The 250-sheet capacity adjustable paper tray helps improve efficiency with fewer refills and handles letter or legal sized paper. Brother Genuine high-yield replacement toner cartridges help lower printing costs. Comes with a 1-year limited warranty and free online, call or live chat support for the life of your product. Prints up to 19 ppm¹ in black and up to 19 ppm¹ in color.
Customer Rating
5
Another Home Run from Brother!
on October 9, 2019
Posted by: EagleCroft
from Exeter, NH
Oh Brother! Another excellent color laser printer! A home run! This is the second color printer I’ve obtained from the manufacturer Brother. This one impresses me as much as the first one did, and I’m happy to recommend it. I use my printer for SOHO purposes, it gets used for a variety of things from printing letters, printing cards, printing photos, and more. I use all types of paper, from the cheapest stuff I can find to print drafts, to expensive heavy weight and costly photo quality paper. I’ve also manually put through and printed on business envelopes. I have not been disappointed once using the HL-L3210CW printer. It’s fast, it’s quiet and it doesn’t take up much space on my desk.
Setup was simple, I started with it tethered to my PC then eventually switched over to WIFI. This allowed me to move it to the most convenient location in my office. I’m at my day job during the week, so it doesn’t get much use until the weekends. What’s nice is I can keep it powered on in standby mode. It’s drawing a very small amount of electricity, but when I do need to print something it comes back up very fast and I’m printing right away. But do be aware that if you don’t use the printer for a long period of time it will pass through standard Sleep mode into a Deep Sleep. This is an ultra low power mode, and when it goes into that mode the printer needs to be awoken in person (in other words you can wake it up remotely). It’s not an issue for me, but just be aware of this in case you use the printer very infrequently.
The print speed is rated at 19 pages per minute. I’ve never actually timed it (hahaha), but I can attest to the speed is impressive. No lag, it burns through the print jobs I send it. I’ve always found it very convenient to use the mobile printing functionality. I can print directly from my mobile phone, or tablet. I’ve even printed through the cloud, using Google Cloud Print.
Like all Brother products I’ve owned, this printer has been very reliable and I expect it will remain that way. Each cartridge is rated to last up to a thousand pages, and the tone drum up to 18,000 pages. Given my small need for printing, perhaps 50 pages a week maximum, costs will remain low for consumables (the tray holds up to 250 pages depending on the paper stock). The actual print mechanism is LED, which is essentially going to last for the life of the product. A one year warranty is provided, which is good coverage for a low-cost color laser printer.
My devices run the gamut from Windows-based PC’s, Linux tablets, to mobile device - all are supported and work consistently well. I haven’t yet had to replace the toner cartridges, and I’ve been using the printer a lot in recent weeks. The cost per page of this printer is really impressive! I’ve used the duplex printing feature to print both sides of a single sheet of paper, which saves money and reduces waste.
I’m very impressed with the HL-L3210CW printer, it has been working great and handles everything I’ve thrown at it. If you want to upgrade from black and white prints, to rich color prints you can do it with this printer for a price that a mono printer would have cost years ago. It’s a bargain, grab one. Oh one more bit of advice, buy only Brother genuine cartridges. I tried refilling in the past with other printers I’ve owned. That was always a disaster and ended up ruining print jobs, wasting paper, and eventually ruining the printer. Treat your printer well, feed it good toner and it will treat you to a long useful life. Highly recommended!
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Put floor cleaning on autopilot with this SharkNinja Shark IQ robot vacuum. Compatibility with Alexa and Google Assistant simplifies control from a distance, while the IQ Nav functionality provides digital home mapping to clean specific rooms as needed right now. This SharkNinja Shark IQ robot vacuum recharges itself to resume cleaning from where it left off.
Customer Rating
3
Good but not Great Results - an Honest Review
on October 1, 2019
Posted by: EagleCroft
from Exeter, NH
The Shark - IQ Robot RV1001 App-Controlled Robot Vacuum is another robotic vacuum cleaner that enters an increasingly crowded arena. Is this the best one to buy in its price range? That I can’t tell you, this is the third robotic vacuum I’ve owned - and there are so many more out on the market. But what I can tell you is how it compared to the other models I’ve owned and what I like and don’t like about it. Ultimately the decision is yours to make, and if all else fails Best Buy has a terrific return policy. Of the three vacuums I’ve owned this one ranks in the middle. It is way better than the first one I owned, however in fairness the first one I owned was one of the early models from the originator of this device. It was the gadget to own at the time, but I had nothing but troubles with that vacuum. It was an expensive mistake, and I vowed never to buy another robot vacuum. Many years later I was asked to write an unbiased and honest review of a robot vacuum from a different manufacturer. I decided to give it a shot. To my great surprise I really liked that device! It won me over with its neat D shape design giving it a wide brush area, and ability to get into tight spaces. It also did a great job mapping my home’s floors and the sophisticated app provided me a way to create ‘no go’ zones. This was my faithful robot cleaner for 8 months, when another product review was offered to me. This unit comes from SharkNinja, a company I’ve become acquainted with over the past few years. I have a cordless and a corded vacuum of theirs, which I love and highly recommend. I also have kitchen appliances from them, a blender and a coffee maker (more on those later). I figured this would be a really fun review to do and product to own. So I put aside my then current robot vacuum, and set up the Shark IQ in its place. This is also a network connected device, allowing you to name the robot (I called him Gort), and then he can communicate status message back to me. Gort has lived in my home now for three weeks, cleaning my rooms on a preset schedule. Below are the pro’s and con’s I’ve accumulated. In summary the Shark Robot did a fine job but didn’t impress me as much as the other robot vacuum I previously reviewed. I’m not saying it isn’t a decent machine, I’m just stating that given the choice, knowing what I know now - I’d opt for the other brand and model. The Shark IQ scored better in some areas than did the other unit. But overall, with all things considered - it takes second place for what I need a vacuum to do.
Pro’s
- Super quiet! Much quieter than the other units I’ve owned. It actually snuck up on me a few times.
- Side brushes work well, they gently push objects into the cleaning bar. I’ve seen other units that spin the brushes so fast that they actually knock particles away into unreachable areas.
- Excellent job picking up debris and dust, surprising actually how much it hauls back. I am very impressed by its suction power.
- Best dust collection bin I’ve used in any model. Easy to remove and empty.
- App was easy to use, was simple to set up. Instructions are clear and easily understandable.
- The self-cleaning brush roll actually worked! This is the only unit I’ve used that didn’t get bound up with hair and threads.
- The filter is easily removable and replaceable. Easier than other models I’ve owned.
- Compatible with Google Voice and Alexa.
- Sends text messages to inform of status.
- Affordable price
- Super quiet! Much quieter than the other units I’ve owned. It actually snuck up on me a few times.
- Side brushes work well, they gently push objects into the cleaning bar. I’ve seen other units that spin the brushes so fast that they actually knock particles away into unreachable areas.
- Excellent job picking up debris and dust, surprising actually how much it hauls back. I am very impressed by its suction power.
- Best dust collection bin I’ve used in any model. Easy to remove and empty.
- App was easy to use, was simple to set up. Instructions are clear and easily understandable.
- The self-cleaning brush roll actually worked! This is the only unit I’ve used that didn’t get bound up with hair and threads.
- The filter is easily removable and replaceable. Easier than other models I’ve owned.
- Compatible with Google Voice and Alexa.
- Sends text messages to inform of status.
- Affordable price
Con’s
- The biggest issue I’ve had with this unit is it constantly gets stuck or stranded. To be fair this has happened on the other two robots I’ve owned. The difference is that this one doesn’t seem to learn as well or as quickly as my other unit did. The other vacuum bumped around the house too, but after a couple of weeks, and setting up no-go zones - it was able to navigate my home like a pro. With the Shark you have to put down these little rubber strips to tell the vacuum to stay away. This has been a chore to do, I’ve got these little strips all over the place. Plus it took forever to map my floors. And even then I can’t create virtual walls like I could with my other robot vac. If the Shark didn’t get stuck under a couch, or trying to go over a raised mat, it would run out of battery and would be lying ‘dead’ in the middle of the floor when I came home. It had problems many times trying to find its way back to the docking station. I would watch it at times, and found myself yelling at it. Ha! It seems like it would get so confused trying to navigate its way back. It would bump and bounce around trying to get back for a recharge. It had such a hard time that often it ran out of juice before getting back. This never happened to the other model I owned.
- The algorithms that the Shark engineers programmed into this robot just don’t seem to be as robust and “intelligent” as the other brand I reviewed. It doesn’t seem to learn from its actions either, it will do the same wrong thing over and over again.
- The cleaning bar is much shorter than in the other vacuum I reviewed. Because it has a smaller brush and inlet, the unit has to travel back and forth that much more. It still cleaned really well, but I found it odd that the cleaning bar would be nearly half the length in comparison.
- The app software is fine, but it has a lot of room for improvement. It can map rooms, but can’t set up virtual boundaries (my favorite feature on the other vacuum I own).
- The built-in screen filter is not well designed, it should be cleaned every time you empty the tray but it’s partially blocked by a piece of plastic, making it more difficult to do than it should be.
- The Shark IQ doesn’t seem to make good decisions on how it navigates rooms. It appears to be very random and doesn’t produce the neat and straight lines in the carpet like my other vacuum does.
- Lastly, I have loved my Shark upright vacuums. They have been great! However I have had quality problems with the other kitchen devices from Shark. The coffee maker leaks, and the blender’s blades rusted and fell apart. So I am cautious about the longevity of this device given my past history with this brand. Time will tell.
- The biggest issue I’ve had with this unit is it constantly gets stuck or stranded. To be fair this has happened on the other two robots I’ve owned. The difference is that this one doesn’t seem to learn as well or as quickly as my other unit did. The other vacuum bumped around the house too, but after a couple of weeks, and setting up no-go zones - it was able to navigate my home like a pro. With the Shark you have to put down these little rubber strips to tell the vacuum to stay away. This has been a chore to do, I’ve got these little strips all over the place. Plus it took forever to map my floors. And even then I can’t create virtual walls like I could with my other robot vac. If the Shark didn’t get stuck under a couch, or trying to go over a raised mat, it would run out of battery and would be lying ‘dead’ in the middle of the floor when I came home. It had problems many times trying to find its way back to the docking station. I would watch it at times, and found myself yelling at it. Ha! It seems like it would get so confused trying to navigate its way back. It would bump and bounce around trying to get back for a recharge. It had such a hard time that often it ran out of juice before getting back. This never happened to the other model I owned.
- The algorithms that the Shark engineers programmed into this robot just don’t seem to be as robust and “intelligent” as the other brand I reviewed. It doesn’t seem to learn from its actions either, it will do the same wrong thing over and over again.
- The cleaning bar is much shorter than in the other vacuum I reviewed. Because it has a smaller brush and inlet, the unit has to travel back and forth that much more. It still cleaned really well, but I found it odd that the cleaning bar would be nearly half the length in comparison.
- The app software is fine, but it has a lot of room for improvement. It can map rooms, but can’t set up virtual boundaries (my favorite feature on the other vacuum I own).
- The built-in screen filter is not well designed, it should be cleaned every time you empty the tray but it’s partially blocked by a piece of plastic, making it more difficult to do than it should be.
- The Shark IQ doesn’t seem to make good decisions on how it navigates rooms. It appears to be very random and doesn’t produce the neat and straight lines in the carpet like my other vacuum does.
- Lastly, I have loved my Shark upright vacuums. They have been great! However I have had quality problems with the other kitchen devices from Shark. The coffee maker leaks, and the blender’s blades rusted and fell apart. So I am cautious about the longevity of this device given my past history with this brand. Time will tell.
In Summary this is a good robot vacuum, but you should compare before you buy. In my opinion this isn’t the best robot vacuum cleaner that I’ve owned. In fact, I’m probably going to put Gort away and bring back ‘Rosie’ (the name I gave to Gort’s predecessor). If I had bought this unit, I would likely return it. I simply like the other unit I own better. Just being honest... I hope my honest unbiased review helps you make the right choices. Happy cleaning!
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No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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EagleCroft's Review Comments
Bose® SoundLink® Mini Speaker: Enjoy full, robust sound anywhere you go with this speaker that features an ultracompact design for easy movement from room to room. Bluetooth technology allows you to wirelessly stream music and more from your compatible cell phone, audio player and more.
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 5King of the Hill "Portable Bluetooth Speakers"
By EagleCroft
from Exeter, NH
I'll admit it, I'm an audio snob. Unfortunately my wallet doesn't match my audio desires - so I try to get the best bang for my buck. I have tried many portable speakers starting at $50 and steadily worked my way up. I really didn't want to spend $200 on a speaker, but once I got to demo the Bose Soundlink Mini I found out that there was something very special about this little gem. I've tested speakers 2 times, even 3 times its size and none have reproduced the full spectrum and warmth of sound that the Soundlink Mini has. To be honest as a self-proclaimed audiophile I have shunned Bose products, they were always too mainstream for me - too mass marketed and price / value never made sense to me. I instead would opt for the more esoteric name brands (and still do). But in this case there is simply no competition at this price point (and Bose products never go on sale). Being able to pack this much sound into such a small case is just unbelievable. The engineers at Bose are simply magicians, or at least "wicked smart". It almost doesn't make sense when you hear this speaker playing, you expect to see a subwoofer hidden somewhere. I’d like to suggest to Bose that they change the name from Soundlink to “The Bose Tardis”, as its size belies its true capabilities (Dr. Who reference). I did several side by side comparisons with more than a half dozen Bluetooth speakers and the closest any one of them came was the UE Boom. The Bose has warmer tones overall, which I particularly like (vocals sound full, but not overdone). The UE Boom has better sound separation; the bass is good – but not as good as the Bose. Its upper end is crisp, and actually too bright for my ears. Of all the sub $200 speakers I’ve tried, these 2 are the crème of the crop. The edges out a win for me, but if I were more interested in portability (throwing the speaker in a backpack and heading to the beach), in that case the UE Boom is a better choice. The Bose is more of a home-body; it looks great perched upon its dock, charging. Frankly the Bose is too nice to bring outside. It’s not without its faults though, the Bose lacks a Line Out jack (which would be nice), and although it’s pointless to me some people might want a speakerphone built-in. The docking station is a great feature too, allowing you to quickly set it down to charge (and it looks good too). The Bose Soundlink Mini is a winner, buy it- you’ll not regret it.
EagleCroft
Exeter, NH
Responding to posted question...
April 6, 2014
To the reader who asked for brand names of esoteric speakers I was referring to, I own a pair by B&W, and a pair by KEF. Not crazy priced speakers, but not mainstream either. I'm still extremely pleased with the purchase of the Bose Soundlink Mini. In fact I took the time to video a review of it, and comparing it to other similarly priced BT speakers (notably the UE Boom). Once I edit and clean up the video, add dialog - I'll be posting on YT. BTW, a couple of other notables about the the Bose: (1) it sounds great a low volume levels. Most reviews focus on how loud a speaker can get. Many times that isn't as important as how -good it sounds at low volume levels. The Mini really, really shines in this area. At low volumes the sound is still warm, and deep and well assembled. It's amazingly efficient. For comparison the UE Boom sounds good at loud volume, but loses its richness at a low volume and the bass all but disappears. Most small speakers suffer this same malady, play them softly and they sound like an old transistor radio. Not the case with the Bose Mini - it's wonderful. The other nice thing that the Bose engineers did (or should I said didn't do) is add all sorts of annoying confirmation tones that most other BT speakers have. I have no idea why other manufacturer's have followed this trend, I don't need to hear loud confirmation tones (or even human voices) to let me know when I power on or hit max volume. Bose is elegant and refined, and doesn't try to show off.
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EagleCroft's Answers
Open a world of ocean exploration with this PowerRay Wizard underwater camera. The detachable PowerSeeker fishfinder can be used by itself to map landscapes, and the 4K Ultra HD camera with wide-angle lens captures photos or videos in lakes or seas. Real-time streaming at 1080p from this PowerRay Wizard underwater camera lets you share your adventures via social networks.
How many lumens does the light produce
Good question!
Power: 3Wx2
Brightness: 450 lumens（with dimming control）
Color Temperature: 6500K
Power: 3Wx2
Brightness: 450 lumens（with dimming control）
Color Temperature: 6500K
5 years ago
by
EagleCroft
Enjoy your workout and travel playlists with these JBuds Air true wireless earbuds. Three EQ settings include JLab Signature, Balanced and Bass Boost to customize your listening experience, and the charging case provides 10 hours of additional battery life. Take clear, hands-free phone calls with the built-in microphone and Bluetooth 5.0 technology of these JBuds Air true wireless earbuds.
this headphones are conpatible for iphones?
Yes, I use them on my iPhone 7+. They sound great!
5 years, 4 months ago
by
EagleCroft
Enjoy your workout and travel playlists with these JBuds Air true wireless earbuds. Three EQ settings include JLab Signature, Balanced and Bass Boost to customize your listening experience, and the charging case provides 10 hours of additional battery life. Take clear, hands-free phone calls with the built-in microphone and Bluetooth 5.0 technology of these JBuds Air true wireless earbuds.
Is it possible to just use one?
Yes, you can use just one earbud and keep the other in the case.
5 years, 4 months ago
by
EagleCroft
One solution across all your devices. With Office 365 Personal, you get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more. Work anywhere with apps that are always updated with the latest features. 12-month automatically renewing subscription for one person including 1TB OneDrive cloud storage.
So does that mean when 12 months is up it automatically renews
Yes, you need to make sure you go into your account and disable the auto-renewal.
5 years, 5 months ago
by
EagleCroft
Feel the beat with this LG PK3 portable Bluetooth speaker. It provides dynamic sound and rich bass thanks to its Meridian Audio technology, so you can bring the party with you. The IPX-7 water resistance lets you go anywhere, rain or shine. This LG PK3 portable Bluetooth speaker keeps the music going for up to 12 hours per charge.
I want to use this as a speaker on my TV. Will it work for this purpose if I leave it plugged into a wall outlet for power all the time?
Sure! Just be aware that it uses a Type-C USB connector. The cable is provided, but isn't very long. So depending on your needs and access to a USB port - you may need to buy a longer cable. Otherwise it will need a typical micro audio connector cable to plug it into your TV (unless you use Bluetooth). I hope that helps.
5 years, 7 months ago
by
EagleCroft
Enjoy room-filling audio in any living space with this LG Hi-Fi shelf system. Its two 150W speakers produce loud, detailed sound, and it streams music via Bluetooth when you pair it with an Android device. This LG Hi-Fi shelf system has an EQ function that optimizes the audio based on the music you're listening to.
Can I connect a turntable to this system? My current shelf system has an AUX input.
Chances are, no... It really depends on your turntable. Unlike most discreet audio components turntables require a preamp to boost the signal before it can be amplified. Some new turntables don't need this, so your best bet would be to check your owner's manual from the turntable and verify that it can run without a preamp.
5 years, 8 months ago
by
EagleCroft
Enjoy room-filling audio in any living space with this LG Hi-Fi shelf system. Its two 150W speakers produce loud, detailed sound, and it streams music via Bluetooth when you pair it with an Android device. This LG Hi-Fi shelf system has an EQ function that optimizes the audio based on the music you're listening to.
Does it have a CD player
Enjoy room-filling audio in any living space with this LG Hi-Fi shelf system. Its two 150W speakers produce loud, detailed sound, and it streams music via Bluetooth when you pair it with an Android device. This LG Hi-Fi shelf system has an EQ function that optimizes the audio based on the music you're listening to.
Does this have a telescoping antenna?
No, it uses a length of wire which is directional as the antenna.
5 years, 8 months ago
by
EagleCroft
Enjoy room-filling audio in any living space with this LG Hi-Fi shelf system. Its two 150W speakers produce loud, detailed sound, and it streams music via Bluetooth when you pair it with an Android device. This LG Hi-Fi shelf system has an EQ function that optimizes the audio based on the music you're listening to.
How can I add speakers to this system. What speakers are compatible?
It comes with two speakers, that are attached with separate R/L +/- speakers wires. You can add more speakers the same way I'm sure, but be aware that the speakers are matched to the system. I'm not sure how many ohms the system speakers run on, and that's critically important to the efficiency and volume of sound. Remember 300 Watt RMS doesn't necessarily mean it can drive large speakers, chances are you need very efficient speakers with a low ohm rating to work well with this system. It's doable, but you'll have to do some homework to make it sound good.
5 years, 8 months ago
by
EagleCroft