I really like the capabilities of the 204
924681
I have had experience with some of Buffalo's NAS products, as this was one of the brands I installed as an IT consultant.  I also installed some of the Netgear NAS's as well. They ranged from 2TB and up.  I really like the capabilities of the 204.  There are many features, both basis and advance.  Everything from file sharing, auto-backup of pictures from a smartphone or tablet (via app), and there are even apps for the NAS itself.  One of these apps actually allow you to use the NAS as a Plex media server.  I highly recommend the 204 regardless if you just need a simple backup solution or a complete media solution for your local network.
2017541
I just got an Iriver T60 to replace my aging Iriver IFP-799.  There are many reasons to like the T60, but it leaves me wishing it had more of the qualities of the IFP-799.

I love that the T60 cost half as much as the IFP-799 did several years ago -- and it has four times the memory!  That's great.

The T60 is smaller and lighter.  That's great, too.

On the downside, the controls are not so great.  The joystick really is imprecise.  Actually, "imprecise" is a nice way of saying it takes 2 or 3 tries to actually select what you want.  For example, you want to go to the next file, but you change the volume instead.  (It's almost a cause to cheer when you use the joystick and get what you want on the first try.)

Sheesh!  When the battery dies, it takes me to the beginning of the next file.  Why not start where it stopped?  That's what my IFP-799 did.  Maybe this isn't a big deal with music, but it's not too nice when you are in the middle of a 30-minute podcast.

Deleting files is a long wait (with a fairly full player) as it, I guess, re-indexes the remaining files.

Finally, I just wish the T60 felt as durable as the old IFP-799.  Time will tell.
1910572
I took the gun apart and turned it into an automatic sentry gun. It's a great platform for experimenting with sensors and robotics. Since the gun can be fired by bypassing the safety switch, there are all kinds of fun ways to fire it without human intervention. I used an Arduino microcontroller and a relay circuit to trip the switch whenever someone gets too close to a distance sensor mounted on the barrel.
Getting in requires unscrewing about forty-nine zillion screws, but beyond that it's very straightforward. The gun is nicely designed and hacker friendly. My only complaint is the battery box, which had a tendency to lose contact and misfire. I ended up soldering a power supply to it, as I was using the gun on a turret near a wall outlet.
Tons of fun, works fine on its own, even better when it becomes your autonomous Nerf sentry!
1273302
Has more capabilities than I need, but what do need is great.
2156220
I like this camera!

I just returned from a three-week trip to Italy, Holland, and London, and I found my Nikon P80 to be easy to manage, after several readings of the manual. Not too small, the P80 fits comfortably into my hands and does not wobble as the smaller cameras tend to do. Although I do miss taking splendid photos with my 1974 Rollei SLR with the three lenses and polarizer, I do not miss the weight, the limitations of rolls of film, and the encumbrances of all the accompanying paraphernalia.

I especially like the P80 because it is inconspicuous, and one can get candid shots of street life without being intrusive. The easily managed diopter allowed me to use the viewfinder without my glasses. The monitor made it easy to view photos quickly; and the battery charger worked splendidly (I took two Nikon batteries, and charged one every night.). I was also pleasantly surprised at the macro feature which allowed me to copy family photos from my brother-in-law's album, which were taken in the 1940s and '50s.

As other reviewers have suggested, reading the manual is indispensable, but one ought not to be tied to it. For instance, I discovered that in the northern latitudes with their bright autumn light, so beloved by the Dutch painters, the "sunset" setting worked better than the automatic, or even the plain "landscape" settings (I didn't care much for the automatic setting which tended to over-expose the pictures). I also experimented using the shutter and aperture priorities; took night pictures that were eventually successful, and discovered the video option, getting some fantastic shots of the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace (As I discovered when I downloaded the photos onto my computer--a painless process--the sound of the guards' commands and their marching feet, as well as the clip-clop of the horses' hooves, comes through loud and clear. Unfortunately, so does the yak-yak of the surrounding tourists!). Not knowing how much memory I would be using, I took two 4G memory cards and shot 1800 pictures and 31 short videos, which improved remarkably during the second week, as I was getting used to the intricacies of the camera (and was recovering from jet-lag). As a result, I have a thorough documentation of my trip, which I wouldn't have gotten with a cumbersome SLR.

Although for the next trip, which I intend to be more leisurely, I might invest in a real DSLR (with a polarizing lens), the Nikon P80 was perfect for what proved to be whirlwind tour of Europe. And any lapses in color or light and shadow, I was able to compensate for for with Adobe CS3.

P.S. I must mention a minus, and that is a matter of preference. I do not like the 18 mm wide-angle lens, since it make buildings "collapse" in on each other visually; but with experience, I have since learned to shoot at 28 mm for architecture.
943059
I've now had a few weeks of use and overall I am pleased.  The PROAIM Jr. is hung about 10 feet above the floor toward the rear of our church sanctuary where it has a great view of the stage.  Since the shot is 40 feet away from the action it takes a very light touch on the joystick to pan if you are zoomed in for a "one shot".  There is a bit of whiplash in the pans and I have wondered if the tightness of the engagement between the drive motor gear and the overall assembly's pan gear can be adjusted.  I would be especially pleased if a LANC controller alternative knob could be offered for the joystick.  It would be great to be able to pan, tilt and zoom with just one hand.  Solutions to these last two issues would raise my score to 5 stars.
2623349
Invariably, the 200-series will be compared to the super-popular 350, and I can't help but do the same.  The 350 was a true pioneer, but I always found myself waiting a half-second for it to get back to me, and overall, the experience was sluggish.

The 255 is plenty fast, and brings the GPS interactive experience to a new level.  My purchase was based on Consumer Reports' ratings.

The 200-line is certainly confusing in terms of number increments not matching up to features, but I would strongly recommend the TTS feature, which is only available on the 260/260W/255/255W.  Despite the numbering scheme, the 255-line is newer/faster than the 260-line, which is why I chose the 255, though others may have chosen it for the FM/MSN traffic/info features.

Pros:

Size/Build:
Very small.  Smaller than a hockey puck, and completely pocketable.

GUI:
The interaction with the menu is very fast, and without delay.  Searches, map refreshes, etc -- they're all a lot faster and I don't find myself waiting.

Map:
The 3D GUI updates at what appears to be 3-4fps, which may not sound like much, but compared to 1fps for older models, this is a significant improvement, and is the difference between missing an exit or not.

3D Terrain:
This is surprisingly useful when going up/down hills, as it gives you an idea of not just a left/right turn, but also the incline.  Sudden, steep climbs/downturns (think Laguna Seca) were reasonably well-indicated, which allowed me to slow down a bit more than had I assumed it was a level turn.

Antenna:
I personally like that the flip-up antenna in the 300-series is gone.  It makes it much more usable when holding.

Display:
The display packs a ton of information, including next turns, speed limits, and all things that were typically a few clicks away.  Surprisingly, it does not seem cramped at all.

Routing:
Routing is very fast -- maybe 1-3 seconds?  It's fast enough that I don't need to count, sweat, and worry that I won't get directions before the next intersection.

Re-Routing:
Most importantly, *re-routing* is fast.  If I take an incorrect turn, it will re-route within seconds, and will prompt me with a turn direction half way down the block.  In previous models, I would have to slow down or pull over.

Overall:
Size, build, battery life, screen, volume, TTS, etc... all wonderful.  As a standalone GPS, this is quite impressive.

Cons: (this is where it gets knocked down to 4 stars)

Dock:
The 350's dock housed the power cable, which made it a one-handed motion to get it back in the dock with power.  With the 255, you need to plug in the power, then place it in the dock.  Not a dealbreaker, but it's too bad they couldn't engineer it like the 350.

No QWERTY:
It amazes me that even with a touchscreen, Garmin still can't give me a QWERTY keyboard.  It's not as if there are physical key limitations...  This makes inputting text considerably slower.

Shortage of accessories:
No USB-A to USB-Mini cable, no AC adapter, no case.  Not that *I* need any of those things, but someone who's not a computer geek may not have those things handy.

Average Web Tools/Content, Photo Bookmarking:
I can see they're trying to beef this up, but as of this writing, the on-line, web tool and photo-based location bookmarker is average, at best.  The downloadable content (new vehicle models, and the one custom voice) offers considerably less than the competition (eg: TomTom).

Other: (Not pros or cons, but FYI)
- no mp3 playback
- microSD slot, not SD
- sorry, no feedback on MSN traffic, as it doesn't fit my usage style
4390785
I bought this to replace a worn out 1/2 hp disposal.  It was an easy swap with the old unit,  this one is a little larger in diameter than the old unit,  but the same height.  I could have used the existing sink bracket and replaced the thing in 5 minutes,  but I chose to swap it out with the shiny new bracket that came in the box.

This unit has more hp and spins faster than the old unit,  but is more quiet. I have no problems with the noise level,  especially with the power this thing has.  The removable, black plastic basket is much more useful than I anticipated.  Just pop it out and you can see the entire inside of the chamber to make sure no small items have fallen in (this also makes it easy to clean to keep the bad smells away).

This unit does not have a hex wrench contact on the bottom to manually spin the grinder in case of jam;  instead, you pop out the basket and use the handle of a wooden cooking spoon to turn the grinder,  its super easy with the basket popped out (I have not had a jam, but my old unit jammed so much that I practiced turning the grinder manually just in case).

Also, not that it matters,  but its probably the nicest looking disposal I came across.
1917688
i had a Urec7 by TechnicalPro, but, even though it served me fairly well for a while it failed and after some research i bought this recorder.  the DRP-1  by Gemini is a versatile piece of equipment, with plenty of input options.  i found the recording process a little less intuitive than i would wish, i had to read and refer to and re-read and re-refer back to the somewhat inadequate instruction manual but the results are useful once you have gotten done setting up everything.
1. i wish the unit had a remote control - then the same buttons on the unit would not be forced to perform double-duty.
2. the display is too small, and the messages and level meters and stuff can only be seen if viewed from directly in front - inconvenient
3. possibly i should have already known this, but the unit only plays back what it itself has recorded, and i only found out after i had it in my possession - so none of the stuff i recorded using the Urec7 will play on it.  major bummer that i cannot just pick up where i left off.
2244636
I have to say at first I am not a professional and hadn't own a camera for a while as I was simply using my phone.
I got this refurb. for a great deal of 119 and I think it does a very nice Job.
I am still learning about its features but the WiFi is nice as you can control the camera from ur smart phone
.
When the object is "Fixed " the pix are amazing no doubt about that but when it comes to my 2 year old who cannot stand still , it always gets a "blurry" pix . Using the "Sport" mode did help a little bit but still an issue.

Overall, I am happy with it and still didn't try any outdoor pix but I am getting really nice shots till now.
3943840
My 430se died (somewhat) within two days. Just long enough for me to achieve a real respect for its abilities. I miss the MP3 playback, the ability to download recorded books to listen to on trips, the  voice-activated contact list, and all the games that can be played... and  in case my boss is reading this: the ability to use it as a terminal, the  expense tracking, and other productive items.
The screen went dark but I  could still use it to do non-visual task like voice-controlled contact  manager since I had already entered the data. I'm looking forward to  getting my replacement so I can be more productive (and finish that book I  started on the plane.)
My opinion is this is a tremendous tool and toy. I  am assuming I just got one with a loose display connection, however, I will  be religously backing-up all data for quite some time... I should do that  anyway.
3898979
I finally stepped up and bought a quality digital caliper. My Harbor Freight model kept running thru batteries. I've read that they only turn off the display and therefore really eat up the power. In any event I ordered the smaller 4in Mitutoyo and although it felt strange at first the smaller size is very handy. I use a caliber to get precise thickness on instrument wood usually nothing over 2 inches so I didn't need the extra length of a full sized unit. Note, that the unit does feel a little lopsided due to the somewhat heavy head and lack of extra beam to act as a counter balance. But all in all I really like it. If you want something that fits easier in an apron pocket or just more compact I'd give this strong consideration.
1317988
While I often work out in the gym using a treadmile I do occasionally run outdoors and I will do more outdoors as the weather in MN improves as we move into spring and summer. What I really like about the 305 is its ability to track what I do outdoors using the GPS (location / distance / heart rate), and indoors on the treadmill using using the foot pod (purchased separately) and then upload the data to my PC so that I can track my progress (and for the outdoor runs see on a map where I went). It's very encouraging as I lose weigh and gain stamina to actually see how my heart rate is now lower with higher levels of exercise, and how my average speed is increasing as well. I also like being able to always monitor my heart rate - which while I'm running outdoors is important for me to know as I don't want to exceed the maximum rate for my age (and before I got this unit I wasn't sure how close I was getting). So the combination of all these things makes this a winner for me. The only downside I've found so far is that I'd rather see my speed in MPH vs. my pace in min/mile but that's pretty minor. Also you can't display maps on the 305, just show the track of where you have been. I wasn't expecting to be able to load maps so this was not a take away for me, I just wanted to mention this for other potential buyers.
3252467
I bought this as a long overdue upgrade from an N600. I was really interested in the mobile app, but many of the other features have been unexpectedly fantastic. The on-screen GUI is GREAT, and I've really enjoyed using Pandora. The sound is fantastic and there are lots of well-integrated ports. I only have two (fairly minor) dings: First, it seems that you have to have zone 1 on to use some of the functionality of the system (e.g., netradio bookmarks, change pandora stations) on zone 2. Second, the receiver is a little strange about detecting AV inputs: I might have an input device and the receiver on and set to that input with no audio. But if I turn off the receiver and turn it back on, it will then detect the input properly and choose it. Odd. But overall, a great purchase.
4667744
My old Panasonic 1200 W died after years of intense use and I knew I wanted a similar one. Actually, I like this one better: the controls are more flexible in that I don't have to dial in time in 5 or 10 second intervals. I can press buttons to get whatever time I want (i.e. 18 seconds) at whatever power setting I want. Much more flexible.

I was surprised that there really isn't a notable difference between 1200W (which is pretty powerful)  and 1250W. I still use the time settings I was accustomed to using for each item. The inside dimensions are pretty large (18.5" wide), the rotating glass tray is also larger than any I have seen before (16.5"), while the outside dimensions don't really reflect the inside capacity.

I've had it for only a month and I really like it, even though it's maybe a bit larger than I need.
1040689
Having owned a CA-300 for only a day, I am so glad that I went for this model over any of the much less expensive offerings that do not include the image capture feature.

Summary of thoughts:
- LED lights and camera provide a stunning 640 x 480 image when captured to the SD-card and played back on a PC; I'd rate the photos this thing captures as 10 out of 10 and higher than my greatest expectations. Viewing images captured showed important subtle details that were very useful that simply can not be seen using the built-in display
- The built-in 320x240 display sounds useful, however when you are working on a ladder or in cramped quarters (not too unlikely when using a device like this) the tiny display cannot compare to the clarity and shadow details of the captured images. Compared with the recorded images, I'd rate the display as a 6 out of 10
- Ridgid should change the photo capture to record the JPG image in the same orientation that is currently set by the "rotate image" button (90 degree rotation each turn)
- I would much prefer a AA battery model over the Li-ion rechargeable included with this model (the CA-100 uses AA batteries); I plan on keeping this thing for years, but will not really get it out and use it very often

As a homeowner, I've been on the sidelines watching inspection camera offerings for years and finally bit the bullet. In owning it one day now, it has already helped me quite a bit in analyzing an upstairs plumbing problem that is causing wet sheetrock below.

Like some others that have posted reviews to Amazon (thanks all!), I am one of the people who will only take the time for a review if what I purchased is either really great or really terrible. And in this case, the CA-300 is really great.

Note to Amazon - I would like to attach a photo to this review, but only see the video review option.
1123549
First of all, this camera has lots of pluses. It is fully PoE compatible, I plugged it into my TrendNET PoE switch and it just worked. Camera powered up, and I was able to configure it quickly & easily. It's also fully compatible with Blue Iris software, if you're wondering. The vandal-proof dome is a great feature, I love that I don't have to worry about anyone messing with the camera itself. Finally, the resolution is phenomenal. All my other IP cams are 2MP/1080p, and the step up to 3 megapixels is amazing. I can make out facial details and read license plates of cars in my driveway at much longer distances. And the infrared performance is amazing - I can see people & critters just fine out to a few dozen yards from the camera at night.

The only complaints I have with the camera are with its installation and its adjustability. Physically mounting this one can be a little more fussy than with other Amcrest cams - the camera has to be disassembled and putting it all back together once it's mounted (up on a ladder, trying to deal with Allen wrenches and tiny screws, etc...) can be a bit of a challenge. That said, this may well be the case for all of these dome-type cameras, and I may be unfairly complaining about something endemic to this camera design (i.e. this may well not be just an Amcrest issue, and since the dome was a requirement for me I might better stop...). And it's a minor issue at most.

The adjustability is another issue. It's hard to describe or understand until you have the camera in hand, but this camera is kind of limited as to how & how much you can adjust it. The "eye" of the camera can be rotated around the up/down axis - think of a line going from the bottom of the dome up through the top of the base, as the camera is pictured - the camera can rotate around this line, giving you full left/right adjustability. And there is some adjustability in one other plane, based on the way the camera is bracketed to the base. But that second degree of adjustability is fairly limited. In my installation, I have the camera mounted outside my garage door, monitoring a parking pad outside the garage and my driveway (~80yd long). I adjusted the camera with as much "downward" angle as it will allow, as well as dropped it below the edge of the roof as much as possible (using metal conduit). However, I still get too much sky and too little ground, for my taste (if that makes sense). The only way I can figure out this could be overcome would be to mount the camera body itself at a downward angle, but it's difficult to do that when you're dealing with conduit and junction boxes (i.e. pieces that are pretty much limited to 90deg angles). Another possibility would be to mount the camera "sideways", as the firmware does allow you to rotate the camera feed & image (only possible hitch I can see here is whether or not that would mess up the infrared performance, as the lamps are all clustered on one side of the lens). More range in the up/down adjustment plane would have been much more ideal for me. That, or a ball-type camera with dome - but when I purchased Amcrest didn't offer anything like that. All that said, it's still a great camera.

None of these complaints are deal-breakers, mind you. Given the chance, I'm pretty sure I'd still get this one. But it's the only Amcrest camera I've gotten where I've thought they might have fallen just a bit short of the mark.