Very good product, but falls short in some ways
931155
I recently purchased a WS-200S to replace my aging Olympus DS-2000 recorder. I had hoped to use the WS-200S to record dictation for Dragon Naturally Speaking (DNS) transcriptions. DNS (a very, very good voice recognition product) works very well with recordings made on my DS-2000, and I'd expected the same performance.

First of all, the WS-200S is a typical Olympus product: carefully designed, excellent construction, etc. It's a marvel of miniaturization, measuing less than 3.75" tall x 1.5" wide. It weighs next to nothing.

This small size comes with a price, however. There are five controls (Rec, Stop, Play, FF/Rew, Volume) along the right side (sorry, lefties!). As you can imagine, these buttons and rockers are very small. I have found it difficult to operate this recorder without looking to see which button I'm pressing.

It's unfortunate that Olympus chose WMA (Windows Media Audio) as the recording format for this recorder. Although WMA is extremely compact, it also causes considerable loss of audio detail. In fact, DNS cannot reliably transcribe a recording made at the WS-200S's default recording speed (SP).

I have to use HQ (high quality) mode for DNS transcription. The problem here is that HQ yields less than 9 hours of recording time on the WS-200S's 128 megabyte memory. I had been hoping for more usable recording time than that from 128 megs of memory.

Also, because DNS does not recognize WMA files, I have to use a conversion utility (I'm using [....] excellent "AudioConverter Studio" product for this purpose) to transform the WMA files before transcription. I fully expected this extra step, and it's more of a problem with DNS than the DS-200S, but you should be aware of it.

The WMA recordings at LP are so "lo fi" and full of noise that they're painful to listen to. In my opinion, the LP recording mode (which yields 55 hours of recording time on the WS-200S) can't be considered a viable recording option.

The SP recordings have a funny "hollow" sound (apparently caused by the WMA compression), making them sound very odd. This is true even when using a good headset microphone (Parrott VXI TalkPro Xpress).

However, the HQ recording mode is crystal-clear and gives very good results with DNS, especially when used with an external microphone.

Finally, and I know it's a trivial issue, but the built-in microphone picks up every sound generated by handling the recorder. What I mean is that, while it's recording, you have to be very careful not to tap the side of the recorder or to allow your fingers or hand to "slide" over the recorder's surface. If you do, the recorder picks up and adds very distinct (and loud!) noises to the recording. My previous Olympus recorder had much better microphone isolation than the WS-200S and I'm finding this issue to be a real problem. It's difficult, for instance, to make recordings as I walk around with this recorder in my hand because of all the "handling" noises that get added to the recording.

So, the bottom line is that I'll probably be using this recorder for meetings and interviews and not for DNS transcriptions. I really like the USB "plug" for transferring files to the computer, and am very happy with its construction and overall quality. Olympus cannot be beat in these regards. I just wish Olympus had chosen a less "lossy" recording format and had spent a bit more time on ergonomics.
4274816
Love Anker's products, but this one fell just a bit short for me.  The usb3 speed is great, everything seems to work well. In fact, I used this with a Plextor 256mb ssd, installed the Yosemite beta, booted my macbook from it, and it worked great.  My only reason for 3 stars instead of 5 is because the supplied usb3 cable fits very loosely in the drive, doesn't recess very deep, and I have to take great care to keep it from falling out while in use.  If stationary on a desk, it's not a problem.  But a little bit of movement, and the cable would pop right out of the drive.  If this problem didn't exist, then it's a five-plus rating.
359697
Overall I like this product very much.  The leather is high quality, the fit and finish are very good, and the camera fits perfectly.  Also like the retro styling.  The one drawback is that there is no snap on the front cover to secure it in place.  I think there are magnets in the leather which are meant to stick to magnets on the back cover to keep the front cover in place (not sure of this, but there are two small circular things in the top of the front cover).  However, they are not very strong, so if I am walking at a good pace and the case is bouncing against my body, the front cover frequently flips open, so I usually keep a hand on the case to keep it closed.  Maybe that's a reasonable trade-off for quick access to the camera, but I would prefer a snap closure.  Still a good product though.
2778914
good product, a bit pricey for how little you get, but overall you will like it..
2225417
I like this grinder, but but have some qualms with it. First I will mention what I like about it:

Finish:
I really like the finish; the top print is beautiful, and the grey finish throughout is very nice and it arrived with no scratches.
The middle and bottom chambers have a large capacity for a grinder of this size, which is related to one of the "cons" below. The design on the top is in the form of a decal (expected at this price level).

Action / Use:

Action on this grinder is excellent! Unlike some other grinders the machining provides sufficient clearance that it doesn't need a nylon bushing to maintain clearance between the teeth; in fact it doesn't even come with a bushing/washer!  It glides very smoothly, and it shreds herbs very well. There is some fine knurling on both the top and bottom chambers to assist with grip, which is a nice touch, and the magnet holds the lid on surprisingly well.  It does a great job grinding the herb, although there is a flaw... see below.

The threads engage smoothly with no problems, with no tendency to cross-thread, nor is there any feeling of "galling" that you encounter with poorly-machined threads. The case is slightly taller than some other same-diameter 4-piece grinders, but it is not heavier and it has a larger capacity so that's a win.

Cons:

First, the holes in the top chamber between the grinding chamber and the herb chamber could stand to be a little smaller. I had ordered this particular grinder for its greater number of teeth, thinking it would work as a finishing grinder.  It does grind very well, but the holes between the grinding and middle chamber could stand to be smaller; to grind herb really fine you need to turn the grinder upside down to keep the herb from falling into the chamber, and grind away with the grinder upside down. It does work well but it is a minor annoyance; I had expected that with a large number of grinding teeth that the holes would be a bit smaller to retain the herb until it is finely ground. This does bother me but the workaround is something I'm used to with other grinders (including space case), so it's no big deal. I would like to see them address this though, and I feel compelled to dock a star over this oversight between this and the too-fine screen issue. :(

Pollen screen: the screen on this grinder is far too fine. Of course I put a nickle in the herb chamber to help shake pollen through the screen, but it could stand to be a bit more coarse. I forsee having to clean the screen more often than I would have to with other grinders.

Lastly, and this is related to the large capacity; the metal is a much thinner gauge than you might expect. This does not negatively impact its function in any way, but when you pick it up and open it, it "sounds" cheap, not entirely unlike sounds you hear from a cheap early 1980s econobox.  This does lend to a larger capacity in both the pollen and herb chambers, so it's simultaneously an advantage as well, but if a superficial cheap "feel" matters to you, you might find this bothersome. I find the light weight and increased capacity to be advantages which outweigh a superficial quibble. I'm not docking any stars for this one as this is a purely subjective issue and frankly it doesn't bother me but I felt it worth mentioning to help those who do care about that sort of thing.

Conclusion:

It grinds well, which is what is important, and can be used as a finishing grinder if you hold it upside down to grind the herb longer, and is very good for the price.  The holes between the grinder and herb chamber could stand to be made smaller, and the pollen screen could stand to be more coarse, but for the price... it's quite good. I would not hesitate to buy another if I needed another one.
81786
very well made, but falls short of 5 starts due to 2 issues: (1) the lack of screen protection - one needs to get a separate tempered glass screen to do this. I would have expected this to be part of the package given the hefty price tag; (2) the flimsy stand, which seems a bit undermentioned and has a loose feel.
815594
great little product. love the little DC inputs - very smart. I have the in-wall box - and this compliments it nicely. two things keep me from giving it five stars - 1)the switch is translucent plastic, so it looks as if it should light up - it does not. 2) the power cord is too short. even inside the designed box - I put the power unit above and I have a recessed outlet in the bottom and it BARELY makes it. a few more inches would have been nice.
3442153
This product feels very solid and well-constructed. It loses 2 stars because of a few design flaws. First of all, the plug does not retract. This makes it difficult to carry as a flashlight. Competing brands have a retractable plug. 2. It covers enough of the adjacent outlet that you cannot plug it in along with a 3-prong cord. Just barely. A little bit of forethought would have prevented this problem.
3832519
For its intended purpose, this is a great little product as the functionality of having both a mini tripod and pistol handle in one package is very handy; that said there are some caveats:

1)  This product is awesome for a small consumer camcorder...perhaps rather than many photo camera configurations though; A DLSR or mirrorless with any glass and a big flash is likely to be a bit too much to handle(it'll hold but's gonna wobble and your wrist will likely soon be dyin) as the grip is set back from the attachment point so you've got some cantilevering there(picture you've got a rifle with really heavy scope and its pushed all the way out to the end of the barrel instead of sitting on the breach; A lens or lens ring with a tripod mount would get the grip forward but if you're dealing with gear that has this, you've probably already got weight issues; on my little EOS-M however the lens adapter is fitted with a screw mount so does help some.  Unfortunately I find most times with this camera I'm using the native lenses...then again though these are lighter weight.  Use with a Point-and-Shoot no problems...but then again how often do you need a handle..or more than a straight bar with this type of camera?

2)  The handle "ratchets" in one direction; it would be better if there were a trigger to move or locking mechanism of some sort as this way the handle could be secured whether the grip in normal pistol configuration, or when folded under.  Overall the mechanism for what it is is fairly rugged.

3)  For the tripod, note you are having to flip the handle underneath, though when sitting on I actually like that the weight is rested back on the big leg vs whichever one at random with the normal little tripods; this can make a bit trickier to place as you've got to make sure the back leg is most secure, but then this also ensures your camera is stable whereas sometimes you don't know with those little pullout leg jobbers; also, its low so more a "turret" style than "three-legged stool"...again, makes a bit harder to place as you need a wider footprint, but upside is that its more secure.

That's about all I have to say about that.
1647117
I don't know of any other dedicated selfie stick that has an integrated battery so this is a great idea however with a few design tweaks it could be a 5 star product instead of 3.5.
Some highlights and thoughts:
-Using it with the GoPro worked well and the angle that it holds the camera is good to keep the pole out of the lens view.
-The grip is very comfortable
-The weight of the stick is on the heavy side but given that it includes a battery that is understandable.
-It would be nice if the stick could extend another 6" however it is adequate for most uses.
-The biggest deficit I see to the PolarPro is that it should have optional ends. The GoPro mount should be detachable with a standard 1/4" tripod mount included. I think having the option to attach a smartphone or camera would make this much more valuable.
-The rubber covers for the USB ports could have a more thoughtful design.
-The camera charger worked well.
-You will need to use the skeleton case or no case with your GoPro to plug in the charger (I know, DUH!).
-The included charging cord for the stick would be nice if there was the same type of cord/receptacle that is used to charge the camera so you could just carry one cord instead of two.

All in all this is a nicely made product that I like but don't love. I am looking forward to the possibility of a version 2.0 of the PolarPro that is updated to include a few design features and accessories.
3905045
Good product at a low price.just not the perfect one.
2268309
This seems to be a well made product, and it should provide good protection from scratches, but there are a few issues buyers should be aware of:

1 - The instructions include a link to the manufacturer's website where instructions in different languages should be available, but I was unable to find any English instructions. This is not a big deal for anyone familiar with installing screen covers - very limited You-Tube videos are available, but they seem to be all for phone sized screens;

2 - The screen protector is "precisely cut" as stated in the description. I installed it almost perfectly, but they could have cut is a couple of millimeters smaller, to allow better positioning. As it is, I have about 1mm on the bottom, and the top overhangs about .5mm, and leaves a visible line. I felt this was better than to try removing and reinstalling - that never seems to turn out well for me;

3 - The original Cintiq screen is paper textured, but the protector is glossy and smooth. If you don't mind a different "pen-to-paper" feel, not an issue, but the original screen feels more like paper.

Overall - an expensive screen protector to protect an expensive screen, but I think there is room to improve.

Note- Your mileage may vary!
2887770
This product has great potential but falls short in a few usability areas.

The Pros:  It is well built, sturdy, and appears very durable.

The Cons:  It has a very short cord, and is not shaped well for mounting. Granted many users will not mount it, but other options exist that have mounting options to make it a truly useful item for your vehicular office needs.

For the price and quality of the build you cannot go wrong with this item.

Submitted By: Joshua Garfinkle
430404
After using the Electrolux Versatility for several weeks, I am pleased with its performance and my experience has been mostly positive.  The majority of the features are excellent; however, there are a few things that could be improved.

First, what I like:

 - Light weight, compact size. The canister is easy carry up and down the stairs. While it does have a lot of plastic parts to keep the weight down, the construction feels solid.

 - Easy to empty bagless canister. The debris container has a large capacity, is easy to remove, and is emptied with the push of one button.  Simple and efficient.

 - Powerful motor. Suction power is controlled by opening a sliding vent hole on the wand.  The motor itself does not have variable speed settings.

 - The vacuum head is a compact, streamlined size that swivels, making it easy to get under and around things that don't move.  The brushroll has a convenient on/off switch on the handle of the wand and the wand length is adjustable.

 - Nice accessory tools. The crevice tool and dusting brush store underneath the debris canister. This is much more convenient than it sounds. They are right there when you need them, and I use then a lot. Push one button to remove the canister and there they are.

 - Retractable cord with a lot of length. It easily reaches to all parts of my large family room. The retractable feature works well. In fact, be careful because it zooms back in at a high speed.

A couple of issues:

 - Very stiff hose.  This is my biggest problem, especially when cleaning in tight quarters. The hose is not very flexible and does not spin easily, so instead of following the canister smoothly, it pops up and hits the wall or furniture  - a few times knocking things off low tables.  The stiffness of the hose also makes it more difficult to store as it won't wrap around the canister.

 -  The bare floor brush head doesn't attach securely. The large head size - a plus for cleaning big rooms, but not needed in my smaller home - makes it easy to catch on furniture, and when it does catch, it falls off.  I have a lot of hardwood and tile in my home, so I was hoping for a good floor brush. In the end, this is a minor problem - instead of the floor brush, I can use the beater head with the brush turned off and the height adjusted for bare floors. Plus the headlight on the beater head is a plus.

If one doesn't mind the stiff hose (it's also possible that it will loosen with wear), and if a functional floor brush is not a priority, this vacuum is a good choice. It's an improvement over my older Dyson, which it is replacing.
1034880
Quick summary: A really solid product that is three quibbles away from 5 stars.

I've been using this with 24" and 27" monitors for about a month. I'd been using a popular&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/dual-monitor-setup/dp/B001NICZWE/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">dual-monitor setup</a>&nbsp;for the last two years, so I'll describe this one and also directly compare the two.

Both stands are intrinsically stable, with a large and heavy base made of 1/4" mild steel. This stand has several high points. The monitors are simply hung on the arm. To remove, just pull a button and tilt backward. To replace, tilt backward, drop onto the bar, and rotate down into place, is all. One of my minor quibbles is that horizontal movement can't be completely locked down. Another quibble is that the Ice Cube power centre doesn't offer USB 3.0, which would be great but is also me getting really niggly. Besides, anybody handy could easily upgrade it to USB 3.0 or add any other service, current or imagined, because its modular design can be easily opened, no doubt with upgrades in mind.

My final quibble is the lack of a simple height adjustment (same problem as the other stand). It's easy enough before you hang monitors, but you won't know what height you want until after you hang monitors, at which point it becomes an awkward, three-handed operation.

I see other reviewers complaining about the monitor angle adjustment controls. Yes, they use the supplied Allen key (which you should permanently hang on the back of the stand), but having struggled with the hand-tightened, confusing controls on my old unit, I think they're BRILLIANT. You always know which axis of movement you're affecting, they loosen precisely, with no sudden sag of the monitor, and they tighten firmly and easily.
3151746
This is a very well made product, and works well.

Only 2 cons; it is a bit expensive compared to the price of the TV/monitors you might use it with, and it has a very limited tilt range.... you can't tilt the screen downwards more than a few degrees.
175074
This is a very nicely built case.  I started using it for the Pathfinder card game.  I highly recommend it.  The strap seems a little weak, so I probably wouldn't use it if the case was full.  As other reviewers have pointed out, the ends will bend the cards so you need to use 2 of the dividers to protect against this, so the capacity is slightly less than listed and 2 of the dividers are unusable.  Still a solid product for a very good price, as long as you know this in advance.