Expensive but a good performer
343759
Waterman refills are too expensive, but I like the hefty size of the Waterman pen compared to thinner premium pens such as the Cross. Seems to run out of ink too soon, but then I use the pen almost daily in my job as a newspaper reporter. They also don't overflow and create splotches as cheaper pens do. So overall, might be worth the price.
829330
Pros: Attractive, Well Built, Great Sound, Fast setup

Cons: Kinda expensive, limited display, no battery option

I own an existing Squeezebox so I already have the Slimcenter running in my home. I have it running on a Buffalo NAS drive but it shouldn't matter where you install it.

The unit itself is smaller than I anticipated and pleasingly so. I was able to remove the bloated boom box we had in our family room. The unit is solidly built and attractive. With the slimserver already running, it took me about 3 minutes to run through the setup. It found the slimserver automatically, asked for the wireless password, downloaded firmware and was up and running.

I was amazed by the sound. For such a small unit, the base was impressive but not boomy. I'm fairly sound picky and was quite happy.  The controls as well have a nice feel with just the minimum of knobs and buttons.  In a way, it's far easier to use than my Squeezebox upstairs.

On the downside, although it doesn't have many competitors, $300 is spendy for a boom box and it won't run on batteries so it's portability suffers. I can see it being left on a desk. The display suffers from the same problems as the original. You can see just one line at a time of information which makes scrolling through music more awkward than it should be. It would be far better with 4-5 lines while you're looking for music.

Overall though, I'm quite happy. I'll never go back to having cd's around again. I realize there are the iPod plugin devices but the ability to get to your entire music library in a nice looking device with great sound leaves me satisfied.
2739133
Pros:
High performance. Great lighting effects! Beautiful screen.
Shipping is fast. Much earlier than estimated delivery day.

Cons:
Way too large and heavy. Can't fits in a normal 15.6 inch laptop bag.(I hate this point since my bag is expensive and obviously can't be returned to China where it is bought)
Speakers aren't very good.
Sometimes it sounds like a jet engine. (Although most of the time it is very quiet)
Too expensive!
Battery can only last for one and a half hour in energy saving mode.

Some people complain about the touch pad but I guess it can be adjust in "alienware command center". But since most time I will use my mouse, I guess it won't be a problem.
4935475
I had the Degen 1103 for several years, and it has a been a good performer. Sensitive on all bands, so you can do some Dxing on it for weak signals. I must say, it does not match my old Radio Shack DX-440 I had from the 90's which was an exceptional performer on shortwave (though more expensive radio).  The single sideband on the Degen 1103 is a bit narrow, so need to carefully tune in amateur radio signals. But, for the price still a darn good radio.
318216
There is a lot to like in the design and quality of sound. It's pricey when compared to comparable models would be the only reason to not give a 5-star.
3186163
I gave this 5 stars because it performs so well for the price. In my system, the sound is wide open spacious with nice detail. I do wish they had a bass boost switch because the bass is a bit weak in some songs, but the overall sound is so good I am willing to overlook that. I should say that I'm feeding it with a Marantz 6005 cd player, pure silver interconnects, and using Beyer T90 headphones. With that said, if you like strong bass this may not be the one for you. And be sure and leave it up and running for about 50 hours. Mine opened up and became so much more listenable after the burn-in time. Finally, I am very glad it was made in the US. Good job guys!
4731013
I'm a physiscist and, though not a total audiophile, I am fussy about technical details as well as practical issues. This item is good value for the price ($122 at Amazon, free shipping) and does an adequate job of archiving your vinyl records. Performance will be beyond scrutiny for most people. If you are an audiophile using $2,000 loudspeakers you will probably take issue , but ordinary users will be well pleased with this unit's performance and value. What you may not like is the near absence of user instructions that (don't) come with it. A pity to spoil the ship for a ha'p'orth of paper.
4780779
I bought this radio for the exceptional FM performance, and it's lived up to its reputation.  Very sensitive, very selective, all around good performance on FM.  For AM and shortwave, it's only so-so.  AM and SW selectivity is very good, splatter is at a minimum, but sensitivity is less than ideal.
Ergonomically, this radio is an acquired taste.  The same knob controls the volume and tuning, depending on which of two other buttons are pressed first.  The positioning of the on-off button in the center, at the bottom of the faceplate, is about as far out of thumb reach as it can be. These are just two of numerous ergo irks.  While these may be overlooked by those seeking an excellent FM radio at a good price, for other users these design quirks may be too much bother to master.
All in all, if it's excellent FM performance in a portable that's sought, this may be the best there is for the price.  But don't expect that quality of reception on all bands.  Three star.
1303133
A true portable workstation.  This unit is a great performer and has the ability to be configured to support the most demanding business person.  Good luck finding anything that comes close at twice the price.  A quick search of the web will confirm my position concerning this machine.
4357351
very good performance , just a bit expensive to reload and refills are not easilly available in my country
1002071
Too expensive for what its really worth, but is a really good product.
3590099
For what it is, it is expensive, but it does work.  It took me a few minutes to get it working, but it works like a champ.
1966460
For its price worth buying, good performance and good aesthetics.
3180580
OK.  So the assumption is that you know what you need and are not under-buying your requirements.  The resolution on this unit is quite adequate for my purpose, but I probably wouldn't showcase it in my living room as an alternative to my Sony LED TV.  That being said, the price/performance points on this unit are admirable.  It does have a built in speaker, but if you care about sound quality you'll go for an external amplifier.  The interface is easy and intuitive.  Accessories are a little pricey, so you may want to do some shopping around as $75 seems steep for a shoulder bag. The most perplexing feature is the VGA pass-through that allows you to both project and view on your PC at the same time.  Not sure that I would ever need this.
934274
I didn't want to buy another Rowenta, after having two in the last 10 years, that eventually started leaking water unexpectedly.  I have always liked Panasonic products, and they seem to be well thought out and durable.  So on an impulse, I bought Panasonic iron, crazy expensive and all.

Yes, its a funky design.  Very Star Trek Enterprise in shape.  The upright rest position seems like it would be tipsy, but in fact after a few months, I would say its either as stable or more stable than the Rowenta models.

So why the average rating.  If this thing was $85-100, I would give it 5 stars.  But when you go over $130, there are diminishing returns.

It pretty much does everything every powerful iron in the +$60 range offers.  Good steam, fairly decent reservoir, good maneuverability, and a decent soleplate.

For something over $100, there should be more wow features.  I would prefer at least a thumb power-on/off selector, so I don't have to plug in and out the iron all the time.  Come on Panasonic, throw me bone.  Make it gold plated or something.
895753
I have, so far, been impressed by the capabilities of this lens, in consideration of its cost. As most negative reviews state, it will not take the most stunning pictures. A $2,000 automatic Canon lens will far out perform the Opteka; but, for the hobbyist, or anyone looking for a low cost solution to long range photography, the Opteka lens performs very well. There is a moderate learning curve, as everything is manual. In other words, if you want automatic... automatic... and more automatic features, you'd have been just as well off with a point-and-shoot camera, rather than DSLR.
The lens is very sturdily built and is capable of amazing photos that aren't going to be enlarged to a ridiculous size. In spite of the many that state it is impossible to use without a sturdy tripod or ample light, this simply isn't the case. In bright conditions the lens, in capable hands, can easily capture moving targets that are far enough away; at night it is simple to capture any bright light source without, necessarily, requiring long exposures -- I have use it to photograph fireworks, from roughly three miles away from the display site, with good results. I have also used it for lunar photography without a tripod, but it does take a steady arm (or the ingenuity to sit down and prop the lens on your knees.) In terms of terrestrial photography, the results are quite good (depending on the lighting.) Unfortunately, the best you will be able to do without using an exposure longer than 1/250 second is ISO 400 on a cloudy day, so there is some graininess unless you use a tripod to capture a still target; however, it is still capable of photographing a license plate from 1/4 mile away (without the 2x extension, at the above mentioned settings) while still retaining the clarity to legibly read it. The lens is, essentially, a short range telescope; however, if you are expecting to use it for extremely distant subjects, I would opt to purchase a telescope and t-mount adapter instead.

On the downside, the lens is heavy and difficult to hold steady without the use of a tripod. It is also very difficult to aim, especially with the 2x extension attached; slight movements can cause you to completely lose your objective. Even a target as large as the moon can slip out of sight easily. If you are capable of focusing with both eyes (one through the viewfinder and lens, and one alongside the lens to the subject) it is much more manageable. The only problem I have actually had with the lens (other than its weight) is the tripod mount. It either uses different threading than what I have or was defective when I got it, as the quick release adapter on my tripod will not thread into the lens mount but will thread into my camera.

The short of it is: the lens is due a little more credit than it receives but, for the tight-budget hobbyist, it is worth every cent.
3506068
The sound is very good, amazingly better than most in the price range.....it is however slow to boot up as are all others and you must manually force it at times to link up. While a program is not being played it has a lot of feedback noise which I have not experienced before. I like it and will use it...no probs