Better Than Average, but Not Perfect
347223
A couple weeks ago, I broke my favorite and only pair of aviators, which made me upset. After getting over the initial loss, I ordered two of these so that I wouldn't be caught in sunny times without sunglasses. They came in the mail today. They each come in their own plastic bags, though they felt packed in tightly; the box seems more suited for one pair of them.

This flaw became more apparent when I opened the first pair. Immediately, one of the lenses fell to the ground, but fortunately, it didn't break. I managed to pop it into place, and it hasn't come off since, but I think the packaging caused this problem. However, this is a handy benefit: they are easy repairable.

These sunglasses are also VERY DARK. This is relatively handy, as I work as a lifeguard, in very sunny conditions, and when winter comes, the glare from the snow is too much for me. However, in between, during cloudy conditions, they can be too dark. It's a bit of a downfall if you want these for fashion, but I use them for both fashion and convenience, and I can handle the tint pretty well anyway.

These glasses stay on your head, which is nice: before I wore aviators, I had a pair of thick glasses that just never stayed on. So this is a plus.

Overall, if one of them is damaged beyond repair, I'll get another spare. For the money, its a good deal, but fair warning: it's not a versatile fashion accessory.
733060
Very good, not great. Could use faster boot up and much better integration with Spotify. Otherwise a solid system.
1189940
pretty good for the price, not the best, but definitely not the worst
845849
This TV is good, but not perfect.  I have two major issues with it: the first being there are dark shadows in the corners.  The shadows aren't distracting but they are noticeable.  I guess this comes with the territory for a back lit TV, but a 5 star TV wouldn't have this problem.  My second issue is that the built in TV tuner has some problems.  When watching HD stations I get a noticeable audio lip sync problem.  The audio arrives before the video.  My TV is hooked to my Yamaha A/V receiver via the optical out.  Another issue with the tuner is when I set the TV to display "Full Pixel" on HD stations so the picture is not slightly zoomed in (Normal mode), the SD stations (the .1 subchannels) all have flickering white bands on each side.  I emailed Sony about the problem, they told me to do a Factory reset which of course did nothing.  This is still a good TV for watching movies through HDMI though.  No audio or screen size problems there.  Overall I have to say that I'm happy with the purchase, but not ecstatic due to these issues.
4605349
I have mixed opinions on this monitor...on one hand, it works pretty much "as advertised", and since it has all the typical Windows AND Mac keys on a single device, it's great for those of us that need to run both systems. Battery life is about the same as I get from an Apple Wireless keyboard, and I've had no trouble pairing with several different computers.

On the other hand, there are a few other issues that leave me less impressed. For one, the repeat rate seems a little erratic - sometimes it works as expected, but if you're a quick typist, sometimes it seems to get "stuck". But durability is my big complaint - after not even a year, the "A", "S", "D" and "E" have worn off completely (the keys still work fine, but they are now blank). I spend a lot of hours at the keyboard, but I've never seen another keyboard that just had the letters wear off.

Otherwise, this is a unique product - if you don't mind relabeling the keys with a Sharpie once in a while, it might be a good choice.
4516733
Leaving aside the awkwardness of Windows 8, which requires time and effort to adjust to, the W700 itself got may attention with a lot of positives.  For one thing, it's surprisingly fast. I had installed several work-related programs on my wife's HP Windows 8, 64-bit laptop, then installed the same programs on the W700, and the W700 was hands-down much faster. Hats off to fast computing.  The display format is large and crisp, and the weight is not enough to keep lap-browsing from being uncomfortable. The heat is okay over a long period, as long as your hands aren't close to the vents.

Small negatives I've noticed about the machine: the touchscreen responsiveness is erratic: resizing things with two fingers is jerky, when it works at all.  Some programs appear not to be able to be resized.  Also, when you have the tablet in the protective leatherette case, the plastic band that hold it in offers a plastic bump where the power button is -- it requires some extra effort to push this bump and get the power switch engaged.

I also needed to play around with the brightness/power settings a good bit so it would not brighten and unbrighten every few seconds (good way to fire off a migraine).  Search in "Settings" for the power plan; set "Dim the display" to "Never" for both "On the battery" and "Plugged in."

Camera quality, as mentioned elsewhere, is not up to par.

The keyboard works fine, much more comfortable to type on than I would have expected. Currently awaiting a bluetooth mouse, external HDD and external DVD to go with it. The leatherette binder cover seems more than adequate for using with the keyboard -- I don't see the need for the plastic stand unless I need more than one external storage device at a time. It should be excellent for working in mobile situations with just the binder cover.

Planning to use this for work and play -- so far, it looks to be as advertised.  The Windows 8 interface isn't nearly as smooth and intuitive as the iPad, and the apps are just about useless to me, but I got it for being able to do desktop-type work in a tablet format, so I'm quite happy with it.  Now let's hope Windows 8.1 solves some of the other problems.
1104073
The Enna Burning audiobook is definitely better than your average audiobook, however, it's not quite as good as I think it could have been. Cynthia Bishop is excellent as the narrator -- as she was when she narrated "The Goose Girl" -- the problem is with some of the voice actors who perform main characters. I was very disappointed to find that several of the main characters were no longer being performed by the same voice actors as in the audiobook of "The Goose Girl." Maybe they just weren't able to get the same actors back but, when I had just gotten used to the voices of the characters listening to "The Goose Girl," it was jarring to have to adjust to new voices. And I don't think the replacements are quite as good either. The voice actors who now perform Enna and Isi (ne Ani) sometimes have such a similar tone to their voices it's difficult to tell which character is speaking. This is particularly inconvenient as the characters spend a lot of time together near the beginning and end of the story. Listening for the slight lisp of the actor performing Isi -- which you get used to eventually -- can, inauspiciously, be the best way to tell them apart. Although the lisp may actually just be a result of obviously artificial way the actor softens her voice to play Isi. And the performance of the girl playing Enna is just too forced a lot of the time. Also, the voice of the new actor performing the character of Finn is just a little too rough; not quite as calm, strong and impassive as I felt the character should be. But at least Razo is still Razo and Geric is still Geric. Overall, I would highly recommend the audiobook to anyone who loves the book, but don't expect too much from the performances.
4064671
I may have enjoyed "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" a touch more than the average Amazon reviewer, which isn't setting a terribly high bar.  The many flaws and shortcomings highlighted on this page seem reasonably fair.  That said, I think part of the issue is that expectations are so high -- what, with the gaudy "New York Times Bestseller" screaming at you from the front cover.  Sure, it's a bit of a head-scratcher that this book has enjoyed so much commercial success.  But it's still an enjoyable enough novel to read.

Most of all, I enjoyed the premise of the book -- the circumstances under which Dr. David Henry gives away his newborn daughter, his flawed motivation, and the wedge that this action drives into his family's life, inexorably and with long-lasting consequences.

To be sure, it's hard to find much to like about the doctor.  And the same could certainly be said of his wife.  If the author set out to create conflict between liking and disliking these characters, she certainly erred on the side of making them unlikeable, and not terribly relatable, to boot.  I also had a hard time connecting to the couple's angst-ridden son, whose dialogue with his parents never seemed to ring very true.

On balance I think the merits of the book outweigh its flaws.  The story for the most part moves along at a comfortable clip.  And there's some depth to David's background, which is explored in an interesting spur late in the book.  In addition, his wife's discovery of the truth is something that seems inevitable throughout -- but the circumstances don't reveal themselves until the final chapters, which kept me interested and engaged to the end.  "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" may not stay in my memory for years to come, but I enjoyed it and I'd recommend it to others, flaws and all.
3646171
Overall, a nice product that I enjoy having, and I expect to get better.

The set-up was okay - it worked mostly as they said it would.

It took a software update to actually connect to the computer.  I never figured out how to get it to work through SqueezeNetwork.  Maybe this is fixed by now.

It has really strange bugs sometimes.  Sometimes it will start a radio stream over and over and the only way to stop it is to reboot the controller.  This doesn't happen too often and is not a showstopper.

Another complaint is that it will stop playing streams.  Again, a correctable software problem, but very annoying.

The hardware is nice.  Not as nice as an Ipod, but quality.

Overall, it works most of the time, and when it works, it's an incredibly nice toy.  However, the only real advantage over a laptop is convenience and (maybe) price - put a small box near your receiver.  It's cheaper than a dedicated laptop and doesn't need many wires.

With better software, this will be a great device.
1247619
Just got this and the product almost matches the pictures. The only difference is that the color isn't as vibrant as the picture. Personally, I'm actually happier with the color I got, so that's not an issue for me.

The sleep/wake feature seems to work. Unfortunately, it works a bit better than I expected. I've gotten into the habit of turning the screen off and was a bit surprised that the wake feature would turn it on from that state. This is a bit annoying because 1)it will wake the kindle every time I open it, so it makes the interior pockets less useful and 2)frankly, I'd rather have the blank screen than look at the special offers.

Its a bit bulkier than I would have really liked, but it seems well padded. The fit is snug, which is good, but the flap over the opening is hard to get at, so this probably isn't a good choice if you want to take the kindle out frequently.

It also seems to make the kindle a bit tricker to use than I would have liked. If you open it, it will stand upright, but not at a good angle for reading and makes the kindle less convenient to hold. Fortunately, it fits in my book stands just fine.

*$4.50 when I bought it.
2538614
I've struggled with deciding on a rating for this camera (3 or 4 stars)  because there are so many features on this camera to like, and I really want to like it more than I do.  Actually, for my purposes, it's a 4-star camera, but for most, I believe it will only achieve 3-stars, and that's based on a few simple observations --

1)  Low light (indoor) performance can be very grainy, especially since the light source/flash only works with stills:  with this camera, the brighter the shooting environment the better (up to a point).

2)  Autofocus can be very slow.  If you are mounting this camera on a tripod, mainly focusing on details in the distance with very slow, deliberate movements and focal changes, you'll be fine.  This is my main intended use for this camera.  However, if you want to use it as a "handy-cam," you may be disappointed.  In filming indoor, close-range action of family members, the lens will take anywhere from 1/2 second to 5 seconds with any significant focal change.  The 5-second episodes are where the lens corrects in the wrong direction, goes all the way to the end of that focal length, only to turn around and come back.

3)  Size of shooting frame:  this is not really a ding on this camera but to most HD cameras.  If you're filming at a distance, you're fine, but for close-ups with people, you may find you're clipping torsos or heads.  Keep in mind that at a distance of 6 ft, the size of the 2D plane that you're capturing is roughly 5ft by 1.5ft (~60in x ~34in = 16:9 HD ratio).  Thus, for most, the 10x zoom is nice, but a wide-angle addition (say 0.7x) would really be much more helpful.

4)  There is no 720p mode -- only 1080i/p and 480.  However, there is a really neat slow-mo feature (in SD only, unfortunately) where one can film a 10 second clip and play it back at 1/5 speed.

5)  The sound quality is quite good, but, probably to avoid operator hand-noise and breathing, they've mounted the mics on the bottom of the unit.  This is fine in many situations, but if you're filming while walking, the "clomp clomp clomp" of your footsteps is VERY loud.

These are the main factors I'd consider crucial in determining if this is the camera for you.  For me, it's quite good, with great optics; wonderful picture quality, color, and sharpness (if filmed in good light); tons of features; and a great docking bay that lets me plug it into an HDMI cable directly to my&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Panasonic-Viera-TH-42PZ85U-42-Inch-1080p-Plasma-HDTV/dp/B00142JKRW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Panasonic Viera TH-42PZ85U 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV</a>.

Without going into micro-technical detail....  For my purposes -- making HD recordings of concerts (BTW, the external mic input works great), filming students in music lessons with the ability to simply plug in their SDHC card when they start and pulling it out for them to take home when they leave, filming myself for self-critique of my playing, etc., ALL from a tripod, this camera is more than adequate.  However, if you're doing a lot of mobile camcording, you might want to consider some of this camera's limitations that I've outlined here.  Good luck with your deliberations and product comparisons....
877422
Pretty good, but not all it's cracked up to be. I'm not sure why people make it such a big deal.
4296936
Regardless of the polarizing reviews, this is an interesting more "modern" commercial effort, and one that I applaud as a good adventure.  There are times when Groban's voice is in starkly naked form and sounds truly "honest" for lack of a better descriptor.  Unfortunately, there are other times when his more classical sound pulls fairly far back into the throat and loses a good deal of beauty and point in the process.  Groban's voice is still readily identifiable and full of the expected color and mannerisms that make it what it is, but there are several moments that needed a retake after some adjusting for vocal placement.  London Hymn in particular is nearly painful to listen to.  Odd choices in diphthong handling in Bells of New York are also a bit off-putting. I am concerned that he seems to be using more and more glottal releases in the classical production and trying to generate a darker tone than his core sound.  There are moments that you can hear studio "manipulation" to brighten some of the more oddly produced sounds.  Not a bad album, but rather inconsistent at times.  I REALLY am enjoying the lighter pop style on most of the tracks though.
1674400
The visual appearance of the product is spectacular, but its performance fails to live up to expectations given the price tag. After a month of use, I would have to say that the audio quality is comparable to that a set of $20 Soundpeats. Even with the smallest earbud tips/foam tips, the ear-lock pieces, and a set of rather average earholes, these earphones have a hard time staying on with the slightest turn of the headforget about walking or jogging. The battery life is as advertised, providing 8 hours of continuous use per charge. The range and ease of bluetooth connectivity are both respectable, while the magnetic link feature does a great job to further reduce the clutter that may result from storing earphones in a pocket or bag. Overall, these aren't bad, but the expected value leaves you yearning for more.
1158484
This is a nice enough product, but it does not  sick nearly as well as advertised.
291254
I wanted to like this sprinkler more than I ultimately did.  Given that I think that has more to do with my preferences and situation rather than quality or effectiveness of the product, I rate this at four stars.

First, my situation:  A corner lot house in the California 'burbs.  Lot's of grass (well, grass and weeds in roughly equal parts) in uneven shapes due to walkways, flower beds, etc.

What the sprinkler did well:

*  Adjustability:  I've got to say, the sprinkler does exactly what it is described to:  Adjusts to sprinkle any shaped area.  I was impressed - and still am - at the ingenuity of the designer(s).  It took a few minutes to figure out, but when I got it, the results were impressive.  If you have a weird area to sprinkle and don't want to move a simple broadcast sprinkler a dozen times to cover it, this may be your sprinkler.

What I didn't care for:

*  Since this is an impulse sprinkler, the movement comes from an arm getting in the way of the water stream, basically knocking the stream over a notch until the arm swings back and knocks it over again.  This style covers reasonably well, but not perfectly.  (as most sprinklers also don't)  My issue is with the effect of the adjustment:  For long runs, the stream shoots way out, leaving much of the grass in the interim relatively dry; for short runs, where the adjustment comes in to play, a hood comes down and deflects the stream of water, forcing it downwards.  The upshot:  The areas of coverage where the water has the shortest travel get soaked, while the area of longest travel gets relatively little water.  Result?  Seriously uneven watering.  This, despite the fact that the sprinkler seemed to go faster through those short spans.

Other thoughts:

*  While it worked great for adjustability, the ring that is used to make the adjustments does not seem like it would last over time.  I didn't get the feeling that this is really meant to be adjusted every time one needed to move it to another part of the yard.  Rather, it is best having it dedicated to the one spot that it is adjusted for and then replaced at that same spot every time, in the same orientation, so you don't need to make the adjustments over and over again.  Which is fine, but just not for this particular user.  I can see that it would be really great for certain applications; it just wasn't the right product for my particular weed farm.

If you can plant this sprinkler in the same spot, in the same way every time you water, and if the distances between the maximum reach and the minimum reach aren't too great, this may be the sprinkler for you.  I'll try using this in another part of my yard to see if it works any better there and I'll write an update if I have a different experience going forward.  I will say that overall quality is good and seems stout enough for a sprinkler of this type, holding in reserve my judgment of the circular adjustment device over the long term.
2002260
Don't get me wrong, I like this album and listen to it on a regular basis. Standout tracks for me include A Mother (1) and Living Free (2). To me, both have a good solid and deep foundation which is more than I can say for a few others on this record. In my opinion, the tracks Spellbound (3) and Give My Soul (4) would be tunes you would more likely expect to encounter playing a Playstation (one) car racing game and not from the dual creators of an album as justified as K & D Sessions. Anyways, for me this album is one of contradiction and juxtaposition. Where the deep, dublike qualities of (tracks) 1 & 2 (and 5) embody all that is right and good about this album, 3 & 4  do the opposite with their tinny, hollow and repetitive beats. Similarly I liked Revolutionary Pilot (5) but not (6) In to deep or (7) Kauna, the remainder I found to be quite cool, but nothing to rave about other than (13) Que Dolor and (17) DJ Kicks, which I liked marginally better than the rest. Overall, not bad but it is this man's opinion that K & D Sessions leaves this album in it's wake.