Apple iMac MB417LL/A 20-Inch Desktop Review

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(More customer reviews)This review is intended mainly for PC users who are new to the Mac. I'm not a huge computer person, I've always had PCs, and frankly I've always thought Macs were for hippies with ponytails. I pretty much have to use a PC for my job functions, but over the last few years I've been underwhelmed by both my home and work desktop (both dells) and my home notebook (HP). I'm fed up with the windows BS - freezing for no reason, slowing down for no reason, taking forever to shutdown/startup, constantly nagging to update virus software etc. I'm ok putting up with this for my work PC, but when it was time to replace my home desktop I decided to take a look at the Mac. I'm glad I did. I went with the 2.66ghz iMac with 24" monitor and 640gig HD.First Impressions: Coming from a Dell, the iMac was pretty damn impressive right out of the box. The single box was smaller than I expected, and Amazon packed it pretty good (important because Amazon has dropped the ball on this before on other items). The 24" screen is HUGE and looks great. Setup is a breeze - it took much longer to disconnect my PC than to set this up. Just plug it in, connect to router, connect keyboard and you are ready. No, I don't miss the gigantic bundle of wires that used to be next to my desk. I was connected and playing around with this within 5 minutes of opening the box.
Pros: Beautiful screen, fast, easy to get set up and start using. The display is impressive compared to a windows PC. No dealing with virus software nagging for updates. The Time Machine feature makes it extremely easy to back up. Great overall design w/ few wires and nice touches like 2 USB inputs on the keyboard, camera built into monitor etc.
Cons: No Bluray player option (why not?). No numeric pad on keyboard (but I can't knock them for this since it is an option if you order from Apple's website). Built in speakers in monitor are pretty weak for music (I'll upgrade). I do think the "it's so intuitive to use" hype of Macs is a bit overhyped today - I think the user interface on a windows machine is just as intuitive, albeit much less visually impressive.
Where to buy: I purchased this from Amazon and I'm glad I did, as I saved about $150 vs. the Apple store. The downside to ordering on Amazon is the apple store gives you a few choices (like a numeric pad on the keyboard and wireless mouse) that Amazon does not. I initially started to purchase this from the Apple website because I wanted the numeric keypad, but as I was checking out I noticed they slapped me with sales tax of about $100 - you normally don't pay sales tax when you buy on the internet and the vendor is out of state. When I saw that I immediately cancelled my order and purchased from Amazon (plus Amazon was a bit cheaper to begin with in addition to no sales tax). Amazon also shipped it to me faster (though I have Amazon Prime), and did a good job packaging it. If you go w/ the apple store online, pay attention to sales tax your results may vary depending on your state.
Bottom line: I'm glad I got this. It's a great alternative for a home computer which I mostly use for internet and media purposes (I won't be installing excel on this machine!). It is a bit pricey compared to a PC, but it's worth it if you appreciate the impressive design, nice asthetics, great monitor, and less headache vs. a PC.

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Speedier than ever with the latest Intel dual-core processor, the Apple iMac all-in-one desktop PC packs a complete, high-performance computer into its all-in-one design, sporting a sleek, professional aluminum enclosure that's joined precisely to a 20-inch glass cover to create a virtually seamless front surface. It's powered by a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, which includes an amazingly fast 1066 MHz front-side bus speed and super-sized 6 MB L2 cache. This dual-core processor also provides an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved multitasking, video, and gaming performance. And this iMac also gets a boost in video processing power from the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics chip with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory.
The iMac also features an ultra-thin aluminum Apple Keyboard--with dedicated keys for Mac features such as brightness, volume, eject, play/pause, and Exposé--as well as the wired Mighty Mouse. It comes pre-loaded with Apple's Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard operating system--an operating system custom-designed for the advanced technology inside--and it also comes with the iLife '09 suite of applications, including iPhoto, iMovie, Garageband, and iTunes.
Hardware features include a 320 GB hard drive, 2 GB of RAM (with an 8 GB maximum capacity), 8x SuperDrive for burning movies to DVD and music mixes to CD, integrated 802.11n wireless LAN, Gigabit Ethernet wired networking, and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR connectivity.
Power on a Pedestal With its anodized aluminum frame set upon a sleek pedestal, the new iMac instantly transforms your workspace from cluttered desktop to brilliant display podium. Because the iMac's housing is made from a single sheet of aluminum, you won't see any seams or screws except for a single compartment on the bottom that provides easy access to the memory slots. The glossy widescreen 20-inch glass display makes photos and movies come alive with rich color. And the built-in iSight camera and microphone are integrated so neatly you barely notice they're there. Aside from the design details, the iMac is also friendlier to the environment with highly recyclable and durable materials including scratch-resistant glass and professional grade aluminum.
With its elegant anodized aluminum enclosure, the new Apple Keyboard looks equally at home in your living room or on your desk. Just connect it to the USB port on your iMac and start enjoying the crisp, responsive feel of its low-profile keys. This compact keyboard also includes special function keys for Mac features such as brightness, volume, eject, play/pause, Exposé, and more. Two USB 2.0 ports provide high-speed connectivity for your iPod, Mighty Mouse, digital camera, and other USB-based electronic devices.
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor Experience faster, more nimble application performance and improved energy efficiency with this 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Its hafnium-infused circuitry--which reduces electrical current leakage in transistors--helps to reduce power consumption while delivering. powerful processing speeds. This 2.66 GHz Core 2 Duo processor is aided by a 1066 front-side bus speed and a super-sized 6 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)
The Intel Core 2 Duo's 128-bit SSE3 vector engine handles 128-bit computations in a single clock cycle, accelerating data manipulation by simultaneously applying a single instruction to multiple data. And its two execution cores are designed to share resources and conserve power, helping it to achieve higher levels of performance since it uses fewer watts.
Hard Drive and Memory The 320 GB Serial-ATA (SATA) hard drive (7200 RPM) quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to FireWire and USB 2.0. The 2 GB of DDR3 RAM (two SO-DIMMs of 1 GB) have an industry leading 1066 MHz speed, and the RAM capacity can be increased to 8 GB.
Graphics and Video The 20-inch widescreen TFT active-matrix LCD offers a resolution of 1680 by 1050 pixels. It has a brightness rating of 290 cd/m2 (candela per square meter), a contrast ratio of 800:1, and a viewing angle of 160 degrees (both horizontal and vertical). The NVIDIA GeForce 9400M shares 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM with main memory. You'll notice the difference when you work with high-resolution photos and high-definition video, where graphics-intensive features in iPhoto and iMovie are smoother. And 3D game play--from Spore to Call of Duty--is faster and more responsive.
This iMac also enables you to connect a second display in either extended desktop mode or video mirroring mode. The Mini DisplayPort port offers support for DVI, dual-link DVI, and VGA video connections via an optional adapter.
Wired and Wireless Connectivity The iMac gives you plenty of room to grow, accommodating as many as six peripherals at a time thanks to its four USB 2.0 ports and the two USB 2.0 ports on the Apple Keyboard. It also includes a single powered FireWire 800 port (one of the fastest peripheral standards available)--enabling you to quickly transfer content from compatible digital video cameras, hard drives, and other high-speed devices.
Share files around your house with built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet as well as the next-generation high-speed wireless 802.11n technology, which is integrated into the latest Apple Airport Extreme Base Station. The iMac is also Wi-Fi Certified to work with base stations and routers that use industry-standard 802.11a, 802.11b, or 802.11g wireless technologies.
The integrated Bluetooth wireless connectivity--version 2.1 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR)--allows you to use a wireless keyboard or mouse, and synchronize peripherals such as cell phones and PDAs. Enjoy high-quality sound on almost any speaker system with double-duty analog/digital audio. Record digital and analog sources through audio line in, perfect for your latest podcast in GarageBand.
SuperDrive Integrated neatly into the iMac is a slot-loading SuperDrive that lets you play and burn your own CDs and DVDs--including double-layer DVDs. And there's no disc tray--just slide the disc right in. It offers the following speeds:
Writes DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL discs at up to 4x speed
Writes DVD-R and DVD+R discs at up to 8x speed
Writes DVD-RW at up to 6x speed and DVD+RW discs at up to 8x speed
Reads DVDs at up to 8x speed
Writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed
Writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x speed
Reads CDs at up to 24x speed

Other Features
Built-in stereo speakers with internal 24-watt digital amplifier
Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to a 30-inch display (2560 by 1600 pixels) on an external display
Headphone/optical digital audio output (minijack)
Audio line in/optical digital audio input (minijack)
Built-in microphone
Dimensions: 19.1 x 18.5 x 7.4 inches (WxHxD)
Weight: 20 pounds

The Greenest iMac Yet The energy-efficient hardware components in the iMac work hand in hand with Mac OS X to create a system that can dynamically adjust power consumption to reduce the energy used overall. The iMac uses an advanced power management system leveraged from the technology that makes the most of battery life in Apple's MacBook family. To reduce energy consumption, the iMac hard drive spins down automatically when inactive, and it also decides which processor--CPU or GPU--is best suited to perform a task efficiently. That means when iMac is idle, it's using as little power as possible.
Apple engineers have worked hard to eliminate many of the toxins that are a common part of desktop computer manufacturing, such as choosing arsenic-free display glass for iMac. They have also removed brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from circuit boards, internal cables, connectors, insulators, adhesives, and more. And the entire iMac computer is integrated into an enclosure made from a single, solid piece of recyclable aluminum, while the display is made of recyclable glass.
The Mac mini meets the stringent low power requirements set by the EPA, giving it ENERGY STAR certification. In addition, Mac mini meets the latest efficiency requirements of ENERGY STAR Version 5.0 Specification for Computers before its July 2009 effective date. It has also earned the highest rating of EPEAT Gold. The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, or EPEAT, evaluates the environmental impact of a product based on how recyclable it is, how much energy it uses, and how it's designed and manufactured.

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Apple Time Capsule MB996LL/A 2TB (SIM Dualband) Review

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(More customer reviews)This product is basically three products: an airport extreme wireless router, a networked drive, and finally, with Leopard, a networked backup system. Overall, it's a very good product, but there are some serious limitation one should be aware of.
As a router, it is fantastic. Typical Apple ease of use, with all configuration done by a very intuitive GUI application.
Unfortunately, it's not a great network drive. The drive appears to be internally connected using a very slow USB connection. You will find that even with a computer connected via Gb/s ethernet, transfer speeds will be limited to around 5-6 MB/s, tops. If you connect two Macs via fast ethernet, you can often get over 40 MB/s transfer speeds, so this is a rather large disappointment, especially for a device which will be getting a lot of use if you use Time Machine.
Time Machine is great in theory, and can act as a form of automatic version control, but it has a few issues. First, it is a file-based differential backup. That means, for example, that if even a single bit of a 1 GB file is changed, the ENTIRE file gets backed up. Not only does this take a lot of time, it quickly depletes your backup drive because the same data is added to the disk repeatedly. To get around this, you have to explicitly exclude backing up large files that are often changed. Good candidates for exclusion are Mail and iDisk caches, as well as virtual machine disk images.
There have also been numerous reports of Time Machine backups being susceptible to corruption. I've experienced this once, myself, after a backup was canceled, so I can vouch that it happens. However, the problems can often be fixed by deleting the last backup. The next backup will take a long time as the computer must scan the full disk again, but the backups then continue on normally after that. I have yet to have Time Machine get my backups into a state where they can't be fixed by this method.
Time Machine backups have their place, and come in very handy to recover accidentally deleted files. However, they should only be considered part of a larger backup scheme. They probably shouldn't be trusted for a full recovery, and won't be of any help if your computer's drive completely fails, anyway. (How are you going to run Time Machine if you can't boot your computer? EDIT: As pointed out by the commenter, if your drive fails completely, you can still reinstall the system from the DVD and then run the Transfer Assistant to recover your files from the Time Capsule. It's not as good as a complete backup, as Transfer Assistant is notorious for breaking applications, but you won't lose your work.) As such, you should image your entire drive regularly, in addition to using Time Machine.

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Back up a lifetime's worth of memories with the Time Capsule, a wireless hard drive that works seamlessly with Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard. It's also a full-featured 802.11n Wi-Fi base station with simultaneous dual-band support.Wireless drive sharing -Time Capsule also works great as a wireless hard drive, whether you have a Mac or a PC Print without wires -Print documents, photos, and more from any room in your home or office to a central printer connected to Time Capsule via USB Strong security and access controls -Protect yourself with the built-in firewall and industry-standard encryption technologies including WPA/WPA2 and 128-bit WEP Works with iPhone, Apple TV and more -Time Capsule works with Mac computers, PCs, iPhone, iPod touch, Apple TV, and virtually all 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi wireless devices, all at the same time System Requirements - For Time Machine backup - Mac with Mac OS X LeopardFor setup and administration - Mac computer with Mac OS X v.10.4 or later, CD drive, and Ethernet or wireless networking capabilityPC with Windows XP (SP2) or Windows Vista, CD drive, and Ethernet or wireless networking capabilityFor wireless client access - Mac with AirPort or AirPort Extreme wireless capabilityPC with 802.11a/b/g/n For shared hard drive - Mac with Mac OS X v10.4.8 or laterPC with Windows XP (SP2) or Windows Vista; Bonjour for Windows included on Time Capsule CD For shared printing - USB printerMac computer with Mac OS X v10.2.7 or laterPC with Windows XP (SP2) or Windows Vista; Bonjour for Windows included on Time Capsule CDIn the box - Time CapsuleCD with AirPort Utility (Mac and Windows), AirPort Disk Utility for Mac OS X v10.4 and Windows, 802.11n Enabler for Mac OS X v10.4, and Bonjour for WindowsPower cordPrinted and electronic documentation

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Griffin 1092-XPRSD AirBase/Desktop Stand for Airport Express Review

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(More customer reviews)I would have given 5 stars but was very annoyed when the cable kept falling out of its attachment. I found a way to twist it around the chrome bit that sticks out the back.However, the signal seems to be so much better as the room my Power Mac G5 is in sits down the hall and around a corner. The airport extreme sits high on a cabinet in the room of the Mac and really didn't work well with itunes giving a signal to my home stereos system, now it is a joy to hear all my itunes so far away uninterrupted. I'm always impressed with Griffin, but disappointed the cable was loose.

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The AirBase's industrial design merits more than being plugged into a wall socket and hidden away. The AirBase makes an elegant artistic statement that compels you to display it on the desk, shelf or entertainment center. The Griffin AirBase increases effective range and signal efficiency for your network and AirTunes by raising the base station up into the room.

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HP P1505 Laserjet Printer Review

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(More customer reviews)Every year we rotate out about 250 printers of a total around 700 printers. That means we are on a three year rotation schedule. The batch going out this year is some pitiful Brother printers that are only one and one-half to two years old. The ones we are keeping past their rotation time are some HP1012 and 1022 printers that have performed flawlessly. Their replacements are these 1505s.
These printers are simply well-suited to their jobs. They are shared at every installation where we use them. They have been fault free so far and most likely will be if they mirror our experience over the last 20 years with HP printers. They are not network printers or meant for heavy production use. For that you have to expect to spend a few more dollars.
Based on our experience here with these printers I bought one for home and it is performing flawlessly.
I would recommend this printer to anyone who needs an everyday, reliable, easy on the combustibles printer.

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HP P1505 Laserjet Printer. With features never before available in a personal HP LaserJet, the P1505 series is ideal for producing effective business communications. Be more productive with professional print speeds up to 24 pages per minute and a quick first page out. Other printers need time to warm up before printing the first page, but with no wait Instant on Technology your first page will print in half the time. New, patented spherically shaped toner is specially designed for consistent, high quality results at fast speeds. Get excellent desktop performance, quality, and durability, plus many of the same time saving features as HPs robust workgroup and departmental LaserJets. It is all in the improved design of our all in one print cartridge and new toner formula. With a logical and thoughtful design, this printer is easy to set up, use, and maintain. Intelligence in the print cartridge helps ensure you never run out of toner you will get automatic alerts when supplies are low, along with convenient options for online reordering. Create crisp black text, sharp lines, and beautiful shades of gray for effective, no nonsense business documents. From HP FastRes 1200, to our new spherically shaped toner, to ground breaking intelligence in our desktop print cartridge, HP innovation ensures your documents always look their best.

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HP LaserJet 1022 Printer (Q5912A#ABA) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Good:
- super fast printing
- almost perfect print output (super dark black & wide range of greys)
- compact size, won't overwhelm your desk
- connects by USB port
The Bad:
- noisy when printing (whirring motor)
- manual feed holds only a few sheets or a couple of envelopes
- usb port issues (this can be fixed, see below)
- connects by USB port and nothing else
This laser printer is the best value for its performance and output. I had a LaserJet 6P which is a dinosaur now, still works perfect but doesn't understand PostScript3. I got tired of printing Japanese text by first having to make a pdf and then print. Now I can print directly to the printer. The text is near perfect on a scale of 1-5, i'd say 4.5. Unless you are going to buy a $600 Ricoh, you should really consider this printer solely based on its speed and text output. Even compared to other $300 models, this printer can hold its own and may even be better in some cases. It is kind of noisy when it prints- a deep whirring noise - it's bearable but should be mentioned. The manual feed can only hold a thin amount which could be a problem for some people who are going to be printing onto a lot of envelopes. And unfortunately you can't load envelopes into the main compartment. Also the actual printing of envelopes can be annoying, you have to press the button on the printer before it prints any envelopes and you have to do it for each single one - there might be a way around this but I haven't figured it out yet.
The USB issue:
yes, HP tech support can be frustrating as with any company. But my experience wasn't as horrible as others here have had. I received two follow up phone calls, even one from an HP technical engineer about this usb issue::
through trial & error, here is what I did to make it work:
If you are having problems connecting the USB printer to your computer, i.e. WinXP won't recognize the printer, you need to disable the USB 2.0 Enhanced Host Controller. For some reason, on some computers running WinXP, the USB printer port is recognized as an "Unknown Device." It affects any USB port, doesn't matter if it's USB 2.0 w/Firewire or an older port. It can be fixed easily with a little tweak. I'm sure a lot of people have returned the printer b/c they thought they couldn't print or it was incompatible. Not everything works perfectly straight out of the box, what fun would that be?...
You may also have the same problem if you plan to connect the printer to a router or print server. I have a wireless Linksys Print Server and it does not recognize the USB printer. I have asked Linksys to update their Firmware. When it will happen? who knows.
Keep in mind this is a brand new model for HP and issues will arise they may not have the needed tech support yet. Notwithstanding, for this price and excellent output, I think it's worth it.

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The HP LaserJet 1022 printer is an affordable, compact, and reliable laser printer with the ability to produce professional-quality print jobs. It prints at speeds of up to 19 pages per minute, and delivers the first page in less than 8 seconds thanks to HP's proprietary instant-on technology. With the included HP LaserJet print cartridge and 1,200 dots per inch (dpi) print resolution, the printer produces crisp, clean output for all of your business documents. HP Resolution Enhancement technology (REt), working with the ultra-precise toner formula and HP image writing systems in the cartridge, ensures reliable quality with sharp text and clear lines. The printer accepts a variety of media types--including plain, LaserJet, photo, and rough paper, envelopes, transparencies, labels, card stock, and postcards. With 8 MB of on-board memory and super-fast USB 2.0 connectivity, this printer is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems and will work seamlessly with HP's Bluetooth 1300 wireless printer adapter (sold separately). Measuring 14.6 x 9.6 x 9.5 inches and weighing only 12.1 pounds, this printer is backed by a 1-year limited manufacturer's warranty.
What's in the Box LaserJet 1022 printer, print cartridge, user's guide, printer documentation and software CD, power cord, 250-sheet input tray, and 10-sheet priority input tray.

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Cisco-Linksys PSUS4 PrintServer for USB with 4 Port Switch Review

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(More customer reviews)Like a number of the other reviews mentioned, the PSUS4 works fine as a printserver but the included setup software isn't worth even removing from the box. I am by no means a networking expert but I had the time to tinker with the device and found that you really need to be ready to configure the PSUS4 directly using your browser and then configure each computer for local printing by creating a new TCP/IP port using the IP address of the unit and configuring it for printing to "USB1". If this sounds complicated it really isn't and with a bit of searching you can find quick and easy instructions from an article on the Linksys website (note the lack of mentioning USB1 in the article).
Long story short, don't buy this if you want plug and play but if you have a basic understanding of networking you will find this works fine after a bit of a painful initial setup. I found that it took much longer just to find the information I needed than actually setting up the unit.

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Share your USB printer and expand your network with one compact box The Linksys PrintServer for USB with 4-Port Switch is a double upgrade for your network. First, it lets you connect a USB printer directly to your network, eliminating the need to dedicate a PC to print serving chores. Using a PrintServer frees up your print share PC so you dont have to leave it on all the time. It also removes the printing bottleneck, and sets your PC free to do more useful work. In addition, the PrintServer includes a 4-port 10/100 switch, so you can easily add more devices to your network. All four ports are auto speed negotiating, and have automatic MDI/MDI-X crossover detection, so you dont have to worry about the cable type.

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H-Squared AIRMOUNT-S Air Mount for Airport Extreme Review

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(More customer reviews)I am very happy with the excellent quality and materials of the product. It securely holds the Airport Extreme and the fit is excellent. The manufacturing tolerances are superb. In no way does this mar, disfigure or alter your Airport Extreme.
The only minor negative that I have is that the included instructions could be better. There are a few different options for fastening the Airmount to the wall or ceiling as it relates to locations of screw holes and screw sizes and this could have been more clearly communicated. This minor complaint would not stop me from buying another Airmount if I needed one and would not keep me from recommending this item.
Botom line... if you need to mount your Airport Extreme to the wall or ceiling then buy this item... it does the job extremely well in a very unobtrusive manner... just be ready to "noodle" through the fastening options for the mount itself. Once fastened your Airport Extreme will slide right in... no problems.

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Air Mount from H-Squared lets you mount your AirPort Extreme base station on the wall, the ceiling, or virtually any vertical or horizontal surface providing maximum clearance for superior range and speed.Built of precision-designed, injection-molded clear acrylic, Air Mount is sturdy yet unobtrusive. Its slotted grips and hidden stops effortlessly yet firmly hold your AirPort Extreme in place.

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Aria Extreme N Wi-fi Pci Card Review

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(More customer reviews)PROS : It doesn't hurt small furry animals.CONS: It wont do 802.11n , the software sucks, doesn't show up in the airport icon , needs pci software even to wo9rk in G mode which is the only mode it will work in. It can't find the 2.4ghz N network or the 5 ghz N , the support staff arrogant and abusive. Dont even bother writing them it's a waste of time.
With my old Aria Extreme G card it worked terrifically, it showed up in the airport icon and ran teriific, unfortunately this is a 180% Not only the Aria Extreme N hard to connect, it does not show up in the airport icon, it has to use a PCI Card Utility to find the network and speeds average no better than a $14 G card . When my 802.11n Airport Extreme base is set on any single N channel it can't find the base at all so I wrote Sonnet and this is what came back.
We would be more than happy to advise you if you could be so kind as to write us a civil note.
Sincerely,
Robert
Sonnet Tech Support Manager
For those in wonder my note said "Help , it's not working " ! Nothing like hiring crazy people with emotional issues to take out on customers . How much more lucky can I be today now I've got this fake Sonnet N card ? I have to deal with a nut job Sheesh ! . Don't buy this card folks , the hassle in dealing isn't worth the baby sitting fee. Update: After a bunch of sleuthing I discovered the reason that the card is not recognized in Tiger, there is no support for N , not till the OSX 10.5.7 . If you run OSX Tiger forget it. Oh, and if you have other computers on your network you will lose access. Not worth it at all.

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Sonnet Technologies Aria extreme N Wireless PCI Card N80211-PCI Network Adapters - Wireless

Get 15% OFF

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Apple Time Capsule MB765LL/A 1TB Review

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(More customer reviews)I've owned the Apple Time Capsule 1TB model for several months now.
Pros:
1. Very large 1TB hard drive
2. Very fast WiFi connections
3. Easily sets up with your network (what Mac product doesn't?)
4. Much faster on my DSL network than the DSL wireless router I had previously connected
Cons:
1. Extremely SLOW data transfer. I'm not exaggerating when I say it took 15hrs to backup a wired connection with about 250gb of data to transfer...... wireless backup of that amount of data wasn't even reasonable, it was going to be several days.
2. I had wanted to use it for my iTunes library. To share my library on several devices when my Macbook was not available. Turns out the transfer speed is too slow for this purpose and I had to scratch that idea.
3. At times, it's been too slow to even use for Time Machine. The problem lies with the hard drive it seems since the wireless connection is extremely fast. Maybe there is some issue with the way the Time Capsule communicates with it's hard drive? I don't know, I only know it's painfully slow.
lf this can only be used as a wireless network hub and painfully slow backups, then there are better options out there. If Apple can somehow get this thing to work as advertised, then it might be worth a look. The way it is now... NOT RECOMMENDED!

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Wireless hard drive that works seamlessly with Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard. It's also a full-featured 802.11n Wi-Fi base station Time Capsule works with Mac computers, PCs, iPhone, iPod touch, Apple TV, and virtually all 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi wireless devices all at the same time Protect yourself with the built-in firewall and industry-standard encryption technologies including WPA/WPA2 and 128-bit WEP System Requirements - For Time Machine backup -Mac with Mac OS X Leopard / For setup and administration -Mac computer with Mac OS X v.10.4 or later, CD drive, and Ethernet or wireless networking capability; PC with Windows XP (SP2) or Windows Vista, CD drive, and Ethernet or wireless networking capability / For wireless client access -Mac with AirPort or AirPort Extreme wireless capability; PC with 802.11a/b/g/n / For shared hard drive -Mac with Mac OS X v10.4.8 or later; PC with Windows XP (SP2) or Windows Vista; Bonjour

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Apple Time Capsule MB276LL/A (AirPort Extreme Plus 500 GB Storage) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been using Time Machine since I upgraded to Leopard. While Time Machine is great for backing up my iMac, its a pain to have to hook up my Mac Book Pro and new Mac Book Air to an external hard drive. The Time Capsule is great for that. So long as my laptop is open and running, a backup can happen.
Make sure you remember to do your first backup using ethernet. Otherwise it is going to be slow. Apple does not want to bog down your network with backups, so when you are backing up wirelessly, it will intentionally throttle the connection sped.
This device also functions as a wireless router. I was able to remove my previous Air Port Extreme from the network. The large size is nice because you are able to share one large drive and backup several smaller computers. My iMac and laptop all backup just fine.
The device does run a little hot. The Best Way to Backup a Mac Laptop

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Introducing Time Capsule. Automatic wireless backup for your Mac. Time Capsule is a revolutionary backup device that works wirelessly with Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard. It automatically backs up everything, so you no longer have to worry about losing your digital life. Time Capsule is also a full-featured 802.11n Wi-Fi base station. Every computer in your house can work off a wireless network at blazing speeds. And they can back up wirelessly to the same Time Capsule.

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Western Digital My Book Home Edition 500 GB USB 2.0/FireWire 400/eSATA Desktop External Hard Drive Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Pros:
Triple interface with USB 2.0, eSATA, and FireWire 400 ports
Two FireWire 400 ports to support daisy-chaining devices
Relatively quiet, passively cooled design (i.e. no fans)
Automatically powers on/off with your machine, spins down when inactive
3-year warranty, vs. 1-year for the Western Digital 500GB My Book Essential 2.0
Cons:
No boot support for PowerPC-based Macs
Mac software not yet compatible with OS 10.5 (i.e. capacity gauge and power button do not presently work)
*Fixed - see my update, posted as a comment on this review, for details.*
Power button on rear rather than front
Summary:
I bought this drive primarily as a backup drive to be used with the built-in Time Machine backup program in Mac OS 10.5. Providing the pending ButtonManager software update works, I will have no reservations in recommending it for similar usage. Even without the capacity gauge and power button, I am relatively happy with the drive. You should be aware that this drive IS NOT BOOTABLE from PowerPC-based Macs (see WD Support Answer ID 1715), so if you were planning to do that, you need to look elsewhere. It is bootable from Intel-based Macs, though.
In Depth:
As a basic drive, it worked right out of the box. Macintosh installers for "WD Anywhere Backup" and a "ButtonManager" program that enables the capacity gauge and power button are included on the drive, along with documentation in PDF format. I'm using Time Machine and had no interest in the included backup software, so I can't speak to its quality. Installing the ButtonManager seemed to go smoothly. The installer even asks if you want to reformat the disk, and opens Disk Utility if you opt to do so. (See notes on formatting below.)
Upon rebooting, I was initially pleasantly surprised to find no extra processes running related to the ButtonManager... until I discovered that was only because it wasn't working. No capacity gauge, and the power button on the back does nothing. It turns out that the software is currently incompatible with OS 10.5, although on their website Western Digital has promised a fix by the end of January 2008 (WD Support Answer ID 1716). A company representative assured me that this was still the case at MacWorld 2008.
Apparently WD used a StartupItem, which were deprecated in 10.4 in favor of launchd - and no longer work at all in 10.5. Considering that this drive didn't become available until September of 2007 and that StartupItems have been officially deprecated since April 2005, the commitment to Mac compatibility could be stronger. If you are using 10.5, there is no reason to install the ButtonManager at present and the representative I spoke with at MacWorld actually suggested removing it if you did install it.
I don't mind the missing capacity gauge gimmick, but the power button is a bit annoying. After unmounting the drive, it goes into standby mode, but (short of unplugging the power) there is no way to turn it off completely. The only way to remount the drive is to unplug the power and then plug it back in. Being able to just press a button would be much more convenient. Hopefully, the updated software will resolve this issue.
The problem is somewhat mitigated by the drive's automatic power management features. The drive turns off when your computer shuts down or sleeps, and turns back on when your computer does. In addition, the drive spins down and goes into standby mode when it's inactive. Western Digital seems to have intended the drive to remain connected and "on" most of the time, which is reflected in the awkward placement of the (currently non-functional) power button on the back of the drive. For the most part this works, and is actually quite convenient, but there are still times, especially with a laptop, when actually being able to turn the drive off is important.
The somewhat unusual on-end vertical drive mounting results in a relatively small footprint for the case, although its volume is comparable to, if not greater than, that of most other cases. The drive has no fan and is pretty quiet normally, although I found its peak noise (when spinning up and during heavy use) to be slightly more than my other drives.
In my tests transferring a 5 GB folder, the drive averaged 16.42 MB/s write and 20.17 MB/s read using FireWire, and 10.56 MB/s write and 14.12 MB/s read using USB 2.0, making the FireWire interface worthwhile. The inclusion of dual FireWire ports with the ability to daisy-chain another device is also a big plus, especially on a laptop with a single FireWire port. Performance of a daisy-chained drive didn't suffer in my testing and, since the FireWire bus is self-powered, it works even when the My Book is unplugged from power. While I didn't have the ability to test it, the inclusion of eSATA should allow for high performance. Unfortunately, the documentation indicates that the drive's automatic power management features only work with the USB and FireWire interfaces. Also, while 4 foot long FireWire (6-pin to 6-pin) and USB (Type A to Mini) cables are included, eSATA cables have to be purchased separately. If your Mac has FireWire 800 - and performance is an issue, you may want to look into the similar Western Digital 500 GB My Book Studio Edition.
How to format the drive:
If you intend to use the drive with both Macs and PCs regularly, leaving the drive formatted as FAT32 is the best choice. However, if you plan on using the drive exclusively with Macs it should be formatted as HFS+, and this format is required to use Time Machine. Unfortunately, the included PDF documentation doesn't explain how to format the drive, and instead refers you to an online document (WD Support Answer ID 287) which is decent, but a bit out of date. While the WD Support article suggests partitioning the drive using an Apple Partition Map, this is no longer the best choice. If you have an Intel-based Mac, using the GUID Partition Table is a better choice as it allows you to boot from the drive. Since the My Book Home doesn't support booting from a PowerPC machine, there really isn't any reason to use APM unless you use Macs with an OS prior to 10.4.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Western Digital My Book Home Edition 500 GB USB 2.0/FireWire 400/eSATA Desktop External Hard Drive

Preserve your precious memories with this ideal combination of elegant, reliable storage and automatic backup features. Your baby's first step, your wedding in Bali, all your important milestones...all captured in digital photos and video. What could be more important? Store them safely and keep them backed up on My Book Home Edition external hard drives.

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Apple Time Capsule MC344LL/A 2TB (SIM Dualband) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I use my 2 TB Time Capsule for a wireless router and for wireless backups from my Mac mini.
As a router, it's pretty reliable. I do have problems connecting to it using my iPhone 3GS. Sometimes it works and sometimes not. When it works, there are times it will stop working seemingly for no reason. Frustrating. Otherwise, my MacBook and Mac mini both connect every time and the connection is very reliable.
The Time Machine feature for backups works very well. It's nice to not have to think about backups. It just works, backs up everything, and I don't have to worry about it.
The problem with the wireless backup system is that it's *extremely* slow, and it interferes with my use of my Internet connection. It would be nice if it would throttle the backups when I'm using my connection so that it doesn't interfere. Or maybe it should only do backups when the computer is idle. And I'm not talking about the initial backup of my whole system...I'm referring to the incremental daily backups that are occurring months later.
My Linksys router that I had for years and years finally failed, but it worked much better than Time Capsule before it failed. My recommendation to anyone reading this is to buy a regular router, and then just use a USB or FireWire hard drive for backups.
I haven't used the printer sharing features of Time Capsule, so I can't speak to that.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Apple Time Capsule MC344LL/A 2TB (SIM Dualband)

Apple Time Capsule 2TB is an automatic wireless backup device and a simultaneous dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi base station all in one device. With Time Capsule,the nagging need to back up your data has been replaced by automatic, constant protection. And even better, it all happens wirelessly, saving everything important, including your sanity.
Works with Time Machine for Easy Backups Time Capsule includes a wireless 2TB hard drive designed to work with Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard. Just set Time Capsule as the designated backup drive for Time Machine, and that's it. Depending on how much data you have, your initial backup with Time Capsule could take overnight or longer. After it completes, only changed files are backed up - automatically, wirelessly, and in the background. So you never have to worry about backing up again. Even better, new technologies in Time Capsule and refinements to Time Machine make backing up to Time Capsule using Snow Leopard faster than before.
Backup Multiple Computers Have multiple Mac computers in your house? Time Capsule can back up and store files for each Leopard- and Snow Leopard-based Mac on your wireless network. No longer do you have to attach an external drive to each Mac every time you want to back up. Time Capsule spares you the work.
2TB Provides Plenty of Space Time Capsule is your one place for backing up everything. Its massive 2TB server-grade hard drive gives you all the capacity and safety you need. So whether you have 250 songs or 250,000 songs to back up, room is the last thing you\'ll run out of.
Ultimate Wireless Base Station More than just a wireless hard drive, Time Capsule is also a full-featured AirPort Extreme Base Station with 802.11n technology. Experience a high-speed wireless network and a breakthrough way to back up all the Mac computers on your network. All in one device.
Simultaneous Dual-Band Support Some Wi-Fi devices use the 2.4GHz wireless band, including iPhone, iPod touch, and devices using 802.11b/g. Other devices can use either 2.4GHz or the higher-speed 5GHz band, such as the latest 802.11n-based Mac computers and Apple TV. Instead of choosing one of the bands, Time Capsule operates simultaneously on both bands, and your multiband devices automatically use the best available band. This means all your Wi-Fi devices get the fastest possible wireless performance and the best possible range. In addition, Time Capsule reduces the possibility of interference from appliances and cordless phones that use the 2.4GHz band.
Share the Internet Securely with Guest Networking It\'s easy to allow guests to use your Internet connection without sharing your password or giving them access to the rest of your network. Simply enable the guest networking feature using the AirPort Utility application and create a separate Wi-Fi network just for your friends. You can set up this guest network with a different password or with none at all. Your primary network - including your printer, attached drives, or other devices - remains secure.
Share a Printer or Additional Hard Drive with USB Port The included USB port is great for sharing a printer throughout your wireless network. Time Capsule and the Bonjour networking technology let everyone in the house or office - Mac and PC users alike -take advantage of one centrally located printer. And if you want to share both a printer and an additional hard drive, you can. Just connect a USB hub to Time Capsule. Whatever the combination, Time Capsule divides and conquers.
Works with Mac and PC. Time Capsule with Time Machine in Leopard or Snow Leopard is the ideal backup solution. But that doesn\'t mean Mac OS X Tiger, Windows XP, and Windows Vista users can\'t enjoy the benefits of Time Capsule, too. Because Time Capsule mounts as a wireless hard drive, Tiger and Windows users simply access Time Capsule directly from the wireless network for exchanging and storing files quickly and easily.
Apple Time Capsule measures 7.7 x 7.7 x 1.4 inches. It is backed by a one-year warranty.
What's in the Box Time Capsule, CD with AirPort Utility (Mac and Windows), AirPort Disk Utility for Windows, and Bonjour for Windows, Power cord, Printed and electronic documentation

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NETGEAR ME102 - Wireless access point 32 - Ethernet Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just received my ME102 today, and it was up and running in 5 minutes (not counting the time required to drive the screws [included] to wall-mount the unit near one of my Ethernet switches).
I didn't find the USB-based configuration to be ideal. To be sure, it worked well. But I don't like installing drivers and software on my PC that will be used only once or occasionally, and the rest of the time just adds more junk to the Windows registry and is yet another thing added to program groups. (I have issues with clutter.)
In any case, as others here have mentioned, documentation is sparse indeed. And frankly, if you don't know your TCP/IP network pretty well, and/or don't know the basics of wireless Ethernet concepts, you might well find yourself in over your head. The default configuration is far from one-size-fits-all, and the average home computer user will have trouble changing it -- especially with the somewhat non-intuitive interface to the config software.
All that said, once this baby is set-up and running, it's great. I get terrific range and excellent performance, even with a basement mounted access point.
My only caution: Beware of your 2.4 GHz cordless phones. This would be true of any 802.11b set-up, but some of these cordless phones will chew-up your data stream and spit it out in chunks on the carpet. Here, I have my choice between using the wireless Ethernet, or using a Panasonic 2.4 GHz phone... Any attempts to use both, and the phone wins. (The Panasonic is going in the trash very soon; a Uniden 2.4 GHz model cooperates fine.)

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Netgear's wireless access point gives mobile users continuous,high-speed 11 Mbps access to corporate network resources, e-mail, and theInternet. It helps you quickly set up a new wireless network office or extendyour existing Ethernet network to remote locations in your building, without thetime or expense of Ethernet cabling. Equipped with a Netgear cable/DSL router,it lets all users on your wireless network share broadband Internet access.Multiple access points may be used to extend the coverage as well as increasethe number of wireless users. The ME102 supports roaming from access point toaccess point within an office and includes 40-bit WEP encryption to ensureprivacy.
Supporting 32 users per access point, the ME102 works with any 10 Mbps Ethernetand any IEEE 802.11b-compliant product. It comes with a five-year limitedwarranty.

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Apple AirPort Express with Air Tunes (M9470LL/A) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Yes, the directions stink, but there is hope for you Windows users. If you have the typical Windows wireless network setup (computer, router, laptop, access points, etc.), then follow these easy steps to get your AirPort up and running.
1. Before you go wireless, physically connect your AirPort to your router with an Ethernet cable. Plug in the AirPort, and wait until the LED turns solid green.
2. Start the AirPort Admin Utility for Windows. You now want to configure the AirPort to join your existing network "wirelessly". You should see the AirPort Base Station appear with its IP address in the Base Station Chooser.
3. In the lower right-hand corner, click on Configure... Click on the AirPort tab. In the "AirPort Network" section, Use base station to: "Join an Existing Wireless Network". Underneath that, type in your existing wireless "Network Name". You will be asked to change the password as well.
4. Click "Update" in the lower right-hand corner of the Configure window. Your AirPort will be restarted, and the LED should turn solid green again.
5. Finally, disconnect the AirPort from your router, and remove the connecting cable. You should NOW be able to plug in your AirPort anywhere to join your existing network.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Apple AirPort Express with Air Tunes (M9470LL/A)

Enjoy your iTunes music library in virtually any room of your house. Share a single broadband Internet connection and USB printer without inconvenient and obtrusive cables. Create an instant wireless network on the go. Extend the range of your current wireless network. How many devices do you need to do all this? Just one.Presenting AirPort Express.Featuring AirTunes for playing your iTunes music wirelessly on your home stereo or powered speakers, AirPort Express brings not only the Internet but your music to wherever in your home you like to enjoy them most — whether you use a Mac or Windows PC. Unmatched in its ease of use, it delivers data rates up to 54 megabits per second, fits in the palm of your hand so you can take it wherever you go.

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D-Link DWL-3140AP Web Smart 802.11g PoE Access Point Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)These little jewels will be an ultimate test of your patients. They only work with a DES-1228P D-Link switch as mentioned. They have no web interface and use a little (buggy) SNMP application to set them up. This makes remote administration virtually impossible. Several times I had to default the switch and APs to factory settings to get the APs to configure. There is only two settings on the switch that need set to make the APs work. This equipment would not work on my network. I had to put the whole system (switch and APs) on their own network. Once you get them up and running it seems to work pretty good. The SNMP application is the biggest downside. You can setup groups and all sorts of stuff, BUT if you load the SNMP app on another computer it doesn't recognize the groups or settings you setup on the other PC. You'll have to set it up all over again. It uses a local database on your PC to store this info. The settings are stored in the APs so after setup you don't need to use the SNMP app unless you want to make a change. With groups you can push a single change to all APs in that group. Very nice feature if you're doing MAC filtering and don't want to type the MAC address on all APs.
Bottom line is I'd do some more research before buying this system again. I know there are more expensive systems out there like 3COM. A full web interface would make this setup much better. The switch has a web interface and I wish they could incorporate the AP setup in it.


Click Here to see more reviews about: D-Link DWL-3140AP Web Smart 802.11g PoE Access Point

D-Link B 802.11G POE Thin Access Port

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APPLE M9479LL/A AirPort Extreme Base Station Power Adapter Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I ordered this as a replacement for my Airport Extreme power cable. It is not an Apple product and is the wrong size for the Aiport Extreme. Therefore, it was of no use to me. It is very frustrating to have the product listed as being for an Airport Extreme when it is no such thing. Will not buy again from this seller.

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A 110-240V power adapter for the following Apple AirPort Extreme Base Stations - M8799, M8930, M9397, & M9468 Security - Built-in Firewall, Password Protection, Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) Support, & 128-bit WEP Encryption Supports up to 10 users NOTE - Wireless printing over USB requires Mac OS X v10.2.7 or later or Windows XP or Windows 2000 and a compatible printer NOTE -AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express can extend the range only of an AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express wireless network

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Apple Airport Card - Network adapter - AirPort - 802.11b Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm using an Airport card with my iBook, and have been extremely impressed with the way it "just works". Part of the credit goes to the Mac OS X operating system of course, but such totally transparent ease of use is rare in any piece of consumer electronics.
There is one caveat: Apple's very newest machines come with slots for "Airport Extreme" instead. Since Airport Extreme cards are smaller (as well as faster), they aren't interchangeable with "classic" Airport cards. Whichever kind of Airport card your computer supports is what you need to get.
Should you wait to get a machine with Airport Extreme? Probably not, if you're ready to buy. Since even the older Airport cards are faster than any connection to the Internet you're likely to find, the extra speed is only really useful when transferring files between machines at home, or at the office.
I'm not quite sure what the "electronics fan" from Los Angeles is blithering about. On any recent machine from Apple, the Airport (or Extreme) card installs without an adapter. The last "special edition" iMacs came out about two years ago. All of the flat-panel iMacs with G4 processors take Airport cards without needing an adapter, or so says Apple's spec site.
As for Apple being a non-contender in wireless, the previous reviewer couldn't be more wrong. Not only were they the first to make widespread use of WiFi (802.11b aka Airport), they were first to market with 802.11g (Airport Extreme). And as far as criticising them because a computer needs an adapter to use a technology that didn't even exist when it was designed, well, be glad you can buy that $20 adapter instead of having to buy a whole new computer.

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Apple Airport Card - Wireless Ethernet - 11 Mbps IEEE 802.11b Type II PC Card Only Pulled p/n M7600LL/E, 630-2883 or 630-2883/C with 90 days warranty.

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