Electronics, Computers & Accessories

8/31/2010

Gateway DX4840-07 Desktop (Black) Reviews


Gateway DX4840-07 Desktop PC comes with these specs: Intel Core i5-650 Processor 3.2GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 3.46 GHz, Windows 7 Home Premium, Intel H57 Express Chipset, 6144 MB DDR3 Memory, NVIDIA GeForce 315 Graphics with 512 MB Dedicated Video Memory, 16X DVD±R/RW SuperMulti Drive, 1 TB SATA Hard Drive (Green Product - variable RPM), Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader, High-Definition Audio Support with 5.1-channel Audio Support, Gigabit Ethernet, 10 - USB 2.0, Keyboard and Mouse, 25.0 lbs. | 11.3kg (system unit only), 1 Year Parts and Labor Limited Warranty with Toll-Free Tech Support, Registration/ Limited Warranty Card, Norton Internet Security Suite 2009 Trial

Technical Details

- Unleash the power of the Gateway DX4840 Desktop featuring the Intel Core i5 processor which delivers the performance you need for smarter multitasking
- Get smart performance with the Intel Core i5 with Intel Turbo Boost Technology delivering optimal performance and energy efficiency for accelerated productivity - email, browse the web and create digital content and more
- Enjoy smooth video, brilliant images and immersive games with NVIDIA GeForce 315 Graphics, bringing fast throughput, life-like graphics and support for the latest Microsoft DirectX 10.1
- The expansive and enormous 1 Terabyte Green Product Hard Drive can easily store all your digital photo albums, media, and work documents
- Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos and music; Get the best entertainment experience on your PC

See more technical details

Customer Buzz
 5.0 out of 5 stars"sweeet" 2010-08-13
By Mark Schafnit (midwest USA)
man,it's nice using a good new computer again.. thanks for the deal guys,since I didn't wait till black friday,m



Apple iMac MB950LL/A 21.5-Inch Desktop Reviews

Featuring brilliant LED-backlit 21.5 widescreen display in a edge-to-edge glass design and seamless all aluminum enclosure. The iMac, is the fastest ever with Intel Core 2 Duo processors starting at 3.06 GHz. Storage is never an issue with the iMac, this unit features a 500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA hard drive. The iMac ships with a wireless keyboard and the wireless Magic Mouse, the worlds first mouse with Multi-Touch technology. 21.5 iMac - 3.06GHz/500GB HD Apple Wireless Keyboard Magic Mouse Cleaning cloth Power cord Install/restore DVDs Printed and electronic documentation
Updated with a brilliant 21.5-inch LED-backlit widescreen display in a new edge-to-edge glass design and seamless all aluminum enclosure, the new Apple iMac is ideal for watching high definition movies and TV shows from iTunes, or editing and watching your own videos or photos using iLife. The iMac now also comes standard with a wireless keyboard and the new Magic Mouse, which features Apple's Multi-Touch technology. And it's faster than ever with a 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor.


The 21.5-inch iMac features a brilliant LED-backlit display with widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio.


The iMac declutters your desktop with a wireless keyboard and new Magic Mouse--the world's first Multi-Touch mouse.
The iMac's display offers a 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution (for native 1080p high-definition viewing), and it uses IPS technology to deliver consistent color across an ultra wide 178 degree viewing angle. This 21.5-inch model also features improved graphics with the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor. It's powered by a 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, which provides an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved multitasking, video, and gaming performance. 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.

Key Features

  • 21.5-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with IPS technology, a 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, 320 cd/m2 brightness rating, and 178-degree viewing angle (horizontal and vertical)
  • 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3 MB shared L2 cache for excellent multitasking
  • 500 GB Serial ATA hard drive (7200 RPM)
  • 4 GB installed RAM (1066 MHz DDR3; supports up to 16 GB)
  • NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor (with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory) for an outstanding everyday graphics experience
  • 8x slot-loading SuperDrive with double-layer DVD support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/
  • Built-in iSight camera for video chatting
  • Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on 802.11n specification; 802.11a/b/g compatible)
  • Gigabit Ethernet wired networking (10/100/1000BASE-T)
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) for connecting with peripherals such as keyboards, mice and cell phones
  • Side-loading SD card slot
  • Four USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port
  • Mini DisplayPort video output with optional adapters for DVI and VGA output
  • Built-in stereo speakers with two internal 17-watt high-efficiency amplifiers along with built-in microphone, optical digital audio output/headphone out, optical digital audio input/audio line in
  • Dimensions: 20.8 x 7.42 x 17.75 inches (WxDxH)
  • Weight: 20.5 pounds
  • Included Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse
What's in the Box
iMac, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse, cleaning cloth, power cord, install/restore DVDs, printed and electronic documentation
Limited Warranty And Service
The iMac comes with 90 days of free telephone support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan to extend your service and support to three years from your computer's purchase date. Only the AppleCare Protection Plan provides you with direct telephone support from Apple technical experts and the assurance that repairs will be handled by Apple-authorized technicians using genuine Apple parts.

Key Features

Big, Beautiful Display Combined with All-In-One Simplicity



The evolution of the Apple iMac.
The new iMac has come a long way from the first 15-inch iMac. The all-in-one design of the first flat-panel iMac cleaned up the desktop, and put everything you need--display, processor, graphics card, hard drive, optical drive, memory, and more--inside one simple enclosure. New technology inside and out makes the new iMac a worthy addition to the all-in-one dynasty. This 21.5-inch model features an edge-to-edge glass display that covers nearly the entire front of the enclosure. When all you see is the display, nothing gets between you and what's onscreen. Movies, TV shows, websites, photos--everything looks stunning on the new 16:9 widescreen iMac display. And the LED backlighting in the new iMac helps push more light through the pixels with remarkable brightness and efficiency. And because the LED backlight doesn't take up much space, the iMac enclosure stays thin--even with all the high-performance components inside.
The iMac display is designed to look great from almost any angle. A technology called in-plane switching (IPS) makes this possible. Whether you're sitting in front of the display or standing off to the side, you'll get a perfect picture with superb color consistency and no loss of detail.
The wider iMac display allows more room to separate the two hottest components, the CPU and the GPU. This keeps things cool inside the iMac enclosure. Apple engineers also implemented an intelligent control system that monitors temperatures and delivers just the right amount of airflow to critical components. And the three fans inside iMac have been tuned to be ultraquiet.
While you'll find a collection of ports on the back of iMac, you won't find much else. A seamless, precision-forged enclosure makes the back one continuous aluminum surface. And there's only one cord: the power cord.

Wireless Magic Mouse and Keyboard
Forget the mouse as you know it. Every iMac comes with the wireless Magic Mouse: the world's first Multi-Touch mouse. Use it once and you'll wonder how you ever used anything else. There's no scroll ball, no clunky wheel, no cord, and no visible button. Instead, the Magic Mouse uses Multi-Touch technology to let you control everything with simple gestures. Give them a try and you'll find that Magic Mouse changes the way you interact with your computer. Built-in software lets you configure Magic Mouse any way you want. Its smooth, seamless design is ambidextrous, and it supports two-button clicking--without buttons.
The iMac banishes desktop clutter completely with a wireless keyboard to go with the wireless Magic Mouse. This low-profile keyboard takes up less desk space--24 percent less--than larger keyboards. There's no numeric keypad, so you can place your mouse comfortably next to the keyboard. And built-in Bluetooth means there are no cables to connect.

Built-in Wi-Fi
High-speed 802.11n wireless technology is built into iMac. And with Time Capsule or the AirPort Express Base Station, every computer in every room can wirelessly connect to iMac, the Internet, and each other. Over this network, everyone can print, surf the web, and play music on iTunes through your home stereo--wirelessly.
iSight Webcam
Hidden behind the glass display at the top of iMac is an iSight camera. Use it with iChat, and you can be anywhere without actually being there. Video chat with up to three of your friends, share a video with a colleague, or present to a client. Use iSight with Photo Booth for fun photo effects. And there's no need to waste valuable primping time installing software or configuring the camera.

Pre-Loaded with Mac OS X Snow Leopard and iLife '09

Every Mac comes with Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the world's most advanced operating system, and iLife, Apple's innovative suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music. Snow Leopard builds on a decade of OS X innovation and success with hundreds of refinements, new core technologies and out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange. iLife features iPhoto, to easily organize and manage photos; iMovie with powerful easy-to-use new features such as Precision Editor, video stabilization and advanced drag and drop; and GarageBand which introduces a whole new way to help you learn to play piano and guitar. Installed software
  • Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard (includes Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools)
  • iLife '09 (includes iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iWeb, iDVD)

Environmentally Friendly Design

Because Apple designs both hardware and software, we can reduce our environmental footprint in ways others can't. For starters, a highly efficient power supply reduces the amount of power wasted when bringing electricity from the wall to your Mac. Unlike a lot of PCs, a Mac uses energy-efficient hardware components that work hand in hand with the operating system to conserve power--even between keystrokes. A Mac also doesn't contain a lot of toxic materials. All Mac displays are mercury and arsenic free, and the internal components are free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs).
Efficient Power Supply
The iMac includes a highly efficient power supply that reduces the amount of power wasted when bringing electricity from the wall to your computer. Lower power consumption reduces energy bills and lessens the environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

Advanced Power Management
Unlike a lot of Windows-based PC systems, iMac uses energy-efficient hardware components that work hand in hand with the operating system to conserve power. Mac OS X spins down hard drives and activates sleep mode on already energy-efficient LED-backlit displays. And it balances tasks across both central processors and graphics processors. Mac OS X never misses a power-saving opportunity, no matter how small. It even regulates the processor between keystrokes, reducing power between the letters you type. That's just one of many ways Apple manages small amounts of power that add up to big savings. ENERGY STAR Qualification
The iMac meets the stringent low power requirements set by the EPA, making it ENERGY STAR qualified. ENERGY STAR 5.0 sets significantly higher efficiency limits for power supplies and aggressive limits for the computer's typical annual power consumption.

Technical Details

- Ships in Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging
- 3.06GHz Intel Dual Core Processor
- 500GB Hard Drive, DVD SuperDrive, 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
- 21.5" LED-backlit display with a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, 1920x1080 HD resolution, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
- Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard, includes new wireless Magic Mouse

Customer Buzz
5.0 out of 5 stars"HAPPY WITH APPLE IMAC" 2010-08-16
By tuffcowboy
I think I made a good decision when I purchase this Apple Imac over the and the PC. It was some what different than the PC , but when I learned How to operate it, I was so satisfied and happy. It is great and it well worth the extra money to purchase this Apple than the PC. I have had it for 8-months and I haven't had a problem with viruses. I can say that I love it and would recommend it to my friends or to anyone.

Customer Buzz 
4.0 out of 5 stars"Just about perfect" 2010-08-10
By Acid (Rogers, AR USA)
I'm a graphic designer, though far from a rich one. There were many arguments for saving $400 and buying an "equivalent" PC (mostly the money), but I just love the Mac System, design, durability, and lack of virus issues too much. I've never owned a PC that lasted more than 4 years. The only Mac I've ever owned lasted 10 years, at which point I chose to replace it (could have upgraded, but that still would have only brought it up to "descent" as far as memory, disk space).
I almost went with the MacMini. A good selling point with it is that once it's outmoded, it can be plugged into your new computer and used as a backup. But with a 500Gig hard drive and awesome speed, etc., it will be quite some time before this baby is outmoded. Purchased 3 months ago and haven't had a single issue. Everyone is amazed when they see it: "Where's the computer?" is a common response. Boot Camp is an excellent addition that makes it very easy to run both Mac OS X and Windows (you'll have to purchase a copy) on the same computer, making software incompatibility a complete non-issue. The 21.5 in. monitor is a little bit smaller than I would have preferred, but makes it a much easier fit on my computer desk and makes transportation much easier too.

Customer Buzz 
5.0 out of 5 stars"Apple iMac MB950LL/A 21.5-Inch Desktop" 2010-08-10
By Gerald E. Finstein (Seal Beach, CA USA)
A GREAT COMPUTER THIS IS MY 5TH APPLE COMPUTER EVERYTHING IS AS DESCRIBED IT IS WELL WORTH THE MONEY

Customer Buzz 
5.0 out of 5 stars"it's not all hype" 2010-08-01
By B. Peet (PA, USA)
I debated getting an iMac for many years. I have been a life long PC user and was worried about switching and if I would be able to do all of the same things on a Mac. My kids had destroyed their 3rd computer and Amazon had the iMac on sale with no interest financing, so I thought now is the time. For me, there is a little bit of a learning curve coming from Windows, but all in all, I am impressed with the ease of use. I bought this for my kids, age 12 and 8. I set it up, tinkered a little, and then let my 8 yr old daughter use it while I finished some yard work. When I returned, she had setup her own email, made a few short movies, and emailed them to my mother. The kids are usually asking me how to do this or how to do that. With the Mac, they have yet to ask a question except why the internet stopped working at 10pm. Thank you, parental controls. I am very satisfied with the iMac.

Customer Buzz 
5.0 out of 5 stars"Good Buy" 2010-08-01
By Robert B. Gillies (Volcan, Chiriqui, The Republic of Panama)
At Amazon's current price this discontinued model is a better buy than the Mac mini which I have always favored. I like my Mac mini but for a little over $200 more you get a faster processor, a screen, bigger hard drive, keyboard, mouse, etc. If I needed a computer right now, I would buy one of these while they last.



8/30/2010

Zotac MAG Intel Atom N330, NVIDIA ION, 2 GB DDR2, 160 GB HD, eSATA, HDMI HD-ND01-U Mini PC - No OS Reviews


Your Everywhere Mini-PC. From the living room to the kitchen, the ZOTAC MAG delivers a premium multimedia experience. The ZOTAC MAG packs fluid high-definition video playback capabilities into a slim, compact system that is silent and perfect for all home environments. Includes 2gb DDR2 memory, 160GB HD. PLEASE NOTE - NO OPERATING SYSTEM INCLUDED

Technical Details

- Zotac mini-PC with Intel Atom N330 and nVidia ION chipset
- 2GB DDR2-800, 160GB HD
- 6x USB 2.0, WIFI, Gigabit LAN, 8 channel Audio, VGA, HDMI, 1x eSATA port, SPDIF optical output
- 4-in-1 built in media card reader, included stand, VESA mount, AC adapter
- Low power usage, NO OPERATING SYSTEM

See more technical details

Customer Buzz
 4.0 out of 5 stars"Great except for wireless" 2010-08-27
By D. Beckman (East Coast USA)
Not much to add from the previous comments. I would like to simply say I am satisfied with the product 100%. The one weakness I have found is the previously mentioned crappy wireless. My router is upstairs and this machine is downstairs next to my PS3. My PS3 wireless works flawlessly, but this machine has serious issues. It says it's a good signal and connected at full speed, but i get about 100kb/sec through it. I am unable to stream the simplest of media with the router at that disance.

My solution was to move the wireless router downstairs and plug the MAG into it.

Customer Buzz 
4.0 out of 5 stars "General Tip" 2010-08-20
By Jitaroo
I just received my Zotac box and since it doesn't come with an OS I was going to install it from a hard drive, but I had some troubles booting from the hard drive, which I eventually figured out; which is why I'm writing this. All you need to do is plug in a keyboard and then make sure you hold the delete key on it. Once your in the BIOS you can move onto the boot order, but you will have to change the main hard drive to your external drive and then tell the BIOS to boot into that drive. That should work fine to install. I'll update this review after i've gotten windows installed and xbmc and aeon up and running.

Customer Buzz 
5.0 out of 5 stars"Zotac MAG Review..." 2010-08-07
By Peter K
I purchased the item from Amazon with the intention of streaming internet tv. I received the item loaded ubuntu as recommended from another buyer. Setup was a snap and software upgrades a breeze. I havent been able get audio from the computers hdmi cable to the tv. Aside from the heat it generates, its been working great as a desk top computer. I would definitely recommend the product to others.

Customer Buzz 
5.0 out of 5 stars"Great for Everyday Use, Lot of Features, Great Value for ITX Computer!" 2010-07-19
By Karl Burrows (Charlotte, NC)
I am an IT consultant (I know, I repeat myself in my reviews, but just adding some validity!) and wanted something to replace an old Shuttle Mini I had build for my wife many years ago. It was getting to be too slow and it was time to replace it. I researched options through Dell (my main PC vendor) and found most mini systems were pushing $600 or more by the time you get them configured. In my research, I came across the HTPC (Home Theater PC) subset of computers. Of course, there are lots of opinions and lots of options to choose from. I chose this model for the following reasons:

* The NVidia Ion GPU seems to be tops in the market for video processing and takes a lot of load off the CPU, which allows the Atom processors to work more with the PC processes. This makes the Ion/Atom combination work well with general PC applications like Office, lightweight photo editing software, Internet, etc. Multi-tasking is quite acceptable running basic programs.

* I liked this particular Zotac model because all it needed was the O/S. I looked at the NS-01, which had a newer Atom processor, but required a hard drive, memory and the O/S. Pricing moderate components, I was over $500 with the total configuration. As with all the reviews, these aren't going to blow you away with speed, but they are going to be respectable machines for a specialized market. I didn't see that there was going to be that much difference in performance between between the two, so I chose the easy way out.

* Finally, the Shuttle Mini barebones I built many years ago was about the smallest footprint you could get in a mini PC at the time. I looked at some of the HTPC's that were no bigger than a set of playing cards with a fanless system. The Zotac is still very small. I think the pictures and the discussions make you think they are smaller than they really are. If you imagined a slightly oversized CD/DVD carrying case, you can get a better idea of the size. I mounted the monitor on the wall and set the Zotac right behind the monitor, wrapped and tied all the cables and it takes up no space at all. I also like that you can mount it in the VESA mounts behind the monitor, but I'm not convinced that works well if you need to get to a USB port or want to plug in your SD card. Luckily, some Dell monitors come with USB ports, so I had an SD card reader and just use that and the other USB ports on the monitor for connections.

I installed Windows 7 Pro 64-bit without a hitch. I didn't need any driver updates and all hardware installed properly. Windows Update picked up any hardware updates that weren't installed with the Windows install disk (you can install Windows 7 with a flash drive configuration or just get an external USB DVD drive, which I used). There was no need to even use the supplied drivers CD. 160GB hard drive is plenty for my wife's use and there is an eSATA port for additional space if you need it. I would imagine hardcore home theater enthusiasts will have network drives for media sharing and geeks like me have servers or network storage for media storage.

This system comes with 2GB of DDR2 800 RAM, which is adequate and upgradable to 4GB for about $40. DDR3 1333 is more likely to been seen in better PC configurations, so this memory is a few generations old (I had it in an old Precision 380 workstation that is about 4 years old), but again, these are built for streaming video, which requires more ability to buffer the video than playing games which requires instant GPU response. The Atom processor is a dual core with hyperthreading, so it does show as 4 processors in Task Manager. Again, you probably can't run many apps that will utilize all 4 cores, but it does make it easier to multi-task (email, multiple Internet tabs, viewing pics, Word doc).

My only knock on this unit is the wireless. I have a pretty good wireless bubble around the house and the Zotac just doesn't want to connect at more than 11mbps. I would think they could come up with some fix for this. I didn't have an issue since I had a CAT5 connection there already, but I can see where some users wouldn't have wired connections behind their TV's or in their kitchen. Zotac, do you have a fix for this??

Spending most of my day dealing with computer issues, the last thing I wanted was to deal with issues at home (what do they say, the cobblers kids have no shoes!). I have had this up and running for a few weeks now and my wife seems very pleased, which makes me very pleased. I think it is a great option for a second PC in the house. It's at a great price point, configuration is very easy and it offers lots of features for a home user. Don't expect it to blow you away with speed, but do expect it to blow you away with ease of use, small footprint and lots of features. I have already thought of several options for these for my customers.

Customer Buzz 
1.0 out of 5 stars"Nothing but problems" 2010-07-14
By Ken staten (Lehigh,fl)
The worst product I've ever bought in my 9 years of ordering from Amazon.No sound weak Wi-Fi.



Electronics, Computers & Accessories