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Comment on Save on Samsung Series 3 NP350U2B-A01 12.5-Inch Laptop Great Deal by Calif Guy

Calif Guy — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:47:33 +0000

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

Thin, light, fast, December 13, 2011

Calif Guy (CA, USA) -

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This review is from: Samsung Series 3 NP350U2B-A01 12.5-Inch Laptop (Personal Computers)

What a great little laptop. I wanted thin & light but did not want something underpowered. So far I am extremely impressed with this system. The screen is bright and at 12.5" feels big enough to do most anything. It is very thin and at 3 lbs really does feel very light, in fact any ligher and it might slide around the desk when you use it. The core i5 2410m is quite fast and has the upgraded HD 3000 video, so far all of the graphics and video work has really impressed. I considered a system with an SSD however I do like having the space that the 500GB HDD provides.

The system did not come with an over abundance of bloatware applications pre-installed so it was usable right away without having to uninstall unneeded junk. The Fast Start technology seems to work as it does wake back up very quickly. I am anxious to try the wireless display but need to buy one of the TV adapters to make it work.

I would definiately buy this again.

12/17/2011 Update:
I found I was occasionally having trouble with the wireless connection when unplugged. I changed the windows power settings to have the wireless network use maximum power when on battery and it seems to have fixed the problem.

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Comment on Save on Samsung Series 3 NP350U2B-A01 12.5-Inch Laptop Great Deal by Fred C.

Fred C. — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:34:23 +0000

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

Amazing portable notebook, November 23, 2011

Fred C. (Chicago, IL) -

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This review is from: Samsung Series 3 NP350U2B-A01 12.5-Inch Laptop (Personal Computers)

Love this laptop, using it to write this review. I got it because we recently started started going paperless at work and wanted my own notebook to carry with me and do my work. Its absoultely perfect for the job. Most people notice the aesthetics first, its a very attractive machine. Even though the series 3 is the budget series of Samsung, this notebook does not feel cheap in any way. The next thing people notice is the weight and size. It's got the same form factor as an 11.5 inch laptop thanks to Samsung's trademark thin bezels, so you get more screen for the same form factor. The weight is perfect, i carry it around with me all day without problems. Also like the keyboard, its a full sized keyboard with chiclet keys. Also has arrow buttons, which is a huge plus for me. With a full version of Windows 7 and the horsepower of the i5 and 4GB RAM, it runs better and smoother than any other laptop Ive ever owned. Overall, a great purchase for a great price. Would buy again in a heartbeat.

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Comment on Save on Samsung Series 3 NP350U2B-A01 12.5-Inch Laptop Great Deal by Austin F

Austin F — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:09:55 +0000

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

With a SSD, this laptop is a portable powerhouse, January 20, 2012

Austin F (Florida) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Samsung Series 3 NP350U2B-A01 12.5-Inch Laptop (Personal Computers)

I bought this laptop about a week ago as a replacement for my MacBook from '10. I'm an engineering student and I got tired of the incompatibility of OS X with the majority of my CAD & engineering software. I was looking for a lightweight laptop with quality construction that would be able to run programs like SolidWorks and play HD video--no games. With this laptop, I found exactly what I was looking for.

The great part about this laptop is that all the components are really exceptional--except for the hard drive, which is crap. But see, that's precisely what I had hoped to find. When the hard drive is so awful, I didn't feel like I paid extra for a good component that I had intended to replace from the start. I went with a Crucial M4 128GB as the replacement drive. With the SSD installed, there's really no weak point to this system (except for the GPU, because there is no dedicated GPU). The standard voltage processor keeps programs running smoothly and the SSD makes programs load instantly. Power on to login in ~9 seconds. Temps stay low with no fan activity so it's totally silent. If you're just using the internet and playing music, it doesn't get above room temp. Great stuff.

Next I'll outline some key features in no particular order.

----------
Display: coming from my MacBook (not pro), the screen falls short. Same resolution but it doesn't look as crisp or colorful as the Mac--it's not a huge difference, but I noticed it when making the transition. I don't notice it anymore unless I have them side by side. Maybe it's the glossy screen vs. the Samsung's matte screen. The screen doesn't match the maximum brightness or the range of brightness available to the Mac. So, it's not a bad screen, but it could be better.

The slim bezel looks really classy & I like it a lot. The screen doesn't feel flimsy and the lack of a large bezel really makes the laptop look fantastic. The laptop overall looks beautiful & feels tough enough to leave in my backpack without worry. Some laptops I've seen in stores feel like they're made of plastic and I hate it. I don't get that with this one.

Oh, and 12.5" is the perfect size for a screen. 15" is too bulky for a work computer and the netbooks are cripplingly small. This is perfect.
----------
Keyboard: it feels SLIGHTLY smaller than a full-size keyboard, but I think it's the same as the Mac and it's not small enough to cause me to make mistakes while typing. I'm 6'4 with big hands, so you'll probably be okay. Function & arrow keys are nice to have. Keys feel responsive when pressed--it's almost exactly the same look, feel, and size of the keyboard on a similarly sized Macbook Pro. No backlight on the keys.
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Trackpad: I've seen worse on laptops, but the Mac's trackpad is significantly better than the one on this laptop. The laptop has drivers to allow for the same sort of "gestures" (2-finger scroll, 3-finger back) but it's not nearly as smooth as what I'm used to. I'm so glad it includes gestures though. It really does make everything significantly easier, even if the implementation has room for improvement.

Sometimes the trackpad doesn't detect my finger when I try to move the cursor. There's another problem that I run into where I try to drag a window and midway through, it 'drops' the window (for lack of better phrasing) and I have to re-click & drag. Same thing happens sometimes when I try to highlight a large section of text. The trackpad loses the position of my finger and the highlighting stops short of where I want it to be. It doesn't happen if I consciously press harder on the trackpad, but in normal use it happens enough to be annoying. The trackpad is this laptop's major flaw, but only by comparison to the Mac. By itself it's not a dealbreaker.
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Hard Drive: it sucks. 5400 rpm is as slow as it gets but it's the only weak point in the hardware of the system. Perfect opportunity to replace with a SSD. I really can't emphasize enough how much of a difference the SSD makes. The included hard drive is dead weight in this system and it really drags it down. You need a good replacement to unleash this laptop's potential. Read up on proper care of solid state drives if you're considering replacing the hard drive.

Just for perspective--with a SSD, this laptop 'feels' faster than a $1000 gaming computer running on a 7200RPM hard drive. The gaming computer will always outperform this laptop in games, editing software, and the like. BUT, when you're just running iTunes, Chrome, and other programs that don't require a ton of constant CPU/GPU power, this laptop will perform faster. I think that's pretty cool.
----------
CPU (processor): 2nd gen i5 & it's standard voltage, which means it's not scaled down for portability. I don't play games on it, but SolidWorks runs great and video is... Read more

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Comment on Save on Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 AF APO DG OS HSM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras Great Deal by The Squirrel

The Squirrel — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:58:21 +0000

72 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

Happy Owner, October 11, 2009

The Squirrel (OH, USA) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 AF APO DG OS HSM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

Essentially, the Sigma 150-500 OS is an indirect answer to the Canon 100-400mm F4 IS L lens. The problem with most comparisons is that the Canon F4 costs significantly more.

The direct point is that the Canon does perform marginally better in every aspect. The Sigma clearly wins in cost-performance ratio but that also varies based on your intended use and preferences. The main difference is the 70%+ price in the lenses.

The Sigma 150-500 is *NOT* a substitute for a low-light high speed use telephoto lens such as F2.8 lenses. However, the 2.8 lenses are an apples to oranges comparison - comparing a 400mm 2.8 that costs several times more ($6500) and suited to a different purpose. The Sigma lens is suited more towards daytime wildlife as opposed to sports events in varying conditions or poor lighting in any situation.

The 150-500 has shortcomings compared to the more expensive lenses - which is typically the case for any brand. I still highly recommend the lens & have enjoyed 600+ pictures within 7 days of owning it. The lens is excellent for wildlife, a great "out-of-box" experience with accessories, and will serve most a long time.

+ Optics are outstanding considering the market price.
+ Less than $1000 USD as of this writing
+ 500mm without use of a teleconverter
- Not as sharp compared to the 50-500 Sigma but the 50-500 lacks OS/IS
+ Light build quality considering lens class
- Durability trade-off for lower weight. Sealing not optimal, housing uses plastic.
+ Aesthetics. Rubberized/tactile feel with a sleek dark gray body.
- Aesthetics/durability. Coating on body prone to marks/scratches.
- Stiff zoom ring takes effort to operate.
+ Durable OEM lens hood included
+ Solid OEM hard lens case included (in fact it is shipped in the case)
+ OEM Tripod collar included
+ Excellent industry warranty (3 years USA)
+ HSM motor quick but not the fastest.
- Seeks a bit for focus in less-than-optimal light a bit earlier than the Canon equivalents.
- Autofocus a bit more finicky than lens-class equivalents.
- OS certainly does not reach the claimed 4 stop benefit
+ OS obtains a clear 2 stop advantage
- Noisy OS
- Image appears to shake a bit in viewfinder w/ OS operating

A final note: Most lenses (except prime non-zoom lenses) are a bit soft at the widest aperture (f/5) - this Sigma included. I certainly do not dock a non-prime lens for this as others have.

Updated 10-13-2009

I pushed several hundred more pictures through the lens and I am still satisfied. I will note a few observations including those not associated with the lens performance.

The Sigma feels a bit loose on my 450D/XSi when mounted. This is pronounced when adjusting the zoom ring which is rather stiff. Research indicates this is normal due to manufacturing tolerances, especially concerning the lens release/lock pin on the body mount. This issue varies depending on the camera body and lens - thus not a Sigma issue per say. An associate w/ the Canon 100-400 F/4 L IS lens reports similar behavior on his camera body (40D) but not on other camera bodies. I can't fault Sigma for this issue and I doubt everyone experiences this.

I mentioned a stiff zoom ring but I wasn't concerned with this initially. I thought the same about my Canon 24-70 F/2.8 L lens when I first received it. However, the stiff zoom ring coupled with the slight camera body shift seems to amplify the annoyance. Buyers should be very aware of the stiff zoom ring which I had not originally mentioned.

86mm filters are rather expensive. Tiffen offers a $30 UV filter solution but my experience is that Tiffen are poor quality products. Admittedly, I'm using one for the moment but have not noticed any reflections/aberrations. An 86mm Hoya UV filter runs almost $100 which I will purchase at a later date. I would not recommend a polarizer due to the loss of light.

I have gone through several camera bags - swapping and storing the lens in the field is a task. I am currently using the Lowepro Flipside 300 but that tends to be a snug fit w/ body attached. I will likely purchase a Lowepro Stealth Reporter D400 AW to carry my flash, 24-70 L lens, Sigma, and other necessities. The lens measures almost 9.5 inches in length.

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Comment on Save on Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 AF APO DG OS HSM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras Great Deal by But I'm feeling much better now...

But I'm feeling much better now... — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:04:36 +0000

197 of 208 people found the following review helpful:

Great Lens!, July 4, 2008

But I'm feeling much better now... (Chicago, IL United States) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 AF APO DG OS HSM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I just received this lens and made a test shot I've made with other lenses. I took a shot of a satellite dish over a half a block away. Handheld. Magnifying it with Photoshop not only can I see the 'Dish Network' clearly, but magnifying a little more I can read the 'TM' underneath the logo. Clear as a bell.

This lens is a vast improvement over the 170-500 model. I used that lens on a wildlife trip and had to jack up the ISO to 800-1600 to get decent shutter speeds and a clear picture. Unfortunately that introduced noise, really bad in some shots. The D300 is much better than the D200 in that regard, but the lens was pretty much unusable without a tripod. This lens will alleviate any of those problems.

I usually buy Nikon lenses. This and the Sigma earlier models including the 170-500 (which I had to buy for a trip and now I'm selling) are the only lenses I could find that gave a substantial difference over the Nikon 70-300 VR. The Nikon 80-400 VR is $[...] and focuses slowly, and you can pretty much just crop to achieve the 100mm difference (I tried it to be sure.)

I'm looking forward to using this with a 1.4 teleconverter, you lose autofocus and 1 stop, can only go down to 100mm but get a 35mm equivalent of 1050mm! For only $[...]!

The quality of the lens is very good. There is zero zoom creep. Autofocusing is fast, though just a tad off (a few pixels off on the 'TM' - could be the camera, and that can be adjusted.) Manual focusing is tricky with the tripod collar on, it blocks the focusing ring so either move your hand to the top, slide your hand in between the lens and collar, or take the collar off. I got perfect focus using the viewfinder indicator as a reference point. The finish is of high quality, but a little strange. The whole lens including the hood is coated in some kind of flat black matte textured finish, makes me think of a stealth bomber.

I did a lot of research to find this lens, and was waiting for it since it's introduction 2 or more months ago. There is just no Nikon equivalent without buying a f/4 400mm with a TC-17 for about $5000 or so. If Nikon had a lens at 500-600mm for not too bad of a price hit I would have bought it. After playing with this lens just a little bit I'm glad I bought it. I'm fiercely loyal to Nikon, and it's arguably a better product, but I can afford to buy this lens 5 times over if it breaks, and it also saves the whole price of 2 photography workshops/tours.

There will probably be a lot of testing and comparing of this lens. None of that matters to me as it passed the satellite dish test with flying colors, I didn't even know the TM was there before today.

Edit 3/16/09 - I recently bought the Sigma 1.4 teleconverter to go with this lens. The 1st time I really used the combo was during the adding of the spire to the Trump Tower in Chicago. I was on the 7th floor of a building 1-1/2 miles away measured by Google Maps. I could see the men waiting in the spire for the next section to arrive. I had to back way off on the lens to get the tower and the helicopter lowering the sections into the frame. I lost autofocus, but it was no big deal to focus manually visually or with the in-focus indicator. Unfortunately I had to shoot through a dirty window, and it was pretty hazy, so the shots aren't that great but I don't blame the lens, the shots are better than anybody else got.

Edit 3/18/10 - Added Trump Tower picture to product images.

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Comment on Save on Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 AF APO DG OS HSM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras Great Deal by JohnM

JohnM — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:15:51 +0000

138 of 142 people found the following review helpful:

Very happy with this lens, August 27, 2008

JohnM (Venice, FL, USA) -

This review is from: Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 AF APO DG OS HSM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I am thrilled to have bought this lens to mount on my Nikon D80 after having read loads of reviews on the few options available like the Sigma 50-500 or the Nikon 135-400 and 80-400. I wanted the longest possible range below $1,500 in a recognizable Brand. I narrowed my choice to the 50-500 or this one. The Optical Stabilizer and the fact that Sigma had proven itself with the 50-500 were the determining factors in my decision. So far I shot some 200 pictures of various subjects at various distances handholding the camera with the OS turned on. Half way through my shots I reverted from full manual mode to Aperture control and noticed an improvement in the sharpness and colors which tells me that I need to hone my skills with this lens. So far, I am amazed at the quality of my shots with this huge glass. I take all my pictures with a -.7 exposure compensation as I like very vivid pictures and until I develop a better feel for what the lens can do I will continue to used it with Aperture control. The Autofocus is smooth, the overall feel is quality and the pictures are phenomenal for the distance. I look forward to plenty of fun with this lens, if you go for it you won't regret it.

UPDATE: In response to the person who rated this lens three stars I would like to quote David Bush's book "Nikon D80 Digital Field Guide" where he states "most lenses produce their sharpest image approximately two stops less than wide open. For example, if you're using a zoom lens with an f/4 maximum aperture, it probably has its best resolution and least distortion at roughly f/8". I've practiced David's suggestion with my Sigma 150-500 and it works beautifully, but like everything else, it takes some time to getting used to unless you're a professional photographer then you'd know this before hand. I added a few recent pictures shown above as part of this review.

I purchased my lens from B&H and it came in Sigma's black nylon zipped box which keeps the lens practically immobile. The box was very safely packaged when it arrived.

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Comment on Buy Cheap Apple iPhone 4S 16GB FACTORY UNLOCKED Black online by marcio mello

marcio mello — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:05:10 +0000

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Buy it, love it. Trust me., January 4, 2012

marcio mello -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Apple iPhone 4S 16GB FACTORY UNLOCKED Black (Wireless Phone Accessory)

well, long ago i was a iPhone 3g user, then, because many friends insisted and the price was appealing, specially in Brazil, i bought a galaxy S and was thrilled for abut 1 month, than i could t stop missing my old iPhone 3g(yes, thats right i would trade a galaxy S for an iPhone 3G in a second).

iphone 4s = awesome. i got more use of it on my first weekend with it than i did in 6 months of galaxy S. very fast. intuitive as always and IOS 5 is even better on a dual core. SIRI is unbelievable (and i mean it! My primary language is portuguese and she understand me perfectly, even when i force my accent).

IOS x Android = never going back to android. IOS is far more intuitive and easy to operate. i couldn't get the wireless to work it self out whenever I were close to a hotspot on the android, for IOS its automatic. mail viewing and message thread is a lot easier on iOS and the app store carries a much larger variety of items than the market does. iOS (at least so far, in my 3-4 years of experience with it) is safer, since i was recommended to get at least one antivirus for the galaxy s.

though i think the battery lasts a little less than it should, i can still get about 2 days of use, unless i talk to SIRI a lot, then it would last for one day no problem.
the screen could be a little bigger, but i haven't resent going from a 4"to a 3.5"...

cons: lens break very easily, so a case or bumper is a need. the antenna seems to have some issues still, but nothing that a good old bumper wouldn't solve.

well. this is my review. i strongly recommend this phone

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Comment on Buy Cheap Apple iPhone 4S 16GB FACTORY UNLOCKED Black online by Ken

Ken — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:21:06 +0000

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

This is the authentic Apple USA retail edition of the unlocked iphone 4s, November 29, 2011

Ken (ca, USA) -

This review is from: Apple iPhone 4S 16GB FACTORY UNLOCKED Black (Wireless Phone Accessory)

This is the authentic Apple USA retail edition of the unlocked iphone 4s

MD234LL/A is for iphone 4s 16gb black, unlocked, USA retail package.
MD237LL/A is for iphone 4s 16gb white, unlocked, USA retail package.

All other models that claim unlocked iphone 4s, maybe Mexico, Canada or European Import.

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Comment on Buy Cheap Apple iPhone 4S 16GB FACTORY UNLOCKED Black online by Ronny G

Ronny G — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:01:43 +0000

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

The phone that changes everything!!!, November 29, 2011

Ronny G -

This review is from: Apple iPhone 4S 16GB FACTORY UNLOCKED Black (Wireless Phone Accessory)

This new iPhone 4S is simply unbelievable. Siri is the most amazing thing that ever existed on a mobile device. It understands everything you ask it, everything! You can tell it to make you an appointment, find you an Italian restaurant or what a stock is trading at for the day. The 8 megapixel camera is unreal. The screen resolution is unmatched. The best part about THIS iPhone 4S though is that it is factory unlocked. You can put any US sim card in it, and when you travel, you can put any foreign sim card in it so there are never roaming charges. You will never have to sign a commitment with any carrier and the phone will never lock to one carrier! And, because it's factory unlocked, you can update your iPhone 4S software as soon as Apple releases a new version. IT WILL ALWAYS BE UNLOCKED!

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Comment on Cheap Panasonic Leica H-X025 25mm f/1.4 DG Micro Four Thirds Lens online by Russell S. Lewis "Russ Lewis"

Russell S. Lewis "Russ Lewis" — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:39:44 +0000

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

Surprise, November 23, 2011

Russell S. Lewis "Russ Lewis" (Manitou Springs, Colorado United States) -

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I have to confess I was surprised to find that this "Leica branded" lens really behaves as a Leica lens, producing the same tack-sharpness I used to get from the Summicron on my M4, but also producing that mysterious Leica quality that gets imparted to the image, and which even my finest Nikon lenses don't deliver. I was even more surprised to find this happening on a micro four-thirds body. This lens is a jewel. It's a bit nose-heavy on a micro four-thirds body, but not enough to be a problem. It turns a micro four-thirds body into an almost perfect street camera.

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