as a loyal customer of norton/symantec products , i purchased internet security 2004 as a software firewall and could not be any more dissatisfied with the product ( and hence the one star rating ) .


yeah - this program protects your computer all right - by locking you off the internet .


so far i haven 't had so much complaints except that i still haven 't mastered how to scandisk when using internet security .


sometimes a suite is not a good deal and all you get is a bundle of headaches .


norton internet security 2004 is one of the more buggy implementations .


this product has virtually all the same installation problems .


for purposes of clarity , here is my review from that product , edited to be appropriate for this product , since , for the most part , they share many of the same problems .


this version of internet security 2004 , is beyond hope .


they are a royal pain to install , and don 't function properly once finally installed -- if you can install them at all .


the biggest problem is the installation .


also if you do manage to get it installed , any problems with liveupdate or with system works will also affect the functionality and/or the process of updating internet security .


first , it serious , serious installation problems .


back in may 2004 , when i first reviewed this , it had taken me over 16 hours to install and run .


almost from the beginning , liveupdate would not function .


first , it failed whenever connecting to get updates .


when i finally got it working , it only worked properly for many a month .


the next problem was that it didn 't recognize all the installed components , so it would not update them , most notably and importantly , virus definitions .


but this doesn 't make up for it 's innumerable other short-comings , the biggest of which is the inability to download any updates due to problems with liveupdate .


the other annoyance with this that you have to remove every single remnant of previous version of norton systemworks before you installs this .


warning ! . the windows `` remove program `` feature does not do a good job of this , and neither does norton 's own removal program .


a lot of `` fragments `` were left in the registry , and it the norton system folders .


if you have an older version of `` internet security `` installed , you may also need to remove it as well before proceeding with systemworks install .


you also need to go in and manually remove many symantec files from the registry .


as of october , 2004 , these products are not working and i 'm ready to demand a refund from symantec .


i just uninstalled systemworks and internet security for at least the fifth time due to functionality issues .


once again it won 't reinstall , even with online and email assistance from symantect technicians .


the best thing to do with this version , is to leave it on the store shelf . it doesn 't work , and will cost you an enormous amount of your time , not to mention your hard earned dollars .


personally , i may never buy symantect products again .


avoid this product at all costs .


there are some highs to the 2004 edition , but mostly lows .


the program brings more problems than a virus , albeit not as major problems , just not what you expect for 70 bucks .


then when i went to norton 's website to obtain a priority id number per the instructions i had been given , i couldn 't find a way to get one .


so i e-mailed the online tech support with that simple question , and got a reply which was totally unresponsive ( it looked as though they didn 't actually read the e-mail and just sent back a few boilerplate paragraphs ) .


and , when you think about it , it 's insulting that norton requires its customers to jump through these hoops -- anyone who can provide proof of purchase , whether on the phone or online ( what if your computer is down ? . ) , should have equal priority .


stay away from this product ! .


the customer support is pathetic .


this product is absolutely not ready for release .


i am an it professional and have used norton for years , but this product is a complete and utter dud .


it 's a rip off if one buys norton internet security and antivirus .


nothing spectacular is done by internet security or by antivirus software .


even though i have the parental controls off it constantly starts updating them then freezes my computer .


now in october , 2004 , the firewall said i couldn 't ok anymore software to use the internet because its full .


im at full capacity ! . ! . ! . ! . i called syman tic and they said they don 't know why but i should get tech 's support at $ 35/hr to help ! . ! . i did call them and was on hold for 55 minutes until i hung up ! .


so , don 't buy this or upgrade .


if you currently own the 2003 version , and are looking to upgrade to the 2004 version , don 't .


if you are new to the market and looking to buy a symantec software product , save yourself some money and buy the 2003 version .


from day one , we 've had hangups , crashes , glitches , continual reboots , long shutdowns due to `` cc app . exe `` program running which is a norton program .


we constantly got `` windows virtual memory low `` error messages popping up foll wed by ridiculous slowdowns and/or crashes .


norton online support does not even acknowledge this problem nor does the computer company that preloaded it on our new computer .


norton support is completely pathetic .


do not buy any home version of norton anything .


our norton internet/av 2004 was terrible right from the get go , so i 'd think that if steelworks is ok now , it should remain ok .


just the home version of norton internet/av has too many glitches and problems to even remotely bother with .


i am an advanced computer user , so i can not even imagine how a new or novice user would ever get this terrible program to work ! .


like most of their solutions ( which first blame other applications for errors ) , the tech persons line was that this was probably a microsoft error - it was not .


it was a symantec error .


after a recent update , i can no longer open more then 1 browser window .


i 've searched the program and their online tech support ( worthless ) and have found no solutions .


this is definitely one of those products , especially as the company is leaning more towards making a profit .


i give it 4-stars only because the installation process - or rather problems that may surface during the installation process - can be frustrating to the average computer user .


if you experience problems with installation , you can visit symantec 's website , click the support tab , click the 'home or home office support ' and there is an automated support assistant that can scan the norton program files on your computer and it will tell you what is not working right and how to fix it .


can 't get easier than that ! .


i already knew something was wrong , because much of the spam i 've seen in the past six months was from resellers of norton products .


i read many reviews on norton i . s . 2004 from a variety of sources ( cnet , amazon , message boards ) and came to the conclusion that nis 04 was a terrible product and not worth the update .


booting up my computer took forever ! . ! . ! .


then , my ad/pop-up blocking was completely gone .


my file log was not responding and the program was not blocking any cookies or unauthorized sites .


again , every review written about the tech line is true . . . after waiting close to 45 minutes i finally spoke to a rep .


after telling the rep and his tech supervisor the problem the only answer was to uninstall the program ( which i had already done ) . . .


i did it and it was worse the second time around . . . unbelievable .


basically , i ate the cost of the renewal and ate the cost of the tech help .


unfortunately , it does not give you the option of installing ( or installing ) them individually .


you can `` disable `` some of the individual components , but don 't be fooled -- they 're still there and running .


although i disabled norton antispam , it is still there .


next , the big reason not to buy any norton product : if there 's a problem with it , norton charges $ 30 to even tell them about it .


sure they say if it 's their fault you won 't get charged , but they are the ones who get to decide whether it 's their fault .


the problems i had installing norton extended way beyond what symantec should reasonably expect the public to deal with .


when i purchase software , i never want to have to spend hours looking up solutions to my install problems -- in particular solutions that involve manually setting driver preferences or editing the registry ! .


their site offers no live help at all .


i tried to call norton , and the only numbers they list on their sites are either for non-tech customer service ( tried this one and hung up after 75 minute of muzak ) or they have a $ 30 tech-support number .


who wants to pay $ 30 to discuss a defect in a product that just cost $ 95 ? . ( i also bought the back-up cd ) .


i finally got a free support number for norton through my usp support staff , but waited an hour or more for a voice .


they said they would refund all the money , but a month later , they tell me now the back-up disc is not refundable as its cost is purely handling and shipping - $ 15 to `` handle `` and ship a cd ? . -- and they have been indignant and combative on the phone and in emails .


this is a terrible company with a bad product and awful support .


after 10 years , i now downloaded mccaffee 's product after calling their support . . . . they answered quickly , and for free , and were very helpful .


no problems now , just a sickly disappointment in the way norton has abandoned their customers .


i see many other reviews that say the same . . . . stay away from norton , they don 't deserve you , or anyone ! .


i 've always liked symantec products , except for this version 2004 .


if you are already using a previous version of nortron security and uni stalled it to install the new version , you will still have all kind of problems in installing the new version on your system ! .


to install that version you have to uninstall from the window registery anything called symantec or nortron , . . . also from the common files in the program folder the symantec folder has to be deleted .


if you have no previous version of nortron security on your system , or nortron antivirus , the installation will go fine , otherwise dig in and in to do a major registery clean up ! . the old programs will leave a trace that will mess up the new installation , even if you uninstalled the old programs perfectly .


what disappoints me the most that a software like that is not cheap gets zero support form symantec , if you want support , they 'll charge you a fee ! .


i am giving a zero star to symantec for this version ! .


the only way my pc internet works is if i open the firewall program configuration and manually refresh it .


symantec should give us all a refund and apology ! .


i will never buy their product again at this rate , and neither should you .


however , symantec has taken a significant turn for the worse with this release .


however , i am very disappointed with this product and with symantec .


it feels like i 'm back to the days of 56k dial-up internet service , even though i 'm running a dell 2ghz pentium 4 with 256mb memory and have had excellent broadband service for the past year .


i tried disabling the various components provided with this product , paring it all the way back to anti-virus only service . . . and saw no improvement .


however , i suspect that many people are having a bad experience -- do not purchase this product .


this program would not let me send outlook email or listen to audible sample books online .


buy this if you like mental challenges or trying how to pick locks .


i had much of the same problems that everyone else has listed ( mainly the slow processor ) , and then i couldn 't get the damn thing off my computer completely ! .


it locked during install and i had to reformat the drive and start from scratch ( greer ! . )


is it necessary to scan my ms money database when i close the program ? .


i have a modern pc with lots of speed and memory , but this firewall just brought it to a halt .


start up , log off , log on . . . everything became very slow .


multiple users on one machine never seemed to behave like you 'd expect .


while i was trying to play half life 2 it started popping up with `` alerts `` every twenty seconds ( literally ) , warning me my antivirus protection was off .


but it wouldn 't let me turn the av protection back on and it wouldn 't stop with the alerts .


i tried it again this morning and it said i didn 't have the required `` permissions `` and lacked proper administrator status .


this time , it started the installation process , then i left for work . i think it will work . i hope it will work .


i simply hate symantec . i swear , if i could have physically ripped that software out of my computer with my bare , bleeding hands , i would have .


im a more happier person after discovering the i/p button ! .


it practically plays almost everything you give it .


for the price it is a well spent investment ! .


this is by far the nicest one , in so many ways .


its fast-forward and rewind work much more smoothly and consistently than those of other models i 've had .


it plays alternate video formats ( cads , svcds , cods ) very well .


and amazon . com has it for such a great price -- how can you go wrong ? .


what got me to buy was the reviewer that said it would play dvd-rs fill of files ( e . , mp3s ) .


it sure does ! .


that 's a rare and valuable feature .


update : the finish is more `` mirror `` than silver -- and i like it ! .


player works and looks great - if you can get the dvd 's to play .


for the first few weeks , this player was everything i expected it to be , an affordable multi-format dvd player with a stylish slim case as advertised .


i bought this apex 2600 dvd player for myself at christmas because it got good reviews as a good value for the money on a variety of different sites .


i took it to my father 's house to play a tom jones concert dvd and he loved the player so much i gave it to him .


have used it frequently and have had no problems .


i liked this one enough to buy another .


my dad also has an apex tv and it was another great value for the money .


great quality picture and features .


it looks great - and is loaded with features .


the apex 2600 has been a steady performer for me .


i bought mine in december of 2003 , and have had no real problems with it .


( he had owned two apex dvd players , and was pleased with both of them . )


while i would like to give it 3 . 5 stars instead of 4 , i gave it a 4 because it has run well for me during the time i have owned it .


nothing has broken on it , and it plays all the dvds i have .


even viewed cds full of jogs .


well , it was nice while it lasted .


this dvd player plays raw mpeg2 and mpeg1 videos , jpeg , wma , cmdr / cadre / dvd / dvd , and of course plays dvd movies from uk . i love the giff , progressive scan feature .


because of it 's hidden features ( no macro vision , non-regional ) i keep this baby around to watch non-american region dvd 's .


the cool thing about the ad-2600 it plays alot of different file like mp3 , wma cds , jpeg and kodak picture cds , dvd 's , dvd - / + r 's .


it 's not a listed feature but , the one thing that sold the unit is that it plays mpeg video .


i find this to be a great feature .


for the money apex machines have good features .


it 's low profile , space saving design looks nice .


i was surprised to find that not only could this dvd player play mpeg2 format which allowed me to stack 2 movies on a dvd , but it also was able to play vb files which i created with smart ripper .


the af feature did a great job converting the letterbox to fill 3/4 of the screen and the image still looked normal .


loved the slim design .


audio is excellent .


simple to use and hook up .


this is the best dvd player i 've purchased .


this player has worked flawlessly for me and at this price , you can 't go wrong .


it plays basically every media i 've tested so far , even an old vcd that i ripped years ago and the rental dvd that could n 't be played on my old $ 200 sharp player ! .


i did not want to have high expectations for this apex player because of the price but it is definitely working out much better than what i would expect from an expensive high-end player .


and the slim form-factor together with the mirror-like front panel sure makes the player look cool and pricey ! .


for the most part this is a good dvd player .


seems to read most dvds fine , and reads quietly ( i had a pioneer player that had fairly loud disc spin noise ) .


output through component connections looks very good , on my non-hd tv .


i checked out the amazon reviews and i 'm pleased to say mine worked , works , fine right out of the box .


i like the auto fit feature = you can stretch wide screen dvd 's to normal .


looks ok - very shiny chrome and mirrors .


this thing plays everything i feed it .


when i 1st tried it i found that it had no problem playing the more expensive dvd - r media disc 's that other players would play but to my surprise was able to play cheep media that i had burned that i could n 't get to work before in anything but the dvd burner itself that i had made the disc with .


easy to use , small form factor , and looks good to boot .


it does n 't smell like burning plastic when you open the drive .


excellent picture quality - on par with my pioneer , panasonic , and jv players .


remote : you can stand it on end ( harder to lose ) , and it 's far better designed than the 1100s .


unlike some of the other people who received a `` lemon `` , my dvd player came in perfect working condition .


as a whole , the dvd player has a sleek design and works fine .


this player seems to work fine with everything else .


it 's running great for all the dvds i have and rented .


apex ad-2600 runs all the dvd media including dvd + r/rw and dvd-r / rw ( unlike sony or panasonic - one supports only + r/rw and another supports - r/rw ) .


i think , apex is the best dvd player you can get for the price .


most of them are already switched to apex and they are happy .


this has so many capabilities that you 'll always have room for new technologies as they evolve .


i use this with a home theater system and it 's amazing how it sounds , the picture clarity is unmatched ! .


so much packed in a small case and very affordable ! .


it 's a compact , attractive machine and was easy to set up .


so far , we 've only used this player a few times to watch movies and it has worked fine .


it works well enough ( so far ) for me to be satisfied with it , and it 's possible that i 'm missing something .


there are a lot of things i like about it .


amazon was wonderful about picking it up the next day and paying for the return shipping .


retraction : said mine had silver plate : it does have display .


it works great .


it seems to be working fine , but we 've not used it all that much .


the player looked good right out of the box , offering lots of features and good styling .


amazon is awesome ! .


for the price , it 's a very nice dvd player .


it does play a wide range of formats as advertised which is very nice .


and so far have not had any problems with dvds not being able to play .


i only wanted something to play dvds on but this machine has all these other features that i probably will never use but it 's nice to know that there 're there .


the machine is very light and slim and fits nicely into my tv stand .


i 've had no problems at all so far and i 'm very happy .


besides the one problem , this machine is amazing ! .


it plays everything , even vcd 's .


i will never use all the `` whistles and bells `` this machine is capable of .


but for what i do use it is perfect .


owner 's manual has substandard troubleshooting guide .


the dvd player is fine .


of course , i was hesitant given the price , but i 've been extremely impressed since receiving it , and bought a second one as a christmas present for my parents .


the picture is perfect , although i 'm not watching on an hdtv .


but , dollar for dollar , this dvd player is probably the best out there .


the player does seem to play dvds adequately enough .


there were a few attractive features , such as the small size and the layout of the remote .


i looked into buying an inexpensive dvd player that had more than the standard set of features and this item seemed to be the best in that category .


i just hooked it up and everything seemed to be going fine .


still , i was willing to overlook those things as this unit looks sleek and has a myriad of features ! .


this is probably one of the few dvd players at $ 40 that can play almost everything you throw at it .


ability to play most discs - i tried dvd , vcd , dvd-r , audio cd and it played all


good looks


this is wonderful to have for your first dvd player .


i brought it for my sister in college and she loves it ! .


also , very light and portable .


it will read and play all cd audio disc .


i have shopped with amazon before and have been very happy with their performance thus far .


also , it was only $ 39 . 99 ( after rebate ) with free shipping and no tax so overall it is a decent player .


good quality video .


it did play a dvd-r which was unplayable in my older philips machine .


mixed bag i guess but the price was right .


this is the third apex product i 've bought and they continue to impress for the price .


the build quality feels solid , it does n 't shake or whine while playing discs , and the picture and sound is top notch ( both dots and dd5 . 1 sound good ) .


it looks really sleek and stylish , and does everything it claims .


i am very pleased with this product and the price to match and have n 't had any problems .


there are really easy directions for setup and fiddling around with the picture , zoom etc .


so sit back , relax and brag to all your friends who paid a mountain of money for a dvd player that can 't do half the things this one can , and for a fraction of the price ! .


noiseless , lightweight and oh yeah .


works great ! .


silverfish color really adds a special touch .


it plays just about any format ( check before you buy if it plays yours . )


i am really impressed by this dvd player .


the camera is very easy to use , in fact on a recent trip this past week i was asked to take a picture of a vacationing elderly group .


they fired away and the picture turned out quite nicely . ( as all of my pictures have thus far ) .


i 'm easily enlarging pictures to 8 1/2 x 11 with no vi sable loss in picture quality and not even using the best possible setting as yet ( super fine ) .


bottom line , well made camera , easy to use , very flexible and powerful features to include the ability to use external flash and lense / filters choices .


i 'd highly recommend this camera for anyone who is looking for excellent quality pictures and a combination of ease of use and the flexibility to get advanced with many options to adjust if you like .


this is my first digital camera , and what a ' toy ' it is ! .


just a little overview , powershot g3 is the flagship of canon 's powershot series and its an slr-like camera , its 4 megapixel and ( almost ) full manual control gives the pictures a touch of brilliance .


whether you are a novice or an expert , its ease of use and functionality goes together .


overall i 'm happy with my toy .


in a word , `` awesome `` is how i would describe this camera .


i wo n 't go into the details here , as the online sites ( steve 's digicams , previews ) go into great depth in their reviews , but i am very pleased with the features , the speed , the picture quality , the flexibility , the automation , and the functional conveniences this camera offers .


with the automatic settings , i really have n 't taken a bad picture yet .


i am absolutely in awe of this camera , canon put enormous quality into the g3 .


i bought my canon g3 about a month ago and i have to say i am very satisfied .


i have taken hundreds of photos with it and i continue to be amazed by their quality .


the g3 is loaded with many useful features , and unlike many smaller digital cameras , it is easy to hold steady when using slower shutter speeds .


i have only had this camera for one full day and i have to say that it is wonderful .


the photo quality is amazing and i know i 'm going to have fun with all the features .


1 ) slr like programming and exposure control gives you latitude to be creative , yet its program and auto exposure settings provide excellent photos if you do n 't want to bother with the settings .


excellent range of metering options as well .


2 ) 4mp is about right for the target market of this camera ( semi-serious amateur photographer )


5 ) its focusing system is also very flexible .


you can move the focus range to almost anywhere in the scene with the push of a button , and it has an on-screen manual focus mode that would be really helpful if shooting a scene that is tough to automatically focus .


the camera has a wonderful set of features .


the lcd screen pulls out and rotates in any direction for easy pictures .


the optical zoom works great and the 14x digital zoom is a very nice addition although pictures at the highest digital zoom are a little blurry .


the highest optical zoom pictures are perfect .


the canon computer software used to download , sort , upload and manage your digital pictures on the computer is very nice and very easy to use .


the menus are easy to navigate and the buttons are easy to use .


it is a fantastic camera and well worth the price .


the extended zoom range and faster lense put it at the top of it 's class .


i recommend unreservedly the powershot g3 to any potential buyer looking for a first-class digital camera at a reasonable price - there is no better camera out there - period ! .


this camera has canon 's great calorimetry , plus what you see in the lcd is what you get .


the prints are beautiful ! .


although canon 's batteries are proprietary , they last a really long time , recharge fairly quickly in the camera , plus if you want ' more power ' , you can even find a knockoff charger and spare batteries right here on amazon .


this is a great camera for you ! .


the canon g3 gives tons of control for photo buffs but still has an `` auto `` mode that makes it very easy for the novice to use .


but if you 've used a slr 35mm camera , the controls are very intuitive ! .


with a quick spin of the dial you can select shutter priority ( for high speed subjects ) , aperture priority ( for focal length ) or full program mode where the camera selects both for ideal photo quality .


the manual mode is easy to use with fast access for the selection of shutter speed and aperture without having to fumble through menu options .


you feel like you are holding something of substance , not some cheap plastic toy .


the more i work with it , the more i love it ! .


this is my first digital camera , and i am very pleased with it .


seriously , this thing has everything that a pro or expert amateur could want .


but at the same time , it takes wonderful pictures very easily in `` auto `` mode , so that even an average joe like me can use it ! .


four megapixels is great .


i highly recommend it .


just received this camera two days ago and already love the features it has .


takes excellent photos .


night mode is clear as day .


overall it is the best camera on the market .


i love this camera .


took hundreds of pictures and they were great .


great colors , pictures and white balance .


when i took outdoor photos with plenty of light and the objects were n 't moving , the photos were awesome .


the camera was a marvel .


it is versatile and seems to be one of the best .


i chose the g3 because of its reputation for very high quality , clean images .


what makes the focus-lock lag time something i can live with is the extreme depth of field obtainable with these point and shoot digicams at f8 .


fortunately , the g3 has a hot shoe that can take an external flash , and fortunately for me , i already owned a one of the highest quality external flashes that money can buy : the met 60 ct-4 .


contrary to what ive read elsewhere , the g3 does sync at 1/250 of a second with third-party flashes , just as it does with the dedicated flashes from canon .


what this plug-in reveals is the truly stunning quality of the raw g3 hardware .


without any tweaking at all , if the exposure is accurate , the colors are as realistic as ive ever seen produced by film , and this is a raw image ! .


i am stunned and amazed at the quality of the raw images i am getting from this g3 ( in conjunction with my professional flash system ) , and can easily put up with the cameras limitations , because ive never seen anything better within its resolution limits .


this is the perfect camera for a photo hobbiest who wants to have easy point and shoot ability as well .


battery life , the drawback to most digital cameras , to quote k . reeves .


manual functionality is excellent , downloading pictures is quick and a breeze , and the quality is astounding .


the service from the supplier was exceptional .


having used it for more than a month , i can say that it consistently produces topnotch photos .


the camera is a dream to operate in auto mode , but also gives tremendous flexibility in aperture priority , shutter priority , and manual modes .


i can 't write enough positive things about this great little camera ! .


1 . the ability to selectively switch to raw format during record review gives you incredible more post-processing flexibility .


2 . battery life is over 4 . 5 hours , compared to about 2 . 5 hours for the g2 or the 2 hours for most nikon 's .


3 . the remote capture and file viewer software bundled for photo capture is mind-blowing .


the light auto-correction is awesome .


overall , the g3 delivers what must be considered the best image quality of any current > 4 megapixel digicams , from a detail , tonal balance and color response point of view .


this is quite simply the best you can ask for .


4mp , 4x optical zoom , takes absolutely beautiful photos with detail that challenges all of the above 5mp cameras , easy to understand and use ( has a great swivel lcd screen ) , a lot of features and add-on options , comes with great software ( not to be overlooked ) , and last but by far not least , received my fiance 's stamp of approval ( two thumbs up ! . )


because it can help a so-so photographer take spectacular photos ! .


4 megapixels is plenty for all but pros , and you will not be disappointed with the results of this camera .


it 's slightly lighter than the g2 and packed with even more features .


this is my first digital camera and i could n 't be happier .


i love the quality of the pictures .


they look fantastic .


the canon g3 is perhaps the best 4mp camera out there .


with canon , you get pictures that appear to be photos , not still camcorder shots .


i love the es based controls and easy menus .


i bought it for my trip to buns aries , and also used it at the iguassu falls , and could not have asked for more perfect performance ! .


this camera is worth every penny , and i highly recommend it ! .


am i ever glad that i decided on this camera ! .


i 've only had it a week , but so far , everything about this camera is making me happy .


very intuitive menus are a big plus on this camera .


the standard battery include with the g3 is a camcorder battery that will allow me to take pictures all day without worrying about charging .


the optical zoom is awesome , and the viewfinder reflects the settings of the zoom .


the best 4 megapixel/4x optical zoom camera available and fairly easy to use .


because this camera is beautiful .


the g3 looks like a work of art ! .


its silver magnesium finish is stunning , and the sharp lines and excellent grip are better than any other camera i 've seen .


it is very simple to import via photo 2 and then move them to photoshop .


it comes with a clearly written manual and the learning curve is not too too steep .


yes , i recommend it over the competition .


best camera ever . from the image quality , color , function , i can say almost everything .


this camera has a cool stitch pictures feature , to find out more just log on to canon 's website .


first and foremost , it will take better pic 's than most film camera 's .


this camera has none of these flaws and will be something you 'll use all the time .


however , for a $ 600 - $ 800 budget , i think this camera is an excellent choice .


it has a beautiful design , lots of features , very easy to use , very configurable and customizable , and the battery duration is amazing ! .


another good thing is that this camera seems to introduce much less noise in dark places than others i 've seen .


i have owned this camera for a short time and would n 't give it up for anything .


in general it is easy to use and well laid out .


it makes up for this by being extremely easy to use with well laid out controls that can be learned quickly .


in the hands of someone who does n 't , it will yield good results on idiot program / auto mode .


the functionality on this camera is mind-blowing .


learning how to use it will not take very long .


the image quality is excellent .


range of functions - as indicated above - it has something for everyone : point and shoot power plus advanced functions for those who are serious about photography .


this is by far the finest camera in its price and category i have ever used .


the macro works great for medical photographs and the auto mode is terrific for point and shoot .


this camera is closest to perfect than any other diagram that is 4-5 megapixel .


i 'm glad canon decided to keep the 4mp resolution and improved upon it with new technology ; .


the pictures are fabulous and their is a ( short ) learning curve to it ; . there are tons of features i have n 't even gotten to .


i 've been pleased with the picture quality and durability in snow , car , boat and wind .


the camera 's a work of art / science -- that 's understood .


if you strictly use the lcd and not the view finder , i highly recommend the camera .


and so far , i 've been very pleased .


the larger lens of the g3 gives better picture quality in low light , and the 4-times optical zooms gets you just that much closer .


the moveable lcd screen is great .


the tiny ( postage-stamp sized ) remote unit is wonderful : not only does it trigger the shutter , it can also be used to zoom and review pictures .


the hot shoe flash attachment allowed me to buy and use a sophisticated flash unit :


i needed three batteries to keep myself going with the s330 , but the battery in the g3 is a real powerhouse :


the g3 has a different type of battery charging system from the smaller canon cameras : the battery needs to be charged while in the camera , but the charging system also enables you to use the camera while plugged in without running down the battery .


i have yet to try using all of the adjustment options : shutter priority , aperture priority , light metering adjustments , etc . , but all controls are well thought out and and the manual is relatively clear .


i was worried that 4 megapixel photos would download more slowly , but there 's no difference in working with the files .


i 've now had the camera for two months and i 'm even more pleased with it .


very comfortable camera , easy to use , and the best digital photos you 're going to get at this price .


i 've been using the g3 for about six weeks and it has proven itself to be all that it 's advertised .


all-in-all , i believe this is arguably the best non-slr digital camera on the market .


canon 's optics are better and i believe their processing algorithms are also better .


simply , the canon g3 is the best digital camera out there today at this price point .


the battery life of this camera is twice that of the nikon 5000 and is better than anything else i 've seen .


even with these shortcomings , i still think it is the best digital camera available under $ 1200 .


definitely a great camera .


proven canon built quality and lens .


feels solid in hand .


it has an exterior design that combines form and function more elegantly than any point-and-shoot we 've ever tested .


a digic ii-powered image-processing system enables the sd500 to snap a limitless stream of 7-megapixel photos at a respectable clip , its start-up time is tops in its class , and it delivers decent photos when compared to its competition .


the sd500 rivals the canon g6 in image quality .


this camera is truely superb .


they say that they are the best pictures they have ever see from a compact .


i went out and got the canon today .


i 've taken about hundred shot with the canon , in varying lighting situations , all in auto mode , and not one blurry picture ! . ! . ! .


i did not conduct a rigorous test , but just took some identical shots in identical lighting with both cameras , and the canon won hands down .


sharper pictures .


the canon is very small , definitely pocket size , but still easy to hold firmly .


it powers up quickly , so you won 't miss that quick shot .


good image quality .


all i have to say is that the pics i get with my sd500 are both rich and color and high in detail , the user interface is awesome , the battery charger is tiny and super light and sd cards are relatively cheap and getting cheaper all the time .


camera is a paper weight .


i have been very impressed with my purchase of the sd500 i bought it at the beginning of the month as the ultimate pocket camera and have shot 300 images so far with it .


the pictures are tack sharp , colors are vivid , and at 7 mega pixels the quality is plenty high to manipulate and crop images to your hearts desire .


powerup is quick , and you can even set your favorite image to display for a second or so as it turns on .


i have especially enjoyed the 640x480 mode , while not a replacement for a dedicated video camera , its quality easily surpasses that of my old hi-8 camera and is perfect for quick clips of things that still images just dont describe ( max 8 mins at 640 30fps on a one gig card ) .


the battery life is not that of the casio 's but its good and your going to get better pictures in my opinion with the battery life you 've got .


glad to see the ed . revised the previous statements regarding image quality .


my sd500 focuses flawlessly , does not `` whine `` during video , and my pictures are razor sharp .


this camera is bulletproof .


start up is so quick


you can take pictures seconds after you turn the camera on . . . literally ! .


big lcd screen - at least for me , 2 `` is enough


great picture quality - in automatic mode , quality is great .


great video clip quality for a digital camera - so much better than my old one ( canon a60 ( ? . ) . . . the 2 . 0 megapixel one ) .


i connected my camera to the tv and played some video clips and for a digital camera to take such good quality clips , i give it 5/5 stars = ) oh and btw , while you take video clips , you can zoom it too ! . ( digital zoom only though ) . . . but still . . . ( my old one can 't do that . . . you have to zoom it first if you want then take the video clip . )


photo stitch ( merge pictures to create a panoramic one . . even my old one can do this and it 's really cool to have it now still )


i highly recommend this camera to anybody looking for a compact camera that can take good quality pictures .


if you 'll only read the whole manual , you 'll find out even more cool features and you 'll learn how to manipulate the quality you want to achieve and all those modes will make sense after reading


it 's such a great camera ! . i think it really was worth the investment = )


they made the other end of the camera flat so you can put the camera upright on a flat surface if you don 't like to take the usual horizontal pictures using the self-timer .


i bought this camera two days ago , and i 'm very pleased to say that it has been worth the money .


all in all , this is the camera for you if you can spare the extra cost in price .


having the digic ii chip helps a lot .


i still can 't believe how fast it starts up .


i take a lot of pictures and this camera is my first choice .


i still have my s70 because i like the wider lens sometimes , but in general , if you are looking for a small camera with the whole package , the sd500 is the only one you should buy .


i tell you now , after lot of shooting in many different situations , this camera is amazing .


the size of the camera is perfect .


fits comfortably in my inside jacket pocket or in my pants pocket .


i like to take pictures when i go out at night and perhaps some people would complain that noise levels are high at higher iso 's but i don 't really care that much , i think it gives the pictures a certain real-life quality .


the flash is surprisingly good and even the video quality is excellent .


this camera is an excellent choice for an ultracompact , take anywhere device and boasts an outstanding movie mode to boot .


i 've only had this camera for a few days , but it 's been great .


the photo quality is amazing .


it 's fast , feels great in your hand and looks great too .


i 've printed several photos and the prints look as good as the screen views .


as any digital camera owner knows is that when you go to take a picture of a moving object to expect some blurring but with some preliminary testing we had simone move there hands back and forth under the lense and another person take the picture and suprisingly a crystal clear image appeared on the decently sized screen .


another thing i like about this camera is the way that you can swap colors around and the impressive video quality i would advise any person in the market for a camera to pay the little extra on the hefty $ 500 price tag and get a quality camera .


moreover , apart from the plastic cable cover , the camera has a nice , solid feel about it , and it 's so tiny , i take it with me wherever i go .


as it turns out , this is an awesome camera ! .


however , this ultracompact allows the photographer to personalize his or her shooting preferences through a variety of preset and user definable modes .


the sd500 software install was seamless and the product documentation is very detailed .


i don 't know why cnet says there is a problem with focus , i have all my pictures sharp and high quality .


very good `` every day `` camera . fits nicely in the pocket of my jeans and takes quality photos .


if you want a sharp looking , fast digital camera and you don 't need or want manual controls , then this is the camera for you ! .


am so glad i bought this camera .


all the good reviews for the sd500 are true .


the view finder shows crystal clear pictures that will look even better when you get them to the computer .


the included software removes any red eye easily .


if you are looking for a small camera to throw in your pocket , take great pics and video , get the sd500 .


this is overall the best point and shoot camera i 've used .


placement of the buttons and software user interface is near perfect .


i also tend to like the sliding cover/on switch found on many compact ps cameras since it 's much faster and easier to power on if you need to take that instant shot .


when the overall image quality ( especially natural colours , details , natural looking of the pictures ) is the most important thing , then this camera its top notch and very impressive .


in low light with flash i found it clear better then the sony p200 ( too much red , colours overall not as natural but fewer red-eyes ) .


i found best results in most situation with manual/center auto focus , manual mode , iso 100 ( shorter aperture-time , so more often sharper images as with iso 50 ) , auto white balance ( auto white balance is better than of the other canon cameras i have and they already do very-well ) .


i upgraded from a very small 3 . 2 max camera to this camera with great results .


good color and very little needed to correct photos on paint shop pro .


neat feature for self-timer allows you to record two different warnings .


the manual is excellent .


also , multiple picture feature is very , very fast .


very fast powerup and great speed when taking multiple pictures .


perfect size ! . beats the competition by leaps and bounds .


i am impressed with this camera inside and out .


i love the camera .


this camera is perfect for the person who wants a compact camera that produces excellent photos in just about any situation .


the camera res ponce is very quick .


and the video quality is amazing .


and it fits right in my pocket much easier than my old s30 .


i want to start off saying that this camera is small for a reason .


i 'm in high school , and this camera is perfect for what i use it for , carrying it around in my pocket so i can take pictures whenever i want to , of my friends and of funny things that happen .


i 'd say that this camera is perfect .


ok , not quite everything . . . but this camera is so compact that you will have it by your side when you need it .


it is amazingly small , it 's hard to believe all that has been packed into this camera .


it is so small that i am able to keep it in my pocket , and i don 't have to fear that it will get ruined in my pocket because it is so durable .


there is also a small covering for the lens , so you need not worry that the lens will get scratched .


the picture quality surprised me , when i first saw this camera i saw how small it was an instantly assumed that the picture quality would not be good -- but i was wrong ! .


the focus is great , though , if you are not taking a macro shot .


i have come across many other beginner cameras that i prefer over this camera , but the thing you have to keep in mind about this camera is the size .


after considering my needs further and researching the marketplace , i decided on the s100 .


it has given me zero problems , and the more i use it , the better i become at taking advantage of its strengths .


this wonderfully small digital camera produces fantastically good pictures printed on any decent photo-quality printer ( with photo quality paper ) .


it will not replace your high-end 35mm slr but it 's a great toy to keep near you at all times for snapshots .


take quick pictures with excelent resolution


hate to wait between shots


download it fast to your computer


have a great and easy to use bundled software


travel with it without knowing you have it in your pocket


fyi , battery doesn 't die if you don 't use lcd


i don 't believe this camera is still available . but if you can find one , you might like to get it .


it 's still one of the smallest 2mp digital cameras on the market , and absolutely one of the best-built most stylish cameras ever .


i am very pleased with my purchase .


i 've been incredibly happy with this camera .


this camera is great if you 're used to a high-end slr .


it 's overkill for simple snapshots , unless you 've got way too much money to blow .


exposure compensation in 1/3 stop increments ( i leave it set on +1/3 stop to brighten up the default exposure , which goes a bit dark for my taste ) .


slow-syncro flash , macro/infinity mode , etc .


the ss body is wonderful , feels high-quality .


it 's the same body as the popular elp2 aps camera ( take a look at a standard credit card from your wallet and you 'll have an idea of the front profile ! . ) .


the panorama setting is unbelievable ! .


you have the option to have the flash automatic or off .


the new canon s300 is 33 % larger and 26 % heavier than the s100 .


it has one more resolution of 1024x768 and a `` normal `` compression mode . and , it has the 3x zoom .


i love this camera ! .


i would recommend this camera unequivocally ! .


but this does work even if you turn off the lcd viewing -- great battery saver .


a great camera , but here are some points which i don 't notice in most of the reviews here , which may be of concern especially to the more advanced amatuer :


i purchased the elph s100 mainly because i thought it was cool .


but i was ready to upgrade and when i discovered that canon was going to come out with an even smaller digital camera with a higher resolution , i had to have the s100 .


this camera is so light and tiny that i literally carry it everywhere with me , which is great considering i 'm an artist and like to capture interesting items for future painting .


the software that comes with the digital elph is very nice and intuitive .


the photostitch software is very cool if you want to do any 360 degree panorama shots .


other than that , i love this camera .


the pictures are uniformly excellent and color rendering is perfect .


the good : small size ; . durable-seeming metal case ; . easy to use ; . visually distinctive ; . good picture quality ; . fast usb connection ; . mostly intuitive operation ; . really cool photostitch software that knits pictures together to give wide panoramas .


if compact size is your highest priority in a 2-megapixel camera , the canon powershot s100 digital elph is a standout choice and aptly named for its diminutive design .


the s100 's image quality rates in the middle of its class , but it can still be a reasonable choice for students , families , or small businesses looking for an ultra-portable camera that weighs less than half a pound with media and battery pack .


i purchased this camera before it went on sale , and while i wouldn 't have minded keeping the extra $ $ $ , it was definitely worth it .


i have been absolutely , completely satisfied with the product and its capabilities .


this is a great product , and canon has done an excellent job .


i received this little jewel as a gift and i can honestly say absolutely love it .


i give this product five stars for its usability , performance , expandability , and definitely looks ! .


first , i have to say that i have never had the slightest problem with this camera or the software .


the software has been installed on windows 95 , 98 , 2000 and xp and i haven 't had any problems with it .


they are razor sharp , the color balance is perfect , and the focus is great .


i must say , i think this is the coolest camera i 've ever owned ! .


first , it really is tiny ; . the size of a pack of cigarettes , maybe a scotch deeper .


i just went on a quick photo shoot in nyc 's central park today , and what a bunch of beautiful photos i took , if i do say so myself ( and i do ! . )


the camera is as easy to use as a point and shoot , and with instant review on the lcd screen , you can retake any flubbed shots on the spot .


i also had no problems installing or running the camera software on my pc .


at any rate , if you have been interested in digital photography but the price and confusion have held you back , consider the canon s100 digital elph .


it really is the perfect travel camera , plus it offers the convenience of digital photography .


really like it , easy to use , great images , very intuitive , fits in my jacket pocket .


i was looking for a compact , rugged ( i carry it hiking , skiing , boating , etc ) camera which is easy to use .


i wanted standard memory expansion ( cf cards ) , macro mode , and if possible , a waterproof housing ( for kayaking ) .


the lens retracts and has its own metal cover so you don 't need to fuss with a lens cap .


the macro mode works well , although it takes some practice since the camera doesn 't clearly indicate when it can 't focus .


the white-led backlit lcd is very bright and crisp , even in sunlight , and relatively easy on the battery .


the panorama modes are wonderful .


it 's so small and light , even with a spare battery , you really can take it anywhere .


in auto mode anyone can use it as a point and shoot camera .


the manual modes give you a lot of control over exposure and white balance ( but there is no manual focus or manual exposure ) .


there are better cameras but none anywhere near as light and compact .


1- small .


very small .


i 've had a lot of cameras , but this one is actually being used , and not stored in a desk : it 's all ways in my shiest pocket .


2- excellent picture quality and so simple to use ! . ! . ! .


4- looks great .


silver metal case -not plastic .


5- excelent software package .


6- small but very clear tft screen .


don 't care about sunlight : it 's tft .


7- 360 panoramic pictures are a very big deal .


this camera is great , wonderfully small , and has attractive hi-tech casing .


very easy to use for someone like me who 's just hopping on the digital camera bandwagon .


the controls are easy to understand and big enough that they are easy to see and use .


the optical and digital zooms combine to give an effective 4x zoom .


so , why the small digital elph , rather than one of the other cameras with better resolution or picture quality ? . size [ +2 ]


after getting one for christmas from amazon , i 'm now a believer : the digital elph is truly the world 's smallest digital camera that shoots great pictures .


the size is tiny , which i love .


this camera is so easy to use ! .


all the features are incredibly intuitive , even for a novice like me .


the pictures are beautiful , and the camera is so small you can carry it anywhere .


i , as many others , have waited for many years for the convergence of price , features , size and ease of use to hit that happy center point .


i bought this little guy a few weeks back , and i have to say that i never had so much fun with a new toy as this .


you indefinitely appreciate the small size .


while , there are flaws with the machine , the xtra gets five stars because of its affordability .


it is the most bang-for-the-buck out there .


like it 's predecessor , the quickly revised nx , this player boasts a decent size and weight , a relatively-intuitive navigational system that categorizes based on id3 tags , and excellent sound ( widely known to be better than ipod - not surprising considering the number of years creative has been in the audio peripheral business ) .


the xtra improves upon the zen nx with a larger , now-blue backlit screen , which is infinitely better .


i chose this one because from what i read , it was the best deal for the money .


another reason i got it is because you can put wma files on it .


the software is great .


transfering is easy , the software makes everything pretty easy .


even the battery life is great - it advertises 14 hours , it 's actually a little less but still good .


get it , it 's woth every penny ! . ! .


i 've had it for a week now , do n 't regret the purchase one bit , and i never leave home without it .


software is easy to use ( although red hat software is better , but costs money )


much cheaper than i-pod good looking player ( beautiful blue back-lit screen ) if you 've read about the player , some have complained about the lack of a viewing hole for the face when the case is on , but this is good because the face does n 't get damaged / scratched fast transfer rate


the zen xtra sounds great with good headphone and well re cored mp3s .


at 8 ounces it is pretty light but not as light as the ipod .


the battery is replaceable ( a real plus ) and there is a leather case ( another real plus ) .


so far the software for the pc works easily .


by the way , it looks nice also .


it 's worth it .


my two main requirements were longer battery life and lower price : i found both .


the controls are on the side instead of on the front , which i like , because that 's where my thumb is when i hold the thing ! .


the scroll wheel is a big improvement over the ipod touchpad .


the included leather pouch is a big plus : it actually protects the unit well , something a lot of ' carrying cases ' fail to do with other audio devices .


other plusses : changeable battery , loads of presets for environments , decent construction , still quite small and light despite being slightly bigger than an ipod .


overall : small , sounds great , and less expensive than apple 's overpriced ipod ! .


( batteries last longer too ! . )


the creative labs zen xtra has all the features the i-pod has and if you get if from amazon your only going to pay $ 300 for this great player .


the music is easy to get to ( all of the menus are easy to understand despite what alot of i-pod owners say ) and if you know how to search for an artist by name online , then you can do the same with the zen .


the screen is very easy to read and the blue light is bright enough to read at night , but dim enough so it does n 't blind you when you stare too long .


all in all this a great player that blows the i-pod away , with easy to use and understand features , software that is simple to understand and use , and a great sound ( which is all that matters in a mp3 player ) .


i had no problems following their installation instructions .


the menus are very easy to navigate .


the other controls are all very easy to use .


it has several play options , one of the best is an option to shuffle , based on all or a certain playlist .


it also costs a lot less than the ipod .


the earbuds that come with it are n 't that bad .


they 're pretty comfortable , stay in place and deliver a decent audio quality .


i have n 't had time to really push this player to the limit , but audio aspects on the nomad are satisfactory , as should be expected from creative labs .


when it came down to it , the price on this player is hard to beat .


other than that this thing is great . . .


zennx 's replaceable battery was the deciding factor in my purchase of zennx over ipod .


the zennx will keep running for the price of a replacement battery , just like any other battery-powered appliance .


i love my new nomad , its great ! .


the software is very easy to use , and within 30 minutes of opening my box , i was out and about listening to any one of my 80 cds .


the free ( i didnt know they still did that ) carrying case is really protective , and to me its the only accessory you need ( except good headphones ) .


just easily drag and drop files into the nomad explorer and from there you easily alter id tags and sort your music according to your liking , by artist , song title , genre , etc .


not only is it functional and runs super smooth & fast , but it is also eye candy .


very sleek & stylish as well as the screen options and visuals it has .


the leather case it comes with is pretty nice , similar to a pda style case and does hold and protect it perfectly .


navigation is so smooth and finding files is a cinch .


also navigating while playing music is a plus unlike my previous player .


oh , and the screen saver feature is pretty sweet ^ _ ^


another plus in my book , no file limits ! .


i have over 2000 files in my playlist at the moment and the random does a nice job mixing it up .


i really have no complaints over this unit .


i really do recommend this to anyone in need of a new player .


i have no complaints with this mp3 player .


then sorting the files is easy as pie .


and it holds so much music and audio files .


my music demands are pretty intense and this handles those demands without problems .


the battery is nice .


the lcd screen was very large and readable .


compared to everything else in this category , this is most definately the best bang for the buck .


i gave the zen 5 stars because it 's excellent for the class that it is in and it 's not really appropriate to rate it based on players in a different class .


i love this player .


i love this player and would probably go with creative labs again .


the software was great , as long as you have an administrative user account ( windows xp ) .


way less expensive than the ipod .


i find it pretty easy to use . . . and unlike the remote interface for the audigy 2 nx ( on the pc ) . . .


not counting the time i spent editing the songs ( i suppose i should 've done it anyway on my pc ) the transfer was pretty painless .


bought the 30gb xtra a couple of weeks ago , and so far it has been excellent .


i still have over 19gb left , and already have over 200 cd 's on it .


both are very easy to learn & use , and intuitive enough for even a novice .


ripping & transferring tunes is basic , and pretty fast ( even on a 1 . 1 usb ) .


people also have complained about the case not having a window , but that 's not really a big deal to me either -- the case is sturdy and offers very good protection .


it 's easy enough to pop it open to see what song you 're listening to .


you of course have some good customization options with the unit as well ( sound presets , navigating options , playlists , etc ) .


all other buttons are pretty sensitive to touch and work well .


it still fits in the palm of your hand , and it 's not heavy .


i just received my 40gb zen xtra yesterday and i 'm extremely pleased with it .


the setup and transfer process was cake for me .


the screen is large and bright and has all the info i need where i need it .


the eax mode that keeps the volume at the same level for any song will come in handy when i take my holiday plane rides .


i purchased the nomad jukebox zen xtra 40gb and it is fantastic ! .


ripping your songs and creating playlists could n 't be any easier .


i found using mediasource to load your songs to the nomad jukebox to be much easier and faster than using windows explorer .


being a creative product the playback quality is unbeatable .


when i played back a symphony orchestra you would swear that you were seated dead center in front of the orchestra - it 's that good ! .


finding a particular song ( s ) or album on the nomad jukebox is fast and easy .


the high resolution screen is easy to read and has a backlight .


i can highly recommend this product because of its ease of use ( hardware and software ) , playback quality and value for the price .


just bought one & i 've enjoyed it to date .


nice palm sized unit , somewhat bigger then the ipod but not an issue if you 're not going to try & jog with it or something .


all reviews i 've seen seem to indicate that the creative mp3 jukeboxes have the best sound quality of these 2nd generation jukebox ed ( ipod , archos , dell , samsung ) .


the eax settings are somewhat superfluous but not really a negative .


- great value 40gb vs 10 gb ipod for the price


- best in class sound


- large easy readable screen


working for 10 hours with it on `` shuffle `` totally rocks ! . ! .


i love it ! . ! .


transfers are surprisingly quick through usb 2 . 0 .


it is great sounding , even with the supplied earbuds .


i must have differing preferences than others here , as i prefer the supplied earbuds to the sony 's that i thought sounded good on other players .


i love the storage in this thing .


this is my second creative labs mp3 player , and it is definitely a fine product .


the player 's software is very easy to use and very good .


compared to musicmatch , the software has a better filing system and easier to use .


to keep it short , this is cheaper , and in my opinion a better choice than an ipod .


this thing seriously is a good player though .


overall i like the unit .


1 ) price / gb of storage


2 ) storage capacity


3 ) user replaceable battery


overall i like it .


the storage capacity is great .


the price compared to the ipod is great .


price , along with the replaceable battery ( which i understand apple charges a small fortune to replace - as well as the hassle of returning it ) were the two main factors on why i picked the nomad .


i 've had no problems with the software .


i found it intuitive to use ( i did n 't read any documentation for it and was using it successfully within a few minutes ) .


this is a nice feature ( i . e . it 's early in the morning and you rather listen to `` easy listening `` rather than `` heavy metal `` - no problem .


the software comes with plenty of defaults genres .


the sound from the player is ok .


this thing is great , i like to use it to pick up tough stains on my counter top and also to listen to my old 8-track records .


for the price and features it is really good .


the 30gb zen xtra rocks my socks , spills my beer , but does n 't wash my car .


i just purchased this player and i have to say that i love it .


the sound is excellent , the battery life is excellent , the fact that the battery is replacable is excellent , and finally the price , $ 200 cheaper than the 40gb ipod , is excellent .


so far i have no complaints and i recommend this to anyone who wants quality over appearance , also anyone who wants a hard drive based mp3 player and wants to pay next to nothing .


otherwise , this player is awesome ! .


the volume range is great , so you can blast it if you want .


overall , this player is awesome and i definately recommend it .


i received this item for christmas and it has met and exceeded all my standards .


naturally i did quite a bit of review before purchasing ( i recommend www . no madness . net ) , and price-wise zens are unbeatable .


compared to other leading dd mp3 players , the value per gb is the tops .


- sound quality : excellent , everything you would expect from this company .


- the unit is easy to use and intuitive .


- uploading music is quick and easy .


although the supplied software can be annoying at times , on whole it is excellent .


- the unit itself its well structured , with just the buttons you need and none you do n 't .


as often mentioned , the scroll tab is average , however , not difficult to use or horrible .


the screen is large , defined , and easy to read , and the silver unit is naturally cool .


there are lots of interesting features included such as eax , and customization .


- the replacable battery is great since once it eventually wears out ( as all lithium batteries do ) , you will be able to buy another easily .


also , the nomad 's 14 hours of battery life versus 8 is handy .


- equipment included is average , but that is n 't a big deal since thats not what you are buying it for .


the headphone earbuds are average , so just use your regular pair instead .


i have no problem using the player itself and i feel it is a very good player .


i have the software working fine now and the mp3 player is fantastic .


so once i worked out the problem with the software this mp3 player is worth the money it cost .


i 'm very pleased with my zx so here 's a quick review .


it is small overall , bigger than the ipod , but keep in mind that this is because different , less expensive but not necessarily inferior technology is used in the zx .


the zx boasts superior sound quality than the ipod , however it compromises a bit of the unit 's size in doing so .


the scroll wheel is easy to use and works great for me , however many have complained that the wheel is cumbersome and difficult to operate .


the sound is excellent as one would suspect from a creative product .


the included eax support is useful at times , especially when you listen to a variety of genres , as it will adjust the equalizer for you which can be a big hassle .


the signal to noise ratio ( the ratio of detectable , useful data to unusable garbage in , say , a radio wave ; . a larger stn ratio is better ) is nice and high at 98 decibels , and it should be noted that apple refuses to release the stn ratio of any of the ipods .


the software has n 't been a hassle for me at all .


lastly , the price is fantastic :


i uploaded the drivers and new software in 15 minutes - no crashes or problems .


usb 2 . 0 - very fast


and for those that are int rested the recharger works anywhere in the world ( and is quite small ) .


it looks very cool , and seems quite small to me and very light .


the scroll button seems ok , i have no problems with it .


i am very pleased so far .


very simple to use .


all in all suprisingly easy to use .


excellent sound - i found the music reproduced faithfully through the jukebox .


transfer through windows explorer - windows recognizes the jukebox as an additional hard disk , so it allows you to simply drag and drop files from windows explorer to a folder for the nomad .


i found it very useful for transferring large files to another computer .


i use it for ripping cds , which it does a pretty good job of .


overall , i feel that it 's a decent buy , and am happy that i own it .


for the price and size and features , you can 't beat the price .


with this mp3 player you get much more memory for much less than an ipod .


i have found that the interface on the nomad is very easy to use if you have a basic knowledge of a computer .


i have had no problem what-so-ever with this product .


the software installed flawlessly and without any problems on my windows 2k machine .


the battery life seems good , takes very little time to charge , it uploads mp3s quickly and there is no delay between songs .


took me a few tries to get use to the navigation , but it 's a very user friendly player imo .


all-in-all , this is another excellent creative product .


it 's small , light and nice looking and the display is decent as well .


i would recommend this product to anyone .


before asking for the zen xtra specifically for christmas i researched many different mp3 players but finally decided on this one , and now that i have it i could n 't be happier and i 'm convinced it 's the best one out there .


many people have written about the software being its one downfall , personally i have n 't had a single problem with the software , i 'm running windows me .


the cd ripping to mp3 is so easy , and you can even rip the cd directly to the mp3 player , so it wo n 't take up space on your pc hard drive .


the controls on the player are very simple , no need for a manual .


the player is fast and sounds great , it also has many options like slowing or speeding up the music , or making it sound like you 're hearing the music in a huge auditorium .


the battery lasts very long when playing music , but writing files to the player drains the battery fast , so you need to have it plugged into an outlet when sending files .


playlists can be made on the fly , without aid of a computer , and you can use play modes like shuffle and repeat for your ' now playing ' selections or playlists .


the software could n 't be better and the mp3 player works like a dream , i could n 't give this anything but a 5 , i wish there was a 6 .


it is an extremely cool cozmo .


well i have to say that this product is very good i mean it might be a little big but it still fits in your pocket .


well surely this is a product that i recommend someone in getting rather than any other mp3 player ( at that size and the price ) .


not only is it more affordable , but its a better player for windows , which is what i have .


it has n't gone below the second notch ( i charge mine whenever i 'm at home and not using it ) , so the battery life seems fine ( so far ) .


it 's easy .


the buttons are easy to use , and its easy to navigate .


the big backlight makes things easy to see , and the writing is big enough for people to see .


sound quality is amazing . i was expecting worse , but its really good ( especially if your files have good sound quality ) .


you can also slow a song down & speed it up , which is cool too .


also , you can store data on it , which is a plus . for all you people who want to buy an ipod just to say you have an ipod , do n 't bother , this is a much better buy .


first i 'll start off by saying that this players hardware is pretty good . . .


while the ease of use was very impressive , i was put off by the price -- about $ 130 more than what i paid amazon for this player .


i have had the nomad jukebox for about three weeks now , and i am very happy with it .


the storage capacity is great for me --


the bottom line for me is that i am very happy with this product .


a lot of people complain about the creative software , but i actually find creative mediasource organizer to have some strengths over itunes .


first , the zen lets you sync to more than one computer .


the zen is an outstanding way to shuttle music between sources , you can 't do this on the ipod ( except for a cumbersome work-around using the ipod as a hard drive instead of a player ) .


second , the `` automatic `` sync on creative lets you review the songs before it begins its transfer .


the zen serves as a back-up device as well as a player .


third , creative software allows you to keep two windows open to look at both the content on the player and the computer .


for those of us that like to tinker , i think creative offers some advantages .


it also lets you remove songs from the play order .


if you bring up an album , but absolutely hate some of the tracks , the zen will allow you to delete that from the playing order .


its ability to serve as a back-up for my music collection is a huge plus .


the software is quick & easy to use & i found the entire process very easily mastered .


the unit works great with my cassette adapter for my car & is also easily worked without taking your eyes off the road ! .


overall it is a great unit & hopefully creative labs or some other vendor will soon come out with some accessories for it .


this did n 't bother me too much because it 's still a decent size .


extremely convenient .


great price .


i thought the software was decent enough - it was n 't complicated to learn at all .


i 'm really happy with this purchase .


now he res the stuff you should know starting with the good things : the screen is really big and the blue light in the back is perfect , fast as hell in music transfer , controls are easy to use after mastering the scroll button , great sound and ive heard many mp3 players , a ton of different equalizer type deals on here .


ive seen em all , the archos , dell , ipods , everything . . . good price and great sound makes this one the best in my opinion .


* price and capacity


* slick-looking design and improved interface


* removable battery


despite its being slightly larger than the ipod , i must say i was surprised to see how small it was when i unwrapped the box ! .


i am ripping my cd collection into 160 kbps wma files ; . this gives an average of around 60-65 mb per cd , good for about 900 cds in the ~ 57 , 000 mb of free memory available to me .


file transfers are fast , nearly a song per second via usb 2 . 0 .


to my ears , a 160 kbps wma file sounds just as good as the source cd , and the zen xtra sounds just as good as a portable cd player .


i have been ripping songs into it for the past few weeks , and the ease of use is wonderful .


the memory will hold an amazing amount of songs , my entire collection of cd 's will all fit on this great little tiny piece of digital fun .


plusses are the easy to remove battery and the terrific sound produced by the nomad .


ripping the songs , even with my 1 . 1 usb connection is still very quick , and the quality is very good .


considering the price and specs , this might be the best buy out there for a large memory mp3 player .


it 's really a shame , because otherwise , creative mp3 players are very good , and have the best sound quality of any players on the market .


after some consideration i chose the 40gb nomad zen xtra from creative , and i have not been disappointed .


first , the battery is replacable by the user , because creative intended it to be - unlike apple with the ipod .


it was easy enough to remove the front plate , and there was only one way the battery could be inserted .


the new organizer software that ships with the nomad zen xtra could n 't be easier to use .


you can create playlists , drag & drop songs and playlists to your player , and rip directly from cd to your player .


and with usb 2 . 0 , transferring music to your player is incredibly easy .


the sound is great , and the volume is more than satisfactory for commutes and shutting out external noise .


they could be more comfortable , but no complaints in the sound department .


i 've played around with the equalizer settings and am satisfied at the range of choices i have there too .


1 . i achieved my basic objective ; . my entire cd collection is on a portable device with lots of room to store more .


the zen has minimal stoppage between tracks ; . when listening to music that continues from one track to the next the gap is just a hesitation - a slightly audible click ; . if i am not listening for the progress from one track to the next i do n 't even notice the click .


given that i already have the zen the only reason i am happy with it is because of the notmad software .


now that i own it , however , i can 't imagine being without it ! .


i have stored around 60 cd 's ( at 160kbps ) on this and have barely touched the available memory .


the sound quality is fantastic ( cd quality ) and it is really great to carry this around instead of stacks of cd 's or tapes ! .


it is exceedingly simple to navigate around in this device .


one other plus is that napster now supports this device via their software .


+ i had no problem using musicmatch software already on my computer to load songs and albums onto this unit


+ / - sound quality was good but it was going to take some tweaking with settings to try to make it great .


the player is intuitive and outputs great sound quality .


i love this player and am extremely happy with my decision .


the price / performance looked just right .


i did buy the notmad software a week ago and found that a vast improvement .


1 ) great sound ( > 98db signal-to-noise ratio beats ipod 's `` unspecified `` ratio ) and good power output allow the zen xtra to drive large head-phones as well as external speakers .


with my sennheiser 497 headphones , the volume is loud enough at 12 ( max is 20 ) .


2 ) the player user interface ( ui ) is intuitive to use , and allows easy navigation of a large or small collection .


3 ) the nomad explorer ( winxp style interface ) works well to transfer files back and forth to use the nomad as an external although the tech support web-site states that the primary intended purpose of the player is as a player .


the nomad explorer provide most of the functionality offered by 3rd party programs like notmad .


4 ) usb 2 . 0 means fast data transfers ( 1 song / sec ! . ) .


5 ) the cheap , user-replaceable battery ( $ 50 from creative ) is a great advantage over the ipod 's battery which costs $ 100 to replace .


6 ) excellent battery life - 14 hours beats ipod 's .


7 ) chic look and good build - the player comes in a compact form with a metal face plate .


i use it primarily in the provided protective case although i have dropped it about 3 feet from my desk ( by accident ) as well as have played it outdoors in - 30 fahrenheit weather ( by design ) and it has continued to work fine .


b . fast mediasource cd ripping - takes about 40 seconds for a cd on my pentium 4 pc ( 2 . 4 hz with 1gb ram ) with 52x drive .


c . i do love audio sync which allows a one-click synchronization between the player and the music collection on the computer .


9 ) wake-up feature that allows you to set up the player to wake up and play selected music at a specified time .


7 ) some people have problems with the flip switch on the bottom that releases the player cover - has not been an issue for me and is immaterial if you use the case as the case covers the switch .


can 't beat carrying 500-cd collection with me wherever i go .


i felt better with this one since it had the shuffle feature and i 'm not too keen on www . ipod 's dirty secret . com .


replacement battery is $ 50 compared to ipod 's $ 150 .


i loved this product when i first got it - great sound , easy to use ( even though i agree that the software was n 't the best ) and held enough songs to suit any mood .


the combination of the price , storage size , and player features makes this player the best on the market .


fact is , it could n 't be easier to use .


sound quality on this is amazing , as with all creative products .


even leaving it on the default setting ( without the eax enhancements ) produces crystal clear playback .


the menu allows you to search for files by artist , genre , and album quite easily .


the battery stays charged for a long time , and takes no more than 2 or 3 hours at most to fully recharge via the included ac adapter .


connect the player to your computer ( via usb ) , open up mediasource , and you can listen to your stored mp3s as they stream directly from the xtra ! .


usb 2 . 0 transfer is insanely fast .


overall , a good buy for the price .


easy enough to navigate through , although i 'd prefer a sturdier button besides the thumb wheel scroll / push button .


pros : huge storage capacity for the price , easy to navigate , can modify existing playlists on the fly , has a removable battery


reviews for sound quality are generally ( but not universally ) positive .


our special friends at creative gave this thing good sound quality , great features , long battery life , and an unbeatable price .


i bought the player this week and i like it by far .


removable and cheap battery - a li battery usually works properly for 1-3 years .


value : comparing data storage with price .


the appearance is okay ed ( at least not ugly ) .


the size is small ( just a little bit bigger than an i-pod . )


easy to use : a lot of reviews has mentioned about this


the display is awesome , you can see everything you want and read it clearly


huge storage space , i loaded my entire collection of music , which isnt that much , 400 songs , and still have 26 gb , out of the 28 provided to you .


the sound is awesome , but if u put it too loud , depends on your sound quality , the sound might crack .


with eax on , you can modify your sound , with 4 different presets , which is pretty good , you can get different variations with it .


i dont know what other people are saying , but the software is awesome .


you can do other different things with it such as choose what kind of `` now playing `` interface , you can see the interface as modern or classical .


there is an alarm , i still havent used it yet , but it should be good .


the player has firmware , which will remove the glitches , if there are any .


the music plays awesome , never skips , even if u run for a bit , so you can listen to music without interruption .


and also , it 's priced very afford ably .


with 40gb of storage i have about 7 , 500 songs on the player ( everything music file i have is on there ) with room for about 2 , 500 more .


the software interface supplied was very easy to use but i went ahead and got red chair 's `` notmad `` software because of some advanced features i wanted .


sound settings can be adjusted for personal preference .


accessing files by artist and album ( i mostly look things up by artist ) is easy and intuitive .


possibly the biggest advantage this player has ( if price was n 't enough ) is the fact that the user can replace the battery him / herself by opening the lid and popping in the new battery .


since batteries do run out on everything , this will also be a big money-saver since ipods , rivers , rca , dell , all have built-in batteries that need to be replaced by a technician ( apple charges 100 bones for the battery replacement ) .


i like the nomad 's color better , but it 's not terribly flashy .


i have had mine for a month now and have to say i have enjoyed it .


price ! .


sound quality is wonderful , i really like the smart volume sound normalization .


i quickly got to use to the interface and can find any song / playlist etc fast enough .


i also liked the fact that you can save custom playlist you made on the player not just the computer ! .


great sound , very long battery life ( i routinely play it for 12 + hours ) , very fast recharges rate , removable battery , storage size , nice screen , firmware updates , and great price .


this is an excellent player , especially for the price , with features that are comparable to and even excel the ipod .


for a price that 's still less than even the lowest level ipod i was able to get this 40gb monster , and the best part is it works as great as it was advertised to and then some .


the system is terrific in size and design , imo looking better than the ipods .


i find all of the controls well-placed and not flimsy in the least .


the scroll wheel is better than the ipod 's as well , in that you do n 't risk giving yourself a cramp running your thumb around in circles endlessly - just a small nudge of the finger and you 're there .


the screen 's large and easily read .


sound : exceptional , though i can 't really compare it to the ipod .


yet after ensuring that all the id3 tags are in order ( with the software which is actually not as bad as people make it out ) it actually turns out to be really handy .


as i mentioned before , the creative mediasource software is actually really robust despite what others have said , though notmad may still work better .


it 's easy to transfer , preview , and organize files .


the in-program id3 tag editing is a strong point , as well .


overall , i 'm giving this 5 stars as i 've seen nothing of the problems people have repeatedly cried havoc over , but as i 've only had the player for a while i leave room for doubt if the headphone jack , hissing , or scroll wheel problems show up with me too .


please consider this much superior piece of equipment before plopping down half a grand for an ipod .


honestly , i love this player .


because other people that complain about this player are talking bull , this player is awesome , it just breaks fast , which is horrible .


having access to so much music where ever you go is terrific .


works great , no odor , and uses regular bags .


so far ( 3 weeks ) , we 've had no problems with the diaper champ at all .


i don 't know if we 'll run into trouble down the road with odors , but so far i have no complaints and i 'm very happy not to have to buy those refills .


the diaper champ is the best we found ! .


there are no spec ail bags to deal with or buy ! .


we use the cheap $ 1 . 99 13 gallon vanilla scented bags from the grocery store but you can use any bag you have laying around .


it is far better than just a trash can or the diaper genie and it 's fairly inexpensive as baby products go ! .


i love that you don 't have to purchase expensive refills .


if i had to do it over again , even with the cost savings of using any type of bag , i would go w/ the diaper genie .


it 's far better than all others on the market .


1 . it uses regular garbage bags instead of brand refills .


3 . it never smelled - at all .


the container is hard to open , which is exactly what you want when your baby becomes a toddler , and you do have to flip the handle carefully ( which has saved more than a few of her toys , too . ) i don 't consider these difficulties but features for the older baby .


this is a must have product for all new moms ! .


this is easy to work and easy to dispose of the dirty diapers .


it also holds a lot more diapers .


look at the size of it ! .


i highly recommend this ! .


i have to say that i am very happy with it so far .


it 's also so easy to use and holds a great deal of diapers .


the bags attach inside the champ easily and all one has to do is cram the diaper down and flip the handle .


the diaper champ couldn 't be easier to use .


and the biggest plus is that you don 't have to buy any expensive refills .


and it does an excellent job of keeping the odor contained , which the diaper genie never did ! .


if you are looking for a user-friendly diaper pail that actually does keep the odor contained , than the diaper champ is the one for you ! .


this item is exceptional i like the ease of use and it held the odor in great .


diaper champ is by far the best diaper pail ! .


it holds a lot of diapers , not to mention the odor ! .


it 's easy to use ( just a flip of the lid , and the diaper is gone ! . ) .


it 's also easy to empty out .


whether you are using disposable or cloth diapers , this is the truly the only diaper pail to get ! .


even though i never ventured into the cloth land , i was very impressed by how well this works at keeping diapers and their accompanying odor in the pail and out of our life ! .


but from my experience , by the time it gets to that point , the bag is really heavy , so i think this is kind of helpful- it 's a built-in way of keeping the bag manageable upon emptying .


this is a really great buy , for yourself or as a shower gift .


go for the champ .


i love this product ! .


with the enormous numbers of diapers that you go through with a newborn , it was great how easy it was to dispose of the dirty ones .


and we still love it ! .


*holds a lot of diapers -- a full week of toddler diapers ! .


( we wrap them nice and tight ) *we use our regular kitchen trash bags -- cheap ! .


we keep the diaper champ in our daughter 's nursery and her room definitely does not smell like dirty diapers .


it holds quite a few diapers , and pops them in quickly and easily .


i use the same store-brand tall kitchen trash bags i already use in the kitchen for it -- no special `` diaper `` trash bags necessary .


it works with a minimum of fuss .


the diaper champ turns the smelly diaper into `` what diaper smell `` in less time than that .


this is one of the best purchases we made .


great product , easy to use , economical , effective , absolutly fabulous .


update i knew that i loved the champ , and using the diaper genie at a friend 's house really reinforced that ! .


there is no comparison , the champ is easy and smell free , the genie was difficult to use one handed ( which is absolutly vital if you have a little one on a changing pad ) and there was a def finite odor emanating from the genie plus we found that the quick tie garbage bags where the ties are integrated into the bag work really well because there isn 't any added bulk around the sealing edge of the champ .


i love this pail ! .


no smell , easy to use with one hand free , and best of all it uses regular tall kitchen garbage bags so you don 't get suckered in to using only the bags made for the pail that are impossible to find ! .


i think it 's great .


it definitely keeps the smell out .


first 4 months it was in our bedroom and we did not even smell any odor .


the diaper champ is the best ! .


i have tried other pails , but none have compared positively to the champ .


1 ) the champ is easy to use .


it was so easy my toddler would dispose of her on diapers .


2 ) the champ uses regular store bags .


you do not have to waste money or time trying to purchase special bags for the champ .


regardless to this fact , i believe the champ is the best way to go .


no need for deodorizers .


even did while daughter sleep and no noise ! .


i use the scented bags and even if i don 't no smell ! .


this holds alot and does not take up alot of space .


but like i stated , its better then a trash can , but i 'm not sure if its better then the diaper genie .


personally , i am very pleased with the diaper champ .


it doesn 't stink , ever ( like some have assumed since it doesn 't wrap each diaper into its own neat little cocoon ) .


and it is very easy to clean .


i can keep one hand on my baby and dump the diaper at the same time , it is that simple .


this is a great diaper pail .


there is no odor and it is very easy to use .


( you can do it one handed while still hanging on to the baby . ) also , we like using regular trash bags instead of having to worry about buying refills ( like with the diaper genie ) .


and it 's the largest diaper pail i 've seen without taking up more floor space .


and we definitely prefer our champ ! .


i got the diaper champ because of the great reviews as well as the fact that you can use regular garbage bags .


i ended up buying one for upstairs and one for downstairs because it works so well and because i change him so often downstairs .


we have been using our diaper champ for almost 14 months now and we are very happy with it .


it sits in the corner of our bathroom and we have never had any problems with odors at all ( and we live in the damp and humid south , where odors of all kinds are generally rife ) .


it is easy to install and change the ordinary trash bags , easy to clean , and most important , easy to use one handed - just insert folded dirty diaper and flip the handle .


we have never had any problems with anything like loose wipes getting stuck ( we always wrap them in the dirty diaper ) .


update ( march 2005 ) : my son has been out of diapers for almost 2 years now , but the diaper champ hung in there till the very end - easy to use , no problems with odors , and one of the best bargains among all of the paraphernalia required for the modern baby : - )


i decided to go with the diaper champ rather than the more popular diaper genie , because i didn 't like the idea of having to buy special bags .


this product is a lifesaver ! . ! .


in fact , people who have been present while i changed my almost 3 month old son 's diaper have been amazed at how the very 'potent ' smell of the dirty diaper seems to disappear once i dispose of the diaper in the diaper champ .


simple and it works ! .


all in all , this product is definitely one i would recommend and certainly worth the very reasonable price .


i love the diaper champ , it is really easy to use and since you can use regular garbage bags it doesn 't cost an arm and a leg for refills .


using your own bags is much cheaper and convenient .


the height is a more convenient reach than others , where you have to hunch over .


its stable , so a curious toddler can 't easily tip it over .


i wanted this product because i didn 't have to buy special bags for it and it also came highly recommended .


this is a great product ! .


the champ works great .


we use regular kitchen sized garbage bags .


we 've never experienced odor from the pail .


it was easy to assemble , and the diapers fit perfectly into the little nook before they make their way into the pail portion .


i also love that you can flip the device with one hand . . .


excellent diaper disposal unit .


a wise investment for the pocketbook & for the nose ! . ! . ! .


diaper champ is great .


so i can 't tell you if diaper champ will be as good at containing the formula generated poop smell , but it 's excellent at containing the smell of poop of my breastfed baby ! .


friends told me that the diaper genie did not work very well , so bought the diaper champ based on on-line reviews and i have been happy with it .


it works easily with one hand , which is important .


also , it takes any kitchen sized trash bag , so there is no special bag to stock .


while the perfect odor free diaper pail has yet to be invented , the diaper champ is a good as it gets .


i was using the cheaper pail . . . and it worked ok until the opening device fell apart .


this one is really great .


i actually took a friends word on it and went with this champ when registering and i am glad i did .


well the champ has survived it 's first year with our son and it is great ! . ! .


the thought of not having to buy refills and just using regular bags is awesome ! .


we just recently had to buy another roll of bags . so $ 6 . 00 for a year of bags- can 't beat that ! . ! .


we lysol the champ every time we change the bag out and have not had any problems .


this is really a nice diaper pail .


in fact , i liked it so much after using it with my son who is now 2 years old , that i bought one for our new baby 's room .


wow - was that disappointing and we didn 't even have it 6 months before it broke .


1 . the diaper champ doesn 't require special refills that are expensive and hard to find ! .


we just use the glad tall kitchen trash can bags with odor shield from target and they work wonderfully .


we don 't have to worry about running out of refills with this diaper pail ! .


2 . it can be operated with one hand - leaving a hand on your baby on the changing table .


so much safer than the others that require a two handed operation ! .


the diaper champ is so simple that my toddler loves to put his own diapers in the diaper champ and flip over the handle .


3 . bags are easy to change .


works great ! . ! . ! . ! .


5 . the price is right .


i purchased this router at a woodworking show after watching the ct people using it to demo their bits and was impressed how it performed .


from the internet , woodworking books , local stores and personal opinions the hitachi m12v 3-1/4 hp router time and time again came up to be the router of choice or best for its price .


the hitachi has plenty of power , runs smooth , and cuts effortlessly through maple ( with freud bits ! . )


since i use it in a table , i don 't use the plunge feature , but if i ever need it i 've got it .


so for the money it costs for one of those top-of-the-line models i 've got a good router & a nice table to put it in & i like that .


hitachi 's m12v is a big beast of a router .


in my table the m12v has been a real champ .


nice things about the m12v : - in a table , the powerful 3 1/4 hp motor is great - soft start helps a lot to control the beast when you turn the router on - continuously variable speed control - amazon 's price


this is truly a clydesdale among the industry 3hp+ router workhorses .


built like a tank , yet nimble enough to be comfortably used with the leigh dovetail jig .


the soft start is a tremendous help for this type of operation .


the edge guide is top quality , easy to install and accurate .


this was possible due to the variable speed settings for any sized bit .


this is a great deal , and i 'm elated with my decision to go with hitachi 's green machine .


wish i could give it 4 1/2 stars .


i noticed that the micro adjustment knob and collet are well made and work well too .


the speed control is well designed and it works perfectly .


the included fence guide is easy to set up and quite accurate as well .


the plunge lock and power switch are very easily accessible which is a must when doing free hand routing .