Photos: Top-rated reviews of the week
Here are a few of CNET Reviews' favorite items from the past week, including WildCharger gadget charging pad, Zoom H4n mobile audio recorder, and Kodak EasyShare M1093 IS digicam.
Alpine iDA-X305
Alpine iDA-X305
Editors' rating: 4
The good: The Alpine iDA-X305's two-way encoder control scheme and QuickSearch function makes it possible to scrub through large libraries in seconds. Add-on modules allow the feature set to be extended.
The bad: The lack of a CD player may be a turn off for many people.
The bottom line: For people who listen primarily to MP3/WMA/AAC audio, the Alpine iDA-X305 offers one of the easiest-to-use interfaces for in-car browsing of digital media.
Asus W90Vp-X1
Asus W90Vp-X1
Editors' rating: 4
The good: Desktop-quality gaming performance; ample port assortment; instantly overclockable.
The bad: Generic OEM design; gigantic chassis; smallish keyboard compared with its size.
The bottom line: The massive Asus W90Vp-X1 won't win any design awards, but its mobile gaming performance is tough to beat.
Read CNET's full review
Price: $2,199
Sound ID 300 Bluetooth headset
Sound ID 300 Bluetooth headset
Editors' rating: 4
The good: The Sound ID 300 is a simple headset with good call quality, noise cancellation, and three personal listening modes to better suit your preference. It has a comfortable fit and is reasonably priced.
The bad: The Sound ID 300 has really small buttons, and we would've liked an additional volume key.
The bottom line: The Sound ID 300 is a great Bluetooth headset with good audio quality and ear comfort.
Read CNET's full review
Price range: $119.99, but you can get it for $99.99 from AT&T Wireless
WildCharger with Nokia 2mm tip universal adapter
WildCharger with Nokia 2mm tip universal adapter
Editors' rating: 4
The good: The WildCharger is compatible with a variety of phones and it can charge several handsets at once. It goes without saying that it's a novel product.
The bad: The WildCharger is rather bulky, and extra adapters are somewhat expensive.
The bottom line: The WildCharger is an innovative and effective product. But unless you're charging more than one phone at once, it's not a practical purchase.
Read CNET's full review
Price: $79
Zoom H4n
Zoom H4n
Editors' rating: 4
The good: The Zoom H4n uses a sturdy, intuitive design, quality stereo microphones, phantom-powered inputs, and includes the capability to record four channels simultaneously.
The bad: The design is bulky, mixer settings aren't intuitive, and the minijack microphone input is awkwardly placed.
The bottom line: The Zoom H4n is a mobile recording dynamo with features that outperform competitors that cost twice as much. It is an outstanding value for musicians and podcasters who demand professional-sounding results.
Read CNET's full review
Price: $350
HP Color LaserJet CP2025n
HP Color LaserJet CP2025n
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: Impressive print quality; fast output for color documents; high monthly duty cycle; comprehensive driver features and warranty; easy networking setup.
The bad: Slow black printing; no auto-duplexing; can't print directly from USB thumbdrive or digital camera; lacks wireless connectivity.
The bottom line: Although the HP CP2025n is rather slow to print black documents and is missing supplementary features such as USB-direct printing and wireless, the color laser shines in output quality, and the software holds your hand through a somewhat daunting learning curve. The CP2025n also has a high monthly duty-cycle, so we recommend it to anyone hunting for a workhorse printer to complement an equally diligent work environment.
HP Pavilion dv3z Entertainment PC
HP Pavilion dv3z Entertainment PC - 2.3 GHz, 80GB Solid State HD, 8GB RAM
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: Inexpensive, highly configurable 13-inch laptop; excellent battery life.
The bad: Not as thin or light as other 13-inch systems; AMD processor lags in performance.
The bottom line: The 13-inch HP Pavilion dv3z offers a reasonable trade-off, choosing battery life and value over performance and weight.
Kodak EasyShare M1093 IS (Silver)
Kodak EasyShare M1093 IS (Silver)
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: Nice photos for the money; easy operation; simple, attractive design; optical image stabilization.
The bad: Mixed performance; photo quality dips above ISO 200; only a three-shot burst.
The bottom line: The Kodak EasyShare M1093 IS is a perfectly capable, inexpensive ultracompact point-and-shoot camera.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 (silver)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 (silver)
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: Long and wide-angle zoom lens in a compact body; 720p movies; lens can zoom during movie capture.
The bad: Very few manual controls.
The bottom line: As long as you don't want much in the way of manual features, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 is a very nice camera that can handle a variety of shooting situations.
Samsung Finesse SCH-r810 (Metro PCS)
Samsung Finesse SCH-r810 (Metro PCS)
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: The Samsung Finesse is a good-looking phone with a responsive touch screen and an easy-to-use TouchWiz interface. It also has high-end features like 3G EV-DO, stereo Bluetooth, GPS, and a full HTML browser.
The bad: The Samsung Finesse does not have an accelerometer or Wi-Fi.
The bottom line: The Samsung Finesse is a great touch-screen phone and a solid choice for MetroPCS customers.
Read CNET's full review
Price range: $350
Samsung SGH-A657 (AT&T)
Samsung SGH-A657 (AT&T)
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: The Samsung SGH-A657 offers a sturdy, durable design. The feature set includes GPS, push-to-talk, and 3G.
The bad: The Samsung SGH-A657's promised talk time is rather short and there's no voice dialing. Also, its streaming video quality is poor.
The bottom line: The Samsung SGH-A657 has a rugged design with a respectable feature set. Call quality is great, but streaming video quality is unimpressive.
Read CNET's full review
Price: $129 with service
Sony NWZ-W202 W-Series Walkman (2GB, black)
Sony NWZ-W202 W-Series Walkman (2GB, black)
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: The Sony W-Series Walkman offers an innovative, ultracompact design that incorporates an MP3 player into a pair of earbuds. It's easy to use and Sony includes a unique feature for browsing songs.
The bad: The Sony W-Series Walkman does not have a screen and will not be comfortable for all users.
The bottom line: The Sony W-Series Walkman is a great option for active users who want an all-in-one music device to use while working out.
Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q725
Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q725
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: Powerful Intel Quad Core processor; 64GB SSD; great speakers; charges USB devices, even when off.
The bad: Gigantic; love-it-or-hate-it design; low-resolution display for a 17-inch gaming rig.
The bottom line: The Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q725's high-performance components are just as fancy as its exterior--and its price tag won't let you forget it.