Photos: Top-rated reviews of the week
Here are a few of CNET Reviews' favorite items from the past week, including Apple Mac OS X Snow Leopard, Boston Acoustics i-DS3 plus iPod Speaker System, and Samsung Gravity 2 SGH-T469.
Apple Mac OS X Snow Leopard
Apple Mac OS X Snow Leopard
Editors' rating: 4 out of 5
The good: Interface enhancements like Expose in the Dock and better file and folder viewing in Stacks make finding apps and files much easier. A completely overhauled QuickTime X now sports a cleaner interface and recording tools. The much-anticipated Exchange support across Mail, the Address Book, and iCal is huge for those who take their Macs to work.
The bad: Snow Leopard works with Intel Macs only; PowerPC users are out of luck; requires $29 upgrade fee.
The bottom line: Intel Mac users will like Snow Leopard's smartly designed interface enhancements, and its Exchange support is a must-have (especially with Outlook for Mac on the way). With a ton of technological improvements, Snow Leopard is worth the $29 upgrade fee.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 (silver)
Editors' rating: 4 out of 5
The good: Well-designed; very good performance, photo, and video quality.
The bad: Expensive; soft photos.
The bottom line: A full-featured waterproof/shockproof pocket point-and-shoot, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 is a near-perfect rugged camera for everyday use.
Samsung PN50B850
Samsung PN50B850
Editors' rating: 4 out of 5
The good: Striking design with 1.2 inch-thick panel; reproduces deep black levels; accurate color with superb saturation, properly handles 1080p/24 sources; extensive feature set with Yahoo widgets, network streaming and built-in content; solid connectivity with four HDMI and one PC input.
The bad: More expensive than thicker plasma HDTVs; no S-Video inputs.
The bottom line: With picture quality that matches its less expensive brother but not the best of the stiff competition, the main appeal of the Samsung PNB850/860 series is based on its sleek, ultrathin panel.
Read CNET's full review
This review also applies to the 58-inch member of the series, model PN58B850, as well as to the two models in the PNB860 series: the 50-inch PN50B860 and the 58-inch PN58B860.
Samsung WEP470
Samsung WEP470
Editors' rating: 4 out of 5
The good: The Samsung WEP470 is a simple, comfortable, and affordable Bluetooth headset. It has a dedicated on/off switch, and pretty good noise and echo cancellation.
The bad: The Samsung WEP470 has an uninteresting design and requires an ear hook for stability. We also would have liked additional earbud covers.
The bottom line: For the price, the Samsung WEP470 is a decent headset for everyday use.
Acer Aspire M5800-U5802A
Acer Aspire M5800-U5802A
Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5
The good: Best performance in its price category; decent budget gaming PC.
The bad: Clunky exterior you'll want to hide under a desk.
The bottom line: Acer's Aspire M5800-U5802A could use some visual polish, but get past its appearance and you'll find a fast, affordable computer that will handle any task you care to throw at it. It's even a decent low-end gaming box. We'd only recommend against this desktop if you demand a computer's appearance match its capabilities.
Boston Acoustics i-DS3 plus iPod Speaker System
Boston Acoustics i-DS3 plus iPod Speaker System (black)
Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5
The good: Great sound quality; included remote; auxiliary in; video out (for iPods); replaceable grille; powerful wireless subwoofer.
The bad: Expensive; small feature set; no clock; no AM/FM radio.
The bottom line: The Boston Acoustics iDS3 is a bit low on features but high on performance and sound quality.
Garmin Nuvi 765T
Garmin Nuvi 765T GPS navigator
Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5
The good: Free ad-supported traffic updates are very useful. EcoRoutes software allows drivers to plan fuel efficient routes and track fuel economy. The Nuvi 765T features fast routing and recalculation. Bluetooth hands-free and audio streaming greatly increase the unit's functionality.
The bad: FM traffic doesn't work without the power cord and cradle, slightly limiting vehicle-to-vehicle portability.
The bottom line: The Garmin Nuvi 765T packs a number of useful features into an easy-to-use package and its ad-supported traffic updates are quite useful--plus, the ads themselves are quite unobtrusive.
Gateway LT3103u
Gateway LT3103u
Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5
The good: Feels faster than an Intel Atom Netbook, but keeps the price low; high-def display.
The bad: Uninspiring battery life; terrible mouse buttons; no Bluetooth.
The bottom line: The 11-inch, AMD-powered Gateway LT3103u does well on price and performance, but drops the ball on battery life when compared with the competition.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010
Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 (CD-ROM, 1-Year License)
Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5
The good: Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 offers fast threat detection and removal based on virus definitions and system behavior
The bad: The interface is decent enough to navigate, but that most basic of security suite features--the scheduler--is inexplicably buried and unnecessarily hard to get to.
The bottom line: Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 offers pricey antivirus protection. The 2009 version scored well on independent antivirus detection and removal tests, but be prepared to pay a premium for what you're getting.
Read CNET's full review
Price range: $17.95 - $39.99
CNET also reviewed the Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 download this week.
Samsung Gravity 2 SGH-T469
Samsung Gravity 2 SGH-T469 - metallic pumpkin (T-Mobile)
Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5
The good: The Samsung Gravity 2 is thinner than its predecessor, plus it features several upgrades, notably 3G support, a 2.0-megapixel camera, GPS, and a full HTML browser. It has pretty good quality and is quite affordable.
The bad: The Samsung Gravity 2 has rather tiny navigation keys, and the streaming video quality could be a bit better.
The bottom line: The Samsung Gravity 2 offers a lot of features for a very low price, making it a great deal for T-Mobile customers.
Toshiba 55SV670U
Toshiba 55SV670U
Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5
The good: Costs less than most LED-based LCDs with local dimming; delivers deep black levels; relatively accurate color; extensive picture adjustments; can separate anti-blurring and dejudder functions; plenty of connectivity with four HDMI and one PC input; eye-catching design
The bad: Blooming more noticeable than on other LED-based LCDs; backlight fluctuates; poor off-angle performance; glossy screen reflects ambient light; benefits of 240Hz difficult to discern.
The bottom line: Albeit slightly less impressive than other LED-based LCDs with local dimming, the Toshiba SV670U also costs less and still gives great blacks.
Read CNET's full review
Price range: $2,249.00 - $2,999.99
This review also applies to the 55-inch Toshiba 55SV670U.
Trend Micro Internet Security Pro 2010
Trend Micro Internet Security Pro 2010
Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5
The good: Trend Micro Internet Security Pro 2010 is one of the most comprehensive security suites we've encountered, with everything covered from basic threat detection to a behavior-based prevention system to security for Symbian and Windows Mobile devices.
The bad: Virus detection and removal efficacy is hard to determine; the service is acceptable, but not stellar; and while Trend Micro Internet Security Pro offers browsing protection, launching a link from within the program feels sluggish and awkward.
The bottom line: Trend Micro Internet Security Pro's broad feature set combined with its look and feel make it a serious contender, but questionable efficacy and middling performance mean it's a program we're not recommending for this year.
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