X

Top-rated reviews of the week (photos)

Here are a few of CNET Reviews' favorite gadgets from the past week, including the Toshiba Portege R835-P56X, Nikon Coolpix P500, and the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid.

CNET staff
34200558_OVR_440x330.png
1 of 10 Josh Miller/CNET

Asus RT-N56U Dual-Band Gigabit Wireless-N Router

Here's our weekly roundup of the new products CNET reviewers liked best.

Asus RT-N56U Dual-Band Gigabit Wireless-N Router

Editors' rating: 4 out of 5

The good: The stylish and compact Asus RT-N56U Dual-Band Gigabit Wireless-N Router offers stellar 5Ghz performance, long range, and an intuitive Web interface. Its storage feature is well designed; the router is comparatively fast; and it offers a convenient way to access data over the Internet.

The bad: The Asus RT-N56U's Web interface takes a long time to apply changes and the router doesn't support the new three-stream 450Mbps wireless speed.

The bottom line: The Asus RT-N56U is arguably one of the best true dual-band 300Mbps home routers on the market.

Read CNET's full review
Starting at $126.01

34532714_OVR_440x330.png
2 of 10 Josh Miller/CNET

Etymotic ER-4PT MicroPro Headphones

Etymotic ER-4PT MicroPro Headphones

Editors' rating: 4 out of 5

The good: The Etymotic MicroPro ER-4PTs are accurate, well-balanced in-ear headphones. Their treble clarity and precision let you hear details in the recording, and they exhibit a richer and more satisfying balance in bass and midrange than the Etymotic HF5s. The ER-4PTs are solidly built, and a protective case and airplane adapters are included.

The bad: The thick plastic around the ER-4PTs' plug may restrict access to some smartphones or audio devices housed in cases. If you like a lot of bass, the ER-4PTs will come up a little short. Complete sonic isolation and some cord-related vibrations can also interfere with on-the-go listening.

The bottom line: While the Etymotic ER-4PTs have less low-end oomph than some competing earphones in this price class, they deliver excellent sound with very accurate tonal balance.

Read CNET's full review
Starting at $289

33770753_OVR_440x330.png
3 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

Lexmark Prevail Pro705 printer

Lexmark Prevail Pro705 printer

Editors' rating: 4 out of 5

The good: The attractive Lexmark Prevail Pro705 bundles a useful set of features for the office crowd, including wireless connectivity, an autodocument feeder and duplexer, speed text out, and an impressive five-year warranty.

The bad: We don't expect an office-friendly printer to output studio-quality snapshots, but our graphics test document was not without quality flaws.

The bottom line: The Prevail Pro705 is Lexmark's all-purpose office machine and we recommend it for home offices or small workgroups; just don't expect it to print out high-quality graphics or high-resolution photos.

Read CNET's full review
Starting at $109.99

34510063_OVR_440x330.png
4 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A (13-inch)

Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A (13-inch)

Editors' rating: 4 out of 5

The good: A thin, stylish design, long battery life, excellent screen, and a new second-generation Intel Core i5 CPU make the Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A one of the best ultrathin Windows laptops we've ever seen.

The bad: The Series 9's way-too-high sticker price makes the MacBook Air look downright affordable by comparison; the flexy case design doesn't feel as good as the MacBook Air's, either.

The bottom line: The $1,649 Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A certainly won't be for every wallet, but this light, well-featured, and striking 13-incher is the closest the Windows world will ever come to a MacBook Air. However, its higher-than-the-Air price will be hard to stomach.

Read CNET's full review
Starting at $1,599

34449812_OVR_440x330.png
5 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

Toshiba Portege R835-P56X

Toshiba Portege R835-P56X

Editors' rating: 4 out of 5

The good: With a new Intel Core i5 CPU, sharp design, and nearly all-day battery life, the Toshiba Portege R835 is a smartly priced alternative to the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

The bad: Intel's integrated graphics are better than they used to be, but still not gamer-friendly, and features such as Bluetooth and mobile broadband are missing from some configs.

The bottom line: With three more hours of battery life over last year's model, Toshiba's new R800 series of Portege laptops are hard to beat, even in the highly competitive 13-inch laptop category.

Read CNET's full review
Starting at $899.99

34555863_SD_1_440x330.JPG
6 of 10 Josh Miller/CNET

2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

Editors' rating: 4 out of 5

The good: A supercharged engine and hybrid system make the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid the most powerful of the Touareg model lineup, without sacrificing fuel economy. The voice command system lets you request music by album and artist name, or dial a phone number by contact name.

The bad: Power becomes difficult to modulate at slow speeds. A fixed suspension limits off-road exploits.

The bottom line: The 2011 Volkswagen Touareg serves as a showcase for advanced power-train and cabin technology, and is the most luxurious of Volkswagen's model lineup.

Read CNET's full review
Starting at $60,565

34440624_OVR_440x330.png
7 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

Acer Iconia 6120 laptop

Acer Iconia 6120

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: The Acer Iconia's innovative dual-touch-screen design and virtual keyboard works better than you'd expect, and unlike other dual-screen PCs we've seen, this one has enough CPU power for everyday tasks.

The bad: Speed typists will find the virtual keyboard has a hint of a lag, and its (virtual) touchpad is needlessly small. It's also saddled with last year's Intel CPUs, rather than the latest generation, which might have given it better battery life.

The bottom line: Unlike a lot of other unique proof-of-concept laptops, the Acer Iconia is fun to use and largely works as advertised. But it has a hard time answering the most frequent question we hear about it: why would anyone need a dual-touch-screen laptop?

Read CNET's full review
Starting at $1,199.99

S3_6_440x330.jpg
8 of 10 BlueAnt

BlueAnt S3 compact

BlueAnt S3 compact

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: The BlueAnt S3 is a compact and simple Bluetooth speakerphone that offers A2DP streaming, multipoint connectivity, good call quality, and the announcement of caller names if they're in your phone's contacts list. It also has a vibration sensor that automatically reconnects the phone, like when a car door closes.

The bad: The BlueAnt S3 does not have the voice control features of the S4, which is only marginally pricier. Some people might also be averse to the touch-sensitive controls on the front.

The bottom line: The BlueAnt S3 has good call quality and an affordable price point, but you could upgrade to the more advanced S4 for not much more.

Read CNET's full review
Starting at $53.88

34554504_OVR_440x330.png
9 of 10 Josh Miller/CNET

HP Omni 200 5380qd all-in-one PC

HP Omni 200 5380qd

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: The HP Omni 200 5380qd boasts fast application and gaming performance at a competitive price.

The bad: We don't mind the absent touch screen, but we wish the Omni 200 offered a few more inputs, as well as a larger display.

The bottom line: The HP Omni 200 5380qd lacks some of the flashier features of other all-in-one PCs, but it makes up the difference with surprisingly fast performance, making it easy to recommend to anyone in need of a reasonably priced home desktop.

Read CNET's full review
Starting at $899.99

34497849_OVR_440x330.png
10 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

Nikon Coolpix P500 camera

Nikon Coolpix P500

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: The Nikon Coolpix P500 has a solid design, is overflowing with photo and movie features, and has very fast shooting performance for its class.

The bad: Its photo and video quality is very soft, particularly at high ISOs and in low-light conditions. It also lacks raw support and auto picture rotation.

The bottom line: The Nikon Coolpix P500 improves on its predecessor's features and shooting performance, but its photos and video quality still aren't as good as the rest of the package.

Read CNET's full review
Starting at $399

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos