Gateway FMC-901X Family Room Media Center (3.0 GHz Pentium 4, 512 MB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD-Burner)

Customer Reviews:

the only honest review that wasn't written by a gateway rep.......2007-01-11

first off, you should ignore all other 4 reviews. Not that they don't have some valid things to say, it's just that they're all obviously written by Gateway reps or someone who had a lot of stock in this product. Notice:
1) they're all written on the exact same day.
2) none of the reviewers have written about anything other than gateway products.

That aside, this is great concept machine. My main two issues:
1) it's buggy and quirky
2) gateway support was completely unhelpful, and declined to support this product after they shipped it

As mentioned, the concept is great. It's a beautiful looking machine. It has good specs to do the job (good speed, good memory, nice hd space, great tuner, good graphics). Gateway put (almost) everything into this you'd need in a media pc: very nice remote; excellent gyration keyboard & mouse that let you do everything from your lap (the "air" mouse function is fantastic); plenty of front ports (media card slots, usb, firewire); dvdrw for recording; digital audio out (when it functions); front display (when it functions); all the video connections you need.

the downsides that make this product barely usable: the one-touch dvdr recording from tv never worked. went through two systems with no luck, ended up having to buy nerovision express to do the job; optical audio failed within days on both systems; front display intermittently flickered and died until restarted (constantly, and on both systems). No support at all for the release of media center 2005 (which was released shortly after the debut of this product). No front display drivers for mce2005 (although this renders it useless except for the time clock, the display no longer flickers with mce2005). Frequent mce software problems include "no recorded tv found" (restarting the media center app fixes the prob), and occasional complete loss of audio (requires system restart). With mce2004, video recording was sometimes choppy. mce2005 fixed the problem, but of course, Gateway won't support the OS on this system.

With all that, I still have a love/hate relationship with this system. When it functions, it's a dream. But the numerous bugs and complete lack of support make it difficult to recommend. And Gateway support was the worst I'd ever experienced (long wait times, completely unknowledgeable staff who rarely knew what a media center was). I would never, ever, ever buy another gateway product. EVER. But humorously, I'll be hanging onto (and part-time lovin') this system for as long as it continues to work. It's a little bit of unsupported, buggy genius. Too bad it's a Gateway.

Convergence is a reality.......2004-04-17

I got one as an all-in-one center for images, video, TV, music, etc. It does the job well. TV image quality is excellent, and so is TV recording. Burning your favorite shows to DVD with a few button clicks is incredibly easy.
If you want something for your den, this is a machine that should definitely be on your list for consideration.

A nearly perfect living room PC........2004-04-17

The Gateway FMC-901X blends an innovative case design with high performance components. The first thing that strikes you about the Gateway Media Center is that it looks more like a piece of stereo equipment than a computer. In fact the stackable design computer is fits perfectly on top of a VCR or stereo. This was a big selling point with my wife.

The next best feature is that it comes a super-sized 250GB hard drive with a personal video recorder that lets you record TV shows and watch them on your schedule. The advantage over Tivo is there's no monthly fee or any way for some corporation to keep track of what you watch and when.

Now from the comfort of your couch, you can watch video, TV, play digital music, watch digital video, surf the Internet, play games, arrange digital photos and play or record DVDs.

A fine-tuned media powerhouse........2004-04-17

Finally a piece of gear that looks like it belongs in an AV rack. I've been Very pleased with the appearance and usability of the system. Be aware that although it looks and performs like a component, it's also a PC. It comes with Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004. That means music- and photo-playback features are excellent, and the PVR functions are a close match for a dedicated TV recorder.

Since it's a computer and not a TV it takes a couple of minutes to boot-up. To power the media center, you need the remote control unit and the wireless keyboard and mouse. I've taken to leaving the system on all the time. The mouse uses a new motion-sensing technology that lets you control it with natural hand movements. Unlike most wireless mice, this one actually has range. I can still operate from outside the house through the window, 25 feet away, as long as I stay in the line of sight.

The AV-component look of the FMC-901X is helped by the flip-down panel on the front, which hides many of the myriad of controls and ports: FireWire port, two USB 2.0 jacks, and slots for Compact Flash, SD, Memory Stick, and Smart Media memory cards, making it easy to move digital photos & MP3's into the system.

Bottom-line: this system is perfect for any true media enthusiast

Noticeably better than the Dell unit.......2004-04-17

TV quality using the Hauppauge TV tuner card is substantially better than in other Media Center Edition PCs.

It does do Tivo-like functionality, which is highly addictive once you have it.

The system is still a little louder than I would like due to the cooling fans, but no louder than my Tivo box.

The sleek design is what really makes it stand out from the competition. The 901 looks like an A/V component and not a clunky PC.
Now if only there was support for multiple HDTV tuners or multichannel SACD, it would be nearly perfect.

Average customer rating:

Fun little phone

great for teenagers

Net2Phone Yap USB Handset Phone with Software and 1000-Minute Phonecard (100-4001)

Manufacturer: NET 2 PHONE
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

IP Phones | Telephony | Networking & Online Communication | Computer Add-Ons | Computers & Add-Ons | Categories | Electronics
Product Features:

Turn your PC into a phone and call any phone in the world

Phone any PC in the world from your PC and talk for free

Simply install the Net2Phone software and plug the Yap Phone into the USB port on your computer

Use Net2Phone's software to create voice e-mail messages

Comes with 1,000-minute phone card with domestic rates as low as $.01 per minute and international rates as low as $.049 per minute; compatible with Windows 98

ASIN: B00005138L

Product Description

The Yap Phone allows you to use an actual phone handset to place cost-saving calls over the Internet. Simply install the Net2Phone software and plug the Yap Phone into the USB port on your computer.Yap, Your Alternative Phone, is Net2Phone's line of hardware solutions that allows you to easily place low cost Internet phone calls.Yap delivers big savings by putting your voice over the Internet. Calls are placed from a PC or phone and routed over the Internet by Net2Phone's advanced IP Network. And because the calls bypass much of the traditional phone network, Net2Phone can provide incredibly low rates for the millions of calls it delivers worldwide.

Amazon.com Product Description

Use Net2Phone's Yap (Your Alternative Phone) handset to place domestic and international phone calls over the Internet. Net2Phone's PC2Phone service lets you place calls to any telephone in the world through your Windows PC at significantly reduced rates, whether or not the person you're calling has Net2Phone.

The Yap handset includes the Net2Phone application for managing calls, voice e-mail, and PC faxes. Calls to other PCs with a Yap phone are free. If you use a Yap phone to call a conventional phone, the U.S. long-distance rates begin at 1 cent per minute and international rates start at 3.9 cents per minute. Calling card rates begin at 4.9 cents per minute for U.S. and international calls. The Yap comes with a 1,000-minute calling card.

Net2Phone's state-of-the-art software capitalizes on the most advanced Internet technology. Internet telephony not only allows users to transmit voice signals between two PCs, but Internet calls can be placed from a PC, phone, or fax to any standard telephone, PC, or fax machine virtually anywhere in the world. And because it bypasses much of the traditional phone network, Net2Phone can provide incredibly low rates for the millions of calls it delivers.

The Yap handset connects to PCs with an available USB port and running Windows 98 or later versions. It includes a CD-ROM with Net2Phone's connectivity software.

Customer Reviews:

Fun little phone.......2004-06-20

I live in Moscow, Russia and we cannot call 800 numbers direct so need to use a phone card or call back. I had a net2phone account from years ago that I never used as quality was so bad before broadband but happened to notice progam and tried it and it is very good so found this little phone in a store here and plugged it in. It is great. Now I can call all 800 numbers for free using freeworlddialup or Sipphone and for standard calls prefer net2phone for quality. Even now have free USA phone number with voice mail so my friends in USA can call me for free.

This phone works great and interface programs opens when you lift phone. Base of phone is way too light but I filled it with plaster so not is fine. Here it sold for $20 and I got a 20 foot cord. I like it

great for teenagers.......2002-05-24

this is perfect if you have teenagers,you can limit there call time if they arent good or if they dont do there chores dont buy them many minutes great to help control how much they spend on a cell phone

Product Description

If you're looking to improve the productivity and lower the operating costs of your business, the B4250 Series Digital printer from OKI is made for you. The stand-alone B4250 model delivers up to 23 pages per minute, with the first page printing in as little as 6.0 seconds.It produces black and white output that's clear and crisp in 1200 x 600 dpi resolution - using a two-piece consumables system for long-lasting, high-quality performance and a lower cost of operation. For fewer user interventions, the printer has a 250-sheet standard paper capacity, housed in a fully enclosed Letter/Legal/Universal tray, and can be outfitted to hold up to 750 sheets with an optional 500-sheet 2nd paper tray.In terms of durability, the OKI B4250 is tough - with a duty cycle of 40,000 pages per month.

Customer Reviews:

A year and a half with the Okidata B4250.......2006-12-11

I've had my Oki B4250 for about a year and a half now. This printer may be one of the best purchases I've made. It's very durable and quite reliable. Despite being a college student who prints out stuff all the time (approximately 60 pages a week,) the printer's toner lasts a very long time. In fact, I'm about to replace the original toner cartridge now. The printer prints very quickly, with excellent quality output. It works like magic; I've never had to coax it to work. I'm very satisfied with it.

Could be worse.......2005-10-13

The pages printed per minute is great, but after filling the paper tray the first time (I don't think I got it too full) the printer makes noises if I put more than a half tray of paper in and they when it stops mid file for more paper it wastes a lot of paper printing out junk on each page when it restarts. Sometimes the first line of print on the paper isn't complete either.

I don't know that I would buy another one, but it's hard to find a reasonably priced printer with this kind of output.It seems a shame to make what could be a good printer such a throw away.

Average customer rating:

Polk PSW450 = Thumbs up!

Polk Audio PSW450 Powered SubWoofer

Manufacturer: Polk Audio
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Subwoofers | Speakers | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics
Subwoofers | Speakers | Home Audio & Video | In-Store Pickup | Specialty Stores | Electronics Features | Electronics
Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics
All Polk Audio | Polk Audio | Brands | Electronics Features | Electronics
Product Features:

12 Direct Radiating Woofer

Overall bass frequency range - 25 Hz - 160Hz

Adjustable crossover control helps adjust for smooth operation with your other speakers - Range - 80Hz - 160Hz

Built-in amplifier delivers 150 watts Continuous Average Output into 4 ohm load over a bandwidth of 30 - 200 Hz with <1% THD

Dual flared ports for low distortion

ASIN: B00005T3K9

Product Description

The PSW450 is designed for mid-sized to large rooms and makes a great addition to large home theater or stereo systems. It shakes out all the thrills and chills in your favorite movie soundtracks, and its accurate musicality will make you sit up and take notice whether you listen to Lenny Kravitz, or the London Symphony Orchestra. PRODUCT FEATURES: Big 12-inch direct radiating subwoofer driver for deep bass; Magnetically shielded for safe placement near TVs; High current power amplifier; Auto on/off circuit that automatically turns your subwoofer on when it senses a program signal, when no signal is present, the amplifier turns off within 15 minutes; Unfiltered LFE input for use with low pass filtered subwoofer output jacks; 5-way binding post speaker-level inputs and outputs; Switchable 80 Hz hi-pass filter.

Customer Reviews:

Polk PSW450 = Thumbs up!.......2003-05-05

First, the bottom line: It's well worth the money. The ratio of value to its price point is high. I'm more than happy with this sub.

This is my first sub and I've mated it to Klipsch Forte II's with the SC-1 center channel. I'm a "born-again" audiophile who ventured onto the stereo scene back in the mid-'60s when monoaural systems were the norm. After having "dropped out" of the audio world during the '90s, the recent purchase of a DVD player has renewed my audio interest.

I purchased this sub after reading numerous reviews and write-ups. Normally, I would personally audition any speaker purchase but having done that so many times in the past, I didn't relish the idea of going from store to store listening to various subs under various listening environments. Speaker auditioning is a task that's daunting, frustrating, and very time-consuming.

Before anyone starts on a subwoofer journey, however, you must ask yourself about your expectations. Do you want a sub that overpowers a movie scene (or piece of music) that in the end becomes its own entity? Or do you want something that "seamlessly" fits in the background? I was looking for a sub that would blend in and sound "natural" without becoming a distraction.

The Polk sub provides that missing link in my stereo/surround system. The bass is clean and well defined. I can definitely FEEL the bass but more importantly I can distinguish the individual bass notes and differentiate the bass from the drummer's kick drum. In HT scenarios, it's awesome and forceful without becoming an overpowering distraction. Its output is distinct without a lot of "boom." And the sub's volume setting is turned up only halfway. The sub handles itself well during the famous Star War's Pod Race as well as Jurassic Park's T-Rex intro scene. I experimented by turning up the sub volume to maximum and found it was too much (for my tastes) for my 20'x 30' living room (actually, a "great room").

Overall, I'm completely satisfied with its presence when listening to music or when watching movies. I'm not naive, though, and I'm sure if the sub were placed side-by-side to a more expensive sub, the differences would be noticeable. But for a delivered price of $ I've found a sub that fits my needs and my budget.

Strengths:
Price
Strong, floor shaking bass
Low "boom" factor
Well-built

Weaknesses:
Size (basically, its depth)

Product Description

The Netopia 4686-XL Broadband VPN Router is a high-performance VPN router with dial back-up capabilities. Designed for enterprise users and managed service providers, the Netopia 4686-XL enables wire-speed VPN networking and stateful firewall security, while increasing uptime with its integrated V.92 modem. The 4686-XL connects directly to any external broadband modem, such as DSL or cable modems, and is ideal for retail and branch office applications.The Netopia 4686-XL helps enterprises save time and money with its high-availability features. Configured for dial back-up scenarios, the integrated V.92 modem automatically dials a pre-configured back-up connection if the primary WAN connection is lost. Alternatively, the integrated modem may be used for out-of-band remote management by IT departments, VARs, or service providers.With integrated hardware acceleration, the Netopia 4686-XL powers wire-speed VPN applications for retail, branch offices, and enterprise teleworkers. The device comes standard with a wide-range of routing, security, and management features optimized for enterprise applications. Unlike competitive solutions that require expensive and cumbersome firmware upgrades, the 4686-XL is deployment ready for applications requiring wire speed VPNs, stateful firewall security, and enterprise-class remote management. The rich security feature set and high-performance hardware features eliminate the need an additional firewall or VPN security appliance.For the enterprise user or managed service provider, the Netopia 4686-XL is an ideal solution for secure, reliable, and high-performance networking.

Product Description

Intel 915GM + ICH6-M supports Sonoma Intel Pentium M Dothan 1.5GHz to 2.0GHz, 2 DDR SODimm DDRII 333, 10/100, 14" WXGA, Black/Silver, 8x DVD Dual, nVidia NV 44M-V (turbocache 300) video. MANUFACTURER WARRANTY:andnbsp;andnbsp;15 Month

Average customer rating:
Military, Medical, Police Speech-to-Speech English translator. ECTACO SpeechGuard GI-4 & MD-4 & PD-SG

ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Foreign Language Translators | Electronic Dictionaries, Thesauri & Translators | Office Electronics | Categories | Electronics
Product Features:

Speech-to-speech pocket translator

Search for single words or whole phrases

User-defined topics and phrases can be added to My SpeechGuard

English speech recognition, Voice prompted navigation

Volume Control, Touch screen, Built-in microphone and speaker

ASIN: B000683VIO

Product Description

The device recognizes English speech and will understand 1000s of prerecorded phrases and pronounce the translations! The "MY SPEECHGUARD" section lets you record new entries and set aside your favorite phrases. The unit ensures easy topic navigation and has a quality touch screen, equipped with a backlight. The SpeechGuard is highly durable and is built to resist water and dust; it has a reliable Li-Polymer rechargeable battery. MultiMedia Card slot (Card included) for simplified content replacement and updates. Volume Control. Touch screen (320x240 pixels). Screen backlight. Built-in microphone and 2W high quality speaker. Auto Off function will shut off translator when it is idle. AC adapter is included in the package. There are 3 options: 1. Military SpeechGuard GI-4. The device recognizes English speech and will understand 1000s of prerecorded phrases and pronounce the translations in Arabic! 4,400 typical commands and phrases used in standard military procedures, topics include: Detention, Search, Identification, Squads Allies, Field Examination, Interrogation. 2. Medical SpeechGuard MD-4. The unit recognizes English speech and pronounces the translations in Arabic, Polish and Spanish. 2,200 phrases on the following topics: Emergency, Registration, Patient History, Medications, Pregnancy, Physical Exam. This device has all the information derived from 100s of medical books, at the palm of your hand. 3. Police SpeechGuard PD-4. The unit understands 1000s of typical police commands spoken in English and is capable of pronouncing the translations in Arabic, Russian and Spanish. T1000s of typical police phrases: Search, Miranda, Crash Scene Investigation, DWI, Stolen Vehicle/ Property, Runaway/ Missing Persons. When ordering, please, precise which one of the 3 options you choose.

Product Description

High quality, molded stereo patch cables for connecting tape decks, turntables, CD players and other components to your receiver. Color coded RCA plugs with shielded cable.

Average customer rating:
Samsung CLP510D2C Cyan Toner for The Clp 510

Manufacturer: Samsung
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Laser Printer | Ink & Toner | Printer Accessories | Accessories & Supplies | Categories | Electronics
All Accessories | Printer Accessories | Accessories & Supplies | Categories | Electronics
All Samsung | Samsung | Custom Brands | Custom Stores | Specialty Stores | Electronics Features | Electronics
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Samsung CLP-510D3K - toner cartridge ( CLP-510D3K )

Laser Toner Cartridge for Samsung CLP-510, 510N, Magenta (SASCLP510D2M)

Product Features:

Product Type - Toner cartridge

Printer Technology - Laser

Yield - 2,000 pages@IDC 5% coverage

Compatibility - CLP-510/510N

Output Color - Cyan

ASIN: B0007MXBXO

Product Description

Standard capacity cyan color toner cartridge designed for the Samsung CLP-510 Color Laser Printer / 2,000 page yield at 5% coverage

Laser Toner Cartridge for Samsung CLP-510, 510N, Cyan (SASCLP510D2C)

Average customer rating:

Laser Toner Cartridge for Samsung CLP-510, 510N, Cyan (SASCLP510D2C)

Manufacturer: SAMSUNG
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Kitchen

All Accessories | Printer Accessories | Accessories & Supplies | Categories | Electronics

Product Features:

Toner Cartridge
For printer models CLP-510, 510N.
Cyan
Sold As: Each

ASIN: B000E7YNMK

Product Description

Item #: SASCLP510D2C. Laser Printer Supplies for Samsung Printers
Toner Cartridge
For printer models CLP-510, 510N.
Cyan
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Average customer rating:

Cyan Toner for the CLP 510

Manufacturer: Samsung Monitors & Printers
ProductGroup: CE

Product Description

MODEL- CLP-510D2C VENDOR- SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA FEATURES- Toner Cartridge- Cyan approx. 2000 pages For use with CLP-510 series

Electronics:

Electronics

Electronics