Review Archive

Results 26 to 50 of 59.

Philips 32PFL7404 television
A hot performer that won't break the bank? 18 August 2009 10:52 GMT

The Good
Excellent colours, deep black shades, no blur, good value

The Bad
Some flicker when using HD Natural Motion

Verdict
If you want the finest 32-incher around, head for Philips’ feature packed 32PFL9604. If you’re happy with second best – and a saving of at least £300 - the 32PFL7404 makes for an excellent all-rounder that’s a more polished performer than most
Garmin Oregon 550t GPS system
Will put you in the geocaching picture? 17 August 2009 16:45 GMT

The Good
Easy to use, built-in camera, improved screen, more waypoints, more routes

The Bad
Expensive, screen not totally visible in bright sun

Verdict
In our 400t review we whinged that the screen was too dull. Garmin have addressed this, so it only seems fair for us to up the score from an 8 to a 9 for this model
Olympus FE-5020 digital camera
Entry-level snapshot with style beyond its budget 17 August 2009 16:05 GMT

The Good
Small and portable, barely larger than a credit card, more stylish design than usually found at this price point, user-friendly intuitive operation, quick and responsive for the most part, fun "Magic Filters"

The Bad
Flat and washed out looking images (unless shooting with "Magic Filter" deployed) require a degree of post processing to bring out their best – not ideally something you’d want from a supposedly beginner friendly, entry-level compact

Verdict
It looks good and retails for a fair price, so it’s disappointing the standard images the FE-5020 produces could do with a boost in contrast and saturation
Samsung R620 notebook
Looking for a Blu-ray notebook? 17 August 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Well-made, stylish, great keyboard, Blu-ray and value for money

The Bad
Glossy lid attracts prints and scratches, average 3D power

Verdict
A stylish multimedia centre that offers Blu-ray at a great price. It’s also well-made and features a great keyboard. 3D performance could be better
Ashes Cricket 2009 - Xbox 360
Hit for six? 14 August 2009 16:00 GMT

The Good
Lots of fun, delightfully realistic, fantastic control options

The Bad
Graphics a bit lacking, too many edged balls that don't carry

Verdict
A cracking effort from Codemasters, and one that has hit us (hoho) for six
Samsung ST550 digital camera - First Look
How vain are you? 14 August 2009 11:29 GMT

The Good
1.5-inch screen on front, smile mode, touchscreen rear display

The Bad
Bet all those screens eat the battery

Verdict
While we are still holding out on a full verdict because we were unable to see what the image quality is like, but the hardware specs, laughable at first, quickly began to make sense up close and personal
Devotec Solar Sound Bluetooth Speakers
Sound of the summer? 14 August 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Excellent as speaker phone, solar and USB Charging, excellent battery life, great aesthetics

The Bad
Speaker quality could be better and facing forwards, microphone placement is poor, no line out, have to hold down button to skip track forward

Verdict
At £49.99 this is more than we would happily pay, but you do get a quality product that does its job well
BlackBerry Curve 8520 mobile phone
Does BlackBerry work on a budget? 13 August 2009 16:13 GMT

The Good
Price, BlackBerry email and internet service, keyboard, media keys, 3.5mm jack

The Bad
Screen doesn't show off the OS at its best, build quality isn't fantastic, no GPS, not 3G

Verdict
Yes there are shortcomings with the Curve 8520, but it undoubtedly offers a BlackBerry experience to a wider audience
Philips BDP3000 Blu-ray player
Blu-ray on a budget 13 August 2009 14:22 GMT

The Good
BD-Live, DivX playback, excellent value pictures, good upscaling

The Bad
No media USB port, external memory stick needed for BD-Live

Verdict
This deck’s excellent value pictures should give it a wide appeal, despite the slightly cumbersome BD-Live arrangement
Olympus Mju Tough-6010 digital camera
One for watersports? 13 August 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Nice colour reproduction, good overall image quality, environment proofing

The Bad
Lens cover, controls a little convoluted, far too expensive, video quality not great

Verdict
Good images and the appeal of weatherprooing are offset slightly by a few niggles. The price, however, seems far too high over previous models
Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP digital camera
Will this waterproof compact make a splash? 12 August 2009 12:00 GMT

The Good
Waterproofing, compact, easy to use

The Bad
Overall image quality, ISO noise, lens flare

Verdict
Compact and waterproof, the Z33WP will appeal to many, but is let down by overall image quality
Iolo System Mechanic 9 - PC
Can this speed up your computer? 12 August 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Wide range of tools, automated operation, well organised interface, plenty of information available

The Bad
Performance increases may not be noticeable, hogs resources when correcting problems, corrections often require restarts

Verdict
Despite a few minor issues this extensive collection of optimising tools is a versatile and effective way of cleaning up a PC
Pentax K-7 DSLR camera
Is this the snapper it promises to be? 11 August 2009 16:00 GMT

The Good
Good image quality with plenty of detail, excellent range of features, body integral Anti-Shake, anti-dust system, Build and environment protection, RAW (PEF or DNG) +JPEG mode, excellent screen

The Bad
Slightly soft (default) JPEG images, some fiddly controls/handling issues, underpowered built-in flash, some noisy images at higher ISOs

Verdict
Pentax’s new flagship DSLR offers up a host of tasty treats for the high-end or advanced amateur user it’s designed to entice. An excellent specification and massive range of compatible Pentax K-mount lenses plus new weatherproofed kit optics all makes the K-7 look like a super camera
Logitech diNovo Keyboard for Notebooks
Will this make your laptop easier to use? 11 August 2009 12:00 GMT

The Good
Sturdy build, comes with batteries, multimedia keys, small wireless dongle, keys have familiar notebook action

The Bad
Not particularly portable, will need external mouse too, a little pricey for just a keyboard, no real benefit over buying a desktop keyboard

Verdict
Although a little more portable than a standard desktop keyboard, it's still not enough that you'd want it in your laptop bag
Cello C3298FR television
Flash of inspiration? 11 August 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Records to two SD cards, archive recordings as MPEG files to a PC or Mac, built-in DVD player

The Bad
Poor picture quality, flat audio, girth

Verdict
From a purist’s point of view this TV is below average in terms of picture quality – and is arguably loaded with extra features merely to attract your attention
Guitar Hero 5 - First Look
Back on track? 10 August 2009 18:17 GMT

The Good
Plenty of tracks to play, gameplay is as simple as ever, can import old tracks

The Bad
Could be seen as more of the same, You might have to pay for importing tracks

Verdict
We played, we had fun, and are happy to report that Guitar Hero fans will be happy when the game hits 18 September.
Monitor Audio AirStream 10 radio
As easy on the eyes as it is on the ears 10 August 2009 16:00 GMT

The Good
Oozes quality, connectivity, sounds great, network music options

The Bad
Some might not like the file support

Verdict
There is so much to like here, but is comes down to the simple things that make the AirStream 10 a real winner for us: good quality construction, attention to design and detailing and audio that wows
Paul Blart: Mall Cop - DVD
Die Hard for kids? 10 August 2009 12:00 GMT

The Good
It’s better than The Happening

The Bad
The over-riding feeling of meh-ness it inspires

Verdict
It’s not difficult to spot that Paul Blart is in fact tepid family comedy with few high spots
Breville Variable Temperature Kettle
Will this give you the perfect cuppa? 10 August 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Variable temperatures for your different tea types, good design, cordless

The Bad
To the average user you won’t be able to tell the difference, expensive

Verdict
If you like to slurp up your oolong, grab your green tea and ponder over some white this is going to be for you
Radiopaq Custom Tuned headphones
Sound as a fifty-nine pound? 7 August 2009 16:00 GMT

The Good
If you listen to just jazz the Jazz headphones are great, cheap, dedicated sound for your favourite sound

The Bad
Incredibly niche offering

Verdict
Just as it is hard to determine the colour of the sea, it's hard to determine which headphone set you should opt for if at all
Philips GoGear Opus MP3 player
Does this deliver a superior sound experience? 7 August 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Good bundled headphones, good quality audio, easy to use, supports BBC iPlayer

The Bad
Lack of format support, especially for video, size, not terribly exciting

Verdict
The Philips GoGear Opus doesn't do anything drastically wrong but it doesn't really excite either
RealNetworks RealPlayer SP - PC
A tidy media solution? 6 August 2009 16:00 GMT

The Good
Free download and conversion of online video, well integrated components, easy to use

The Bad
Lack of generic conversion formats, community/online aspect can still be overbearing

Verdict
Existing fans of Real Media will be pleased with this new iteration, but we don’t think there’s quite enough innovation here to drag in the mass-market
Timex WS4 adventure watch
But does it tell the time? 6 August 2009 12:00 GMT

The Good
Superb widescreen display, practical, easily navigable features for the adventure set at a great price. Cool colours too

The Bad
It’s enormous and way too big for everyday wear

Verdict
If you’re after a tough, practical outdoor timepiece with functions you’ll actually use the WS4 is superb, just don’t expect it to fit under your work shirt
Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000
Can this shortcut your Windows 7 experience? 6 August 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Plenty of quick keys to get you shortcutitng around the new OS, ergonomic design, mouse included in the price

The Bad
Wristpad feels weird, mouse feels cheap, pricey

Verdict
If you've already signed up to Windows 7 and are in the market for a new keyboard this is one to check out
Mophie juice pack air iPhone battery case
Will this help you get through the day? 5 August 2009 17:28 GMT

The Good
Doubles the life of your iPhone

The Bad
Bulky, will double the size of your iPhone, not that stylish on the design front

Verdict
The Mophie juice pack air does what it sets out to do, i.e., double the life of your iPhone battery and saves you having to find a charging point at some point during the day