Reviews by MisterBoffo

MisterBoffo says "Miserable experience" about United Airlines

MisterBoffo — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:31:05 GMT

United has one of the worst seat pitches in the industry. If you have long legs, as I do, your knees suffer every time the person in front of you puts their seat back. United uses this customer abuse as a method of selling seats with a large pitch at a premium. They also charge for checking luggage and other services. Your flight will feel much longer on this airline.

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MisterBoffo says "No nonsense when it counts" about Southwest Airlines

MisterBoffo — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:25:03 GMT

Southwest is often described as a low-fare airlne. However, aside from the many specials they run their fares are often not the lowest. You won't know your seat until you get on the plane -- only how close to the front of the line you will be. There's no in-flight entertainment. OK, so much for the negative stuff -- here's why they're really a top choice. They don't two-bit you to death with a long list of hidden charges for things like checking luggage, blankets, pillows, etc. The attendants are friendly and seem to like their jobs. Seats have adequate legroom. They keep to schedule better than many other carriers. Only we old people can remember when flying was advertised as enjoyable -- now the price is much lower and it's just a quick way of getting from one city to another. I won't describe Southwest as fun, but it's not the ordeal that many other airlines make us suffer through.

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MisterBoffo says "The Mercedes of toothbrushes" about Sonicare FlexCare 900 Series Electric Toothbrush

MisterBoffo — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:06:05 GMT

Sonicare has upped the ante in the electric toothbrush industry with their FlexCare series. The brush head has been redesigned to eliminate the large cavity in the body that was a bacterial breeding ground. The brush is now a solid molded assembly that has no openings in its exterior surface to allow germ growth. It even has special fibers that change color to tell you that it's time to change them. Different colored rings are included so that the heads can be identified for each user. There is a gentle setting and a massage setting in addition to the standard cleaning mode. An ultraviolet brush head sterilizer is available on some models. My daughter used to own an Oral-B unit. When it died we bought her a FlexCare. Her reaction was "Wow!" It was easier on her gums but left her teeth feeling much cleaner. The Oral-B brush head also had an opening that could lead to bacterial growth and was very hard to clean. She'll never go back. The FlexCare is expensive, but...

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MisterBoffo says "Like a dental cleaning at home" about Sonicare Essence e5300 Electric Toothbrush

MisterBoffo — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 04:47:45 GMT

The Sonicare Essence leaves your teeth feeling as if you just had them cleaned at the dentist. It also does a fantastic job of massaging your gums to keep them healthy. The battery is recharged without electrical contacts -- great because over time the contacts would corrode and stop working. The biggest disadvantages of this model are price (but the job it does is worth it), the non-replaceable battery and the design of the brush head. The brush head has a large motor section at its base and the brush body has a large cavity to hold it. Water seeps into this cavity and bacteria tend to grow there. You need to clean the cavity periodically to keep the crud in check. I have owned this model long enough that the battery died and I had to buy a new unit. Given my great dental checkups, I replaced it without grumbling.

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MisterBoffo says "Good but could be better" about DIRECTV Group - HR20-700S DVR

MisterBoffo — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 02:43:35 GMT

The DirecTV HR20-700S is a good product. It allows you to record 2 channels at once in both regular and HD format. Because it is customized for DirecTV it stays current as more features are added to the service. It is easy to program.

You can only rent the unit. Over the years that adds up to a lot more money you will have to fork out.

The hard drive is big enough for most purposes, but should have been big enough that capacity is never a thought. There's no provision to record or play DVDs in either regular or Blu-Ray format. That would make the unit much more convenient and would help when the hard drive gets full.

Two tuners seem like a lot, but when 3 or 4 good shows are put up against each other in an otherwise crappy week I wish more could be recorded at once.

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MisterBoffo says "Highway cruiser" about Mercury Grand Marquis - 2009

MisterBoffo — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 02:19:10 GMT

The Mercury Grand Marquis may be one of the most comfortable vehicles available for a cross-country drive. It has room for 5 people and their luggage. The trunk is very large and keeps the passenger compartment uncluttered and safe from flying objects in a crash. It has decent reliability and gas mileage is better than might be expected from such a large vehicle.

Unfortunately, Ford has chosen to rest on their laurels with this car. It hasn't been given most of the new features available on other models and feels dated. I get the impression that they will dump it as soon as sales decline sufficiently just as they did with the Crown Victoria and that only a loyal customer base is keeping it alive. That's a shame -- an updated version would fill a unique niche. Because it is dated and will probably become a dead brand I feel reluctant to recommend it although I haven't found a better choice for a 1500 mile drive.

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MisterBoffo says "Safe and effective" about Garmin - Nuvi 750

MisterBoffo — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 02:06:03 GMT

The Garmin Nuvi 750 is my second car GPS, replacing a smaller model. Both used the same windshield mount technique, putting unit where you can see and hear it without looking away from the road, and it warns you about trying to program it while you're driving. That's important for safety. You have your choice of a man's or woman's voice in English, and it also speaks more languages than most of us have ever heard of.

The maps are amazingly complete. The unit announces turns a good distance in advance, including left and right, and then reminds you as they get close. The voice is well done and easy to understand and includes the street name, although it sometimes mangles pronunciation. The name is also on the screen. You can adjust the distance ahead that is displayed on the map. The display changes to night mode at sunset. You can subscribe to a service that helps alert you to real-time traffic problems for an extra fee.

It's easy to disconnect the unit and put it in...

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MisterBoffo says "Matches the washer" about Kenmore Washer and Dryer

MisterBoffo — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 01:32:31 GMT

This matches the HE2 front loading washer. We have the electric version. It's nice and does the job, but it's not more effective than a lot of others that cost less. A lot of lint bypasses the filter; if you have a fairly long vent this means that you will have to spend time periodically cleaning the entire length to prevent clogging. If the vent clogs, clothes drying will take a LONG time.

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MisterBoffo says "Less water, cleaner clothes" about Kenmore Washer - Front Load HE2 Plus

MisterBoffo — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 01:25:16 GMT

The Kenmore front load HE2 washer is quiet and effective. It uses a lot less water than most top loaders while doing it. It is prone to oversudsing if you use too much soap, and even the recommended amount is often too much. You need to use one of the low-sudsing detergents. We have had a problem with items that shed a lot such as old towels jamming the pump with threads and lint. Buying a service contract has been worth it. There have been complaints of mold buildup and bad smells, but we have had no problem simply by keeping the door open when it's not in use so that moisture won't remain.

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MisterBoffo says "Best of breed" about Sennheiser Pxc 450 Headphone Circumaural Headphones

MisterBoffo — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:58:11 GMT

Sennheiser PXC450 noise cancelling headphones are the best I have encountered. The sound quality as a headphone is very good -- better than Bose -- and the noise cancellation works well. One of their handy features is a button that allows you to turn off the phones and listen to what is going on around you. That's a real plus when a stewardess is asking you a question. Another advantage over the Bose phones is that they will work as regular headphones without batteries when you don't have ambient noise. The Sennheiser phones are over-the-ear types; they're comfortable, but you're more likely to sweat under them on hot days. The on-off switch is very small and best operated with a fingernail; I have had to take them off to activate it. The earphones are self-contained and the cord is removable so that you can use them just for noise cancellation while doing yard or shop work without the danger of something dangling loose. The Sennheiser phones come in a nice fabric-covered......

MisterBoffo says "Not bad for the non-techie" about Samsung - SGH-T329 Stripe Cell Phone

MisterBoffo — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:39:10 GMT

The Samsung has a limited range of features but is a nice basic phone. It is capable of text messaging, and although it doesn't have a QWERTY keyboard it does have an autofill feature that allows you to hit most keys only once while entering your message. It has a camera, although the resolution is limited. The clamshell design is less likely to result in accidental keystrokes than a "candy bar" style. This is one of the best offerings you can get for use with T-Mobile prepaid service. I bought it just before Christmas when it was on sale for $40. At that price it's a lot of phone for the money, especially when you consider that the prepaid service is only $100 for 1000 minutes that are good for a year and can be rolled over.

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MisterBoffo says "More power!!!" about Panasonic Microwave - Inverter 2.2 cuft 2500 watts

MisterBoffo — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:19:49 GMT

My wife likes white appliances. This was one of the few still being made. The good news is that we didn't have to compromise to get her color. The unit cooks evenly and the power is adequate to do it quickly. It holds large objects comfortably. It fits under most cabinets. The only nit I can pick is in regard to the display: there is a lot of background light, especially when it is viewed from off angles such as looking down from above....

MisterBoffo says "Better than you think" about 1998 Ford Crown Victoria

MisterBoffo — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 08:50:41 GMT

Some auto sites have called the Crown Vic a dinosaur. In one way they're right -- it hasn't been given the upgrades and improvements that most cars have received over the years. In other ways, they're wrong -- the soft ride, quiet and internal room make it an outstanding car for long road trips. The room is enhanced by the split bench front seats: the lack of a center console gives passengers more room to move freely. In 1998 Ford offered a digital console that is more readable than what is offered today. Some versions also have electronic seat adjustment including lumbar support. If you're going on a cross-country trip you'll arrive more relaxed in this car than in most that are on the road....

MisterBoffo says "Still great" about 1997 Toyota Avalon

MisterBoffo — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 08:35:16 GMT

The Avalon has grown in recent years. This model is a better compromise for many people because it is easier to maneuver but still seats 5. And because it's a Toyota of course it's very reliable. It uses premium gas but gets over 20 mpg even in town. It has doth a cassette player and a 3-CD changer. The front bucket seats hold driver and passenger comfortably. Antilock brakes are standard. If you're looking for a good used car this is definitely worth considering....

MisterBoffo says "Good value" about Samsung CLX-3160FN Laser Printer

MisterBoffo — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 08:24:36 GMT

This multifunction color laser printer does everything adequately but there's no "wow" factor. It can print, scan, copy and fax in black and white or color. It has an automatic document feeder. The consumables are reasonably priced. Samsung's software holds it back, especially when scanning: bitmap files it creates are much bigger than they should be. The Windows scanning application is awkward but performs much better. Scanning in higher resolution modes is slow. Like most lasers, photos are difficult for it. Colors tend to be flat and inaccurate, even when printed on photo paper (you must use laser photo paper rather than inkjet types, and the choices are much more limited). Because Samsung uses a different approach, the unit does not need to cycle and is silent when it is not being used, unlike printers from HP and other vendors. Overall, it's a reasonable choice for a home office, especially one with limited space or where noise will carry to other areas. Price......

MisterBoffo says "Too basic" about Nokia - 6010 Cell Phone

MisterBoffo — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 07:49:53 GMT

I only use my cell when traveling or for emergencies, and I only use it as a phone. This was the least expensive phone I could get with the plan I chose. Because of its "candy bar" style the microphone is far from your mouth. I have had numerous occasions where the person on the other end had a difficult time hearing me, and I'm not that quiet when I talk. If you don't buy a case for it the keys can be activated by accident whenever it's on. It is not terribly sensitive to signals either. My next phone will be a flip type. This phone does have texting capabilities, but that's about it. You can't connect to your computer or the internet....

MisterBoffo says "Never be lost again" about Garmin - Nuvi 360

MisterBoffo — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 07:35:44 GMT

I think this is the best automotive GPS on the market. It is very accurate and has kept me from becoming hopelessly lost on many occasions. Because it talks you can keep your eyes on the road as you drive, a major safety feature. It also shows the route on the screen, automatically changing at night. The screen display can be zoomed in or out depending on your needs. The speech functions are clear and you have a choice of voices and many languages to choose from. It is programmed to tell you in advance of the next action you must take. It is so small that you can take it with you when you park the vehicle in a place where you are concerned about possible breakins. Because it is not built in it can be used with every car you drive, both your own and rentals. Garmin has provided numerous new graphics and voices at no extra charge over the internet. Many businesses, attractions and other locations are listed, but because these change so rapidly they are not complete and contain listings......