Reviews by c3ajeff

c3ajeff says "Low or no impact on anything but my weight, fitness & wallet" about Wii Fit

c3ajeff — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:25:53 GMT

I bought this because I deal with debilitating disabilities that prevent me from most forms of exercise. Lack of exercise isn't any good for life expectancy and I'm sitting here gaining weight... not good. So, what to do? Buy a Wii fit.

After having the Fit for about a week now, I can tell you IT WORKS. Yeah, it tells me I am obese (OK, let's be honest, I am) and my BMI is at a dangerous level. No wonder, that's why I bought it! Anyway, the fit comes with lots of things to do, some are easy some difficult and some are just plain fun (and funny, too!)

I finish my workout on the Wii soaked in sweat and my heart rate is up nicely throughout the workout. I am understandably sore and tired but not so bad that I am bedridden from it. I think this is the best thing since sliced bread for people with problems like I have which include Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia, both of which can improve with exercise but the problem often is that exercise makes the symptoms worse (until they improve a...

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c3ajeff says "Affordable, one of a kind, hand-crafted Designer Jewelry" about JeffreyDesign - Hand-Crafted Jewelry

c3ajeff — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:27:31 GMT

If you're looking for affordable, quality hand-made jewelry I have just the place for you to go. Take your web browser to jeffreydesign - don't be discouraged by the hokey website, the jewelry here is OUTSTANDING. Everything that is silver is .925 sterling silver and everything that's gold is 14k gold (unless otherwise specified - there is some 18k and some 10k gold.) The pearls are real pearls, and the gemstones are real gemstones. It's hard to believe because the prices are so low, but it's true.

JeffreyDesigns hand makes each item and doesn't repeat a design twice so you get an original item, a "one of a kind" each time you buy. The items are also made to last and are designed to wear nicely. A lot of care is put into making the jewelry "hang right" as well as look beautiful.

Take a look especially at the "Jingle Bracelets". JeffreyDesign pioneered this design and had been doing it for years. Each bracelet is unique an stunning.

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c3ajeff says "Pro-Quality Karaoke in your home at a reasonable price" about Vocopro - DVG-888K DVD Player

c3ajeff — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:57:43 GMT

I play keyboard in a blues band and I'm the only one that doesn't sing - not because I can't sing at all, but because I don't sing well enough. What I needed was practice. Of course I could sing along with my stereo, but it's not the same as singing with just a backing track (or with a live band, which is my end-goal.)

My wife also loves to Karaoke (which means "empty orchestra" in Japanese) as do my children. With all that in mind, I decided to pursue an inexpensive Karaoke setup for my home.

While shopping, I found several inexpensive machines, but one thing I knew from Professional Karaoke experience, you should be able to adjust the key (also known as key control) without changing the speed of the song. By far, most of the inexpensive Karaoke players (including most all-in-one microphones) do not have "key control". Without key control, you're stuck with the pitch of the music even if it doesn't fit your vocal range. This narrows the list considerably.

Vocopro is a company that makes mostly...

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c3ajeff says "Seems bigger than it is, crystal clear picture" about JVC - AV-30W585 Television

c3ajeff — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 20:56:52 GMT

This isn't an LCD or Plasma Screen, in fact it's brighter and will outlast either one of those. Another nice thing is you can view it from literally any angle and get a nice bright picture. Unfortunately, these High Def Tube TV's are getting harder to find, but they are very reasonably priced when you do.

This particular model is extremely versatile with several video inputs (some TV's only have one!) that allow you to connect the TV to several devices simultaneously. I only wish it had two HDMI connectors.

This unit is heavy - can't be mounted on a wall like the thinner LCD/Plasma screens BUT you will pay around half the money for the same size screen.

Since this is such a well-made unit, buying a used one is not out of the question. The tube should last at least ten years (unlike many LCD/Plasma screens, particularly older ones that dim or burn out in a few years.)

There are too many features in this model to mention them here, but I find I never use most of them. One I wish it had is screen...

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c3ajeff says "They don't make them like this anymore" about Honda Odyssey - 1998

c3ajeff — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 18:55:04 GMT

If you're in the market for a good used minivan and have a limited budget, this van is for you. It's dependable, gets great gas mileage (I regularly get 25-27 mpg around town and up to 28-31 mpg on the freeway) is great for a small family and fits into even a small garage.

One reason I bought this van is that I am physically tall from my hips to my head - I often bump my head on the roof of cars and other vans. The Odyssey has a lot of headroom. Another reason I bought this van is that it has a low profile and doesn't have those blasted slider doors. I know I'll eventually have to give in and buy a new van with sliders, but I'm holding out as long as I can. It's the most common comment I get on the van; people really like the doors.

With the 3rd row seats folded down, there is a lot of storage space, however with the 3rd row seats up/occupied, there isn't much room behind them. Let's face it, it's a small van, but the trade off is that you get great gas mileage and driveability.

I bought the...

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c3ajeff says ""Mini Mo[tif]" or Major PSR?" about Yamaha MM6

c3ajeff — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:39:32 GMT

Let's cut to the chase on this one. If you're buying Yamaha's hype, that is calling this synthesizer a, "Mini Mo" (that is, mini Motif, named after their highly-regarded line of Synthesizer Workstations) you're probably going to be disappointed.

If, however you're like me and were just looking for the best of the Motif sounds packaged in a lightweight synth (that's < 15lbs, folks) you've come to the right place. I suppose if you really want a synth workstation worthy of the Motif namesake, then you should buy one like the XS, or even the lower cost MO series. You're going to pay from 2x to 15x more for one of these than you're going to pay for the MM6 - and trust me, if you already have a workstation from Korg or Roland, you may still want the MM6 - just for the sounds.

I play in a blues band and use the MM6 for the great piano, horns and strings sounds. The organ sounds leave a lot to be desired so I use software (NI B4 II) to emulate the Hammond B3, but I use the MM6 to control it. The...

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c3ajeff says "A Recording Studio in a box" about Image Line FL Studio 7

c3ajeff — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:35:20 GMT

Formerly known as "Fruity Loops," FL Studio is a mature Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software for Windows PCs (also can be used with MAC bootcamp) that includes a complete feature set for everything from basic looping to full studio recording sessions.

Initially, I approached FL Studio from a standpoint of a complete newbie (an inexperienced user) as it was my very first DAW software. I have watched as FL Studio has gone through several iterations and upgrades - each one a great improvement over the last. I found FL Studio very easy to learn, easy to use and it did what I wanted to do. If I couldn't figure something out, I simply posted my question on the internet forum and within hours I had an answer. Great! I was able to compose, record and master music.

Now, I also have learned how to use several other DAW software choices like ProTools HD, Cubase, Sonar, ACID, etc. so I can also approach this from the perspective of a very experienced user as well. I still find myself going to FLS...

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c3ajeff says "BIAB is a terrific tool for composers" about PG Music Band-in-a-Box Full Version for PC

c3ajeff — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 21:36:10 GMT

I am a keyboard player (I play in a blues band) and I like to record both my original compositions as well as other music. Band In A Box (BIAB) is a tool I use to accomplish my goals. I used to hand-sequence MIDI one note (event) at a time. This is very time-consuming. What BIAB does for me is automatically generate MIDI based on built-in styles. All I need to do is supply the chord structure, an MP3 or WAV file (or a little of both) and a melody line - BIAB does the rest for me.

After BIAB is done with generating MIDI, I can adjust it until I like how it sounds. Then I import that generated MIDI sequence into my DAW software for further tweaking and final production.

BIAB is also useful for practice. Regardless of what instrument you play, you can mute the BIAB-generated part and play along with the rest of the band. Often I get good musical ideas from what BIAB generates. It's amazing software!

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c3ajeff says "Vista is great - but..." about Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Edition Full Version OEM for PC

c3ajeff — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 20:39:27 GMT

I read the other reviews. Being a "computer professional" for over 25 years, I have heard this same sort of whining before. I think the same people that love their XP complained about XP and wanted to keep 98 when XP first came out.

Let's face it, new operating systems have problems. Every iteration (Windows, MAC and Linux) of an OS has it's misgivings and it's strong points. Often those problems eventually get resolved.

I've been using (and installing) Vista for some time now and I won't go back to XP. Of course, I have the hardware to run Vista appropriately. Microsoft made it CLEAR that you need to have appropriate hardware (along with native Vista drivers) and software that's written to standards in order to have a good Vista experience. Those who are doing all the whining fall into three or four groups: Those who upgraded their XP machine, but their hardware wasn't up to the challenge, Those who bought a new Vista machine but their favorite software didn't work with Vista (most likely...

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c3ajeff says "Why pay for an anti-virus solution when you can get it for free?" about Grisoft AVG Free Edition 7.5

c3ajeff — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 20:07:36 GMT

Why buy an anti-virus solution for your home computer when an excellent solution is available for free? Yes indeed, there is such a thing as a free lunch (in this case anyway!)

AVG Free Edition works. It does it's job. I am a computer consultant and I have installed this software on literally hundreds of home computers. Many of my professional clients who have AVG Free at home liked it so much that they purchased the rather reasonably-priced professional editions for their offices and servers.

I have never had a problem with AVG. I can't say that for other anti-virus software. In fact I have had SO many problems with the likes of Norton and McAfee that I always advise my clients to remove them and install AVG.

I have absolutely no affiliation with AVG - I do not profit from it's use or sale of it's professional products.

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