Reviews by craftyzan101

craftyzan101 says "Plug & Play At Right Price!" about Pioneer DVR-A18M

craftyzan101 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:27:56 GMT

What is the Pioneer Internal DVD/CD Writer?

The Pioneer Internal DVD/CD Writer is a basic internal IDE DVD/CD Writer that will 'plug & play' for you at the right price. My Pioneer Internal DVD/CD Writer works with Linux and with Windows XP Home.

If you know what your doing, you can install a Pioneer Internal DVD/CD Writer yourself. If you are uncomfortable taking apart your computer's outer shell, you need to take your computer to a tech.

Pros:
1. The Pioneer Internal DVD/CD Writer is very easy to install for someone comfortable taking apart his or her computer's shell.

2. Pioneer Internal DVD/CD Writer is compatible with both Linux and Windows operating systems out of the box.

Cons:
1. Pioneer Internal DVD/CD Writer comes with a CD of Nero 8 promotional DVD creating software. Nero 8 can be a drain on slower computer's resources and if a tech installs your Pioneer Internal DVD/CD Writer, said tech will install Nero 8 promotional software on your system. That can be...

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craftyzan101 says "PlanetFeedback makes contacting businesses easy" about PlanetFeedback

craftyzan101 — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:32:08 GMT

What is PlanetFeedback.com?

PlanetFeedback.com is a website and community dedicated to making communications between customers with other customers and businesses easier. The communication can be a compliment or a complaint.

What does PlanetFeedback.com do?

PlanetFeedback.com forwards your complaint or complement to the business in question after placing said complaint or compliment into a standard-generated form letter. Here is what the form letter looks like after I removed the individual contents of a letter I sent to a business. (PlanetFeedback.com cannot however control the responses of individual businesses. It only provides addresses and assistance in letter writing)

To whom it may concern
Business In Question
Street Address
City, State
Zip + 4

My complaint-complement-question

The body of the question that I wrote went here.

Sincerely,

My name went here.
Street Address
City, State
Zip + 4

To share letters with communities within PlanetFeedback.com, you can opt to share your individual...

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craftyzan101 says "Says it recharges 4, recharges just 2 AA's" about Duracell - NiMH Battery Carger

craftyzan101 — Thu, 21 May 2009 04:36:50 GMT

Duracell NiMH Battery Charger

What is Duracell NiMH Battery Charger?
Duracell NiMH Battery Charger is a device that recharges rechargable NiMH batteries (not the alkaline batteries, trying to recharge the latter can have nasty consequences such as catching fire to the house.) Rechargable batteries and battery rechargers are real money savers over the long run, especially if you keep MP3 players, toy cars, alarm clocks, flash lights, and digital cameras about that gobbles batteries. Expensive at the outset, rechargable batteries with their chargers do pay for themselves in as little as three months if you have more than four battery operated products.

What does Duracell NiMH Battery Charger specifically say it will do?
Duracell NiMH Battery Charger says that it will charge four AA batteries or two AAA batteries at one time.

Were does Duracell NiMH Battery Charger drop the ball?
Duracell NiMH Battery Charger does not charge four AA batteries at one time. It will charge just two AA batteries...

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craftyzan101 says "Priced right, Good for storage, Lousy for content identification" about Philips DM4S6B00F (DM4S6B00F/17) 16x DVD-R Spindle (100 Pack)

craftyzan101 — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:47:38 GMT

Philips Value Pack - 100 x DVD-R - 4.7 GB 16x - spindle - storage media

What Philips Value Pack 100 x DVD-R 4.7 GB 16x spindle storage media is:
Philips Value Pack 100 x DVD-R 4.7 GB 16x spindle storage media are advertised as blank DVD disks used for the storage of media or the creation of DVD movie discs. You can store text, video, and audio files or back up your operating system on one disk if it is within the size limit or divide it onto several disks.

What Philips Value Pack 100 x DVD-R 4.7 GB 16x spindle storage media does:
I use these disks for permanent back up of video, audio, and some large text files. I also use them for backing up computer programs such as large Linux operating systems. The maximum writing speed of these disks is 16 times play speed so that means backups are quick.

What Philips Value Pack 100 x DVD-R 4.7 GB 16x spindle storage media doesn't do:
Marking the contents of each disk is difficult on this particular brand of DVD-R because the discs already come with...

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craftyzan101 says "Site actually pays for surveys" about MySurvey!

craftyzan101 — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 08:10:13 GMT

What is MySurvey.com?

MySurvey.com is a website that offers incentives for taking surveys. MySurvey.com's incentives come in the form of either cash or merchandise. The merchandise incentives are generally worth more than the cash.

What kind of surveys are offered by MySurvey.com?

MySurvey.com offers surveys by phone, multiple choice cards sent by postal mail, and multimedia on the Internet. You can decide which surveys you want to take. If you don't want to take phone surveys, you can tell MySurvey.com not to call you or send you postal mail surveys and just stick to Internet surveys.

How frequent are surveys from MySurvey.com?

Surveys from MySurvey.com are rather frequent, and are usually worth about ten points each for about ten to twenty minutes of your time. You are alerted by email that you've a survey waiting for you on the website.

How frequent are MySurvey.com awards?

MySurvey.com are less frequent than the surveys, you have to wait for the good rewards. It takes about 6,000 points...

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craftyzan101 says "Big cute for small buck" about CaSonic - CaSonic

craftyzan101 — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:13:44 GMT

CaSonic MP3 Music Player with One Gigabyte Flash Memory with FM Tuner

What is CaSonic MP3 Music Player with One Gigabyte Flash Memory with FM Tuner?

CaSonic MP3 Music Player with One Gigabyte Flash Memory with FM Tuner is an almost too small MP3 player with a surprising amount of features for it's cost. You can play music, record your verbal nattering in the grocery store, play FM radio... Good grief, it even stores files like any good memory stick!

Pros:
CaSonic MP3 Music Player with One Gigabyte Flash Memory with FM Tuner does not need drivers in order to load and unload files of any sort unless you are using Windows 98. If you are using Windows 98 CaSonic MP3 Music Player with One Gigabyte Flash Memory with FM Tuner kindly enclosed a driver mini-CD so you can enjoy this MP3 player too. The CaSonic MP3 Music Player with One Gigabyte Flash Memory with FM Tuner package comes with ear-buds, a AAA battery, a user's manual, and a USB 2 cable.

People with Linux operating systems can use CaSonic...

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craftyzan101 says "Charges The Temper, Nothing Else!" about Tripp Lite (IN3006CG) Battery Charger

craftyzan101 — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 06:56:29 GMT

What Tripp Lite IN3006CG Notebook/Laptop Rapid Recharger for AA & AAA Batteries USB LED is:

Tripp Lite IN3006CG Notebook/Laptop Rapid Recharger for AA & AAA Batteries USB LED is a battery recharger that uses the laptop or desktop as a power source to charge rechargeable batteries. The basic idea is to use your PC's power to charge up your batteries quickly.

What Tripp Lite IN3006CG Notebook/Laptop Rapid Recharger for AA & AAA Batteries USB LED does:

Tripp Lite IN3006CG Notebook/Laptop Rapid Recharger for AA & AAA Batteries USB LED does absolutely nothing.

My beef or complaint with Tripp Lite IN3006CG Notebook/Laptop Rapid Recharger for AA & AAA Batteries USB LED:

The Tripp Lite IN3006CG Notebook/Laptop Rapid Recharger for AA & AAA Batteries USB LED sat there with it's red indicator lights on for DAYS. Nothing got charged. I sent the first one back thinking we had a faulty model. A second model was sent to me, and it did the same thing. What really fried my beans was the fact the thing did...

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craftyzan101 says "Not user friendly!" about HP - Photosmart 735 Digital Camera

craftyzan101 — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:51:16 GMT

What HP PhotoSmart 735 is:
HP PhotoSmart 735 is a digital camera with a large number of features and a small screen to help the photographically challenged find their shot. You can connect the HP PhotoSmart 735 camera to your computer via a standard USB cable to upload photographs. The memory is expandable as well.

What's good about HP PhotoSmart 735:
The HP PhotoSmart 735 accepts rechargeable AA batteries and can be hooked up to your computer for photograph transfer. That saves you time and money as you can touch up your photos using a photo editor such as, but not limited to, Photo Shop. This model is compatible with Linux as well as Windows. You can also extend your camera's memory to hold more pictures when you are on the go. The ability to pick and choose which photos you want to save is a money saver.

What's bad about HP PhotoSmart 735:
The HP PhotoSmart 735 eats batteries at a very high rate of speed, especially if you use the digital view. The learning curve is also intimidating...

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craftyzan101 says "Stops Alergies at Reasonable price" about Kroger Allergy Tablets

craftyzan101 — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:18:15 GMT

What Kroger Allergy Tablets are:
Kroger Allergy Tablets are a discount brand of allergy relief antihistamine medication. The bottle I am reviewing has 100 pink tablets. The recommended dose is one to two tablets for people over age twelve every four to six hours. Do not take more than six doses in a twenty four hour period as overdose is possible.

What's good about Kroger Allergy Tablets:
They work like Benadryl Allergy Tablets at a cut rate price. These tablets can cost just half as much as Benadryl. If you get this product on sale, the savings is even steeper. The tablets inside are indistinguishable from Benadryl tablets when laid out side by side.

What's bad about Kroger Allergy Tablets:
Kroger Allergy Tablets can leave you very drowsy so you need to take care when operating a car or other complex machine.

Kroger Allergy Tablets are a good buy if your looking for an antihistamine to beat down your hay-fever if you aren't going to need to be alert. If alertness is required, this is...

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craftyzan101 says "officeWorks Clear Mailing Tape tapes up packages" about officeWorks officeWorks Clear Mailing Tape

craftyzan101 — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:50:14 GMT

What officeWorks Clear Mailing Tape is:
officeWorks Clear Mailing Tape is a tape for sealing packages for being sent in the mail and it, according to the package, meets postal regulations. The size I am currently reviewing is 1.88 inches by 800 inches or 48mm by 20.3 m. It is 1 7/8 inches wide.

The Good:
officeWorks Clear Mailing Tape is good at sticking to the package, sealing it up tight. It is ideal for small packages. It is also easy to part the tape from the spindle because it comes with a plastic device with a cutting edge. That makes it better than most bargain brand tapes.

The Bad:
officeWorks Clear Mailing Tape does not offer, to my knowledge, replacement spindles that attach to your cutting devise. That disallows recycling of parts therefore I will have to give it less than five stars.

I will continue to buy this product even though it is only of average value because it is priced right.

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craftyzan101 says "Doesn't cut grease but cleans dishes at reasonable cost" about Ajax Super Degreaser Dish Liquid

craftyzan101 — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 08:40:39 GMT

What Ajax Super Degreaser Dish Soap is:
Ajax Super Degreaser Dish Soap is a liquid soap designed for the hand washing of dishes. Ajax Super Degreaser Dish Soap claims to cut grease and offer a Lemon Fresh scent. This product is available at most supermarkets.

What Ajax Super Degreaser Dish Soap does:
Ajax Super Degreaser Dish Soap cleans dishes. It is pretty basic stuff at a reasonable price and it doesn't smell too bad. The reasonable price is what keeps me buying Ajax Super Degreaser Dish Soap because my budget is really tight.

What Ajax Super Degreaser Dish Soap does not do:
Ajax Super Degreaser Dish Soap does not do is clean greasy dishes or plastic containers well. Because Ajax Super Degreaser Dish Soap does not do what is advertised on the bottle I give Ajax Super Degreaser Dish Soap a below average rating even though I do purchase it as it is usually the soap on sale. Ajax Super Degreaser Dish Soap does not smell like lemons either. That is two hits of false advertising from Ajax......

craftyzan101 says "This product turns trash into high grade soil!" about Worm-A-Way Vermacomposter Bin Model 7002

craftyzan101 — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:49:32 GMT

Worm-a-way®7002 is a plastic Vermacomposting bin that turns vegetable scraps into high quality soil with the help of red wriggler earthworms, water, soil, and paper scraps. It comes with a 'how to' sheet and a book called Worms Eat My Garbage.

Worm-a-way® Model 7002, once set up, requires very little attention. Worm-a-way® Bins do not smell either unless something is seriously wrong, or you disregard directions and put something smelly in. I have one in my bedroom, and you would not know it was there unless you took the lid off and looked inside.

Worms Eat My Garbage is an easy to read book, readable even by grade-schoolers. The pictures are very well done and self explanatory.

Frankly, I am hard pressed to find anything negative to say about this product. The only negative I could come up with is that the cost is a bit high, but not extravagantly so as your earthworms come with the kit, a $20 value, and the book is about $13 value.

Worms Eat My Garbage & Worm-a-way® Model bins......

craftyzan101 says "Everyday Living Disinfectant Spray kills germs but stinks." about Everyday Living Disinfectant Spray

craftyzan101 — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:11:55 GMT

Everyday Living Disinfectant Spray is a disinfectant aerosol spray similar to Lysol Disinfectant Spray. Everyday Living Disinfectant Spray claims to kill germs, eliminate odors, prevent mold & mildew growth, and smell like freshly laundered linen.

Everyday Living Disinfectant Spray kills germs, eliminate odors, and prevent mold & mildew growth very well.

Everyday Living Disinfectant Spray does not smell good. It does not have a Lenin scent despite the laundry on it's label. It has a hospital or chemical stench.

I cannot give Everyday Living Disinfectant Spray five stars because it doesn't smell the way it was labeled, despite the fact it keeps the germs running.

Everyday Living Disinfectant Spray is something to have about the house if you have had a flu or cold outbreak in the family, want to kill germs, mold, or mildew, or have a child who brings home germs from his classmates on a regular basis.

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craftyzan101 says "Sharp little product" about Sanford Sanford Sharpie Twin Tip Permanent Marker

craftyzan101 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:20:16 GMT

Sharpie CD/DVD Twin Tip Marker

My Use:
I use DVD's and CD's for data storage and organization, and I use these little Sharpie CD/DVD Twin Tip Markers to organize those CD/DVD's that pile up in a hurry.

The Good:
The Sharpie CD/DVD Twin Tip Marker's tips are soft, so they do not damage the CD/DVD that you are marking with it. If you label a CD/DVD with something hard like a ball point pen, you can damage the CD/DVD and ruin the data that is written on it. There are two points, one thick for bold labeling "SEE ME" for a CD/DVD holding large, important contents. The fine tip is there for CD/DVD's that contain libraries or the like.

The Bad:
The fine point of the Sharpie CD/DVD Twin Tip Marker does skip a bit. However, this is the only product with such a fine writing product with a CD/DVD in mind.

The Ugly:
DO NOT get this thing near furniture or clothes. It is permanent folks.
DO NOT let it anywhere near a child or a toddler as the 'fun' can be endless!

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craftyzan101 says "Extends your plugability!" about Petra Industries (782867110220) Surge Suppressor

craftyzan101 — Fri, 23 May 2008 07:33:25 GMT

What the product is:
This is a 6-Outlet Wall Tap that allows you to plug in more gadgets than you would normally be able to into your two outlets your given in the wall. That is important, considering I am always short of outlets in nearly every outlet of my home.

The good:
This wall tap has no cord that can be burnt as it it residing in the kitchen with hot appliances. It sits directly on top of the original outlet. It saves me the hassle of unplugging one appliance to plug in another, and worrying if the crock pot is turned on. Meat can spoil if the crock pot is turned off you know!

The bad:
I guess you can overload the outlet. You have to be careful you don't have too many big appliances plugged in to one outlet....fires can be pretty darned ugly n' bad, but that doesn't relate to the product any...

The ugly:
That tan color is pretty darned ugly.
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craftyzan101 says "Does a good job for it's tiny size!" about Frigidaire FAA055P7A Thru-Wall/Window Air Conditioner

craftyzan101 — Fri, 23 May 2008 07:21:54 GMT

What it is:
This is a compact Cooling Capacity (BTU): 5200 air conditioner that fits in a window and cools a small room. If you are looking to cool the entire apartment or house, this isn't your product. If you have a studio apartment or spend most of your time in a bedroom aka computer room slash bedroom, this is your ticket to the cool life. I am of the latter species, planted in front of the computer monitor for most of my waking life. I do my cooking in the kitchen after the sun goes down and the heat goes away...

The good:
This product is energy star compliant. It is pretty easy on the energy bill. It has two speeds plus fan. For the lazy, it also comes with a remote control. This bugger was also on sale at 40% off which was irresistible.

The bad:
It's not terribly quiet. Then again, I've not met a terribly quiet air conditioner so I am not bashing that.

The ugly:
A very hot day can overwhelm this product. If your living in Phoenix, you need to shell out the extra cash for the mega......

craftyzan101 says "Sweet for the Cheap!" about Philips MMS171 2.1 Speakers

craftyzan101 — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 23:39:15 GMT

The Price:
These speakers are a good buy at just $40.

The Ideal Customer:
They are ideal for a student living dorm room or a single person living in a studio apartment or flat although you can blast your neighbors with that woofer if you aren't careful. Thankfully, the woofer has it's own volume control, separate from the remote control which controls the tweeters.

The Size:
Small, these speakers are currently sitting on a chair where normally the average person sits.

The Weight:
I can carry the box full of these speakers under my arm. A child can carry them in both arms.

The Material:
Plastic and wood. The Woofer is made of recycled wood and plastic. The tweeters are plastic and quite fragile. You must be quite careful with them, although their sound quality is excellent.

Setting Them Up:
Easy as pie to set up. I've had kitchen gadgets that were harder to put together as things in the back are color coded.

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craftyzan101 says "This fan BLOWS" about Lakewood HV-9/C

craftyzan101 — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:32:20 GMT

The size:
This fan is just 12 inches.

The Speed:
The fan has three speeds: low, medium, and high.

The flexibility:
The face of the fan can be turned towards a person in the room or toward the ceiling!

What is unique:
This fan is not made out of the plastic that is everywhere in today's products. It is made out of aluminum and steel which is all together a sturdier material.

Assembly:
You put the fan onto the stand. I did it with ease, even though I've mild corporal tunnel syndrome.

The looks:
The fan is sleek looking, a simple device with out all the what not in today's gadgets.

Cleaning:
The fan is easy to clean. You need a screw driver, and there are screws on the face that can be removed so you can clean dirt off the blades. An air duster is recommended for the engine, to keep this engine humming for years. It sounds complicated, but other fans aren't accessible at all. When they get dirty, the manufacturer's idea for them is the trash bin.

I plan to use this fan this summer to supplement......

craftyzan101 says "Mouse Does As Promised, Clicks The Internet!" about Belkin BS/2 Mouse P56828-A

craftyzan101 — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:29:59 GMT

This mouse is designed for both right and left hand, I use both my right and left hand.

This mouse is easy to get in and clean. Mice can get gunky inside really fast. Just unscrew the screw and the track ball, and remove whatever crud is yucking it up!

This mouse looks sleek & black! It matches my silver and black PC. A sharp change from the boring tan or off white I had been used to in the past.

I like the fact that this product is compatible with both of my operating systems. I use both Linux Dapper Drake 6.6 and Windows XP on a single hard drive. Finding dual compatible hardware can be a challenge.
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craftyzan101 says "Fresh Herbs At Your Fingertips!" about Chia Gourmet Herb Garden

craftyzan101 — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:26:32 GMT

The kit contains:
Four Terra Cotta pots, four Terra Cotta saucers lined with plastic, four growing sponges, four growing sponges, and six herb seed packets to choose from. You also have six labels to label your plants. There is also a direction booklet.

Directions:
Very easy and clear, anyone can follow them!

Why three stars:
I would have given this product a higher rating if all the seeds had sprouted. Unfortunately, I only have three pots with herb seedlings growing, and one with nothing....