Reviews by smccarth

smccarth says "Great camera when you're ready to upgrade from "pocket-size P&S"" about Canon PowerShot SX10 IS Digital Camera

smccarth — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:55:28 GMT

I owned to Olympus Stylus cameras and I was always frustrated with the lag time between pressing the button and shutter click (you photo folks out there will know what the technical term is). But for me, all it meant was I was missing those shots of my kids that fall in between that blank stare and all-out crying (or running towards me). You know, those "money shots".

So...I was ready to upgrade, but I wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to be stuck with the same lag. So I researched and researched. I talked to my professional photographer friends, but they all said "go dSLR" - but I wasn't ready for that sort of commitment and complication in my photography life. I just wanted something "fast" that would catch my kids in action. Frankly, maybe it's my "old eyes", but I really don't see the big difference in the pixel quality - especially when most of my prints are 4x6 and if I'm looking at it digitally, it's only as good as my monitor.

So I went with the Canon Powershot SX10 IS....

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smccarth says "Handles large loads - but mold grows on internal rubber cover" about Maytag Neptune Washer

smccarth — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:15:15 GMT

We bought the Neptune when we had our first baby - nearly 3 years ago. It has gotten a workout, and it does clean clothes well, however, nasty mold quickly grew in the rubber that surrounds the outside of the drum. It DOES have a drain in the rubber at the bottom, but the mold grows up the sides, etc. And I live in Colordao - not exactly a wet, musty place. Things dry quickly out here, and even with running a hot water cycle with bleach only (no clothes) and leaving the door open to dry out after I'm done with laundry for the day the mold still persists. It doesn't make our clothes musty, but DEFINITELY ruins the towels - I guess they absorb the musty smell. So I always have to run the towels on hot and add fabric softener - that seems to help.

I really liked the idea of the front-loader washer because it uses less water, but I don't think I'll even buy a front-loader again.

Another tip if you're in the market for a washer or dryer. When we bought our washer, we didn't buy the matching...

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smccarth says "Not great in low light, but easy to use" about JVC Everio GZMG255 (30 GB) HDD Camcorder

smccarth — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:05:09 GMT

We bought this camera about a year ago to record our 2 little kids. I researched quite a bit before making my seleciton because I was looking for a camera that could handle various lighting situations. I have to say I'm more than a bit dissappointed - especially given the cost of the camera. It works GREAT outside - and it's certainly easy to use, but unless you have mega-watts of light in your house, expect blurry pictures. It takes a long time to focus, and if your children move around (like most do - ha! ha!) you'll end up with a series of in-focus, then blurry, then in-focus again images.

But...it works great outside.

As for the software - it's constantly crashing our computer (Windows XP). However, I'm not 100% sure that this isn't because our computer is buggy. But it is a little frustrating, and it means that we haven't been that diligent about putting the videos onto DVDs for the grandparents (who live far away).

So I guess my feelings about this camera are probably weighing...

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smccarth says "Terrible Customer Service and they raised my rate for no reason" about Discover - Discover

smccarth — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:54:01 GMT

I signed up for Discover during one of their "transfer your balance rate specials" probably 2 years ago. Just the other day I received a notice from them that they're raising my interest rate from 6.9% to 16.9%! I currently have a 745 credit score and I pay about 3x my minimum due every month. If that's enough reason to raise my rates to an oppressive level, I can't imagine what they do to folks who pay the minimum and may not have a stellar credit rating! No thank you! I cancelled my card and I will never use Discover again.

Watch out for these guys!

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smccarth says "Easy to use - but if you have kids, you'll miss some photos..." about Olympus - Stylus 1000 Digital Camera

smccarth — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:50:55 GMT

We had the Olympus 600 Digital Camera but my husband lost it, so we needed a new one. I liked the Olympus brand, and I like the compact nature of the camera (although it's probably why the last one was lost). We went with the 1000 (it's amazing how quickly the new version came out - we had the 600 for only about a year before we needed a new one...).

We have 2 little kids - 1 and nearly 3 - so they're always doing cute things that we want to capture for their memory books. I really like the camera, but to be honest, it takes awhile for it to "refresh" after it takes a pictures (which means, if they're running, hitting a ball or trying to walk for the first time, it's highly likely you're going to miss the "money shot").

So while I really like the compact nature of the camera - and you get a lot of features for the price - I think I'm going to upgrade to a better, faster camera in the future, especially once the kids start getting involved in sports. Of course that will mean a lot more...

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smccarth says "Easy to use, sleek and compact - a great set of dumbbells!" about Bowflex Selecttech Dumbbells

smccarth — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:42:33 GMT

When I first saw these dumbbells in the store I thought "wow, what a cool concept" - all of the weights I need in one set. There's no need to buy a rack to hold different sets of dumbbells (which only makes sense if you're in a health club). Granted, I'm a "girl", so I don't need 50lb+ dumbbells, but even if you need smaller weights for a variety of different small-muscle exercises, this is a great set.

- Goes up to 55 lbs. and starts out as little as 5 lbs.
- Easy "dial in" features means you always select the right weight
- Extra stand is a great way to keep the set at an accessible height
- Slick design

My husband and I both use this set, so it gets a lot of use. The rubber around the weights means there's not a lot of "clicking" noises when you're using them, and they're easy on the floor.

This is a great weight set - especially if you have a limited amount of space. Having all of your weights up to 50 lbs in one set certainly leaves you a lot of extra room for other pieces of exercise...

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smccarth says "Best overall workout in a short period of time." about Octane Q37e Elliptical Trainer

smccarth — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:34:33 GMT

My husband works for a fitness equipment retailer, and for about a year I would drool over the Octane. Finally, we made the decision to take the plunge and make the purchase and we haven't been disappointed at all.

- Small footprint - great for small-ish spaces versus those other ellipticals with the long tracks
- Great overall workout - if you use the Arm Blaster along with the regular ellipitcal strides you're sweating within mintues
- Perfect for "casual" users and athletes - I'm the casual user - probably hop on once or twice a week, and my husband "abuses" it every day. It has held up great for over a year now!
- Smooth "stride" - if you're in the market for an elliptical, be sure to test out a few - you'll see that some can have a "jerky" stride, but the Octane is smooth all the way!
- Easy to use - you can either just turn it on and go, or create specific routines for yourself using "hills", "random", etc
- Great value - yes, it's pricey, but if you really want a great workout, and you're...

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smccarth says "Great seat - easy to install and take in and out of the car." about Britax Decathlon

smccarth — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:15:34 GMT

When my son was born nearly 3 years ago, we searched and searced for the perfect car seat. Since my husband and I both work, we knew we needed to get 2 car seats for those times that one of us would drop off and the other would pick up. But I didn't want to get the cheapest car seat - I wanted one that would last - not only in terms of durability, but also in terms of how long my son would fit in the seat.

Yes, this is an expensive car seat (the Britax Decathalon), but my son used it until his little sister came along - at which time we upgraded him (even though he could still fit into the Britax). But now he's good to go up to 85 lbs (and he's a small kid, so that's years down the line) and his little sister will probably get another few years out of his old seat.

Things I really liked about the seat:

- Easy to install
- Easy to remove
- Easy to take the cover off to clean it
- Cover has held up well (we had the black one, which faded a bit, but we live in CO - everything fades in the...

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