Joined on 12/17/03
Great Product So Far
Pros: Plugged it into USB 3.0 port on my upgraded Dell Laptop (Intel Core i3, new SDD HDD, new 16 GB Memory, Win 10 64 bit Home) and it started operation without any driver downloads & updates, logged on to my home network after configuring new network SSID & Password. Laptop is not much faster on internet. I can sometimes get 27 Mbps on our 25 Mbps ATT U-Verse internet connection.
Cons: Only one: it blocks the other USB 3.0 port on my laptop, so I have to plug my external HDD backup into a USB 2.0 port. But since it's set to backup incrementally and at 5:00 am, that's really no big deal. Still gets 5+ stars
Overall Review: A great little and useful accessory, especially since it can be plugged into any device for internet access. Definitely would recommend and definitely would buy another if needed. But if you only have two USB 3.0 ports, need to use both, and they are close together, this will make one of those ports unusable.
What NewEgg support has to say about this upgrade
Pros: So far, no serious glitches
Cons: Took a while to get a confirmation number from the upgrade site, but that's fixed now.
Overall Review: I'm still not sure what I need to send along with my upgrade certificate (with confirmation number written in). Here's what newegg customer service told me: "YES – ALL customers who purchased during this promotional time will qualify and be honored the promotion. Regardless if a Microsoft rep said otherwise. If they experience an denials, please report to newegg. "YES – The customer will still qualify even though they didn’t purchase a PC system. ...all purchase promotions will be honored. "If you have any further questions or concerns, please visit our FAQs page." There's nothing useful in the FAQ that I could find. So, we shall see.
Looks great, works great - but blue screen problems and difficult access to upgrade memory and 2nd SSD/HDD
Pros: Good colors on screen, crisp image, fast write to screen Fast, fast, fast CPU and memory. Very responsive support - I had a question about new drivers and got a response with an hour or two of submitting it, with directions and a link on where to download new drivers for some of the components, which resolved a blue-screen issue. Drivers were brand new. The 17.3" screen is expansive, although it does weigh a bit more than my old 15" laptop. It's not a con, because it is to be expected. Perhaps I could have gotten a slightly lighter laptop by paying a lot more, but I regard the price per ounce notion completely irrelevant. The laptop is slim and trim. It's not super thin, but it's still a piece of technical art.
Cons: I bought this model because it came with one stick of 16 GB memory, leaving a slot open for upgrade. Also, it has two drive bays, one empty, so that I could transfer the SSD from my old laptop. Despite the availability of these upgrade slots, the laptop is not "upgrade-friendly" - there is no cover-plate for accessing these two items, so you have to remove the entire back, which involves unscrewing about 15 small bolts and prying the back-cover off. That seems to me like poor design. As a bonus, I was sent a complimentary 16 GB USB drive which does not work. When plugged in any USB port, the computer cannot mount the drive, but continually tries, sometimes causing a multitude of instances of File Explore to appear in the task-bar. The biggest problem is sporadic blue screens. They first began when I first got the machine. I contacted tech support at Eluktronics and they responded within a couple hours, directing me towards the drivers update page. After updating the drivers, the problem seemed to be resolved. After some experience with the machine, I decided to upgrade the memory from 16 to 32 GB, ordering the extra memory from Eluktronics. This is when I found how difficult is was to access the memory slot. Having to remove the back of the computer, I took the opportunity to install the SSD from my old laptop. Booting up was normal, but then I started running into repeated instances of blue screens. I contacted tech support, and they recommended removing the new memory and the 2nd SSD to see what happens. So, I unscrewed the 15 or so small bolts, pried the back off, and removed both the new memory stick and the SSD. I will see what happens. I'm not sure what to make of all this. I have been building my own desktops for years and have never run into so many or such significant problems. Obviously I am not done trouble-shooting. If the blue screen problems go away, then it is most likely a defective 2nd memory stick. The SSD was functioning without any problems in my old laptop. Part of this problem may be that the upgraded memory is not the same brand and thus not the same model as the install memory, which is possibly the source of the problem. If I were simply buying the memory from NewEgg rather than Eluktronics, I would have made sure to get at least the exact same model and manufacturer. The only positive thing about it is that the people at Eluktronics seem to be doing their best to help me resolve this issue.
Overall Review: Edited: On a scale of 1 to 10, I have to change my recommendation from a 10 to a 7, possibly reducing it even further depending on what happens next.
Great quiet case at a great price ADDENDUM: A truly terrific case (see added comment)
Pros: ADDENDUM: I wish I could give this case 6 stars. I bought it 2 1/2 years ago, haven't opened up since then, until now, to install a larger SSD and to put a clean, new copy of Win 10x64 Pro on it. (My Win 7 to Win 8.1 to Win 10 plus updates version of Windows was acting up, to say the least.) When I opened up the case, I couldn't believe it - there was no dust inside. None. Zippo. Nada. I was flabbergasted. I have never, ever seen that with a desktop computer and a lower-midrange priced case. Still very quiet, too. I haven't had to replace any fans. No device failures, either - the thing stays cool because of all the fans. I'd recommend this case to anyone and everyone. Well-constructed of more than adequate gauge steel, width is greater than usual, which accommodates my CoolerMaster EVO 212 CPU fan. Removable central drive cage allowing for extended length graphics cards, leaving 4 3.5" internal drive bays at the bottom and 2 5.25" (or one 5.25" and one 3.5") drive bays at the top, plus two mounting points on back for SSD drives. Excellent cable routing with great cable access ports to back and plenty of space at the back to allow for running cables from MB, Cards and Peripherals to power supply. Comes with 2 very quiet 140mm fans mounted front and back, with room for additional fans top, bottom and one on the side. Lots of noise insulation.
Cons: None. It's not made of aluminum or plastic, so it's not light. That's not a Con in my book, it's a plus, because steel is sturdy and less expensive.
Overall Review: This case is somewhat heavy, but that's the result of good steel, more noise insulation, and greater width than most mid-towers. This is a DESK-top computer case. I'm not at all concerned if the cat wants to jump on top of it. No way is she going to make it move.
Great Battery
Pros: After using this battery in my laptop for about 4 months, I am extremely pleased with it. It provides 4 to 5 hours of use before recharge after moderate use: writing documents, viewing pictures and some videos, several hours on FaceBook, often with multiple applications open at the same time.
Cons: None
Overall Review: I'd recommend this battery to others. It has out-performed the original Dell battery by a long shot.
Useless Junk
Pros: None. It doesn't work.
Cons: Either the lightning connector or the cable itself is bad. I plugged in my IPhone 5 to several different USB power sources, but my IPhone new charged up at all. The first few times I connected it, the IPhone beeped as if it had connected properly to the charging cable, but
Overall Review: Don't buy it.
Altogether, a Great Experience
We recently moved from the Midwest's grid-patterned roads to East-coast roads that unexpectedly change direction and name, plus much heavier super-highway traffic. We had a 5-year-old Garmin GPS, and it was time to upgrade. We chose the Nuvi 2460LMT for its bigger screen, added features, and lifetime map updates & traffic, all at a very good price. Ordering was easy & quick, with almost immediate shipping, The GPS arrived 1 day ahead of schedule and at Christmas-time The packaging was excellent - doubled-boxed and very well protected from potential shock damage. We are beyond delighted with this new Garmin. It's voice activation and split-screen 3-D view of highway exit lanes are great, it seems "smarter" than our old unit in selecting routes through Durham, NC, which often must skirt Duke University traffic. I will definitely look to Power Price again for future purchases.