Reviews

LG's N4B1 NAS box is neither a comprehensive media server nor a particularly fast performer, but as a network-attached storage device, it's quick enough for home/small-business file serving. The unit--available at this writing for around $700--is also the sturdiest and quite possibly the best-looking such box I've had my hands on. You also can't beat it's HTML configuration interface for looks or ease of learning and use. But none of that compares to the N4B1's most outstanding feature: an integrated Blu-ray burner, unique among NAS products in the SMB/SOHO market.

This Blu-ray writer lets you back the box's contents up to Blu-ray recordable or rewritable discs. However, LG also leverages the Blu-ray drive as a reader to back up CDs to disc images. (Technical note: For data discs, you'll wind up with .iso images, while audio and video CDs result in files in the .cue or .bin formats originated by CDRWin but now supported by many programs, including the free ImgBurn. Why LG didn't just stick with good ole' .iso, though, is a mystery to me.)

There's something about maintaining a complete and up-to-date copy of your entire operating system and software installation that brings you peace of mind. In that regard, CMS's BounceBack Essentials 9.1 calms your soul, and does so flawlessly with as little user intervention as possible.

Note that the software I tested bore the name BounceBack Essentials, but you'll also see BounceBack CDP or Instant PC Recovery depending on where you look (the company has a penchant for multiple labels). BounceBack Essentials is a $29 subset of the company's BounceBack Ultimate software. The Ultimate package--which offers additional features such as encryption, multiple destinations, and point-in-time recovery--costs $69. Essentials keeps only the current version of any file in one location--in effect, mirroring your main system, much like a RAID setup. Essentials requires a dedicated drive with enough room for all your data to perform its magic.

The General Mobile DSTL1 ($450, unlocked; price as of November 16, 2009) has some nice features, like dual-SIM card support, but I found that the device's awkward design and unresponsive touchscreen dulled the sense of feature-richness and the ease of use that the Android OS can give a mobile device.

The biggest selling point of the DSTL1 phone is that it can support two separate wireless phone numbers. You simply insert two SIM cards into the two slots below the battery. There's also a slot to accommodate a microSD storage card with a capacity of up to 16GB. The phone itself has 4GB of internal memory.

Unlike flashy frames overloaded with razzle-dazzle multimedia (like the cool but exceedingly ornate Transcend PF7207 and HP DreamScreen), the Vizit frame by Isabella ($280 with additional recurring service plan charges) aims for simplicity. Some digital photo frames offer so much functionality that photo sharing becomes an ordeal for the computer-nonsavvy, but the Vizit minimizes the frills.

The frame's viewable area is 10 inches diagonally--about 8.25 inches wide by 6.25 inches high. The responsive 800-by-600-pixel SVGA LCD touchscreen has a matte surface, and the frame itself is made of matte black or silver plastic. The Vizit is extremely lightweight, with a thin, plasticky feeling, articulating support that folds down in back. The support's faux-wood paneling surprised us--is Isabella aiming for a retro look retro rather than a high-tech one? Not entirely: Unlike the classic-looking Kodak frames, the Vizit has no mat. In any event, the unit's ‘70s wood paneling style doesn't look particularly classy or sturdy.

Dell's gamer-friendly Alienware brand is extending its reach to include monitors, and the 21.5-inch widescreen 1080p OptX AW2210 ($300 as of November 11, 2009) serves up a lot to like: solid image quality, accessible and comprehensive built-in menus, and an exterior design that stands out from the generally conservative competition.

On the other hand, $300 is a lot to pay these days for a 21.5-inch monitor, especially when you consider that Dell itself offers LCDs that rival the AW2210 in quality and cost less. The Dell SX2210, for example, has a panel that's identical to the Alienware 2210's, but trades in the design and the touch-sensitive menu controls for a Webcam, face-recognition software, and a retail price of $220. (Then again, the Dell SX2210t monitor restores the multitouch and face-recognition features but jacks the price up to $469.)

It isn't pocketable, but the relatively compact Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 ($400 as of 11/12/09) is quite simply one of the best fixed-lens cameras out there for both stills and HD video. If you can deal with slightly grainy, non-1080p video footage (the FZ35's video resolution maxes out at 720p), it may be the ideal hybrid model to serve double-duty as a camera and camcorder.

It's hard to know where to start, as this is such a versatile megazoom camera. The DMC-FZ35 excels in manual controls and low-light video footage, and it offers near-perfect automatic settings, unique scene modes, and a slew of imaging options (RAW, RAW+JPEG, JPEG, AVCHD video, and MPEG video).

It may not be a DSLR, but the FinePix S200EXR ($600 as of 11/13/09) is the sort of advanced point-and-shoot camera that's an enthusiast's dream. With a layout that mimics a typical SLR's design, it offers superb handling, megazoom reach, advanced exposure control, and only a few minor disappointments.

The impressive credentials start with a 14.3X, optically stabilized zoom lens (30.5mm to 436mm). A handful of other megazoom cameras offer more reach and wider-angle capabilities, so that isn't the S200EXR's star feature. Instead, direct your attention to the 12-megapixel EXR sensor, first found in the pocketable Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR.

The HP LaserJet Enterprise P3015d is a midpriced ($649 as of 11/12/09) monochrome laser printer that doesn't realize its full potential. Though the company touts it as an enterprise model, it's expensive to operate and it has limited connectivity options.

The LaserJet Enterprise P3015d performed speedily in our tests. It managed a top pace of 36.5 pages per minute printing plain text--shy of HP's claim of 42 ppm, but still faster than the results from two of its like-priced competitors, the Ricoh Aficio SP 4210N and the Xerox Phaser 3600/N. Its graphics speeds also largely exceeded the average. As with most monochrome lasers, however, print quality beyond text was disappointing: The LaserJet Enterprise P3015d's images showed grainy textures and visible banding.

Saying that the Dell 2230d monochrome laser printer is the best $199 (as of 11/12/09) unit we've tested isn't saying much; none of the models we've seen at this price point (including the Samsung ML-1630 and the HP LaserJet P1505) have made our Top 10 chart. Within its class, however, the 2230d offers better speed and paper handling. On the downside, its design can be unfriendly, and its toner costs are high.

The 2230d offers a few more features than its low-cost competitors do. It lacks ethernet, but Dell bundles a Wi-Fi adapter to supplement the built-in USB and parallel ports. It's the only low-cost model we've tested that offers automatic duplexing (two-sided printing). The main paper tray holds 250 sheets of legal-size paper; a second 250-sheet tray costs $100. A flip-out tray lets you feed single envelopes or other irregular-size media, with a rear exit slot for thicker pieces like cardstock.