Buy Online Epson Stylus Pro 7600 Photo Wide-Format Printer with UltraChrome Ink System

Buy Epson Stylus Pro 7600 Photo Wide-Format Printer with UltraChrome Ink System

Epson Stylus Pro 7600 Photo Wide-Format Printer with UltraChrome Ink System Product Description:

• 2,800 x 1,440 dpi maximum print resolution
• Print speeds from 8 to 192 square feet per hour
• Borderless prints up to 24 inches wide
• 7-color pigmented inking system, UltraChrome inks
• USB and parallel interfaces; optional FireWire or networking

Product Description

Lightly Used, no Inks or stand

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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful.
The best there is
By A Customer
I have several photo printers. Epson 1200 w/ photo grey inks (for b&w work), 1270 for color, HP photo printer, then I got this. Brilliant gamut, waterproof inks. The only thing I wish it had was cheaper inks. Everyone I print for loves the prints.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful.
What Darkroom?
By David Wittkamp
What an awesome machine. I have had my 7600 now for a few weeks and continue to be amazed by the print quality. Not one bad print! Awesome color, no banding. This machine has all the bells and whistles. Do yourself a favor and buy this printer!

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Price Comparisons of Chef's Choice 667 International Professional Electric Food Slicer with 10-Inch Diameter Blade

Buy Chef's Choice 667 International Professional Electric Food Slicer with 10-Inch Diameter Blade

Chef's Choice 667 International Professional Electric Food Slicer with 10-Inch Diameter Blade Product Description:

• Rugged, commercial quality, die cast metal construction
• Tilted design for fast and efficient slicing
• Heavy duty powerful induction motor for extremely quiet operation
• Larger capacity food carriage, rides smoothly on industrial ball bearings and retracts fully to fit extra large roasts, hams, etc.
• Dimensions 21 by 14.6 by 14.5 inches; weighs 30 pounds

Product Description

087877667000 Features: -Tilted design for fast and efficient slicing.-Powerful induction motor for extremely quiet operation.-Precision thickness control from deli-thin to 9/16.-Commercial quality, fully hardened, stainless steel blade, diameter 9.8 (25 cm).-Large capacity food carriage for extra large roasts, hams etc...-Peak power over horsepower. Includes: -Includes blade sharpener and convenient food tray. Construction: -Rugged, commercial quality die-crust metal construction. Dimensions: -Weight: 31.6 lbs.

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155 of 157 people found the following review helpful.
Almost "Professional"
By ducrab
The Chef's Choice 667 slicer performs as advertised with its sturdy construction, powerful motor, large 10" belt-driven blade, and smooth quiet operation. This slicer does indeed produce deli-thin slices!

Out of the Box

The Chef's Choice 667 slicer comes out of the box with a 10" stainless-steel blade, blade sharpener, owner's manual, Allen wrench, small plastic serving tray, and temporary blade guard used for handling the sharp blade.

The plastic blade guard easily screws onto the blade using two large plastic knobs. This temporary guard covers the razor sharp edge of the blade and makes it easy to handle when it's removed from the slicer or during cleaning.

The plastic food tray is used to catch the food as it's being sliced, but it's too small and does not fit squarely under the blade.

The Allen wrench is used for removing the main blade guard during cleaning.

The blade sharpener is attached to the top of the unit and is held in place by a thumb screw. Simply loosen the screw, lift, and pivot the sharpener into place. A rear-mounted grinding wheel sharpens the blade while a front spring-loaded push-in grinding wheel removes any burrs.

The included non-serrated blade is excellent for slicing meats, vegetables, cheeses, etc., but is not well suited for breads. To slice bread you'll want to buy the optional serrated blade (~$90).

First Impressions

Operating the slicer is straightforward. Plug in the unit, load the carriage with the food to be sliced, flip the on/off switch to "on", and finally press the safety interlock switch. The interlock switch prevents the unit from starting up should the on/off switch be left on while plugging it in, a nice safety feature!

Once powered on, you must exert some pressure on the food pusher and slide the carriage forward and back while setting the thickness knob to your desired setting.

The slicer itself is very sturdy and appears to be well made. The main body is made of die-cast metal and the blade stainless steel. The carriage is smooth and rides on a single ball bearing. The motor/blade is powerful and is belt driven.

Some parts of the slicer utilize plastic screws, namely the friction adjustments for the sliding carriage and the thickness dial. There is also a small plastic piece which keeps the food pusher from scraping the carriage. This plastic piece fell out of its hole while I was operating the unit. I used SuperGlue to reattach.

The carriage is secured to the sliding arm with two bolts and small thumb nuts. These small nuts are awkward to remove and/or tighten and require the use of pliers. The bolt holes are slightly oversized and require lock washers, which I do not like. I would have preferred larger nuts (or knobs) and properly sized bolt holes to facilitate easy removal and reinstallation of the carriage tray.

The travel on the food pusher is somewhat limited and you may have to cut large roasts in half so they'll fit in the carriage. The bushings on the food pusher arm rod are made of plastic, I would have preferred brass or some other material.

Slice thickness is controlled by a large knob calibrated in millimeters. Maximum thickness is 0.6 inches. Once set, I didn't have to make any further adjustments. Friction is set by a plastic screw inside the base of the unit.

The bottom of the slicer is covered with a black plastic cover which seems a little flimsy for a "commercial quality" slicer. Four screws and four rubber feet secure the bottom cover to the unit.

The unit is moderately heavy, roughly 30 pounds, and it stays put on the counter.

First Experience

My first experience with this slicer was making thin sliced (almost shaved) roast beef sandwiches. I slow roasted a 10 pound Sirloin tip roast until it was rare and juicy. The slicer effortlessly sliced the meat to perfection. The motor showed no signs of stress and the carriage moved smoothly and easily.

This is my second food slicer. My first was an inexpensive Rival slicer which could not handle roast beef. It was noisy, flimsy, and downright dangerous to use. The cuts were uneven, thicker at the top and thinner at the bottom. I was worried that getting paper thin slices from a consumer-grade slicer was not possible. The 667 proved me wrong. It surpassed all of my expectations and performed similarly to the big Hobarts that I've used in the past.

Caveats

I do have some major complaints about this otherwise excellent slicer.

There are several joints in the housing of this slicer which allow meat juices drip inside the body of the unit. One such joint is located right where the motor housing attaches to the main base. This joint is located right where the sliced food falls as it's being cut, a very poor design. There is another joint where the blade thickness arm protrudes through the base. Juices from my roast beef dripped into the base of the slicer through these joints and started dripping out near one of the rubber feet on the opposite end of the unit. Yuk! The only way to clean up this mess was to remove the screws, rubber feet, and plastic cover from the bottom of the slicer. One shouldn't have to disassemble an appliance to properly clean it!

Also, to remove and clean the blade, you must use the Allen wrench to remove a single screw in the center of the front blade guard (poor design). Next you attach the plastic blade guard. Finally, using a screwdriver, you must remove three Phillips-head screws which secure the blade to the spindle. Not only is this inconvenient, but the screw heads will eventually wear and/or strip after repeated cleanings. Note: The blade should be removed to thoroughly clean the slicer since it's difficult to clean behind the blade. Another poor design.

In Summary

Overall, I am very happy with the performance of this slicer. It's sturdy, powerful, quiet, and slices exceptionally well. However, clean-up is another story.

This slicer is definitely "consumer grade" (not "commercial grade" as advertised) and will make a fine addition to any gourmet kitchen. When slicing juicy foods, I'd recommend using lots of paper towels placed strategically to catch the liquids before they can get inside the unit.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful.
Go Ahead & Spend the Money, You Won't Be Sorry!
By Kcoruol
This is the second food slicer I've owned in my life. The first was a Waring food slicer I picked up at Lowes for about a hundred bucks. I returned it the next day. So I came to Amazon.com and decided to buy this model. While it is an invested in money and kitchen space, I'm very happy with it. It slices through meat, cheese, and veges like they were nothing. Plenty of hand guards and saftey features to keep you from slicing your fingers off too. The blade is extremely sharp though and should be handled with extreme care. Just remember, don't put your fingers near the blade while it's spinning for any reason. It does come with a plastic carry case which screws on to the blade so it can be removed for cleaning. I wouldn't recommend handling the blade with out it as the blade is razor sharp and rather heavy. The machine is easy to clean and the blade can be removed and replaced in a few minutes. It's simple, it's easy, and it's slices great. I bought some roast beef, ham, and turkey at Sam's club and this machine will slice the meat very very thin which is the way I like it!. Now, I know you're looking at the price and thinking, that's a lot of money. All I can say is don't waste your money on some cheap brand, spend a little more and get a quality piece of kitchen equipment that will do the job and do it right. The only draw back I can see is the size, which for me isn't a problem, but if you're looking for something small, this isn't it. It's not as big as the slicers you see at the deli, but it's close. I'd also recommend a food vacuum machine so you can vacuum seal the unused meat for later to keep it fresh or even so you can freeze a portion of it for later. Also, don't slice it until you are ready to eat it. I know once you get this baby home, you'll want to slice that whole 6lb roast beef, just slice what you're going to use and refrigerate or freeze the rest for later. One more thing, always turn the thickness knob to zero when you're not cutting food, just a safety measure. All I can say is if you're in the market for a good slicer, don't look and further, I think everybody would be happy with this model!!

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful.
Don't forget to consider this!
By fw Bear
Yes it is true that this thing really does slice as a $400 slicer should. That is a given and the reviews here show people agree it does the job.But two things to consider:1) $460 -IS- a lot of money. But you make the decision that you are willing to pay that for your own professional slicer.2) The BIGGER thing to consider is ARE YOU PREPARED TO CLEAN THIS MACHINE EVERY TIME YOU USE IT???Remember, at the delicatessen or market, the Jr. butcher has the task of cleaning it every night.This thing requires that you take apart the feed tray, blade cover, blade etc., to gain access to the bits of food lodged within. It -IS- well designed and easy to dis-assemble and re-assemble, but it does TAKE TIME.And if you leave it for a day or two, you will have a very hard task to scrape out the hardened food bits.I love it. I'm glad I bought it. I enjoy being able to shave ham and turkey tissue thin for my sandwiches instead of constantly telling the dude at the delicatessen "Thinner ! - Thinner!!".You should understand that you pay Amazon for this when you buy it, and you pay again to clean it after every use.It is worth it to me. Is it to you?

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Price Comparisons Chef's Choice 662 International Professional Electric Food Slicer with 8.6-Inch Diameter Blade

Buy Chef's Choice 662 International Professional Electric Food Slicer with 8.6-Inch Diameter Blade

Chef's Choice 662 International Professional Electric Food Slicer with 8.6-Inch Diameter Blade Product Description:

• Heavy, rugged, powerful, commercial-quality food slicer
• 8.6-inch surgical-stainless-steel blade, with detachable sharpener
• Large food carriage rides smoothly on industrial ball bearings
• Tilted for fast slicing; multiple safety features
• Includes tool to safely remove blade for cleaning

Product Description

Exceptionally durable Chef's Choice Professional Electric Food Slicer. This rugged commercial-quality Slicer meets the needs of busy home cooks, sportsmen, caterers and chefs. It operates at peak power of over 1/4-horsepower and features die-cast metal construction and precision thickness control to slice from deli-thin to 1/2". The powerful, high quality quiet induction motor and tilted design make it perfect for your toughest slicing tasks. The large, commercial quality 8 7/10" fully hardened, fine edge, stainless steel blade slices meats, cheeses, vegetables, breads and fruits quickly and effortlessly. It features an extra large capacity food carriage that rides smoothly on industrial bearings. Rubber feet secure the slicer to the work surface and a double control on / off switch is built-in for added safety. A blade sharpener, a tool for easy blade removal and a serving tray are included. Order Today! Chef's Choice Professional Electric Food Slicer

Customer Reviews

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83 of 83 people found the following review helpful.
Top Notch Home Slicer
By Jeff M.
I first ordered ( November 2003) a model 645 Veri-tilt unit but was disapointed because the "travel" on the slicer was not adaquate to slice my much loved prosciutto.The blade was only 7 inches and was serrated. It also lacked a blade cover so I was sure it would "drag" when slicing. (At $20.00 a pound for good prosciutto I didn't even try!)In December 2003, I bought the The larger model 662 with the 8.6 inch smooth blade was a far better choice! It had a covered blade that only exposes the cutting edge of the blade to the meat surface. This is also a much safer configuration then the "exposed" blades found on the less expensive models.The unit is solidly built and appears to be of a very high quality. The travel on the slicing cariage is long enough to cut most meats. The "rump" side of the average prosciutto is still a bit larger than the travle distance of the slicer but this is easily overcome by trimming the sides of the meat to slightly narrow it.I have been thrilled with how thin this slicer can can "shave" a piece of meat. I can actually read through some of the slices. I have used this slicer to cut Roast beef, salami,turkey,chicken, tomatoes,onions, prosciutto, and even limes! It has never failed to perform as I had hoped. This is truly a "deli" quality slicer even if it is a bit small. Don't get me wrong, it is still a rather large machine and needs a bit of counter and storage space to operate. I actually am happy that it will fit in my cabinet, because my wife wasen't thrilled with the idea of this thing being on the countertop all of the time!Having this machine has saved me both time and money when entertaining friends. (We throw parties a few times a year and it has made quite an impression on our guests!)I have not tried the included blade sharpener yet but the instruction are clear and quite simple. I'll post again once I have tried the sharpener.Thanks, Amazon for a great product and a gracious return policy!Well it is now the Friday before Super Bowl 42 (4 years later, Feb. 2008) and I said I would let you know how the 662 blade sharpener has performed. Sorry to tell you that I can't do so because I have not had to sharpen the blade yet!! This machine still cuts like new! I have used this slicer on MANY occasions and am still pleased with its overall performance. I will use it again this weekend.As others have noted clean-up takes a few minutes. The sliding carriage can be put in the dish washer if you like, but the rest is clean by hand!As far as durability is concerned I have to replace the small plastic "slice-stopper" that keeps items from getting sucked into the blade. This is not dangerous but it can add to clean-up time.I would still score this "home" slicer at 95/100. Enjoy.

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful.
Decent, but some flaws
By R. McHoul
The 662 is a decent unit although I've never owned another electric food slicer to compare it to. Cleaning is definately an issue. But after many uses I've got it down to about 10 - 15 mins. To clean, it requires an Allen wrench (provided) and a Phillips screwdriver. You have to semi-disassemble the unit and I plop it in the sink, hoze down the food particles, spray with disinfectant and let sit, then hoze down again then dry with paper towels. It's a bit heavy and awkward, but again just figure on 10 - 15 mins to clean.As for use, it cuts remarkably. You can get razor thin slices and will cut an entire ham in minutes. I have an autistic son who won't eat anything but ham sandwiches at school, so I use this about every week. It helps to have other uses because I store it in the garage (no way to store it even on my ample counter space because of the size) and when you figure on set-up and cleaning that's at least 20 minutes. I love beef jerky, so I use this to carve up whatever meat I will use. I'm not at a place in my life where I can afford the $300 proscuttio side so I continue to drive to Federal Hill in Providence, RI for that in small quantities, but hopefully someday.The main drawback in use is when the meat comes off the blade. It just kind of sits on the back of the unit and thin slices can get stuck between the blade and the cover. A small acrylic dish is provided, but I use that to catch the dripping juices of beef that collect underneath the unit.The final drawback for me is that lighter items have a hard time returning to position after each passing slice.In summary, it works for me because I use it often enough, but I have to put up with some hassle to do so.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful.
An excellent semi-pro slicer
By ihsan
I purchased this slicer for use in the hospitality rooms of conventions, which entails slicing a few hundred pounds of meat over the course of a couple of days.The unit performed flawlessly, cutting the final piece of meat just as smoothly as the first. The motor ran cool and quiet, the meat slider was smooth and fluid, and the blade cleanly cut everything from pastrami to provalone.Cleaning can be an issue as the clearances under the blade are small, but I was able to keep it at the same state that I maintained my professional slicer years ago at a sandwich shop I worked for. I recommend completely dismantling it after heavy use for sanitation and longevity.Summary: It's not a $1500 slicer, but for $400 it can't be beat. I would say that you could probably even get away with this unit at a small deli with how admirably it performed under the grueling trial I put it through last weekend. It might be a touch overkill for the average home chef though.

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Best Chef's Choice 685 International Deluxe Cordless Electric Teakettle

Buy Chef's Choice 685 International Deluxe Cordless Electric Teakettle

Chef's Choice 685 International Deluxe Cordless Electric Teakettle Product Description:

• Electric kettle boils up to 1-1/3 quarts water faster than microwave
• Cordless: swivels and lifts off power base for convenient pouring
• Made of 18/10 stainless steel polished to mirror-finish
• Automatic shutoff when water boils or kettle runs dry
• Rubber feet on base resist slipping; stay-cool handle; cord-wrap

Product Description

087877685004 Features: -Cordless kettle lifts from corded base for easy filling, pouring and serving.-Large capacity: 1 1/3 quart capacity.-Automatically shuts off when water boils.-Boil-dry shutoff protection.-Convenient water level gauge built into the handle.-Convenient push button lid opening.-Illuminated on-off switch.-Cord stores neatly in base: adjusts to desired length.-Cool touch bottom. Construction: -Handsomely crafted: kettle body all brushed stainless steel construction. Specifications: -1500 watts of power: boils water faster than stove or microwave oven. Warranty: -One year limited warranty.

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221 of 223 people found the following review helpful.
Excellent design
By C. Skeen
I had one of these for almost six years and used it on a daily basis (not just for making tea, but also for boiling water quickly for other uses, i.e. food preparation). It always looked great and was a pleasure to use, but one day it stopped working. So I went online and looked at all of the kettles currently available. I thought about trying a different brand, but all of the other stainless steel kettles (I wasn't interested in plastic) had something I didn't like about them -- an awkwardly placed handle, an exposed element, etc. In the Chef's Choice kettle the element is hidden, so the interior of the kettle is easy to clean (it pretty much doesn't have to be cleaned at all, since only water is ever put in the kettle), and if the element gets covered in scale, I don't know about it (Chef's Choice does recommend occasionally "decalcifying" the kettle by boiling some white vinegar in it -- I never did this with my first kettle and I wonder if this eventually led to it malfunctioning?). The handle doesn't extend over the opening of the kettle, so it is easy to fill, and the spout is truly dripless. And of course the cord is attached to the base, not the kettle itself, so there is no need to plug and unplug it when carrying the kettle to sink or table or stove or wherever. So I'm on my second Chef's Choice kettle and very happy with it so far. I'm the kind of person who doesn't go in for a lot of kitchen gadgets, and I don't like using electric/electronic items when a manual or mechanical one will do, but I definitely recommend an electric kettle because it is energy-saving, fast, and won't boil dry (if you forget about it) or annoy you with a whistle (when you're busy doing something else).UPDATE: (June 2008) My second one of these has just stopped working. I still love the design of this kettle, and maybe 5-6 years is not a bad lifespan, but . . . I think I might give the Breville kettle a try this time. Will report back!

80 of 80 people found the following review helpful.
This is my favorite kitchen appliance
By Lynn in PA
Like another reviewer here, this is my second Chef's Choice electric teakettle. My first one, purchased at Williams-Sonoma in the mid-1990s, suddenly stopped working after my neighbors borrowed it (hummm...). As do all items purchased there, it had a lifetime warrenty, so I took it back and was given the brand of electric tea kettle they were selling at the time. I did _not_ like it, especially the placement of the handle, and promptly returned it. This was 2003 and Amazon was now carrying the brand so I ordered it here after being unable to find an electric tea kettle with a comfortably placed handle or adequate capacity in any local stores.I use mine a minimum of twice, more commonly three times a day and am very, very happy with it. As mentioned in other reviews, having the actual heating elements under a solid bottom of stainless steel definitely prolongs the life of the appliance--the heating elements do not get caked with minerals. The best part for me, however, is the placement of the handle which makes pouring the boiled water both safe and easy for someone with hand and elbow problems--it has superior ergonomics.I have high mineral content well water. Since I pour the boiled water into a thermal caraf (when not into a tea pot), I often use almost all the boiled water the Chef's Choice holds, which results in an accumulation of minerals on the stainless steel interior bottom. As a natural way of removing the sediment, I occasionally boil potato pealings in it then let it sit (with the pealings) over night. This is a trick I learned from someone who works in agriculture for the World Food Program. It works great.

63 of 64 people found the following review helpful.
outstanding
By J. Newton
An electric kettle seemingly wouldn't wear out, but that is exactly what happened to our previous one after only one year of use. This one has already beaten that. Additionally, it holds the water at a boil for a bit of time, rather than shutting off as soon as the boil is reached. This means that the water stays hotter in the kettle.

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Reviews Danby Deluxe Mini Fridge with Freezer (4.3cu.ft.)

Buy Danby Deluxe Mini Fridge with Freezer (4.3cu.ft.)

Danby Deluxe Mini Fridge with Freezer (4.3cu.ft.) Product Description:

• No hassle push button defrost
• Large capacity compact fridge
• 4.3 cu. ft. capacity
• Mechanical thermostat
• Make ice or store frozen items in the compact freezer section

Product Description

Danby DCR412W

Customer Reviews

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64 of 65 people found the following review helpful.
8 years + and still going strong...
By Brian LaShomb
I bought this from another retailer almost 9 years ago! Since then I've broken the freezer door off, but that's the only thing that has gone wrong. Every year or two you'll need to defrost the freezer, which is a pain. But that's not too bad considering the life of the product. The built-in can dispenser in the door is great and partially why I picked this model.

55 of 57 people found the following review helpful.
Nearly Perfect
By A Customer
This little fridge does the trick in my household. With 5 roommates I decided it made sense to get a fridge for my room since our kitchen unit is just packed to the gills. This 4.3 cu ft model meets my needs in many ways. I love being able to fit large drink bottles in the door, and I appreciate the removable shelving. As for the freezer, it's not that great, but I wasn't hoping for much. Freezers in mini-fridges are generally [bad] anyway. I can keep frozen vegetables in there with good success and make ice, but I don't love it. The other thing to consider is the can tube. I don't drink lots of cans so that's pretty dead space for me-- I keep the baking soda in there. Since this fridge is just supplemental, that's not an issue, but if you need to keep food for a couple people in this unit consider that the can space could be wasted as it's got a mandated function. I don't know what else you could possibly put in there beside something like celery or carrots standing up. Oh, and this fridge is a great size, can be used as counter space, and [it is very] quiet.

66 of 71 people found the following review helpful.
NICE!
By G
I bought this at Sears when I was in college. I was in college for six years, and I still have this baby in my room! It is an incredible value and it will last you forever! It holds LOTS of stuff and is as high as my bed! I recommend this for ALL dorm rooms and for anyone else in need of a personal fridge. It makes barely a peep and is reliable the entire way!

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Get Cheap Sony MZ-S1 S2 Sports Net MD MiniDisc Player

Buy Sony MZ-S1 S2 Sports Net MD MiniDisc Player

Sony MZ-S1 S2 Sports Net MD MiniDisc Player Product Description:

• Record MP3s or CDs at up to 32x from multiple sources (PC, CD, radio, and more)
• Plays back in ATRAC3, supports MP3, WMA, and WAV formats
• Easy one-hand joystick navigation; bright backlit LCD display
• Up to 54 hours' playback on one AA battery (in LP4 mode)
• Water-resistant design with reflective casing; includes music management software, reflective hand strap

Product Description

If you crave tunes while you workout, then check out this S2 Sports Net MDM-^Y by Sony. This handheld minidisc Walkman« records CDs or MP3s from your PC at up to 32x speed. It features a durable, water-resistant design, the G-ProtectionM-^Y anti-shock system, and rich Digital Mega Bass« enhanced sound. You can get up to 54 hours of playback with 1 "AA" battery and the MDLPM-^Y feature provides 4 times as much music on 1 disc than a standard MD, giving you over 5 hours of music.

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74 of 81 people found the following review helpful.
The Simple Truth
By A Customer
Here goes. This review is meant to make buyers aware of the flaws in this so-called "easy transfers" from a PC to a NetMD (ANY model of NetMD).

Don't get too worked up about the hype of cheap minidiscs and 160 Mb worth of songs you can put in it. There are some catches that you need to be aware of:

1. You can transfer your MP3s only 3 times to a minidisc. Yes, 3 times. Why? Sony has made a licensing agreement with itself (the Sony label company) that an MP3 file can only be transfered 3 times. So, if your first transfer didn't work-- you got 2 transfers left. If your disc got broken, it doesn't matter-- only 1 transfer is left. This, ladies and gentlemen, is called the OpenMG magic. The OpenMG software is a nightmare to be told in reason number 2.

2. The OpenMG software that comes with this device is a pure frustrating-agonizing joke. Go to www.musiclub.sonystyle.com and see how many people are complaining about this software. Sony "the software company" and Sony "the electronics company" is so incompatible with each other that you'd think one's made in Japan and the other in the U.S separated by a large body of water (literally). Technically: You have to convert MP3s to an ATrac3 file before transfering anything to a NetMD device. OpenMG's job is to convert MP3 files into Atrac3 files. Guess what? Those converts DOES NOT always work. Transfering a CD to an MP3? You still need to convert to Atrac3 files. You cannot record anything to a minidisc without converting it first-- well what if the conversions DOES NOT always work? A HAH! Strike 2!

3. Finally, I have had a NetMD MZ-NF610 for the past 2 months. The first month, everything worked fine--transfers were good, followed every single instructions on the manual, and never dropped, bumped, and hurt the device in any way. What happened in the second month you asked? These MP3-Atrac3 conversions started to go wrong. Go to any minidisc forum in the website (search for "minidisc forum" on google) and you will see that there's this huge problem of converting files. The conversion progress goes up to 8 or 9% and then it halted into nowhere. No explanation and no reason. Sony support line doesn't help because the people working there are your grandparents.

If you're thinking about buying this device as an alternate MP3 device, re-think again. The industry is on a crackdown and what makes you think that you can transfer these files freely? Buying this device is like buying a 200 dollar worth of fish net. The simple truth.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful.
Great Quality - Great Technology
By A Customer
I read all the reviews AFTER I bought this player. I was concerned about the Sony software, but not too worried since I knew I could use Real One Player to record & manage tracks.I have an MP3 player (128MB) and I like this system more. Here's why. . .

Basically I like to listen to a lot of different kinds of music. I can fit about 40 songs (5 hours) on one mini disc at a great quality level. I can't fit that many on my MP3 player. If I want to switch tunes, I simply change discs --- Takes a second or two. With the MP3 player, I have to boot up my system, hook up the player, etc, etc, etc.

I run, snowboard, mountain bike, and work out with this player. It gets sweaty, and it gets frozen, and it gets knocked around big time. What it doesn't do is skip. It's bulletproof. I think it runs about 50 hours on 1 AA battery. The sound is excellent, but as mentioned in some other reviews, the headphones could be better.

It does take a while to load up the songs from your PC to the player though. Loading songs to my MP3 player is much faster, I have to admit. But here's the thing - Blank mini discs are [very reasonable priced, and can be recorded on again and again about a million times without failing. All told I have a bunch of discs, but only 3 that I listen to with a fair amount of regularity. Those 3 discs have about 15 hours of music, and cost [very little]. Do the math, and compare that to the cost of extra memory in an MP3 player.

Bottom line is I'm really surprised that these players have not really caught on in the USA. They're big everywhere else. This new generation of players are among the first to be easily managed from a PC, so hopefully that is what was keeping them from catching on before.

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful.
A cool gadget, but...
By Tarkus
I'm starting to wonder whether Sony is even on the right track in trying to remain relevant in the mp3-centric digital music world.

I think something like NetMD would have been utterly fantastic three years ago, when USB-enabled computers were starting to gain mainstream adoption, and before hard disk and cd-r burner prices hadn't dropped low enough for more people to rip and burn their music collection. Then, I think, the ability to transfer up to five hours of music onto a single, (relatively) inexpensive minidisc would have held greater appeal.

Regardless of timing, the NetMD technology is still pretty neat. You are able to transfer digital content, either imported mp3/wma or audio CD's, directly to minidisc using one of three compression settings.

SP, the full-bore setting, allows up to 80 minutes on one disc, and is the best sounding of the three. It is "lossy" compression, like mp3, but to my damaged ears, they sound at least as good as CD's. LP2 doubles the storage time, but the increased compression makes the resulting recordings sound like... well, ALMOST as good as a 160kbps cbr mp3. Almost.

LP4 quadruples storage time, but as you might guess, the sound quality is pretty dodgy, comparable to a poorly ripped 128kbps (or lower) cbr mp3. LP4 is pretty much a lost cause as far as most rock goes, but it is surprisingly passable for hip-hop and spoken word (and probably for most electronica, but I have yet to test this).

As far as transferring existing mp3/wma content goes, I wouldn't recommend it (I know, it pretty much nulls the hype of NetMD, doesn't it?). I've tried converting a batch of 160kbps cbr mp3's to SP and LP2, using the included OpenMG Jukebox. At SP, the sound quality is comparable to the original, but the transfer to MD takes almost as long as the length of the content. Transfer in LP2 is faster, if you disregard the processor-hog conversion to ATRAC LP2 mode, but the sound quality takes a nosedive.

From what I've read, OMG Jukebox is notoriously unstable. Or so I've read. I've been able to successfully install it on two separate Windows 2000 Pro machines, and I'm feeling so lucky, I'm going to buy a lottery ticket once I'm done with this review.

That said, once you fast forward to 2002, where more people than not have gigabytes of existing mp3's on her or his hard disk, you have to wonder whether it's more convenient to rely on a solid state mp3 player to take small sections of this content without any further format-shifting, or dump them en masse to CD-R/W's for use with 3" or 5" disc-based mp3 players. If NetMD handled mp3's and wma's natively (or even managed Sony's proprietary ATRAC without the inflexible audio management software), I think this product would have much more relevance today. However, due to intellectual property concerns, I think Sony hamstrung itself with its convoluted content management system.

In the meanwhile, I've been using the Net MD Simple Burner program to transfer audio CD content directly to MD (mostly in LP2 mode, with some LP4, but for some weird reason, SP is NOT available as a transfer mode with Simple Burner!). I have started amassing a usable variety of discs packed with songs for the gym or for walks in the park, and from there on, it's straightforward MD goodness. Compact form factor, high skip resistance, durable media, high battery life. Basically all the things that most CD-R/W mp3 players aren't. And in a nice change of pace from the bumblebee black-and-yellow motif, the new S2 Sports design definitely adds some to the "cool factor".

I'm inclined to think that Sony munged the Minidisc yet again, this time with questionable software, but the good news is that I am still able to make use of NetMD. Drop me a line if you have any questions or war stories to share.

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Where to Buy Garmin GPSMap 76S Waterproof Hiking GPS

Buy Garmin GPSMap 76S Waterproof Hiking GPS

Garmin GPSMap 76S Waterproof Hiking GPS Product Description:

• GPS receiver with integrated barometric altimeter and electronic compass for precise location, elevation, and bearing information
• Basemap of North and South America, including major highways, thoroughfares, rivers, lakes, and borders
• 500 waypoints with name and symbol; 50 reversible routs
• Rugged design and large screen for improved readability
• 24 MB memory for downloading data from optional Garmin MapSource CD-ROMs

Product Description

If you are a devoted mariner or serious outdoor enthusiast, new GPSMAP 76S is the GPS/mapping unit for you. The ''S '' in the product name stands for ''sensors'', because the GPSMAP 76S incorporates a GPS receiver, barometric altimeter, and an electronic compass that deliver precise location, elevation, and bearing information to take adventurers as high or as far as they want to go. The unit also contains a basemap of North and South America, with plenty of memory (24 MB) for downloading MapSource data. It''s also waterproof and floats in water and its larger screen, increased readability, bigger buttons, and rugged design make this unit at home in even the harshest conditions.

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

120 of 124 people found the following review helpful.
Feeling "lost" trying to find the right GPS? Look no more!
By J. Goericke
I am not the type of person who buys a product without careful considerations. In fact, it took well over a week of comparing prices, technical data, research, and reading several reviews of various GPS units before I finally decided that the Garmin 76S is perhaps the best of the handheld on the market. My decision to buy the 76S was based on three reasons. First, I believe it is the best value for the money. Second, it has the most memory of all the handhelds. Finally, is simply it's durability.

It was on a Canada fishing trip when I first realized that I had to have one of these units. My friend and I missed a chance to go on a fly in fishing trip with some friends. However, being so determined, using a Garmin Map 76, we drove to Canada, then the Map 76 pointed us to an old logging road which we drove for about an hour. Once we got to the end of the logging road, we had to paddle a canoe for about 45 minutes across a lake. When we got across the lake we had to hike about four miles over a mountainous ridge to reach the edge of another lake where our friends radioed us and picked us up. The fishing was ever so great! But we really could have never done the trip without a GPS.

Anyway, back to the review. I narrowed it down to three units to purchase: the Garmin Map 76, the Garmin V, and the Garmin Map 76S. Consider the price. True, the Map 76 is cheaper but it does not have all the features of the 76S (the "S" stands for sensors like electronic compass and barometric pressure I think). Not to say these extra features are much greater than the MAP 76, but it is nice to have them just for the extra "fluff".

Secondly, the MAP 76 is only capable of downloading 8MB of information compared to the whopping 24MB of of the MAP 76S. This means that it would take three MAP 76 to equal the memory of one MAP 76S. To give you an idea of how much 8MB of information is, my friend could only load half the state of Colorado onto his MAP 76. As far as the GPS V goes, it holds 19 MB of information. If your are planning a trip by auto and you have only one destination, then the MAP 76 should suffice. But if you are planning a trip and have several destinations, you may find the extra memory in the MAP 76S to be helpful.

Finally, consider the durability. The MAP 76 and 76S are very durable. They both float! The GPS V is waterproof but only up to about 3.3 feet of water. This is fine if you just plan on wading. But mostly what I did not like about the GPS V was the crazy looking antenna that sticks out perpendicular to the unit. I just knew in my clumsy and reckless ways that the antenna would only last so long before I would break it off somehow on a mountain bike flip or something else.

So take into consideration the best value for your money, available memory, and durability and just plain common sense and purchase a MAP 76S. I hope this review will help you "find" the right choice!

61 of 64 people found the following review helpful.
Excellent GPS Unit
By Ben Smukler
This is my third GPS unit, and it is by far the best. I tried the Garmin eTrex Vista and had problems with sensitivity to tree cover. I live near Sequoia National Park and routinely use the GPS units around "large" trees. I found that the eTrex Vista would lose the signal, or not acquire a signal to begin with, even in fairly large clearings.

In comparison, the antenna in the GPSMAP 76S is much less affected by tree cover. The unit and its software are also much more sophisticated than the eTrex. Also, the function keys on the face of the 76S are easier to use in the field than the ClickStick on the Vista. The latter works o.k. when you are sitting at home, learning to use the machine. However, I found it frustrating to try to use the ClickStick while hiking: The darn thing often wouldn't "go" where I wanted it to on the screen, and the screen areas are fairly small and hard to see in sunlight.

Again, the screen and accessibility are much better on the 76S. The memory (24MB) is the same for both units. In summary, the eTrex wins the "cute" award, but the GPSMAP 76S is a much better piece of equipment and it is easily worth the higher initial cost.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful.
The best multipurpose GPS around
By Bob
I labored long and hard over a piece of gear that I use on my boat, in my truck, and on the trail. This unit isn't perfect for each one, but its the best if you do all 3.

The somewhat small display compared to other marine units is not a problem. If you need a huge color display to look cool that's up to you. The fact that it floats is a huge safety feature incase the unthinkable happens. I don't think your hard mounted 5 lbs chart plotter that needs 12volt power is going to be joining you on the life raft if it comes to that. The bluechart software is incredible and a great buy considering what it would cost to buy all the paper charts. The screen resolution is much crisper than older units though it is B&W so don't expect too much. However some of the color units you can't see at all in sunlight so I think B&W is just fine. One of my concerns was switching between road maps and charts. I was glad to find out that it took only a few menu choices to do this. In other words you can load all kinds of information in and just select which one you want to see. You don't have to look at every road in the US while on the boat and you won't have depth contours while driving. Other good boating features are the anchor alarm and Tide charts!

In the car this unit will not auto route to an address however they are releasing software soon that will let you easily route on the computer and download to the GPS. You will also be able to search for an address on the GPS. Right now I own a previous version from an old GPS and have to select the turns myself. I really wanted auto routing , but the units that do offer this had real problems on the boat or trail or both and they cost even more than this one. I also had to be realistic. How lost can you be if you can see every road and know exactly where you are.

On the trail this thing is great. Its light, has a compass, altitude measurement (Alt is better than with normal altimeter because it uses GPS to calibrate itself) and you can get topo maps if you think you need them. It's a little bigger than other trail models but try looking at one of those units while driving 80mph...I mean 65. Remember to bring extra batteries for the trail if you plan to leave it on all the time.

Over all the killer features are its easy to use, will hold every map, chart or trail you can think of and it works everywhere well. The only thing I can say bad about it is with all the software, mounting bracket, and power cord its expensive, but its a lot cheaper than buying 4 different GPS for the car, boat, lifeboat, and trail. If your thinking about just getting the MAP 76 and saving [money] you'll regret not having the memory for all the maps your going to want to load into it.

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