Photos: Top 10 reviews of the week

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  • 2006 Lexus IS 350

    2006 Lexus IS 350

    Here's our weekly roundup of new products CNET reviewers liked best. 1. 2006 Lexus IS 350

    Editors' rating: 9.4

    The good: The 2006 Lexus IS 350 features excellent cabin technology, including a crisp navigation screen and a top-notch audio system. Its performance doesn't disappoint, either, with an automatic transmission that hits the right gear at the right time.

    The bad: We have a few minor criticisms of the IS 350: its voice-command system doesn't offer a full range of car control; we had to dig down to display song and album information; and phone address-book entries can be copied over only one at a time.

    The bottom line: The 2006 Lexus IS 350 uses the highest-quality cabin electronics, and its strong engine and good handling make it a lot of fun to drive. At its relatively low price, it is one of the best values in a luxury sport car we've seen.

    Read CNET's full review
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    Caption by: Andy Smith

  • Apple iPod (fifth-generation, 80GB)

    Apple iPod (fifth-generation, 80GB)

    2. Apple iPod (fifth-generation, 80GB)

    Editors' rating: 8.3

    The good: The enhanced iPod has the same sleek design with improved video battery life and brighter screen; it brings gapless playback to the masses; up to 80GB; new features such as instant search and enhanced games; movies now available in iTunes 7; excellent overall value.

    The bad: The Apple iPod has added no major functions such as FM radio, wireless, recording; small screen not conducive to movie viewing; proprietary USB cable; narrow native video-format compatibility; body is still scratch prone.

    The bottom line: The amazingly low priced updated Apple iPod gets many under-the-hood improvements, but it's still not a true video player.

    Read CNET's full review
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    Caption by: Andy Smith

  • Pioneer S-A4SPT-PM

    Pioneer S-A4SPT-PM

    3. Pioneer S-A4SPT-PM

    Editors' rating: 8.0

    The good: The Pioneer S-A4SPT-PM speakers are audiophile-grade compact speakers housed in luxurious, finished cabinets made from aged whiskey-barrel wood. Each speaker boasts a high-quality woofer and tweeter and all-metal speaker wire connectors.

    The bad: The whiskey-barrel speakers are expensive, and there are no matching center speakers or subwoofers.

    The bottom line: Made from old oak whiskey barrels, Pioneer's S-A4SPT-PM speakers deliver a rich and clear sound that belies their small size.

    Read CNET's full review

    Caption by: Andy Smith

  • Sony KDL-46XBR2

    Sony KDL-46XBR2

    4. Sony KDL-46XBR2

    Editors' rating: 7.9

    The good: Accurate color decoding; extremely sharp and detailed picture, thanks to true 1,920x1,080 resolution; delivers deep blacks for an LCD; comprehensive feature package with numerous picture controls; great connectivity with three HDMI inputs and a PC input; unique styling.

    The bad: Expensive; noisy standard-def video processing.

    The bottom line: Although more expensive than most similarly sized HDTVs on the market, the stylish Sony KDL-46XBR2 delivers one of the best pictures we've ever seem from an LCD flat-panel.

    Read CNET's full review
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    Caption by: Andy Smith

  • Apple iTunes 7

    Apple iTunes 7

    5. Apple iTunes 7

    Editors' rating: 7.8

    The good: Apple iTunes 7 shines with a refined but still-intuitive interface; fabulous and useful Cover Flow album view adds dimension to music; iTunes Store now features movies and games; movie pricing is consistent and competitive; supports gapless audio playback; can find missing album art; has new features such as Download Manager.

    The bad: iTunes 7, along with Cover Flow, is more processor-intensive than version 6; underdeveloped Radio section; no built-in recording features; movies have a resolution of only 640x480; most major studio films not available; can't burn to watchable DVD; some bugs reported by users; album art retrieval feature needs work.

    The bottom line: Apple iTunes 7 is a required upgrade for movie buyers and new iPod owners. Its refined interface, particularly Cover Flow, and useful new features trump the fact that the application is processor intensive.

    Read CNET's full review

    Caption by: Andy Smith

  • Oppo DV-970HD

    Oppo DV-970HD

    6. Oppo DV-970HD

    Editors' rating: 7.7

    The good: Excellent image quality; upconverts to 720p and 1080i output via HDMI; plays SACD, DVD-Audio, and DivX; flexible customization options, including aspect-ratio control; HDMI cable included; budget price.

    The bad: The low-end look and feel bespeak its cheap price tag.

    The bottom line: The Oppo DV-970HD delivers some of the best value for your DVD dollar that we've seen on upconverting players in terms of features and performance.

    Read CNET's full review
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    Caption by: Andy Smith

  • Delicious

    Delicious

    7. Delicious

    Editors' rating: 7.3

    The good: Imports bookmarks from Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari; tags pages by topic; lets you share bookmarks with other people; has a dead-simple interface; browser toolbar allows quick bookmarking; saves up to 5MB of content.

    The bad: Delicious doesn't detect broken links, or merge similar tags; doesn't preview bookmarked pages; no easy way to delete multiple bookmarks at once.

    The bottom line: Delicious lets you save, import, and tag bookmarks without fuss. As the most popular take-it-with-you bookmarking service, Delicious can be a powerful tool for sharing content with other users.

    Read CNET's full review

    Caption by: Andy Smith

  • Dell Latitude D420

    Dell Latitude D420

    8. Dell Latitude D420

    Editors' rating: 7.2

    The good: Slim, lightweight design; full-size keyboard; Wi-Fi Catcher works even when system is powered off.

    The bad: High native resolution means tiny type; only one CPU choice.

    The bottom line: Dell's smallest business laptop, the Latitude D420 manages to combine decent specs with a convenient form factor, even if it's not all that configurable.

    Read CNET's full review
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    Caption by: Andy Smith

  • Pelican Xbox 360 TSZ Wired Controller

    Pelican Xbox 360 TSZ Wired Controller

    9. Pelican Xbox 360 TSZ Wired Controller

    Editors' rating: 7.2

    The good: The Pelican Xbox 360 TSZ Wired Controller offers comparable quality and design to Microsoft's official wired controller at about half the price.

    The bad: Not PC compatible; the rumble effect isn't as good as on the Microsoft controller.

    The bottom line: The Pelican TSZ Xbox 360 Wired Controller is an excellent economic alternative to the pricier Microsoft offering.

    Read CNET's full review
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    Caption by: Andy Smith

  • Canon Pixma iP6700D

    Canon Pixma iP6700D

    10. Canon Pixma iP6700D

    Editors' rating: 7.0

    The good: Built-in duplexing; 3.5-inch LCD; full controls on printer; built-in memory card reader; impressive photo quality; IrDA, Bluetooth (with adapter), and Pictbridge direct printing; Mac and Windows compatible.

    The bad: Mediocre text quality; slow text printing.

    The bottom line: Photographers will love the Canon Pixma iP6700D's speedy, high-quality photos, but sluggish, mediocre text output will be a turn-off for the SOHO/business crowd.

    Read CNET's full review
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    Caption by: Andy Smith

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Here are CNET Reviews' top 10 items from the past week, including Apple's iTunes 7 and an Xbox 360 controller.

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2006 Lexus IS 350

Here's our weekly roundup of new products CNET reviewers liked best. 1. 2006 Lexus IS 350

Editors' rating: 9.4

The good: The 2006 Lexus IS 350 features excellent cabin technology, including a crisp navigation screen and a top-notch audio system. Its performance doesn't disappoint, either, with an automatic transmission that hits the right gear at the right time.

The bad: We have a few minor criticisms of the IS 350: its voice-command system doesn't offer a full range of car control; we had to dig down to display song and album information; and phone address-book entries can be copied over only one at a time.

The bottom line: The 2006 Lexus IS 350 uses the highest-quality cabin electronics, and its strong engine and good handling make it a lot of fun to drive. At its relatively low price, it is one of the best values in a luxury sport car we've seen.

Read CNET's full review
Check prices

Caption by: Andy Smith

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