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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.