Photos: Top 10 reviews of the week
Samsung YP-K5 (2GB)
1. Samsung YP-K5 (2GB)
Editors' rating: 8.3
The good: The Samsung YP-K5 features a unique and stylish design with a built-in, slide-out speaker, and the interface is stunning. It includes an FM radio and cool visual effects. The player offers excellent sound quality, and the included earbuds are decent.
The bad: Due to the speaker, the YP-K5 is on the large and heavy side for a flash player; the touch controls take some getting used to and attract smudges; display could be bigger; expensive.
The bottom line: The Samsung YP-K5 is a unique MP3 player with a fun interface and great sound quality; it may be bulky around the middle, but it's an excellent choice if you want to share your tunes at the drop of a dime.
Denon DVD-2930CI
Editors' rating: 8.3
The good: Outstanding image quality; upscales to 480i/480p/720p/1080i/1080p; plays SACD, DVD-Audio, and DivX; solid build quality.
The bad: Very expensive for a deck that doesn't play next-gen HD-DVD or Blu-ray discs.
The bottom line: We were floored by the Denon DVD-2930CI's image quality, but we were also floored by its high price.
Sony Ericsson P990i
Editors' rating: 8.3
The good: The Sony Ericsson P990i is the creme de la creme of Sony Ericsson smart phones, with a sleek design that incorporates a QWERTY keyboard coupled with the latest in mobile technology. Features include a 2-megapixel camera, a music player, a business card scanner, video recording, and support for 3G/UMTS and for Wi-Fi networks.
The bad: The Sony Ericsson P990i is a little on the bulky side, and the QWERTY keyboard may be too small for some people. The price is also prohibitively high.
The bottom line: The Sony Ericsson P990i may be the perfect smart phone for tech-minded consumers, but its exorbitantly high price may put a lot of people off.
Samsung SGH-X820
Editors' rating: 7.6
The good: The Samsung SGH-X820 has an attractive, thin design and an admirable feature set that includes Bluetooth, a speakerphone, and a 2-megapixel camera. It's a good performer, too.
The bad: The Samsung SGH-X820's memory is rather small, and it lacks hands-free dialing capability. Picture quality and call volume level could be better.
The bottom line: Despite some minor performance quibbles and a couple of missing features, the Samsung SGH-X820 is a nice blend of design, features, and performance.
Cowon iAudio T2 (2GB)
Editors' rating: 7.3
The good: The Cowon iAudio T2 offers great sound quality and a tiny, wearable design. It includes an FM tuner and voice recorder. The display, though small, is bright and easy to read.
The bad: Photo viewing and video playback won't be found on the iAudio T2. Controls take some getting used to. It doesn't support subscription music.
The bottom line: Mac and Windows users in need of a small, music-centric MP3 player with great sound quality and an FM tuner will be pleased by the Cowon iAudio T2.
RIM BlackBerry Pearl
Editors' rating: 7.3
The good: The RIM BlackBerry Pearl is the first BlackBerry to offer a 1.3-megapixel camera, music and video playback, expandable memory, and a mapping application. The supersleek phone also continues to offer superior push e-mail capabilities, EDGE support, and Bluetooth.
The bad: The RIM BlackBerry Pearl's Micro SD slot is inconveniently located behind the battery, and call quality was subpar in our tests. The phone's camera doesn't record video, and we wish there were external controls for the music player and integrated Wi-Fi.
The bottom line: Though nothing revolutionary, the addition of multimedia features and the already solid e-mail capabilities make the RIM BlackBerry Pearl an attractive device for business users and consumers alike.
HP SLC3760N MediaSmart
Editors' rating: 7.2
The good: Slick design; can stream music, movies, and photos to TV; can produce deep black for an LCD flat panel; clean video processing; Rhapsody support; excellent remote.
The bad: Expensive; only one usable HDMI input; spotty HD over wireless streaming; no QuickTime or AAC support; noncustomizable menus for media; can't change aspect-ratio modes with HD sources; no PC input or picture-in-picture.
The bottom line: You can get the streaming media functionality of the HP SLC3760N for less money by connecting an outboard box, but it's a fine choice if you don't mind paying more for all-in-one simplicity.
Palm Treo 700wx (Sprint)
Editors' rating: 7.0
The good: The Palm Treo 700wx offers more available memory than Verizon's version, the 700w. The Windows Mobile smart phone also has integrated Bluetooth, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and EV-DO support.
The bad: The Palm Treo 700wx lacks integrated Wi-Fi and retains the low-resolution 240-by-240-pixel display.
The bottom line: The Palm Treo 700wx brings some needed improvements to the Windows Mobile smart phone, such as more memory, but it's still far from perfect.
Score Dual Folio Case for DS Lite
Editors' rating: 7.0
The good: The Score Dual Folio Case can store a DS Lite and 18 games, as well as an accessory or two.
The bad: There's no handle or strap, and its spacious size may be too bulky for some. Filling it to capacity may involve some creative stuffing.
The bottom line: The Score Dual Folio Case is an ideal carrying case for serious DS Lite gamers.
Systemax Sabre
Editors' rating: 7.0
The good: Outstanding deal on a high-end PC; Core 2 Extreme CPU; ATI CrossFire graphics; 10,000rpm hard drives; bundled Razer Copperhead gaming mouse and a Saitek Eclipse backlit keyboard.
The bad: No-frills design won't win any awards; the system's many cooling fans make for a loud PC.
The bottom line: The Systemax Sabre can't compete with the higher-end PC shops' design and innovation, but Systemax blows them away with its aggressive Sabre pricing. If you're a gamer or simply someone looking for a powerhouse desktop for less, this desktop is one of the best deals on the market, despite its relative lack of polish.