- Product:
- IKEA Tertial Lamp (company site)
- What’s Good:
- Cheap (under $10), simple.
- What’s Bad
- Hot shade, annoying switch (fixed?).
I bought my most recent Tertial lamp about two years ago. I can remember having one of these lamps in my room all through my childhood and it seemed like a useful desk accessory for work. For a super-cheap lamp it's been pretty good but I find I don't use it much anymore, mostly due to the annoying (and painful) top switch.
- Product:
- 23” Apple Cinema HD Display (company site)
- What’s Good:
- Loads of screen-real-estate (both size and resolution), wide-screen format, bright and sharp image quality
- What’s Bad:
- Not adjustable, expensive (~$2,000 US), requires ADC-to-DVI adapter for PCs (~$100 US), kinda dorky-looking
My usual display is the humble 14.1” 1400x1050 pixel screen on my ThinkPad T30 laptop. It serves me well and the relatively high resolution makes for lots of room on screen, even on a relatively small laptop display. I was happy. However, when a co-worker went on vacation, he decided to loan me his massive 23” Apple Cinema HD Display in a gesture that was both kind and cruel. His secret motive was that after using the large screen for two weeks, I’d have no choice but to buy one for myself.
Review by Dan James
- Product:
- MEC Targa Jacket (company site)
- What's Good:
- Rugged, waterproof, pocket room & placement, vents.
- What's Bad:
- Neck is stiff when hood in, pricey (~$300 CDN), water repellency wears off quickly.
After spending three weeks in non-breathable waterproof rain gear I splurged and purchased myself a nice Gore-Tex jacket and pants (pant review to come). I’ve been wearing the jacket daily for over seven months. I’ve worn it through blizzards, rain storms, and the much tougher condition of everyday use.
- Product:
- Adobe Type Basics (company site)
- What’s Good:
- Cheap, great type foundation.
- What’s Bad
- May not use all the type faces.
We don't do a ton of print work around here, so the need of a vast type library has never been a big issue. However, on several occassions we've done some branding work or print work and a nice selection of type faces has been helpful. Early on, we purchased the Adobe Type Basics collection and it's served as a great foundation resource for a number of projects.
Review by Nick Burka
- Product:
- IBM ThinkPad T20 with 256Mb RAM, 700Mhz P3, 14.1" 1024x768 display (CNet Review)
- What's Good:
- Excellent case design, good features, great value.
- What's Bad:
- Weak video card, one USB port, only 1024x768 monitor.
Three years ago, just before leaving on an extended trip to London, England, I decided I needed a laptop to travel with and do work on. Nathan here at silverorange had been a proponent of ThinkPads for years (he owns two 600 series laptops) and so I looked on eBay for a good computer that I could program on and use PhotoShop. Now that three years have passed, I'm still very happy with my laptop and even enjoy some of its features over the newer T30s (see silverorange stuff review) that most of the guys I work with currently use.
- Product:
- Gardena Rechargeable Reel Mower ES 450/30 (company site)
- What’s Good:
- Smaller, lighter, quieter, cleaner, and cheaper than a full-size mower (I bought a used model for about $150CDN - they sell new for almost $300CND)
- What’s Bad:
- Not sturdy, whiny noise, limited battery life, limited power
I have a relatively small lawn (see a photo of my lawn - it’s a bit larger in the back) and it seemed like overkill to get a big, loud, gas-powered mower for my humble little green-space. Instead, I opted for a lighter, quieter, battery-powered reel mower. While it’s not all good, I am relatively happy with it.
- Product:
- Acclaim’s Dakar 2: The World’s Ultimate Rally for GameCube (company site)
- What’s Good:
- Sky and lighting graphics, simple game-play, nice default replay camera angles, price ($29.99CND)
- What’s Bad:
- Driving game-play doesn’t have a great feel, limited replay
I’m a sucker for off-road driving games. Unfortunately, there aren’t many off-road driving games available for the GameCube. So, despite mediocre reviews, I gave Dakar 2 a shot. It's not a great game, but it's cheap!
- Product:
- Audiovox CDM8500 Mobile Phone
- What’s Good:
- Small, comfortable, cheap.
- What’s Bad
- Terrible interface, superfluous features.
About three months ago, I switched cell phone carriers and got a new handset in the process. The choices of telephone companies and handsets around these parts is fairly limited, so I only had a few brands to choose from . After a quick look at the available options I went with the Audiovox CDM8500 due to its small size and reasonable price.
Review by David Peck
- Product:
- 1999 Cannondale F700 (company site)
- What's Good:
- Light weight, good component set, second frame has not cracked.
- What's Bad:
- Coda seat sucks for longer rides, first frame cracked.
From the age of 16, I've always wanted a Cannondale. I can remember reading through countless mountain bike magazines oogling over the latest frame geometries and suspension setups. The invention of the HeadShok sealed the deal - I had to have one, but first I had to get a job to pay for it!
