virginia

It is a great idea to practice angle tackles with your defense because not all tackles are made with the opponent right in front of you. This can be done by having a player run with the ball on a straight line with the defender at any angle. As the opponent comes toward the defender he will need to adjust his body position and shorten the angle, put his foot in front of the opponent, and make sure that he put his head in front of the opponent. A good tackle is now executed as the defender lunges at the opponent wrapping his arms around his opponent grabbing cloth and completing the tackle by pulling him down or pushing him off sides.

Points on tackling safely and effectively

It has been stated many times that a defensive teams win games, and the most fundamental part of a defensive team is performing a great tackle. If you, or your players don’t take tackling seriously you will not stop the offense and could also cause injuries. Here are three important steps to practice:

First, you need to stop the opponent quickly so make sure to place yourself directly in front of the opponent’s path. Plant your cleats in the grass squarely in front and in the middle, bisecting the player in half. Also, at this time thrust your arms backward to prepare for the next step.

Second, push your other foot keeping your knees low and bent, and in sync with your feet throw your hands up hard around the offensive player. At this point you are well planted in front and your head should be in direct contact. Never, ever, ever tackle with the top of your head down, keep it up and square against your opponent. You need to literally imagine that the football is a big hamburger and you want to bite it and not slam your forehead against it.

The third and last step is to bring your hips up and drive the opponent backwards and towards the ground. The more momentum that you bring to the table on steps two and three the more effective your speed will be in this last step.

Staying Hydrated

Drinking plenty of water is all it takes to prevent dehydration, and thus should be an important part of football practices. Make sure that during the football practice players have their water bottles handy and are drinking often. Water should never be used as a motivational or reward type basis. When players are hydrated and energized they will practice harder and learn more.

Steps to effectively block driving

Driving and blocking are the bases for a good lineman. Hence the name for the most common drive: the drive block. This drive block means that you are going to push the opponent in the direction that they are aligned. If the Defensive lineman is aligned slightly to the right of the offensive linemen then the drive block with pus the defender to the right. Execute the drive by bolting off the line with your play side foot; again if the play is happening on the left side then you will use your left foot. Bring the other foot up quickly and make a solid contact for your drive.

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This week, it appears that Buffalo will struggle versus an inflated 9 1/2 point spread; however, based on a number of reasons outlined below and while I am not heroic enough to call an outright fetch for the Raiders, all signs point to a tightly fought contest.

So, why are the Bills facing potential peril versus the spread this week?

Reason #1
Oakland finds themselves in an absorbing Week 3 momentum station that involves teams that lost their first game of the season, followed by a score in Week 2, and are now either 1st or 2nd in their division (the Raiders are currently in 2nd in the AFC West, leisurely Denver at 2-0) .

Historically, teams trot their Week 2 turn-around to a spread-victory in Week 3 and they have been 29-3 ATS since 1994 and 7-1 ATS in the past 3 seasons.

Reason #2
Before Week 15 of the season, teams with a substantial urge Yardage % For of > 50 (58.7% of Oakland’s rushing yardage has approach on race plays of 10 or more yards so far) that also have a Play Book Execution Penalty Average Against of <= 1.0 per-game (the Raiders are actually averaging 1.0), are an astonishing 128-60 ATS since 2001.

It’s a fact: teams that can wound opposing defenses with long gains on the ground (evidenced with a high BRY%F) that also prefer a outrageous number of penalty calls related to the ‘break-down’ of offensive plays (i.e., ineligible receivers, too many men on the field, etc.), are an beneficial wager against the spread, 7 years in a row.

Reason #3
Teams coming off a 4th Quarter Comeback (a game where a team that was losing at the commence of the 4th quarter, came succor to secure SU) that gave up at least 30 Passing Attempts in this previous game, AND are currently facing an opponent with a Season Turn-over Differential of <= 0.5; happen to be a brutal 27-97 ATS since 1994 and 2-22 ATS in the past 3 seasons alone.

Buffalo is in impartial this state, after opening the 4th quarter last week at Jacksonville, down 13-10, and coming away with the 20-16 victory. It’s a classic let-down area that will not be helping the Bill’s cause this Sunday.

For more information on these trends, and a total of 6 pages stuffed with every team statistic imaginable, please visit my space and click on the ‘Articles’ link.

Oakland’s Confidence Percentage for covering the spread in this game is: 66%

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Download Nip/Tuck - The Complete First Season Online. Movie Title: Nip/Tuck - The Complete First Season Average customer review: Nip/Tuck - The Complete First Season is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Nip/Tuck - The Complete First Season

Wow did I love this series! I missed it during the original broadcast, but based on what people have told me, I gambled on this box set. I feel like I hit the jackpot.

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It’s definitely not for everyone though. No sirree.

First of all, if you’re squeamish, the brilliantly reproduced surgeries can be a bit nauseating. (I’m a surgeon, and I loved ‘em. My wife, an ex-nurse, had to close her eyes…)

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Second, if you are at all uncomfortable with the topic of sex, stay away. This series will plant you into situations you have not even imagined. Bouncing between hilarity and discomfort, sex is definitely a theme throughout the 13 shows.

Third, if you appreciate good acting, it does not get any better than this. Seriously. This is “Sopranos” good; “NYPD Blue” good. The two lead performances are pitch-perfect, both deeply flawed and often morally reprehensible individuals who at the end of the day, you can’t help but root for. The “supporting” players are a heck lot more than that, and provide tons of drama, amusement and eye candy.

There is beauty and ugliness everywhere, from an absolutely gorgeous female figure to a purely evil drug dealing psychopath. That’s just in one episode.

Fourth, the screenwriting is bling-bling eye-popping, smart as all hell and consistently surprising. The thirteen episodes link nicely together, the first ones dovetailing back into the last ones. I was constantly taken aback at the twists, the lines, the situations they came up with. Let’s just say that I learned in the very first episode that crocodiles prefer ham to human flesh. And that fact is actually important to the story…

I haven’t even had a chance to go through what appears to be fairly extensive supplements and deleted scenes. I HAD to write in…I will recommend this to ANYONE, anyone over 18 I should say, who likes good television and may like to be pleasantly shocked from time to time.

With great restraint I have withheld many (if not all) plot points, because the exhilarating thrill of discovering them on your own is something you’ll only feel once. Without spoiling too much, the show centers on the Miami plastic surgery practice of McNamara/Troy.

Sean McNamara is a questionably happily married man, with one teenage son, and one grade schooler daughter.

Julia, the wife, is plagued by doubts surrounding her love for her husband, the urge to go back to medical school and sexual attractions/distractions galore.

One of whom might be Christian Troy, Sean’s best friend and partner, and one of the most gleefully decadent characters in TV history. I mean “decadent” in a good way. Sort of.

His travails include, but in no way are limited to, a continuing parade of sexual partners, a number of hysterical surgical propositions, problems involving his boat, his cars, his apartment and the plastic surgery competition across town.

Other important characters include the melting hot staff psychologist and the defiant, embittered, proudly lesbian anesthesiologist. The cast has such chemistry that they not only react to one another, they generate this bubbly heat together…it’s fun to watch them prod each other to new heights.

The one thing that struck me the most about these shows is the amount of genuine heart that stands at the center of each episode. There is a large amount of provocative, politically incorrect but unassailable truth here…nothing you’d like to admit, but stuff you instantly recognize. As you get to know these characters, establshing empathy for them is easy. It’s darn near irresistible. I was hooked from the first five minutes.

I could write more, but I need to go check out the extras, AND the four NEW episodes I have on tape. I have just GOT to get my Tivo hooked up…

A lot of ground-breaking, long-running programmes have finished in the past two years, and they all seem to be my favourites! Buffy is gone, as is Sex And The City, and of course, who could forget Friends? I thought I’d have nothing to watch on TV anymore, Will & Grace being my only saviour, but then along came Nip/Tuck in August 2004. Originally broadcast on cable in the UK, the show was sold to Channel 4 and advertised as the next big thing. With commercials for this hip, sexy and stylish new drama every half an hour, there can’t be one single person who watches Channel 4 who doesn’t know about it. The ratings show this: Nip/Tuck has gone on to become a massive ratings hit in the past two months that it has been on air, and I for one am completely sold.

Let me first say that Nip/Tuck is definitely not a show for everyone. It contains many scenes of medical gore and explicit sex scenes, along with strong language and distressing moments of human revelation. I’m not deterred by these factors, but sometimes I have to look away during the medical scenes. Basically, the show revolves around the two lead characters, Dr. Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) and Dr. Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) who own a blossoming plastic surgeon practice in Miami South Beach. They are lifetime friends, but are rather different in character - Dr. Troy is a single, middle-aged, sex-maniac who is commitment-phobic. This is partly due to childhood experiences, yet one cannot feel total sympathy for his manipulative and devious ways. He is very sexy and woman can’t resist him. Dr. McNamara is the sensible family-man, happily married to Julia (Joely Richardson) and the adoring father of two children, Matt (John Hensley) being the son.

The two doctors are both each going through a full-blown mid-life crises, involving their families, patients and each other. Season 1 perfectly captures this. What makes the show so unique for me is the successful blend of humour and drama. They are at times funny, and at times disturbingly powerful in their drama. The storylines are cutting-edge and very sharp to the times. The perception of society in this show is acute and precisely executed: it shows society for what it is, and presents the dangers of the need for perfection, without shoving it down the viewer’s throat. The storylines are cutting-edge because a show like this has never been around - it is only the advances in modern technology and the ever-growing popularity of plastic surgery that a show like this has been made possible. Therefore a whole world of new storylines has been opened for exploration, and when you attach this with good old-fashioned human emotion, you get a fantastic blend of ground-breaking new territory to explore.

The show’s main stars give the best performances. Julian McMahon and Dylan Walsh are the backbone if the entire show, but for me it is the superb Joely Richardson who steals the show. Her emotional-intensity is on fire, the woman can REALLY act! Valerie Cruz stars as Grace Santiago, the sickenly-gorgeous psychologist who must analyse the mental-state of patients before they undergo surgery. Roma Maffia stars as the loveable lesbian Liz Cruz, who is the two surgeon’s anaesthesiologist. The storylines involving all these characters are incredibly complex, but all the threads of their characters are tied-up towards the end of the season. Sort of.

There are so many characters in the first season that make this show so appealing, but the particular stand-outs include the desperate model-to-be Kimberly who will do anything to achieve her goal of perfection and acceptance. Her revenge on Christian is brilliant. The short but memorable role of overweight Nanette Babcock are heart-breaking in their honesty, whilst the young transsexual Sofia Lopez opens up her whole world to the viewer and how difficult it is just being accepted as she is. Most people come to the two doctors for petty things such as boob enhancements, and when contrasted with the emotional need to feel content as a transsexual, the reality of life is put into perspective. Megan O’Hara is a patient that Dr. McNamara becomes most emotionally-attached to, and even goes as far as to have an affair with, risking his entire family. This might seem devious, but their relationship is beautiful: she’s a cancer-patient in need of love and affection and has only a short time left to live. Her suicide scene is heart-breaking. I was completely transfixed.

The high-emotion continues with Cara Fitzgerald, who is knocked down by Matt McNamara and a friend in a car. Her strong-Christian mother refuses plastic surgery to reshape her unrecognisable daughter’s face, but eventually has to give in. The multiple-personality of Montana/Sassy/Justicy is another highlight for its emotional intensity and brave tackling of such a sensitive topic. The last two episodes are dominated by the evil Escobar Gallardo who made his presence in the first episode, but returns to use the doctor’s darkest secrets as blackmail, forcing them to remove the liquid-heroin implants of Escobar’s curvaceous drug-couriers.

There are too many brilliant scenes to talk of in just one review of Nip/Tuck Season 1, but trust me when I say that this show really is one of the best to come along in recent years. The only concern is that sometimes the dialogue is a little cheesy or inappropriate for the scene’s level of intensity, but this is just a minor quibble from such a promising and popular show. I look very much forward to seeing Season 2 of thie show, which will be broadcast sometime next year. While I wait, I’m sure my box set of Season 1 will console me with repeat viewings of this disturbingly perfect drama.

Stream Kung Fu - The Complete Series Collection Online. Movie Title: Kung Fu - The Complete Series Collection Average customer review: Kung Fu - The Complete Series Collection is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Kung Fu - The Complete Series Collection

Kung Fu drastically challenged the conservative, militaristic, and philosophically naive outlook I held as a 20 year old college student and “gung-ho” ROTC cadet in 1972. Now, 36 years later, I have had the opportunity to watch Kung Fu once more, and the impact has been nearly as powerful. I have been disabled for severe depression and anxiety for over 15 years, including close to two years of hospitalization. In all of that time I have barely moved forward–until re-watching Kung Fu. The show has visually reminded me of many things, repeatedly told me by therapists, in such a way that I am once again able to reflect–especially while watching the show–a little more positively on my life.

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That is the beauty and mastery of Kung Fu, one of the most intriguing shows ever made: it invokes one to THINK, discuss, and contemplate. The only other show I have seen have such an effect on so many people (nearly 90% of my ROTC class of 207 cadets watched Kung Fu as well as me), is the original two years of Star Trek. BUT, the level and intensity invoked by Kung Fu was immeasurably greater than that of Star Trek. The commentaries and features (see the Comments for listing of these items) often mention how teachers “required” students to watch Kung Fu, and then discussed the episodes in class. In deed, it is the philosophical nature of the show that most appeals to me and many who watch it.

Conversely, I will not deny that the show led me to sign up for Judo classes too (over 50% of my friends signed up for some form of martial arts), but the Karate nature of the show was never that appealing to me. Kung Fu is frequently accredited for “introducing” thousands of people to the martial arts. Unfortunately, many who watch the show or have watched the show have followed the path of what I consider “aggressive” martial arts, forgetting the retrospective nature of true Kung Fu. But, I must believe that if parents watch the show with their children, they can have an opportunity to talk with their children about both aspects of Kung Fu.

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Another fabulous feature of the show is that viewers are presented with the reality of bigotry and hate–something that never ends, and is completely pertinent to today’s world. (Please see the Comments for an example of how the mere fact that I lamented–now also in the Comments–that the DVDs are in English only prompted someone “disrespectful to Americans living in AMERICA.”) Again, parents could easily use episodes to discuss and help their children–be they victims, violators, or naive–deal with bigotry and hate.

PLEASE NOTE: Warner Brothers has apparently advertised, and thus Amazon has listed, this set to contain wide-screen formate; see the Comments for more discussion on this. While the Season One episodes have been digitally reformatted “IN A “MATTED” WIDESCREEN FORMAT PRESERVING A THEATRICAL EXHIBITION ASPECT RATIO. ENHANCED FOR WIDESCREEN TVs,” all episodes and features in the Season 2 and 3 sets are in fact full screen. The release date (on Amazon and the back of the red slip case for the series) states 2007, but season boxes all state they were done in 2005; so I don’t think there is any difference between the Complete Series Box Set and the single season box sets. On an even sadder note, while Warner Brothers did attempt to improve the quality of the shows and alter the formate, they did so, with varying success, for the first season only. (Again, please see the Comments for more discussion on this matter). For the second and third seasons, Warner Brothers either did nothing or very little to restore the negatives, so the episodes are littered with white specs, scratches, and so on (although I found them no less bothersome than those found when watching a well used copy of a movie showing at a theater; for more discussion on this, see the Comments). That said, one must remain mindful of the fact that “Kung Fu” was filmed for television not the theater, was on a limited budget, and the fact that the negatives, when placed in the vault for storage, were most likely not very high quality to begin with; after all, nobody anticipated cable television syndication, let alone VHS and DVD production when the negatives were stored. On the other hand, this inconsistency in DVD quality (be it television shows or movies) is what I have now come to expect from Warner Brothers: misinformation and little or no care for their consumers; out of seventeen letters I have sent to them with questions, they have never replied to a single one.

All that said and done: Please consider renting (if available) or buying the Kung Fu series, and watch it with family and friends if you have them. “Kung Fu - The Complete Series” includes the award winning Pilot movie and all 62 episodes on 11 discs, starring David Carradine as Kiwai Chang Caine, Philip Ahn as Master Kan, and Keye Luke as Master PO. Special guest stars (some of which I have noted in the Comments) include David’s father John Carradine, Benson Fong, Harrison Ford, Jodie Foster, Don Johnson, Leslie Nielsen, William Shatner, and others. “Kung Fu” is a show that is thought provoking, educational, inspirational, and unforgettable. “Kung Fu” is a show that can be watched over and over–by yourself, with friends, or with your family. There is no other TV show that I would recommend for people of all ages than “Kung Fu”–so, treat yourself with the whole series.

UPDATE–FEBRUARY 22, 2009: It came to my attention while reading “A Kid’s Review–Kung Fu is the best, and this is the best way to own them,” that I failed to mention the great extra features included in each of the three season sets. In particular, in the Season Three Set, there is a fascinating documentary that follows David Carradine and some of his friends on a trip to China, where David is given a Shaolin robe on their visit to the famed Shaolin Temple Monastery, a key location depicted in the series, and David plays his flute on the Great Wall of China while it is snowing. For Kill Bill - Volume One and Kill Bill - Volume Two fans, there is a bonus feature on the Season Two set that features David Carradine having dinner with stars/friends from these two films and the “Kung Fu” series. (See the Comments for more details on other bonus features and special guest stars, including Harrison Ford!).

Also, I feel like this review has become too long in my efforts to answer questions. Therefore, I am going to cut my other updates and place them in a comment. For first time readers, these comments deal with the following: film format and transfer quality for each season; languages and subtitles for the episodes and extra features; the fact that the discs are double sided; more on how the series is packaged; and, bonus features (rather than listing them here). I sincerely apologize if this is an inconvenience for some, but if you look at the comments you will understand just how long this review was getting.

June 14, 2009: I have deleted my response to the individual whose comments have been once again removed by Amazon, as they were out of place without that person’s comments. If you wish to read them, I have saved them and would be happy to send them to you–just go to my Profile to get my email address. And thanks to everyone for making this my most successful, albeit declining in popularity vote percentages. Regardless, if my review sparks interests, then it has achieved one of my objectives.

If this review was not helpful to you, I would appreciate learning the reason(s) so I can improve my reviews. My goal is to provide help to potential buyers, not get into any arguments. So, if you only disagree with my opinion, could you please say so in the comments and not indicate that the review was not helpful. Thanks.

There are lots of reviews which already talk (extensively) about why Kung Fu was such a great show, and worth owning on DVD. Instead I just wanted to make sure people know what they are getting with this set…

I hesitated to buy this set at first because it had all 3 seasons packaged together, but didn’t mention anything about special features, etc. I wanted to make sure I had the commentaries & featurettes that the individual seasons boasted. Eventually, I bought this version because the price difference won me over (just before the holidays it was $35 + super saver shipping!) and I was pleased to find out that the set contained all 3 seasons as they appear individually, as well as a nice little slip cover to store them all together. The individual seasons & this package are the same, except that this one costs far less.

Stream Down from the Mountain Online. Movie Title: Down from the Mountain Average customer review: Down from the Mountain is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Down from the Mountain

This movie, part stage show and part local color with a good bit of nostalgia thrown in, is breathtaking, riveting, spellbinding, transcendent. It begins with a night tour of Nashville’s exciting places; from the limo window we see Tootsie’s, the Ryman Auditorium, Second Avenue, Lower Broadway. We share our ride with Ralph Stanley, who has “come down from the mountain.” We spend time backstage at the Ryman while the performers are waiting their turns, and eavesdrop on John Hartford as he spins a tale about wanting to be a librarian. We listen to a couple of blues players talk about their work and discover that Emmylou Harris is a baseball fan. The show itself is country at its best. Rock and roll doesn’t show its face; there are no gyrations or big hats or shrill voices. Just country, with memories of the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, and a plethora of old time musicians who sang of hard times and death and endurance. We will always remember Emmylou Harris’s sweet, true voice, Allison Krause’s melodic outpouring, and Gillian Welch’s beautiful harmony. We’ll remember the Peasall sisters and the Fairfield Four and Ralph Stanley; but most of all, we’ll remember the magic moment when John Hartford began to sing “Big Rock Candy Mountain.” It was one of his last performances before he succumbed to cancer, but his voice was steady and strong, and his hands sure on the violin. This was old time music as it should be, and even the newer songs sounded old. It reminds us of how far modern country music has strayed from its roots, and how easy and pleasant it is to go back to them again.

I wasn’t sure that a documentary about bluegrass music was going to be something that a) I would enjoy, b) something I would find compelling or c) something that would turn me onto an area of music and performances enough to make me rethink my former country snobbishness. “Down from the Mountain” made me a convert on all the above bases and more. This documentary-style film about the music and artists who comprise the soundtrack for “Oh, Brother, Where art Thou?” include the immense talents of Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch. These women have ways of lovingly massaging a ballad until it truly has a life of it’s own. The soulful words and melodies of family artists like the Whites, and the Cox family are wonderfully done, as are the younger performers who get to ramp up the tempo for their rendition of “Highways and the Hedges”. Then there’s the wonderfully dry-witted John Hartford, who takes a few moments aside from his emcee responsibilities to give a toe-tapping rendition of “Big Rock Candy Mountain”. The film takes you for a backstage pass (OK, is Emmylou Harris THAT big of a baseball fan!) AND a front row performance in the acoustically amazing Ryman Theatre. Through a mix of gospel, bluegrass, blues and country, the viewer gets a real treat of hearing and seeing what was the musical underpinning for the Coen brother’s blockbuster film. You might very well meet some new musical artists in this video. I did. They seem to bear a different countenance from other contemporary artists, demonstrating a solid reliance on song style, harmonies, acoustics, and ultimately bringing “everything out but the kitchen sink” in their delivery, and that was it for me. The words are familiar and the songbirds beckon, come smile, cry, clap your hands, or sing, “Hallelujah!”, mountain life is pretty good and your journey’s just beginning.

Download Breakfast At Tiffany’s - Paramount Centennial Collection Online. Movie Title: Breakfast At Tiffany’s - Paramount Centennial Collection Average customer review: Breakfast At Tiffany’s - Paramount Centennial Collection is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Breakfast At Tiffany’s - Paramount Centennial Collection

Excellent!

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A word that can describe the Centennial Collection release of the 1961 film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, the classic romantic comedy starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard.

Having reviewed previous versions of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” before on DVD, I’m sure many Audrey Hepburn fans are probably wondering how else can Paramount improve from the 2006 45th Anniversary Edition on DVD? Well, I can tell you right now… plenty! Please read on.

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A film that stars quite a bit of talent, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” remains not just one of the most memorable romantic films of all time but a film that exemplifies the beauty of Audrey Hepburn, the chic style of the times and more (which I will discuss more in the special features portion of my review).

VIDEO & AUDIO:

The film is presented in widescreen format, enhanced for 16:9 TV’s. A lot of the Centennial Collection releases have been remastered for high definition and having the previous DVD’s, I can tell you that the DVD looks great. But I can only imagine how this film would look in 1080P if released in Blu-ray.

Audio is featured in Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround/English, Restored Mono, French Mono and Spanish Mono. The film of course is dialogue-driven but sure enough, the music of Harry Mancini is alive and well when blaring through your speakers.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

As mentioned before, there have been several releases of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” prior to this Centennial Collection, the older DVD’s really hardly came with anything but the trailer until the 2006 “Special 45th Anniversary Collector’s Edition” which came with a good number of special features and a commentary by producer Richard Shepherd.

Well, what I can tell you is that the Centennial Collection contains all of the special features from the Anniversary DVD release but also adds quite a few new lengthy featurettes as well. On the first disc, the first disc contains the movie and the same commentary from the Anniversary disc by Producer Richard Shepherd. You can tell that Shepherd gets drawn in to the film and doesn’t speak in the commentary until he feels necessary.

So, for those wanting a verbose commentary, Shepherd doesn’t do that. But it’s actually quite fine because when he does speak, you learn a lot of things from him about the filming. For example, the opening shot featuring Audrey Hepburn in front of Tiffany’s in Fifth Avenue. Where the place is typically packed with cars and people, for that time… there was hardly any traffic and no people. So, a very lucky time in filmmaking for the crew.

Also, Shepherd is quite apologetic about casting Rooney as Mr. Funiyoshi and he does that quite a bit in the commentary. You realized he didn’t want the yellow face routine (Caucasian actor looking like an Asian stereotypical character) but it was kept in. Also, commenting of how certain scenes worked then but would never fly now. But most of all, his continued feeling of Audrey Hepburn as a class act. Overall, a very good commentary that you learn a lot from.

The special features on disc 2 are as follows:

* A Golightly Gathering - A 20-minute featurette that reunites the talents who were in the cocktail party scene from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. One of the coolest parties ever on film, it’s great to see the talent from the film reunite and discuss their experiences of filming that part scene 40-years later. I had no idea the party-scene took 8-days to film but it was great to hear everyone talk about their scene, working with Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard and Blake Edwards. But what a great featurette and so happy of it’s inclusion.

* Henry Mancini: More Than Music - This nearly 21-minute featurette is a wonderful featurette that features interviews with Henry Mancini’s wife, daughter and son. Seeing private photos and even videos of Henry and having their family talk about him and what they remember about him, winning the two Academy Awards for “Moon River” and working on other films is just wonderful.

* Mr. Yunioshi: An Asian Perspective - A 17-minute featurette. Despite the popularity of the film, the black cloud that has lingered on this film was the casting of Mickey Rooney as “Mr. Yunioshi”. A talented actor, the “yellow face” role was just wrong and acknowledge by the director, producer and a cast member was just terribly wrong in casting Rooney for that role. This feature has interviews with representatives of the Media Action Network of Asian Americans. I’m glad that Paramount did include this featurette on this collection.

* The Making of a Classic - Originally from the Anniversary release, this segment features interviews with Producer Richard Shepherd and Director Blake Edwards. A 16-minute featurette and you definitely learn a lot about the film, especially from Blake Edwards. One could image how his director’s commentary would have been if included, especially with what he had to say on this featurette.

* It’s So Audrey: A Style Icon - An eight minute featurette with interviews with designers, Hepburn’s son and companion. How Audrey Hepburn made simple things quite sexy. How Audrey never thought of her body proportions that sexy but she did have a good eye for style and how she became a fashion and style icon.

* Behind the Gates: The Tour - This 4 minute featurette gives people a look behind the gates of the Paramount lot. A good promotional for those who would like to tour the Paramount lot.

* Brilliance in a Blue Box - A six minute featurette about the history of Tiffany’s. Originally featured on the Anniversary DVD.

* Audrey’s Letter to Tiffany - A two minute featurette about the letter Audrey wrote for the preface of the 150th Anniversary book for Tiffany’s.

* Original Theatrical Trailer - The original two minute trailer with its dust, scratches and all.

* Galleries - Featuring production stills, movie stills and publicity shots for the film.

The Centennial Collection also comes with a booklet that features information of facts of the film, from how Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe for this film, information on Orangey the cat and how the “New York Site” that was filmed at the Paramount lot is now forever lost due to the big Paramount fire back in 1983 that destroyed historical sets.

And the DVD is just classy with it’s black and gold packaging (which most of the Centennial Collection are packaged) and ditching the pink and white packaging.

I absolutely love this film. From the memorable dialogue, that first scene with Holly standing in front of Tiffany’s, the cocktail party, Holly Golightly singing “Moon River” on her guitar, the cat and of course the final scene between Holly and Paul.

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is a classic Audrey Hepburn film that is a must-own. I know that the film has been re-released many times on DVD and the 45th Anniversary was just a pleasure when it first came out and at the time, it was a definitive release. But now, with this “Centennial Collection” featuring a remastered version of the film and the new (and quite lengthy) featurettes that is included on this collection, this is the definitive version on DVD.

Personally, I can only imagine how this would look once it becomes available on Blu-ray but for now, these Centennial Collections from Paramount are just wonderful. Especially “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, I’m really amazed how far Paramount went in order to make this release much more special.

The addition of “A Golightly Gathering” featuring the actors who took part in that cocktail party was awesome, the Henry Mancini featurette for those who just love his musical work will love this featurette and of course, for those who have felt the pain of the “yellow face” segment in the film, Paramount going the extra step by including a featurette dedicate to that on this DVD.

But in the end, this DVD is indeed a special tribute to Audrey Hepburn. Hepburn is just an icon of style and elegance and this DVD does a great job of giving special attention to such an incredible film. And after seeing this film so many time times, I still have not grown tired of it. It’s one special film that I highly recommend

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is flawless blend of a crowd-pleasing star-vehicle for the effortlessly charming Audrey Hepburn and a bittersweet, painfully beautiful look at love, life, and happiness. Director Blake Edwards, the man behind “The Pink Panther” series, “The Party”, “Operation Petticoat”, “Victor/Victoria”, etc., has crafted a truly timeless film based on the novella by Truman Capote. Though numerous elements of Capote’s story were altered, the film still has a strong core and message that urges audiences to examine their own lives, loves, and happiness.

Everything about this film is classic. You have the timeless Hepburn and her defining performance as Holly Golightly, a sophisticated, sassy call-girl with a secret past who is ultimately one of the most vulnerable characters Hepburn ever played. Then there’s George Peppard, a vastly under-appreciated actor who manages to hold his own next to Hepburn while playing a struggling writer living off an older married woman. Peppard’s boyish good looks and surprising depth make him the ideal match for Hepburn’s Golightly.

Then of course there’s Henry Mancini’s wistfully romantic score and the tremendously popular theme-song, “Moon River”, a true gem of a song that capture’s the film’s essence perfectly. In addition, you have Hepburn’s fabulous, style-setting wardrobe courtesy of her lifelong friend Hubert de Givenchy. In this one film alone, Hepburn and Givenchy practically invented the “little black dress”, popularized ballet flats, and introduced capris as a stylish alternative to regular pants.

My favorite quote:

Holly Golightly: You know those days when you get the mean reds?

Paul Varjak: The mean reds, you mean like the blues?

Holly Golightly: No. The blues are because you’re getting fat and maybe it’s been raining too long, you’re just sad that’s all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you’re afraid and you don’t know what you’re afraid of. Do you ever get that feeling?

Paul Varjak: Sure.

Holly Golightly: Well, when I get it the only thing that does any good is to jump in a cab and go to Tiffany’s. Calms me down right away.

Product: Garmin 010-00822-00 List Price: $499.99 Average customer review: Amazon Price: Too low to display Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

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I purchase alot of navigation devices, so I was excited about the 1690 as there was much hype with this unit. The nuvi 1690 is Garmin’s current top of the line model. It features the new Garmin nuLink service which includes things like traffic, weather, gas prices, movie times, etc. It’s really good if you like that kind of stuff. It’s basically a much better version of MSN Direct if you’ve ever used that service.

I have a nuvi 1490t and 765t as well, so I’m going to make comparisons of the units. First thing I must say is that this unit acquires a satelite signal FAST. I’m talking less than 10 seconds fast. I remember with my old nuvi 350 I used to have to sit in my car and wait a few minutes for the unit to get a signal, not with this 1690. The same can be said with the 1490t as far as fast satelite acquisition. With the 1690 however, I can actually get a signal inside of my house without standing directly by the window, which is the first device that can do that in my experiences. I would imagine it’s good in a city with tall buildings like NYC with this kind of signal strength though I haven’t tested there. As far as navigation, it navigates as well as any other Garmin device so no changes there. Directions are very accurate and re-route calculations if you miss a turn are quick. Text-to-speech is excellent as well and is very accurate and clear with pronunciation of street names. Something Garmin has done with the newer software in all of their new units is increased the size of the text in the green bar when you’re navigating. This is great because the text in that green bar used to be too small to make out sometimes while you were driving. The size and thickness of the font of the arrival time (which can be changed to another category) and speed indicator have also been increased. The speed indicator font now turns red whenever you go above the speed limit. I’ve noticed that the little speed limit signs are also now on practically all roads and not just highways. They are also extremely accurate and update as soon as I pass the real speed limit sign I kid you not. Another thing to note with the 1690 is you now have an option to change the screen layout. You can have it where the map screen itself is smaller and a list of four categories (three choosable, can’t change speed indicator) are to the right of the approximately 3.5″ sized map screen (ie. Arrival Time, Direction, Distance to Destination, etc.) You can now also flick your finger on the screen like an iphone to navigate the menus instead of pressing the up/down arrow which is neat. Some have complained about the responsiveness of the keyboard, however, I feel it’s the same as all the previous nuvi models I’ve owned. When I press a key it gets immediately entered though there have been a couple rare times it has taken a second to register. Nothing serious though, it’s very useable. Also, the map screen redraw rate during a route is fast, so the car on the screen moves along nice and smooth like both the 765t and 1490t (and unlike the nuvi 350, 660, etc. which hops along instead of glides).

The screen on the 1690 in terms of quality is exactly like the screen on the 765t. This is a bit of a disappointment for me because the screen on the 1490t is far superior to every other nuvi model. The 1490t’s screen is of course larger (5″ instead of 4.3″ like on the 1690). The 1490t’s screen is a much better screen because not only are colors more vivid, but viewing angles are MUCH better. I was hoping the 1690 would have the same screen, but in a 4.3″ version. Not the case. I uploaded a couple of screen shots of a 1490t and 1690 side-by-side so you can see the comparison in screen size.

The speaker in the 1690 is the same as the one in the 1490t which is a big plus because that speaker is LOUD. The 1690 and 1490t models have better speakers than any other previous nuvi model. If you have the volume turned up to 100% it’s actually TOO loud. Highway driving with windows down would be the only probable scenario for 100%. So much credit to Garmin for including a great speaker.

The nuLink services are good if you’re into that kind of stuff. Traffic is one of the big features included. Garmin includes a 2-year subscription to the service which is $5 a month thereafter I believe. Now WHY they still have the little popup ads present like in all their other “free lifetime traffic” models I have no idea. These ads for varoius companies that pay Garmin will pop up on your screen from time to time, like if your vehicle is stopped at a traffic light or you’re searching for a POI. Problem is there’s really no way to permanently get rid of the ads (which annoy me greatly, but some others don’t seem to have an issue with them). Weather is nice as you can view up to a 7-day forecast in your current location or another location you can manually choose. The White Pages feature is great as well as you can look up a person by first and last name and drive directly to their address on file. It uses the data connection of the unit to get the info, so it’ll be up to date since it’s accessing the Internet. Google Local Search is an excellent nuLink feature. It basically makes your POI database 10 times larger and always up to date since it accesses the Internet for it’s data. It’s separate from the internal POI database, so you would choose one or the other to search for POI. The Gas Prices search is good as well as you can search whatever area you’re in for the lowest gas prices. In my experiences it’s been very accurate (gets the data from customers’ credit card receipts) and will show you under the price it displays the last time it was updated… ie. Today, Yesterday, 3 Days ago, etc. It usually says Today or Yesterday the times I’ve used it.

Traffic on this unit is GREAT. I say great because all the other units with free traffic are horrible because they’re constantly feeding inaccurate traffic data to the unit via the integrated FM receiver. With the 1690 it uses at&t’s data network for nuLink, so traffic data is MUCH more accurate and can be delivered to the unit much faster making it more up to the minute. I did a real-time side by side comparison of the 1690’s traffic data and the 1490t’s free traffic. Think they’d be identical because they both use Navteq traffic? Think again. I searched for all traffic incidents nearby my current location. I’m not exhaggerating when I say the 1690 brought up double the amount of incidents that the 1490t brought up. Just to test it out I drove to the closest traffic incident nearby and sure enough it was there. The 1490t didn’t even acknowledge it existed. Also, there were times where they’d both have the same traffic incident, but different data (ie. 3 min delay as opposed to 10 min delay). I drove to a common incident as well to see which one was more accurate. Again, the 1690 was more accurate. I assume it’s because the 1490t still had older data that hadn’t yet been updated. That gives you an idea of how much better traffic on the 1690 is compared to all other Garmin models. AT&T’s EDGE data network seems to be everywhere as well, so chances are if your at&t cell phone has reception, so will the internal receiver of the 1690. I have MSN Direct on my 765t which I believe works good… when it wants to work. Problem is… it never works. It takes forever to download data and reception is horrible in alot of places with MSN Direct. Not at all the case with the 1690 and at&t’s network. In addition to having great coverage, it downloads data fast which is great. Once the device is powered on (and has cellular network reception), you’ll have all the updated traffic info in no more than a few minutes. I really like the whole “connected” idea when it comes to traffic.

The border around the unit is about the same width as the 1490t, despite being a smaller unit. It’s also thicker than the 1490t. I suppose that’s because they had to fit the cellular radio module with sim card inside the unit. The black border is a piano black finish and a fingerprint magnet. The rear of the unit has a rubberized finish. The cradle mount is good because it’s powered… meaning you plug the power directly into the cradle and simply insert/remove the device. The 1490t doesn’t have this kind of dock… it requires you to plug the cable directly into the unit for power.

Overall, I’m very pleased with the 1690. I just hope they make a 5″ version soon because I love the screen size of my 1490t so much. If I had to choose, however, it’d be the 1690 because of the Garmin nuLink service which is without a doubt a great and useful feature. Perhaps everyone won’t have the same great experience that I’ve had thus far with this unit, but it’s worth the risk in my opinion.

The Garmin product line is old enough at this point that this GPS has most of the features you need and works. But:

First there is quality control. My first unit went back because it would continuously drop wireless data communications. The first and second unit have screen flicker. Turns out (per Garmin on 10/28) ‘[screen flicker] is part of an issue we’ve seen with some of the earlier devices that were manufactured. This has been fixed in the devices that have left us since then. The only way to fix that is to get that in for an RMA.’ So the second unit is going back too; we’ll see what the third unit brings… (Update: Unit #3 had a pixel stuck on green - we’ll see what unit #4 will bring….) In addition, there are bugs that should have been caught with rudimentary testing (the wireless signal strength meter shows 5 bars whatever the signal strength; device reboots when routing around traffic) or proofreading (documentation confuses GPS and wireless signal). Oh and the 1690 hasn’t even been entered as a line item in the support database.

Second there are customer support policies. If you’ve received two units that are defective; both because of manufacturing/QC issues, Garmin expects *YOU* to pay for the return, and then ‘The turn around time should be between 10-14 days from the time we receive the device.’ Come on! Ever heard of “sorry, we screwed up, the recall is on us”? Or failing that, how about advance replacement?

Third there is Garmin’s product support. It used to be the best in the GPS world. It has turned into a diabolical shambles of people that barely understand the product walking you through level 1 scripts (reboot, reinstall, reset) … and when they’re done with that they start again at the beginning.

This is a particular issue with this device because, as a connected device, you will suffer from bugs and performance problems, some of them real-time, introduced by Garmin, Google, Navteq (traffic services), Navteqs (maps) and the AT&T wireless network. Let me give you an example. There is construction two miles from where I am. It shows up on the traffic site operated by Navteq. It doesn’t show up on the unit. This could be a problem with the network, a problem with the Navteq traffic service, a problem with the firmware (what is it supposed to display?), perhaps a map problem, a contractual problem (is traffic data throttled to conserve bandwidth?), or interactions between all of the above. Having tried unsuccessfully to resolve a similar issue with Garmin on the 775 (when my GPS failed to indicate that the entire city of Pittsurgh was closed down due to the G20 gathering) I know there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of getting this resolved. It does seem that there is a little more traffic information on this device than on the FM services, but that isn’t saying much.

Fourth, the battery is not user replaceable. The claim of “4 hours battery life” on this page turns to “up to 3 hours” in the manual, and under normal use will quickly turn to “30 minutes maximum”. This is a problem because it makes the unit’s pedestrian mode useless.

Finally, if you opt out of receiving advertisements, traffic services won’t work any more. As you will be paying for those in two year’s time (assuming the battery hasn’t died by then), that’s unreasonable. And unless you give Garmin wholesale rights to your location data, none of the location based stuff will work. This is about as unreasonable as Facebook claiming ownership rights to anything posted on their site.

Having said all that, I do find the 1690 a pretty cool gadget. The implementation has some rough edges but that will likely improve over time. If you want something that just works, you’re better off waiting for a few months; as a non-essential early adopter’s toy it would be great - if Garmin got its act together.

This is just a typical Garmin unit, I like Garmin better than most of the other companies primarily for how they handle points of interest. I was disappointed the Google option is a separate search not integrated into the primary search but the Google search was useful and I could have seen using this as the default POI search tool, if I was going to keep the unit. Tom Tom did this same which I don’t get, it would have made more sense to combine the integrated items with the Google search, but I an not a programmer and don’t know the challenges with accomplishing this.

The reason I really do not like this item and I am returning it, is because of the pop ups for advertisements. This item was over $400 which is a premium to pay for a GPS, I don’t mind paying for a yearly service agreement and becuase this is only a two year subscription that comes with the unit I am paying for it. I just don’t expect to get pop ups for local businesses , not only is it unaceptable but it is a distraction and it is unsafe. For example: I chose the option to show the closest hospitals, now you would assume if I am looking for a hospital it would be an urgent issue. I got a little blue pop up banner Target - Check out this week’s deal on-the-go. This same pop up showed up on a few other occasions while I had the regular navigation map up as well. This is the reason I am giving it such a low rating and returning it.

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One of my Foretrex101s expired a few weeks ago and I decided to replace it with the just released Foretrex401. It arrived mid-week and I had no trouble accessing and opening the Foretrex401 generated gpx file with Easy/ExpertGPS and Topofusion. The 401 appears as a USB drive in Windows. I was hoping to use the 401 along with the Garmin heart rate monitor during my mtbike rides instead of the my Edge205 and separate HRM. The 401 had no trouble picking up the HR reading and displaying the values.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the Garmin website has no substantial information of the 401 as of yet and no discussion of what software will work with the 401.

[...]

At this point the Foretex401 appears to be corporate orphan that no Garmin division is able or willing to support. It is unclear if it is intended for jumping out of airplanes (jumpmaster function), hiking (altimeter/compass), cycling/fitness (HR/cadence) or providing a heads-up when ordinance is going to explode (countdown-up/timer). In addition to the above, function wise, the 401 adds a USB interface, faster satellite acquisition and wireless data transfer to the venerable Foretrex101. It is slightly more compact in size than the 101, has a better strap attachments and stores the data is in a gpx file. Operationally the Foretex401 does what is it supposed to do but with no software included, undocumented functions and virtually non-existent technical support, most purchasers will be frustrated in trying to use the Foretrex401 right out of the box. A printed quick start guide is in the box but the manual in a pdf on the CD.

As noted above, with some tinkering and non Garmin software I’ve been able to list and view the Foretex401 tracks, waypoints, routes and other data as well as transfer the data to GoogleEarth. For what Garmin lists as a basic handheld GPS it should be much more straightforward to operate and transfer data. I’ll give it 2 stars until it is better supported.

Product: Hewlett-Packard 5455 List Price: $699.99 Average customer review: Amazon Price: Too low to display Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

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Well, let me begin by saying that I researched all of the PDAs on the market including Palm products and came away that this unit would be the best choice out there due to its 80211b connectivity. I primarily use Windows and as such though it would be a great tool to use to keep track of my contacts, Outlook messages, and to even sometimes use the IE browser capabilities remotely. After getting the unit, setting it up, and using it for several weeks I ended up returning it. Here’s why, 1) The battery power is horrible if you use BlueTooth or the 80211b. I primarily wanted the unit to connect to my Outlook both at home and at work and I found the battery lifetime to be just short of two hours when using the 80211b (with BlueTooth turned off). This made it really tough to be able to attend a long meeting and rely on the 5455 for my email. Yes I could have carried optional battery packs, but I didn’t want to do that. After all if this unit is supposed to be all encompassing then I shouldn’t need to carry gear with me to support it. 2) The reliability of the wireless is not without its faults. Quite often I had to do soft resets - it got to the point that somewhere between 20-30 percent of the time a soft reset was required. 3) The Pocket PC operating system, particularly the aspects related to wireless connectivity and connectivity with the AutoSynch mechanism are not flawless in their implementation - you’ll find problems connecting, you’ll lose connections, and if you have more than one email service/account then you’ll have to manually switch each time to get mail from each of the accounts. 4) I noticed the current incarnation of the Pocket PC OS have problems with slowing down in CPU speed when adding more applications to the unit. This is somewhat expected that as you add apps the OS will slow down, but adding just a handful of standard apps to the 5455 brought the peppy default speed of the unit down to almost intolerable. Again, since these were my primary reasons for purchasing the unit if the synching and wireless didn’t work perfectly then there was little point in keeping the 5455. After three weeks of giving the 5455 every effort that I could make a case for keeping it I came to the conclusion that it did not meet my needs. A few weeks later I still do not in any way regret the decision of returning it. Taking into consideration the cost of the unit and the poor reliability and short battery life it just didn’t make sense for me. I’ll wait till HP come out with better battery technology that actually lasts with wireless and I’ll wait till Microsoft come out with their next implementation of the OS which will hopefully synchronize and generally work more reliably. Perhaps by the time this happens then we’ll have a version available which is built into a digital telephone - this would be an even more practical and useful real-world solution.

This should have been the ideal PocketPC for me. With built-in Bluetooth and Wifi, it is a networking powerhouse without the need for sleds. Unfortunately, there appear to be severe production problems with this unit.

I purchased one and had to return it due to frequent lockups. Sure, it’s Windows - it crashes, but this was obscene. I booted between 7 and 20 times per day! I returned the unit assuming that I had a bad unit and the other one was the same way. Another collegue bought one and it went totally dark after two weeks. We are zero for three.

The CompUSA store looked it up on the computer and noted 13 returns in 22 days. This unit is a disaster. Perhaps in a few months after a ROM pack is released this will be good, but the current (23-Feb-2003) version of 1.00.45 should never have been released.

While an attractive package with built in wireless (Blue Tooth, 802.11B), fingerprint recognition (for enhanced security and easy login), HP has in fact delivered a mess.

The saga thus far: Upon delivery the unit was delivered with a stack of supplement manuals and addendums describing the add-on features, however there was no manual for the Pocket PC 2003 operating system. The manual is 160+ pages, and hidden on the CD as a PDF file (although my first round with tech support couldn’t find it on the CD, and pointed me to the web site - where he couldn’t find it either!) It was explained to me that the O/S is provided by a third party vendor (Microsoft), and therefore HP isn’t responsible for it! Right… (Never mind that it is essential to the unit, and is useless without it!) Further, attempts to move the PDF to the iPAQ so it can be read with Adobe Acrobat Reader for the Pocket PC when needed proved useless. I personally think this is inexcusable - I shouldn’t have to download the file to a PC, keep the PC with me at all times, so I can have access to it when I have a problem with the Pocket PC - or print out a 160 page book on 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper and figure out how to carry it with me. (Kind of defeats the purpose of having a pocket PC!) The unit needs to be delivered with this basic tool.

Next: The unit filed after 2 hours of use. It turned itself on while in my briefcase, got extremely hot, and completely locked up. The 5450 would not reset. Turns out that HP will not send a replacement (unless you want to pay for an additional warranty), so it disappeared for a week and a half (vice the 3 days that were promised when I called technical support). When it was returned, I was informed that they couldn’t duplicate the error, so they did nothing. I have since determined that the optional leather executive case sold by HP was designed so that it can readily touch the overly sensitive power switch - turning the unit on so it will overheat and run the battery dead. If I don’t use the … leather case (sold by HP for the 5450, it is much less prone to turning itself on and overheating!
The handwriting recognition is poor and difficult to tailor. As often as not, the unit will not exit the keyboard mode without a system reset. (BTW, I find I do 7-8 resets a day at this point between this problem, memory card problems, and wireless problems.)

As for the wireless - I have gottent it to work exactly once. After numerous calls to technical support, I have managed to get it to work with one of four wireless networks. According to tech support, the unit will not tolerate 802.11G in the area. They consider it a problem with the 802.11G standards, never mind that my other 802.11B devices are working with no difficulty! It gets worse! The configuration for each network involves multiple control panels that are scattered throughout the O/S, counter-intuitive and poorly documented. You won’t gett any help from the FAQ’s or technical support web site either. For instance, if you should manage to get the wireless to recognize a network, you then need to go through the network settings control panel, and indicate in three different drop-down boxes that you are connecting at “work” (rather than the “internet” or “home”). Use of any other setting will effectively prevent the device from using the wireless, and requires you to configure a modem (never mind that the whole point of wireless is to avoid using a modem, or you may need different wireless configuration settings at different locations)! (Why work=wireless has yet to be explained to me by technical support.) Clear yet? I thought not…

The latest saga has to do with the SD memory card. It cannot be written to or have the existing files deleted. Suspecting a corrupt file, I tried to find information on formatting the card (or any other information on the memory cards) on the HP web site. There was none. When I called technical support, they informed me that every SD card needed to be formatted before it was used. (Again, nothing in the user guide or the web site). Further, there was no utility provided by HP to do this! I needed to go to a another vendor’s web site, and BUY this utility separately (even though it was REQUIRED before I could use the card - even the one HP sold me with the 5450!. Despite my better judgment, I bought the utility - and low and behold - it doesn’t work either. Again, how HP can justify not including a basic utility that is required to use the device eludes me.

Finally, this was one of two units I bought for evaluation in my laboratory. The other I gave to my network systems engineer. His story isn’t any happier. In addition to the issues I have encountered, his problems have centered around that expansion pack, and the fact that they are such a poor fit, that the unit constantly sees the battery in the expansion pack as going dead (because it fits so poorly) that the unit keeps shutting down. Any devices plugged into the expansion pack are constantly seen as being removed and installed - requiring numerous resets as things try to reload.

We have also bought the new Viewsonic pocket PCs and Casios for evaluation. They have been an order of magnitude more reliable that the HP iPAQ 5450, despite (because) fewer features, and further came with complete documentation. None of these have failed to date, nor have we had an issue requiring our contacting technical support.

Our conclusion: the HP iPAQ 5450 is a poorly executed design, lacking basic documentation, with poor support, and should therefore be avoided at all costs.

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ok lets be clear- I am a loyal Milwaukee user and will remain one especially with the upcoming V28 release, But this Dewalt product is outstanding in every aspect.

I have used it for about two months now and cut drywall, plywood, tile and backerboared with it. The battery life is excellent and weight and balance are outstanding. with two batteries you can litterally do drywall cut outs all day long.

Dust protection seems good and keyless chuck performs well.

An excellent buy.

I have been waiting years for Dewalt to make an 18V cordless cut-out tool kit like the DC550K. It’s great to finally have a cordless version that can utilize the same charger and batteries as my other 18V tools. I bought one of these as soon as they became available online and now use it almost every day on the job. Before the DC550, I was most indignant about having to drag an extension cord along when using my Roto-Zip, as this is the last holdout in a tool collection that I use daily which still required being plugged into an outlet to operate.

I use the DC550 mainly to make cutouts in wood, drywall, plaster and acoustical tile for recessed lighting or electrical boxes. With a carbide burr bit, it will make cutouts in ceramic wall tile, solid surface or laminate backsplashes, but of course, won’t cut harder floor tile materials. It also makes clean, splinter free cutouts in solid wood or veneered cabinets, such as when installing an outlet for a microwave/hood over a range or outlets in kitchen island or peninsula base cabinets. I have even used it for cutouts in thin stainless sheet clad walls that are found in commercial kitchens, and it works well on aluminum and vinyl siding too.

Battery life is very good and since the DC550K kit comes with two batteries, you can have one on charge and keep going all day long. The extra length and weight the battery does make this tool slightly less well balanced than the corded version when using it in the horizontal position, but the rubber grip area allows you to hold the tool firmly in various positions and as with anything else, the more you use the tool, the less noticeable this imbalance becomes.

There is no bump switch on top of the tool but the push through type on/off switch sticks out far enough so you can get at easily.

The tool-less quick-change bit holder is the same as on Dewalt’s corded cut-out tool. It takes a little getting used to, but is much better than having to use a wrench every time you need to change a cutter bit. At 26,000 rpm’s it’s not as fast as the corded version but this doesn’t really seem to affect its cutting ability. Overall, I feel that the DC550 is a very good tool that can go along way toward making your workday easier and more productive.

This tool has excellent battery capacity and is easy to handle;

has plenty of cutting power. The only drawback is the tool just slightly heavy.