Yamaha CP300 Stage PIano

Advantages: reasonable price, reasonable sound, portable, built-in amplification & speakers, USB port
Disadvantages: no music rest supplied, a few dodgy-sounding notes around D4

...a Yamaha P-150 instead. Although this one didn't sound as good as the PR900 it only made the sounds it was supposed to make. Accordingly I lived with it for 12 years until earlier this year when an upgrade seemed due. As a result I now have a Yamaha CP300 and am, on the whole, delighted. I am pleased because, while still not a patch on the Technics PR900*, the CP300 'sings' a lot more than previous Yamaha pianos. And, of course, being a Yamaha, it is very well-mannered. There are no strange electrical noises to worry about. CP300 is also a fine MIDI/XG tone generator and much more capable than the P-150. The only major gripe I have is that CP300 does not come supplied with a music rest. You have to purchase that as 'an accessory' for about £30. As you'd expect, none of the music stores I tried had one in stock. It had to be ordered direct...

jasonford 31.12.2008 (09.04.2009) · Read review
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HP Color LaserJet CP4005dn Printer

Advantages: Fast Printing (if not Adobe), Toner Level Display, Good Quality Print
Disadvantages: It's Too Big, Doesn't Duplex Properly, It's Too Big, Noisy, oh yes - It's Too Big!

.../timesheets. After much debate, my boss went out on a whim - without our IT honcho - and bought the CP4005dn - which, as it had toners instead of cartridge - he rationalised that it couldn't possibly go through the ink as fast and, according to him, was pretty darned fast and was obviously highly sought after as it had sold out in the shop, but they would deliver one to him. This was a bad idea since my boss knew as much about printers as I do about his collection of Johnny Hallyday CDs (in other words, you know what its function is, but other than that not very much). Still, misgivings aside, we awaited its arrival with baited breath. On Monday, a lovely delivery guy buzzed saying 'parcel', which my colleague duly signed for, only for the delivery guy to disappear on us saying it was outside? oh my. What a sight! I am not joking, the entire thing...

caroline9 25.04.2008 · Read review
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Sony CMT-CP101 Micro System

Advantages: Sound quality for the price, attractive appearance
Disadvantages: Clunky buttons not very tactile, timer programming not very intuitive

...the Dynamic Sound Generator (DSG) function. DSG does not however, to my ear, make a large difference to the sound. In earlier models, it boosted the bass (now controlled separately) in addition to the digital sound enhancement. The system is easy to use, and came with a good manual with simple step-by-step instructions for all functions. Setting up was a couple of minutes work, connecting the two speakers, main power cord, and AM and FM aerials. I was disappointed, however, by the feel of the system's pressable switches (rotary dials are smooth and feel more solid) which are not very positive to the touch and are not up to Sony's usual high standard, especially compared to the system's direct predecessor (the CMT-CP1). I shall summarize the system's functions, and make relevant comments where appropriate: - CD player: This is drawer...

David8 16.09.2003 · Read review
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mediauk.com

Advantages: A decent media website...
Disadvantages: ...but no better than that

...Anyone looking for a job in the media, or even an insight into the big wide world of it, could do much worse than look here to begin with - mediauk.com. Operating since 1994, it lists current available jobs in radio, tv and print media, recent news articles on all these forms of media and a discussion board. Now being a graduate in a degree of this field of work, the jobs board has been an interest to me for quite a while...but don't expect to find work instantly. Anything but. Copious numbers of people view these adverts (you can see how many exactly in the job listings), but don't let that deter you of course - if you're good and experienced enough then you'll come across the job for you eventually. The jobs listed usually just contain a small job description and contact details for where to send your cover letter and CV, but...

carl.mcqueen 14.10.2009 · Read review
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dictionary.com

Advantages: Good free service
Disadvantages: Too many adverts & pop-ups

...Dictionary.com?! Dictionary.com?! Seriously?! Why, yes, something that seems so simply and basic has it's place on the World Wide Web (yes, I'm aware of the irony!), but fear not...it's not as basic as it seems! Rather than just typing in a word to discover its definition, dictionary.com does provide a far greater service. Since it's launch way back in 1995 (were websites even around then?!), it's one of the world's most popular services, as naturally many people will just type in 'dictionary.com' into their browser if they need to find the definition of a word...even if they don't know the website exists, it makes sense to have a crack at it! The website does provide a thesaurus option, translator and encyclopaedia...for anyone even contemplating steering away from Wikipedia, God forbid! But there are other quirks to the website...

carl.mcqueen 15.10.2009 · Read review
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gumtree.com

Advantages: Very detailed
Disadvantages: Open to fraud

...Many will remember a time when the classified section of a local newspaper was all there was if you wanted to look for second-hand goods, or look for a place to live without going to an estate agent?but not anymore. Goodbye the classified section; hello Gumtree.com To quote the frontpage of the website, Gumtree advertises ?Homes, jobs, cars, sofas, vintage records? anything, really??and they?re not wrong! It lists it?s good in cities across the country. And not just the capital cities of the UK, but anywhere from Brighton to Nottingham, from Oxford to Aberdeen. This handy tool can help you look for exactly what you?re after without having to sift through adverts from cities hundreds of miles from you. Now, to indicate the scale of the website, in the London section, the ?Flats and Houses? adverts totals 124,174!! That seems a bit...

carl.mcqueen 21.10.2009 · Read review
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cricinfo.com

Advantages: The home of cricket info...
Disadvantages: ...which many people won't like!

...Cricket lovers, come and join the fun...this is cricinfo.com Owned by ESPN, cricinfo.com is seen by many as the most insightful, informative and up-to-date cricketing website out there in the vast world wide web. Of course, those of you which can't stand the sport in any way, shape or form then this certainly won't be for you. Those who do like it and are aware of cricketing websites, then you will probably already know this one... Now, on arrival to the website things may look confusing - there's an awful lot going on and plenty of places to click...so lets take things as logically as possible; At the top of the page is an index listing - countries, live scores, fixtures, results, news, features and photos are all there, which kind of speak for themselves! The Features section for example includes regular articles such as the Ask...

carl.mcqueen 18.09.2009 · Read review
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mousebreaker.com

Advantages: Addictive gaming!
Disadvantages: Addictive gaming!

...For all of you looking for time to waste in the office this afternoon, then you may have stumbled across the crown jewel in time-wasting... mousebreaker.com In essence, mousebreaker.com is simply a plethora of basic computer games that help you while away the day. From sporting games to shoot 'em ups, from trivia to old school arcade games, every type of game is here - think of it as an online compendium of fun. First of all, make sure the latest version of Flash player is installed on your computer so you can get the full benefit and latest versions of the games available. The website has changed a little bit over the years - it's most recent revamp gives it a dark grey motif, with a large yellow stripe running across the top of the page. Now, going through every single game would leave me still writing this review the other...

carl.mcqueen 23.11.2009 · Read review
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bet365.com

Advantages: A great betting website
Disadvantages: Can become addictive

...I'm sure most of us out there love a cheeky flutter every now and again. However, myself included, many find going into the bookies an intimidating thing with in filled with either old blokes or chavs playing the roulette wheels. So, for those with an 'agoraphobic' approach, you can stay at home and use this little beauty - bet365.com Of course, those who refuse to bet on anything then this website will have little or no interest to you whatsoever, but you never know, I could still surprise you! Being a big sports geek, I solely use the sports section of the website but there are areas dedicated to casino, a specific poker section and 'games' which include things like virtual football and greyhound racing. In my cynical viewpoint however, betting of 'virtual' football is even more of a risk than real-life as the odds or results can be...

carl.mcqueen 03.09.2009 · Read review
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Hotmail.com

Advantages: Great reliable service which is free and available to all!
Disadvantages: Junk mail!!!!!!!!!

...Hotmail.com About: Hotmail.com is a free email server website, which really is free to use, no spam, no pop-ups and no spyware is added to your computer when you sign up, as the server (now) runs from Windows Live and Windows Live Messenger, making it safe to use on all computers, and compatible with all other email servers. Hotmail is the most popular free email server in the UK (and as far as I am aware in America too), and along with the BTinternet, NTL?s and Yahoo?s email addresses hotmail tends to be the one you see the most. The email server can be as anonymous or as open as you like (though anybody thinking of using it for scamming or bullying or anything stupid like that, be warned, your I.P. address is stored at all times, so you are never 100% anonymous, and all reports to police or hotmail itself will be...

stephbond89 15.10.2009 · Read review
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