Think carefully before buying from Desktop Option

Advantages: Good price, good build quality, mostly good components.
Disadvantages: Noisy PSU fan and terrible / non-existent customer service

...Last week I received my eagerly awaited Media Centre from Desktop Option. Unfortunately Desktop Option provided the couriers with the wrong delivery address and I received it a day later than expected and also incurred a loss of a days wages as the courier company would only deliver to the address supplied to them - quite right too! Unfortunately, getting hold of anyone at Desktop Option is virtually impossible. On unpacking my lovely new Media Centre I was horrified to find that it had been supplied in the wrong colour case. When powering up the system the noise from the PSU fan was almost unbearable. Admittedly I didn't opt for the more expensive "Quiet" PSU, but the noise emitting from the machine that I now own is horrendous. I have tried numerous times to contact desktop Option - the only method of communicating is via...

piper8580 15.12.2009 · Read review
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Review of Desktop Option

My review & experience so far with Desktop Option Ltd.

Advantages: Price - workmanship
Disadvantages: None so far

...My review & experience so far with Desktop Option Ltd. I've had this awesome speedy PC from the webiste of www.desktopoption.com for some months now I cannot fault it. It's quiet ,well built and it makes me realise how slow and outdated my previous PC was. As for Desktop Option they cannot be faulted. I was kept informed all of the time throughout the build process of progress.The machine arrived when it was supposed to in excellent packaging with everything one could want for getting it up and running. I had a small problem (the fan on the PSU developed an irritating noise) no problem I could send it back or as in my case as it was an easy job to change it myself they sent me a new one with a pre-paid package to send the faulty one back all in two days ! To sum up in my opinion they do the job and even when received and paid for you...

DELETE_ 10.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of Desktop Option

Lacie Desktop Hard Disk 320 GB

Advantages: Does what it says on the tin.
Disadvantages: Disadvantages?!

...During my final year of uni, this little gem turned out to be a Godsend. Doing a course which required a lot of camera work, I needed somewhere to store all the raw footage, which anyone who's ever worked with footage from a high quality video camera knows, takes up a hell of a lot of space. So I needed somewhere to keep it locked away safely to take around from uni computer to uni computer. My weapon of choice for an external hard drive was the Lacie Desktop Hard Disk 320 GB. Having brought it online for just under £50, that instantly stuck me as a bargain. Purchased approximately 18 months ago, that was a steal. Naturally, with the passing of time and the increasing availability of external hard drives, the price of this items has began to fall, as is the case with all types of technology. Once plugged in and inserted into a USB...

carl.mcqueen 28.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of LaCie Desktop Hard Disk 320 GB

Logitech Cordless Desktop S510

Advantages: Slim and sexy, extra buttons
Disadvantages: Mouse a bit plasticky

...My somewhat ancient Microsoft Internet keyboard and mouse are starting to get a bit long in the tooth. The mouse's ball has gone a bit strange and the keyboard is looking rather grubby and being wired rather than wireless, sometimes gets caught up as I move it about. It was upgrade time. The replacement of choice turned out to be the Logitech Cordless Desktop 510. The Logitech Cordless Desktop S510 consists of three items, the keyboard, mouse and wireless transmitter plus of course the driver CD. OK, four items. The Logitech Cordless S510 keyboard's main selling point is its slim profile - around 1cm and this is why I bought it - it looks really, really sexy. Perhaps I should get my head checked out if I've started to find computer keyboards sexy but you know what I mean... Anyway, despite this super-thin profile, it still...

ilaskey 09.02.2007 · Read review
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Review of Logitech Cordless Desktop S 510 - keyboard , mouse

DiNovo Desktop Stylin...

Advantages: Sleek and sexy
Disadvantages: Hefty price

...Gone are the days of those horribly beige keyboards and mice with wires that just won't be tidied and with the introduction of this complete wireless Bluetooth Keyboard & Mouse package that not only looks good but feels spectacluar, Logitech have come up trumps with the DiNovo Desktop package. This is an incredibly well designed product and its elegance does not outweigh its functionality. The package contains one Dinovo Keyboard, one Logitech MX900 Mouse and one very innovative seperate Media Pad (with an LCD display) all equiped with Bluetooth 1.2 for communication with the external USB Bluetooth Hub (the receiver). This hub also doubles up as a charger cradle for the mouse. Logitech were also kind enough to supply me the batteries needed to power all this kit, which is handy as the requirements are: Keyboard = 4 x AA Batteries...

Geckoman 27.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of Logitech diNovo Media Desktop Laser - keyboard, keypad , mouse

Seagate FreeAgent Desktop 500GB

Advantages: cheap - all that it is
Disadvantages: poor structure, prone to overheating, not reliable

...Out shopping for a new external hard drive the Seagate FreeAgent Desktop caught my eye. It looked appealing with a massive 500GBs and 5 year limited warrenty as standard. I thought it was great value for money. The dimensions are (WxDxH) 4 cm x 16.2 cm x 19 cm and it is 0.9kg in weight. This product is black in colour with a yellow strip of light which is constantly on, though it isn't too bright so i had no problems there. It's Interface Type is Hi-Speed USB and has a Data Transfer Rate of 480 Mbps. Also has a Spindle Speed of 7200 rpm. These are also compatible with the following - OS Required Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Apple MacOS X 10.3.9 or later, Microsoft Windows Vista, Apple MacOS X 10.4.6 or later This all sounded promising. After getting home...

vikki-adam 05.04.2008 · Read review
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Review of FreeAgent Desktop 500 GB

Belkin Desktop Card: Just good, nothing more, nothing less

Advantages: Good range, reliable
Disadvantages: Short antenna cable + strange connection between card + antenna

...After using a laptop for many years I turned to a desktop but I wanted to maintain my wireless capabilities. So I opted to go for a decent desktop card so I went for the reputable belkin brand. In all this is a good card and antenna set. It took me moments to set up and no installation disks or driver was needed, simply plug and play. The range on the antenna is very good, I pick up 3/4 wireless networks from my home all with decent signal. I managed to grab my card cheaply from ebay for about £25, in terms of value for money I think it is satisfactory, the card maintains a good connection and I rarely have any trouble staying connected in important situations like playing my online games. Whilst on the matter, this card is well adapted to online gaming, downloading and streaming as it has been known that wireless is awful for such...

JReeve 21.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Belkin N1 Wireless Desktop Card

Logitech diNovo Media Desktop Laser

Advantages: Ergonomic, rich functions, innovative
Disadvantages: High price

...I consider Logitech to be one of the best manufacturers of input devices and I have been using their products for years. So I would like to give you my own perspective as a professional and a consumer. A couple of years ago I was looking for a wireless keyboard/mouse solution with a mouse power adapter. The diNovo media desktop just came out that year and I was well impressed by its slick design and excellent features. However, its price was an issue, as it was about 3 times more expensive than other similar solutions on the market at that time. As a Logitech product fanatic I finally decided to give it a go. So I took it back to my office and I set it up. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Keyboard...

Mr.Cos 22.10.2007 · Read review
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Review of Logitech diNovo Media Desktop Laser - keyboard, keypad , mouse

Microsoft Optical Desktop Elite Keyboard!

Advantages: Can move around and stil type - even on the sofa, no wires
Disadvantages: Expensive for a keyboard & mouse, also overall a bit chunky

...COST: £69.99 PLACE OF PURCHASE: Comet BRAND: Mircosoft For a super special birthday gift my parents decided not to get me a new computer, or even a shiny new laptop. No, they decided to get me a keyboard and mouse set. Great you might say. Not so if you don't have a computer, however fortunately I do so it wasn't a disapointment when I opened the box. At first I thought 'thanks.....' but when I read the box I got really excited. In the package you get, all wrapped up in clear plastic and white packing foam, one very posh looking black Microsoft wireless optical desktop elite keyboard , and one optical wireless mouse to go with it. The mouse features a scrolling tool which is fantastic as allows me to scan down pages on the web super fast - and is a neat feature my previous plug in mouse lacked. The keyboard itself is black...

mints4merlin 10.10.2006 · Read review
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Review of Microsoft Optical Desktop Elite for Bluetooth - keyboard , mouse

Blast your desktop with surround sound

Advantages: great value for 6 speaker system, loads of cables, remote control, quality design
Disadvantages: Only 5 watts per channel, so a little weak if used in a big room

...Brought to you by Creative, the makers of soundcards and other computer equipment, and in collaboration with Cambridge Soundworks, the Desktop Theatre DTT2200 is just what it says: a set of speakers to recreate cinema sound from your computer. You get a set of 5 speakers, and a subwoofer which provides amplification for all the other speakers. The speakers come in black finish and are very compact on your desktop, being a cube shape and around 2 1/2 inches square in size. But are these speakers any good at creating cinema sound from your computer? Well, the short answer is yes ... if ...! And the ifs are as follows: These speakers will produce cinema sound if: 1. You sit close to the speakers, as you would sit close to the monitor. Don’t expect to put a DVD on the computer, sit well back at the other end of the room and expect...

peppermint 24.08.2001 (25.08.2001) · Read review
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Review of Creative DeskTop Theatre DTT2200