IBM Quality @ IBM Price

Advantages: Good extra features. Can play CD's from keyboard
Disadvantages: Price?

...Now here’s an opinion that nearly didn’t get written, mainly because I’m too busy using the damned thing to write about it. I’m talking about my IBM Rapid Access Keyboard. I have been using this for about 18 months now, and if I remember correctly it cost me about £30 from PCW, the shop whose name I can’t bring myself to say in full! Since keyboards can be had for a fiver upwards, what’s so special about it? Well, nothing from the “Immense Bowel Movement”* is ever going to be cheap, but it does carry some extra features, which set it part from the “fiver jobs”. *Some “IBMers” have their own pet theories. “I Bin Moved” is one heartfelt cry, whilst German employees have been known to call it “Ich Bin Müde” – I am tired. Firstly...

BNibbles 20.11.2001 · Read review
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Review of IBM Rapid Access II - keyboard

IBM POWER PROCSSOR BOARD.

Advantages: CONFIGURES IN TWO WAYS.
Disadvantages: MIGHT BE COSTLY TO SOME.

...Well this actually awakens your pc by increasing the processing speed of your PC. My previous processor, which is Intel, has actually gone old so I needed some up grade. In terms of recommendations, I will highly recommend this to the fullest because of its processing speed and efficiency. With the 2-way 1.65ghz processor with a 36mb l cache, the processor board is capable of processing perfectly and all right so this is a good alternative if you actually want to upgrade your PC. The cache memory has good memory capacity of 72mb L3 cache. The new processor on the p5-550 allows you to configure in both ways either a 2- way or 4 way system. With the new 1.65ghz processor, there are wide ranges of system storage offerings. As a pc gamer, the new IBM processor board has given me some special entertainment with my games by...

packerlist 30.10.2008 · Read review
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Review of IBM IBM POWER5+ 1.5 GHz processor board

IBM Trackpoint - the little red dot.

Advantages: Very neat little movements, and, for me at least, more control than a TouchPad
Disadvantages: Can make the tip of your finger sore during long sessions!

...When I first opened my Thinkpad, I was impressed, as you'd expect when opening your first laptop. However, when I came to try and move the cursor I was stumped. I looked all over the keypad, and couldn't find anything I recognised as a way to move the cursor. I had only ever used laptops with Touchpads (the little window you slide your figner over to move the cursor). Eventually (yes, shamefully it was a good 10-15 minutes), my brushed against the small red dot in the centre of the keyboard that I had mistaked for a microphone, or perhaps some device to stop the screen touching the keys when closed. The cursor moved! And so began my adventures with the IBM TrackPoint. At first it is a bit difficult to navigate with it. But after about and hour of use, I was happily playing slow-reaction games (Chicken Invaders, Kahuna Reef...

Aoife303 30.06.2006 · Read review
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Review of IBM trackpoint cap

IBM's "Premium" Flatpanels

Advantages: Flatpanel : take up little space. Great quality sound.
Disadvantages: Simplistic design, slightly flimsy. Lack of volume/treble/bass switches. Expensive.

...Introduction Late last month, I was asked to build a high quality PC for a friend. I don't just mean high quality internal components either, the guy wanted a high definition monitor, top class keyboard and optical mouse...and yeah you guessed it : brilliant speakers. Being only used to purchasing speakers for under 20 quid, I was rather stumped when he asked for speakers in the 50 pounds and up range. So off I went, scouring the computer fairs of the northwest in search of some super speakers. Eventually I came across a stall which seemed to specialise in input components and speakers. After browsing for awhile I caught sight of the IBM multimedia speaker box. The first thing I noticed was the pricetag, a rather hefty 59.99 pounds. I'm no pro regarding speaker specs, but a quick scan of the back of the box convinced me...

Credance100 07.12.2004 · Read review
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Review of IBM PC multimedia speakers

IBM 1401 - A surprise find and an excellent album

Advantages: Seamless transistion between tracks, great atmosphere and a good back story.
Disadvantages: The length, the second track doesn't stand well alone.

...I heard the fifth track of IBM 1401 - A Users Manual on Classic FM whilst channel hopping and demanded that the internet tell me more. I ordered the album and wasn't disappointed. The album starts with some classical strings and some synth effects, before going into a sample taken from a recorded manual for the old IBM 1401 computers. These beasts required their own room and where the super-computer of their day. The artist Johan Johansson's father used to maintain one in Iceland and it inspired Johan to make this piece, (apparently there is a dance to go with it but I've yet to find any videos of it on the internet). The album then moves on as if the computer has now, like the one from Johansson's childhood, been outdated and replaced. The sampled voice-over is replaced by haunting sorrowful cries, again to the classical strings...

lord_hygg 11.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of IBM 1401 - A Users Manual [Digipak] - Johann Johannsson

Aptiva = IBM excellence

Advantages: Reliable
Disadvantages: Pricey

...I was lucky enough to ckoose an Aptiva as my home PC around four years ago. I say lucky because I had considered various other machines, but went for the Aptiva in the end. While not the cheapest, or even the highest spec machine that I had to choose from, I was finally convinced by the fact that it was an IBM machine. IBM are a massive company, and working in the computer industry I know the vast amounts of money that they spend on research and development. This has been money well spent when it comes to the Aptiva series. In my workplace I have had three new machines since I bought the Aptiva for home use. The Aptiva has outshone all three in terms of reliability. Because the machine is now four years old I have had to make a few small upgrades. I have added more memory and a bigger hard drive. I also upgraded the processor recently...

Lad 22.07.2000 · Read review
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Review of IBM Aptiva E 2158

IBM X236 tower / rack server

Advantages: Very versatile mid range server
Disadvantages: support web site can be awkward to navigate

...and and 4 143GB 15K disks for the data configured as RAID5 (with the addition of an IBM 7k RAID card) with a hot spare. This gives a 73GB OS partition which should be ample for most SBS installations including the exchange store. I tend to find that most SBS base builds come to about 20GB once everything is installed. This leaves just over 50GB for the exchange store and page file. The data partition would then be about 250GB which should be ample for most SMB's. Inside the server is just as good and as this model has the dual power supplies installed I would imagine it also comes with 6 cooling fans. If you see a cheaper price for the same model make sure it has dual supplies. There is a thick perspex cover directing air from 2 of the fans over the CPU and memory slots whilst two fans at the bottom suck air through the hard drive bays. These...

goosey2 20.05.2006 · Read review
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Review of IBM eServer xSeries 236 8841

IBM Viavoice

Advantages: ease of use for people who have difficulty typing
Disadvantages: used in certain applications, may slow them down.

......

euphoriabuzz 29.07.2008 · Read review
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Review of IBM ViaVoice Pro USB Edition 10 Complete package

IBM Aptiva 2158 family

Advantages: Ready to use, easy to setup.
Disadvantages: Not enough memory

...IBM provide a 30day up and running facility to get you started. Very useful as the modem was not configured from factory, for use in UK. However, as an experienced user of PCs I found most of the problems started after this period. My Hard Drive has been re-formatted (taking about 30 minutes) twice, but has been operating efficiently for abut 6 months. Hardware support is excellent, covered by a 12 month warranty. Manuals are basic, but a comprehensive windows-based help manual is available. Lifetime IBM on line support for as long you own the PC....

MJKerr 01.12.2000 · Read review
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Review of IBM Aptiva E 2158

The IBM drive that lived to tell its tale

Advantages: Quite a fast drive.
Disadvantages: One of the "Deathstar" drives.

...Whether you are thinking of buying this drive (2nd hand, most likely as it's a couple of years old) or own one of IBM's 60GXP, 75GXP or 120GXP models, read on for important information about issues with these drives and fixing them. ** THE DRIVE ** Capacity: 40 GB (38.3 GB as reported in windows) Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM Interface: ATA-100 Average seek time: 8.5 ms It's a fast enough drive. It seems to perform quite a bit better than the 5400 rpm 45 GB Western Digital drive I had, it's quite a bit quieter and this one's not dead ... yet. ** BORROWING NAMES FROM STAR WARS ** The main reason I thought I'd write a review on this drive, is to hopefully help a few others who have this or one of the other 60GXP, 75GXP or 120GXP models (as I've read these are equally affected). It didn't take long for a lot of people...

blue.summer.sky 04.07.2004 · Read review
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Review of IBM Deskstar 60GXP 40 GB