Mini-reviews on the forum

This page collects various reviews that have been posted by users on our forum. They represent the views of the poster and not necessarily the views of the site administrators. To browse a more complete and up-to-date collection of mini-reviews, check out the mini-review section of our forum here.

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Mini-reviews on the forum

This page collects various reviews that have been posted by users on our forum. To browse a more complete and up-to-date collection of mini-reviews, check out the mini-review section of our forum here.

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Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930 - Mini-Review

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Basic Info
App NameLogitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930
App URLhttp://www.logitech....headsets-phones/7248
App Version Reviewed(Not applicable.)
Test System SpecsMS Win 7-64 Home Premium
Supported OSesCompatible with Win 64-bit/32-bit.
Support MethodsDownload and Support via the above Logitech link.
Handbook (US-Eng.) "Getting Started" is here.
Upgrade Policy(Not applicable.)
Trial Version Available?(Not applicable.)
Pricing SchemeAround US$90 - $100 from Amazon.

Intro and Overview:
This review follows on from the DCF thread started on 2010-10-20 by @mouser:
 Glowing web review of Logitech G930 wireless headset
I did at first start to update that thread, but then realised that it was a bit old, so I have done this Mini-Review instead.

Becoming fed up with the leads into my laptop being yanked about whenever I stood up wearing my noise-cancelling headphones whilst forgetting that they were plugged in to my laptop, I decided that I really needed a decent wireless Hi-Fi headset - one that included a mic - and so I ended up deciding to trial and buy the G930 (at a reduced price). My decision was largely based on this PC Mag review: Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930.
(Review dated September 26, 2011.)
Short story: (follow the hyperlink for the full review)
Pros
Long range. High-quality audio output. Handy controls on the headset. Can be used while charging.

Click here to read the full mini-review now..


Rarma Radio (Raimersoft) - Mini-Review

Basic Info
App Name(Freeware)
App URLhttp://www.raimersof....com/rarmaradio.aspx
App Version ReviewedCurrent freeware version 2.68.2
Test System Specs.Key Features:
  • Search for and select Internet-streamed radio stations from around the world.
  • Select, sort, manage station Favourites.
  • Select/set some stations as presets for speed of access.
  • Select several stations to stream simultaneously as a grouped "Session". (Like saving a set of tabs in a browsing session, to restart as a set at a later point.)
  • Stream and record multiple stations simultaneously, whilst listening to another station.
  • Uses streamed station data (where present) to collect station logo and album cover art for currently streaming sessions, and song lyrics.
  • Can record either a station stream or just a currently playing song (if the stream data defines the latter).
  • Has facility to create a schedule for automatic recording.
  • Displays station stream information.
  • Displays cover art and lyrics for each song.
  • Can also connect to Internet TV stations.
  • Shutdown timer.
  • Dynamic boost.
  • Splitting files.
  • Playlist files.
Supported OSesWindows 7 is the only one mentioned, but I presume XP would be OK, except maybe not for TV channel viewing.
Support MethodsEmail: Website says "If you need to get in touch then please send an email to: [email protected]"
Upgrade PolicyFree updates. Check for newer versions from the Help menu.
Other Versions Available?RarmaRadio title.png
Pricing SchemeFreeware

Introduction/Overview:
A very nice Internet streamed radio/TV manager, and set up for easy find, capture and play.
A simple GUI belying its relatively extensive functionality and a comprehensive set of tools.

Click here to read the full mini-review now..


Hard Disk Sentinel PRO - Mini-Review

HDSentinel 01 - Overview tab.png
Basic Info

App NameHard Disk Sentinel PRO
App URLhttp://www.hdsentinel.com/
App Version ReviewedFreeware Trial version then to paid PRO Version 3.70 (as at 2012-02-03)
Test System SpecsComparison table of features between different versions (Trial, Standard, Professional, Enterprise) is here.
Detailed features are listed here.
Supported OSesWindows XP/2003/Vista/7/2008 32/64 bit
Support Methods
  • FAQ
  • Complete Help
  • Hardware Compatibility (index, details)
  • Knowledge Base
  • Discussion Board
  • Driver Zone (index, details) HDS seems to be able to cover all sorts of disk interfaces and hardware - e.g., including IDE, S-ATA, SCSI, RAID controllers, disk enclosures, USB and other external devices.[/size]
Upgrade PolicyAutomatic free upgrades for free Trial and for paid PRO versions.
Trial Version Available?Yes. Features are detailed here.
Pricing SchemeI started to use the free Trial version in December 2010.
I purchased the paid PRO version in March 2011.
At time of purchase, HDS PRO had a 20% discount coupon (2011-03-18) applicable to purchases of trial downloads. (The Trial is just a hobbled version of the PRO, and the full functionality is enabled on entry of the registration key.)
 - Full price: US$35.00
 - Purchased at 20% discount: US$28
(I did not obtain the price for the Enterprise version as I was not interested in it at the time.)

Click here to read the full mini-review now..


Harvest: Massive Encounter - A unique, moddable, indie Tower Defense game.

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Somebody gifted me a copy of Harvest: Massive Encounter back in July and I was so busy I forgot all about it. I just found it in my Steam Library a couple days ago and after looking into the details and remembering it was a Tower Defense game I decided to try it out for the first time.

Made by Oxeye Game Studio (with a programmer who also works with Mojang on Minecraft), Harvest: Massive Encounter is different from other TD games I've played... Here's how the game is different from other TD games I've played before:

First of all, aliens don't travel along a pre-defined path; they attack from all sides and can destroy any building. This changes the strategy compared to typical TDs where the only strategy is only building placement (to block off paths or create bottlenecks) or when/what to upgrade next. In fact, the more I think about it, I suppose that Harvest is more similar to a simplified RTS. You don't get money just from killing aliens. You need to build harvesters to grab the minerals sitting around on the surface of the planet. Also, there's another resource besides money you have to worry about: Power. Every building you build requires not only money to buy, but power to build and in most cases power needs to be regularly replenished (e.g. your harvester will power down after mining a few times and needs a recharge before it can harvest anymore).

Click here to read the full mini-review now..


King of Tokyo: A Board Game Mini-Review

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My review today is for King of Tokyo:

I learned about King of Tokyo from the Cracked LCD Review of it by Michael Barnes and the review on Drake's Flame, which I recommend you go check out.

When Michael said it was a simple game with lots of theme, that was one of the best board games of 2011 -- I just had to try it. And I'm glad I did -- It's exactly what I'm looking for in a game -- a fast fun experience that is easy to learn and a pure pleasure to play.  It's a great game.



It was designed by the same guy who created Magic the Gathering (Richard Garfield).  The artwork is out of this world, cartoon monster styled -- and the components are really fun to look at and read and use.  It's got a big stack of cards that are phenomenal.

I won't go into the rules, you can read them on the Board Game Geek site or the Cracked LCD review I linked to above.  Basically each player controls a monster and they fight to stay alive and gain victory points. Gameplay is fast and furious and there is a lot of luck involved.  But always tricky choices to make and tension and surprise around every corner.  We had a huge amount of fun talking during the game and enjoying watching the process unfold.

This game really worked for me in an area where games often fail for me -- and that is with the rule-changing cards.  King of Tokyo comes with a large deck of (beautifully illustrated) cards that give players special powers and change the (simple) base ruleset.  In many games that use this idea of rule-changing cards, the rules on the cards are long and complicated and are hard to absorb and incorporate.  But King of Tokyo does it so well -- with just minor changes, and perfect themeing -- it just works.

Final rating: 10 out of 10 if you are interested in a quick fun game with people who are learning for the first time.

Click here to read more Micro Reviews of Board Games From a Non-Competetive Perspective


Re: Micro Reviews of Board Games From a Non-Competetive Perspective: Spot It

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It's been too long since I posted a new board/card game mini-review, so here's a quickie.

This is my mini-review of a card game for young kids called "Spot It".

I learned about Spot It from my favorite board game review video series by Tom Vassel:


Tom's daughter Melody is a real gamer and she and tom both liked the game.

I thought it might be perfect for my niece during a family visit I took last week, and it was.  Turns out everyone in the family enjoyed it, even my parents.

It's a light game where you are trying to quickly match symbols on the cards.  There are actually several variations you can play, which adds some variety.  We invented a couple of additional variations, including one that used the cards to play go-fish which i think worked quite well.

I'd give this one a 9 out of 10 in the category of quick family games for playing with young children under 10.



Someone mentioned a similar game called "Set", which has won many awards.  Set is definitely in the same vein of identifying similar cards.. and has some more sophisticated elements to it.  I tried Set a while ago but found it completely unfun to play and too taxing on my brain.



Side note: This game can actually be fascinating for the mathematicians in the family and some of us found ourselves deep in thought about the algorithm used to create the cards.  You see the cards are such that: Each card has 8 symbols on it, from a collection of over 50 symbols.  There are 55 cards.  Each card has one and only one match with every other card.  It's not at all trivial to come up with an algorithm that achieves that, or to answer questions such as how many cards can you make given N unique symbols with M symbols on each card..


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