Photos: Top 10 reviews of the week
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1. 2006 BMW M5 rnrn
Editors’ rating: 8.7
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The good: The 2006 BMW M5 packs a 500-horsepower wallop from its state-of-the-art V10 engine, with extensive electronic transmission and chassis controls complementing the power well. Interior appointments befit the upscale price tag and tech-oriented mission.
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The bad: The sequential manual gearbox (SMG) is best suited for the track but is the only choice available, thereby joining iDrive on the list of BMW “improvements” that can’t be avoided.
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The bottom line: The 2006 BMW M5 will appeal to cutting-edge speed demons who are willing and able to master new technologies. Once the transmission has been mastered, performance is stunning, with plenty of comfort features to boot.
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Read CNET’s review
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2. Logitech Cordless Action Controller for PS2 rnrn
Editors’ rating: 8.5
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The good: The Logitech Cordless Action Controller for PS2 is extremely comfortable and nearly as responsive as Sony’s PS2 controller.
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The bad: The rumble feature is weak and the controller’s power acts independently from the system.
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The bottom line: As long as you don’t mind the drop in rumble proficiency, the Logitech Cordless Action Controller for PS2 is the best controller you can buy for the PlayStation 2.
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3. Sony Ericsson K790a rnrn
Editors’ rating: 8.3
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The good: The Sony Ericsson K790a offers solid features, superior photo quality, and excellent performance in a sharp, eye-catching package.
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The bad: The Sony Ericsson K790a lacks world phone support. Also, call volume was a tad low, and the navigation controls were squashed together.
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The bottom line: With an amazing selection of features and great performance, the Sony Ericsson K790a is the best camera phone we’ve seen to date.
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4. Sharp SD-SP10 rnrn
Editors’ rating: 8.0
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The good: The Sharp SD-SP10 employs Dolby Virtual Speaker Technology and Audistry surround processing, offers excellent connectivity and supereasy setup, and it delivers a space-saving design.
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The bad: The surround-sound effects disappear for listeners seated off to the sides.
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The bottom line: Sharp’s SD-SP10 is the most affordable virtual-surround speaker/subwoofer combo, yet is sonically competitive with far more expensive single-speaker systems.
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5. Alienware Area-51 7500 (Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800) rnrn
Editors’ rating: 8.0
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The good: Intel Core 2 Extreme is the fastest chip out there; new chassis is shorter than past alien-head cases; innovative and customizable lighting; untethered side panel.
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The bad: New case is still huge.
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The bottom line: It’s not the fastest PC (it’s second), nor is it the most competitively priced, but Alienware’s Area-51 7500 does have the most innovative case. With a wholly customizable lighting scheme in its new chassis, Alienware makes case lights functional, a trick no one has really pulled off yet. That and its fast performance make it stand above other current high-end PCs.
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6. BlueAnt Wireless X3 micro rnrn
Editors’ rating: 8.0
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The good: The BlueAnt Wireless X3 micro is compact and lightweight and has a smart, sporty design in black, white or pink. The buttons are easy to press, and it comes with three different charging options and a wealth of accessories.
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The bad: The earbud on the BlueAnt Wireless X3 micro may be too big for smaller ears.
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The bottom line: The BlueAnt Wireless X3 micro Bluetooth headset is a small and cute headset that is easy to use and comfortable to wear. It has good sound quality, too.
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7. Fujitsu LifeBook Q2010 Notebook rnrn
Editors’ rating: 7.9
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The good: Eminently portable; powerful for an ultraportable; extremely long battery life with the upgraded six-cell battery; wide-screen display; fingerprint reader; multimedia controls; decent speakers.
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The bad: Horrid battery life with standard three-cell battery; very expensive; small keyboard; no optical drive without a dock; no WWAN.
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The bottom line: The Fujitsu LifeBook Q2010’s keyboard is cramped, but its performance and battery life, with the extended battery, are superior for an ultraportable.
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8. Velocity Micro Raptor DCX (Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800) rnrn
Editors’ rating: 7.9
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The good: High-end performance leader; more room for expansion than its competitors.
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The bad: More expensive than the competition; case design is looking a little stale after recent innovations from other vendors.
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The bottom line: The Velocity Micro Raptor DCX delivers the fastest performance we’ve ever seen, thanks to an aggressively overclocked Core 2 Extreme CPU. Because its price is $1,000 above that of the competition, however, we can’t help but feel as though Velocity is buying a championship. That and recent case innovations from other vendors prevent us from giving it a higher rating.
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9. Onkyo HT-S790 rnrn
Editors’ rating: 7.7
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The good: The Onkyo HT-S790 is a home-theater-in-a-box system (HTIB) that combines seven large, two-way, multidriver speakers; a 10-inch, 230-watt powered subwoofer; and a full-size A/V receiver that offers generous connectivity and ample power. It’s also XM Satellite radio-ready with the latest XM HD Surround.
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The bad: The speakers and subwoofer might be too big for some buyers, and you’ll need to supply the DVD player. The receiver lacks component video conversion and an onscreen menu. The optional XM antenna caused some background noise when connected.
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The bottom line: If you put a higher value on sound quality than on trim dimensions, Onkyo’s HT-S790 home-theater system is a slam-dunk choice.
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10. Onkyo SKS-HT540 rnrn
Editors’ rating: 7.7
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The good: The Onkyo SKS-HT540 is an eight-piece surround speaker set that combines seven large, two-way, multidriver speakers and a 10-inch, 230-watt powered subwoofer. The speakers offer sturdiness and sound quality not found in many models that are twice as expensive.
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The bad: The speakers and subwoofer might be too big for some buyers.
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The bottom line: The Onkyo SKS-HT540 is the best-sounding surround-sound speaker package you can get for less than $300.
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