My Review of Roku XD Player

Originally submitted at Roku

The new XD steps it up with 1080p HD video quality and extended-range wireless.

Roku XD Player

Good

By Ken from White Plains, NY on 12/28/2010

 

4out of 5

Pros: Great value, High quality picture, IT WORKS, Reliability, Compact

Cons: Make finding stuff easier, Difficult to set up

Best Uses: Robin Hood BBC series, Living room

Describe Yourself: Casual User

Never used Netflix before this but the $8.99 per month for unlimited Netflix and this Roku box were a compelling combination.

(legalese)

Google's OS

Google's operating system, ChromeOS, may be loaded on small new laptops by the end of 2010. That probably means netbooks only. I hope that ChromeOS as an option on larger PCs.

Reports are that users may not be able to load ChromeOS on older PCs. I hope that's not true.

I use the cloud for everything now, including Google Documents. I don't use programs on my PC to create files. All I want to do is connect to the Internet. In theory, ChromeOS should suffice. An OS that loads quickly, is integrated with its browser and is light on resources. Sounds great.

Windows7 and Mac PCs are bloated messes. I have not been able to get Linux to run consistently. Here's hoping that ChromeOS is a viable alternative.

Android OS does not copy and paste.

After the fuss about the original Apple iPhone not having copy and paste it's especially amazing that Android OS 2.0 does not include that simple function. What was google thinking? It is disappointing that my Motorola Droid using the Verizon Wireless network lacks copy and paste.

Is Best Buy going out of business like Circuit City?

Best Buy keeps sending me e-mail messages about it's RewardZone program to encourage customers to buy more stuff. OK, I get that. However, it appears to require users to PRINT something that store employees must scan. Say what? Is this a time machine thing taking us back to the 1950s and S&H green stamps?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S&H_Green_Stamps

When I was in the Best Buy store in Hartsdale, NY recently trying unsuccessfully to make this RewardZone thing work the employees had the customers outnumbered 5 to 1.

Is Best Buy going out of business like Circuit City?

Google Buzz

First Buzz. I've read that this is a lame attempt by google to get into social networking, i.e., facebook. I have a facebook account but still have not used it much nor seen any real value, plus I find it cluttered and confusing. Who are those people?

The integration that google has done so far seems much better than that described by pundits and I would be much more inclined to extend my use of google services than those in facebook and that ridiculous twitter.