Customer Reviews
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Watch out if you own an iMac!, 08/27/2008
Reviewer: Chris (Denver)
Read this if you want to use the strip on an iMac or Mac mini! Those computers are already *very* low-power devices and the Smart Strip is not sensitive enough to work correctly with them. I had the company send me two of their "Gen3" devices (the revised version of the Smart Strip) and now, after three attempts, my strip finally works as intended. Putting my computer to sleep now turns off 6 of my peripherals and saves lots of energy!
Excellent for the right application, 08/26/2008
Reviewer: Richard (Sandy, UT)
I have one of these for our TV/Tivo/DVD and it works really well. We turn the TV off,and the rest of the stuff turns off. We use the 'always active' sockets for the satellite receiver/Tivo (which we set in standby mode) so that we can record the shows that we want. As I said, it works really well. I have another for my hi-fi - and it doesn't work so well. The Fatman iPod amp that I use doesn't switch the power strip on, it takes three attempts (always) to get the rest of the hi-fi 'stuff' turned on. So, being honest, an ordinary power strip would be as effective.
The third one I tried with my laptops; we have three. To control them we needed to remove the batteries, and Macs don't like that - we kept finding the system date set to 1969 !
So; I would heartily recommend these if you have the right application, but for me laptop computers and my hi-fi are not the right things to use these for.
Excellent for the right application, 08/26/2008
Reviewer: Richard (Sandy, UT)
I have one of these for our TV/Tivo/DVD and it works really well. We turn the TV off,and the rest of the stuff turns off. We use the 'always active' sockets for the satellite receiver/Tivo (which we set in standby mode) so that we can record the shows that we want. As I said, it works really well. I have another for my hi-fi - and it doesn't work so well. The Fatman iPod amp that I use doesn't switch the power strip on, it takes three attempts (always) to get the rest of the hi-fi 'stuff' turned on. So, being honest, an ordinary power strip would be as effective.
The third one I tried with my laptops; we have three. To control them we needed to remove the batteries, and Macs don't like that - we kept finding the system date set to 1969 !
So; I would heartily recommend these if you have the right application, but for me laptop computers and my hi-fi are not the right things to use these for.
Excellent product, 06/19/2008
Reviewer: James (Denver)
The power strip is an excellent product and works exactly as advertised. I may buy a second for my entertainment center, but it is ideal for a computer. It saves me about 5 Watts every hour my computer is not in use. Not much, but it should save me about $5 per year. That is just by powering down a pair of computer speakers, and the monitor.
The Smart Strip really works, 06/19/2008
Reviewer: Rhonda (Texas)
This is one product that does what it claims to do right out of the box. The directions are straight forward and simple to follow. I've recommended it everyone in my family.
Well worth the investment!, 06/16/2008
Reviewer: Annie G (Chicago, IL)
Worked great right out of the box. I installed a strip on my entertainment system, and not only is it saving me money (I have the electric bills to prove it), but it is simplifying my life. The TV is plugged into the control outlet and all other peripherals are in the switched outlets (i.e. DVD player, HD tuner box, surround sound, digital antennae, etc.). As a result, the peripherals come on automatically when the TV is turned on, which saves me from having to turn them on separately. In order to watch TV, I now need only one remote, instead of three! I have told anyone who will listen about these strips. They are truly wonderful!
Don't have the be smart to use Smart Strip, 06/03/2008
Reviewer: Jared Gustafson (Southern California)
The second best thing about the Smart Strip, the first being energy savings, is it's ease of use. Just plug it in to the wall and plug your periferals in and it's working. As stated in a few reviews above, there is a sensitivity adjustment, but it is easy to use as well. I have one on my computer, so when the computer powers down, so does the monitor and printer. No longer do I have to power down each item individually or worry that I forgot to power them down when I head off on a trip! I am so happy with it, I just purchased a second for my TV, DVD, Cable setup. The Smart strip is the Silver Bullet to the Vampire Power!
Low Maintenance and Lower Electricity Cost, 06/03/2008
Reviewer: Hanh Ho (TerraPass)
I've had the Smartstrip for about a couple of months now and have seen my electricity bill drop by over $20! I have my computer plugged into the control slot and have my peripherals like my speakers and printer plugged into the auto-shutoff outlets. I am looking to get a 10 outlet Smartstrip to conserve more energy since I have a couple of big and blocky power adapters that take up two outlet spaces each. I would love it if there was a remote control device for the Smartstrip. :D
Like It, Love It, 05/30/2008
Reviewer: Jessi Callihan (TerraPass)
I purchased a SmartStrip about 6 months ago. I have my laptop plugged into the control outlet (blue). This means that when my laptop is off/sleeping, my lamp, printer, and external hard drive are off because they are plugged into the neutral outlets (power-outlet-putty). I keep my alarm clock plugged into the always hot outlet (red). This system is working well, but it did take me a bit to figure out what would be plugged in where, so I recommend just playing with different scenarios for the first week or two. My printer won't power on from the SmartStrip for some reason, so I moved it quickly to another plug (printing directions, no time for fuss) and have not fixed that yet. As I understand it I can easily fix this next time I need to print at home. There is a sensitivity adjustment that I can turn up if devices are not powering on. This is just a small dial that you turn counter clockwise. Once my printer powers on I can leave the dial alone from that point forward.
I like it because it's easy. I love it because I'm not wasting energy. It's not earth shattering, but as with all these little efforts it could be earth saving if adopted by the masses.
Good Product, 05/30/2008
Reviewer: Lori (Thousand Oaks)
I purchased one of these Smart Strips and loved it. So I purchased an additional one. The Smart Strip works great on my one TV set, VCR, DVD burner and player, TIVO and cable box. The other Smart Strip isn't working on my other TV set as it leaves the VCR on. We think it may be because it is an older VCR. We now just turn it off at the power strip.
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