Product Testing Blog

John Hopkin’s iPad Mini Review

admin — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:35:35 +0000

I have recently been given the opportunity to review the new ipad mini, made by Apple, from producttesting.uk.com. The model i have been selected to review is the entry level model which is the 16gb with wifi.

Looking around to gauge the cost of the new ipad mini the price varies from between £269-£429. The model i am reviewing retails at £269, the versions above this model have higher specification but you can also get them with a contract/sim but this bumps the price up of each as you would expect and they can then be used anywhere on the go as long as you have a good signal.As a fan of apple products i was quite keen to see how easy this was to use, and get started, every thing is self explained as soon as you get it out the box and switch it on from when you start the ipad mini, from selecting your country, language and even asking if you would like to search for local wifi hotspots, all done with page by page instructions.With its 7.9in screen and 1024 x 768 resolution my first impressions were great, with its sleek design and stunning Retina display pictures and films are clear and superb for the size of the screen, I like the feel of the ipad as its case is made of metal making it more robust, but also still making it light and portable at the same time, holding it could be a bit tricky for some people tho as its easier to hold it long ways (landscape) as appose to portrait, but if your reading any type of eBook portrait still feels the right way to hold tho (like a book).

Supplied within the smartly designed box is the USB plug and the new lightning connection cable, which is the same cable that is now used for the iPhone 5, having both products I found it really easy to transfer files and information between the two via iCloud, “apples online storage”.

What would of been nice is if there was a leaflet possible showing other accessories apple possibly do to compliment the mini ipad (ie if there’s other length cables, display stand for example (when used in photo mode), the other thing I was expecting was earphones, but no, this model is shipped without but you can put any normal 3.5 jack earphone to it.

As far as the battery life goes it is really quite impressive, I’ve been downloading apps, browsing the net, playing music and watching films and most of my Christmas shopping , on only one charge once since receiving it and that was a week after playing around with all its features. (not daily like my iphone)

Another of its good features is the security password, as I let my children use certain apps or play games and films and that feature gives me peace of mind knowing I can control what they can and can’t download without having to watch over them the whole time, they have all found it easy to hold and view and are very at ease with using.

One of my main concerns is how it could be quite easy to scratch…. So it’s defiantly worth investing in a screen protector and a case to protect it as I have done.

Lesley Innes iPod Touch Review

admin — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 10:56:29 +0000

I use a regenerated iPhone 3GS already, so to be able to test the latest apple product before making the decision to change handsets was just what I needed as I rely heavily on my phone as I am disabled (I suffer from CFS/ME and find myself often housebound, and sometimes bed bound too so unable to go downstairs and then carry a heavy laptop upstairs again is impossible), so having something portable and lightweight is VERY important in my selection and the added bonus of SIRI and Face-time are something I wanted to know if I would benefit from as a disabled user too.

Camera (WITH FLASH!!!) – amazing and such an improvement – watching a video is better as the screen is bigger than my current iPhone 3GS. Since becoming ill I have started to try to take more photo’s as an easy pass-time but having no flash means having to have my compact with me as well and it’s awkward switching between to two constantly.

Face-time – another feature which could be useful for times when I can’t get out, but to be honest as with Skype, it would mainly be used if someone was overseas rather than a local free call away.

SIRI – ok for some basic things but becomes a bit frustrating when it doesn’t recognize what you asked or comes up with something totally different that doesn’t even sound like your request – but simple things like Calendar requests and contact search (with easy names!!) it’s fab.

Finally the new earphones are also really good and STAY IN!!!

Only real downside is that the iPod & iPhone 5 have a new charger connection, and so although you can still charge by USB cable it is a new smaller cable which comes with it so unless you take it everywhere with you you could be caught short. To buy the plug for a mains charger is around £15. This also means that my Docking station we use is now also not compatible and an adaptor for docking station is around £25 so you are already £40 out of pocket before you start.

I have to say a great all round player and I would be happy to have the iPod Touch 5 and a basic mobile phone rather than my current iPhone 3GS!!

Hannah Thacker’s iPod Touch Review

admin — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 14:11:25 +0000

This iPod touch can be used for music, photos, gaming, web searching, and social media. In fact you name it, and you can do it on this nifty gadget.

As soon as I received this iPod touch, the first thing I did, was to download some of my favourite gaming apps from the app store. The slender, rectangular shape was very easy to hold, and use with one hand still. The lightweight design also means it is easy to pick up and slip into your pocket.

With the iOS 6 software, you can set up the iPod touch to your iTunes account, using the Wi-Fi sync, so you don’t have to connect to your computer to set up the iPod.
The new shape earpods, give for a much more pleasurable sound in the ear. I used these, for the first time, whilst catching up on some missed TV, and felt like I was sitting in a cinema.

My only negative comment would be that the only means of charging this iPod is through using the connectivity lead, which connects to a computer/laptop. Which is fine apart from when the laptop sleeps, it stops charging. This can be rectified by purchasing a charger for £15, from the apple store. Also, this product wouldn’t fit onto my existing docking station, because of the new lightning connector. This would mean purchasing an adaptor, for £25, to connect to the existing 30-pin devices.

Overall, then the four inch retina display, and 5mega pixel camera, make pictures and videos look amazing. The sound through the earpods is fab. The colour coordinating wrist strap is handy when taking photos, just to make sure it doesn’t get dropped. I would definitely recommend this iPod touch to anyone and everyone.

Moira Harri’s Sainsburys Review

admin — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 09:46:29 +0000

So sorry that i have taken so long for my review but i have been really ill and i also managed to lose my fone .
i received £20 of sainsburys vouchers after liking and sharing a post .

the nearest sainsburys to me is sainsburys local so i opted to go to the bigger store at bispham. i went with my daughter so she could help as i am disabled.

the store isn’t as big as others but is very well laid out. plenty of room on the aisles to get both my wheelchair and a trolley with space to spare.

the staff were extremely helpful when we couldn’t find what we were looking for and guided us around the easiest route.

we started our shopping at the stands just inside the store which happened to be the special offer stand for store mad cookies – big smmile from my daughter so in went the cookies! must say they smelt and looked very tempting (tasted good with a coffee too).

we then headed down through the fridges for butter, cheese and cold meat. for a smaller store the selection available was more than adequate. after the fridges we had a look at the freshly baked bread and were considering which to buy when we got distracted by the confectionary aisle ( thats what happens when you take your daughter shopping with you).

from there we went off to buy the dogs and cat some treats, very limited selection on the pet aisle, was a little disappointed with this as my corner shop stocks more pet items, saying that they made up for this with the selection of seasonal items and yes that includes selection boxes.

we bought dog treats, fridge necessities such as milk, butter and cheese and my daughter got her munchies – £20 disappeared very quickly.

am really sorry but all of my photos were on my mobile phone so i can only tell you about my trip. i don’t think that i would visit sainsburys as part of my weekly shop as the pricing against asda and tesco is nowhere near as good.

customer service was excellent, ample car parking but limited disabled spaces but if i was fed up with tesco and asda i think i would skip sainsburys and take a trip to morrisons.

John Landells Sainburys Petrol Review

admin — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:35:14 +0000

Recently, I was pleased to be selected to be a mystery shopper for ProductTestingUK.com for Sainburys Petrol. At my earliest opportunity after receiving the vouchers, I visited my local Sainsburys in West Swindon to make the purchase.

One of the challenges at this location is that the car park has quite a bit of hedging which restricts the view for people leaving the car park at the roundabout c

lose to the petrol forecourt. On the day that I visited, this led to me almost having an accident when someone pulled out in front of me without looking properly. If the hedges weren’t there or if they were cut lower, I believe the other driver would have had more chance to see me approaching.On entering the forecourt, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there wasn’t a queue. Given that this was a Saturday morning and there were plenty of cars passing through the garage, this is a good reflection that the number of pumps as well as the layout seem to be working well. I noticed that where most garages have 2 pumps per lane, this one has 3, with 2 of the lanes designated as “credit card” lanes.At 136.9p per litre, petrol here is certainly amongst the cheapest in the area. Just last week, I paid 145.9p locally elsewhere so I was very pleased with the pricing. However, I should mention that the £70 voucher was sadly not enough to fill my tank!

Stepping into the forecourt shop to pay isn’t a great experience. The shop feels unloved, being a little grubby and untidy. Whilst the staff on the tills weren’t unfriendly, there was definitely a feeling that they’d rather not be there. In particular, the lady who served me got very stressed that she had to scan each of the £10 vouchers that I handed her separately, and made a point of grumbling that she doesn’t understand why “they” need each one scanned like this. When one of them proved difficult to scan, I got the feeling that I’d ruined her day! However, we got there in the end and she was at least polite.

On leaving the forecourt, anyone unfamiliar with the layout should beware of the car wash lanes. As you drive around the rear of the shop following the singes for the exit, it’s all too easy to end. I the car wash, rather than turning hard fit in front of it. This is badly signed and is an area where Sainsburys could easily make a difference.

Overall, the experience was positive and I may be persuaded to change to Sainsburys as my preferred petrol station from now on.

Rosemary Smith’s Sainsburys Petrol Station Review

admin — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:58:10 +0000

Thank you to the product testing team for choosing me to be a sainsbury’s mystery shopper and for sending me £70 petrol vouchers.

As i was visiting friends in mansfield i thought i would use the mansfield sainsbury’s.
This was the very first time that i had used a sainsbury’s for fuel as i usually go to morrisons or tesco but i was pleasently surprised by this experience.

This sainsbury’s was 15 miles away from where i live.As i entered the petrol station i noticed there was also a cinema, mcdonailds and an aldi in the same complex.
As i pulled on to the forecourt there was hardly any other vehicles using the petrol station that day so no quing up to use the pumps.

The area around the pumps was clean and very
very tidy. on the petrol pump it gave you the choice to either pay at the pump or inside at the kiosk.Also on the pump it was quite visible the amount per litre for petrol
and deisel.They had 8 pumps so keeping the quing down for motorists.

The cost for a litre of petrol was £1.34 which i thoughtwas quite reasonable as i had previously passed a well known garage that was charging £1.41 per litre.
Asi filled up my petrol tank i was praying that they would except the vouchers as i didn’t have enough cash on me to pay for this fuel.

As i was filling up my petrol tank i glanced around the forecourt and noticed how wide the area was between the pumps and vehicles and how accssessible it was for able bodied peaople as well as less abled people.the entrance and exit to the petrol station was also well thought out when designing this.

Once i had finished filling up my car i walked over to the kiosk to pay. As i entered the kiosk it was well designed inside and had a great selection of products from
newspapers, sandwiches, drinks etc. I cautiously walked over to the cashier and firstly asked if they accepted the vouchers and to my delight they did.

The cashier could certainly see the relief on my face. i found the cashier very friendly and very curteous and was eager to answer any of my questions or querries.
i explained to the cashier that i was a mystery shopper and she agreed to having her photograph taken which was very nice of her. She was also interested in the product testing site so i directed her via Facebook to check it out for herself.

Overall i enjoyed my mystery shopper experience and was really pleased to be chosen.this was my first experience of sainsbury’s and it certainly wont be my last.
many thanks product testing team.

Gavin Murray’s Mystery Shopping Review

admin — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 14:16:06 +0000

Received my £100 ASDA voucher so headed off to my local store in the centre of Biggleswade, managed to get a parking space no problem. Got to the entrance and collected my big trolley, all types where available close to entrance.

Once in the store there was the usual main display of offers and flowers, normal long queue at the Customer Service desk and for early on a Saturday afternoon no newspapers left at all.

So started off in the George Department which was tidy and a couple of members of staff restocking, had a look round the electrical department, however it is very limited.

The rest of the shop was fairly clean, and pretty well stocked however as is normal at this ASDA members of staff on the shopfloor are few and far between to ask about items not on the shelf, so never managed to get everything I was after as didn’t fancy hunting round the store trying to find someone to ask.

The person at the Checkout apologised for the wait, not that there was much of a wait, she offered to help pack which I accepted, as my trolley was pretty full.

So overall a good visit, a few items not available but the store was busy.

Hazel Addison’s iPod Touch Review

admin — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 10:44:36 +0000

I love the ipod touch it is easy to use the instructions are easy to follow the screen is clear and a good size the on off button and volume buttons on the sides are easy to use and easy to find.The imessage is great you can message anyone with an ipod/ipad/iphone its easyier than texting and quicker.The facetime is brilliant you can talk to another user.

It is really clear, there is no time break while speaking like on video calling on other devices.I love all the apps you can get ,especially the free ones there are loads of them,some really funny one to.The music is clear easy to use and once synced to your pc and itunes it is a doddle,sncing and registering is easy to.icloud is great again once syned to your pc when you plug it to your computer your picture just load up to your pc .

You can take this away with you and have everything you need ,i would recommend it .I do think you need a skin for it though as it is so slim it could slip out of your hand,and of course it would protect it to.

Liz Edgar’s Sainsburys Petrol Station Review

admin — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 15:17:33 +0000

This is my review on Basingstokes Sainsburys petrol station..First off i would like to say a huge thanks to producttesting.com as like many i didnt think this was real..!! im proof it issorry its a little late but i had to fight for the laptop use..!!

On rcieving my vouchers my nearest Sainsburys petrol station is about 30 miles away..i still wasnt totally convinced i could use them so nervously put £70 of diesel in my car thinking im gonna have to pay for this if these vouchers dont work.!!!

I took some pictures the staff were smiling and chatty to customers it seem friendly ..when i paid for my fuel explaing to the till staff who id recieved the vouchers from.. it was a very plesent transaction..

I don’t feel i can say much more only that now i know where it is i would definatley return ..mant thanks again for this oppurtunitie and i hope to be chosen again for something else as i enjoyed this experence x

Carol Allen’s Asda Review

admin — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 14:41:54 +0000

I find when I shop at ASDA Lowestoft that the staff were very helpful, as I am disabled the use of a mobility scooter with a large basket means I can shop independently and when I have finished a porter accompanies me to my car and helps load the shopping into the boot, he then returns the scooter to the trolley point and collects my registration card from customer services for me, this card is swapped for a scooter key. They have a range of different sorts of trolleys in the entrance hall to suit different needs such as child seat trolleys, ones that clip on to wheelchairs etc.

Once in store there is an area of special promotions which changes every few weeks, on this visit it was a large selection of spring cleaning products here at special prices, and with the run up to the sports events this summer there is a range of beers on special offer, they also had offers on the ends of each aisle, along with the ongoing £1 items range.The whole shop is bright and clean and prices clearly displayed with their Roll back prices highlighted in red and yellow, There are plenty of staff who even when busy are polite, pleasant and helpful, if something was missing from the shelves they are happy to check if they have the product in the warehouse, show you were some thing is kept, or reach something of a high shelf.

Asda has a good range of clothes for all the family, electrical goods, and household items as well as a good quality range of food and drink, their extra special range is an affordable touch of luxury and the in store bakery has lovely bread. Overall shopping at asda is the best experience shopping can be for me, as a disabled person on a tight budget and the savings at Asda help stretch it further but this visit was made even better by using the gift card from product testing.