Apple Reviews

Let me try to make a long story short.

I bought a Dazzle Firewire card with Ulead software so that I could capture video. I didn't work when I got it and I never got it to work in spite of multiple attempts. Dazzle Techs said it was Ulead's fault and Ulead said it was Dazzle's. Neither company tried to help me out.

I bought the adaptec combo card, hoping that it would work.
I installed it and the accompanying software. It didn't work.
I called Canon. They helped me by sending me to Microsoft for
a plug-in. The card still didn't work. I just about gave up but decided to call Adaptec for help.

It was a toll call but the Adaptec Tech walked me through the
entire process of getting the card working. I'd guess that he spend a good 45 mintues with me as we checked my system out and straightened out all the problems that the Dazzle card and drivers left in my system. I am a business owner so I know exactly how important good customer care is. You can have the best product in the world but if you don't care about your customers, you're business is going to eventually fail.

Adaptec makes a great product AND they have one of the very best Tech Support teams that I have ever dealt with to back the product.

Buy This One !

I bought this Adaptec AUA-3020 for use in my Dell Dimension 8200 (P4 2Ghz) with Windows XP Pro SP1. My computer originally doesnot have firewire and USB2.0 (it has 4 USB1 though). All 5 PCI slots were full with VGA, Ethernet, Sound, Promise Ultra ATA133 (for my additional HDs), and Firewire from Pinnaclesys. I was a little skeptical to use this product when I read other reviewers that has the same system (tony8gj from Redmond, WA). The only difference is he bought 3121 with internal USB and firewire while I bought 3020 without the internal ones. After I received the package, I read the instruction which is fairly easy and straightforward. I turn off the computer and all cables, took off my Pinnaclesys firewire and replace with this Adaptec 3020. Put all the cables back to where they were, (I didnot plug anything yet to the new Adaptec) and start the comp. Windows XP shows "Found new hardware" and rearrange them (I rearranged my USB1.1). Then I see that XP found this Adaptec but it says Texas Instrument for the firewire host controller (I guess the chip made by TI), and so on. It went smooth. Then I put the USB/firewire cables to this new Adaptec ports. All my devices were recognized fast and ready to use. I tested all my devices and they are all fine. Just make sure, before installing this and any other hardware, to check and update your flash BIOS from your computer manufacturer and also your Windows operating system from windowsupdate.com. Five big stars!!

The only irony like the two previous users mentioned, is that there r some inconsistencies with the software drivers. I realized the system becoming slightly slower in performance (but then again these peripherals were optimized for the new P4 etc.) I use it daily especially with external hard drives and Bluetooth and printers and numerous devices.

I am fiddling now with video feeds via the firewire. Am sure it will be flawless. If anyone is considering a good upgrade to older machines, then get this card! (after a memory upgrade this would b the most sensible upgrade one can do)

Actually, I don't know what problem(s) the above user (A software user from Manhattan Beach, CA USA) is talking about on the OS X installation issue. ACDSee 1.6 does install and operate under OS X and does not revert in any way.

That having been said, it is without a doubt the worst application of its kind available today. The UI is horrendous and will make you need glasses if you don't already. Also it lacks many features of its Windows counterpart, which is actually quite good. The bottomline is that I think ACD Systems wanted to claim cross-platform compatability, but this product makes them look like fools.

Do not buy it under any circumstances!

The manufacture claims that this program is built for OS x; however, this is very misleading. The pogram cannot be installed under os x at all but only under os 9.2. Worse, after installation , ACDsee 1.6 reset my computer to start in os 9.2 mode. In order for it to act like an os x program, ACDsee 1.6 has to be dragged out to the dock so that it would give a pseudo os x feeling with the os x window around it when started. I have ACDsee 1.5 version and this ACDsee 1.6 version acts just like 1.5 version. (still fuzzy thumbnails). This is not built for OS X like manufacture claims. This program wasted my time and money!