So, I started thinking about Tech Toys - those little gadgets that you don't need but somehow just can't live without.
I came up with three different ideas, and damn if I can't choose one or the other:
1. New Eee or similar netbook. Since I bought my Eee all of last year, they've come out with bigger screens and WAY longer battery life (they're talking eight hours now!!!). With the larger screen comes a larger keyboard, but heavier weight. Might even consider a low-end laptop for this position - having a second full-bore machine I could load MSOffice on would be kinda slick, too.
The pros are that it would be more usable than the Eee I currently have and have much better battery life; the cons are that I really don't use the current Eee more than once or twice a week at most.
2. Upgraded digital camera. The current Panasonic we have is good, but there are definite areas for improvement - for starters, the current camera is awful at "active" shots. 95% of the shots I take of my kids are blurry, and 95% of the shots I take are of my kids. There's a pretty good range of cameras available in this price range, including near-SLR quality "point and shoot" cameras.
Pros of a new camera are better pictures of the kids, better Friday gun pr0n, and having a duplicate camera for Disney/family outings. Cons are minimal - the biggest drawback would be buying the wrong camera, really.
3. iTouch. The iTouch is the "dark horse" in the Tech Toy race. While part of it is extremely appealing to me - being able to connect to the web anywhere there's a free wi-fi signal is très cool - part of me wonders if I'd use it enough to bother with. Also, somewhere in my attic is a "PocketPC" that I spent $700 on a dozen years ago that I used for about a month and then lost interest in. Of course, it couldn't play songs or go online, either.
Pros are having a 'net capable pocket computer no larger than a pack of smokes that I can pick up for less than $10 out of pocket. Cons are not being sure if I can grok the interface or if it's something that would be more of a passing interest, and also the lack of a camera - I think if the iTouch came with even a low-end camera built it, that'd seal the deal.
So there are my three choices. There may very well be something I haven't even thought of yet, some other electronic gadget that I just can't live without. I'm least familiar with the iTouch, even though I own an iPod Nano and have had a Shuffle for years. For those that use the iPhone - I'm pretty sure that the interface is the same as the iTouch - can you surf on it like a regular computer? I mean, obviously I understand that many things will be different - like inputting data with the touch screen for starters - but could I blog using the iTouch? (Special shout-out to SCI-FI - think we could get together soon so I can try it on your iPhone?)
As for the Eee, that's really a fall-back idea that I can check out if I can't find a suitable camera and I don't like the iTouch. I know what's out there; I'm familiar with the Eee and netbooks; it's a question of do I want to use my one-time gift selection to upgrade a seldom-used item. For the camera, then, it's a question of can I get the features I want - long optical zoom, ability to take motion shots, and short videos - in a camera that is within, or at least close to, my budget. I've had a Kodak, Canon, and Panasonic camera and had issues with the operation of each of them; any suggestions would be welcome there.
So... Which of the three "Tech Toys" would you chose, and why; or is there something else I should think about?
That is all.
19 comments:
If you already don't much use the Eee you've got, that's a dead giveaway to not get one. (Hanging out on #GBC from the throne does not count as legit usage. And next time, turn the camera OFF.)
If getting a newer camera would, say, double the resolution of what you currently use, or add a significantly bigger feature set, that'd be worth considering. (Canon Image-Stabilizing cameras win, btw.)
And the iTouch - well those are just damn cool. I'm holding out for the iPad (I think), but if you want pocket portability, the Touch is great.
Dunno what you have for a cell phone now, but if I didn't have one, a smartphone would be at the top of my tech toy list in that price range. I think most of the current ones out there can do anything the itouch can, with the addition of a camera and the ability to do it anywhere there is a cell signal, not just wifi.
iPod touch, without a doubt. Mine is the single most useful device I own. All my music, a dozen movies, all my pictures to show off to unsuspecting strangers, all my contacts, calendars, a full-featured web browser, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter clients, calorie tracking app, a bunch of games that are Sony PSP-like in quality, email, Instant Messaging, Skype, IRC...all in a package that fits into your back pocket and runs all day on a battery charge. It’s like a netbook in a much more portable package.
You already have a netbook for those times when you need a physical keyboard. You already have a camera. But I promise you two things: you’ve never owned anything like the iPod touch, and you won’t be able to put yours down once you get one.
(If you do, spring for the $299 32GB version instead of the 8GB base model. The 32GB comes with a microphone in the earbuds, and a voice recording app. The mike will also let you do VoIP stuff over Skype, which the 8GB model can’t do.)
Worth every penny.
Jay, you wrote: The current Panasonic we have is good, but there are definite areas for improvement - for starters, the current camera is awful at "active" shots.
Exactly what problems do you have with it -- motion blur, bad focus, bad exposure, or something else? And what model camera is it?
i'll go for the gun ...
Go for the camera. The new ones practically take the pictures for you and are very good at upping the ISO and shutter speed to catch running kids in the act.
Although I do love my iPhone...when I don't have to use it as a phone.
I'm with Mopar on this. In Feb I traded my Windows Mobile phone for a 3gs iPhone ( and I'm a Windows IT Consultant ).
It's a phone, itouch, resonable Res Still Camera, Video Camera (with image stbilizer), e-mail device, Gameboy, Web browser, backup modem, backup GPS, Radio, Pocket Dyno, Calculator, "Where the hell did I park" finder, Newsreader,......etc.......etd..
What ever you need, somebody's already written an app...and if not, the SDK is available for free download.
It's way more useful and easier to use than thet #@%! Windows Mobile phone ever was.
ZerCool,
The new and improved Eee is more of a "fallback" item - like, if I can't find anything else, I'll get a new Eee with an 8 hour battery and a keyboard I can type on...
With a usable keyboard I'd probably use it more often, actually...
Mopar,
The phone is a separate bleg planned for Thursday. Long and short of it is the existing phone has been dead for over a year now, it just doesn't know it yet. I want to upgrade before we go to Disney, what I get will be up for discussion.
The problem with a web-enabled phone, at least from what I've seen through Verizon, is that the online charge is friggin' $30/month. That's an awful lot of scratch to be able to log on for limited utility...
Marko,
Okay, that's one check mark for the iTouch. Question for you - have you blogged with the iTouch? I'm curious how the interface works with Blogger. I know that it uses Apple's "Safari" browser, but does it do everything you need to browse sites, make links, and get a post up?
wolfwalker,
The phone is a Panasonic Lumix, model DMC-TZ3. The biggest complaint I have with it is that, even with the image stabilization on, it's *VERY* susceptible to motion. You have to hold the camera *very* still or it blurs. And forget taking a picture of something in motion - blur city.
It was like $120 at BJs, though, and it has a 10X optical zoom. It's not a *bad* camera by any stretch - I'd just like something better.
The neat part about another camera is that I can get a larger, bulkier one and still use the existing camera for quick trips and such...
Julie,
Heh. I've thought about it - I could pick something up, get reimbursed, then return the item for cash sure enough. I am *definitely* not turning in a receipt for a firearm, though - something tells me that would rapidly result in a visit from a SWAT team and a pink slip...
A Horse Thief,
You argue for both of my contenders in one comment!!! I would like to upgrade my camera, but the one I have isn't all that bad. The iPhone without the phone = iTouch. Then again, though, there's rumors that Apple will be making an iPhone for Verizon customers, in which case I could just wait until that rolls out and get the iPhone...
notDilbert,
Like I said above, I'd be very interested in the iPhone if/when they start using Verizon as well.
The phone is a Panasonic Lumix, model DMC-TZ3. The biggest complaint I have with it is that, even with the image stabilization on, it's *VERY* susceptible to motion. You have to hold the camera *very* still or it blurs.
That's curious. The DMC-TZ3 is a decent pocket camera with a typical range of shutter speeds and ISO settings. If you leave it in program mode it should do fairly well catching action, at least outdoors or in good light.
I'd suggest the itouch. It will hold its value the best of these items. Try it and see if it replaces your use of a netbook...it very well may.
If you don't like it or decide to go the smartphone route, you will have first hand experience with the iphone OS, plus you'll get nearly all your $ our of the itouch to sell and put against a phone.
A word of caution: I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for a iphone on verizon. There's been "rumours" for a couple years now. The droid / google OS phones seems very comparable so if you've got your heart set on Verizon, I would jump for one of those. Selling a $299 itouch will pay before the better part of a year's worth of data plan....
The slightly bigger keyboard of the next size up netbooks makes a huge difference in usability, but may be canceled by the decrease in portability. I'm lived with an Eee 900 for 6 months or so, and I've used the bigger netbooks--I'm still torn on which I would rather have.
I've been a religious PDA user since about 1998 or so. The iTouch makes an amazing PDA, a very good pocket web browser (except lack of Flash) Great email if you can deal with the touchscreen keyboard. Skype works well, and Surefire makes a free shot timer app--if I had it at the time I wouldn't have bought my PACT timer.
I would love an iPhone, but I'm not willing to up my cellphone bill from about $15/mo to a minimum of $70.
If it's a camera you're interested in, may I suggest dpreview.com. You can read reviews, do side-by-side comparisons, etc.
I'd go for the iTouch, or may I suggest a different item: a book reader (Kindle, B&N or Sony jump to mind).
Reasons:
- You already have a netbook, so getting one doesn't give you anything but bigger screen and redundancy (which is nice, but only when everything else is covered)
- You already have a camera. Getting another point-n-click, unless it's a truly significant quality improvement just gives you redundancy, same as the netbook. Now, if you were willing to spend extra $700 or so out of pocket and get a decent DSLR, that'd be a different story.
iTouch or a book reader is an entirely new category of geeky toy that you don't have. Need I continue?
You can get a low end SLR like the nikon D40 for Under $600, a Quick look at google shows them at best buy for $499.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Nikon+-+6.1MP+Digital+SLR+Camera+-+Black/8139169.p?skuId=8139169&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=8139169&ref=06&loc=01&id=1158323379076
This is the camera I have and it has lasted through a least 30,000 pictures so far. It is absolutely the best single item I have bought since I met my wife, and I include the wedding rings in that group.
i touch is the answer. Got one for the wife and she loves it. Simple (shes no geek) to operate and fun for her.
Seems that the overwhelming response is for the iTouch.
I'm starting to lean that way I think...
Do you have a good shot timer?
http://www.midwayusa.com/Search/#shot%20timer____-_1-2-4_8-16-32
I'll throw in another vote for the iPod Touch. I bought mine on a business trip last year because I was tired of using my Kindle or my Eee as an mp3 player, and now I use it every day. It's basically the only thing I use to listen to music or podcasts anymore. It's especially great if you have an iPod or AUX connection in your car. I haven't tried blogging on it, though. If I were going to do that, I'd do it on my Nexus One or Eee.
If you're looking for a new phone on Verizon, and you lean toward the iTouch in this post, check out the Droid before you buy either. It's not an iPhone killer, but it is a contender.
I will grant the iSpace has better look-n-feel integration and developer mind share. The games are beautiful. But I waffled on the iTouch and brick phone combo myself and am glad I got a Droid instead.
At current pricing for the Droid, the difference against a 32G iTouch means quite a few months of data plan fees with Verizon.
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