November 28, 2005
From the desk of Jane Galt:Shameless begging: Home electronics edition
My kitchen gear recommendations are here
As you may know, now is the time of year when I engage in an absolutely shameless attempt to encourage you to earn me money from my Amazon.com associates account, under the thin pretense of suggesting things you can buy your loved ones for Christmas. I am poor, and my student loan officer is hungry, and the people at the workhouse will only give me one serving of gruel a day. . . this brazen commercialization of The Birth of Our Lord is the only way that I can afford to buy myself the books with which I enrich my mind so that I can offer you keen insight and witty commentary on a quasi-daily basis.
If you're going to do your Christmas shopping on Amazon this year, just click the handy links provided by me or another of your favourite bloggers (mine's over there at the right, if you scroll down a little!), and at absolutely not cost to yourself, you can send a little commission our way. We get the commission even if you buy something other than the product we linked, though the commission is higher for direct links.
However, even if you don't order through Amazon, all the stuff I'll suggest here is stuff that I genuinely love, so do consider purchasing for yourself or your loved ones offline. And if you do buy something I recommend, please, please, please email me to let me know how it went over.
And if you don't like anything you see here, please feel free to peruse last year's selections, though there is some overlap.
1) Tivo. Yes, it really is better than the other DVRs, and not just because it has the cute little TV character bouncing all over the place. The interface is better and more intuitive, the suggestions work better, and you can now set it up to play music or pictures, something I'm planning to take advantage of at the brunch I'm giving this year on New Year's Day.
I love my Tivo with such a passion that when my last Tivo died, I composed a poem in honor of its demise. It is not a good poem, to be sure. But it comes from the heart.
Tivo has changed my television watching life. When I'm over at my parents, I have trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that I can't rewind to recover a missed sentence, pause to answer the phone, or call up a treasure trove of stored movies and documentaries when the current offerings do not appeal--as they so often don't. I do not have premium cable, and yet I am never at a loss for something to watch. Ironically, I spend less time watching television, because I don't spend aimless hours cruising the channels and waiting for something to entertain me.
The link I posted is to the one I have, the eighty hour, which I've found more than adequate for my needs, even at "best" recording quality. There's also an introductory forty hour model, which is what I had before; I found it a little skimpy, but it's still pretty good, and with all the discounts they're offering you can often get your hands on one for as little as $50. On the other end, there's a Toshiba combination DVR and DVD recorder, which I've heard fantastic things about, but which is just a little bit beyond the budget at Stately Galt Manor.
2) Averatec 3360-EG1 laptop computer Never heard of them? Neither had I until my father bought one. Three months later he bought me one, ostensibly as an early Christmas/Birthday present, but really as a way of persuading me to give him his damn laptop back.
It's thin, light, and so far, it works swimmingly. The caveat is that I have a big honking Dell desktop; I use this guy only for writing and cruising the web. Computer games or big statistical sets are pretty slow on this guy, so I wouldn't get it as a desktop replacement if you need serious processing power.
But if you don't need serious processing power, take a look at these guys. You get a ton for your money--built in wireless, a nice screen, good battery life, and so forth. It's neatest feature is a little button that turns the wireless card off and on, so that it doesn't suck power when you're not using it.
Now, of course, my technical support requirements are pretty slim; I just need someone to send me the correct part in a reasonable time frame. For this reason, I am unbothered by their scanty 1 year warranty. But if you're reasonably technically adept (i.e. you trust yourself to open a laptop case and poke around inside it with a screwdriver), and on a tight budget, I highly recommend it. You could buy a third-party warranty and still come out ahead at this price.
3. Home microdermabrasion kit. This one, obviously, is for the ladies. Not that you guys don't need microdermabrasion to give your skin a more even and youthful appearance, but no matter what I say, you're not going to try it, so I'll leave you to your scaly dermis.
My mother ordered this for fun, and I spent my vacation at my Grandmother's house giving her and my aunt facials. Not to sound like an infomercial or anything, but it actually did make them look younger, and it really made their skin beautifully soft and smooth. (I did not try it on my skin, which tends to erupt in a hideous rash when anything harsher than Evian is applied to it.) It takes 4-8 minutes a day, and you're supposed to use it five days in a row the first time you use it, followed by a week off, and then regular maintenance uses 2-3 times a week. My mother says it's well worth the small effort.
4) Linksys Wireless Router Give the gift of wireless this Christmas season. To yourself, if no one else. Honestly, I know, you don't think you want to take your laptop to the couch so that you can cruise the web while lying flat on your back and watching Grosse Pointe Blank, but trust me, you do. And while you may not be aware of it, you also want to be able to take your computer into the kitchen, where you can call up a recipe from Epicurious while browsing through the refrigerator to see what ingredients you have. You want to lie in bed on a Saturday morning, Instant messaging your sister about your crazy mother, and when a brilliant idea occurs to you just as you are drifting off to sleep, you want to be able to grab your laptop and jot it down in a word document before you collapse into slumber. You have all off these deep needs lurking inside you, waiting to be unleashed by a wireless router. Give into them. No good can come from repressing your innermost feelings.
Plus, if you have a Tivo, you can get this wireless USB adapter and hook your Tivo up to the network without messy cables or taking up the phone line.
5) Rio Karma MP3 player If you have to have aniPod . . . well, my Dad splurged on the 60 GB, and he raves about it. I've used iTunes, and it's great, although I don't purchase music because it won't transfer it to my MP3 player. But the Rio Karma is a lot cheaper, and it has some features the iPod doesn't.
For starters, it fits snugly in a cupped hand, and is set up so that it can be operated without looking at it--volume on one side, scroll on the other, and the play button conveniently located for your thumb to move it. It's so ingeniously designed that a left-handed friend picked it up and said "Why did you buy an MP3 player made for lefties?"; even though it's not symmetrical, it has the same snug fit and easy operation no matter which hand you put it in.
The software and docking station are easy to use, and the transfer rate is fast. Best of all, it can play an entire album without pausing, meaning that if you listen to opera or classical, you can get the entire act or movement. The iPod chops them up into tracks, which is deeply annoying to serious buffs.
It doesn't have the sleek white design of the iPod, but hey, are you playing music, or looking at it?
6) Sennheiser noise canceling headphones It was with deep trepidation that I purchased these to go with my Rio. But the first plane trip I took them on erased all doubts. The headphones emit a sound that cancels out airplane noise. I created a special playlist for sleeping to (no Public Enemy or Nine Inch Nails) and was borne blissfully away on the wings of Morpheus, happily oblivious to both engine noise, and my fellow passengers. They're bulkier than earbuds, but oh! the sweet peace. They're also fantastic for the subway. And they're surprisingly lightweight and compact; they fold for storage. The only downside is that they require AAA batteries to produce the noise cancellation, but it's a tiny price to pay.
7) Minolta DiMage G600 My previously high-end digital camera is this year's mid-list offering. But I still adore mine. It takes really beautiful pictures, even if you're a complete photographic moron, as I am. But it also has enough shutter speed, light monitoring, and Fstop adjustment to content my camera-mad coworker, who has an SLR but keeps this one for snapshots. Other than more zoom, I can't imagine a feature I'd want that it doesn't have. The only downside is that you tend to spend precious vacation hours posing and re-posing for snapshots, until the picture in the display window matches the vision in your mind.
8) Panasonic cordless phone I won't bore you with the saga of me and my cordless phones. Suffice it to say that when my old Panasonic, which took me to Chicago and back with years of faithful, perfect service, died, I entered the world of cordless phone hell. If the battery didn't die, the reception fizzled, even when standing three feet from the receiver (and you can't get much farther than that in my apartment). Or the voicemail light didn't work. Or . . . but I said I wasn't going to bore you, didn't I? Anyway. Love this phone. Love it. Love, love, love it. No answering machine--voicemail is cheaper and easier. Couldn't be happier.
9) Vonage I just couldn't be happier with their service. For $25 a month, I get unlimited local and long distance, voicemail, caller ID, three-way calling, my voicemails emailed right to my desk when I'm at work, and about a zillion other features I can't even remember. They also have great rates to Europe, which I call fairly often for work. And it's insanely easy to use. Only two potential downsides are 9/11 calling--they can't automatically pinpoint where you are--and that if your cable internet goes out, so does your phone. But if you have a cell phone, switching to Vonage is a slam dunk. It's incredibly easy to set up, and their tech support has been great. Best of all, you can travel with it; I took my Vonage phone to London, plugged it into my cable modem, and presto! it worked just as if I were back in the US. I gabbed for hours with friends across the Atlantic at absolutely no cost to myself. It also works in hotels with broadband, enabling you to buypass the outrageous fees they charge you for phone service.
10) Civilization IV Yes, it's as good as everyone says it is. Yes, I have wasted countless hours conquering the Aztec empire and building the Great Library. Do it anyway. You know you want to. [/evil grin].
Posted by Jane Galt at November 28, 2005 1:46 PM | TrackBack | Technorati inbound linksLong story short, the Averatecs are iBook-killers, and pretty damned good at it.
I got a different model (1020) last week and experience small amounts of separation anxiety. Everyone calls it "cute." And it's easier for production than I thought it'd be. (The sitemistress is right, folks - these machines are poor desktop replacements, but great if you've got a thing for a mobile lifestyle.)
I'd like some input on which digital camera to buy for my in-laws. They want as few bells and whistles as possible, and as much and as good autofocus and auto light adjustment as possible. In short, a digital point-and click for the photo-idiot. Jane's nominee looks promising, any others? Jane, whatever I get, I promise to buy it through your link.
Also, if I get a TiVo, will I stop reading books altogether? Is there a monthly charge for some service? Will my wife love me more, or less, if I watch football late at night all week, even though I unbegrudgingly spent all weekend with her and/or the kids?
Finally, another advantage of getting wireless is that when you get a second and third computer - what, your kids won't want their own? - you won't have to wire up every room in your house. Plus, you get to meet some very nice people from your internet provider over the phone when their modem fails and they try to blame it on your router. No, Jane's right. Wireless, like so many other techno inventions, is something you won't want to be without once you have it.
About Civ IV: Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200, go straight to Check for Updates on the Advanced Menu from the start screen (after install of course...) The patch has improved performance to such a degree it makes a regretted purchase a joy to play.
Oh, and TiVo is the bomb. My wife hated it at first (more because of the problems getting a the TiVo to change a cable box channel). Then a lightning strike burnt the tivo, and I saw my wife go through withdrawl. It is so addicting to pause, rerun live tv... And, having just gotten back from a stay in hotel over Thanksgiving, the first thing my wife did was re-watch 'Lost', once scene at a time. Skipping back and forth in the same show, and previous shows. She's got a problem...
I actually watch a lot LESS tv. And except for football, none of it live. See, I don't channel surf anymore. I get to see my shows, nearly commercial free. My wife will start watching a 30min show 10 after, a 1hr show 20 after so she can skip through the ads.
It used to be trivially simple to drop a larger IDE drive into a Tivo and increase the storage capacity. I expect that nowadays that sort of hack requires l33t skilz, but it should still be doable.
"It used to be trivially simple to drop a larger IDE drive into a Tivo and increase the storage capacity. I expect that nowadays that sort of hack requires l33t skilz, but it should still be doable."
Dunno about used to be trivial, but it can still be done on some models. See also http://tivo.stevejenkins.com/ ( I got a faq from there before, and it worked. I think things are easier now, but YMMV...)
I bought a Rio Karma when they first came out, and was never fully satisfied with it. I went through 3 RMAs for dead hard drives in the first few months I had it, and on the last one, the click-wheel broke. (It is still usable, however.)
Also, RIO's been sold and gone out of business, so don't expect any new Firmware upgrades.
Long story short, the Averatecs are iBook-killers, and pretty damned good at it.
I have a 5110P and I wouldn't say that. It's a capable, decent laptop but my major complaint is that the screen resolution is not high- my desktop is 1280x1024 but this thing is only 1024x768. My sister's compaq does a much higher resolution and I'd trade laptops with her if I could & live with her lack of a dvd burner.
Allow me a dissenting vote on Vonage. My in-laws have it, and my wife says that whenever she talks to them on the phone the connection is nearly unintelligible. The problem isn't at our end; we don't have it with anyone else, and her sister reports the same thing.
Vonage is very dependent on the quality of your Internet connection. I have had very few problems. The biggest problem I have had is with electricity or Internet outages and even those have been minimal.
The one cool feature that Jane didn't mention is the call forwarding. If you want, you could forward your calls to the cell phone and never miss another call. I don't use this feature solely because I am the last geek on the planet without a cell phone. (If my friends knew I had a cell phone, their computer support calls would never stop.)
But if I do get a cell phone, I'll simply forward my Vonage calls to it and be able to pick and choose which calls I answer when I am away.
You love tivo? I have one word for you.
Slingbox.
(www.slingmedia.com)
Tivo frees you from time. Slingbox frees you from place. Tie them together and you have the best of all worlds.
Simply put, Slingbox works and it works great. Its the perfect addition to Tivo for any computer person.
I will strongly second Jane on the Sennheisers. Less bulky than the Koss over the ear models. Durable. Comfortable. While they don't make air travel nice again, they do make it not suck as much.
About tivo: I've been reluctant to get one because I have doubts about its ability to handle (closed) captions. I really can't watch tv without the captions, and I've heard you lose them when you record. Can anyone tell me what the latest scoop is on that?
Thanks!
Tivo has changed my television watching life. When I'm over at my parents, I have trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that I can't rewind to recover a missed sentence, pause to answer the phone, or call up a treasure trove of stored movies and documentaries when the current offerings do not appeal--as they so often don't. I do not have premium cable, and yet I am never at a loss for something to watch.
a) I deliberately downgraded my cable package because with Tivo, I figured I'd be able to get maximum enjoyment out of the cheapo offerings (the only real extra I get is HBO). Anyway, I was right. The combined total of my Tivo + cable bill is less then what I used to pay for cable alone. I wonder if this is common behavior with Tivo subscribers.
b) I find Tivo-induced force of habit to be very strong indeed. In fact, with increasing frequency I find that (somewhat disturbingly) my Tivo instincts kick in even when I'm listening to radio, as I have to stifle the urge to rewind it.
FWIW, though, I hear that cable company products are just as good now as Tivo; I can't really judge one way or another. I rather suspect Tivo's presence now might be analagous with Apple's at the dawn of the PC age.
Civ IV, I already gave it away. I do not remember the last two weeks, I bought the game then I gave it away and realized I was at the start of the holiday season, not good :)
ditto on the Rio Karma. I have had mine since they first appeared and while subsequent I-Pods have added some features that my Rio had and Pods didn't (like shuffling) I think the Rio remains the better bet.
Haven't been really happy with the Linksys router I had.
I've been migrating bit by bit to Netgear stuff. Smaller footprint, works reliably. Belkin's stuff seems to work OK, too.
The one Linksys bit I *do* like is the Wireless-G USB adapter that comes w/ a three-foot cable. This lets me put the antenna on top of a bookshelf, solving a reception problem I had w/ the internal wireless card.
To Mike W - Yes, with Tivo, you have to pay either a monthly or a one-time fee. What Tivo doesn't bother to tell you, even if you e-mail and ask them many times (as I did), is that you get a free trial period. I think it was 2 weeks, but it might have been longer. So you could buy a Tivo and try it for a couple of weeks before having to pay. I was worried about paying a lifetime fee and then finding that my DVR didn't work.
I bought a Tivo from Weaknees with extra memory, and it works great! They also have kits and instructions, if you want to do it yourself.
Frank Martin - Thanks for the tip on Slingbox. I don't understand it yet, but it looks worth checking into.
Jane - I clicked on the link to Amazon and bought some things. How do I know you got 'credit'?
I looked into over-the-ear noise cancelling headphones and decided to go with in-ear Shure E2s instead; they have the advantage of being more portable (less fragile) and block out abrupt noises like kids crying whereas the active cancelling headsets only cancel steady harmonic noise like jet engines.
If I ever have kids, I'll be sure to look into them.
Gweipo, as long as you put something in your shopping cart within 24 hours of clicking the link, I'll get credit. Thanks so much--these annual Christmas binges provide pretty much my entire book budget for the year.
Concur with Kurt about in-ear earphones instead of noise-cancelling headphones. I personally decided in favour of Etymotic ER-6 earphones instead of the more popular Shures because of the Shures' overly amplified bass. In-ear earphones are more uncomfortable, but more portable and use less battery power, and block out noise at least as well as noise-cancelling headphones.
I have an Acer TM 3002, which is about the same size as Averatec but has a faster processor and more disk space. Wow, what a machine. It's actually more powerful than my desktop. Most of the time I set the processor performance on the lowest possible level to save power. Only when I do time-consuming calculations I use its full speed.
Jane - I'm glad you explained how the link with Amazon works. I tend to put things in my shopping cart over time, letting it wait until I'm ready to place an order. But now that I understand the 24 hour rule, I can take it into account in the future.
"In-ear earphones are more uncomfortable, but more portable and use less battery power, and block out noise at least as well as noise-cancelling headphones."
I have the Shure E2c, and love them. The biggest plus for me, however, is that the stay on(err, in), when I am on the treadmill or jogging outside. Over the ear or buds never really stay in, or are very distracting to keep adjusting. Just saying that there are some mechanical advangtages, not just aureal...
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