When we celebrated our *12th* wedding anniversary, I was asked to choose a tech present for myself.
Why am I still stuck with low tech devices? Well, I’m quite happy with the camera on my current cellphone and I don’t really like to read anything from a TINY screen.
You know how book crazy I am, right? As long as I have a few good books to read, I’m as happy as a lark. Thus, the first cool gadget I checked out was related to books.
1. Kindle Touch
Of all the Kindle gadgets, I like the Kindle Touch, Wi-Fi, 6″ E Ink Display (only US$99)
The Kindle Touch features:
- Most-advanced E Ink display, now with multi-touch
- New sleek design – 8% lighter, 11% smaller, holds 3,000 books
- Only e-reader with text-to-speech, audiobooks and mp3 support – I can listen to music while I read!
- Built in Wi-Fi – Get books in 60 seconds
- Borrow Kindle books from your public library
- Exclusive EasyReach touch technology lets you read easily with one hand
Then again, do I want to see the Special Offers & Sponsored Screensavers? If I don’t, I’ll need to buy the Kindle Touch, Wi-Fi, 6″ E Ink Display (US$139)
2. Apple iPad
Hubs has been going on and on about how wonderful the iPad is ever since its launch.
According to him, I can read ebooks on it, I can surf the net with it, the kids can play electronic games on it and we can all watch movies or listen to music on it.
In other words, the Apple iPad 2 Tablet (16GB, Wifi,) NEWEST MODEL (US$454)
Recently, we went to check out the iPad at an Apple store and wow, I now know why it’s such a super gadget 
The iPad is *so* fun and easy to use!!! You can take photos, watch a movie, read books or newspapers, surf the internet and of course, play games on it.
But, but, but…I saw a number of parents having a hard time tearing their kids away from the iPad once they get started on the Angry Birds and other games…
Hmm…as much as I like the iPad, I don’t fancy sharing it with anyone! As it is, I have to share almost everything with everyone in the house, I’d like to keep something to myself.
Or worse, I’d have to spend time and energy breaking up fights between the kids over the iPad! No, thanks.
Furthermore, I can’t see myself spending so much money on a TOY. I just can’t.
3. A smart phone!!!
In the end, I think that I should get a smart phone. Although I love my old cellphone, I’m stuck in the old era without internet browsing or ringtone apps.
We went shopping for a smart phone and wow, the DAZZLING display of choices!!! I was soooo overwhelmed.
We looked at HTC, Samsung, Nokia (didn’t have time to check out Sony Ericsson or Motorola) and of course, the Apple iPhone.
Lucky for me, my gadget-crazy students had been filling me in on the different types smart phones and software:
- BlackBerry – for old people or businessmen who use a lot of email – hey!!! who you calling “old”?
- Windows Mobile – Nokia
- Symbian – bad, problematic
- Android – good. Google!!! Do you know about mobile17?
- iPhone OS – cool (^_^)
Ahh…decisions, decisions.
If you’re me, which would you go for?
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I hv Kinder Fire and smart phone.
Kinder fire was a gift from BIL. Knew what? I still love to read from a “real” book, feel more “real”. BTW, every single book u need pay ya! Expensive! But its good on my works which required to referred few thick books, downloaded the eBook and i can refer anytime. (It’s from a subscribed scientific eBook website.)
Smart phone? can online anytime! But read a book, screen too small even is 4″ screen.
Hey, i used blackberry, and i refuse to be called “auntie” by any teenager, shop clerk, etc T.T
although i prefer paper books more.
Well, is it have to be tech one ?hmm….tough one but for you who love reading so much maybe choice no.1
sometimes I have hard time “separating” myself from my blackberry (Bbm,browsing, downloading,etc) that i prefer cut some time from it so i can focus on my son, before he get mad and throw my phone away :p.
Allisia – Wow, you have the Kindle Fire! I have been reading up about it and notice that it doesn’t have the e-ink technology, which is probably why reading books aren’t that fun on it. You can actually get free e-books if they are copyright free.
Lilis – Hahaha…so you’re one of the “business people” who uses a Blackberry! I checked it out but my fingers are too fat for the tiny keys.
Ya, I try to cut down on my online time too when the kids are around. I bring work home sometimes and my daughter has learned how to close my laptop cover when she wants my attention!
Toddler – 1, Technology – 0
Blackberry isn’t only for business people over here, young students and non-business people also use it, it became the “Hp sejuta umat” like nokia used to be. even my mom,her friends (who didn’t do any business just FTM), uncles, aunties (the elders) are using them.mostly because their friends use it and they using blackberry messenger most of the time
he also love to play with his I-Play (Ipad toy) and pretend working with it :p
Marvel once throw my blackberry T.T but now he learns he can watch videos and listening to music with it, he’s OK
I had my iPad, so I definitely will go for smart phone! Hehehehehe……. ^^
hm…. i hatcked the system and install wt android system.
so i used it like notebook!
I’d have chosen a smartphone too! And yes, ever since I bought an iPad, there have been lots of fights and tug of wars among my kids over it!!
hooiling – Hehehe…
allisia – You hacked the Kindle Fire??? Wah-lau…
Health Freak – No prizes for guessing what I went for ler
I just got a Kindle Touch and I love it. I did get the one with ads. And they aren’t that intrusive. They only appear in the menu (which I’m only in when I’m choosing which book to read) and when you aren’t using the Kindle (a full screen ad that works as a kind of screensaver). The only issue I have with it is sometimes it seems like the ink doesn’t “wipe away” completely and leaves shadows of words on the background. I don’t know if its just my Kindle that does this or what but its not really that distracting to me (when I turn the page it usually goes away).
Bree – Thanks for describing how the ads actually appear on the Kindle Touch. If they are not intrusive as you mentioned, then I wouldn’t mind going for it since it’s the cheapest Kindle of all
I have a BB but I’m certainly NOT old! And yes, ever since we have the iPad, I have to constantly break up fights among my girls
I had to change phone recently coz the battery on my old Nokia refused to work anymore and I was having this tug of war of whether to get another simple Nokia or iPhone. In the end, I settled for the most basic of Nokia