Okay, so I'll weigh in on the iPad. I wasn't one of those people who went into the announcement with my mind already made up to hate it and to hurl insults at those who don't, but in the end I was less than impressed. In terms of functionality it isn't much better than an iPhone or iPod Touch, except for the bigger screen size. However, I feel you can get that screen size along with much better functionality, for about half the price, with a netbook. The iPad seems to me more like an iPod/Kindle hybrid than a "tablet" - when I hear "tablet" I expect it to behave more like a computer, but this thing doesn't even multitask. If you don't already have an iPod Touch (or iPhone) and/or a Kindle and have been thinking about getting one, this may be the product for you. But it's not for me.
That said, here are some of the tech products I am lusting after these days.
Netbook
I like being able to surf the web and get a little work done from the comfort of the couch. My iPhone makes this possible some of the time, but its small screen and lack of Flash support makes viewing certain web sites impossible. Not to mention that no multitasking means a lot of waiting for apps to launch, close, and relaunch. My initial interest in the iPad was as a solution to this, but since they chose not to address the multitasking issue, and it still might not support Flash (the answer to this question being unclear right now), and given the price tag, a netbook still seems to be the right option for me. Here are a few models I'm interested in.
Digital Photo Frame
I live far away from my family, and have several siblings, not to mention nieces and nephews who are growing and changing every day. I have a few picture frames on my desk at work, but there's not enough room for everyone, and the pictures I have in them are really out of date. A digital frame would solve all of my problems. One frame to cycle through photos of everyone I want to keep close, and easy to keep up to date as my family members send me new photos, even when they are too low resolution to print - not to mention not having to struggle with opening and closing stubborn frames. I'm currently looking at these two models.
RAM Upgrade
I want to upgrade my desktop PC to Windows 7, and in order for it to run well I need more RAM. Need I say more?
LCD HDTV + TiVo HD
I'm getting tired of the dinosaur TV set we have in the bedroom, not to mention the creaking sounds I hear sometimes make me think it's going to one day fall through the top of my dresser! We use the old Series 2 TiVo in the bedroom as an overflow for when we have three shows to record at the same time, but we've definitely become spoiled by HD and hate watching those recordings in boring old standard definition. We don't have the money right now, but an HD upgrade for the bedroom is definitely on the wish list.
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