Gadgetry

I like gadgets. For me they're like cool toys. New phones, mp3 players, cameras etc. I love playing with them, exploring functionality, examining the build quality. I especially like gadgets that are useful. It's one of the main reasons I enjoy visiting electronics stores. When I'm there I get a chance to get a look at gadgets I wouldn't otherwise see.

Like a DSLR for instance. I'm not a good photographer, and if I bought a DSLR, I probably wouldn't get a lot of use out of the thing. However, I love playing with them. The lenses, the flash the buttons and switches. Snapping photos with a nice big DSLR is somehow more fun.Though I don't want one.

What's the point of all this? Well, while in Saturn today, checking out some fine gadgets that I'd love to buy but probably will end up not getting. I was scribbling some products and prices into my notebook for comparison when I realised that in a way, my notebook is one my most useful gadgets. I carry it around everywhere and lately I've been using it for everything. Makes me wonder if gadgets need to be hi-tech or if they just need to be well made, well designed and useful.

I've also been looking at the idea of getting an ebook reader. They seem kind of cool. I have a chance to look at Kat's one briefly after she got it, and I was pretty impressed with it. Seeing as they big ereader producers are slashing their prices to try and stay relevant in a world where tablet computers are on the rise, I might be able to get a good Sony for a reasonable price.

I will be disappointed if we see this platform vanishing in the face of the iPad, as the kind of backlit screens on it and other tablets just can't compare with ereaders for the level of ease on your eyes for reading over long periods. They really are as good as books in this regard.