What Not to Buy in 2010ARTICLE DATE: 12.03.10
By Lance Ulanoff
It's that time of year and I am getting a lot of questions: Which laptop should I buy for my kids? Is one point-and-shoot digital camera better than the other? Apple iPad or Amazon Kindle? I do my best to answer them all, but what I really yearn to do is to tell you what you shouldn't even consider buying—a literary product block, if you will. As in previous years, I'll tell you what not to buy, what you might consider and, where possible, what I think you should buy. Don't forget, if any of my advice is unclear or you want more details, be sure to visit pcmag.com's huge library of product reviews.
Don't Buy: Cheap knock-off tablets
Sure, we're still in the early days of the tablet races, but Apple has built a commanding lead with its Apple iPad, a product its competitors would do well to emulate. For now, though, they've had little success. It's true, there are iPad alternatives like the $188 CherryPad and the Augen (only $168 at Walmart!), but these are but pale imitations. If you do buy one of these tablets as a gift, expect to know what if it feels like to have one bounce off your head. Also, don't buy any Windows 7 tablet that the company isn't willing to market (HP Slate, anyone?).
Maybe Buy: A Samsung Galaxy Tab. It is, as our review points out, the nearest thing to an iPad competitor we have today. I don't love the 7-inch screen, but I am beginning to realize that, for some at least, 7-inches is the tablet sweet spot. One gent told me how he loves that a mid-sized tablet can fit in the breast-pocket of his jacket.
Do Buy: An Apple iPad
Do I even have to make this point? It's powerful (for what it is), versatile, and has a number of attractive pricing options.
Don't Buy: Feature Phones
Here's the problem I have with many of today's feature phones: They typically try and do too much without providing the requisite interface and touch-screen chops. I used to believe that feature phones served a generational gap: Young people wanted customizable phones, while baby boomers and older preferred simple phones that do little more than make calls. Watching my own 60-something parents with a pair of EVO 4Gs made me realize the error of my thinking. The reality is everyone wants to get as much functionality as possible out of their phones, from taking pictures and video, to playing games and managing contacts and social networking interactions. I've seen people try to do some of these on feature phones. It's painful to watch. Yes, feature phones are typically cheaper than "smartphones", but isn't your time and frustration worth something? Don't save $50 now for countless hours of hair-pulling later.
Do Buy: Almost Any Touch-Screen Phone
This is the golden age of touch-screen phones. There are countless options from virtually every carrier. They feature powerful mobile OSes like iOS 4 Android 2.2, and Windows Phone. The interfaces are intuitive and the capacitive screens are responsive. With most of them featuring high-rez screens and at least 1 GHz of processing power, there's little these phones can't do.
3D, DVRs and Zoom
Don't Buy: 3D TV
Sorry, but I don't think it makes sense to buy a more expensive, semi-proprietary technology for a handful of content options. There is no doubt that 3D television looks—in the right environment—awesome. However, the glasses are heavy and expensive, the technology is still changing and there is really no live TV content to speak of (except a smattering of sports events) and very few DVD options. I don't think anyone should go all in, at least until a decent all 3D-Channel launches. (Sorry, but a 3D porn channel in France doesn't count.)
Do Buy: An LED-Based HDTV
This holiday season is a veritable bonanza for excellent HDTV deals. Even the super-slim, power-saving LED variety are now within reach. Our PC Labs analysts often express concern about LED backlit image consistency, but I'd say that the issues that do exist are something only true videophiles will notice. For my money, these 1-inch-thick screens are bright enough and light enough for any wall in the home.
Don't Buy: A Third-Party DVR
I owned a TiVo for a few years and really and truly loved it—until the hard drive died. Today, Verizon FiOS rents me a Motorola DVR for about $9 a month. The interface has improved drastically in the last two years and now it doubles as a media hub and a social-networking access point. It doesn't do everything well, but I find that it gets better all the time. The leading example of third-party DVRs, TiVo is no longer the exciting innovation it once was. The company has improved the interface and continues to add features. Unfortunately, it's simply easier to use your cable provider's own DVR—which doesn't need a cable card to work.
Do Buy: A Set-Top-Box or Media Hub
Your DVR can do a lot. Mine, as I mentioned, can access all of my system-based media content(as long as my PC is running a special software). What it still can't do—and this is by design I think—is stream movies, especially Netflix movies, from the Internet. For that, I need another box. I use my Sony Blu-ray player, which also adds Pandora, YouTube and a bunch of other online-only media services. This holiday season, there are a ton of intriguing set-top options, including the $99 Apple TV, and Logitech's pricey $299 Revue. Most services bring local and online content to your HDTV. Some do it better than others. I can no longer imagine having a TV without access to some kind of online content.
Do Buy: An Internet-enabled Blu-Ray Player or HDTV
You may be able to skip the set-top box if you buy a Web-ready Blu-ray player or TV. Most that offer this feature handle Netflix. Sadly, most do not also offer Hulu. If you can find one that does both, you may be able to ditch cable altogether.
Don't Buy: Anything with Digital Zoom
Obviously, most digital imaging products (cameras, camcorders) offer digital zoom, but do not buy that expecting it to work like optical zoom. Remember, digital zoom means the camera takes the existing image and, essentially, duplicates surrounding pixels to cheat its way to a larger image. Output from these digitally-enhanced shots is never good. Optical zoom is now available on most point-and-shoot cameras and usually starts at 4x (which is better than you think it is)—and works especially well with optical image stabilization. Sadly, it's hard to find any pocket camcorders with decent optical zoom. If that feature is precious to you, choose a regular camcorder.
Do Buy: A Pocket Camcorder or a Phone with HD Video Capabilities
Nothing beats having a decent video camera in your pocket. It means you'll be ready when junior decides to take his first steps in the park and when your daughter makes a half-court, game-winning shot. I carried around an iPhone 4 for a few months and shot some excellent 720p video with it. The fact that it's also a phone meant I could leave my regular pocket camcorder behind. Not everyone wants an iPhone or is ready to turn in their current phone for a video-ready one. In that case, devices like the Sony Bloggie Touch and Kodak Playsport and Cisco Flip UltraHD are excellent, affordable choices.
Don't Buy: Any Camera with Less than 10 Megapixels
These days, megapixels are like gigabytes, they're cheap and easy to come by. Heck, even today's camera phones offer 8 megapixels. More megapixels come in handy when you want to zoom in to a photo and find that crystal clear image that you can still print on a 4x5 and hang on the wall. Don't be swayed by 8 megapixel digital camera deals for $60 when you can find a 14 MP Kodak for $79.
Do Buy: A Wi-Fi-Ready Digital Camera
Sony, Kodak and others are now selling Wi-Fi-enabled digital cameras that let you send photos right to the web. I love this idea since that's where you were probably planning to send your photos anyway. If you already have a digital camera, consider buying EyeFi, the Wi-Fi-enabled SD card.
802.11N, 500 GB, and GPS
Don't Buy: Anything that Doesn't Support 802.11N
There are some amazing deals on 802.11 G routers right now; you can get a Netgear WGR614 for $28. Don't go for it. G is yesterday's Wi-Fi. You should be focused on upgrading your wireless life to 802.11N, especially if you follow my advice above and start buying Internet-ready TVs and Blu-ray players—all of them work better with an 802.11N connection.
Don't Buy: Optical Storage Discs
You can buy 100 CD-R discs for $20. That's 70 GB of storage! Great deal, right? Not so much. Spend $70 more and you can buy a one terabyte Iomega NAS (Network Attached Storage). I used to backup my images and videos on CD-Rs and then DVDs, but stopped when I got a bad-batch of media that soon sabotaged my efforts. CD-Rs take storage space and can't be read unless they're in your computer. Plus, you can only peruse one at a time. The portability and capacity of an CD-R is eclipsed by almost any thumb drive. A 2 GB model typically costs between $3 and $7.
Do Buy: A NAS
For backup, there is no better option than a NAS. If you have broadband at home, then you already have a router with a few available ports. These networked storage devices are easy to setup and some make it quite simple to add more storage as you go along (you have no idea how quickly video can eat up hard drive space).
Don't Buy: Any Laptop with Less than 500 GB of Storage
Hard drive space is cheap and even mid-level laptops now ship with 500 GB hard drives. If you can get a great deal on a Core i3 system with 320 GB and 4 GB of RAM, then go for it, but remember that you'll likely be buying external storage in the not-too-distant future.
Maybe Buy: A Netbook
These systems were all well and good when the economy was in the dumps and we could live with so-so-performance and tiny screens, but the times are changing, and so are the computing options. The netbook revolution helped spark the development of a whole-new class of mid-tier CULV (consumer ultra-low-voltage)-based systems that cost just a couple hundred dollars more, but run Windows 7 and offer vastly more performance and work space. On the other hand, if your budget tops out at $350, a Netbook might be a better option than a heavy-Intel Celeron-based portable.
Do Buy: A Laptop with HDMI Out
Most people I know now travel with the laptop. If you get to a hotel with an HD set (many have them now) and your laptop has HDMI out and, maybe a Blu-ray drive, you're in business. Oh, and don't forget to bring your own HDMI cable.
Don't Buy: An MP3 Player with a Spinning Hard Drive
I know that a 160 GB iPod Classic (loaded with songs no less) looks pretty sweet for $299, but don't buy it. The hard drive is bound to fail and that spinning hardware makes the player thicker and heavier than it needs to be. Look for great deals on flash-based MP3 players instead.
Maybe Buy: A Zune HD
Microsoft's player is still great and the recently updated software is better than ever. The only caveat? How committed is Microsoft to this product? No one seems to know. The better bet is probably a Windows Phone with all that Zune goodness already built in.
Don't Buy: A Nano
The latest iPod Nano is a rare misfire by Apple. Avoid it and follow my next bit of advice.
Do Buy: An iPod Touch
This is simply the best MP3 player out there. The fourth generation added a high-resolution screen and not one, but two cameras. It's super-thin and super fun.
Don't Buy: A GPS
Take a look at your smartphone. Does it have built-in GPS? Probably, it does. If you can mount it in the car and it has a decent hands-free functionality, you are all set.
Maybe Buy: A GPS
Don't you just love contradictions? I know, I just told you not to buy a GPS. However, if you don't have one in your phone or you really desire a much large screen and more built in GPS-centric functionality like live traffic reports and rerouting and more points of interests, then a true GPS may be right for you. Also, thanks to the proliferation of GPS-ready phones, standalone devices are cheaper than ever.
Don't Buy: Off-Brand E-Reader
Most are not very good or only offer easy access to Google's free e-library, which is huge, but not exactly busting with current best-sellers. (At press time, Google was thisclose to announcing its own e-book store, but it's way too soon to judge if it'll be any good).
Do Buy: An Affordable E-Ink-Based Reader
Amazon seems thoroughly committed—for now at least—to e-ink technology and its latest 'Kindle' is quite simply the best on the market. It's just $139 for the Wi-Fi version and is smaller, thinner and brighter than any other e-ink reader.
Barnes and Noble may be walking away for the black-and-white e-ink technology in favor of its new LCD-based, all-color Nook, but I still prefer the lighter, smaller, more purpose-driven e-ink-based model for leisure reading. The original Nook is still an excellent e-reader with the added benefit of a small, all-color touch screen. I've seen them in some places, by the way, for just $99. That's a steal.
Don't Buy: A Toy and Think it's a Real Robot
There are, sadly, very few real consumer roots on the market today and it frustrates me when companies slap the word "robot" on a product that features exactly zero intelligence. Good robots should have some autonomy and ability to sense and respond to their environment.
Maybe Buy: Pleo
The adorable robot camosaur is back, sort of. You won't find Pleo on any store shelves, but you can buy this thoroughly unique robot companion direct from Innvo. The latest edition comes in two colors, has more intelligence than before and solves some of the old robots worst battery woes.
Do Buy: A Robot Vacuum
In addition to the still-nifty iRobot Roomba (anywhere from $199 to almost $600) there's now a new generation of robot vacuums to choose from, including the Evolution Robotics Mint. Neither bot will ever fully replace your most powerful upright vacuum, but they're great for all those-in-between vacuums you do before the guests arrive.
AGREE OR DISAGREE?
By Lance Ulanoff
It's that time of year and I am getting a lot of questions: Which laptop should I buy for my kids? Is one point-and-shoot digital camera better than the other? Apple iPad or Amazon Kindle? I do my best to answer them all, but what I really yearn to do is to tell you what you shouldn't even consider buying—a literary product block, if you will. As in previous years, I'll tell you what not to buy, what you might consider and, where possible, what I think you should buy. Don't forget, if any of my advice is unclear or you want more details, be sure to visit pcmag.com's huge library of product reviews.
Don't Buy: Cheap knock-off tablets
Sure, we're still in the early days of the tablet races, but Apple has built a commanding lead with its Apple iPad, a product its competitors would do well to emulate. For now, though, they've had little success. It's true, there are iPad alternatives like the $188 CherryPad and the Augen (only $168 at Walmart!), but these are but pale imitations. If you do buy one of these tablets as a gift, expect to know what if it feels like to have one bounce off your head. Also, don't buy any Windows 7 tablet that the company isn't willing to market (HP Slate, anyone?).
Maybe Buy: A Samsung Galaxy Tab. It is, as our review points out, the nearest thing to an iPad competitor we have today. I don't love the 7-inch screen, but I am beginning to realize that, for some at least, 7-inches is the tablet sweet spot. One gent told me how he loves that a mid-sized tablet can fit in the breast-pocket of his jacket.
Do Buy: An Apple iPad
Do I even have to make this point? It's powerful (for what it is), versatile, and has a number of attractive pricing options.
Don't Buy: Feature Phones
Here's the problem I have with many of today's feature phones: They typically try and do too much without providing the requisite interface and touch-screen chops. I used to believe that feature phones served a generational gap: Young people wanted customizable phones, while baby boomers and older preferred simple phones that do little more than make calls. Watching my own 60-something parents with a pair of EVO 4Gs made me realize the error of my thinking. The reality is everyone wants to get as much functionality as possible out of their phones, from taking pictures and video, to playing games and managing contacts and social networking interactions. I've seen people try to do some of these on feature phones. It's painful to watch. Yes, feature phones are typically cheaper than "smartphones", but isn't your time and frustration worth something? Don't save $50 now for countless hours of hair-pulling later.
Do Buy: Almost Any Touch-Screen Phone
This is the golden age of touch-screen phones. There are countless options from virtually every carrier. They feature powerful mobile OSes like iOS 4 Android 2.2, and Windows Phone. The interfaces are intuitive and the capacitive screens are responsive. With most of them featuring high-rez screens and at least 1 GHz of processing power, there's little these phones can't do.
3D, DVRs and Zoom
Don't Buy: 3D TV
Sorry, but I don't think it makes sense to buy a more expensive, semi-proprietary technology for a handful of content options. There is no doubt that 3D television looks—in the right environment—awesome. However, the glasses are heavy and expensive, the technology is still changing and there is really no live TV content to speak of (except a smattering of sports events) and very few DVD options. I don't think anyone should go all in, at least until a decent all 3D-Channel launches. (Sorry, but a 3D porn channel in France doesn't count.)
Do Buy: An LED-Based HDTV
This holiday season is a veritable bonanza for excellent HDTV deals. Even the super-slim, power-saving LED variety are now within reach. Our PC Labs analysts often express concern about LED backlit image consistency, but I'd say that the issues that do exist are something only true videophiles will notice. For my money, these 1-inch-thick screens are bright enough and light enough for any wall in the home.
Don't Buy: A Third-Party DVR
I owned a TiVo for a few years and really and truly loved it—until the hard drive died. Today, Verizon FiOS rents me a Motorola DVR for about $9 a month. The interface has improved drastically in the last two years and now it doubles as a media hub and a social-networking access point. It doesn't do everything well, but I find that it gets better all the time. The leading example of third-party DVRs, TiVo is no longer the exciting innovation it once was. The company has improved the interface and continues to add features. Unfortunately, it's simply easier to use your cable provider's own DVR—which doesn't need a cable card to work.
Do Buy: A Set-Top-Box or Media Hub
Your DVR can do a lot. Mine, as I mentioned, can access all of my system-based media content(as long as my PC is running a special software). What it still can't do—and this is by design I think—is stream movies, especially Netflix movies, from the Internet. For that, I need another box. I use my Sony Blu-ray player, which also adds Pandora, YouTube and a bunch of other online-only media services. This holiday season, there are a ton of intriguing set-top options, including the $99 Apple TV, and Logitech's pricey $299 Revue. Most services bring local and online content to your HDTV. Some do it better than others. I can no longer imagine having a TV without access to some kind of online content.
Do Buy: An Internet-enabled Blu-Ray Player or HDTV
You may be able to skip the set-top box if you buy a Web-ready Blu-ray player or TV. Most that offer this feature handle Netflix. Sadly, most do not also offer Hulu. If you can find one that does both, you may be able to ditch cable altogether.
Don't Buy: Anything with Digital Zoom
Obviously, most digital imaging products (cameras, camcorders) offer digital zoom, but do not buy that expecting it to work like optical zoom. Remember, digital zoom means the camera takes the existing image and, essentially, duplicates surrounding pixels to cheat its way to a larger image. Output from these digitally-enhanced shots is never good. Optical zoom is now available on most point-and-shoot cameras and usually starts at 4x (which is better than you think it is)—and works especially well with optical image stabilization. Sadly, it's hard to find any pocket camcorders with decent optical zoom. If that feature is precious to you, choose a regular camcorder.
Do Buy: A Pocket Camcorder or a Phone with HD Video Capabilities
Nothing beats having a decent video camera in your pocket. It means you'll be ready when junior decides to take his first steps in the park and when your daughter makes a half-court, game-winning shot. I carried around an iPhone 4 for a few months and shot some excellent 720p video with it. The fact that it's also a phone meant I could leave my regular pocket camcorder behind. Not everyone wants an iPhone or is ready to turn in their current phone for a video-ready one. In that case, devices like the Sony Bloggie Touch and Kodak Playsport and Cisco Flip UltraHD are excellent, affordable choices.
Don't Buy: Any Camera with Less than 10 Megapixels
These days, megapixels are like gigabytes, they're cheap and easy to come by. Heck, even today's camera phones offer 8 megapixels. More megapixels come in handy when you want to zoom in to a photo and find that crystal clear image that you can still print on a 4x5 and hang on the wall. Don't be swayed by 8 megapixel digital camera deals for $60 when you can find a 14 MP Kodak for $79.
Do Buy: A Wi-Fi-Ready Digital Camera
Sony, Kodak and others are now selling Wi-Fi-enabled digital cameras that let you send photos right to the web. I love this idea since that's where you were probably planning to send your photos anyway. If you already have a digital camera, consider buying EyeFi, the Wi-Fi-enabled SD card.
802.11N, 500 GB, and GPS
Don't Buy: Anything that Doesn't Support 802.11N
There are some amazing deals on 802.11 G routers right now; you can get a Netgear WGR614 for $28. Don't go for it. G is yesterday's Wi-Fi. You should be focused on upgrading your wireless life to 802.11N, especially if you follow my advice above and start buying Internet-ready TVs and Blu-ray players—all of them work better with an 802.11N connection.
Don't Buy: Optical Storage Discs
You can buy 100 CD-R discs for $20. That's 70 GB of storage! Great deal, right? Not so much. Spend $70 more and you can buy a one terabyte Iomega NAS (Network Attached Storage). I used to backup my images and videos on CD-Rs and then DVDs, but stopped when I got a bad-batch of media that soon sabotaged my efforts. CD-Rs take storage space and can't be read unless they're in your computer. Plus, you can only peruse one at a time. The portability and capacity of an CD-R is eclipsed by almost any thumb drive. A 2 GB model typically costs between $3 and $7.
Do Buy: A NAS
For backup, there is no better option than a NAS. If you have broadband at home, then you already have a router with a few available ports. These networked storage devices are easy to setup and some make it quite simple to add more storage as you go along (you have no idea how quickly video can eat up hard drive space).
Don't Buy: Any Laptop with Less than 500 GB of Storage
Hard drive space is cheap and even mid-level laptops now ship with 500 GB hard drives. If you can get a great deal on a Core i3 system with 320 GB and 4 GB of RAM, then go for it, but remember that you'll likely be buying external storage in the not-too-distant future.
Maybe Buy: A Netbook
These systems were all well and good when the economy was in the dumps and we could live with so-so-performance and tiny screens, but the times are changing, and so are the computing options. The netbook revolution helped spark the development of a whole-new class of mid-tier CULV (consumer ultra-low-voltage)-based systems that cost just a couple hundred dollars more, but run Windows 7 and offer vastly more performance and work space. On the other hand, if your budget tops out at $350, a Netbook might be a better option than a heavy-Intel Celeron-based portable.
Do Buy: A Laptop with HDMI Out
Most people I know now travel with the laptop. If you get to a hotel with an HD set (many have them now) and your laptop has HDMI out and, maybe a Blu-ray drive, you're in business. Oh, and don't forget to bring your own HDMI cable.
Don't Buy: An MP3 Player with a Spinning Hard Drive
I know that a 160 GB iPod Classic (loaded with songs no less) looks pretty sweet for $299, but don't buy it. The hard drive is bound to fail and that spinning hardware makes the player thicker and heavier than it needs to be. Look for great deals on flash-based MP3 players instead.
Maybe Buy: A Zune HD
Microsoft's player is still great and the recently updated software is better than ever. The only caveat? How committed is Microsoft to this product? No one seems to know. The better bet is probably a Windows Phone with all that Zune goodness already built in.
Don't Buy: A Nano
The latest iPod Nano is a rare misfire by Apple. Avoid it and follow my next bit of advice.
Do Buy: An iPod Touch
This is simply the best MP3 player out there. The fourth generation added a high-resolution screen and not one, but two cameras. It's super-thin and super fun.
Don't Buy: A GPS
Take a look at your smartphone. Does it have built-in GPS? Probably, it does. If you can mount it in the car and it has a decent hands-free functionality, you are all set.
Maybe Buy: A GPS
Don't you just love contradictions? I know, I just told you not to buy a GPS. However, if you don't have one in your phone or you really desire a much large screen and more built in GPS-centric functionality like live traffic reports and rerouting and more points of interests, then a true GPS may be right for you. Also, thanks to the proliferation of GPS-ready phones, standalone devices are cheaper than ever.
Don't Buy: Off-Brand E-Reader
Most are not very good or only offer easy access to Google's free e-library, which is huge, but not exactly busting with current best-sellers. (At press time, Google was thisclose to announcing its own e-book store, but it's way too soon to judge if it'll be any good).
Do Buy: An Affordable E-Ink-Based Reader
Amazon seems thoroughly committed—for now at least—to e-ink technology and its latest 'Kindle' is quite simply the best on the market. It's just $139 for the Wi-Fi version and is smaller, thinner and brighter than any other e-ink reader.
Barnes and Noble may be walking away for the black-and-white e-ink technology in favor of its new LCD-based, all-color Nook, but I still prefer the lighter, smaller, more purpose-driven e-ink-based model for leisure reading. The original Nook is still an excellent e-reader with the added benefit of a small, all-color touch screen. I've seen them in some places, by the way, for just $99. That's a steal.
Don't Buy: A Toy and Think it's a Real Robot
There are, sadly, very few real consumer roots on the market today and it frustrates me when companies slap the word "robot" on a product that features exactly zero intelligence. Good robots should have some autonomy and ability to sense and respond to their environment.
Maybe Buy: Pleo
The adorable robot camosaur is back, sort of. You won't find Pleo on any store shelves, but you can buy this thoroughly unique robot companion direct from Innvo. The latest edition comes in two colors, has more intelligence than before and solves some of the old robots worst battery woes.
Do Buy: A Robot Vacuum
In addition to the still-nifty iRobot Roomba (anywhere from $199 to almost $600) there's now a new generation of robot vacuums to choose from, including the Evolution Robotics Mint. Neither bot will ever fully replace your most powerful upright vacuum, but they're great for all those-in-between vacuums you do before the guests arrive.
AGREE OR DISAGREE?
