Blu-Ray Player:
High – Playstation 3 250GB – Yes, it’s a game console, but it is also a great Blu-Ray player. In fact, I’m sure a lot of PS3 owners out there use the Blu-Ray player more than they use it to play games on!
Low – Samsung – BD-P1600 Blu-Ray Disc Player – Samsung has been one of the better producers of home entertainment equipment for a while now, and this is no exception. With built-in WiFi, Netflix streaming, and 1080p output, this is a great looking and inexpensive device.
Laptop Computer:
High – MacBook Pro 15″ Designed like no other personal computers out there, Apple continues to pave the way for everyone else. Top of the line performance and a virtually virus-free experience if you have the money to invest in this piece of technical art. This is the machine that will facilitate your photography, film making, music composition and recording, or just good old fashioned computing needs.
Low – Asus Eee PC Netbook – If you’re like most people, you use your computer to get on the internet and read your email, pay some bills, and check Facebook. If that is the case, then a Netbook computer is the right choice for you. Also, if you travel a lot, there’s nothing like a day’s worth of battery life on one charge to keep you going.
Point-And-Shoot Camera:
High – Canon Powershot S90 IS – Camera geek Ken Rocwell has been gushing about this camera since before it even came out. It’s as close as you can get to a full sized DSLR’s image quality in a compact point and shoot digital camera.
Low – Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS7K Panasonic makes some of the finest compact digital cameras around. Their secret? The lens of course! This one has a f/2.8 Leica DC Vario-Elmar 4x Optical Zoom Lens. Yes, that Leica.
Electronic Book Reader:
High – Amazon Kindle 2.0 – The wireless 3G worldwide access is what set the Kindle apart from other eBook Readers. That, and the fact that you can read it in just about any lighting condition makes this a worthy investment.
Low – Sony PRS-300 E-Reader Pocket Edition – Long battery life, quick page turning, and the ability to read many file formats (such as PDF or MS Word) make this a great value with no subscriptions or commitments.
Portable GPS:
High – Garmin Nuvi 1690 – Get real-time content on the go such as fuel prices, traffic conditions, and Google Local searches. The Nuvi 1690 comes with 2 years of the nüLink! subscription service that costs only $5 a month after the 2-year period ends.
Low – TomTom One 140 – This is the GPS I use. It is very small, but very readable. You can even put it in your pocket when you’re parking at the movie theater at night! I’m a fan of most of TomTom’s GPS devices, so maybe I’m a little biased.
TV’s:
High – Samsung UN55B8500 55″ 1080p LED HDTV – It’s an LED TV, which means it uses light emitting diodes to illuminate a liquid crystal display. Aren’t you glad you asked? The benefit is that it is super thin – only only 1.6″ deep. It also has an incredible range of brightness with a 7,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Don’t forget about the plethora of connectivity options including a USB 2.0 Movie Multi-Media Center and easy access to your PC or mobile device’s digital media!
Low – Vizio 42-inch SV421XVT 1080p LCD HDTV – If you are looking for a great looking TV that won’t break the bank, you can get a 42″ Vizio for well under $1,000. It has a dynamic contrast ratio of 50,000:1 , and features SRS® TruSurround HD technology which creates a high quality surround sound experience while providing optimum bass performance, high frequency clarification and dialog clarity (according to their documentation at least). I have a 32″ Vizio in my bedroom that has been a very solid TV for the last few years. I wouldn’t recommend it if I thought it was no good!
