2004最酷IT小玩意点评

The best gadgets of 2004

Over the next few weeks, shoppers will determine what are the hottest digital gadgets and consumer electronic gizmos of the 2004 Christmas season.


For gadget lovers with deep pockets, the converging IT and consumer electronics industries provide a big range of interesting and innovative new products.

They include the latest in wireless communicators, pocket-sized digital media players capable of storing tens of thousands of music tracks, home media “servers” and sleek flat panel TV screens ready to beam high- definition TV programming into your living room.

The choice can be overwhelming, so I have picked out some of my favourites.

Digital media players

Apple Computer (www.apple.com) helped define this category of digital device with the iconic iPod and, despite many attempts by rivals, these are still the best music players.

The latest generation of iPod players feature “Click Wheel” navigation, first introduced on the classy iPod mini. Apple has also addressed the one big complaint about early iPods - relatively short battery life - and the latest players deliver up to 12 hours of play time.

The newest member of the iPod family, the iPod photo, comes in two sizes, a 40Gb model available for $499, and a 60Gb model that sells for $599. Both feature backlit colour LCD displays and can store up to 15,000 songs or as many as 25,000 photos.

Worthy alternatives include Creative Technologies’ 40Gb Zen Touch which costs $330 and features a simple to use slide navigation bar in place of the iPod’s Click Wheel (www.creative.com), and Dell’s (www.dell.com) bargain 20Gb DJ20, which costs $249.

Smartphones

Nokia (www.nokia.com) pioneered the market for devices that combine the functions of mobile phone, wireless e-mail device and personal digital assistant with the venerable Nokia Communicator.

Nokia’s slimmed down 9300 Smartphone, available early next year, continues the tradition. Meanwhile, PalmOne’s (www.palmone.com) recently launched Treo 650 - with its large screen, built-in camera, Palm operating system and thumb-operated keyboard - is the best and easiest-to-use smartphone available today.

The Treo 650, which costs about $450 in the US, builds on the success of the earlier Treo 600, adding Bluetooth wireless connectivity, a removable battery and an improved screen and keyboard.

Two alternatives worth considering are Research in Motion’s 7000 series BlackBerry machines (www.blackberry.com), sold in the US by T-Mobile for $199 and in the UK and Asia-Pacific by Vodafone, and SonyEricsson’s P910 (www.sonyericsson.com) with its flip-down mini “Qwerty” keyboard.

Mobile phones

Not everyone wants a do-it-all smartphone. Some people just want a simple, stylish mobile phone. Motorola’s (www.motorola.com) new RAZR V3 phone, known widely as “the razor”, oozes style. This super sleek mobile phone is only 13.9mm thick, 53mm wide (the width of a credit card) and 98mm long, making it one of the slimmest phones on the market. Yet it still boasts many advanced features and design innovations, including a chemically etched keypad created from a single sheet of nickel-plated copper alloy.

For those craving the wow factor, this is probably the phone to buy - if you can find one: they are currently selling at a premium on e-Bay over the $600 retail price.

Nokia’s tri-band 7280 is equally bold and daring in its design. Its art-deco style oblong body slides open to reveal the now almost obligatory VGA camera, but this phone also includes plenty of interesting new technology as well. For example, the keypad has been replaced with a voice-activated user interface and there is an internal speaker for hands-free operation.

PDAs

The dividing line between mobile phones and personal digital assistants continues to blur as PDA makers build increasingly sophisticated machines, many of which now include built-in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth wireless data capabilities.

My favourite standalone PDA is PalmOne’s Tungsten T3, a sleek $349 machine with built-in Bluetooth connectivity and a unique sliding case that expands to reveal a great colour screen. Alternatively, the Tungsten E represents real value at $199 while the consumer-oriented Zire 72 adds a camera and multimedia features.

But for business users Hewlett-Packard’s latest Windows-powered iPaq model, the $649 hx2700, is hard to beat. The hx2700 comes with integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth networking, and a unique fingerprint reader and security software to safeguard corporate or private secrets stored on the machine.

Digital cameras

Prices have plunged and the digital camera has quickly usurped the traditional film camera in the consumer and business markets.

At the top end of the consumer market, the latest digital SLRs (single lens reflex) cameras come from Canon (www.canon.com) - the first to break the $1,000 market with the 6.3Mp (megapixel) EOS Digital Rebel now available for about $900 - and Nikon (www.nikon.com).

Nikon’s 6.1Mp D70 digital SLR costs about $1,200 with an 18mm to 70mm wide-angle zoom, takes the full range of standard DX Nikkor lenses and produces excellent images thanks to its speed and sophisticated built-in electronics. About the only thing the D70 cannot do is fit in your pocket. For that you need Sony’s 5.1Mp CyberShot DSC-T1 (www.sony.com) which costs about $500 and features a vertical sliding lens cover and 3x optical zoom.

Other personal picks

OQO Model 1 Ultra Personal Computer: California-based OQO (www.oqo.com) has built a full blown Windows XP machine into a pocket sized miniature PC complete with a 20Gb hard disk, mini keyboard and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity. The Model 1 costs almost $2,000, and runs a little hot, but is guaranteed to make heads turn.

Dell’s 42-inch W4200 high-definition plasma TV is shaking up the flat screen digital TV market with its sub $3,000 price tag. Unfortunately, this bargain-priced flat screen TV is not yet available outside the US.

Tom Tom Go: this dashboard mounted “talking” satellite navigation system from Tom Tom (www.tomtom.com) is easy to use, portable and excellent value at $800. The Netherlands-based company supplies versions for both the European and US markets.

Griffin Technology’s Radio Shark: this distinctive $70 device looks like a white shark fin, adds an AM/FM radio to any Mac or PC and operates like a time-shifting radio recorder - it even lets users pause live radio.

Bose QuietComfort 2 Headphones: these $300 acoustic noise canceling headphones from Bose (www.bose.com) can practically silence the roar of a jet engine, making them ideal for frequent fliers and business travellers. They are also delightfully comfortable to wear and fold flat ready to pack into their own travel case.

Jawbone: there are hundreds of wired and wireless headsets designed for use with mobile phones but Jawbone (www.jawbone.com) takes a different approach. This $150 headset uses Jawbone’s proprietary adaptive technology to continuously adjust and improves audio quality while using a mobile phone in a noisy environment.

Logitech Harmony Remote 688: this $250 remote from Logitech (www.logitech.com) promises to replace the clutter of controllers that now adorns most living room coffee tables with a single remote controller.

The Harmony is easy to use and set up via a huge online database of audio visual component commands that can be downloaded into the device.

Acer Ferrari Notebook PC: if you can not afford the car, this $2000 notebook PC from Taiwan-based Acer (www.acer.com) decked out in Ferrari red could be a consolation. It may not be the fastest machine on the block, but it does sport a gold-and-black prancing stallion - a logo instantly familiar to fans of the Italian sports car.
2004最酷IT小玩意点评

在未来几周里，消费者将决定什么是2004年圣诞节最为炙手可热的数字产品和电子消费品小玩意。


对于钟情于这类小玩意的有钱一族来说，信息技术（IT）和电子消费品工业的结合为他们提供了各种各样有趣而富有创意的新产品。

这些产品包括最新的无线通信装置、能够存储数万条音轨的袖珍数字媒体播放器、家庭媒体“服务器”，以及能在客厅中播放高清晰度电视节目的豪华纯平电视屏幕。

林林种种的产品可谓不胜枚举，在此我只挑选了一些我的最爱。

数字媒体播放器

苹果电脑（Apple Computer）以其标志性的iPod为这一门类的数字产品独树一帜。尽管竞争对手做出许多尝试，但苹果的iPod依然在音乐播放器领域独占鳌头。

最新一代iPod播放器的特点是其Click Wheel导航功能，苹果时髦的iPod mini最先采用这一设计，现在苹果还解决了早期iPod电池寿命相对较短的难题，最新产品的播放时间长达12小时。

作为iPod家族的最新成员，iPod photo有499美元的40G和599美元的60G两种型号。这两款产品均有背光彩色液晶显示屏，并可储存多达1.5万首歌曲或2.5万张照片。

其它值得一提的同类产品还有创新科技（Creative Technologies）的40G Zen Touch，售价为330美元，并以其使用方便的滑动导航条代替iPod的Click Wheel设计（www.creative.com）。另外还有戴尔（Dell）以249美元超低价推出的20G的DJ20（www.dell.com）。

智能手机

诺基亚（Nokia，www.nokia.com）将手机、无线电子邮件设备和个人数字助理（PDA）等功能与其深受欢迎的Nokia Communicator合而为一，成为这个市场的开路先锋。

将于明年初隆重登场的瘦身版诺基亚9300智能手机将延续这一传统。同时，PalmOne（www.palmone.com）最近推出的Treo 650堪称当今最好、使用最简便的智能电话。Treo 650拥有大屏幕、内置照相机、Palm操作系统以及拇指操作的键盘。

借着其前作Treo 600的东风，Treo 650在美国的售价在450美元左右。它增加了蓝牙（Bluetooth）无线连接、一块可更换电池和经改进的屏幕和键盘。

另外两款值得考虑的选择是Research in Motion（RIM）的7000系列BlackBerry（www.blackberry.com）机器和拥有翻盖式QWERTY迷你键盘的索尼爱立信（SonyEricsson）P910（www.sonyericsson.com）。BlackBerry在美国由T-Mobile经销，定价199美元，在英国和亚太地区则由沃达丰（Vodafone）销售。

手机

并非每个人都想要一部无所不能的智能手机。有些人只想一部简单、时尚的手机。摩托罗拉（Motorola）新款RAZR V3手机（即众所周知的“刮胡刀”）就洋溢着时尚的气息（www.motorola.com）。这款超酷的手机厚度只有13.9毫米，宽为53毫米（相当于一张信用卡的宽度），长为98毫米，成为市场上最轻盈的手机之一。虽然小巧玲珑，但它仍具有许多先进的功能和创新的设计，其中包括用化学蚀刻方法制成的单片镀镍铜合金键盘。

对于那些渴望吸引别人目光的人来说，这可能是他们的最佳选择――如果他们能买得到的话。现在，这款机型在e-Bay上大受欢迎，竞价已超过600美元的零售价。

诺基亚三频7280的设计同样大胆前卫。它的椭圆形机身具有装饰艺术的风格，滑开机盖后展露的是现在几乎不可或缺的VGA相机。这款手机还包括许多有趣的新技术。例如，数字键盘已被语音启动的用户界面所取代，而且还有内置扬声器支持免提操作。

个人数字助理（PDA）

现在PDA制造商生产的机器已越来越复杂，其中许多包含内置Wi-Fi或蓝牙无线数据功能，因而手机和PDA之间的分界线正变得越来越模糊不清。

我最喜爱的独立PDA是PalmOne的Tungsten T3。这款时尚的机器售价349美元，具有内置蓝牙连接和一个独特的拉伸式外壳，拉开后即露出一个宽大的彩色屏幕。此外，售价199美元的Tungsten E也是物有所值，而面向消费大众的Zire 72则增加了相机和多媒体功能。

但对于商务用户来说，惠普（Hewlett-Packard）最新推出的iPaq hx2700可谓无人能及。它运行Windows系统，售价为649美元。hx2700拥有Wi-Fi和蓝牙网络、独特的指纹识别器，以及保护存储在机器上的企业或个人机密的安全软件。

数码相机

数码相机的价格已大幅度下跌，并迅速抢占了传统胶片相机在消费品市场和商务市场中的地位。

在高端消费品市场，佳能（Canon）和尼康（Nikon）推出了最新的数码单镜反光相机。佳能（www.canon.com）以现价约900美元、630万像素的EOS Digital Rebel成为首家跌破1000美元大关的公司。

尼康（www.nikon.com）610万像素的D70数字单镜反光相机约为1200美元，拥有18毫米到70毫米的广角变焦镜头和整套DX尼克尔（ Nikkor）的标准镜头。由于速度快，并装有精密的内置电子器件，因而能拍摄出优质图像。D70唯一的缺憾是无法放入口袋中。如果你追求袖珍型的相机，可以选择索尼（Sony，www.sony.com）510万像素的CyberShot DSC-T1。它的售价在500美元左右，特点是有一个可上下滑动的镜盖和3倍光学变焦镜头。

其它个人精选

OQO Model 1 终极个人计算机：总部位于加州的OQO（www.oqo.com）将装有Windows XP完整版的机器变成口袋大小的微型个人计算机，并配有20G的硬盘、迷你键盘和Wi-Fi/蓝牙连接。Model 1的价格接近2000美元，虽然运行时略微发热，但保证能吸引不少人羡慕的目光。

戴尔（Dell）42英寸的W4200高清晰等离子电视机以其低于3000美元的价格震撼纯平数字电视机市场。可惜这款低价的纯平电视机在美国以外的地区尚未有售。

Tom Tom Go：这个由Tom Tom（www.tomtom.com）推出的、装在仪表板上的“语音”卫星导航系统使用简单，便于携带，其800美元的价格可谓物超所值。这个总部设在荷兰的公司为欧美市场分别提供两种版本。

格里芬科技（Griffin Technology）的“无线电鲨鱼”（Radio Shark）：这个70美元的装置看起来就像是一块白色的鱼翅，显得与众不同。它可将调频和调幅收音机加入所有的Mac或PC中，操作起来就像是可改变时间的收录机――它甚至允许用户暂停无线电实况广播。

Bose QuietComfort 2 耳机：博士（Bose，www.bose.com）推出的这款300美元抗噪音耳机几乎能消除喷气式飞机发动机的轰鸣，是频繁飞行人士和商务旅行者最理想的选择。而且，耳机戴起来也很舒服，折叠放平后即可放入他们自己的旅行箱内。

Jawbone：市面上为手机定制的有线和无线耳机共有几百种，但Jawbone（www.jawbone.com）独辟蹊径。这款150美元的耳机利用Jawbone专有的适应性技术，当用户在嘈杂的环境中使用手机时，它能不断地调整和改善音质。

Logitech Harmony 遥控器688：这款250美元的罗技（Logitech，www.logitech.com）遥控器能以单个遥控器取代现在大多数客厅咖啡桌上一大堆的遥控器。

Harmony遥控器使用简便，并通过一个强劲的视听元件命令网上数据库进行设置，并将这些命令下载到这个遥控器中。

宏基法拉利笔记本电脑：如果你买不起法拉利（Ferrari）跑车，台湾电脑生产商宏基（www.acer.com）这款选用了法拉利红色的2000美元笔记本电脑可以算是一种安慰了。它可能不是市场上速度最快的机器，但它那金黑色奔腾快马的标志已深为意大利跑车迷们所熟悉。