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Blessed are the pacemakers—not to mention smoke alarms, automobile stability control, and all the high-tech devices (not to mention low-tech items like the seatbelt) that can literally save lives. Most tech products and gadgets lack such life-or-death import, but many have become so much a part of our lives that they've totally changed the way we work—and play—and it would be difficult to do without them. In many cases, we've become so dependent on them that it's hard to imagine how we muddled through before they burst on the scene. I asked the PC Magazine staff what technologies they'd least want to be without, and got a variety of answers, some serious, others a bit tongue-in-cheek.
Cell phones can be life-savers in emergencies. I held out in buying one—citing the poor audio quality of calls I'd get from friends on cell phones—until I had a real emergency and realized how useful it would have been. Today's smart phones are versatile handheld PCs combining phone, PDA, and numerous other functions, and are powered by substantial operating systems such as Windows Mobile 6 (Executive Editor Jeremy Kaplan's choice as an indispensable software program) or the OS X variant that runs the iPhone. While Editor-in-Chief Lance Ulanoff wouldn't want to do without his Palm Treo 700P, and desktop analyst Joel Santo Domingo would be miserable without his iPhone, our phone expert Sascha Segan asserts "Nonono Treos. Yesyesyes Blackberries. Curve 8320 for T-Mobile."
Speaking of mobile tech, your laptop as a communication device is only as good as your connection, and the speediest wireless card we've found for linking to Verizon's EV-DO Rev A Internet network is the Sierra Wireless AirCard 595U.
Senior Writer Eric Griffith loves his Jabra BT620s headphones. (We haven't reviewed that model, but liked a predecessor, the Jabra BT500.) They're Bluetooth, they do stereo sound and have a mic that one can use to talk on Skype, etc. Eric's also pairing them with a Bluetooth phone, and gives us the ominous warning: "I will be Borg."
We all need to make time for relaxation and entertainment—even if it's while commuting. As expected, several people mentioned MP3 players—the ubiquitous iPod, plus portable media players from Zune and Sansa. I love my iPod Touch, a rare 5-star product and a wonder of technological artistry. Another favorite entertainment device is the DVR, either generic or TiVo. We were wowed by the TiVo HD, to the tune of 4.5 stars and an Editors' Choice.
Some technologies can save your digital life. If you run a Windows machine (at least), a strong security suite is a must-have. Norton Internet Security 2008 is as good as they come. As Senior Editor Sean Carroll, who manages the software beat and suggested it, reminds us, "Gotta have protection." I switched to Norton after a competing suite allowed a Trojan onto my system.
It's time to kick "but…" once and for all—your excuses for not backing up your PC have officially expired. The Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini will not just back your data up, it will also store an image of your drive so you can quickly get your system up and running in the event of infection or even hard drive failure. It's not the first external drive to provide disaster recovery, but the Mini does it very well—provided that your PC runs Windows and your drive is NTFS-formatted.
You've probably managed okay without the CODI Courier, but if you're anything like Associate Editor Kyle Monson, once you've had this laptop messenger bag on your shoulder for a while you might not want to live in a world without it. From his review: "How much do I love this bag? When it wears out, I'll buy another one. If I die before that one wears out (which is likely), my heirs will have to decide whether to rip it from my cold, dead hands or obey my last wish and bury it with me."
If I could have just one portable gadget, it would probably be a digital camera. Lance Ulanoff suggests the Canon Digital Rebel. I have the latest version, the Rebel XTi. Being a digital SLR, it's not the sort of camera you can throw in your pocket, but for special events or for high-quality photography, you can't beat its versatility and power. It's great for photographic niches such as my own specialty, astrophotography—taking pictures of the wonders of the night sky. This requires a camera with high resolution, low noise, and good image quality, all of which the XTi provide.
That's our not-so-short list of products and technologies we'd hate to be separated from. Surely you have your own "indispensable" products—we'd love to hear about them.
Featured in this Roundup:
Windows Mobile 6 (free with purchase of select handheld devices)
Windows Mobile 6 combines a number of small changes and new features to make a useful, if not revolutionary, upgrade to the popular mobile OS.
Palm Treo 700p ($399 with 2-year contract)
The Palm Treo 700p is one of the most well-rounded PDA/phones available.
Apple iPhone ($399 direct)
The iPhone is a great portable media player, a fun handheld device, a fine Web browser, but poor as a voice phone and a messaging device.
RIM BlackBerry Curve 8320 ($449.99; $249.99 and up with two-year contract)
Unlimited Wi-Fi calling pushes this already excellent BlackBerry ahead of the pack.
Sierra Wireless AirCard 595U ($179.99; $129.99 and up with contract)
The AirCard 595U is the fastest way to transfer data over Verizon Wireless's high-speed EV-DO network.
Jabra BT500 ($119.99 list)
If comfort is a priority, or you plan on wearing your Bluetooth headset for long periods of time or while moving around, the Jabra BT500 is a solid choice.
Apple iPod Touch ($399, 16GB; $299, 8GB; direct)
With an excellent interface and elegant design, no portable media player has ever done this much so easily, or looked so good doing it.
TiVo HD ($300 direct)
Combining the best of the simple-to-use TiVo interface with dual CableCARD readers and an affordable price, the new TiVo HD delivers the promise that the TiVo Series 3 HD made.
Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini ($149.99 direct)
With utilities for both data backup and catastrophic failure backups, this is the portable drive you want if you are running a Windows PC with NTFS-formatted drives.
CODi Courier ($174 direct)
The CODi Courier messenger bag is about as good as over-the-shoulder laptop cases get. It's not cheap, but it has great functionality, stylish looks, and a comfortable, flexible design.
Canon Rebel XTi ($899 list)
The Canon Rebel XTi is a sophisticated 10MP D-SLR that gives plenty of photo prowess at a very reasonable price.
Norton Internet Security 2008 ($59.99 direct)
Norton Internet Security 2008 remains our Editors' Choice for security suites. Its virus/spyware scan scored very well on tests, and it cleans up more thoroughly than most. The tough firewall includes intrusion protection. The new Identity Safe does well in guarding personal info and passwords. The antispam is a throwaway, as is parental control.