It seems like only yesterday that the most expensive back to school purchases were school books and certain types of art supplies. Today, those simple items are replaced with high tech gadgets and tools; a reflection of the ever growing age of technology.
Let's examine some of the hot electronic items for back to school, 2007.
The Calculators of yesteryear was a number two pencil and the human brain. However, today kids do their math with an electronic calculator in hand. One of the best on the market is Texas Instrument's TI-84 Graphing Handheld Calculator, a good choice for around $120. It does simple math, calculates fractions and square roots, graphs, and more; virtually any kind of math problem a student might encounter.
Digital Voice Recorders like the Olympus VN 4100PC holds hours of high-quality audio inside a compact, ergonomically designed body. Its multiple recording modes, large LCD screen and functional design make this recorder ideal for just about any class. Its PC Link allows transfer of audio files to almost any PC through a standard USB cable with speed and ease. The cost is just under $50.
Digital Cameras like the Olympus Stylus 770 SW are durable enough for even the roughest teen. But this camera offers more than durability. It also has a Hypercrystal LCD that allows perfect viewing even in the harshest direct light. Additionally, its digital image stabilization makes certain you get sharp pictures every single time. It retails for around $300.
Camcorders like Canon's DC 210 lets your student access the latest in DVD technology. For less than $300, this camcorder offers a lot of the same features found on the more expensive models, as well as the brilliance and power of a Genuine Canon 35x Optical Zoom.
The Firefly Cell Phone is popular among youth that pretty much like anything that sparkles. Parents like it as well because they can control incoming and outgoing calls. It activates easily and quickly and has nationwide wireless service. Kids also like that it comes in various colors with animations and customized ring tones. The cost is around $60.
Although certainly not a necessity, many are saying that the Digi Makeover Interactive Makeup Kit . This plug and play software displays a variety of wonderful makeup ideas and effects as well as cool suggestions for hair, clothing, and accessories. The cost is under $60.
The Apple iPod Shuffle is the smallest and arguably the most stylish MP3 player on the market today. It easily holds up to 240 songs or 12 hours of uninterrupted playback. You can also use the unit as a portable flash storage drive, making it unnecessary to purchase a separate one. It's not too expensive either, at just over $50. This one recharges quickly in just four hours.
Laptop Computers are important in some high schools and at most universities these days. HP Pavilion's dv9500t Laptop is an excellent choice for the serious student. This notebook comes with an ample memory but can be easily upgraded at any time. While it isn't one of the speediest performers available today, its sleek design, beautiful screen, and wealth of component options make it popular at around $1200.
To go with the laptop, consider the HP LaserJet 3050 All-In-One Printer and fax machine. For under $250, this handy piece of equipment has a laser printer than produces 19 pages a minute and faxes just as quickly.
The LeapFrog Leapster Learning System is a handheld computerized learning system with various skill levels that allow a child to learn the way that that they play. The interactive system has tutorial software in a variety of subjects, making it a bargain at under $60.
The Lingo Voyager 12 Language Talking Translator will display and pronounce more than 240,000 words and 27,000 typical phrases in 12 different languages, including English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Greek, Hebrew and Arabic. It also features a comprehensive dictionary; phonebook; calculator; calendar; metric and currency converters as well as an international clothing/shoe size converter. It also translates the time in 200 different locations throughout the world. The cost is just under $200.
Webcamslike the Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000 deliver exceptional video quality. It features a built-in noise-canceling microphone to ensure clear, vibrant sound every single time. It integrates with the Microsoft Windows Live Messenger and the universal attachment base allows easy and secure attachment to any monitor. The cost is around $36.
High schoolers and up will definitely be seeking the Palm Zire 21 Personal Digital Assistant. It was one of last year's most requested electronic items. This handy-dandy gadget will help your student keep track of his or her busy schedule as well as their important information. For around $100, this tool must just solve a myriad of academic needs.
USB Flash Drives have quickly taken the place of old fashioned floppy disks, allowing students to take their files with them wherever they go. They come in handy for bringing homework home from school computers or storing data researched at the library. It doesn't hurt that the prices on flash drives have nose-dived this year, making them more affordable than ever before. Some, like the Relay 512, even include data-security software. And they're small enough to fit on a key chain that can be looped on a belt or attached to a backpack. The average cost for one of these is around $50.
The V-Tech Nitro Notebook is perfect for the student who loves to read. It has tutorials to help with language skills as well as social studies, math, and art studies. That makes it a real bargain at around $49.99.
Certainly, schools or universities do not require most of these items. Most are just helpful tools to make a student's life easier. Pick and choose carefully those that best suit your student and your family budget.
from: Meikas Weblog
Valentinos Site
Asus seems to be churning out many notebooks nowadays, and now details on the upcoming Asus UL20FT have surfaced. The notebook itself will be available in a couple of processor configurations and offer Turbo33 technology that allows overclocking by 33 percent. While pricing and availability information weren't mentioned, specifications of the notebook are available, which include:
- 12.1” 1366 x 768 pixel display
- ASUS Turbo33 technology (enhance performance by 33%)
- Intel Core i3-330UM (1.2GHz, Turbo Boost)
- Intel Celeron U3400 (1.02GHz, Turbo Boost)
- Intel HM55 chipset
- Intel GMA HD graphics
- up to 4GB DDR RAM
- up to 250GB / 320GB / 500GB 2.5” 5400RPM SATA
- 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
- 10/100 LAN
- 0.3MP webcam
- Altec Lansing / SRS Premium Sound
- 1.56 kg (6-cell battery)
- Windows 7 Ultimate / Home Premium / Professional
- 8 hour battery life (6-cell)
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Well it was the cheapest and had the largest screen and decent processor power for the bucks and also has all the fat wire connections on the right side, I’m left handed and use a mouse so this was good for me. those are the things I like. The things I don’t like.. This has a built in video camera but it has a terrible latency problem.. 1/2 second delay, that’s annoying. Audio wise there’s white noise in the left speaker. It has no flash card slot and the CD / DVD recorder is slow at best. The cheapest they could put in this unit to keep costs down which also keeps me down. Another big problem is the lettering on the keys is so dim you need a bright light to see anything. The picture quality is okay but and tweaking it is minimal at best so if you’re an artist, this isn’t the unit for you. I’m an artist.:( All and all. For $549.00 at Worst Buy… I mean Best Buy. You could do worse… While I’m at it. Windows 7 is not compatible with windows explorer so you’ll need to install FireFox. That browser works just fine. Windows should be ashamed on many levels. I have to change my printer out as it’s not compatible with windows 7 and was with Vista which was and still is the worst OS they put out to date!!!
Rating: 3 / 5