What are your favorite gadgets that never got any love from anyone else?
One of mine is the Zune HD (gdgt.com/microsoft/zune/hd/). I know it's an easy punchline, but the Zune HD was totally underrated and deserved more respect than it got. It didn't help that Microsoft's first couple attempts weren't all that hot, or that when the Zune HD did come out they seemed to have no interest in marketing it, of course.
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What's your favorite forever alone gadget?
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peter's pick
The Modo was pretty cool ... www.ideo.com/work/modo/
I had picked one up for my wife as she did not carry a PalmPilot at the time I did and did not have access to Vindigo which was also awesome. Another pretty killer piece of tech from that time was the Omnisky sled for the Palm V.
I had picked one up for my wife as she did not carry a PalmPilot at the time I did and did not have access to Vindigo which was also awesome. Another pretty killer piece of tech from that time was the Omnisky sled for the Palm V.
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My Sony Minidisc deck circa 1998... Clearly a superior format to CDs that got squeezed out due to the rise of the Internet and Sony's usual shenanigans.
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A little while back it was the Dell Streak, mostly because it had a unique form factor and at the time it was reasonably priced, too. Oh, and it totally fit in my pockets! Just too bad Dell was too slow with its launch around the world, and likewise with the software update (which made it much better). Ironically, the Samsung Galaxy Note is Mr. Sex these days. At least in Hong Kong, anyway.
The Xperia Play is also on my list. I guess I was more fond of the concept than the execution -- under-powered spec, over-priced games. PlayStation Suite was meant to help boost this hero device, but the SDK was severly delayed and the suite's still nowhere to be seen on non-Sony devices. Regardless, I love the Play as a prime example of how Android is bringing out so many different form factors. It's currently sat nicely on my shelf.
The Xperia Play is also on my list. I guess I was more fond of the concept than the execution -- under-powered spec, over-priced games. PlayStation Suite was meant to help boost this hero device, but the SDK was severly delayed and the suite's still nowhere to be seen on non-Sony devices. Regardless, I love the Play as a prime example of how Android is bringing out so many different form factors. It's currently sat nicely on my shelf.
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Nokia N-Gage. gdgt.com/nokia/n-gage/1st-gen/
Way before it's time. Had xbox live like functionality on GPRS. Games quality was was better than GBA, which was the only other handheld at it's time. Built in MP3 player, Web Browser, PIM, swiss army knife of gadgets. At a price of $100, this was the first smart phone a lot of people had. There's probably not another gadget I loved as much as my n-gage that was hated by so many people. I like to think they misunderstood it.
Way before it's time. Had xbox live like functionality on GPRS. Games quality was was better than GBA, which was the only other handheld at it's time. Built in MP3 player, Web Browser, PIM, swiss army knife of gadgets. At a price of $100, this was the first smart phone a lot of people had. There's probably not another gadget I loved as much as my n-gage that was hated by so many people. I like to think they misunderstood it.
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I always loved my Creative Zen. Never had a problem, still works.
And the Zune HD was great. I really don't understand why Microsoft could not market it effectively. Makes you wonder about there phones.
And the Zune HD was great. I really don't understand why Microsoft could not market it effectively. Makes you wonder about there phones.
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The Xbox 360's HD-DVD Drive. It did exactly what it had to do and nothing more for a low price!
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I'd agree with you 100% with the Zune HD and the Zune 80 (gdgt.com/microsoft/zune/80/) wasn't too shabby either.
To add to the pile, I'd have to say that I felt pretty strongly about my Nokia N800 tablet (gdgt.com/nokia/n800/). At the time, there weren't many people who had smartphones or touchscreen mini-tablets at the time, so I felt like I had a piece of the future. It was pretty awesome to have apps and a full web browser in my pocket (keep in mind, this was pre-iPhone). I wrote a fairly lengthy review on it: gdgt.com/nokia/n800/reviews/gqw/
To add to the pile, I'd have to say that I felt pretty strongly about my Nokia N800 tablet (gdgt.com/nokia/n800/). At the time, there weren't many people who had smartphones or touchscreen mini-tablets at the time, so I felt like I had a piece of the future. It was pretty awesome to have apps and a full web browser in my pocket (keep in mind, this was pre-iPhone). I wrote a fairly lengthy review on it: gdgt.com/nokia/n800/reviews/gqw/
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The combination of a Windows Media Center equipped with CableCard tuners, several XBox 360s throughout the house to act as Media Center extenders and a Windows Home Server (version 1 with Drive Extender) to act as an unlimited storage pool for 1000's of recorded movies.
For bonus points: the RemotePotato app for remote streaming of content to mobile devices.
For bonus points: the RemotePotato app for remote streaming of content to mobile devices.
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Finally thought of one!
The Cowan A3 media player.
I love this thing. It runs on linux, has fantastic codec support, super portable, etc. And when I plug it in? It's mass storage. I don't need any software or drivers to access it or add data to it.
I think that Cowan, in general, is an under appreciate brand in the US.
I used to have a Creative Zen 30gb mp3 player that I think also falls into this category. The thing that made it stand out, besides the storage, was the EQ. That feature spoiled me. A good EQ is now on my "must have" list if I ever feel the need to get an mp3 player again.
The Cowan A3 media player.
I love this thing. It runs on linux, has fantastic codec support, super portable, etc. And when I plug it in? It's mass storage. I don't need any software or drivers to access it or add data to it.
I think that Cowan, in general, is an under appreciate brand in the US.
I used to have a Creative Zen 30gb mp3 player that I think also falls into this category. The thing that made it stand out, besides the storage, was the EQ. That feature spoiled me. A good EQ is now on my "must have" list if I ever feel the need to get an mp3 player again.
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I'm almost an expert buying "forever alone gadgets" :).
I have loved my nGage QD. As someone has said in the comments, in multiple ways it was ahead of its time (on-line gaming when mobile Internet was a luxury), and now Vita is being marketed in a very similar way (don't the Vita's tv ads remind you to the nGage QD tv ads?).
I also loved (and continue loving) my Nokia N800 with Maemo. It was the dreamed mobile device of opensource geeks. I can do a lot more with that device than now with the Transformer... but to be fair, I can do some things a lot better now :). It was a shame when Nokia abandoned Meego :(.
And I also love WebOS and my Pixi Plus. What a great UI!
What can be my next "forever algone gadget?" :)
I have loved my nGage QD. As someone has said in the comments, in multiple ways it was ahead of its time (on-line gaming when mobile Internet was a luxury), and now Vita is being marketed in a very similar way (don't the Vita's tv ads remind you to the nGage QD tv ads?).
I also loved (and continue loving) my Nokia N800 with Maemo. It was the dreamed mobile device of opensource geeks. I can do a lot more with that device than now with the Transformer... but to be fair, I can do some things a lot better now :). It was a shame when Nokia abandoned Meego :(.
And I also love WebOS and my Pixi Plus. What a great UI!
What can be my next "forever algone gadget?" :)
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I think my HyperMac mini (now HyperJuice), only because people look at the name and think that I bought it just for Apple products. It's got a USB port on it, I can use it for anything! But I'm obsessed with having power on me at all times, so I've got a PowerBag with a 6000mAh, the HyperMac has 7200mAh, plus a Mophie JPP for another 2000mAh on my iPhone.
I glow in the dark.
I glow in the dark.
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Aerobie AeroPress coffee maker. My family looks at me like I'm nuts, as they drink their puddels of muddy water. Never knowing they joy....nay..the extacy, that is an AeroPress coffee.
aerobie.com/products/aeropress.htm
aerobie.com/products/aeropress.htm
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Off the top of my head real quick it would have to be the Sega Saturn (gdgt.com/sega/saturn/console/).
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Absolutely the Diamond Mako (a.k.a. Psion Revo Plus). My favorite gadget ever, and I was the only one I knew who ever owned one. See my review if you want to know why:
gdgt.com/psion/revo/reviews/68j/
gdgt.com/psion/revo/reviews/68j/
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Microsoft Zune HD. It was a masterpiece regarding both build quality and the software. It started the amazing Metro design paradigm for mobile devices that we now see in Windows Phone, the Xbox dashboard and the upcoming Windows 8.
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iriver H120 - mp3 player with a lot of bells and whistles including optical SPDIF-in.
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My Nokia n900. It is a portable Linux computer that can sometimes be used to make phone calls I'm told.
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HP Veer. I love mine, its size, its screen and it's quite speedy. Not good for long browsing sessions, because of it's screen size, but it makes an excellent duo with a Tablet or iPod touch.
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The Intellivision. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellivision
While all my friends were on their Atari, a very few select people were sliding overlays into the controller keypad.
While all my friends were on their Atari, a very few select people were sliding overlays into the controller keypad.
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I still have a Zune 30 that I use in the car. Nice big screen, and WiFi syncing before anyone else had it.
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Eeks. This goes back but the Motorola Q phone. Everyone hated it but I used it to stream SlingBox, browse web, remote control PC, chat/IM. It wasn't pretty but fun to tweak.
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My HP Pre 3 is an easy answer for this. It's the flagship that never was, and truth be told, the hardware is fantastic. I wish more folks would have had the chance to see webOS on such a solid device.
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I like my Zune 30G. Just couple of weeks ago installed a new HDD since the original gave up. I am amazed at how long the battery has lasted on this thing. I had bought it around the time it was launched and it is still going good. I use it heavily while running. Even though I have WP7 phone, I prefer Zune to listen to music because its got real buttons versus touch buttons.
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Mine are the Zune 80GB (gdgt.com/microsoft/zune/80/) (I had a 30GB but ran out of room). I have a Windows Phone and while having Zune capabilities there, like someone else said I still like the physical buttons on the Zune and use it both at home and work. I have the short-lived iHome Zune AM/FM Radio docks for it at both locations too.
My HP TC4400 Tablet PC (gdgt.com/hp/compaq/tc4400/). Served me well for many years and is now in use with a friend who uses it to drive his digital player piano.
The HP 5555 PocketPC. It was my 4th PPC and it's still going strong as a game machine for my wife
Last but not least, and I wish I still had it, was the Sega Nomad (gdgt.com/sega/genesis/nomad/). During my years of traveling it was a great handheld system that played the regular Genesis cartridges. Even better you could plug it into a TV and use it as controller. I could use it as a portable on the plane, and hook it up to the Hotel TV when I arrived at my destination. I loved playing the "Strike" series (Desert, Jungle, Nuclear) on it.
My HP TC4400 Tablet PC (gdgt.com/hp/compaq/tc4400/). Served me well for many years and is now in use with a friend who uses it to drive his digital player piano.
The HP 5555 PocketPC. It was my 4th PPC and it's still going strong as a game machine for my wife
Last but not least, and I wish I still had it, was the Sega Nomad (gdgt.com/sega/genesis/nomad/). During my years of traveling it was a great handheld system that played the regular Genesis cartridges. Even better you could plug it into a TV and use it as controller. I could use it as a portable on the plane, and hook it up to the Hotel TV when I arrived at my destination. I loved playing the "Strike" series (Desert, Jungle, Nuclear) on it.
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As much as the Zune HD was ignored, I feel the older iterations of the Zune Classic came with some excellent features. First device with WiFi and Radio built in for the same price as an iPod really set it apart. Also the larger screen made it actually usable for video and the cool designs at the back were an added plus.
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Zune HD - Subscription service was ahead of its time!
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I love my Zune Hd. I still using it constantly, even though I also have a WP7 and Zune Pass is not available in my country. It is way better than my old Ipod nano, I dislike Ipod due to itune.
I hope MS will use Zune Hd, to experiment on their mobile multi-screen usage scenario.
I hope MS will use Zune Hd, to experiment on their mobile multi-screen usage scenario.
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I agree with you on the Zune HD. Never owening one since I'm in Canada, I had the chance to use one for a few days from a friend. The interface was so refreshing I told him MS will take this on Windows one day! Guess I was right!
Also, my Panasonic Shockware CD player was sturdy as hell with its metal cover, and it played metal in my ears for many years!
Also, my Panasonic Shockware CD player was sturdy as hell with its metal cover, and it played metal in my ears for many years!
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Sega Saturn, and to a lesser extent, Dreamcast. Loved SEGA as a kid, seemed everyone preferred Nintendo.
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My forever alone gadget is the Google Cr-48. It doesn't get any love from anyone because it's under-powered/slow. However, it gets love from me because I can share it without worrying about malware or my data being accessed.
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I agree that the Zune HD was a great product! I love the sound quality and the user interface, and I personally think that the new Metro UI thing that Microsoft is pushing was inspired by the Zune HD's interface. It has the OLED display, fantastic response to user interaction, Tegra graphics processing, and a great design.
I can understand why Microsoft got out of the hardware manufacturing business when they are a software development company first and foremost, but I would have loved to see the Zune hardware progress, even if they sold off the design specs to someone else.
I obviously use the Zune software at home, and I kinda like it now as my media player, but I also have an Android phone, and have have had several since the HTC G1, and have loved it since. However, recently I have been seriously thinking about migrating to Windows Phone, because I really like Zune as a service, and having it in a phone would be even better. I also really like the Zune HD inspired user interface and consistent experience you get from Windows Phone. But perhaps this is my "grass is greener" syndrome talking.
I can understand why Microsoft got out of the hardware manufacturing business when they are a software development company first and foremost, but I would have loved to see the Zune hardware progress, even if they sold off the design specs to someone else.
I obviously use the Zune software at home, and I kinda like it now as my media player, but I also have an Android phone, and have have had several since the HTC G1, and have loved it since. However, recently I have been seriously thinking about migrating to Windows Phone, because I really like Zune as a service, and having it in a phone would be even better. I also really like the Zune HD inspired user interface and consistent experience you get from Windows Phone. But perhaps this is my "grass is greener" syndrome talking.
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The Creative Zen Vision: M served me well for years. And yet everyone always laughed when I told them I had one instead of an iPod. It played .avi, dammit!
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I read the subject of notification email and immediately thought of Zune HD :)
I went through some hoops to get it here in Russia, but it was absolutetly worth it, and I'll never sell it.
I went through some hoops to get it here in Russia, but it was absolutetly worth it, and I'll never sell it.
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I loved my iRiver H320 ( gdgt.com/iriver/h320/ ). The interface and controls were horrific but it had 20GB, awesome battery life, and best of all, audio-in with live MP3 recording. I used to take it to record my DJ gigs.
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I love my Zune HD, was set to replace it with an iPod touch but really prefer the way Zune handled my music and podcasts more.
I would say it would be the Sony My Dash since it never picked up and is no longer supported either.
Second would be Peek devices. At least the rest of these devices are going home to a developer out there.
HP TouchPad could be one but it's still popular and might live again like a zombie once HP does something about the OS being open.
I would say it would be the Sony My Dash since it never picked up and is no longer supported either.
Second would be Peek devices. At least the rest of these devices are going home to a developer out there.
HP TouchPad could be one but it's still popular and might live again like a zombie once HP does something about the OS being open.
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I loved my Sega Dreamcast... Crazy Taxi one of my all time favorite games. I'm still hoping they bring it to another platform
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I know I am completely alone with this... mine would be Apple's hockey puck mouse. Not because it was a great product, but because the Apple G4 it was a part of was the first computer I owned solely myself, and I loved every part of it.
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Besides the Streak, it'll have to be the HP Veer. Use it mainly for calls, text and email, so the ecosystem doesn't bother me at all. Absolutely love its small size
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Original Dell Jukebox MP3 player. With the ORIGINAL software. It was a completely open architecture when it first came out. Drag and drop mp3 files from a Windows Explorer like interface. Playlists could be completely edited on the device. You could also use it as a portable drive. I still have two of them that work, but can't find the original legacy software. Everything got moved over to that horrible Musicmatch system.
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Chumby. A cute, little, hackable, touchscreen . . . thing. Picture frame, streaming radio player, alarm clock, iPod speaker, news streamer, or whatever else you can think of. It certainly has its faults, but I love the versatility and still use it as my alarm clock.
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Peter
I knew your Dad in Merced. I'm pleased to find you in this business.
I used Zune and a Zune Hd until just recently. I had the service for several years. The subscription price was modest and I down loaded over 30 gb of music. But the software got buggier and buggier. And the platform was limited to PCs. The player was first rate. The audio was excellent. But you are right. They did little in the way of marketing or expanding of the platforms where you could listen to the music. I think the "cloud" has replaced it.
I wish you luck in your ventures
I knew your Dad in Merced. I'm pleased to find you in this business.
I used Zune and a Zune Hd until just recently. I had the service for several years. The subscription price was modest and I down loaded over 30 gb of music. But the software got buggier and buggier. And the platform was limited to PCs. The player was first rate. The audio was excellent. But you are right. They did little in the way of marketing or expanding of the platforms where you could listen to the music. I think the "cloud" has replaced it.
I wish you luck in your ventures
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Helio Ocean. The browser was surprisingly full featured, the few apps and homebrew it actually did have worked well. The social media integration was far ahead of its time and unfortunately tethered to MySpace just as it declined instead of Facebook. The GPS was snappy, it got good reception and I swear I never dropped a call on the thing. The dual slider design worked, providing something easy enough to use that I could hand it to a stranger to make a call and a decent keyboard (with a slightly cramped top row of buttons) to bang out text messages on. OH and the notification system (a step in the Duarte design between the Sidekick and Palm Pre) worked wonderfully even without a touchscreen. As I remember it, the battery life was pretty good also. I miss it.
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I loved my Rio Karma, it had great sound and survived quite a few drops and spills. It had a lot of smart playlist options which worked well since I never had the patience to build any. The hard drive finally gave up about a year ago but dammit I loved that thing. gdgt.com/rio/karma/
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For me the Sony Walkman NWZ-W252 ( www.amazon.com/Sony-Digital-Music-Player-Black/dp/... ), It's ideal for runners, is waterproof and sounds better than the iPod Shuffle (the ipod shuffle isn't waterproof!
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Back in the day, I had a SanDisk Take TV. Those things were the jam. Just a 4GB usb stick with some horrible software on it to play back video on any tv with a composite input. I used that thing like crazy. I was travelling a lot, so it was a nice easy thing to take with me. It was discontinued, though, and there's nothing that's taken its place. Would like to see a new one with an HDMI output & more storage. I'd buy the crap out of it. gdgt.com/sandisk/taketv/
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Creative Muvo TX FM gdgt.com/creative/muvo-tx/fm/
I LOVED this little MP3 player (actually I still do - it still works and I use it occasionally). Not only was it compact and had more features than a Shuffle could shake a stick at (like a screen for instance), but it could record FM (which meant I could record Howard Stern every morning) and accepted 1 AAA battery (which meant I could carry 4 rechargeable AAA and have the thing running forever). Such a nice compact form factor with convenient features - controls that could be manipulated in your pocket. I now use my phone (as most others do) primarily, but if they came out with a 5GB version I'd be tempted to pick one up for when a phone is not a good option. Also, I love parentheses (I really do)!
I LOVED this little MP3 player (actually I still do - it still works and I use it occasionally). Not only was it compact and had more features than a Shuffle could shake a stick at (like a screen for instance), but it could record FM (which meant I could record Howard Stern every morning) and accepted 1 AAA battery (which meant I could carry 4 rechargeable AAA and have the thing running forever). Such a nice compact form factor with convenient features - controls that could be manipulated in your pocket. I now use my phone (as most others do) primarily, but if they came out with a 5GB version I'd be tempted to pick one up for when a phone is not a good option. Also, I love parentheses (I really do)!
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i had a plextor PVR my freshman year in college. it was great for digitizing old home movies and watching/recording tv on my laptop, but it was analog only and had a significant lag. still, i got a lot of use out of it.
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I don't know... I've owned a string of forever alone gadgets but I don't think I can say that I really loved any of them. Except for my Sega Dreamcast, all of my other forever alone gadgets are better off staying that way. From the Nokia N810 to the Dell Axim X50... they can just stay at the bottom of my junk drawer...
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I'd go with the Spawn Labs HD 720 (gdgt.com/spawn-labs/spawn/hd-720/). Placeshifting your videogames is an idea that came along before the bandwidth needed was readily available, but it's great for moving your play session to another screen while someone is using the TV that the game systems are connected to. From time to time I'd find myself playing WWE '12 while watching Monday Night RAW.
If only someone could devise some sort of jukebox system to swap games. I've seen people build robots that swap discs, but unfortunately they aren't commercially available and I wasted my education on liberal arts. This means no switching between big ticket games on either system. I imagine this was yet another stumbling block in the way of the Spawn HD 720.
Maybe the next generation of consoles will find some inspiration in this little box. I'd be a lot more likely to buy a handheld system if it could stream the games that I already bought for the main console at home. That will have to wait for a more connected future thought, because faux G mobile data does not cut it.
If only someone could devise some sort of jukebox system to swap games. I've seen people build robots that swap discs, but unfortunately they aren't commercially available and I wasted my education on liberal arts. This means no switching between big ticket games on either system. I imagine this was yet another stumbling block in the way of the Spawn HD 720.
Maybe the next generation of consoles will find some inspiration in this little box. I'd be a lot more likely to buy a handheld system if it could stream the games that I already bought for the main console at home. That will have to wait for a more connected future thought, because faux G mobile data does not cut it.
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Roku HD 1000. Back around 2003 I had a Sony HD (CRT) 1080p TV and very little HD to show on it. I had also been searching for a good way to get family photos on the TV. I went through many solutions including running a long RCA cable across the livingroom. The HD 1000 was relatively inexpensive, the photos looked amazing and viewing photos became a much easier shared experience vs. looking at the small computer display.
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