I'm still in love with my 11" MacBook Air, but welcome to the post-PC era and the iPad has been killing it. Much of what's happening in the industry, like Android ICS, is also strongly driven by iOS. iPhone 4S is also great, but iPad 2 is a more obvious champion of its category. Not to mention it's been out and winning since Q1.
MBA and iPhone I completely understand because those are "necessary" devices. Less than 1% of Americans own a tablet, mostly because so many people already have a laptop and smartphone. Until a tablet has more use than just a vanity device there's no way this makes sense. Yes, Apple dominates the category, but I'm not arguing the device itself, just the category.
If the iPad and other tablets were used more widely in schools I would change my tune. As is though, I constantly hear that there's simply not enough iPad apps worth using the iPad over the iPhone. It's still mainly a consumption device and a pain to hold and type at the same time. If you buy one today I sincerely doubt you will still be using it a year from now as much as you will be using your phone and laptop everyday. $500 is still too much money, just like $300 was too much for an iPod way back in the heyday of those commercials with silhouettes dancing around with white earphones. If Apple made it so it could be your iPhone with a removable SIM card slot and had ability to take calls and pair with a bluetooth headset I would also change my attitude. To replace an iPhone instead of enhancing the iOS experience would make the $500 more worth it.
My vote goes to the MBA, only because I haven't spent time with the iPhone 4S to know just how much faster it is than the 4. The new Air is so light, so thin, so fast, doesn't get hot, very durable, built for now with the SD card slot on the 13" and built for the future with the thunderbolt port and bluetooth 4.0.
@nitehawk: You have an interesting point about "necessary" vs. "vanity" devices. At this point, the iPad can really be seen as a nice to have for some people. However, those of us who own iPads enjoy them so much that it's worth the cost. Using them now is also about helping the industry shift to a new era, which will render PCs as trucks. I think, those contributions of this gadget that I'm typing on now are enough to name it gadget of the year even if not too many people afford to enjoy this (temporary) "3rd device"
too bad that Apple gives a lot of lip service to the "post PC era", while simultaneously holding it back and being slow to adopt things that would foster a post PC era.
For example, no USB host port, and a gimped USB and SD card adapter. Difficulty opening and getting many files onto the iPad. When using PC, difficulty syncing photos to device (yet alone any other type of file). iCloud is really a cloud based sync more than it is cloud based storage.
Wish there were far fewer "gotchas" with the whole iOS experience.
@AllenCaeg I think that the MacBook Air is a great notebook PC for for those people who have a desktop PC and need a portable option while not necessarily needing the DVD slot on the side of a normal notebook. Truth is, if you have another computer, you can get away without it. (even if you don't). The new Macbook Air is solid, boots up quickly, and does all that it is expected to do perfectly. A great portable.
The Air is my laptop (my only one at home) while the iPad is my tablet. I bet most iPad owners also have laptops. Though the Air is ultraportable, the iPad is better at particular tasks than any laptop, the very reason why there's room for a "third device" today.
WebOS for "gadget of the year". Not best but certainly most noteworthy.
Produced major new products. Touchpad fire sale sent sent other iPad competitors scrambling. Design influenced the largest mobile os in ICS. Open sourced version may live on with a number os second tier manufactures looking to differentiate themselves.
Completely agree - went from a 2009 15" Macbook Pro to a 11" Air, and I've been comprehensively blown away. Agreed regarding longer battery life, but deeply impressed overall.
At the risk of getting heavily flamed and labeled a troll, I am going to have to say that the gadget of the year for 2011 was... nothing. That's right, as in not one single product was released this year that is truly noteworthy enough for us to even bother with a vote. Hear me out.
I have thought about this for hours and I can't think of a single gadget that was released this year that is truly ground-breaking. Instead, 2011 was the year of iteration. Every big gadget that came out was either a sequel to a previous version, or an answer to a competing similar product. I really can't think of a single product that made me stop and say, "WOW! This changes everything!", or even, "WOW! That's brilliant!".
2011 was a really boring year for the gadget world. At a time when the foundations for greatness are in place and there is so much potential waiting to explode, it is extremely disappointing to look at the crop of gadgets for the year and realize that it is just more of the same. Where are the visionaries? Where are the breakthroughs? Are we really at the end of all innovation? Has everything worth doing really been done already? You may scoff at me, but watch... when the polls are in, the winner is going to just be some iteration of an existing product line. That makes me sad. It makes it feel as if the tech industry has reached its peak and is just coasting on residuals.
To prove my point, the nearest thing we had to a real breakthrough product was the Kindle Fire. It promised to bring real tablets to the budget-minded masses. Although it has done that to some degree, it is really just another 7" tablet in answer to the NOOK Color just trying to be a vehicle for something non-tech-related: consuming media. To quote Monty Python... "And there was much rejoicing... yay."
So, before you quickly click that reply button to defend your favorite gadget as a counter-example to my point, please spend at least 30 minutes pondering to let my point sink in. I think that, if you do, you will probably find you have lost the heart to argue the point.
To sum up, good riddance 2011. May 2012 be the year for something new and exciting.
I'm going to have to vote for the Galaxy Nexus mainly because of ICS. Android has come such a long way with 4.0 and it is so nice and polished now. The Galaxy Nexus also feels like a proper upgrade to the Nexus S unlike the Nexus S to the Nexus One.
If this phone was released a month sooner and really given time to saturate the market, I think it would fair better in this pole. Definitely an amazing piece of hardware and ICS really changes things for Android.
I'd vote for the 13 inch Macbook air. The very first ultra light with the grunt needed to be a desktop replacement with a great form factor and excellent battery - wow! I'd also vote for the Samsung Galaxy II as it elevated the smartphone market to the next level with a great combination of power (hardware) and software.
The 13 Inch MacBook Air. Although I went with the Macbook Pro in the end for it's flexibility, it's the first ultra portable I seriously considered as an alternative to continuing with the regular Macbooks.
I have to say the MBA. Good enough to be your main computer and has an amazing form factor. I really want to consider the Asus Transformer Prime, but I haven't used it yet, just reading the hype/reviews.
13-inch MacBook Air and the Galaxy Nexus, just like you Peter. Two of my most used and most loved devices this year. Special mention to the iPad 2 because of the pressure it put on the tablet market. Also special honors go to the custom gaming PC I built this year. It isn't a "gadget" per se, but still a great comglomeration of technology.
Agreeing with you, Peter. The 13 MBA proves that unless you game/powertask, you really won't require another computer for a long while; the GN proves that Google is still calling firm shots with regards to the Android experience, and it might soon reach a panacea where openness and cohesiveness can be mutual terms.
On the computer side the 11in 2011 Air refresh is it, great size, speed and a good starting price. On the phone side i have to the Droid Razr since the Galaxy Nexus is still not out on Verizon.
And lastly for this years tech unicorn i nominate the Mythical iPhone 5.
2011 has seen another evolution of Technology in every field. While the gadget that ruled was the iPad 2, Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Note were one of the best gadgets too. Even Nokia Lumia 800 seems a pretty great phone. However, according to me, The Gadget of the Year was Samsung Galaxy Note.
Even though I got it at the very end of 2010, I think the FitBit was my favorite gadget of the year. Plus, so many people seemed to pick one up in 2011. It's been a pretty awesome device for me! Otherwise, I'd say iPad 2. It really ushered in the era of the tablet and made people think about how useful this sort of device could be.
I'd say the Transformer Prime, or Ice Cream Sandwich. The new Macbook Airs are good to. Failure of the year: Lion. Device I expected to be totally amazing, but ended up being just okay: Motorola Atrix, with WebTop.
Samsung Galaxy Note. It's just a little bit better (umm... bigger) in every dimension than the Galaxy Nexus, except that we still have to wait another month for ICS.
Considering Siri has proven to be far more than just a toy, as well as the exceptional camera and graphic capabilities of the iPhone 4S, that gets my vote. The past 2 1/2 months with this phone (post-htc inspire) have been pure bliss.
It's a toss up between the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4S. Both were evolutionary rather than revolutionary devices but by iterating at a "slower" rate Apple gives users and developers more time to incorporate the devices into their workflows and build out an ever more sophisticated ecosystem of apps and accessories.
On the software side the Windows 8 Developer Preivew looks very promising and hopefully by the time it hits commercial release next year it will also be time for Windows Phone 8 to be ready and we'll finally see the true confluence of desktop, tablet and mobile OSes.
I absolutely love the new Kindle, and bring it everywhere. I got the uber-simple model (no touch, no 3g) and while it may not do a whole lot it is really good at letting me read. It is a perfect one-use device.
I really want a 13" MBA. I already have a desktop and I'm a student. Just looking for something to use Excel and Word on and maybe a slight bit of programming (ie MATLAB , visual basic). What size MBA would everyone recommend? Thanks
This probably isn't the right thread to ask for recommendations in. You'd probably have better luck if you start a new discussion on gdgt about the MacBook Airs. Check it out, here: gdgt.com/#ask
It was a tough battle between the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4S, but since I've had it longer, the iPad 2 won out. The speed increases over the 1st gen model, the brighter screen, the more responsive app launching. Overall, it gets the top billing for my favorite gadget of 2011.
Honorable mention goes to the iPhone 4S, which I've barely had 3 weeks, but it's grown on me quickly. Much more capable than my previous phone (Sprint Palm Pre) and the new notification system is tons better than I remember on previous iOS devices.
I would like to go with the 11" MBA, because I love it so much, but it's only an incremental upgrade over the 2010 model, so I'll go ahead and give that one a pass. iPad 2? Maybe. It's also an incremental upgrade, in many ways, though it's so much faster and more capable as a production device.
The iPhone 4S is also those things, but because of Siri, I'll say that this would be my device pick of 2011. Why, if iPhone 4S is also just an incremental upgrade? Well, Siri is ushering in a new method of interaction with our personal technology. Sure, you can talk to other devices, but Siri is pushing those limits into a new paradigm of device interaction. It's not extraordinarily useful today, but tomorrow (the tomorrow that is a couple of years off), it's going to be amazing. And it's starting with Siri today.
I would say either the 13' MacBook Air, iPhone 4S, Nokia N9 (don't forget about this), Galaxy Nexus/Ice Cream Sandwich, or the Nest. Just some off the top of my head. Any one of these deserves to be the best device.
