First-world problem; or, ceci n'est pas un marketing survey

[firecat]

Lately I sometimes find myself idly shopping for a digital camera, an e-book reader, or a device that will put Google and email access in my pocket. I already have an iPod (the touchless variety) that I like because it's big enough to store my entire music/audiobook library, a cellphone that's nothing special except it has a qwerty keyboard, and a digital camera that I like because it's tiny and don't like because it doesn't have image stabilization.

It occurs to me that if I follow through on this shopping, I have a fundamental choice:

• Carry one device that does a mediocre job of most or all of these things and has one battery and power cord and computer cable and takes up one pocket in my backpack.
• Carry four or five devices that all do their respective functions very well and all use batteries and power cords and computer cables and backpack pockets.

It also occurs to me that people I know have solved this issue for themselves in various ways. So I'm soliciting anecdata. (Hey, it's cheaper than actually buying anything.)

Do you regularly carry portable device(s) that serve any of these functions? Why did you choose the devices you did? Are you happy with your current solution?

Digital camera
E-book reader
Cell phone
Wireless Internet
PDA
Music player

Comments

[firecat]

Thanks!

[e4q.livejournal.com]

ever since you posted this i have been researching. that new netbook doesn't look like it is as good as this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002AS9T8E/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE which presumably because of competition has now been marked down on uk amazon. i like a silver keyboard and non white or black in general - white is too white, black feels tiring to me. (my real laptop is a dell xps which has a ton of silverware and only a tiny sliver of black - and i got to choose the cover, which is red)

in other news there is the issue of the camera. being a southpaw i don't want something to overtly right handed which the slrs tend to be. of course, having an eye for the nice i immediately wanted a leica, which was a bizillion pounds, but which you could manually do aperture and shutter speed. this is what i want, not a ton of video gubbins. this canon is a bit right handy and a bit of a brick http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-PowerShot-Digital-Megapixel-Optical/dp/B002LSI1HS/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2DYMF5PUIO4ZD&colid=1J6YNIMV2HIYS but has retro compatible features and prioritises the camera and lens over the movie function, the reviews looked good. meanwhile there is a panasonic lumix that might be slimmer and still let me play old skool, but there are so many of the damn things so i am busy playing price against features to see what's what.

ooh!

[e4q.livejournal.com]

look!

http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/canon-powershot-s90/4505-6501_7-33765880.html

Re: ooh!

[firecat]

I've heard good things about the canon powershot.

Re: ooh!

[e4q.livejournal.com]

a similar spec panasonic is the lumix dmc zx3. very pretty as an object, but i have to say, again as a left hander and as someone who wants a spot of old skool, the ring on the front of the powershot is a powerful persuader, despite it looking like a tank.