E-Budget 2009

Unlike in 2007, where most of my money went to electronics, I didn't spend a lot on gadgets last year. The reason is that my "E-coffers" (a savings account, where 10% of my paycheck automatically goes into, for my indulgences) got drained for paying the Dell XPS -the gaming rig- that I got myself for my 28th birthday. But this year, now that the new PC is completely paid off, and my "E-coffers" almost replenished, I might be able to get a few tech toys to play with.

Here are some of the things that I want to get this year:

Portable Media Player

My Creative ZEN finally ran out of space. I already knew this was going to happen, it was inevitable. 30 GB of space isn't enough to hold huge music libraries with higher sound quality. So, after two years of servitude, I'm going to retire my ZEN and grab a new player. Initially, Archos 5 was my choice because of its huge space (250 GB). But it's bulky and pricey. So, instead, I'll go with Microsoft Zune. The largest disk space available is only 120 GB, however, but that will suffice me. Although it's the Zune Pass, a $15/month subscription that gives you access to unlimited mp3s, that got me into the Zune groove.

Smart Phone

Admittedly, I don't need a new phone. My sister does, however, because her phone went kaput about a month ago. But since she can't afford to buy a phone, I'll just buy a new one for myself and hand her down my old phone. Since I can't afford an iPhone, T-Mobile G1 is the first phone that comes to mind. My friend owns a G1, and I was able to tinker with it a couple weeks ago. I, instantly, fell in love with it. I never thought I would ever need (actually it's more like "want") a smart phone. But with G1's full web browsing capabilities, I can access maps, check movie schedules, or twit while on the go.

Desktop PC Speakers

Unfortunately, the PC that I bought didn't include any speakers. So I've been using a cheap Logitech headset, instead, when I play games or listen to music. The sound quality is, of course, abysmal. That's why my first buy this year is going to be a desktop speaker. I've decided to go with a Logitech Z-2300. It's a 200-watt, THX certified, 2.1 speaker system that looks really sleek. I was able to demo this baby over at Best Buy and I love its thundering sound. I'm sure it'll turn my PC into a more than decent audio machine. But what I really love about this speaker is that it only cost less than $100.

Guitar Effects

I haven't bought any guitar related doohickeys in these past few years since I stopped playing the guitar. But now that I'm back in the game, or trying to get back in the game, I'm slowly building a guitar rig that is fitting and decent enough for a bedroom guitarist like me. Guitar effects are the first thing that I'm going to get. At this point, however, I don't know what I'm getting. Except that I'm definitely going for a mono effects pedal. I always prefer mono effects over multi effects because they're cheap, durable, and full of character. My amp also delivers great effects. So, instead, I might just buy a foot switch for it.

Gaming Console

I've been thinking of getting a gaming console this year as well. But that depends on whether I get to attend the 2009 Comic-Con, in San Diego, or not. If I can't go, then I'll definitely get a gaming console. My console of choice is the Nintendo Wii. I chose it over the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 because I already have the PC as my main gaming rig, and so I don't need another platform that is intended for hardcore gamers. The Wii is also designed for everybody, even the ones who aren't into playing games, and it's great to have for entertaining visitors that can't frag players in Gears of War.

These are the tech toys that I have my sights on for this year. My budget for all these is $1000. Although I'll try not to hit that mark, and definitely won't go overboard. Also, since its too early, and nothing really interesting was shown in CES 2009, I'm holding some of these purchases until summer. Because they might announce a newer and better smart phone and/or mp3 player.

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