There used to be a computer magazine that took as its slogan: "What else can I do with my personal computer?" Well, the answers were legion, which gave the magazine an almost limitless number of topics about which to write.
And one thing they wrote about a lot was how anyone could use a computer, along with any number of interesting gadgets -- peripherals, third-party software, etc. -- to just become more productive and enhance the quality of life.
For the same reason, we at TechTarget now present our second annual look at some of the latest gadgets and gizmos that can help an IT professional get through the day. In the hope of giving you some insight into what's neat and not so neat, we drew on the talents of technology editors from throughout our portfolio of Web sites, newsletters, magazines and conferences.
We solicited review copies of products that represent the leading edge in some sectors. In some other cases, we looked for products that may have been leading edge a year ago, but now are priced within reach of the average person. The result is that we've been juggling cell phones, PDAs, games, notebooks and strange little devices that make your home office run better. We gave each product a hands-on test, and shared our experiences with you.
We rated each product on the following five-point scale:
5 - Must have
4 - Pretty neat
3 - Could be useful
2 - Get it if you must
1 - Back to the drawing board
You'll see a bunch of 'Pretty neat' products, and we've slipped in a few 'Must haves' (check out the Palm Tungsten T3, the D-Link AirPlusExtreme wireless router, the BlackBerry 7210, Sidekick Color, ThinkPad X31, Radio YourWay and Yamaha's Home Theater System).
Have fun, and, please, share your thoughts, your likes, and your dislikes.
