What kind of "gadget" should I get?

[jrozo17]

I recently graduated highschool and got quite a lot of money..(at least for me) Yes, I'm going to college and whatnot. I was wondering though, as of this year, is there any cool new stuff for me to invest in?
I haven't spent much money on anything except for an iPod Touch a few years back, which got stolen of course.

So far I've come up with:
a smartphone(never had one)
the PS Vita
the 3DS
maybe a tablet

I already have a laptop and a PS3, so I really don't 'need' any of that stuff. ;) I just want to know your take on it... What do YOU have? And what would you recommend?

Gamers, feel free to throw out some ideas. :P

[Grenage]

I'll be the boring one, and recommend saving your cash. You don't 'need' anything now, but you might do in college.

[jrozo17]

I'll be the boring one, and recommend saving your cash. You don't 'need' anything now, but you might do in college.

I know, but even after paying for books and all the necessities I'll still have some left. Just thinking of ideas.

[Grenage]

Smartphones can be useful if you'll make use of their features, otherwise they're just expensive phones with poor battery life. I'd miss mine, simply because I rely on the contact/calendar/mail.

[jrozo17]

So would that be a good replacement for an agenda? I never use smartphones so I'm kind of clueless..

[keithpeter]

I know, but even after paying for books and all the necessities I'll still have some left. Just thinking of ideas.

+1 on keeping your money for a bit

The best ideas come just after you spent the cash. I suspect the transition from high school to college will mean quite a lot of new experiences, therefore new activities, therefore possibly new gadgets.

[handy]

See if the easy programming & creation of prototypes (& beyond) suits you:

http://tronixstuff.wordpress.com/tutorials/

[jrozo17]

+1 on keeping your money for a bit

The best ideas come just after you spent the cash. I suspect the transition from high school to college will mean quite a lot of new experiences, therefore new activities, therefore possibly new gadgets.

100% agreed. :)

[Grenage]

So would that be a good replacement for an agenda? I never use smartphones so I'm kind of clueless..

I'm assuming that's some sort of digital planner? Well, whatever works for you. I could make do with a paper diary, but it's not as convenient, and it wouldn't synchronise with my Google account.

The phone was free - I wouldn't have paid the amount they ask for a new one.

[babakott]

Since you are a college student, I would think twice about a smart phone. You will be locked into a fairly high monthly payment. However, if you have a wifi connection, a tablet is spiffy.

You can pick up a Viewsonic G Tablet for about 300 bucks, and throw one of the various mods on it. I personally like Cyanogen mod.

The G Tablet has pretty good hardware (though it doesnt have a GPS) including the Nvidia Targa 2 chipset, which is great for gaming. Also there are two (that I know of) Linux projects for it. Ubuntu and Backtrack.

There are better tablets, no doubt, but you get bang for you buck if you are willing to mod it.

[Simian Man]

Save your money. There is way better stuff to spend your money on in college than gadgets :).

[forrestcupp]

You're thinking inside the box and coming up with ideas that everyone would think of. What you need is an automatic toilet paper dispenser.

http://www.slipperybrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/kimberly-clark-electric-toilet-paper-dispenser.jpg

If you have enough left, you can buy a retail copy of Windows 7.

[jhonan]

I was wondering though, as of this year, is there any cool new stuff for me to invest in?
Spending money on gadgets isn't really an investment. Unless it's something you'll use to help you advance, like a laptop, but you already have one of these.

The other thing is, whatever you spend your money on will have a 6-month coolness shelf-life. Something cooler will come along.

Finally, give yourself a cooling-off period for your gadget lust. If you see something you really really really want to buy. Stop. Wait for at least 2 weeks (it's not going to go away) and see if you're still thinking about it.

[BrokenKingpin]

I wouldn't go looking for things just to spend you money on, so just save it.

[buddyd16]

use the cash to start a secondary checking account and call it your slush fund If you are working while at college have your paycheck auto-deposit $25-$50 or an amount that you feel comfortable you won't miss then use this account for your non essential purchases down the road. A lot of the android tablets now are getting into that transition zone were a hardware refresh has been talked about and most likely will begin production by end of the year so if you buy something now you may feel a little buyers remorse come decemberish.

Cash has a tendency to disappear very very fast when you are in college, it did for me at least, so anything you can do now to set yourself with a steady stream of it will help out in the long run.

I would almost recommend setting up one of the online "high" yield accounts so while your money is sitting there it is earning at least a little interest. Make sure if you go that route that the company/bank is FDIC insured.

[LowSky]

Going to college. save the money for all the parties you will be going to.

Drinks add up, especially when you keep buying them for girls!

[forrestcupp]

I would almost recommend setting up one of the online "high" yield accounts so while your money is sitting there it is earning at least a little interest. Make sure if you go that route that the company/bank is FDIC insured.

Yeah, those "high yield" online savings accounts aren't quite so high yield anymore. When I first opened my online account at HSBC, I was getting 5.5% interest. Now I'm getting 0.80% interest.

[inobe]

save your money, tabs are still in their infancy, wait a few years.

be more of a hobbyist, star gazing, a nice telescope you can connect to your laptop.

[jrozo17]

Thanks everyone for your answers, its nice hearing advice from people who know what they're talking about.

Quick question... What's the best site to buy used books from? I'm pretty sure they are raising prices this year and don't wanna pay full price. I heard amazon is good for that kind of stuff.

[jrozo17]

use the cash to start a secondary checking account and call it your slush fund If you are working while at college have your paycheck auto-deposit $25-$50 or an amount that you feel comfortable you won't miss then use this account for your non essential purchases down the road. A lot of the android tablets now are getting into that transition zone were a hardware refresh has been talked about and most likely will begin production by end of the year so if you buy something now you may feel a little buyers remorse come decemberish.

Cash has a tendency to disappear very very fast when you are in college, it did for me at least, so anything you can do now to set yourself with a steady stream of it will help out in the long run.

I would almost recommend setting up one of the online "high" yield accounts so while your money is sitting there it is earning at least a little interest. Make sure if you go that route that the company/bank is FDIC insured.

Thats exactly what I did the other day actually, should be getting my first credit card within the next week. I get what you're saying though, it's a smart idea. :)

[1clue]

use the cash to start a secondary checking account and call it your slush fund ....

+1.

I advise waiting as long as you can stand, but continually looking for new gadgets if that's what turns your crank.

The gadget market is highly fluid, and inherently trendy. There will inevitably be a gadget or two required by your college, and sometimes they insist on a specific model or even that the college itself sells it to you. Save up for that.

Then there are the "optional" gadgets that everyone will either want or have once you get to school, and it will inevitably be something that showed up right before or right after the semester started. Save up for that.

Finally, there might be a gadget that's off the radar of your peers but which you think is awesome. Personally that's where all my money went, but you don't need to hear about that since it has nothing to do with computers and everything to do with engines and propellers.

[aaaantoine]

Thats exactly what I did the other day actually, should be getting my first credit card within the next week. I get what you're saying though, it's a smart idea. :)

My mom gave me some advice when I got my first credit card.

Before you buy something, ask yourself, "do I need this?" ...Then tell yourself, "no." :P

[inobe]

My mom gave me some advice when I got my first credit card.

Before you buy something, ask yourself, "do I need this?" ...Then tell yourself, "no." :P

my mum said, if i don't plan on paying it all back before the end of the grace period, don't buy anything at all :P

[oldos2er]

Assuming you're in the US, open an IRA.

[trinux_bc]

This lifehacker post might be helpful:
http://lifehacker.com/5618881/five-best-places-to-buy-cheap-textbooks

I mostly used Amazon for textbooks, but I got a couple things from AbeBooks for pretty cheap.

trinux_bc

[KiwiNZ]

I don't go out looking for new Gadgets for the sake of it. However if I find something I like or decide on something I need I buy it and bugger what others think.

[1clue]

Personally what would be high on my list is a really good dedicated e-reader. Something black and white so it has the better electronic paper, and that uses formats that are easily found or converted to. And Linux friendly. :)

I literally have a room in my house for (and full of) books. The thought of having to replace even some of those into electronic format is daunting. It's inevitable that e-readers are the way to go, but I wish they had come around about 20 or 30 years earlier.

[wolfen69]

Save your money! Go to college, get a good job, then worry about toys. I wish I had taken this advice when I was much younger.

[wolfen69]

my mum said, if i don't plan on paying it all back before the end of the grace period, don't buy anything at all :P

It helps your credit rating though, if you make a couple payments on it. But that's if your credit rating needs help.

[thatguruguy]

I'll repeat what everyone else said and recommend you save your money.

However, I just bought a Coby Kyros MID7022 from Toys'R'Us, which is a 7" tablet with a capacitive touch screen and a 1 GHz cpu for ~$180 plus tax (it's one of the few android tablets with capacitive touch for under $200), and if you buy one by 7/23/2011, you get a $25 gift certificate back. Since my birthday is on the 23d, it was a birthday present to myself.

... and yes, I've already rooted it and put Ubuntu on it.

[t0p]

My current gadgets are an Android smartphone and a netbook. I find them useful and fun: for instance, I need to have a phone but I could have bought a cheap phone from Sainsburys - I think the cheapest is £15 or £20 - and that would have covered texts and calls. But I wanted something with more potential, so I went with the smartphone.

My netbook is also very useful, and its small size means I can take it out when a full-sized laptop would have stayed at home. Not the greatest processor in it, but it can handle web browsing, email, etc just fine.

A friend has lent me her Android tablet so I can check it out before I actually buy one. But I don't get on well with touch-screens, and the display (7 inches) is the same as the netbook - and the netbook's display doesn't have to give up any space for a keyboard. But I haven't had the tablet for very long and haven't used it much yet; maybe my opinion will change after I've taken the tablet out for a whirl.

So, what's my advice for the OP? Get a nice phone. And maybe an indoors RC helicopter to buzz people with. :)

[Snowboi]

I was wondering though, as of this year, is there any cool new stuff for me to invest in?
I heard the snowboi foundation was a great investment. ;)

All jokes aside you could upgrade your laptop, or your computer. There is never enough upgrading !! Tablets imo seem under-powered.



If you have enough left, you can buy a retail copy of Windows 7.
You get the same effect throwing money out the window... Its a joke take it lightly people. :P

[wolfen69]

is there any cool new stuff for me to invest in?


Yeah, the right stocks. ;) Green Globe Int. looks like a great upstart Green Certification and Consultation company. Don't say I didn't tell you about it.

[forrestcupp]

Personally what would be high on my list is a really good dedicated e-reader. Something black and white so it has the better electronic paper, and that uses formats that are easily found or converted to. And Linux friendly. :)

I literally have a room in my house for (and full of) books. The thought of having to replace even some of those into electronic format is daunting. It's inevitable that e-readers are the way to go, but I wish they had come around about 20 or 30 years earlier.I have the all-in-one approach, and I use the Kindle app on my Android phone. It's not e-ink, but you'd be surprised at how easy it is on your eyes when you switch to white text on black background. Another good thing is that I can use the Nook app or whatever app I want and not be bound to one brand. But if your eyes really need the e-ink, then this method is not for you.


I'll repeat what everyone else said and recommend you save your money.
Not everyone said that. Some of us made really good suggestions, like an automatic toilet paper dispenser. :)

[1clue]

Hadn't thought of trying white on black, but so far that e-ink is really calling my name. Not so important for a youngster but I'm 45 and have been reading recreationally and professionally for most of my life. Eye strain is a huge problem for me, not so much that I have it but that I go out of the way not to have it.

[forrestcupp]

Hadn't thought of trying white on black, but so far that e-ink is really calling my name. Not so important for a youngster but I'm 45 and have been reading recreationally and professionally for most of my life. Eye strain is a huge problem for me, not so much that I have it but that I go out of the way not to have it.

Yeah, you probably want e-ink if you struggle with eye strain. I had been reading for a while on my phone with black text on white background, because it was the default. My wife told me about night mode, which is white on black. When I switched, I realized that the black on white was hurting my eyes a little and I didn't even know it. I just always leave it white on black now.

I'm really liking reading my books this way, and I love how many good free books are available. The only downside is that the books that aren't free are not as cheap as what I could buy a used hard copy for at Half Priced Books.

[1clue]

I don't really struggle with eyestrain, I'm just extremely conscious of it since reading is such a huge part of my life.

I really don't mind paying people for good ideas. I will gladly pay the price of a book, both to reward the author and to the publishing company to make it available.

That also will go for e-books when I get a reader. Somebody had a really good idea when they came up with e-books, and they deserve a bit of comfort from that.

[UltraNEO*]

I recently graduated highschool and got quite a lot of money..(at least for me) Yes, I'm going to college and whatnot. I was wondering though, as of this year, is there any cool new stuff for me to invest in?
I haven't spent much money on anything except for an iPod Touch a few years back, which got stolen of course.

So far I've come up with:
a smartphone(never had one)
the PS Vita
the 3DS
maybe a tablet

I already have a laptop and a PS3, so I really don't 'need' any of that stuff. ;) I just want to know your take on it... What do YOU have? And what would you recommend?

Gamers, feel free to throw out some ideas. :P

How about splashing out on a nice large AMOLED TV?? Great for watching sports and drinking beer with mates, though you don't wanna wiimote at it.