My arsenal

(thanks derek)

My affinity for gadgetry leads me to keep a small arsenal of devices at my disposal at all times. These are items of which i’m usually upgrading or downgrading, depending on my economic status.

This includes (but is not limited to):

Cell phone

This is the Nokia 2865i for metroPCS service. It is a cdma 1x phone with bluetooth 2.0 with full profile functionality, IR Transfer, 14mb built in shared memory, supports .aac .midi .mp3 audio files- .3gp video, 128×160 CSTN LCD, speakerphone, fm radio, series 40 3rd edition interface, both brew and java support, and 1150mah lithium ion battery.

Price paid: 70 no contract (this is at cost, retails for 119 – i am a dealer)

PROS:

• This popularly regarded as the best non camera phone for metroPCS, and i agree.
• It has good battery life (not insane but lasts a few days with decent use) which is what attracted me the most to it.
• It also has uninhibited bluetooth communication, which allows me to receive or transfer files to other phones or computers without problems.
• The screen (while lower quality CSTN technology) is bright, evenly lit, and has a fairly high refresh rate (not usually the case with this type of display).
• The speaker is loud and pretty clear, with a decent range.
• The buttons are placed nicely, maybe a little cramped, and they have a nice feel and tactile feedback. The finish of the phone is good as well- doesn’t feel too cheap, no creaks either.
• JAVA SUPPORT!! As well as BREW (blah). Therefor making it possible to use opera mini, as well as download and install numerous java games for free. This phone and the discontinued Nokia 6265i.
• Lastly, the reception is great in my area so no complaints there.

CONS:

• Stop putting CSTN screens on phones! Even though this isnt a bad example it is still a compromise.
• I wish the phone had a memory card slot, though i don’t require it. 14mb is decent but would like a little more.
• Throw a cheap vga camera on it or something, can be slightly useful.

PDA

My PDA of choice is a Dell Axim X5. It is a Pocket PC device running Windows Mobile 2003. It has Intel Xscale Processor PXA255 running at 400mhz, 48mb ROM/64mb RAM, 320×240 3.5″ TFT touchscreen LCD, both compactflash and sd card slots, and extended 3600mah lithium ion battery. I also use a 1gb SD card for additional storage.

Price paid: $50 Used on ebay

PROS:

• I was lucky enough to get one with the faster pxa255 processor instead of the original pxa250, so performance is considerably better than the already admirable job the original did.
• Battery life with the 3600mah battery is insane- i can play mp3s for near 1 hour per percent of battery life i have! I can play hours of games or watch a few movies with life to spare. -Probably the best feature
• Dual card slot provide added expansion possibilities. 1 sd card for storage + 1 wireless cf card etc…
• The device is built well and has a nice heft to it.
• While it might not be the fastest thing out right now it holds it own to today’s devices, especially for the $50 i paid for it.

CONS:

• Screen could be a little brighter and more uniform in light distribution.
• Wont accept over 1gb sd cards, not sure about the limit on CF
• No USB host funtions
• Graphics system not super efficient (Still plays games well though)

Camera

For picture taking i arm myself with a Canon D30 Digital SLR. It features a 15.1 X 22.7 mm 3.25 MP CMOS sensor, 1.8″ TFT LCD, top mounted info LCD, CF-1 & 2 memory card slot with Microdrive support, 100-1600 ISO sensitivity, 3fps burst, maximum shutter speed 1/4000, built-in flash, AF assist light, and native support for all EOS Series lenses. My lenses include a Sigma 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF Wide Zoom lense and a Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Af Telephoto Zoom lens. I use a 1gb CF card for storage.

Price paid: $200 for the body (used), $80 for the Tamron lens (used), and $110 for the Sigma lens (new)

PROS:

• Great Image quality even though its only 3MP (not that that matters)
• Very excellent noise control
• Quick shutter response
• Can fit over 700 shots on a 1gb card
• Great build quality, very nice weight
• Excellent battery life – can take at least 500 shots on a charge
• Intuitively placed controls
• Just a nice workhorse camera for the price its going for nowadays

CONS:

• Wish it went up to ISO 3200
• AF kind of hit or miss (but still better than alot of point and shooters)
• Limited zoom in image review
• EF lenses are expensive!
• Info LCD not backlit (not a huge deal)

Personal Media Player ….coming soon

Sandisk Sansa c240 1gb, got it for $18 and im gonna throw a 2gb microsd. Just waiting

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