I’ve recently developed a philosophy of using things to their fullest potential: originally, I was forced to replace my older gadgets with new versions repeatedly. It wasn’t until a short while ago that I decided against my consumption for a variety of reasons:

• It wasn’t a healthy way of gaining happiness (an interesting topic on its own).
• It wasn’t a wise way to spend my money — I already had an iPod Video, why did I need an iPod Touch? I could be saving up for that Macbook I always wanted.
• It wasn’t satisfying me anymore. I think I’d exhausted all satisfaction that I might’ve gotten originally from buying gadgets. That’s the problem with consumerism.

Don’t get me wrong — I still buy new gadgets: but now, my new gadgets typically are used to replace something thats been lost/broken/malfunctioned, or for the sake of convenience (combining two gadgets into one). Or to introduce a whole new concept into my life (I’m looking into getting a PSP…we’ll see how that works out, haha).

But I’ve discovered an alternative to the constant consumption and re-consumption of gadgets — using basic computer knowledge, a keen eye, and a spirit of adventure to find out how to leverage your gadgets and use them to their fullest potential. I’ve done what I’d thought was previously unimaginable — my deeds (so far) include:

• Putting Leopard 10.5.2 on my Dell Inspiron 6400 (I don’t advise you do it if you are of the faint of heart — I should also mention that it’s against Apple’s agreement you have to click in order to use Leopard, because you’re installing Leopard on non-Apple hardware). Don’t get me wrong — it wasn’t easy, and I only recently figured out how to do it to near-perfection, with sound and dual-monitor support.
• Installing Android on my HTC Touch. That one turned out to be a fail (fail used as a noun — yep: an event where one fails miserably and hilariously at an attempt; http://failblog.org), as everytime I tried starting Android up (I installed it as a .cab file so it can be easily installed and removed) I was left with a white screen or my phone would turn off. Fail.
• Tweaking my iPod Video 5.5G so I could play Pokemon Red on it. I also installed other themes on my iPod 5.5G so I could make it look ‘fresher’ — like an iPod Touch, if I may. Both using custom firmware (which might void iPod warranty, so be careful with that — I figured since my iPod was so old anyway, I might as well give it a shot, haha).
• I’ve also managed to make my Wii play .mp3 files, .mp4 files, homebrew games (that should give the secret away), and even — DVD’s. That’s right — and I didn’t even have to touch the hardware.

photo credit: You Are The Conductor..

I’m no expert. I’m just an ordinary guy — probably a bit nerdier, but still pretty ordinary. And if I can do it, you most definitely can — so here are a few lessons that I learned along the way.

• Google will be your best friend. That’s right. You’ll get by just typing in ‘(insert gadget name here) modifications’ or ‘(insert gadget name here) hacks’.
• If you fail once, brush yourself off and try it again. And if you fail again, then change something. Or Google it again.
• Forums will be your second-best friend. Register if you have to (I registered anonymously on InsanelyMac). Use their search functions regularly, because you probably won’t have been the first person to experience a certain kind of problem.
• Don’t try modding new gadgets. Unless you can afford to replace it — because typically warranties don’t cover that kind of stuff.
• Don’t be afraid to push it! I remember when I was installing OS X, I installed a bunch of incorrect drivers that eventually required a format. It was discouraging, and I had to start over again, but I remembered that I used to live without it just fine, and so I can continue to live without just fine. If you can’t live without it, then you might want to pay for it (legitimately — not that leveraging is usually illegitimate).
• Not all gadgets can be leveraged — here’s the Herbert rule: if it has a screen/screen output, it can be leveraged.

I’m not sure if anyone’s ever associated the term ‘leveraging’ with ‘gadgets’, but I recently learned of the term in a business course and I wanted to use it. That and the word ‘synergy’ really jumped out at me. If the public demands it, I will begin posting general guides on how to leverage gadgets, so it can be a learned process (these won’t be step-by-step though, I don’t like writing comprehensive stuff — sorry). And even if the public doesn’t demand it, I think I just might.

“Which computer do I buy?”

“What specs should I look for?”

“When should I buy a computer?”

“Will it run Vista?”

“What if I don’t want to risk trying Vista?”

It would be impossible to accurately review every single computer out there.  But why not try to examine the hardware and peripherals that these computers are constructed from?  I’ve got the answer to your questions.

Which computer do I buy?  What specs do I look for?

In terms of brands, I suggest anything (although I have a few reservations about Gateway) from Future Shop or Best Buy will be fine.  I can also recommend Dell — they’ve got great customization abilities, but don’t require you to build your own computer.  I’ve owned an HP Pavilion desktop which I had no problems with either.

The variety in computers makes it quite difficult to choose the right one for you.  I know you probably didn’t come here to read ten page guide, so let me summarize thing for you:

Budget Computer

If you’re running low on money but you’re in desperate need of a new computer (although I wouldn’t know why you’d want to buy a new computer if you’re low on money), here’s one for you.

• CPU: Dual core, no less.  Intel Core 2 Duo, or AMD Athlon X2.
• RAM: 1GB for XP, 2GB for Vista.  Minimum.
• Graphics: Anything for XP, nVidia 8xxx series and up or any new ATI Radeon for Vista — so you can run Aero.
• Storage: 80GB should be fine for a budget, 160GB if you can find a good deal.
• Estimated cost: $500-$1,000

Media Computer:

For the video and music junkies, these specs are still near minimum but should be enough for a smooth computing experience.

• CPU: Preferably quad core.  Intel Core 2 Quad, or AMD Athlon X2 Phenom.  For heavy video processing.
• RAM: 2GB minimum, 4GB preferable.  Good multitasking.
• Graphics: nVidia 9xxx series.  Not so sure about ATI Radeon, I’ll say anything with the 3xxx and higher.  Don’t quote me on that though.
• Storage: 320GB minimum, 500GB preferable.  Gotta have enough storage for those shows.
• TV tuner card a MUST.
• 20″ widescreen monitor, if you know what’s good for you.  Ask if the video card has dual monitor support.
• Estimated cost: >$900

Herbert’s choice:

I would go for a balanced workstation — balanced between work and play.  I’ll be much more specific about what I want here, mainly because I know more about what I want than what you do.  I was able to build it on Dell though, so I’ll be able to give you a much more accurate price.  This was based on what I consider the sleek, nicer case — the Inspiron 518.  Its size allows for upgrades, in contrast to the slim or studio version (although I did consider the two).

Source: http://i.dell.com/images/…/inspndt_518_right_314x314.jpg

• CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 — great for heavy work.  I like to listen to music while I do…well, pretty much anything.  Some light gaming too.
• OS: Windows Vista Home Premium, although Ultimate is also a good choice if you don’t mind the extra cost.
• RAM: 4GB, even though I’ve got 2GB at the moment and Vista runs smoothly anyway.
• Storage: 500GB — I’m a packrat and can’t stand having too little storage (I learned the hard way that even 160GB wasn’t enough for my packing ways — yeah I re-formated).
• Sound card: Here’s where Dell couldn’t really supply me with anything — I’d get a Creative Audigy from Future Shop.  Not the software version that Dell offers.  On a scale of 1 to 10, replacing a sound card is probably a 4/10 (replacing RAM is a 3/10).
• Graphics: All Dell offered was the ATI Radeon HD 3450, which I would gladly take.  The nVidia 9xxx series of cards are more than acceptable though.  Vista’s Aero UI relies on the graphics, as will some light gaming.  And dual-monitor support.
• TV tuner card is a must, again.
• So is a 19-in-1 media reader, for those important SD cards.
• 8 USB ports, please.  4 in front, preferably.
• A 20″ monitor, hopefully coupled with a 17″ monitor.
• Estimated Cost, without the monitors: $1,019 CDN

When should I buy a computer?

Anytime!  There are always specials in stores, so hunt around but don’t waste too much time.  If you’re looking to save, you might want to wait for Black Friday or Boxing Day to hit those stores — although I’m not exactly sure how much cheaper computers will be (I know TV’s are usually a lot cheaper).

If you’re interested in Dell, there are always new deals every week or so, available in a sale or coupon format.  Sometimes these sales offer some outrageous deals, so keep an eye on them!

Will it run Vista?

Any of the suggestions I recommended will be Vista-compatible.  I suggest getting the Home Premium version of Vista, for balance.  Vista Basic is the bare bones without Aero, and Vista Ultimate is probably going a bit overboard (not if you’re a media junkie though).  When in doubt, try to remember: dual core processor, 2GB of RAM, and a recently-created video card (nVidia 9xxx series or an ATI Radeon).  Might want to try it out in-store, if possible.

What if I don’t want to risk trying Vista?

Why, cause you’re afraid you’ll fall in love with it?  Haha.

But seriously folks, there are tons of alternatives to Vista.  Microsoft has recently extended support for Windows XP, and Apple has recently released their OS 10.5 Leopard, and Ubuntu 8.10 should be out, so it’s a great time to choose to explore anything asides from the Windows path.  Keep in mind that OS 10.5 Leopard only runs on Apple hardware.  And Ubuntu’s got some kinks to it.  So you might want to stick with XP, which might be a bit difficult at retailers (I’m sure you’ll be able to find a copy here and there though).

Don’t sweat it…

Don’t worry about buying a computer.  Just buy it.  I know it might sound like a major purchase, but it’s good for at least five or six years (I don’t expect Windows 7 to be as demanding a change as Vista was).  Don’t forget to enjoy your computing experience!  And it’s probably wise to ask for an OEM version of the Vista Home Premium (or Ultimate) disc if you’re buying a computer — in case you want to reformat and partition it (that’s the first thing I did with my own Dell Inspiron 6400).

In the beginning, there was the ordinary white Macbook.  Then, a couple of years ago, they introduced the black Macbook.  And now, in 2008, Apple has finally refreshed their Apple Macbook design.  And boy, what a design it is.

Source: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/10/14/technology/15apple1.600.jpg

Similar to the colour and design scheme of the iMacs, these new Macbooks look absolutely beautiful.  Stunning.  I’ve always been a huge fan of the aluminum Macbook Pro — so much so that I was actually thinking of getting the Macbook Pro just for the aluminum finish.

Not only have the Macbooks been updated in their looks (not to say they weren’t beautiful in their older form), their specs have been updated too.  Absolutely beautiful. Call me an Apple fanboy, but this baby is a Godsend.  I would think that the updated NVidia graphics and the multi-touch trackpad would be the dealmakers though.

Source: http://www.svirtech.com.au/images/Apple_MacBook_White.jpg

Just one problem — its 13″ screen.  At the moment, I’m using a Dell Inspiron 6400 with a 14.1″ screen, and it’s still tiny.  The only solution I can suggest is adding an external monitor, and it looks like Apple’s kicked up the graphics to allow for an external monitor to be added onto the Macbook — prior to the revision, this could only be applied to the Macbook Pro.

Source: http://images.pcworld.com/news/graphics/152257-0810macbook_fam.jpg

Apple’s never failed at consumer design, in this reviewer’s opinion — and this revision is no exception.  Apple’s Macbook has caught my heart, and my wallet.