There's a cyclic process of acqusitiveness that usually happens. For me, it's every two or three years that I want a techy purchase just to "keep up with technology". But this year, I honestly can't think of anything I want.
I toyed with buying a Mac, but my general gathering is, though they evoke a sense of careful design and care for the user's experience that you don't get with PCs, there's still the modicum of sys admin to do. Overall, I'm not currently feeling any pain about my PCs (don't ask about the past) -- not enough to warrant the inevitable pain, time, and expense of "nesting".
I can't think of a good use for a PDA -- nothing I do daily that I can't do with an index card and maybe my ancient voice recorder.
I'm even deferring getting a wireless router, though the router *and* PC card are in the $100 range (see, I'm watching).
I can't justify the expense of a $350 17" flat panel monitor for the small amount of extra real estate over my 15" laptop monitor.
I have a cheap digital camera (got a "reconditioned" last-year's model for around $100) that I don't use much. The habit of easily getting paper prints and putting them in albums for easy, natural sharing with relatives and guests is too entrenched.
The only thing I'm obsessing about lately is a digital drum set (only because a real one is impractical in our family life (i.e. my wife would leave me). But I really should do more with my saxophone and piano and guitar and djembe before taking on another musical toy. So I'm gonna learn a few standards on the sax and play at nursing homes or something with my pianist friend.
January 05, 2004 06:50 AM