My holiday dream gadgets

THE consumer electronics retail outlets will be showcasing some of the
hottest items in the tech scene this holiday season. But what are people
actually asking for this year? Tech&U gets readers to reveal their tech
wish list:
  * Vicky Au Yong, account manager
  I want to get myself an Apple iPhone 3G for Christmas. I would be
travelling to Hong Kong next month to get the gadget of my dreams. So far,
only Apple in Hong Kong allows legal purchase of iPhone without a binding
contract with the telcos.
  * Teoh Seet Heng, PR consultant
  I want a Canon G10 PowerShot digital camera! The Canon outlet at Mid
Valley will be a good hunting ground since I work nearby. And I hope I
won't have to grapple with aftersales services later.
  * Ezad Ezanee, technical consultant
  A 50-inch flat screen LCD will be perfect. I bought a Marantz home
theatre system about three months back, and my mini-cinema will not be
completed until I get that high-definition TV. I'm also aiming for a
BlackBerry handheld. I initially wanted to get BlackBerry Bold, but with
the launch of BlackBerry Storm just around the corner, it would be better
for me to wait and see.
  A MacBook and a Canon EOS 40D dSLR are also on my target list. I prefer
to go to specialty shops to get gadgets or electrical goods since the
store assistants are more knowledgeable and can give good advice.
  However, as items are a bit pricey at these stores, I also frequent Low
Yat Plaza or the Digital IT Mall for my purchases. I don't really have any
preferences towards brands, and I generally buy items based on reviews and
advice from trusted friends. I also believe that there should be a balance
between price and quality when buying IT products.
  * Fong Kee Ken, college student
  I'm looking to get a wireless keyboard and mouse combo to complement my
notebook this holiday season. If I were to buy, I would check out the
offers available on the Internet from sites such as Lowyat.net and Lelong.
com for good deals. If possible, I will try to avoid going to IT
superstores in malls since they tend to price their products higher. For
me, the biggest concern should be service. At the very least, I expect to
be treated politely and the product-return policy should be fair and
consumer-friendly. Price, brand and quality all follow after that.
  * Mary-Ann Chong, account manager
  I'm not much of a gadgety person, but I am considering a Nintendo Wii.
When buying tech gadgets, brand is the most important thing. It gives IT-
illiterates like me an assurance that I am not being ripped off and there
is a level of quality that I can expect. If it is a good brand, then I am
willing to pay for it to save me from any hassle and headache.
  * Daniel Liew, equipment manager
  Since I'm a music lover and have lots of music files on my PC, having an
MP3 player would be good this holiday season. I plan to get one from the
Digital Mall in Petaling Jaya. My main concerns when buying tech gadgets
are the features (or rather the lack of it), brand and price, but I will
do some online research first before I zoom in on one.
  * Jonathan Tan, PR consultant
  I am considering between a netbook (possibly a Dell Mini-9) and to go
all out for a customised whitebox PC (in view of the upcoming game
launches for Diablo 3 and Starcraft 2). For these products, I will most
likely check out Low Yat Plaza as it's a central location great for
price/bundle comparisons. I think price for quality (value) is my utmost
concern. I'd like to think that I'm getting my money's worth for every
cent i spent. Service to me is a sub-criteria under quality.
  * Sue Ann, college student
  With a budget of RM4,500, I'd love to have a laptop with its graphics
enough to support renderings for software such as 3D Max, InteriCAD,
AutoCad, Photoshop and Illustrator. My concern revolves around the
product's ability to support the graphics and processing of my
assignments/ work for the future, and its ability to last. I'll probably
go to Low Yat Plaza to get my laptop.
  * Ashley Lim, senior account manager
  My target this holiday season is to get an Apple iPhone 3G. I believe in
brand, price and service. If it's a reputable brand, quality is a non-
issue.

reference : My holiday dream gadgets. (2008 November 24). NEW STRAITS TIMES