Admit it. Most of us are cheap bastards economically pragmatic. Now the season of giving (and hopefully a little receiving) is nearly upon us. What with the current state of the world economy, not all of us can afford to give the best toys, like 60" plasma monitors, 18" LCD screens or even a GeForce3 Ti500 as presents to the techies we love. But aren't all computer related gear insanely expensive? Don't despair - you'd actually be surprised at the kind of stuff you can get for less than $100. Hence, we've created this compilation of reviews and mini-reviews to help you along. And you don't even have to steal Santa's milk and cookies!
Ratpadz
The RatPadz has been been around for a LONG time, and reviewed to death (not by us though). About the best mousing surface available out there. [H]ard, just like the man himself. And he, err... it comes cheap too : $13.95. After all, you know what they say : a family that frags together stays together :) Or if you're giving this gift to a certain significant other : "First we shag, then we frag :P"
Envision this. It's late at night and you'd like to deathmatch someone over the Net. Or you'd like to voice conference with someone on a different continent. Or you want to download data from your PDA. Or you want to capture that vacation footage into the PC for editing and mastering. Regardless, you always have to reach behind the PC (on your knees if your PC is placed on the floor), try not to get your hand entangled in wires and find the correct port to plug your headphone / microphone / PDA / video deck into. This is absolutely unavoidable for both new and veteran PC users alike. Wouldn't it be convenient to plug in the cables for your peripherals at the front of your PC?
Most products available cost a pretty penny; Creative Labs Live!Drive I ($129), Live!Drive II ($149), or OptiCompo's POFP ($85.95). They cost just as much, if not more than a good sound card such as the SBLive! Value. Plus, the Live!Drives are non-universal, as they can only work with the full SBLive!.
Need something that is more universal, or just simply cheaper? Get the FrontX CPX Multimedia Ports. They've already been out for some time (we reviewed it here) and have sold like hot cakes. The CPX Multimedia Ports is basically an "input/output unit", or what some people term a "port replicator" in the form of a 5.25" drive bay. The CPX Multimedia Ports provides the standard sound card ports (headphone, mic, line-in and joystick) and ups the ante by offering additional ports such as composite / S-video, RCA, USB, parallel and serial. The FrontX costs $26.90 for the basic unit (includes 3 audio jacks and a joystick port), and you can customize your unit online with other modules. $61 will get you a fully decked out unit with USB, FireWire, serial and composite video ports. Very Highly Recommended!
Frankly, disconnecting / reconnecting your PC can be an arduous task. There's a cable for this, a cable for that - in short, cable clutter galore. It doesn't help that easy plug-and-play technologies like USB and FireWire tend to multiply, rather reduce wires. Also, if you're a gamer, how many times has your mouse cord gotten entangled or stuck, costing you precious frags?
Logitech has an answer to those problems : the Cordless Freedom Optical. It effectively eliminates two cords and leaves you with two comfortable, feature-rich peripherals. The keyboard features their "Zero Degree Tilt" profile, meaning that the keyboard and keys are flatter for easier keystrokes. It also sports Logitech's iTouch (several buttons which provide instant access to several functions), iNav Wheel (basically an attached mouse wheel on the left of the keyboard) and multimedia controls. The mouse is the Cordless MouseMan Optical, a standard two button wheel mouse. No more having to constantly clean the lint off the mouse rollers. Both devices have a range of 6 feet (2m), and the digital RF signal is encrypted, less some overly curious soul tries to snoop around. The Cordless Freedom Optical weighs in at $99.95, and will make any techie happy. (Someone buy me one!).
A few months ago, a mysterious package arrived at our labs. What was it? The ROMTEC Trios, a nifty looking little box which coveniently fits in one of your computer's drive bays. What does this 5.25" thingamajig do? It is basically a hard drive selector that permits you to boot from either of up to 3 hard drives. All ATA standards (ATA-33, ATA-66 and ATA-100) are supported, and installation is a trivial issue. A much more elegant solution than mucking around with complicated and potentially data loss incurring multi-partitioning or boot menu software. Even so, ROMTEC decided not to leave anything to chance, documenting the installation process in great detail, complete with step-by-step photos.
Alright, so this is a $70 hard drive selector. The price tag of the Trios seemed to be steep for its advertised usage, that is until we figured out some cool, unique uses for it. As advertised, it let's one run multiple operating systems on a single computer, and elegantly too. A major boon for those of us who would like to leave our current OS intact whilst experimenting with newer/alternative OSes, such as Linux, FreeBSD, BeOS, OS/2, x86 Solaris, or the latest version of Windows.
Is that all? Not by a long shot. Firstly, for us hardware reviewers, it allows us to consolidate our personal workstations and testbeds into a single unit. Simply press a switch on the Trios to boot up from the testbed's hard drive, where we can quickly and readily get on with our work, all without affecting our existing data on the other drive.
For home users, this is a great way to share a single computer among the family, without the associated headaches of data loss or system crashes (which is naturally blamed on the kids). One drive for the grown-ups, one for the kids. If the kids' installation gets FUBARed, the grown-ups can still go on without breaking a sweat. The Trios is equally applicable in a corporate environment where the number of workstations can be reduced, not forgetting all the associated savings (power, space, etc.) as well.
The Trios is one helluva good idea from ROMTEC, and though some might consider the price tag of $79.95 to be high, it is still fairly affordable. The Trios gets our Excellence Award!
Over the last few years, removable storage devices have grown immensely popular. Among the widely known are solutions such as Iomega's Zip, Jaz, and PocketZip, the Castlewood Orb, and CDR/RW drives. This just goes show one simple thing : we increasingly want our data to be available on the go. However, the products mentioned are of a more "conventional" design, ie. they use physical media which means that they are less rugged, being susceptible to shocks, magnetic fields, dust, dirt, scratches, spilt coffee, all threats in the real world. Moreover, these devices typically need a power source, data cable and the storage media itself to function. Beginning to change your mind about just how "portable" they are, eh?
Some devices that address these shortcomings are Trek Technology's Thumbdrives, minute in size (literally the size of the average thumb, and only a few mm thick), and ranging in capacities from a humble 8MB to an unthinkable 512MB. Previously, we have evaluated the 16MB non-secure model, as well as the 8MB secure model. The newer secure model features an actual thumbprint scanner on the unit, and Trek is just launching their driverless models (look out for our take on this soon). IBM has even gone to extent of selling OEM Thumbdrives with their laptops (we've seen an actual unit). All models plug into the USB interface.
Another company also markets a similar, solid-state storage solution : M-Systems. Their USB DiskOnKey product line was introduced a few months back, and we have a 16MB model in the labs. While not quite as compact as the Thumbdrive, it is designed for a different purpose; to offer ultra-portable storage, as well as being a keychain. Well, you do take your keys everywhere don't you? Why not your data? The DiskOnKey's size also works to it's advantage, making it much harder to lose than the Thumbdrive. Additionally, the DiskOnKey is already driverless, meaning that you simply just plug-and-store, much like a conventional floppy. Performance wise, writes on the DiskOnKey are faster, while reads are about on par with the Thumbdrive.
Both the Thumbdrive and DiskOnKey gives one a great deal of convenience. How so? For example, transferring files that are greater than 1.44MB in size between non-networked PCs, or sneaker-netting files between the home and office (though a moot point if one works in a home office). A whole multimedia presentation can be carried in your shirt pocket - simply plug it into a PC upon your arrival. With the Thumbdrive's added security feature, it becomes more appealing to the corporate user, for whom data privacy is a pivotal issue. Furthermore, many modern notebooks adopt an "either or" design : either you use the floppy drive or the CD/DVD drive. In this scenario, both devices serve as perfect substitutes, with the bonus of increased speed, reliability and security over the venerable floppy.
The 64MB DiskOnKey and the 64MB Thumbdrive Secure are both priced at $99. So long you're willing to pony up the premium to really have your data on the go, you can't go wrong with either device, though for the moment the DiskOnKey has the big advantage of being driverless, while the Thumbdrive Secure gives corporate users more data privacy. Very Highly Recommended!
This should sound familiar to anyone who owns a PC - 2 years (maybe even a few months depending on your needs) after purchasing a brand spanking new unit, it just can't seem to keep up with the latest applications and games anymore. Worse still, do you have to throw away that older system and just buy a new one? Not necessarily - depending on what one's current PC is, it may well be fully eligible for an upgrade. The more popular options include a new processor, a new video card, and either increasing the amount of memory or storage space. Does each option entail a hefty price tag? Not at all. In fact, you'd be surprised what you can get for < $100.
CPU Upgrade - Thunderbird 1.33GHz, Celeron 1.1GHz
Upgrade that old CPU! $100 still buys a lot of processing firepower. $97 gets you a 1.33GHz AMD Thunderbird, certainly not a processor to be triffled with. Economically sound decision, and smokes other processors (other than the AthlonXP) in clock-for-clock performance. Highly overclockable too - we managed to take one to 1485MHz.
Purchase Thunderbird 1.33GHz
However, if techie dearest is stuck with a Slot-1 or Socket-370 motherboard, don't despair. $89 will net you a 1.1GHz Celeron, which will boost system performance by a fair bit. We know, we've fooled around with an Evergreen Performa 1GHz in a Dell GX1.
Purchase Celeron 1.1GHz
Video Upgrade - GeForce2 Ti200, Radeon 7500
Gamers salivate at the sight of the latest graphics card like the Radeon 8500 or the GeForce3 Ti500. While not really necessary for someone who mainly uses productivity applications, a new graphics card can significantly increase gaming performance. Higher-end models are never cost effective, so staying slightly behind the curve is an excellent idea.
$99 will buy you either a 64MB GeForce2 Ti200-based board or a 64MB ATI Radeon 7500, both of which offer excellent performance (though certainly not the highest), and are more than capable of handling today's and tomorrow's games at high resolutions and color depths. Users of less recent graphics cards (eg. the TNT2, TNT2 Ultra, GeForce 256) will see the largest benefits, although users of more recent products such as the GeForce2 MX and Radeon DDR will see definite performance increases as well, especially at higher resolutions and color depths.
Storage Upgrade - Seagate Barracuda IV, Western Digital Caviar WD400BB
With the proliferation of space gobbling operating systems, applications, games and data, it is hardly surprising that a new hard drive remains one of the most popular upgrades. Windows 2000 / XP together with a typical office suite already bite a 1.5GB chunk of space. Coupled with the average 500MB needed for each game, as well as a few stored movie trailers and MP3 files, and before you know it, you're out of disk space.
Today's top performing 7200RPM IDE drives can be had for just under $100. $88 will buy you a 40GB Seagate Barracuda IV, by far the quietest 7200RPM that we've evaluated, coupled with excellent performance. On the other hand, $84 will buy you a 40GB Western Digital WD400BB. It's noise level is on par with most other drives (ie. the average standard). If noise is not a primary concern, the WD400BB offers an average of 4-5% higher overall performance.
An interesting note is that upgrading a system's hard drive will improve overall system performance as well, even in common productivity applications.
Memory - the thing which gives us humans continuity in our lives (according to psychologists). It functions somewhat similarly in computers, being the temporary workspace for the processor. With today's RAM hungry operating systems, games and applications, having at least 256MB (especially on Win2K and WinXP systems) is essential to ensuring the best possible performance. While the more is not necessarily the merrier (there's a saturation point, typically above 256MB for most desktop usage), it can't hurt to "stock up" a bit. If techie dearest's system is currently RAM-challenged, adding some will most definitely boost overall system performance. Get the best; the KingMax 512MB PC-150 SDRAM DIMM ($70) or the KingMax 256MB PC2700 DDR DIMM ($75). Both types are powering our personal and testbed systems. Just need to find out which type you need.
Labtec's Verse-704 is a graceful, functional mini work of art. Long, slender and gently curved, it's as if it is arching toward you, poised to hear every single word. Alright, great looking microphone you say, but just a microphone. That's where you'd be wrong, as the Verse-704 is a digital, uni-directional USB mike that yields very clear recording quality in our tests (we've had one in the labs for quite some time now). Construction quality is good, and the device has some added robustness with its metal base. A combination mute and power switch on the base illuminates when the microphone is active, something that would definitely appeal to case modders (though blue would have been cool). As its name implies, it plugs into your computer's USB port, and appears as a separate device. OS compatibility is good, with support for Windows 98 or higher, as well as Mac OS 9.0.4 or higher.
At $39.99, it sadly doesn't clean the dishes, mow the lawn and take out the trash as well. But it is one swank looking microphone that any case modder will be proud to place beside his / her modded case, plus it provides recording quality that surpasses most analogue microphones. This one's a keeper for me. Highly Recommended!
Evergreen Technologies have begun to branch out with their RumbleFX line of consumer electronics products. The first product sporting the RumbleFX name are the RumbleFX force feedback headphones, which we reviewed
back in May.
Overall, I was a lot more impressed with the RumbleFX than I thought I would be. The last time I got this excited about an audio product was when I first auditioned the Altec Lansing ACS-48 (which immediately lightened my wallet). The RumbleFX force feedback headphones offer very good pure audio quality (ie. with force feedback disabled), albeit with slight deficiencies in the midrange. While probably not rivaling the audio quality of better headsets such as the Sennheiser line, you have to look at the price delta; US$39.99 list for the RumbleFX, US$160 for the Sennheiser HD570. What can we say? After all, we did award the RumbleFX our Excellence Award!
One popular use of MiniDiscs is to record MP3 compilations. One typically has to do either analogue recording (low quality and real-time), or digital recordings with soundcards equipped with digital outputs (expensive). Not anymore. If you've got a PC with USB ports and a MiniDisc recorder, Xitel has something right up your alley : the MD-Port DG2. The DG2 addresses the compatibility and pricing concerns of the original DG1. For $59.99, you get the DG2, a USB cable, a quality TOSLINK cable (better than the stock Sony cables), as well as a full copy of the MusicMatch Jukebox software. We've had one in our labs for quite some time. Though we never published a full, formal review, we can report that the DG2 offers superb recording quality when tested with a Sony MZ-R90 portable recorder. Ease of use is good, simply just plug and play (after installing the provided drivers of course). The bundled software is more than sufficient to start recording compilations, but you can opt to use your regular playback programs instead, as the DG2 appears as just another audio device to the system. Moreover, being an external unit, the DG2 can be utilized on virtually any system (desktop or notebook), even without a real soundcard being present. Very Highly Recommended!
We've come a very long way since the emergence of 3D accelerators such as nVIDIA's RIVA 128 and 3Dfx's Voodoo. Each successive generation brought more performance and features (trilinear filtering, FSAA, 32-bit textures, etc.) to the table, in part spurred by nVIDIA's aggressive 6-month product cycle. However, for all the improvements made, the resulting 3D images are painted onto a very 2D surface, your monitor. Thus, while looking realistic, the on-screen action just doesn't seem to be in your face.
Solution? Implement stereo vision in the virtual world, which is exactly what Wicked3D and E-Dimensional have done. Both solutions force compatible applications to render two separate images. Your mind does some fancy processing to combine the images in such a way that you actually perceive yourself to be "in" the virtual world. As you can imagine, this would definitely increase the immersiveness of games.
Wicked3D's eyeSCREAM light is unique : it is a software-based stereoscopic solution. Thus, the eyeSCREAM costs a lot less than competing hardware-based solutions - only US$14.95. Don't expect too much in the package. You essentially get a CD, an instruction sheet, and two pairs of black cardboard red/blue color filter glasses.
While you can read our full review here, suffice to say it works remarkably well, bringing stereoscopic gaming to the mainstream, and is also an excellent way to test the waters. However, compatibility is an issue due to the lack of Direct3D support. That said, we whole-heartedly recommend that you at least give them a try. Recommended.
E-Dimensional chose to go the hardware route. You get a base unit which functions as a pass-thru device between your video card and video connector (as well as your keyboard PS/2 port for its power source), the LCD shutter glasses, a utility/driver CD, as well as a compilation of sample games and stereoscopic images.
With broad support of operating systems (Win9x/ME/2000/XP), as well as both OpenGL and Direct3D support, the E-Dimensional glasses are definitely a more elegant (though more expensive) solution than Wicked3D's software-based solution. The wireless and wired models will set you back $99.95 and $69.95 respectively.
Say hello to the brand new dremel - Black & Decker's RTX. A rotary tool is most definitely a must in a case modder's toolbox, and the RTX is among the best (if not the best) rotary tool out there. $50 will get you a kit with the RTX tool, a 55 piece accessory assortment and a carrying case. If that's not enough, the RTX is compatible with parts from other rotary tools up to 1/8". It looks sleek and flashy, with a rubber grip up front, and weighs less than the average dremel. Featuring Black & Decker's Flip-Lock design; you simply turn the unit off, flip the lock back, loosen and replace the bit, tighten the collet nut and throw the lack back forward. The RTX will not start if the lock isn't down, a good safety feature.
Spec wise, the RTX is on par with other rotary tools. One minor grouch though is the higher minimum speed, which may cause a problem when attempting to cut softer materials such as plastic. Nevertheless, a great gift for a techie, whether he / she be a seasoned case modder or not.
Case modding is a whole new phenomenon that has slowly gained momentum in the past year or so. It is now most acceptable to paint/chrome your expensive aluminum case, add perspex windows, a fanbus, a couple of blowholes, or even add neon lights or GloWires. Some have even constructed their own custom (and usually perspex) cases from scratch, or converted briefcases for the purpose. Hell, even automakers are catching on. Flame decals, racing stripes, spoilers, neon accent lights - they're on the way. It's all about customizability and individuality.
So you've done everything to your case. However, one thing you might have overlooked is the case badge. Sure, you can now purchase your favorite company's or site's case badge for roughly US$4 a pop, but wouldn't it be great if you could achieve real customization? That's where the DIY case badge kit from MultiPlayCity comes into play.
Order the kit (which includes enough material to make 6 case badges), and just follow the included instructions. If you're short on graphical ideas, just visit our Cool Case Badge Gallery and download one. Voila! Now you have yourself a professional looking case badge, fully indistinguishable from commercial badges. The best part? You're only paying US$8 for 6 badges, compared to US$4 for a commercial one, and you get to print whatever you want. If you already have a modded case, this is a definite must have! Very Highly Recommended!
Rounded cables are one of the latest crazes on the 'net. After case modding really took off around the middle of 2000 (thanks in part to our buddies over at Virtual Hideout), it became quite acceptable to paint/chrome your case, add neon lights, perspex windows or even laser/plasma cutting patterns onto your case. While some of these are just for vanity, some do serve the crucial purpose of improving airflow in the case. Modern processors are incredibly efficient at producing heat, and for optimal system cooling, both air intake and output must be adequate.
Rounded cables provide a neat solution the problem of airflow restriction by reducing the clutter in a computer. While we have reviewed their rubber-sheathed rounded cables, HighSpeed PC's silver mesh rounded cables (though functionally similar) are much more stylish in appearance. A rounded IDE cable lists for $17.99, and a rounded floppy cable lists for $13.99. Get an entire set of cables for your techie in mind (2 IDE and 1 floppy) for only $49.97.
Does your computer look absolutely, drearily BORING? Spice it up with something from GloWire. Trace out a cool looking design on your case with some GloWire, or stick on one of their ultra-bright, high-intensity Lazer LEDs just for the heck of it.
The GloWire is an electroluminescent wire. It emulates the glow of neon, but with the flexible versatility of thin wire for ease of application. GloWire (the company) was established by Jim Beal and has been around for about two years now. They have more or less become synonymous with EL cables. With it, you can potentially add all kinds of special effects to a computer case. Typically, it is used to line plexiglass window mods and ventilation holes. Some unconventional uses include stringing it under your keyboard, or even your video card (as our buddies over at ipKonfig have done). Installation is straight-forward for the most part. Place the wire where you want, and apply some form of adhesive (eg. super glue, wire ties). The wire hardly generates any heat, so that is a non-issue. After mounting the wire, simply connect the driver unit to a spare Molex connector from your system's power supply, and plug in the GloWire. GloWire carries several driver models - the unit we received only had a 3-way switch; off, on, and flashing. The GloWires come in multiple colors, and the basic kit with a 12V driver unit, 5 foot section of GloWire and an accompanying instruction sheet goes for $24.95.
While carefully adding a length of GloWire can do wonders for your case, there's another nifty widget that you might want to consider - the Lazer LEDs. These are basically high-intensity LEDs, much brighter than your normal, everyday variety (like those on your floppy and CD-ROM drives). GloWire sells them either in a 3 light spread pattern or a cluster or 4 LEDs. Installation is even simpler than the GloWires; stick the Lazer LED unit in a particular location with some adhesive, and just plug it into a standard Molex connector. One idea is to install it at the top of your case, and have it illuminate your computer's front bezel (looks good on ours). Another is to use it as a floodlight for the inside of your case. The Lazer LEDs are available in blue, green, white, red and amber, and the casings are available in black, chrome or white. Each costs roughly $15-$20. When used properly in conjunction with a length of GloWire, your case will really stand out from the crowd, especially at night. :)
We currently have a few kits of both in-house, and they definitely make superb, funky additions to your case, albeit at a slightly expensive cost. This would make a very good gift for techies who dig case modding. Keep a sharp eye on our Cool Case Gallery - you just might spot an good idea or two on how to use these products.Very Highly Recommended!
Scott Mueller's Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 13th Edition
Alright, a true techie wouldn't really need this. But then again, techies sometimes have to RTFM too :) Scott Mueller's Upgrading and Repairing PCs is among the largest books that exist in the publishing world - roughly 2000 pages. Que sent us a copy evaluate a while ago. It covers a large number of topics in painstaking detail, from computer history to all the CPU formats (eg. Socket-A, Socket-5, Socket-7, Slot-1), to how dynamic execution works, even the manufacturing processes of components (eg. memory, processors, hard drives). There's also a substantial section on networking, covering such topics leased lines, DSL distance limits and how to make network cables, as well as a section on troubleshooting and data recovery.
The companion CD includes pages from previous editions, BIOS error codes, modem commands, hard drive specifications and some 2 hours of hands-on video (albeit postage sized) by Mr. Mueller. A handy feature (though only to residents of the USA) is the vendor database, an index of 396 US computer hardware/peripherals manufacturers and related businesses. The book lists for $59.99, but you can pick up a copy at Amazon for $41.99.
However, there is a ton of free information on the Web on building, troubleshooting and tweaking computers, such as the specialist forums on AMDMB. These are constantly growing sources, which keep "self updating" to take the latest advances in computing into account. Moreover, Upgrading and Repairing PCs suffers the consequences of being a printed publication - ie. it will not remain up-to-date for long. Why would any person want to buy this book?
Simple - it compiles a large amount of detailed information into a single, large, organized resource. This makes Mr. Mueller's publication a worthwhile addition to a techie's reference materials, while being an able guide to the budding techie. Recommended.
So, some techie you know has just bought the latest, ass-whupping AthlonXP system? Show him or her your l33tness with the AthlonXP unlocking kit from HighSpeed PC.
A little backgrounder first. The speed of a processor is the product of the front side bus (FSB) and the processor multiplier (or CPU to bus speed ratio). An AthlonXP 1500+ runs at an actual speed of 1.33GHz. It utilizes a 133MHz FSB and a multiplier of 10, thereby giving 1330MHz. Overclocking used to be a much easier process, as you could change both the FSB and multiplier. However, both Intel and AMD implemented multiplier-locking on all their processors. However, AMD processors' multipliers (eg. on the Duron, Thunderbird and AthlonXP) can be unlocked with the right techniques and tools, whereas Intels are impossible.
The unlocking kit contains the tools necessary to unlock the full range of multipliers on the AMD XP line of processors. A steady hand and some patience is required. Included in the bundle is an applicator pin, masking tape, dual lens magnifying glass, enough material to unlock at least 25 CPUs, and a cleaning agent (to remove the material). An instruction sheet will clearly guide you through each step so you will be on your way to enjoying faster CPU frequencies in no time flat.
A bargain considering you can potentially turn an AthlonXP 1500+ ($107) into an AthlonXP 1800+ ($184) for only $11.99.
Spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch. Pardon the R-rated(?) statement, but you get an idea of how hard it is for a techie to keep track of all his / her gadgets (Austin Powers agrees). More than that, how is one to lug around an array of electronic hardware large enough to take on a small communications company? Scott Jordan would like to draw your attention for a moment, to his SCOTT eVEST that is.
The eVEST is the techie's equivalent of a classic photographer's or fisherman's vest. It is made of a water-repellant, cotton-blend fabric and has 15 pockets, designed for everything from sub-notebooks, cell phones, MP3 / CD players to PDAs. The vest's Personal Area Network (PAN) is a system of velcro secured conduits that hold wires in place (hidden from the outside world's view of course), and an opening near the neckline keeps your cell phone's and MP3 / CD player's earphones handy. Got a call? Press the phone's button, put on the earpiece and just talk. You can even throw in a can of your favorite cold beverage (hey, geeks get thristy too). As a bonus (what with the increased security at airports), the eVEST simplifies passing through airport security because you don't need to disconnect, remove and then reconnect all of your devices. Just send the whole shebang through the X-ray. Additionally, some trade shows (such as the recently held COMDEX) now disallow the use of bags, but do allow the use of an eVEST. Definitely a life saver for those who have to carry say, a PDA, digital camera, cell phone, pager and beverage while covering the event.
In short, the SCOTT eVEST adds no extra bulk while concealing and allowing the indiscreet usage of all your gadgets. Normally, the eVEST lists for $160, but you can get it directly from their website now for $99. Comes in black and khaki, size M to XXL. Perfect for the geekiest techie on your gift list.
Moving a computer has always been a chore. Assuming a small monitor, the case is probably the heaviest component of your system, being that it is fully loaded with so many components. Pile on your cables, keyboard, mouse, CDs and other accessories, and you will instantly form the swaying (not leaning) tower of Pisa, just waiting to succumb to gravity. It gets worse with the advent of LAN parties, where participants often have to travel quite a distance whilst lugging all the above-mentioned equipment along.
Necessity is the mother of invention. This saying is proven once again with the arrival of the GearGrip Pro from CaseAce, which literally lets you carry an entire computer (sans monitor and speakers) with ease via a single handle. It has been billed as the ultimate case harness, and rightly so. The GearGrip Pro can support up to 70lbs, enough to accomodate your CPU and most other components. The GearGrip holds the CPU, while the side pouches holds your keyboard, mouse, mouse pad, cables and headphones. Construction quality is good, and it holds up very well even under heavy usage. The CPU is held securely, without any slipping.
All good and well. What about the monitor, the next biggest computer component? CaseAce has that covered too, with their GearGrip CRT, released a few months back. Though simple in appearance, it is one of the handiest devices which we have received. Like the GearGrip Pro, it is well engineered, robust during usage, even when transporting our unusually heavy Samsung SyncMaster 17GLs. CaseAce even put some fabric on the sides of the nylon strap to prevent fraying. The monitor remains quite well balanced, and minimal swinging was observed. Although the GearGrip CRT is rated to withstand the weight of a 21" monitor, we did not have the opportunity to test this claim, as the only 21" monitor we have at the moment is a MAG Innovision MX21DF which has a button door. The other large monitor we have is a 24" Sony wide monitor, another unsuitable test candidate.
For $35 and $27 respectively, you can't really go wrong in buying either the GearGrip Pro or the GearGrip CRT, especially if you're into LAN parties, or need to transport a full system for presentations or other functions. They get our Excellence Award. Congratulations CaseAce!
