Issue Date: August 14, 2005

TECHNOLOGY

HOT STUFF

A top tech expert's favorites -- plus affordable alternatives

by Janice Chen

Whether you're a high-salaried executive with an AMEX Black Card or you bum a fiver from a friend for a slice of pizza, everyone loves a new tech toy. Fortunately, there's a digital democracy out there, with products available in almost anyone's price range. Here are some that caught my eye, plus lower-priced alternatives that will get the job done -- and more. (Specific model numbers are included in some summaries as a guide. More information on these products -- including photos and price comparisons -- may be found at CNET.com.)

Wireless Messaging

DREAM PICK: T-Mobile Sidekick II: The unique design of this cool smartphone -- the in-vogue term for phones with PDA functions -- makes it perfect for e-mail and IM addicts. You also can surf the Web, take snapshots and, of course, make phone calls. It costs $249.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate, with a one-year service contract.

THE BARGAIN:
LG F9100: If you need only messaging, this cellphone from Cingular Wireless is great. Its slide design hides a full-alphabet keyboard that makes typing a cinch. With three versions of IM -- including AOL and Yahoo! -- you can have 35 open IM conversations at once. Cost is $99.99 with a two-year contract.

MP3 Players

DREAM PICK
Apple iPod: It's hard to get much better than the best-selling iPod -- the most coveted MP3 player ever. The latest, fourth-generation version touts photo capability, improved battery life and Apple's famously easy-to-use menus, which allow you to easily select playlists or quickly scroll through songs -- sorted by artist, album title and more. It's fairly well priced at $299 for the 20GB version (which holds about 5,000 songs), and it now features a color screen.

THE BARGAIN:
Creative Zen Micro: If the iPod's cost leaves no cash left over for tunes, consider getting the 4GB Creative Zen Micro, which you can pick up for $179. Although you can't take as much music with you, it still can hold up to 2,000 songs and comes in 10 different colors. Another bonus is that the Zen Micro is compatible with more than one online music store (but it's not compatible with Apple's iTunes).

TVs

DREAM PICK: Panasonic TH-50PHD7UY:
This big, fat plasma TV is high on everyone's "in-your-wildest-fantasies" list. It delivers a terrific picture and good contrast (which plasma TVs aren't well-known for). It arrives with a list price of $6,495, but you can find it in stores from $4,000 to $5,000. It doesn't include an HDTV tuner, which means rather than receiving high-definition programs over the air by simply connecting an antenna, you'll also need to buy a separate tuner (or cable or satellite box), which will set you back at least $150 more.

If you can't afford a plasma TV, you don't have to give up on your 50 inches of Monday Night Football heaven. Consider opting for a rear-projection TV instead. These TVs work internally by projecting a picture onto the back of the screen (which you then view through the front), so they're not nearly as slim as the 3.7-inch-deep Panasonic plasma (where the picture is created right in the flat screen itself). But, at 14.1 inches deep, this rear projector from Samsung is still much slimmer than traditional, old-school, tube-based TVs. It also doesn't have an HDTV tuner built-in, but the list price is just under $2,800.

Cameras*

DREAM PICK: Canon Digital Rebel: Now down to $799, this 6.3-megapixel SLR (single lens reflex) camera has wowed photo enthusiasts everywhere. It combines automatic point-and-shoot functions (which make it easy to use right out of the box) with everything a serious amateur photographer wants, like manual control over shutter speeds.

THE BARGAIN: Kodak EasyShare V550: For those who don't need high-end features but still want enough resolution to print out 8-by-10-inch photos, this 5-megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoom lens is a good fit. It's good for those who prefer the convenience of a super-compact product vs. state-of-the-art picture quality. The V550 also has a large, 2.5-inch LCD screen and quick battery recharging. It sells for $399.95, which is a bit costly for a 5-megapixel point-and-shoot but still more affordable than the Digital Rebel.

Janice Chen is editor at large at CNET.com, the leading online source for helping people buy and use personal technology. She was named among the top five Web influencers for two years in a row by AdWeek's "Technology Marketing."