Small Factor Desktop

I’ve been looking for a small factor desktop replacement since my K45 Shuttle died (the motherboard overheated).  The first option that came to mind is the Mac mini.  This compact system can be used as media center while showcased as an attractive piece of decor in the living room.  My only hesitation is it’s an Apple device; something I don’t want to get into yet as I’ve seen the addictions you can have: buying one thing from Apple will lead to buying everything else from Apple.  An alternative would be the Dell Zino HD which looks almost as nice but costs less than the Mac mini.  The only thing I’m skeptical about is the AMD processor, since I’ve always been an Intel guy.

The Dell Zino HD starts at $449.99 at Dell.ca

Android Tablet

When the iPad came out, I was thought it was a great concept running the iPhone OS inside a full size tablet.  The 10″ screen was large enough to work as a e-book reader and surf the web without squinting my eyes, but also portable enough to carry around.  The best part is, like the smart phone, it turns on instantly when I want to use it.  No more waiting for the stupid OS to boot up!!

Unfortunately, the 1st generation iPad was missing some critical features e.g. Flash, and multitask, as well the price of $499USD for a 16GB is a bit pricey for me.  Recently, a lot of companies have announced that they will be bringing Android tablets to the market.   My choice is the Archos 101 internet tablet.  It has all the features I want, and cost $349USD for the 16GB version.  Yes it lacks 3G, but adding another data plan to my monthly expenses is something I want to avoid.

The Archos 101 (16GB) is available at B&H $343 USD.

Compact Digital Camera

It’s not all the time I can or want to bring my DSLR with me.  This is where I missed having a compact digital camera.  The Canon PowerShot S95 is my choice with a wide 28mm focal length and aperture range of f/2.0-4.9, make it a small camera that packs a lot of punch.  Why not get the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5? Although the LX5 is the better camera, it’s not very pocketable, and that’s the first reason I wanted a compact DC.

btw I got this already at The Source for $379 but it still counts in my wish list.

Lenses

My list won’t be complete if it didn’t include any new glass for my Canon T2i DSLR. I’m already an owner of the Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, and the cheapo Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

Here are 3 more lenses I would like to add to my artillery:

Wide Angle

I like taking shots of architecture buildings and landscape, and the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM will do the job for me perfectly.

The lens is available at B&H for $720USD; photoprice.ca

Macro

Taking shots of things up close and personal is also something I like to do, and the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM can definitely do that.  The 100mm focus length will let me take very close up shots of subjects without actually being very close to it.

The lens is available at B&H for $509USD; photoprice.ca

General Purpose

The Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS was my first lens that I got along with the T2i body.  I really like the lens for it’s versatility, working incredibility well as a travel/general purpose lens.  However, the aperture range of f/3.5-5.6 is sometimes not enough which is why I’m considering an additional lens for general purposes.  My considerations are: Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM and Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM.  This is pretty tough choice since for $300 more gets me a L lens.  However, the 17-55mm f/2.8 is no slouch and takes very high quality pictures, as well comes with IS, which is lacking on the L lens.  Lots of rumors are flying about a version II coming out for the 24-70mm f/2.8 L which includes IS.  I’ll probably wait on this to see what happens.

The EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS is available at B&H for $990USD (photoprice.ca) and the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM is available for $1280USD (photoprice.ca)

Bonus

With Windows Mobile 6.5 lifespan coming to an end, moving to an Android phone would make the most sense for my next smart phone and I have my eyes on the HTC Desire.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m still very happy with my HTC Diamond 2, that’s why I’ve mention this as added bonus.  So why the HTC Desire and not the HTC Desire HD?  While the 4.3″ screen would be nice to have, but probably won’t be necessary once I get my hands on the Android tablet, as well due to the large screen battery usage for the HTC Desire HD is absolutely terrible.

So, dear Santa if you are reading this, then these are the toys I want for Christmas this year.  Thank you and Merry Christmas!

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Later, I went to eBay and got Bumblebee and Soundwave, Jazz and Thundercracker, Ultra Magnus and Megatron, Optimus Prime, and Unicron. I now have the COMPLETE SET of this collection! Take a look at the photos I took of them in my gallery.

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