New toys can be hard to buy!
Ξ July 24th, 2008 | → 2 Comments | ∇ Geeky, Give me Strength, Technology, University |
I’m in the market for a few new toys: a solid-state digital recorder; a Netbook computer; and a Bluetooth car-stereo.
It’s so much easier said than done though!
Digital Recorder:
This will mainly be used to record lectures and tutorials [as in the Oxford Tutorial System]. Previously I’ve used my Sony minidisc recorder for this kind of thing, but I’ve recently decided that I *need* a machine-to-machine transfer, via USB. Plus I’m fed up with discs!
So which one to buy?
A quick web search got me wanting a Edirol R09 HR [which might be overkill]; or a Zoom H4, or H2. So, where to find sample recordings and reviews of these: websites that purport to carry reviews are often just ‘fronts’ for ad-farms, and even when you find a review, it’s often some non-professional’s ‘first reaction’ etc. I gave up quite quickly.
So, can I find a local store that has any of these – any of them? The answer’s either ‘nope’, or ‘nope’. So, it’s basically ‘take a punt’ time [the American meaning, and not the Oxford one!]; or wait until I go to London [which I hate doing!] or Birmingham [which I hate doing even more!]
Temporary Failure on this then.
Netbook:
For making notes and doing research; without lugging a heavy notebook about the place.
PC World has the normal ASUS machines, but they’ve also just started stocking a re-badged MSI Wind machine – and it’s nice! So nice in fact that I quickly said ‘I’ll take one of these’ to a passing, typical tech-store, spotty ‘numpty’.
Numpty: ‘No you won’t’, ‘we don’t have them in stock’. peetm: ‘Ok I’ll order one’ Numpty: ‘No you won’t’, ‘you’ll have to check the website and reserve one when they come in’ peetm: ‘You’re joking?’ Numpty: ‘No I’m not’ [and stop calling me ‘Numpty’]
So, now I have to routinely remind myself to check PC World’s website: which means putting one of these in a virtual shopping-basket, proceeding to the checkout, selecting ‘Collect in Store’, entering the postcode of the store, and then hoping that after all of that, a green checkmark will appear against its address! Which it isn’t doing! bah!
Temporary Failure on this too then.
Bluetooth Stereo:
I’m fed up with my TomTom 920’s so very weak FM-transmitter’s strength [or lack of it!] We have the TomTom setup so that we can listen to books-on-tape [sic] and directions using the car stereo [the TomTom's internal speaker’s pretty crap of course].
The trouble with this is that, as you drive about, sooner or later [most often ‘sooner’] you’ll enter an area in which there’s a commercial station transmitting on the same frequency as the TomTom. And, as the TomTom’s RMS power output is diddly squat, the commercial station first bleeds through, and then, after a few minutes, totally breaks through – which means stopping to retune things. Hopeless.
We’ve tried other tricks to rectify this – like removing the car’s aerial, but the TomTom’s so low on power output that that doesn’t work too well – and, of course, you can say goodbye to any traffic reports!
We’re off to France in about a month for a holiday, so we really *need* to be able to listen to our books without getting wound-up – we’re meant to be resting!
Anyway, the TomTom can also use Bluetooth, so I thought we’d treat ourselves to a new car stereo.
‘Once again into the breech dear friends’, and off I go to the local Halfords‘ store.
And they have Bluetooth stereos!
They have three, but I’m offered a choice of two; as they don’t have the price for the third one!
Can I play with them? They have them rack-mounted, and powered up – so you think the answer’s ‘yes’ don’t you?
Well, the answer’s actually ‘no’; they’re behind plexiglass!
However, the ‘numpty’ in this store *did* seem to know a thing or two, and as they also offer a fitting service for £10 it looks ‘ok’ – I could just go for one of these. Yes, I’d like more choice, but …
So, I write down the model numbers and head off home to see if I can find manuals for either of them on-line. Which I can. However, I also discover that Halford’s isn’t at all competitive [fair even] when it comes to price.
Hmmm. Choices: pay around £60 more than I could mail-order one for, plus the £10 fitting charge, and get one fitted from Halford’s, or take that punt again and get one from elsewhere – which will mean my wrecking the car trying to get the old one out, and fitting the new one of course! Plus I’ll have skinned knuckles, and not have the right adapter cable so that Megan’s steering column controls will work with the damn thing!
Temporary Failure here as well!
So, here I am, checking PC World’s website every few hours [Numpty: ‘they could come in any time’]; umming and arring over digital recorders that I can’t test; and considering going to a specialist car-stereo place in the hope that the numpties there will have more choice, and be reasonable/fair on price! Fat chance!
