The 2000s have been the first decade where I’ve actually had some serious purchasing power. While I rarely splurge, I have managed to accumulate some excellent technology over the past ten years. Here are my favorites from each year:
2009… Synology DS209j NAS (two 640 GB drives in RAID1)
Like the DreamHost of file servers, this network attached storage (NAS) device provides an intuitive, clean interface to most of the things you’d want to do with a Linux file server. No need to install software, tweak config files, or make sure that services start on boot – the Synology pretty much Just Works. I bought the DS209j and (separately) two 640 GB drives for a reasonable total of $360. I have a similar model that I use on the job and absolutely love it for that purpose.
2008… Apple MacBook Pro (15″ screen, 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM)
I have never been happier with any computer. Of course I’ve never spent more on any computer… this one cost me a grand total of $2,150. I later upgraded to 4 GB of RAM for a trivial sum. In terms of my computing history, I ran Windows all the way through my undergrad, then switched to Linux for the next seven or so years. Now that I’m using OS X, I have all the polish of an Apple product, with the stability and hackability of a UNIX system.
2007… Panasonic TH-50PX77U (50″ plasma, 720p)
I researched this purchase exhaustively in the AVS Forums and wound up with a good deal on an awesome television – $1,900 including shipping. Of course, these days I could get a 1080p set for less, but let’s not think about that. I expect this plasma to act as my primary television for years to come.
2006… Nintendo DS Lite
As you can see from Part I and Part II of my Nintendo DS Roundup series, I have logged many hours on this slick handheld. I love the dual screens, even for games that have no touchscreen functionality at all. The battery life is awesome, the suspend/hibernate mode works flawlessly every time I close and re-open the clamshell, and the two speakers do actually provide a decent audio experience. It’s difficult to imagine a better portable gaming system than this.
2005… PlayStation 2 (slimline)
Yes, I was certainly a latecomer to the PS2. The positive of this was that I could sift through the huge library of existing games to pull out the gems:
- Final Fantasy X
- ICO
- Shadow of the Colossus
- Resident Evil 4
- Katamari Damacy
- Final Fantasy XII
I didn’t pour my soul into this system like I did with the Gamecube, but the PS2 provided a reliable, quality console experience while also serving as a DVD player for my second television.
2004… Game Boy Advance SP
This little clamshell was a fitting ancestor to the DS. A few of my favorite games for the system:
- Mario Golf
- Advance Wars
- The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age
2003… TBD
2002… Nintendo Gamecube
I doubt that I will ever get more mileage out of a gaming system than I did with the Gamecube. Looking back at my reviews, I see a slew of great games that held me captive:
- Super Smash Bros Melee
- Eternal Darkness
- Metroid Prime
- Super Mario Sunshine
- Gladius
- Resident Evil
- Skies of Arcadia Legends
- The Legend of Zelda: the Wind Waker
- XIII
- Beyond Good & Evil
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Hell, I even wrote a research paper on the Gamecube’s CPU for a computer architecture class in grad school. The wireless wavebird controllers were a brilliant innovation – especially for a cat owner. The Gamecube was there for me at a point in my life when I needed a lot of distance from certain personal matters; this is technology that has special meaning.
2001… Toyota Camry
Although I bought the car used in 2002, the Camry itself is a 2001 model. With only 24,000 miles on the odometer, I felt that the total cost of $15,200 was a great deal; my interest rate was pretty good, but let’s not think about the extra I paid to the bank. Anyway, this car is never going to get me any chicks, but it does work flawlessly, doesn’t leave me stranded, and has been very reasonable in terms of maintenance costs. I’m not a car guy, but when a machine with that many moving parts functions so reliably, you know you’re dealing with quality engineering.
2000… TBD
You might have noticed that there are no cell phones on here; having owned a Palm Pilot, Treo 650, and Centro, I’ve felt underwhelmed in that department. However, I am hoping that the Droid will find a home on my list for the next decade…
Great entry! Enjoyed reading it…on my Android device!