Fast Forward: Holiday Gadget Shopping

Washington Post personal technology columnist Rob Pegoraro was online to talk about his guide to holiday gadget shopping, a hot new phone/PDA combo device and more.

And don't miss The Washington Post's annual guide to personal computers, which includes an Interactive PC Guide.

A transcript of the discussion is below:

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Rob Pegoraro: Only 17 shopping days until Christmas--are you all sick of the gift-procurement business yet? :) I've tried to help out with that over the past few weeks with the gift guides I've written for the paper and this Web site, but now it's your turn--to ask questions about things I missed, challenge my recommendations or offer your own advice.

Let's get started...

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Arlington, Va.: Dear Mr. Pegoraro,

Thanks for your tech guides, I have found them helpful. Still, I find myself unresolved on my final purchase. I hope you can help. I want to buy my husband a portable music player. He is a distance runner and is training for his first Ironman triathlon. Therefore, while I understand that units with flash memory will prevent skipping, I want to make sure that I also get something that can provide at least six hours of continuous play, since his work-outs routinely last that long. While he is a huge music lover, I do not expect that he would tax the memory by loading 20 million songs onto the unit. He is more likely to rotate his music selections. I am willing to spend some money to get him the right player. Can you recommend something?

Many thanks,

A Lucky Wife

washingtonpost.com: See Rob's "tips for MP3 player shopping," and this week's Closer Look feature -- "MP3 Players to Rival Pricier iPod."

Rob Pegoraro: This is the problem with writing up shopping advice for the general audience--there's always an exception. I wrote that, if you're getting an MP3 player to listen to in your workouts, you should get a flash-based player, and not bother getting more than two hours' worth of storage, because who works out for more than two hours at a stretch anyway?

Well, here's your answer.

Unfortunately, six hours of flash memory storage makes no economic sense--you'd spend more than what a regular hard drive-based player, with far more storage, would cost. OTOH, you really shouldn't have any skipping issues with a hard drive player; my main concern would be size and durability. One player you might want to look at in this case is the Rio Nitrus, which uses a *really tiny* hard drive to store 1.5 gigs of music in a case no bigger than flash players. It's a poor value in strict $/song terms, but it might be what you in particular are looking for.

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Falls Church, Va.: I would like to buy myself a new multifunction printer/fax/scanner/copier to replace my 8 year old HP dinosaur. I have a Dell P4 8200 series with USB 1.1 ports. Does the conversion to USB 2 always require opening up the case and installing a card? Is there any external USB device made that would allow me to have USB 2 port(s) WITHOUT opening the case? Do I really need USB 2 for new peripherals or do I just make sure I buy stuff that is "backward compatible" ?? Thanks for your time, as always. Season's greetings. Tina

Rob Pegoraro: I don't think you need USB 2.0 for scanning, unless you'll be doing a lot of it, and you definitely don't need it for printing.

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Basking Ridge, N.J.: Some cars now come pre-wired for bluetooth, allowing you to use your phone hands-free in the car without having to plug it in to anything. Despite the pre-wiring, it does cost about $500 (in my case) to get the bluetooth car kit. Does this actually work reliably? My phone is a bluetooth-capable Ericsson and this sounds like an elegant technology, but not, of course, if it doesn't work.

Rob Pegoraro: You're kind of asking the wrong guy--my car is sold, it didn't even come pre-wired with power side mirrors :) Can any Bluetooth-in-car users testify on this point?

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Arlington, Va.: I have one of the Creative Labs Nomad Zen NX 30 GB MP3 players. It's my first experience with MP3 players and I love it. I put 2100 songs (pretty much my whole CD collection) onto it with no problem and more than enough room for lots more songs. The software can glitch from time to time by not recognizing that the player is connected to my computer but closing and restarting the program usually does the trick. It doesn't seem any bigger than an iPod to me but I think it is a little heavier because of the metal case elements. Once you learn the controls it's a piece of cake. Slips into my shirt pocket for my commute easily. I wish the shuffle mode was a little smarter (it repeats some tracks more often than it seem like it should) but that's a minor quibble. All that for about $250. A very good deal.

Rob Pegoraro: Thanks for the report. (The Zen Xtra was one of the iPod-esque players my writer Daniel Greenberg reviewed in yesterday's paper, and which he liked as well.)

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Alexandria, Va.: I wish the Post would do some reporting on rebate scams. Stores lure you in with promises of huge rebates on tech products, but then the manufacturers do every thing they can to keep from paying. What gives? Even when I follow the rebate instructions to a tee, the manufacturers often claims I failed to submit all the required info.

Rob Pegoraro: We have--our reporter Caroline Mayer did a piece for me on this topic only a year or so ago, as I recall. But if you've got a fresh outrage to report, please let us know.

(That reminds me: I've really gotta get this Amazon rebate form sent in...)

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Washington, D.C.: Rob -

I just got my new computer, which has Outlook on it, and which I was intending to use has my email client. (The computer came with Outlook Express; my brother upgraded me to Outlook). My problem is, Outlook is a bit too busy for me (I was using Netscape 4.6 on my old computer, and was comfortable with that), and I'm having a heck of a time transferring my old e-mail into it. I was thinking of using Outlook Express, but I'm not sure if it's still on the computer or if my brother removed it (I'm at the office right now and can't check). Can Outlook Express coexist with Outlook on the same computer, or am I looking at some awful program glitches if I try to go this route?

Rob Pegoraro: Outlook Express should work fine for you--it directly imports Outlook mailboxes, something that few other programs can do. The odds are it's still on your computer, since it's one of those "integrated" programs (like Internet Explorer). Before you use it, however, make sure you've downloaded all of Microsoft's security updates for it: windowsupdate.microsoft.com

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Annandale, Va.: Is there much difference between brands of recordable DVDs? What about +r/-R formats? The Sony DRU510A in my computer can burn both formats. I've bought Khypermedia -R disks because they're cheap. So far they've worked fine in the computer and on my JVC DVD player. Is there a down side to them? Are name brands such as TDK or Fuji much better? The answers from the sales staff at Best Buy and CompUSA don't inspire confidence and I feel they are just pushing more expensive products. I've never seen a great review on this anywhere. Thanks

washingtonpost.com: Check out Rob's tips for DVD player shopping.

Rob Pegoraro: Both +R and -R, in every review I've seen, work about equally well--as long as your DVD player isn't totally old or totally bottom-of-the-barrel, it should play either kind of write-once disc. The format differences I've written about all center around re-writing utility, a different topic altogether.

I've heard some people say that big-name-brand blank DVDs work better on their computers, but if you're finding that this brand functions fine on your hardware, it's hard to argue with that experience. Comments, anyone?

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Parkville, Md.: So is this the year to finally buy a DVD recorder to replace the VCR?

Rob Pegoraro: I hesitate to call that a "safe" buy, but the fact is that prices have collapsed much as I had hoped--Gateway sells a DVD+RW unit for just $350 or so. But if you wait until next year, you might (emphasize "might" be able to buy a DVD recorder with an integrated digital-cable tuner, meaning you could record shows much easier than you can with any VCR today.

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Washington D.C.: Hi Rob - About a year or so ago I saw an article in one of the high tech magazines about a device that can cancel out cell phone signals for about a 20 yard radius. Are you familiar with it or know where/how one can be obtained. Yes, I know it's illegal. But it strikes me as a much more measured response to cell phone stupidity rather than mounting a howitzer on the roof of my car. Can you help me out here Rob?

Rob Pegoraro: Nope--I have no idea where such a thing would be purchased, or if it exists. Besides, the person whose cell phone you jam might be a doctor or a cop getting called into duty.

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Washington, D.C.: I have an Ericsson phone with Bluetooth (T68i) and I love the fact that it's wireless. The phone sits in a simple cradle in my car, I plug in the DC cable from the (ex-)lighter jack and use the headset. Didn't go for the hands-free kit... no need. When walking around, I leave the phone in my pocket or bag, again use the wireless headset. A bit getting used to (vanity...), but otherwise great!; No going back to wires for me.

Rob Pegoraro: Thanks for the report!

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Arlington, Va.: How's about a "how to" on overclocking your CPU? I found a great program on overclocking your graphics processor put out by power strip.

Rob Pegoraro: I've written once or twice on this topic, but it's a little esoteric these days, when even the slowest machine has more than enough juice for anything that a typical user will throw at it. However, if this kind of thing floats your boat, I'd suggest stopping by Ars Technica (www.arstechnica.com) and reading their how-to guides.

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Bethesda, Md.: What new approaches do you see coming up in the data input area for smartphones?

Rob Pegoraro: I don't see anything terribly new coming down the pike, just better implementations of the existing approaches--handwriting recognition or condensed keyboards. (A surprising number of phones now take this approach--Nokia's shipped a few that hide regulation QWERTY layouts in some fairly clever ways)

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Bethesda, Md.: Rob, I am losing my mind... I needed a wireless network in my rented condo b/c there is only one cable input. So I installed Windows XP on my dog-old Dell machine so I could get a wireless USB for Internet Access, because XP supports wireless but win 98 does not. HOWEVER, recently I installed an Ethernet card (not a wireless card) inside the machine. Can I now demote the machine back to windows 98 and attach some wireless thing to the ethernet card so I can get wireless internet access yet NOT with XP? I researched all this at the time but now can't remember why I did want. My motivation is to get XP off the machine and it back to Windows 98, using the Ethernet card to somehow get wireless access.

Rob Pegoraro: Um, I'm confused--what don't you like about Windows XP? If you've got networking functioning properly under XP, why do you want to go through the setup agony all over again?

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Falls Church, Va.: Love your chats!; I have an iMac. I like the Pro Speakers, but I'd like to upgrade and crank out iTunes. I've looked at the Harmon Kardon Soundsticks, and a few others. Are there a couple speaker/subwoofer combos that stand out as the best for the money? Thanks!;

Rob Pegoraro: Haven't tried any of them myself, but will gladly post recommendations from anybody here today...

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Gaithersburg, Md.: Hi Rob,

I'm looking to buy a flash memory mp3 player, preferably one whose memory can be expanded through use of an SD card. There are two areas I'm a bit shaky on, and I'm hoping you can help so I can make the right buy.

1. Do certain players only work with Real Player as the music-managing software while others players work only with MusicMatch Jukebox, or can you use any music-library software with any mp3 player?

2. Do all transfers of mp3 files between the SD card and the PC have to take place through the mp3 player? Or can I hook up a generic SD card reader to my PC in order to move the music onto the card?

Finally, any recommendations in the under $200 range? Thanks!;

Rob Pegoraro: 1) Generally, the player will come with its own software, but in many cases you can use another program (RealOne or Windows Media Player) to manage it instead. Best to check at Real's site to see what models it supports.

In some cases, the player presents itself to the computer as an ordinary storage device, so you can drag and drop tracks in the usual My Computer window.

2) Not sure. If the player acts like a standard storage gizmo, that would certainly be possible. But in other cases, no.

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Bethesda, Md.: "Progressive scan" is the same thing as "non-interlaced", right? Sigh. Why is terminology always -much- more complicated than it needs to be?

Rob Pegoraro: I'd like to say it's because these folks want to keep people like me in business, but I doubt it has anything to do w/ concern for my personal welfare.

Also, "progressive" has this whole connotation of forward movement, while "non-interlaced" starts with a negative, and that sort of negativity just won't do!

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Cell phone jamming: Slate's on this one today. Interesting piece.

slate.msn.com/id/2092059/

Rob Pegoraro: Oh, yeah--I actually saw that headline, but hadn't gotten around to reading it yet. Whoops...

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Downtown: I'm looking into buying my boyfriend a digital camera, but do not have a lot of money to spend. What brands do you recommend, as far as cost and quality are concerned? Also, in your guide you mentioned that if you are ever going to blow the pics up to 8 x 10 that a 5.0 megapixel is the way to go...I'm not sure whether or not in the future he would want to be able to do that, in which case am I better off buying the 5.0 megapixel and not a 3.0?

Rob Pegoraro: Prices have come down a lot all around, and I'm not aware of any brands with particular quality issues, so long as you shop amongst manufacturers you've heard of and steer clear of the under-$100 bargain-basement models.

Your other question is really one of the lasting dilemmas of shopping for consumer electronics: This industry can always sell you more capacity than you need, but, since changing technology tends to change behavior, you can't count on your own needs not changing as well in the future. (I hope that syntax wasn't completely Rumsfeld-esque :)

I guess I'd put it things to you this way: If he's got framed photo prints by anybody on the wall, or he's got more than one coffeetable book of photography--all things that suggest an interest that could be awakened further by a digicam--then you should go with the 5-MP model.

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Washington, D.C.: Rob - if you wanted combined phone and email access, would you go to the Treo 600 or Blackberry 7230?

Rob Pegoraro: Treo 600. The Blackberry's a decent phone, but you can't shut off the e-mail downloads if you've got a regular Internet account (which completely annoyed me after a few days), and it's an absolutely horrible handheld organizer--the developers seem to have collected books on good interface design, then set out to ignore every recommendation in them.

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Falls Church, Va. - follow up(if you have time): Sounds like I don't NEED USB2 but will I have to make sure peripherals are "backward compatible"? Will I have to go to USB 2 eventually....is "backward compatible" going to disappear or is the nature of the USB2 technology that it will always work with USB1.1? Sorry for the follow up but I am so confused about this USB stuff. Tina

Rob Pegoraro: First, every USB 1.1 device will still work fine with every USB 2.0 port--you can't tell the difference. And USB 2.0 devices can themselves plug into USB 1.1 ports, just at a much slower rate. The only reason to add a USB 2.0 port is if you want to connect peripherals that can actually use those faster data transfers--for most people, the only examples of such are MP3 players and external hard drives

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Baltimore: Rob,

I enjoy your articles in the washington post and washingtonpost.com.

I have a problem with the washingtonpost.com home page and I need your help to correct it. When I log onto your home page, the title header "washington.post com" on the left side and the title header "print edition - subscribe to the Washington Post" on the right side do not appear. This header should be immediately above the sections, "News; Opinion; Sports, Arts and Living; and Entertainment". This missing header problem only occurs on the home page. The header appears normal on the linked pages to the individual articles.

I asked my friends to log onto the web site and the web site on their computers appears normal. I am concerned that I may have done something incorrectly and I would like to correct the problem.

What do I need to do to fix the problem? Thank you.

P.S. I am not sure if you respond to personal replies or you only reply in your articles. However, I would appreciate your assistance to solve this problem. If you cannot respond to a personal reply, please let me know the date you may consider publishing, identifying, and suggesting a solution the problem in your next article. Thank you again.

washingtonpost.com: The experts here suggest that you check your browser settings to make sure that javascript is enabled. If you have any difficulty resetting your browser and need some help, send an e-mail to editor@technews.com. We'll try to help. Be sure to tell us what kind of browser (and version!) you are using. Thanks.

Rob Pegoraro: Sending this along so Balto. sees our Web site's response. Please get in touch--they're the people to talk to on this kind of issue, not me.

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Arlington, Va.: Much as I love my 20-year old SLR, I am ready to try digital technology for photographs and video recording. What do I need to know (in really simple terms) about what features and media storage devices I should prefer for a digital camera and mini digital camcorder. I have $1000 to spend to buy both. P.S. I use an IMAC.

Rob Pegoraro: If you love using an SLR but don't want to spend more than a grand on a digital camera, there's only one choice at the moment--the Canon Digital Rebel SLR camera, which my contributor Jim Hawk praised in a review a few months back. (Can we get a link to this?)

I think Sony and Nikon are working on under-$1,000 DSLRs, but they're not due until next year.

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Reston, Va.: Rob,

Paul Suh at Apple here. For "bethesda, maryland" who wants to downgrade from Windows XP to Win98:

He or she needs something like this.

(No particular endorsement of that particular product, it's just the first one I found in a quick search.) As to why Bethesda might want to downgrade, Windows XP might be too much OS for an old machine that's short of RAM, has a slower CPU, etc.

--Paul

Rob Pegoraro: Thanks. Here's one answer for Bethesda...

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Arlington, Va.: Hi, Thanks for taking my question. Is there any way to compare/contrast gaming systems, i.e. Game Cube, X-Box, Play Station? Have you seen a site that does this or do you have a personal favorite that's good for an 8 year old? I don't know where to start. Thanks again.

Rob Pegoraro: My advice in this area is to start with your kid--ask what games he/she wants to play, then buy the console that supports those titles. Most gamers have a pretty clear sense of what they want, and that will usually determine what hardware to buy pretty quickly.

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Alexandria, Va.: Rob - I'm in the market for an mp3 player and I just read yesterday's review . In the end, do you have a favorite model? Also, I'm looking for something that will sync well with an Apple home computer. Does the iPod have an advantage or are they all fairly Mac compatible?

Rob Pegoraro: For Mac synchronization, the iPod has a huge advantage in terms of overall convenience, elegance and seamlessness. Plus, you can use iSync to stick your contacts and calendar on the thing.

(Yes, the iPod does remain my overall favorite, as that comment suggests.)

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Arlington, Va.: Rob -- I'm looking for a combination DVD/VCR player. Are there any models (or articles) that you recommend? Thanks.

Rob Pegoraro: No. That end of the market is in the commodity stage--it's almost like asking me to recommend a brand of CD-RW blanks. All I can do is suggest buying from a brand you trust, with the features I outlined in my story for our Web site. If you already have an audio receiver from one company, you might as well get the DVD/VCR player from the same source; you might be able to avoid adding to the pile of remotes on the coffee table that way.

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Arlington, Va.: Rob, I'm looking at buying either a new or slightly used powerbook? Could you maybe shed some light on the disparity of processor speeds between macs and pc's? Does a 1 ghz g4 equal a 2.0 p4? i may be doing some photoshop work, but nothing extremely taxing. Thanks

Rob Pegoraro: A 1 GHz G4 can equal a 2 GHz Pentium 4 in some tasks (say, DVD encoding), but not in a lot of others (managing large photo collections in iPhoto on the Mac versus doing the same thing in Photoshop Album on the PC).

Note that the second example compared two completely different programs--which is both unfair and necessary, since you don't get to use the same apps for the same tasks on both platforms.

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Arlington, Va.: I found the PDA buying guide very helpful and am now pretty sure I want a Palm Tungsten E. (Hear that Santa?) My husband also wants a PDA this year, and while the Tungsten E would certainly suffice, he's looking for something a little more bare-bones, primarily for contacts and scheduling. He's said he doesn't care if it's black and white, but one important concern is durability - he works at a warehouse and has been known to scratch up gadgets before. Any inexpensive, drop-proof PDAs on the market?

Rob Pegoraro: I don't know about drop-proof, but the Zire 21 seems like a solidly built device, and it does handle the basics pretty well. However, if that warehouse's lighting isn't that great--if it looks like the warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark--the Zire 21 won't work so well, since it doesn't have a backlight.

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Bethesda, Md.: I followed your advice, and purchased a Tungsten E. Lots of people must have followed you (excellent) advice, since Palm doesn't even sell separate wall chargers (so what do I do if I lose the one shipped with the unit?).

Onto my question. This is my first PDA. I've noticed that after about 4 hours of continuous use (such as inputting my rolodex into Contacts using Grafitti 2), I've used up the battery and need to re-charge the unit. I've got brightness set to about midway along the slider scale, or darker.

Is this standard battery life for this unit, or is there something wrong?

Many thanks for taking this question, and for such excellent coverage!

Rob Pegoraro: I've seen a Tungsten E run down after four hours of sustained use of Documents To Go, but that's a fairly processor-intensive app. But I don't think that's how most people use this kind of device; a Palm is something you briefly consult, not a tool you spend hours and hours in front of. Which brings me to my question: What on Earth are you doing entering contacts by hand with Grafitti 2 when you've got a perfectly good set of desktop software you can use with a real keyboard?

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Olney, Md.: Hey, Rob, how does the MPx200 compare to the Treo (either 300 or 600)? I would like to only carry one device, but more importantly, I'd like to be able to update phone numbers ONCE and be able to dial them from my address book.

Also, right now I have a Zire 71, and so I'm assuming that if I got the MPx200 I wouldn't be able to transfer all my memos and my to-do list as easily as if I got the Treo (w/ Palm OS) and synced my old data to it. (I do, however, use the Chapura conduit to sync Outlook on one computer to my Palm data, so maybe I could sync a Windows-based PDA with my old data by starting on that computer?)

Rob Pegoraro: It depends on how you might use the thing. If you're a read-only type, as I wrote in the review, the MPx200 should work well for you. But if you tend to change your schedule or take notes to yourself on the go, you should get the Treo 600.

The other factor there is wireless carrier compatibility. I didn't get into this in the review, but the Treo is available from everybody but Verizon, while the MPx200 is an AT&T exclusive. So if you like your current carrier, and you current carrier's name isn't AT&T, that will probably rule out the MPx200 in practice (especially given how badly AT&T seems to be dealing with number portability)

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Baltimore: Ok, kinda broad question, not sure if this is the type you usually answer. My boyfriend is a technology lover. He is constantly on his computer, whether its downloading movies/music, playing games or who knows what else. When I ask what he wants for x-mas he tells me more memory, bigger harddrive or something equally as boring. Any ideas on something a little more 'fun' for xmas. I know its kind of a generic questions, but any ideas are welcome seeing that I am not a technology guru. Thanks.

Rob Pegoraro: Think gadgets--something to plug into that computer. A new digital camera or MP3 player, provided he didn't just get one, might appeal to his technology tastes while being more, y'know, gift-like than a new memory module.

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Princeton, N.J.: I've read that putting together an LCD monitor isn't too different from assembling the parts together to make a PC. I don't know if this is true. But if it is, doesn't that mean that everybody and their brother and sister will manufacture LCDs (just like Dell and Gateway are doing) by simply assembling the parts together and prices for LCDs will plummet, just like PCs?

Rob Pegoraro: Where'd you read that? LCDs have some interesting and toxic chemicals inside their shiny little contours (ask anybody at Ballou H.S. in the District what they think of spilled mercury :).

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Santa Fe, N.M.: Please answer this one for me. Thanks.

I have an HP Pavilion desktop computer with Pentium IV processor running Windows XP and Microsoft Office Home.

When I'm using Hotmail, or sometimes other online services, I seem to get an unusually high number of "Page Cannot be Displayed" connection failures which are normally easily resolved by refreshing the page. I THINK that it's just timing out after 10 seconds or so....but it gets to be annoying after the 10th time in 5 minutes. (I have a DSL connection, and there are many times when I have no problems and the pages fully load within seconds...)

Is there any way to increase the wait time or do you have any other suggestions as to what might be going on? Is the problem on my end, with an overloaded server, or both?

Rob Pegoraro: If you only see these problems when you're using Hotmail, then it's almost certainly Hotmail's problem. If it happens at a lot of other sites, though, it's more likely to be your own Internet connection suffering from random drop-outs.

Bad news is, either way there are tough problems to fix... you've gotta get people to fix things on their own computers, but your only leverage is as one consumer among many

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Washington, D.C.: Rob -- Interesting article on MP3 gear brings many questions to mind. Is there a "dummies guide" to downloading music? What does it take to do this, sitting in front of my computer for hours at a time? Is the process to upload (is that the term?) to an MP3 player real-time or is it like burning a CD-ROM?

The thought of taking an MP3 player on the road is an interesting but daunting one, as the preparation process seems overwhelming (time consuming!).

washingtonpost.com: See Rob's recent column, "The Lowdown on Downloads."

Rob Pegoraro: Hope the link helps...

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Another gift idea: A couple of months ago I picked up a combination DVD player/Tivo unit that comes with free access to a scaled-back version of the Tivo service (but can be subscribed to the full service if you choose). I've been pretty happy with it so far, and it could be a good idea for that spouse or other person who would consider a digital video recorder but doesn't like the monthly or lifetime subscription fees.

Rob Pegoraro: Thanks for the suggestion. I'd heard about this category of TiVo devices, but didn't know any were on the market yet.

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Princeton, N.J.: If you had the choice to buy a large screen TV (50" or larger), what would you pick? Plasma, LCD, DLP, or something else.

Rob Pegoraro: DLP or plasma; they're a better deal. Both still absurdly expensive, but if I wanted to save money I wouldn't be buying a 50-inch set in the first place. (Which, as it happens, I'm not.)

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Washington, D.C.: Do you have any idea when the 40 gig Rio Karma will be out?

I have a Creative Labs nomad 20 gig, and while it's served me well, it's now crashing regularly, and I'm running low on space. Plus, I'm planning to be in a war zone for 3-6 months starting in January, and I want to transfer my music to something that will last and keep working. Preferably something I can take to the gym. This means I need something good, and I need something with at least 40 gigs. I also don't want to spend more than I absolutely have to. So if the Rio 40 is expected out in the next few weeks, it seems like a good bet. If not, I guess I have to pick between the Zen and the ipod. Thoughts?

Rob Pegoraro: No idea when a 40-gig version will be out. I haven't had any reports of Zens crashing from any of my reviewers in the last year, so that's what I'd suggest if cost is a priority. Otherwise, get an iPod and keep it in its case, firmly strapped to your belt or whatever, when you exercise.

And wherever you're going... be careful out there, OK?

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Northern California: Hi Rob,

What is your favorite cell phone (flip phone style)? I'm mostly interested in good basics: reception quality and talk/stand-by time. I also want a phone I can use with a Verizon national plan.

Any thoughts on the Motorola T730?

Thank you.

Rob Pegoraro: I've got a Motorola T720 and have been pretty happy w/ it overall. It feels a little flimsy, but it's solid enough in daily use, and battery life is fine (standby time definitely seems better than talk time). The thing I like most about it, however, is that it's supported by Apple's iSync software, so I can keep my phone book current on it without any actual work.

The T730 only seems to be a minor refresh of the T720, so I'd certainly look at that one myself.

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Philadelphia: One gadget I didn't see mentioned is the Roomba iRobot vacuum.

I've found that I can extend my online gaming time with this little fella cleaning up the living room floor as I play.

Oh, I just setup my Panasonic TMR3040 DVD recorder. Though I agree, its still not PRIME time for DVD recording, its great being liberated from analog tape (ok, the signal is still analog from TV). One thing I found useful is a plugin for iMovie that allows me to take my DVDRAM recorded TV show and edit it right from disc to HD on my G5. Cool!

Happy Holidays!

Rob Pegoraro: Better living through technology, eh? (We've got one other suggestion for the Roomba as a gift today. Here's our review of it.)

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Greenbelt, Md.: I just got a wi-fi laptop at home to supplement my desktop. I use Eudora for my email client on the desktop and it downloads my email from Earthlink. How can I use the laptop to do the same, or will they conflict with each other?

Rob Pegoraro: The Ask the Computer Guy column covered this a few weeks ago. Hope that helps...

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Waldorf, Md.: Rob,

I am a life-long Mac user, but am considering buying a PC. Can you make a strong argument against buying a new iMac?

I am not a heavy gamer, and expect to use the computer for day-to-day activities such as Quicken and Word/Word Perfect. I would also use it to print/edit digital pictures/movies.

Thanks.

Tim

Rob Pegoraro: I can't tell from your question if you're looking to be steered in one way or another. But here are a few general thoughts on this issue:

* If gaming is a must, then you really shouldn't get a Mac.

* If you just want to get on the Internet--e-mail, Web and not much else--without a lot of bother, a Mac will make that much easier, because you don't have the virus of the week to deal with. It also helps that the bundled Web browser in Mac OS X blocks pop-ups, while IE does not.

* Quicken is available in Windows and Mac versions, but the Mac version isn't as good as the Windows version--mainly because a lot fewer banks support downloading of account info to Quicken for the Mac. (From what we've heard, this is entirely Intuit's fault.)

* I like Office v.X for Mac OS X better than Office 2003 for Windows.

* WordPerfect is Windows-only, so that settles that.

* You can get more features for the money in a PC system, but it will come at a price of its own in terms of hardware quality and elegance of design.

Hope that helps somewhat...

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Tivo/DVD players (followup): The one I have is the Toshiba SD-H400. I believe there are also one or two from Pioneer that are DVD recorders. Significantly more expensive, but if you really need that DVD recording capability....

Rob Pegoraro: Thanks for the follow-up. Yes, the Pioneer DVD recorders are just a wee bit overpriced. They also use the wrong format for VCR replacement (DVD-RW)

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Rob Pegoraro: And with that, it's time for me to sign off for today. I'll try to do one more chat before the holidays, for all those last-minute shoppers... see you all then.

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