Stuff Geeks Want

You already know Apple’s 24″ LED is the display the 11th commandment would tell you not to covet.

But if you want it so badly but can’t afford to buy a new Mac or PC with a Mini DisplayPort connector, there’s now a solution: Atlona’s DVI to Mini DisplayPort Converter.

Sure, at $179 it means you’re Cinema Display hook-up will now run you over a grand, but that’s still cheaper than a new computer. Indulge!

Buy for $179 direct

At the dawn of the computer age, futurists predicted it.  In 2009, ASUS delivered it. 

I’m referring to the Eee Top ET1602, a countertop computer with a touch screen interface that makes the included keyboard and mouse optional.

Here’s what I’m most excited about:

1. Built-in WiFi (802.11b/g/n) means I can set this bad boy up anywhere in the house.  Recipes and shopping lists with Internet radio in the kitchen?  Done.  Media center in the living room controlling access to hours of video and audio content from the Web?  Done.  Google calendar on my refrigerator?  Done!
2. Gobs of USB ports means I can hook up any external devices I want, whether it’s the Drobo for loads of external storage, an external DVD drive, or the TV tuner and capture device that could power my homebrew DVR machine.
3. Its small size and carrying handle mean I can pick it up and move it wherever I can find power for it.  I’m not stuck with it in one location simply because it’s too bulky to move.
4. Its 15.9 inch LCD screen means that, while it may not replace the monster LCD or plasma TV in the living room, it could easily serve as a smaller, more intimate entertainment device for the coffee table (it actually seems to lack video output, which could be a handy feature if you wanted to show those YouTube videos on that monster TV). 

Available in black or white, it retails for $599.  This makes it an inexpensive way to offload some of the tasks you’re using your more robust systems for.  Don’t expect to do serious work on it, but for entertainment and information, this is perfect.

I am buying this machine simply because the idea of having an Internet-based calendar easily accessible in the home for the whole family, and this calendar can do so much more.  Now if we could just perfect that wireless power idea…

ASUS Eee Top ET1602 for $599 from Amazon.com

So, it’s Black Friday, and I need a new monitor. I want a 22″ or 24″ external monitor for my laptop. I went to Fry’s in person this morning at 7:00 a.m., and they’re sold out of everything I might want… So I came home, and started surfing, and what did I find? I found this online:

This 24″ monitor from New Egg. Talk about cool, and talk about a good deal:

The SCEPTRE X24WG-1080P 24-Inch DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor offers razor-sharp, widescreen image clarity and a host of innovative features. With a 160° viewing angle, 16.7 million brilliant colors, precise resolution, and a startling contrast ratio, you’ll be amazed by the clear, life-like images this wide-spectrum monitor offers.

The X24WG-1080P features an advanced dual interface capable of handling both a D-Sub 15-pin and DVI-D connections for your high-resolution demands. The impressive response time virtually eliminates the “blur” found in slower monitors. A pair of integrated 2-watt speakers round out your media experience in a compact package! Whether you’re working, enjoying your graphics, or gaming, you won’t believe your eyes when you see the X24WG-1080P.

It’s a SCEPTRE X24WG-1080P Black 24″ 2ms Widescreen LCD Monitor Built in Speakers. It’s normally $269, but today through 11/30, you get it for $239, then add in the $40 mail-in rebate, and it comes in at under $200. You can’t beat that. Grab one before they’re gone.