Gadget love

Calling it first love would be a hyped statement, but gadgets have definitely found a place in my ‘passion’ list. The first time I started experimenting with gadgets was when I joined Business Line, for the Lifestyle magazine Smartbuy. If I remember right, the first product I officially organized for review was an LG Viewty. The pleasure I derived from possessing the gadget, though for a very less time, was substantial. From there on, there was no looking back. I constantly started getting gadgets and more gadgets for review. 

My tryst with the Apple iPhone is worth mentioning. I enjoyed every minute the iPhone was with me. More than anything else, my love for brand Apple made it all the more enjoyable. Yes, if there’s anyone I truly admire, it would be Steve Jobs, and then Bill Gates. Apple and Microsoft are the two brands that I admire, the way they make their product, the way they market them, oh, everything about them is just wonderful and worth analyzing. A friend often mentioned that whoever possessed the Apple iPhone, even for a very short while, started developing a haughty attitude – may be, may be not. But I was very proud that I organized for a review of the iconic gadget. When my name was associated with the review, I was extremely thrilled. It was simply the best thing that happened. This could be a silly observation for some, but it wasn’t like that for me. 

Every time I write about Apple, you can find passion in those words. Truly. There, I started writing more and more about the brands. About the iPhone, its secrets, its brilliant apps, then the hands-on experience, then the iPod Analysis over the generations, wow, it was great writing about it. I wish I get to meet Jobs some day. The next brand I admire is probably Nokia. Could be because I have interacted with the Nokia spokesperson more than any other, but the brand seems to have impressed me quite a bit. 

Next only to Apple, the brand Nokia is well known for the way it markets its handsets – the unique ‘experiential marketing’ – yes they were first at it. Yes, I am getting to the N96 review next. I got the opportunity to attend a reviewer’s conference and then got hold of the handset for review, was being told then, that I was the first Indian journo to secretly get the handset for review. How would it be for a budding techie reporter like me? Great. Brilliant, we had the N96 for a month in our labs; we tested it in all possible ways and came up with a well balanced review, the handset rated by a three-member core-technology group of Smartbuy. Wow, Nokia must be glad to read and take valuable inputs from our reviews. 

So far, in my list of reviews, the two iconic gadgets have found place. Next in queue is the BlackBerry Bold, a BlackBerry with a unique design, the first fashion-conscious BlackBerry, and then, the LG Secret, it’s the first LG phone in an affordable price range, that comes with a frame made out of carbon fibre, one of the lightest composite materials with stylish pattern, and tempered glass, adding sheen and strength; it shields the front LCD with a polished simplicity. And then, probably the next much-hyped gadget which is also touted as an iPhone killer from Samsung – the Omnia. The Bold has already entered our labs; we’re waiting for the other two. We also have the Motoyuva A810 – yes, you heard it right – it’s the affordable touchscreen PDA from Motorola. The journey has begun and I’m sure its gonna be great.