Choose what fits your budget:
BUDGET BUYER
The following products are available for less than $250.
Blog
Multiple platforms
FREE
A blog costs little, except your time. Solutions like Blogger, TypePad, and Wordpress make it easy to get started. Even if you opt for a fee-based premium plan, blogging is an investment in your career. It can enhance your reputation, demonstrate your expertise and improve search engine placement. If you do plan to blog in 2010, approach it as a year-long resolution.
Smartphone
Available through Verizon Wireless for $99, after rebate, with a two-year service contract
Blackberry’s new Curve 8530 is one of several models that make it easy and affordable to get started with a smartphone. Running the Blackberry OS, the 3G Curve 8530 has built-in WiFi, GPS, and a 2-megapixel camera with digital zoom and video capabilities. There’s also a mini-QWERTY keypad and microSD memory card slot.
USB Camcorder
$149; HD version available for $199
The Flip Ultra is an easy-to-use, inexpensive solution for posting video tours and testimonials. With 4 GB of internal flash memory, it can record up to two hours of video at 640×480 resolution. The Flip has a USB connector and FlipShare software for formatting, editing, and uploading video to a computer and the Web.
Printer
$199
Prices have come way down, so you can get a lot more printer for your money now. Case in point: Epson WorkForce 1100. Maximum print size for this color inkjet is 13×19 inches, big enough for quick signs on the fly. To reduce consumables, it has separate ink cartridges for each color. Maximum print speed for standard sized pages is rated 30 pages per minute (ppm) black, 17 ppm color; and 13 ppm black, 5.5 ppm color in its laser-quality mode.
Cameraphone
$199 through T-Mobile, with service contract
At this writing, Samsung’s 8-megapixel Memoir T929 is one the highest resolution cameraphones available, but that will surely change as the year progresses. If you don’t need a true smartphone, consider something like this full-featured product with GPS for your communications and photography needs. Specs include 16x digital zoom and built-in flash.
MID-RANGE BUYER
Here are a few solutions you can find between $250 and $750.
Smartphone
$299 with two-year service contract from AT&T
Apple’s iPhone set the bar in the smartphone sector, and it’s on many practitioner wish lists. The top-of the line 32 GB iPhone 3GS has a 3-megapixel digital camera/camcorder, touchscreen interface, voice control of phone and iPod functions, and built-in GPS with an integrated maps application. It runs on the iPhone operating system and is compatible with thousands of software apps.
Scanner
$329
Fujitsu’s Snapscan s300 gives mobile real estate professionals seeking an easy solution for converting printed forms and contracts to PDFs for sharing by e-mail. This compact mobile scanner converts two-sided printed documents to searchable PDFs at speeds up to eight pages per minute. It can also scan business cards and export the info to Outlook and other contact management systems.
Netbook
$329
HP’s entry Mini 1101 delivers the compact size and connectivity that make this growing class of mini PCs increasingly popular. It has the 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor, 2 GB of RAM, a 10-inch screen, integrated webcam, mobile broadband, WiFi b/g, and Bluetooth adapter.
Picture Projector
$429
Nikon’s new S1000pj boasts one feature technology that will hopefully find its way into other handheld devices this year, including smartphones. Built into the camera is a video projector system to display images and video at sizes ranging from 5 to 40 inches, on any surface. It’s also a serviceable compact camera, with a 12.1MP sensor, 5x wide-angle optical zoom lens, and a 2.7-inch LCD.
Desktop Computer
$499
Lenovo’s all-in-one computer, the ThinkCentre A70z, claims less space on your desktop without sacrificing performance or features. Just 2.4-inches thick, it has a 19-inch screen for mounting on the desk or wall. The basic configuration has an Intel Celeron processor, DVD player and hard drive, with optional WiFi and webcam.
Multi-Function Machine
$699
Step up to a color laser printer for the home or office with Canon’s network-ready imageClass MF8350Cdn. The desktop-sized printer/copier/scanner/fax measures 17×19 inches. Speed is rated 21 pages per minute when printing black or color, and it can handle two-sided printing, copying, and faxing.
HIGH-END BUYER
The following products cost more than $750.
Camera/Camcorder
$899 in kit with one lens
Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-GF1 is one of the new breed of compact digital single-lens reflex (SLRs) cameras that can double as a high-resolution camera or HD video recorder. As a camera, it has a 12.1-megapixel sensor, built-in flash, three-inch LCD, and settings for point-and-shoot implicity or full creative control. There’s a dedicated video button, and several recording formats, including HD 1280×720 video.
Enhanced GPS
$1,299
If you want a permanent solution for mobile navigation and entertainment, an in-dash system like the Eclipse AVN726E may be a good fit. It’s a full-featured GPS system with a 7-inch touchscreen and voice prompts. It’s also an AM/FM receiver with built-in DVD player and an input jack for direct connection to an iPod.
Mobile Workstation
$2,749 for basic configuration
Dell’s new Covet M6500 workstation is designed to be the only computer the mobile professional needs. With Windows 7 Professional installed, it has an Intel Quad Core 1.6GHz processor, 2GB RAM expandable to 16GB, a 160GB hard drive, 17-inch screen, media bay with DVD recorder, and a Dell WiFi mini card for wireless networking.
Learn More: 2010 Tech Wish List ׀ Shopping Glossary ׀ What Others Want
Michael Antoniak is a journalist and technology expert with a focus on real estate applications. Antoniak also writes about real estate technology at his blog, RealTechTools. He can be contacted at antoniak@dtccom.net.
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