Friday, December 31, 2010

Goodbye 2010!

2010 was overall a good year. In terms of purchasing power, I've been able to buy a lot more stuff that I've wanted/needed now that I have a steady income. In honor of 2010 as well as to say goodbye to 2010 I'll write about 3 items that stood out to me: The great, the regret and the meh.

The Good: Apple iPad (32gb WiFi)

Without a doubt my favorite purchase this year would have to be the Apple iPad. I got the WiFi version because I just don't have a need for 3G at the moment. I have 3G on my phone, I can tether (via jailbreak) and in all honesty this device is not always with me.

Still, I've been able to do a lot of things with it that I normally wouldn't be able to on an iPhone or iPod touch. Taking notes in class (for the short time that I did before I just started skipping Microbio), drawing (Sketchbook Pro is hands down mvp app for me this year) and reading (iBooks has revived the reader in me) to name a few. Hulu and Netflix while in bed is also a great feature that I've gotten to use quite often.

It is definitely NOT a computer replacement, but those seeking a secondary device would not be disappointed with the iPad. I've convinced some of my friends to get one, and they love it as well. If I could do 2010 over again I would not hesitate to buy the iPad once again. It is by far my favorite purchase of 2010. At $599 MSRP for the 32gb WiFi I would not consider it a bargain, but from the use I got out of it, it was an investment that was worth every penny. I eagerly await the arrival of the iPad 2 this coming February.

The Regret: Canon Rebel xTi DSLR + 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Kit Lens
Photography is a fun little hobby that I've been interested in for quite some time now. So to jump into the world of DSLR's I purchased this camera in the summer for my sister and I to share (since she's also interested in becoming a so called 'photog'), I bought it used off my cousin (body only) and went on to buy the most popular starting lens, the 18-55mm Kit Lens, which comes standard with entry level Canon DSLR's. Initially I wanted 'the most basic DSLR set up' and that's exactly what I got. Almost nothing more.

All my friends and family members with DSLR's had more advance set ups. Better bodies, better lenses. Naturally I was jealous and felt like a complete noob in their presence, but of course, it's ultimately the person that will make the picture and not the gear, so I kept with my basic and started practicing. Now that I'm a little better I feel that my lens right now is too restricting, and I feel that I'm ready for an upgrade, both body and lens. I've ordered a 50mm f/1.8 prime lens (yes, still considered a newbie lens) and I'm still debating between a 35mm, 85mm or a 10mm fisheye. I also ordered a Canon t2i from Best Buy and I'm waiting for it in the mail (2 year free financing FTW!).

Not a huge regret, but a regret nonetheless. I wish I just shelled out the extra money (hell, I could've financed a t2i back in the summer just like I'm doing now!) and just went straight to the t2i, which is still considered an entry level DSLR. Now for me the price of upgrading is not only the cost of the t2i but also going through the trouble of selling off my current DSLR. The xTi uses CF as opposed to SD memory, and I had to invest in those as well, so it's just a bit frustrating when I should've just went straight to a camera that I'd be happier with for longer.

The "meh": KOR One Hydration Vessel

Ever since before 2010 I've wanted a glass Voss water bottle. I thought they were really cool looking and I wanted one for myself. When i finally got one, I realized how big and heavy they were (not to mention they were glass, smashing things in my backpack!). The KOR One Hydration Vessel was the ideal replacement for me. Initially it was everything I wanted in a water bottle: easy to use, easy to clean, BPA free and unique/stood out. When I got this in the mail I was surprised to see that it was just as big as the Voss water bottle, but it was much lighter and efficient to use, so I put up with it.

Now they (KOR) came out with a newer design called the Kor Delta. The Delta comes in two sizes, a small and a large (the large being equally big as the Kor One). Great, maybe I should have just waited.

The Kor One is real eye catcher and a very well thought out water bottle overall, but at $29.99 MSRP (plus tax and plus shipping if you order online) steered a lot of people away. The KOR Delta (the small one at least) retails at $22.99, which is a much more reasonable price seeing as how most 'nice' water bottles are in the $20 range anyways. But since I was a registered member of KOR I got a 35% coupon code one day and decided to buy a Delta anyways. So now I have a big Kor water bottle that probably will not see use outside of the house.

I don't necessarily regret this purchase as the water bottle promoted a healthier lifestyle in me. I was drinking more water, and ever since I bought this water bottle I have not bought bottled water, so I am heavily reducing my carbon footprint. Therefore, I'll just leave this purchase as a "meh", haha.

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So that's it for this post. I plan to use this blog mostly to talk about and review things that I bought/want to buy. I'm trying to write less in my blogs because I know people don't like to read huge walls of texts (and I tend to overwrite). I know I didn't do such a great job with this post but I hope to keep it brief enough to warrant your guys' attention in the future.

Happy New Year everyone! Have fun and be safe! See you guys next year!!!