TORONTO (djc) – Due to the overwhelming popularity of our
exclusive section, we have once again created a list of Essential
Digital Gear which features the latest and hottest digital
equipment.
Before you rush out to shop for the latest and hottest gear, make sure
you turn to the pages of Digital Journal magazine, or visit us online
for your one-stop shopping guide. Digital Journal‘s Essential
Digital Gear continues to be your wish list of must-haves.
ESSENTIAL NOTEBOOKS
| Product Name | Sony PCGZ1WAMP1 | IBM Thinkpad T42 | Dell Latitude D800 | Acer TravelMate 8000 | HP Pavilion zv5240ca |
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| KEY FEATURES | |||||
| Display | 14.1″ SXGA+ TFT | 15″ TFT active matrix | 15.4″ WXGA Display | 15″ TFT active matrix | 15.4-in TFT WXGA |
| Processor | Intel Centrino 1.7 GHz | Intel Centrino 1.7 GHz | Intel Pentium M 1.4 GHz | Intel Pentium M 1.6 GHz | Intel Pentium 4 3.0 GHz |
| Installed Memory | 512MB DDR SDRAM | 512MB DDR SDRAM | 512MB DDR SDRAM | 512MB DDR SDRAM | 512MB 333 MHz DDR |
| Hard Disk | 60GB | 40GB | 40GB | 60GB | 60GB |
| Graphics | ATI Mobility Radeon 16 MB video DDR SDRAM | ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 32MB | NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 4XAGP with 32MB DDR Video Memory |
ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 8xAGP 128MB DDR SDRAM | ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 IGP 128 |
| Optical Drives | CD-RW/DVD | CD-RW/DVD | CD-RW/DVD | DVD±RW / DVD-RAM | 24X DVD/CD-RW combo |
| Dimensions (HWD in.) | 1.5 X 12.4 X 9.7 | 13 x 10.6 x 1.2 | 1.5 x 14.2 x 10.9 | 12.9 x 11 x 1.4 | 1.8 x 14.3 x 11.6 |
| Wireless | Integrated Intel 2.4 GHz | Integrated Intel 2.4 GHz | Dell Wireless 1350 WLAN | Integrated Intel Pro | Integrated 802.11 b/g |
| Estimated Battery Life | 5-6.5 Hours | 4.4 Hours | 4.1 Hours | 5 Hours | 2 Hours |
| Weight | 4.7 lbs | 5.7 lbs | 7.1 lbs | 6.4 lbs | 8.1 lbs |
| Why It’s Essential | Sleek style and mobility along with integrated Bluetooth and great software bundle |
Improved wireless with IBM Ultraconnect antenna built into the display |
Unique options include the wide 15.4″ display and integrated smart card reader |
Second-generation Pentium M processor and 3-in-1 card reader |
An excellent choice for a home or office desktop computer replacement |
| Price | $3,200 | $4,470 | $2,560 | $2,900 | $1,900 |
ESSENTIAL DIGITAL CAMS
| Product Name | Olympus E-1 | Canon Powershot A95 | Olympus Verve | Canon EOS 20D | Sony CyberShot DSC-P150 |
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| KEY FEATURES | |||||
| Effective Resolution | 5.5 Megapixel CCD | 5.0 Megapixel CCD | 4.0 Megapixel CCD | 8.2 Megapixel CMOS | 7.2 Megapixel CCD |
| Battery Type | Li-Ion Rechargeable | 4 x AA Batteries | Li-Ion Rechargeable | Li-Ion Rechargeable | InfoLithium |
| Max. Image Resolution | 2560 x 1920 | 2592 x 1944 | 2272 x 1704 | 3504 x 2336 | 3072 x 2304 |
| File Types | TIFF/JPEG/RAW | JPEG/AVI | JPEG/QUICKTIME | JPEG/RAW | JPEG/MPEG |
| Supplied Memory | None | 32MB | 16MB | None | 32MB Memory Stick |
| Memory Type | CF (Type 1 & 2) | CF (Type 1) | XD Picture Card | CF (Type 1 & 2) | Memory Stick |
| Zoom (Optical/Digital) | Depends on Lens | 3x/4.1x | 2x/4x | Depends on Lens | 3x/6x |
| Viewfinder | Optical | Optical/LCD | LCD | Optical | Optical/LCD |
| Why It’s Essential | Slashproof, built like a tank and powerful battery | Outstanding Autofocus control for off -centre objects and a 1.8″ variableangle LCD display |
Designed with style and loaded with useful features | Compatible with all Canon EF & EF-s Lens and starts up in 0.2 seconds |
Pocket-sized camera with great power and capabilities |
| Price | $1,800 (body only) | $700 | $500 | $2,800 | $650 |
ESSENTIAL INPUT DEVICES
| Product Name | Logitech Cordless Optical | Auravision Lazer Mouse | FellowesSecure Touch | Microsoft Optical by S+arck | Kanguru 128MB Mouse |
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| KEY FEATURES | |||||
| Compatiblity | PC and MAC | PC and MAC | PC | PC and Mac | PC and MAC |
| Connectivity | USB | USB | USB | USB | USB |
| Cord length/Wireless range | N/A | 4.4 feet | N/A | 4 feet | 45 feet |
| Comfort Design | Right-handed | Right/Left-Handed | Right/Left-Handed | Right/Left-Handed | Right/Left-Handed |
| Optical | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Scroll Wheel | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Weight | N/A | 0.25 lbs | 0.25 lbs | N/A | N/A |
| Why It’s Essential | Maximum portability with included carrying case for mouse and USB receiver |
Sleek design with steel case and blue illumination. Great accuracy with 800dpi |
Fingerprint authentication removes the need to remember passwords |
Created by world-famous designer Phillipe Starck | Equipped with 128MB storage and a laser pointer for presentations |
| Price | $60 | $41 | $41 | $45 | $174 |
ESSENTIAL CELL PHONES
| Product Name | Sony Ericsson K700 | Nokia 6225 | LG VX6000 | Motorola i830 | BlackBerry 7510 |
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| KEY FEATURES | |||||
| Antenna Position | Internal | Internal | External | External | External |
| Service Provider | N/A | Bell Mobility | N/A | Telus (MIKE) | Telus (MIKE) |
| Screen Type | 176 x 220 TFT 65K Colour | 128 x 128 | 120 X 160 X 262K TFT | 65K Colour TFT | 260×160 Colour |
| Included Features | FM Radio, MP3 player, Loudspeaker, Bluetooth | Calendar, Alarm, Voice Recorder, web-browser | Blue Backlight Keypad, External LCD | Digital Voice recorder, GPS receiver | Integrated 34 key QWERTY backlit keyboard |
| Internal Camera | VGA 640 x 480 | VGA 640 x 480 | VGA CMOS 330K pixels | N/A | N/A |
| Standby/Talk Time | 360/7 hours | 144/2.5 hours | 110 hours/150min | 60 hours/200min | 75 hours/165min |
| Weight | 93 grams | 3.46 oz | 113g | 111.8g | 5.85 oz |
| Dimensions (HWD in.) | 3.9 x 1.9 x 0.8 | 4.2 x 1.8 x 0.8 | 5.4 X 1.9 X 0.9 | 3.3 x 1.8 x 0.8 | 4.5 x 2.9 x 1.0 |
| Why It’s Essential | Large high-quality display | Synchronize your contacts and calendar with your PC | Built-in mirror for selfportraits, stylish design | Smallest phone offered by MIKE service | Full featured organizer, radio communication |
| Price | $580 | $200 (2-year contract) | N/A | $300 (3-year contact) | $500 (3-year contact) |
ESSENTIAL DV CAMS
| Product Name | Canon Optura 40 | Sony DCR-HC40 | Sanyo Fisher FVD-C1 | Panasonic PV-GS400 | Hitachi DZ-MV580A |
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| Media Type | Mini DV | Mini DV | SD Memory | Mini DV | DVD-RAM |
| CCD/Resolution | 1 CCD/2.2 Megapixel | 1 CCD/3.0 Megapixel | 1 CCD/3.2 Megapixel | 3 CCD/4.0 Megapixel | 1 CCD/1.2 Megapixel |
| Still Camera Function | JPEG 1632 x 1224 | JPEG 2016 x 1512 | JPEG 2048 x 1536 | JPEG 2288 x 1728 | JPEG 1280 x 960 |
| Zoom (Optical/Digital) | 14x/280x | 10x/120x | 5.8x/10x | 12x/700x | 10x/240x |
| Lens Aperture | f/1.8-3.0 | f/1.8-2.9 | f/5.8-33.8mm | N/A | F/1.8-2.4 |
| Included Memory | 8MB | 16MB | 512MB | None | 1 sided DVD-RAM disc |
| Dimensions (HWD in.) | 3.0 x 3.2 x 5.3 | 2.37 x 4.25 x 4.25 | 2.7 x 4.3 x 1.3 | 3.5 x 3.1 x 7 | 3.5 x 2.5 x 5.75 |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs | 0.93 lbs | 0.3 lbs | 1.54 lbs | 1.09 lbs |
| Why It’s Essential | Camcorder, digital camera, and webcam all in one; Easy print and share button | Supplied Handycam station makes photo and video transfers a snap | Small and lightweight, fits in the palm of your hand and only uses SD memory storage, no tapes | 2.5” LCD perfect for snapping video and photos | Instant results with on-camera video editing and DVD media |
| Price | $1,366 | $1,800 | $1,100 | $2,300 | $1,000 |
ESSENTIAL PROJECTORS
| Product Name | Epson Powerlite 7800p | Panasonic PTLB10U | Mitsubishi XD70U | BenQ PB6200 | Hitachi PJTX100 |
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| KEY FEATURES | |||||
| Brightness | 3500 ANSI lumens | 2000 ANSI Lumens | 2000 ANSI Lumens | 1700 ANSI Lumens | 1200 ANSI Lumens |
| Contrast Ratio | 700:1 | 500:1 | 2000:1 | 2000:1 | 1200:1 |
| Resolution | 1024 x 768 | 1024 x 768 | 1024 x 768 | 1280 x 1024 | 1600 x 1200 |
| Projection Distance | 30 – 300 inches | 33 – 300 inches | 44 – 360 inches | 32.1 – 393 inches | 51.6 – 338.4 inches |
| Typical Lamp Life | 2000 hours | 3000 hours | 2000 hours | 3000 hours | 2000 hours |
| Signal Interface | NTSC, SECAM, PAL, HDTV | NTSC, PAL, SECAM | NTSC, PAL, SECAM, HDTV | NTSC, PAL, SECAM, HDTV | NTSC, PAL, SECAM, HDTV |
| Weight | 12.1 lbs | 4.7 lbs | 4.4 lbs | 5.6 lbs | 5.9 lbs |
| Dimensions (HWD in.) | 4.6 x 16.5 x 12.8 | 2.6 x 11.7 x 8.3 | 2.8 x 10.4 x 8.5 | 3.15 x 10.16 x 8.31 | 5.6 x 13.4 x 11.1 |
| Why It’s Essential | Built-in ethernet port for simple networking | Separate power supply for temperature fan | Outstanding contrast ratio; includes a carrying case | New DLP Chipset provides excellent clarity | Industry low noise output of 25db |
| Price | $5,200 | $2,500 | $3,800 | $2,000 | $4,000 |
ESSENTIAL HDTVs
| Product Name | Dell Multimedia LCD | Samsung HLP5085 | BenQ DV3070 | Sharp Aquos LC45GXCU | Hitachi 55HDT51 |
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| Brightness | 450 cd/m² | N/A | 500 cd/m² | 450 cd/m² | N/A |
| Contrast Ratio | 350:1 | 2500:1 | 500:1 | 800:1 | N/A |
| Resolution | 1280 x 768 | 1280 x 720 | 1280 x 768 | 1920 x 1080 | 1366 x 768 |
| Broadcast Format | NTSC, HDTV | NTSC, SDTV, HDTV | NTSC, PAL, SECAM | NTSC, HDTV | NTSC, HDTV |
| Diagonal Screen Size | 30-inch | 50-inch | 30-inch | 45-inch | 55-inch |
| Display Type | LCD | DLP | LCD | LCD | Plasma |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 | 16:9 | 16:9 | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Displayable Colours | 16.7 million | N/A | 16.7 million | 16.7 million | 1.07 billion |
| Why It’s Essential | Great picture-in-picture function to watch TV and use your PC at the same time | Picture quality and slim design make this Samsung DLP TV comparable to plasma display | An LCD TV that is suitable for both work and home entertainment applications | A thin and portable display complements fi rst-rate picture quality | Bright and energyeffi cient display with four-step black enhancement |
| Price | $3,400 | $5,875 | $4,100 | $13,000 | $15,000 |
Note: Prices are in Canadian funds, based
on the original MSRP; these are subject to change. Reseller’s prices
will vary.
