Gadgets You’ll Need For Uni
Start Uni on the right track with multipurpose gadgetry…
A step up the tech ladder
You might have survived at school with the computer room and a clunky PC at home, but Uni is a step up on the tech front. The little closet you inhabit that just passes as a humane living area means you’re likely to be short on space. Money is also likely to be a scarce commodity. So it’s encouraging that technology is getting cheaper as well as smaller and the trend is towards multi-tasking gadgetry.
MP3 plays many roles
An MP3 player and speaker dock means you don’t have to rock up to uni with a hulking stereo. You can also avoid the shame of your first ever CD spilling to the floor from on overflowing box as you clamber up the stairs in halls. An MP3 player also provides a portable hard drive for storing documents, photos and video. Even better is a phone with an MP3 system, providing there is plenty of memory. The Nokia 96 has enough space for 8,000 songs.
iPod Party Speaker
These are pretty handy for cranking up the party pace but of course you run the risk of alienating your not so party prone neighbours. They come with a re-chargeable battery with 12 hours of play (the speakers, not your neighbours). It also has wheels so when you’ve finished partying at yours you can drag it to a friend’s. There are 4 inputs so you can plug in any combination of microphone, iPod, CD/MP3 player and instruments with a 6.3mm jack.
iPhone 3G
Don’t let laptops take chargeThe hip-happening phone of the moment is the iPhone 3G. You can walk, talk and surf (the net) simultaneously. It has better audio quality than the original iPhone and a graceful, sleek, shiny plastic shell. A 4-function calculator turns into a scientific calculator when you rotate it 90 degrees, so handy for those computer science classes. It just won ‘Gadget of the Year’ at the Stuff Gadget Awards held at the Dorchester Hotel in London.
Don’t forget to buy a portable hard drive and copy your files as you go. £40 for 100GB+ will be worth it when the deadline for coursework is 7 minutes away and your computer won’t turn on, has been stolen or is in the firing line of a burst water pipe.Look out for special offers. Many unis offer laptop purchase schemes which might be worth a gander. The Acer Aspire One is fairly cheap at £250, but if you can stretch to £400/£500 then you could find yourself with a PC that doubles as an entertainment centre, with a decent sized screen, hard drive of 100GB plus a built-in DVD drive. For those feeling the urge to splash the cash, the Apple MacBook Air comes in at £1,199 but while it has a full suite of photo and video editing it lacks a CD/DVD drive.
Key facts
- Be financially savvy – you don’t have to spend a fortune.
- Think what your needs are – match these to what gadgets offer you.
- Shop around – there are often bargains to be found if you dig deep enough.