Filed under: Hardware, MacBook, iPhone, iPod touch
Time names Apple MacBook, iPod touch among best travel gadgets
Time Magazine has published their list of 2009's best travel gadgets, and the iPod touch and MacBook have made the cut. Time notes the MacBook's size and high green ratings as well as the iPod touch's speed, Wi-Fi compatibility and library of games worked in their favor.I do my share of traveling (as does Steve) and find that my iPhone plus a couple of well-selected apps are enough to get the job done most of the time.
It's strange that the iPhone wasn't included, since its connectivity isn't limited to Wi-Fi as the iPod touch is. It's even stranger that several apps also made the list, like Yelp (tap the masses for dining tips) [iTunes link] and the Zipcar App (find a quick-and-easy rental), but not the device that would get the most out of them. Perhaps it was the high cost of service for the iPhone?
Stranger still is their inclusion of the Droid. We assume it made the cut based upon its proven track record. I mean, it's been out for a whole 3 days now.
[Via MacDailyNews]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jordan said 3:53PM on 11-09-2009
Time Magazine...pft, all they ever do is sit back and wait for things to be either hip or complete failure, then they put them on a list.
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Jordan said 3:56PM on 11-09-2009
To back up my point let me say they have the droid on the list. It's been out for 3 days. Now I'm not saying it's not a good device or that's it's not worthy, I'm just saying...it's been out for 3 days. The reason it was on the list is because it's popular. Honors from Time magazine mean nothing to me.
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balls said 4:09PM on 11-09-2009
iphone is excluded because it's tied to AT&T, and the combo is a total piece of shit.
The Droid is Verizon. End. Of. Story.
Also nothing like lugging around a laptop and inviting thieves to stealz your shit.
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darrell said 9:47PM on 11-09-2009
256 MB of app storage. End. Of. Story?
balls said 10:06PM on 11-09-2009
How many fucking iFart apps do you need?
Mr Lizard said 4:15PM on 11-09-2009
'Partners with CNN'
Hmm....
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Vince said 4:20PM on 11-09-2009
Well, it's no different than Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize when he's done absolutely nothing to further world peace (kinda' like Al Gore...).
But hey, maybe the DROID will actually do something, given the chance...I couldn't care less. (again, much like my opinion of Obama)
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David owens said 5:34PM on 11-09-2009
TIME is a far left cesspool. Who cares what Obama loving scum think?
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mathias said 7:14AM on 11-12-2009
Time is far left? The only way you could possibly say that is if you are so far out on the right edge that everything else but your own position looks left...
John.B said 4:53PM on 11-09-2009
No kindle. ;-)
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Yar said 7:27PM on 11-09-2009
It would feel awkward to nominate iPhone because so much has been done deliberately to reduce its (foreign) travel worthiness. Operator locks, SIM card impossible to extract without tools. For years, bandwidth-hogging Google Maps were the only navigation option, practically useless without connection.
Most apps (like Evernote) still largely depend on being always online without fundamental need for it to be so. Reason? Intentionally crippled syncing capabilities of iTunes.
Well, and reading books from iPhone sucks compared to higher resolution WinMobile devices.
That being said, iPhone is still good value for travels - just annoying like hell that a few choices stopped it from being excellent.
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Vijay said 7:43PM on 11-09-2009
Dave,
If you don't mind me asking, what do you do for a living that requires you to travel frequently? I've always been curious why many business people travel a lot, but the only thing that I could come up with was settling contracts or attending seminars.
Thanks,
VJ
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Steve Martin said 10:55PM on 11-09-2009
In order for the iPhone to rise to the next level of usability for me it needs to have the ability to use a bluetooth keyboard. Then real work can get done!
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Gary said 6:04AM on 11-10-2009
The astronomical cost of roaming data makes the iPhone (and any other smart phone for that matter) no better than an iPod touch and a freebie Wi-Fi hotspot. I love my iPhone but I daren't even consider turning on data roaming while abroad for fear I'll have to re mortgage when I see my phone bill.
It's a real shame too, because using Google Maps with the compass is so handy in a new city.
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