Title: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: editorus on January 09, 2006, 11:25:47 am
Thank you for all posting on the last topic, sexual harassment. It is a very serious topic that we all need to be aware of and know how to handle if it were to happen to us. This "sound off" is much more light hearted.
What new "office toys" would you like to get this year (new computer, printers, pda, chair, a cool pen, talking clock).... what is your wish list?
I will start. :-P
I have never had a pda and want one. As for cell phones I want the LG VX9800 cell phone! Only Verizon has it (which I dont use) but it is very very cool. Full QWERTY keyboard; high-quality displays; EV-DO capable; MP3 player; Mini SD card slot; 1.3-megapixel camera; Bluetooth; loud stereo speakers/speakerphone; voice-recognition features. Oh I have a long wish list, I want a new monitor, flat screen 19" inches.
What new "office toys" would you like to get this year (new computer, printers, pda, chair, a cool pen, talking clock).... what is your wish list?
I will start. :-P
I have never had a pda and want one. As for cell phones I want the LG VX9800 cell phone! Only Verizon has it (which I dont use) but it is very very cool. Full QWERTY keyboard; high-quality displays; EV-DO capable; MP3 player; Mini SD card slot; 1.3-megapixel camera; Bluetooth; loud stereo speakers/speakerphone; voice-recognition features. Oh I have a long wish list, I want a new monitor, flat screen 19" inches.
Title: Re: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: gee4 on January 09, 2006, 12:38:26 pm
I have to say working for a well-known technology company, I have everything I need. No requirement for a PDA, nor company mobile phone but already have the latest flat screen monitor. Chairs are of the highest standard with adjustable head-rests so again no complaints there.
Perhaps my own PA - now that would be nice.
G
Perhaps my own PA - now that would be nice.
G
Title: Re: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: countrigal on January 09, 2006, 04:35:27 pm
I think I'd like a new PDA. I have one that I love, but don't use as much as I probably would simply because it doesn't have the capability to access e-mail on it, nor to edit documents in word or excel. But I don't want to lose the "graffiti"-type function, where I can simply make notes by writing just like on my pad of paper, no special techniques required to capture a specific letter, simply my writing as it appears normally. I use this function a lot, to jot down a phone number, an address, driving instructions, etc... and the ability to save these indefinitely and pull them up on a list makes using this function a joy as I can keep these to put in an official storage system later on, or maintain it on the list and always have that notation on hand. Guess I'd better start looking and see if I can find one that meets my needs. I don't have to have one for work, but think it would be great as a tool to better mesh my personal and professional lives, and ensure that I don't miss an important meeting, in either role, simply because I didn't have it all in one place.
Other toy I'd like: A new scrollball mouse. Mine at work finally quit working and is non-repairable (after 7+ years of constant use) and I've had to bring mine from home to the office to use. I hate the regular mouse, where you move the whole thing around to move the pointer, and the only new scrollballs I've seen aren't thumb-driven anymore, which is what I'm used to and love. But so far I haven't found any, so I guess I'll have to go without at home. Perhaps one of the companies that makes these mouse (mice?) will see this and they'll start making them again? I won't hold my breath.
CountriGal
Peer Moderator
Other toy I'd like: A new scrollball mouse. Mine at work finally quit working and is non-repairable (after 7+ years of constant use) and I've had to bring mine from home to the office to use. I hate the regular mouse, where you move the whole thing around to move the pointer, and the only new scrollballs I've seen aren't thumb-driven anymore, which is what I'm used to and love. But so far I haven't found any, so I guess I'll have to go without at home. Perhaps one of the companies that makes these mouse (mice?) will see this and they'll start making them again? I won't hold my breath.
CountriGal
Peer Moderator
Title: Re: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: donnap99 on January 09, 2006, 06:41:43 pm
CG - I use a Logitech Trackman Wheel -- are they no longer making them?? I, too, love the thumb-driven wheel.
As for toys I'd like... A large, flat-screen monitor for work would be wonderful. Personally I'd like a new a flat-screen as well, but not necessarily large. For personal use I'd also like a new PDA. What I use is still functional, but I worry that it's going to fail and I'm going to be up the perverbial creek without a paddle. It's got to be 3 years old already - a Treo 90 I got when the line was discontinued. It had retailed for like $275 and I got it for $110. I prefer the keyboard types to graffiti.
DonnaP99
As for toys I'd like... A large, flat-screen monitor for work would be wonderful. Personally I'd like a new a flat-screen as well, but not necessarily large. For personal use I'd also like a new PDA. What I use is still functional, but I worry that it's going to fail and I'm going to be up the perverbial creek without a paddle. It's got to be 3 years old already - a Treo 90 I got when the line was discontinued. It had retailed for like $275 and I got it for $110. I prefer the keyboard types to graffiti.
DonnaP99
Title: Re: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: bc13 on January 10, 2006, 04:41:01 am
Can I put in an order for a Fedex or UPS guy that looks like Matthew McConaughey??? :-) :-) :-)
I just got my new toy, late Christmas present to myself, actually - a Nokia 6230 cell phone. I'm sick of my flip phone, decided to go back to the "regular" kind....this puppy takes pictures, video, has an MMC card so I can use it as an iPod and play music or store files on it, it has FM radio capability too. Not that I will use all that, but it's nice to know it's there! I'll just be happy to get back my Nokia address book. My new one also has voice dialing and one-digit dialing, and a speakerphone and voice recorder. Hopefully those features work better on this one than my current one, too! Now, I'll just have to find my 13-year old to come show me how to use this thing.....LOL!!
For all those that want PDAs, I never use mine anymore, if anyone is interested in buying it, send me an email.
Below is a link to a review page so you can see the specs and pictures. The one I have is the Handera 330. I had actually upgraded from Handera's TRGPro to a color Palm, but couldn't read the screen in bright light, and the alarm I could never hear go off. So, I went back to the Handera brand - this thing has such a loud alarm, I can hear it inside my purse from across the other end of the house! It came with add-ons: a Backup Module and Dataquake - see the links - I never used those. It also came with a CD - DocumentsToGo (Prof. edition -never actually used it), which allows you to use Excel and Word docs, and I bought another CD - TinyBytes, which I don't think I ever used either!! Just liked buying and downloading stuff for the PDA when I first got it, then never really used any of it! The one thing I loved was a little shopping list program. It was cool, I could enter all the things I buy at the store (you can set up multiple stores, too), then tick off the items to a "need list", then tick them off as I picked them up at the store! For groceriies I could even put what aisle the product was in, price, etc. So, I mostly used this very expensive PDA for grocery shopping list, address book and alarm clock! Pitiful....
Anyway, here's some links to what I have, if anyone is interested, I'd be happy to sell it to someone who will actually use it!
http://www.handera.com/Products/Handera330.aspx
http://www.pogoproducts.com/dataquake.html
http://www.spug.net/reviews/rbackupvisor.html
http://www.dataviz.com/products/documentstogo/index_palm.html
bc13
I just got my new toy, late Christmas present to myself, actually - a Nokia 6230 cell phone. I'm sick of my flip phone, decided to go back to the "regular" kind....this puppy takes pictures, video, has an MMC card so I can use it as an iPod and play music or store files on it, it has FM radio capability too. Not that I will use all that, but it's nice to know it's there! I'll just be happy to get back my Nokia address book. My new one also has voice dialing and one-digit dialing, and a speakerphone and voice recorder. Hopefully those features work better on this one than my current one, too! Now, I'll just have to find my 13-year old to come show me how to use this thing.....LOL!!
For all those that want PDAs, I never use mine anymore, if anyone is interested in buying it, send me an email.
Below is a link to a review page so you can see the specs and pictures. The one I have is the Handera 330. I had actually upgraded from Handera's TRGPro to a color Palm, but couldn't read the screen in bright light, and the alarm I could never hear go off. So, I went back to the Handera brand - this thing has such a loud alarm, I can hear it inside my purse from across the other end of the house! It came with add-ons: a Backup Module and Dataquake - see the links - I never used those. It also came with a CD - DocumentsToGo (Prof. edition -never actually used it), which allows you to use Excel and Word docs, and I bought another CD - TinyBytes, which I don't think I ever used either!! Just liked buying and downloading stuff for the PDA when I first got it, then never really used any of it! The one thing I loved was a little shopping list program. It was cool, I could enter all the things I buy at the store (you can set up multiple stores, too), then tick off the items to a "need list", then tick them off as I picked them up at the store! For groceriies I could even put what aisle the product was in, price, etc. So, I mostly used this very expensive PDA for grocery shopping list, address book and alarm clock! Pitiful....
Anyway, here's some links to what I have, if anyone is interested, I'd be happy to sell it to someone who will actually use it!
http://www.handera.com/Products/Handera330.aspx
http://www.pogoproducts.com/dataquake.html
http://www.spug.net/reviews/rbackupvisor.html
http://www.dataviz.com/products/documentstogo/index_palm.html
bc13
Title: Re: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: countrigal on January 10, 2006, 03:58:39 pm
Donna... unfortunatley, yes. That's what I am using now, that I brought from home, but that is the last rendition that I've seen with the thumb scroll ball... so take good care of it. 
Bc... I read the review on your PD... it says it has graffiti ability. Have you used this? Do you have to use their letter forms or can you write on the screen (outside of their normal writing area) and get what you draw is what you see? I use mine to draw maps sometimes, and that's hard to do on a little window and have it "translated" to the screen. On mine, it's like drawing on paper, as long as I don't go outside the screen margins. Also, would it be upgradable as far as the Documents to Go features? Couldn't tell by what was on the website. And then, how much does one of these new normally cost and what would you be selling it for. I may be interested if you can answer these questions.
And I definitely like the idea of a FedEx or UPS guy that looks like an actor, but think I'd pick a different one. Hmmm... would have to think on who though. So many to chose from, perhaps a different one for each day of the week?
CountriGal
Peer Moderator
Bc... I read the review on your PD... it says it has graffiti ability. Have you used this? Do you have to use their letter forms or can you write on the screen (outside of their normal writing area) and get what you draw is what you see? I use mine to draw maps sometimes, and that's hard to do on a little window and have it "translated" to the screen. On mine, it's like drawing on paper, as long as I don't go outside the screen margins.
Also, would it be upgradable as far as the Documents to Go features? Couldn't tell by what was on the website. And then, how much does one of these new normally cost and what would you be selling it for. I may be interested if you can answer these questions.And I definitely like the idea of a FedEx or UPS guy that looks like an actor, but think I'd pick a different one. Hmmm... would have to think on who though. So many to chose from, perhaps a different one for each day of the week?
CountriGal
Peer Moderator
Title: Re: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: diamondlady on January 10, 2006, 05:50:04 pm
Ok...one day Mel Gibson, one day Randy Travis (ok maybe more than one , Vince Gill another day, lets see who else, Harrison Ford another day, Patrick Swayze, I could go on and on and on...."office toys" oh yea, OY!
Diamondlady
Peer Moderator
, Vince Gill another day, lets see who else, Harrison Ford another day, Patrick Swayze, I could go on and on and on...."office toys" oh yea, OY! Diamondlady
Peer Moderator
Title: Re: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: whitesatin on January 11, 2006, 01:58:07 am
Personally, I would love a GPS (global positioning system). I travel all the time in my mobile notary business and am constantly printing out MapQuest or RandMcNally directions, which are not always accurate to say the least. Does anyone out there have a GPS that they really, really love and can highly recommend?
WhiteSatin
WhiteSatin Title: Re: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: bc13 on January 11, 2006, 07:06:19 am
WhiteSatin - I agree, Mapquest has gotten me lost so many times! Especially in our area, which is rural, a lot of the addresses are pretty far off! Many of the GPS deals are pretty expensive, and I'm not sure on a recommendation for that, but for a cheap software program you can't beat Microsoft's Streets and Trips. My current job (until tomorrow, that is...) is for an electric company, and our guys use the GPS coordinates with the Streets and Trips to map out where to go put in new electric meters, etc., and they are usually within a hundred feet or so of their mark when they get there! It is very good, and I believe will update itself through the internet with things like road construction, things like that. Another thing I like compared to things like Mapquest - if you don't like the route it picks for you, all you do is go in and either re-draw your route, or I put little "push pins" on the map along the route I would like to take, and it restructures the whole trip! It will print out driving directions, giving you either turn-for-turn maps, one large map, or whatever you want. You can even go so far as to key in the mileage your car gets, the amount you pay for gas, your average speed of driving, etc., and it can print up a little report telling you how long it will take you to get there, what it will cost you in gas, about when you will need to stop for gas, etc. I really haven't gotten too in-depth with this program, but it has so many possibilities! My husband drives a lot for his job, in a 3-state area, and I haven't heard him complain of getting lost yet! You may want to check it out, I think it was like $30 at Walmart. Load the whole thing - 2 disks - if you have the room on your hard drive, so all the maps are loaded and you won't have to insert the map CD each time you run the program.
bc13
bc13
Title: Re: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: diamondlady on January 11, 2006, 03:03:36 pm
Whitesatin, bc13 is right, GPS's are expensive, but I think they have come down in price some since we bought ours in 2002. We have a Garmin and it's great! We used it when we went out West in 2002 and it got us thru lots of unfamiliar territory alot easier than with a map. It did things like, we came across a small crossroad (actually a dirt road) and it named the streets before you got there. Really nice feature. If you took a different route than what the GPS had, it will recalculate for you an alternative route. Only problems we have are software related. Meaning, you have to download maps for this, and sometimes those maps don't always get updated on a regular basis, but the maps they provide are very accurate. Then you have to worry about satellites and where you are getting a good satellite strenght or not. There are lots of little querks about the GPS, but we fully enjoyed using ours on our trip. I don't know how we would have made it thru the city of Chicago at 10:30 at night without it. Heck it also found us a hotel in the middle of no where late at night. It does have its advantages.
Guess you'll have to weigh the pros and cons to justify the cost though, as always. Plus I get lost in a paper bag in my own home town, so I use it alot if I'm going into unfamiliar territory. Especially downtown, which I don't go very often, but when I do go, always get confused cause there are one way streets, etc. that always confuse the heck out of me, so any trip downtown, I always take it.
Diamondlady
Peer Moderator
Guess you'll have to weigh the pros and cons to justify the cost though, as always. Plus I get lost in a paper bag in my own home town, so I use it alot if I'm going into unfamiliar territory. Especially downtown, which I don't go very often, but when I do go, always get confused cause there are one way streets, etc. that always confuse the heck out of me, so any trip downtown, I always take it.
Diamondlady
Peer Moderator
Title: Re: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: whitesatin on January 11, 2006, 05:52:51 pm
Thanks for the tip BC13. I definitely have to give that a try. It sounds AWESOME! I'll let you know how it works out for me. Sounds exactly like what I need. With MapQuest and RandMcNally you don't get all the bells and whistles that you mentioned. I'm really excited to try it out. Thanks again!
WhiteSatin
WhiteSatin Title: Re: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: whitesatin on January 11, 2006, 06:00:05 pm
Hee! Hee! DiamondLady! Don't get me started on Chicago. A year and a half ago, I was driving from Ohio to California all by myself. There was a NASTY, windy rainstorm when I was passing through Chicago. Somehow, I took the wrong route. I got excited when I saw the State Line sign ahead, expecting it to say "Welcome to Iowa". Well, unfortunately, the sign said "Welcome to Wisconsin." @$%####@@&!! Ooops! The next time, my husband and I were driving from New York City to California following my father's funeral. Once again, we took the wrong route, but were able to straighten ourselves out within an hour or so. I don't know what it is about Chicago, but I dread traveling through there like the plague.
As far as the GPS goes, I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for a great deal. In the meantime, I will try the MicroSoft Maps and Trips program that BC13 recommended. Thanks for the great tip.
WhiteSatin
As far as the GPS goes, I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for a great deal. In the meantime, I will try the MicroSoft Maps and Trips program that BC13 recommended. Thanks for the great tip.
WhiteSatin Title: Re: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: diamondlady on January 11, 2006, 07:36:41 pm
Funny, Whitesatin, that is where we wanted to be was in Wisconsin the first night, but not at 1:00 am in the middle of no where! Thank heavens GPS was able to pinpoint the closest hotel for us. Needless to say, we were tired. We were setup for sleeping in the back of the truck quite comfortably, but just the locations we were finding weren't quiet and suitable to sleep, so HAD to look for a hotel at 1:00 am! EEKS! Ah the stories from that trip! Can't wait to do that again!
Oh and I-90 trying to stay on that in the heart of the city of Chicago gets kinda tricky. Thank heavens my husband was driving!
Diamondlady
Peer Moderator
Oh and I-90 trying to stay on that in the heart of the city of Chicago gets kinda tricky. Thank heavens my husband was driving!
Diamondlady
Peer Moderator
Title: Re: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: whitesatin on January 11, 2006, 11:34:16 pm
Oh yeah! I-90. That was the route I was traveling both times. Still haven't figured that one out, plus Chicago is always under construction and looks like Armegeddon (sp?) struck. I left on my first trip at 3:30 PM from Ohio and finally found a hotel in Wisconsin about 1:30 in the morning just like you. YIKES!!!
WhiteSatin
WhiteSatin Title: Re: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: misslynn on January 13, 2006, 08:27:49 am
I'm really into my gadgets, I've got everything. My favorite new toy is my Treo, I find myself checking (and writing!) e-mail while driving and having text message conversations from the dentist's office. Not always smart, on both counts. LOL
I just got an XM Radio, it's set up on my desk right now but I need to get the adapter installed in my car so I can play it at work and while driving.
I just got an XM Radio, it's set up on my desk right now but I need to get the adapter installed in my car so I can play it at work and while driving.
Title: Re: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: whitesatin on January 13, 2006, 06:57:34 pm
What is XM radio? Is that a satellite radio?
WhiteSatin
WhiteSatin Title: Re: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: misslynn on January 29, 2006, 07:55:24 am
Yeah, it's a satellite radio.
Title: Re: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: dettu on January 30, 2006, 10:09:19 pm
Say, WhiteSatin, if you're ever heading through Chicago again, PM me for help. I drive in/through there all the time and can steer you right (right out of the city and not to Wisconsin, that is) 
Title: Re: What "office toys" do you want this year?
Post by: whitesatin on January 31, 2006, 12:39:36 am
Oh Boy! My own personal, live "On-Star". I love it! I'll be sure to take you up on the offer. THANKS. Chicago is like a "black hole" in the universe each time I pass through. 
WhiteSatin
WhiteSatin