

Ask HN: I have $1200 to spend on gadgets, what should I buy? - bhoomit


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throwaway_yy2Di
A vacation.

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1474454](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1474454)

~~~
umrashrf
I think it exceeds his budget by the fact that he will also have to spend time
which he can otherwise use to make more money. Doesn't it?

~~~
Cthulhu_
You could skip sleep too in order to make money.

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pavlov
If you don't have any specific needs, are you sure it's worth spending that
money on electronics?

Personally I hate the remorse that comes every few months when I go through a
drawer and discover a barely used iPod touch or other device that I once
thought might improve my life, but didn't.

~~~
bhoomit
I was worried about the same thing when I bought my point and shoot. But I
used it like one use his cellphone. And the other thing is for a long time I
wanted to hack new gadget like leap motion.

------
ISL
Freedom.

Find whatever makes you free, and do that. Gadgets are a small set of the
tools that can make that possible. Knowledge is even better.

I see that bgar's already asked you what you have.

What do you want to do?

(For me, if constrained to gadgets, perhaps a DAQ card can open a lot of
doors. Arduinos are cheap, LabJacks and fancier can get a lot more done with
greater sensitivity. Got only $10 and an I2C interface? You can have an
unreasonable quantity of fun with an AD7746. Seriously.)

------
corporalagumbo
If it was me, it'd be a toss-up between a combination of: eReader, tablet, and
a Nexus 4. Items to increase my learning efficiency (eReader/tablet) and
productivity (Nexus 4).

And I would wait til October for the new Paperwhite and probably the new Kobo
Arc.

Also I would want to put about 10-20% away into some sort of investment fund
unless there were some items that offered a serious short-term productivity
increase the money could rather go to. Just a general rule.

~~~
bhoomit
I already have Nexus 4, thinking about iPad mini.

And this is 80% of the actual amount :)

------
staunch
High quality 24-27" IPS monitor, mechanical keyboard, mousepad, earbuds,
chair.

1\. Dell Ultrasharp

2\.
[http://www.elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=special&filte...](http://www.elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=special&filter=spacesaver)

3\. SteelSeries QcK

4\. Logitech G500

5\. Etymotic ER4

6\. Herman Miller Aeron

~~~
nazdak
etymotic ER4 are a bit expensive for earplugs that are not molded to your ear
canal.

~~~
markgreville
You can get buds moulded separately, they are fantastic IEMs if you are
prepared to pay the money IMHO.

~~~
crcastle
I just purchased a pair of Westone UM3X in-ear monitors. I was cringing at
spending $320 (best I could find on amazon) for headphones, but since I
received them I never want to take them out.

For those of us that work with or use technology a lot during our days, I
think there's something to be said about spending a little extra on the part
that connects the human to the technology. Connecting these two very different
things in a pleasing, comfortable, exciting way is not easy.

------
jacquesm
Save it for when you need it. Donate it to Watsi. Whatever you feel like but
don't buy crap you apparently don't need.

~~~
fmax30
i have saved up 1000$ to buy gaming consoles and equipment (LCDs, Leap motion
, games etc). But it is mainly due to the fact that before becoming a
professional i was never able to afford the latest consoles and games :P.

~~~
jacquesm
Savings: something you don't need when you have it and that you won't have
when you need it.

------
LarryMade2
If you don't have a need for anything and that cash is burning a hole in your
pocket, invest in tools or supplies .

I mean real tools - Maybe a repair kit that includes all those fancy security
screws and stuff to fix your iPhone, or some portable muilti-use power tool,
so when you need em and have em (it's a good feeling). Best to get the stuff
you know you will actually use.

Supplies - got a color laser printer? stock up on those pricy extra toner
packs, buy that bulk pack of ink, get extra paper.

Ergo stuff, how about your workspace, need a better chair or desk (I got
myself an adjustable standing/sitting desk, it was a good investment) Maybe
dual LCDs?

Organization stuff - example - If you have a ton of DVDs filling up bookcases
may I suggest Disc Sox - [http://www.amazon.com/DISCSOX-DVD-POLY-SLEEVES--
25Pack/dp/B0...](http://www.amazon.com/DISCSOX-DVD-POLY-SLEEVES--
25Pack/dp/B001S54OCG) Put your cover and DVDs in these things and you can cut
your DVD shelf space by 75%, also you and your friends will know its your DVD
because of the cool flexy case.

Safari Library Subscription - get on-line any time access to thousands of
O'Reilly books and manuals -
[http://www.safaribooksonline.com/](http://www.safaribooksonline.com/)

------
hislaziness
Recommend an experience - Vacation, Sporting Activities over buying something.

[http://www.psychologytoday.com/files/attachments/2557/howell...](http://www.psychologytoday.com/files/attachments/2557/howellpcheliniyer2012the-
preference-experiences-over-possessions.pdf)

------
iterationx
Expobar Lever Semi-Auto Espresso Machine

Boosted Board

Wool & Prince dress shirt that supposedly doesn't need to be washed

Vespa-like scooter

Yamaha Digital Piano

Brompton folding bike

Taga Bike that transforms into a stroller (if you have young children)

------
cm-t
You have this for example:

* [http://www.indiegogo.com/projects?filter_category=Technology...](http://www.indiegogo.com/projects?filter_category=Technology&filter_quick=popular_all)

* [http://www.kickstarter.com/discover/categories/technology?re...](http://www.kickstarter.com/discover/categories/technology?ref=sidebar)

* ...

(Patience required)

------
cowls
Grammar police here.

The (all) is not needed, "what should I buy?" already covers the plural case.
I have noticed this a lot in Indian English.

~~~
murli
That's truly funny. Have you also heard the Anglo-Indian use of "y'all all"?
:)))

------
sixQuarks
Oculus Rift developer's kit ($300). Start messing around with it and develop a
game before release. This thing is going to be huge.

------
yashg
If you love taking pictures get a DSLR + Tripod.

------
murli
I'm guessing you're asking because you have a gadget allowance from a new job?
If so, and assuming whatever you're buying needs to be at least slightly
relevant to your job, looking around at what your co-workers bought may be
useful. This doesn't mean you buy what your co-workers buy but at least you
may get some ideas.

~~~
bhoomit
No, you can think of it as a reward for some part time work.

------
vinchuco
Donate to the EFF

------
akamaka
Wait, if you can. Gadgets are nearly always much cheaper and better with each
new generation.

If you must spend the money, though, I'd recommend a high end ergonomic chair
or a treadmill desk.

------
bgar
What do you already have?

~~~
bhoomit
I only have a smartphone, and a point and shoot camera(I love taking
pictures).

~~~
sheldor
Invest in photography then. Buy a brand new DSLR with decent lens or one of
the new hot mirrorless micro four thirds.

~~~
ISL
That and a masterful course on photography. Stay cheap with the hardware until
you know what you want.

------
giffo
Forget things. Invest it into your progress, your own projects. Purchase
value, Whatever makes you more productive in the things you like doing.

------
meerita
Kindle, Nexus 4 and that's all I would need.

~~~
bhoomit
Already have Nexus, would probably buy iPad mini.

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usermac
Get yourself a SanDisk SD Plus card. <strike>Best</strike> Handiest technology
I've ever used. Ever.

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kybernetyk
A good ($200+) mechanical keyboard.

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dutchbrit
Invest it in your own project(s)

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razzaj
for 200 extra i would go for a makerbot digitiser
[http://store.makerbot.com/digitizer.html](http://store.makerbot.com/digitizer.html)
assuming you have a 3D printer, that is.

~~~
bhoomit
Don't have a 3D printer.

------
antocv
A bicycle, so you can take more pictures with your already good camera.

------
guyinblackshirt
i'd get a basis band, a couple raspberry pi's, and a kindle with a bunch of
books. the rest I would spend in a vacation @ southeast asia :-)

------
wldlyinaccurate
One of those Internet Fridges. Yeah, buy one of those.

------
evadne
Accidental damage insurance.

------
timmillwood
Save it

------
rorybireland
Raspberry Pi

------
jrockway
A bicycle.

~~~
bhoomit
Already on my list :)

------
U2EF1
VTSMX

------
moneyrich4
1\. one of those aeron (?) chairs - 300 on ebay

    
    
      could be really uncomfortable or the best chair ever, nerds are
    
      picky about chairs and unreliable at furniture advice
    

2\. your favorite game, GTA 5 coming out soon

3\. a phat screen, 25" lcd or 50 tv - 400 bucks at frys

4\. oculus vr dev kit (VR) - 300$

    
    
      VR half life, tf2, portal... cool. also really stoked to try a really scarey game.
    

5\. lucid dreaming goggles on kickstarter - cheap lucid dreams... cool

------
mosselman
A course on 'stop being an insensitive douche', that is probably where you
should start.

We have had posts about helping Syrian developers get jobs outside of Syria,
people hit hard by economic crisis, people dying. But you don't care, you want
to waste $1200 on crap you don't need.
[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fight_club/quotes/#quote_386...](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fight_club/quotes/#quote_38665)

This is an international place to share news about technology and how it can
help us better our lives. These kinds of posts belong on Facebook, if
anywhere. But to be honest, I think your 'friends' will not appreciate this
type of bragging.

~~~
argonaut
No. Just no. HN is a forum for hackers to talk and discuss anything that
interests them, which may very well include the latest cool gadgets someone
wants to buy. In fact, HN guidelines specifically say: _Off-Topic: Most
stories about politics_.

HN is not the zero-sum, channel of communication-most-important that you think
it is. This is not a zero-sum game.

HN is not a place where you badger other people for talking about a topic just
because you think another topic is more "important." You don't yell at your
friends for talking about startups instead of Syria. At least I hope you
don't.

You're just being mean.

~~~
digitalnomad
Absolutely agreed with Argonaut ^^

