The Best Products of 2006
December 26th, 2006 | by Rob Enderle
Each year brings its fair share of bozos and its stars. Those that brought out the bozos (or bought them) know it and we don’t want to rub salt in their wounds during the holiday season (well do that right before CES instead). This week we’ll chat about the products that stood out in our minds as ground breaking and spectacular in a number of categories. Best Laptop PC: For me this was about balance, you could get very powerful PCs that would break your back, or small PCs that were portable but didn’t have the power to do extensive graphics or games. My favorites for the year are the Voodoo Envy FA:228, a 4.5 pound custom colored product with stunning visuals and very good performance, the Dell XPS M1210, similar with a much more aggressive price-point but lacking the customization (so I had mine painted by Smooth Creations with a Carbon Fiber effect), and the HP dv9000 where I tossed out the whole weight thing and went piano black with a whopping 17” screen and gave up working on airplanes for watching movies in airports and hotel rooms. If I had to pick one, the altered M1210 was my favorite but I find I actually use the dv9000 more often because I’m not flying a lot right now. I just love the fact that PC companies are getting design. Best Desktop PC: I thought about this long and hard, but I generally build my own desktop PCs. What really impressed me this year, however, was the Mac mini. The mini comes the closest to what I think we should actually be using in a desktop PC. It’s easy, it actually does media relatively well (and is often used by a number of folks I know as their Media Center); plus it is a brilliant industrial design. In 2006 I actually think this product set the bar for value and I don’t recall ever saying that about an Apple product before. Monitor: This was a harder choice than I thought, in terms of lust it was the 30” Dell which was favored in most shows and gaming events but which is really expensive and required the highest level graphics solution. For affordability and range the Gateway 24” FPD2485W monitor stood out, with a massive number of ports and a built in Faroudja upscaler and an aggressive price. I didn’t see anything that could touch it. 
Dell m1210 with custom graphics & skin
Apple Mac mini
Gateway FPD2485W
Post Your Comment...Comments
Matt on Dec 26th, 2006 at 9:18 PM:
Good article. I think that the best MP3 player would once again have to be the Apple i-Pod. The entire line of i-Pod's are far and byond the best (in my opinion) out there. And the sales numbers don't lie. I had trouble agreeing with the Sonos music system. I think it's overpriced and that you can find other options at a more reasonable price.
ECA on Dec 26th, 2006 at 10:09 PM:
Good review.
eca on Dec 27th, 2006 at 12:32 AM:
I like the 5200, its the 5600 in Euro.
BUT, I had to call fuji for a question.
There are 2 types of Ram in XD...the M and H format.
In M format I can use upto 2 gig, and 1 gig in H...
the MAIN diff, is the H saves pics, about 1/4 the time, and is the Pro version.
I dont mind the 4 AA batteries..BUT I LOVe alkiline batteries in it.
I am looking at a AA Battery conditioner for Alkie batteries...
http://www.mahaenergy.com/store/listcategoriesandp...
If you know batteries, you KNOW you want the conditioner.
Matthew Wright on Dec 27th, 2006 at 12:33 AM:
Surely the XBox 360 came out in 2005? Or am I barking mad? : )
Gary on Dec 27th, 2006 at 8:04 AM:
Matthew,
The Xbox 360 came out in 2005, but it's still the best game console in 2006. The article is best products of the year, not "new" best products of the year. At least that's how I took it.
John on Jan 2nd, 2007 at 10:16 AM:
What is the best HTIB for the average user?
Ian Bell on Jan 2nd, 2007 at 10:17 AM:
John,
I have heard that Onkyo makes some good HTIB systems. Do you know what your price range is?
CJ on Jan 10th, 2007 at 11:59 AM:
Re: the upconverting DVD player category, I'd like your comments on the Helios H4000. I think it's a similar unit to the Oppo, but it upconverts to component as well as HDMI. This looks like a big advantage to me (easier to find component switchers than HDMI switchers, for instance.) Your thoughts?
CJ on Jan 10th, 2007 at 1:26 PM:
And one more question: How about your thoughts on the best front projector of 2006? I think the 720p projectors have a great price point at the moment (probably because the 1080 projectors are coming available). Which 720p projector represents the best value?
Adam F on Jan 16th, 2007 at 5:06 PM:
I can't agree with your Sonos pick as I use the ReadyNAS NV/Squeezebox package which far outperforms Sonos in quality and technical specs. Have a look at www.slimdevices.com
Comment on this article
Please keep your comments relevant to this article. Email addresses are not displayed, they are only required to verify you are human.
When you submit your comment, an email will be sent to your email address with a confirmation link. Once you have clicked on that confirmation link your comment will be posted.
HTML is not allowed.
RSS Feed
Ian Bell on Dec 26th, 2006 at 8:19 PM:
Good picks. I have the Oppo Digital DVD Player and it blows me away. I think the picture looks fantastic and its hard to believe the player is under $300 bucks.
I like the Gateway monitor a ton, but still feel the neck feels a little weak/cheap. The display is gorgeous though, and rocks at games and movies.
We use the ReadyNAS at work, and I have been impressed with it so far too.
Good read Rob, thanks.