Item numbers: best deals

The passing year saw a deluge of gadgets that had the geeks living out their dreams. But it was a nightmare for buyers who were out of the t...

The passing year saw a deluge of gadgets that had the geeks living out their dreams. But it was a nightmare for buyers who were out of the tech loop: finding the right balance between design, utility and price seemed a job for a wizard. Considering these factors and more, we came out with three products that provided the best value for money in 2007.

Kodak Easyshare M883
While digital cameras are rapidly breaking the pixel and price barrier, the one to go for now is the Kodak Easyshare M883. At Rs 15,000, a 2 GB memory card and a carry case, it’s making other cameras lose focus. It boasts an 8-megapixel sensor, a 3x optical zoom lens, and hold your breath, a 3-inch LCD screen. It’s light at 116 gm, and can adapt to poor light conditions: with 3200 ISO setting at the maximum, you can get a perfect picture. So if you’re still without a camera, give this one a shot.

Creative Zen
The 4 GB variant comes for Rs 9,000, and even though there are cheaper Chinese versions available, this one wins hands down. The capacity may not be huge, but given its memory card expansion slot, a big 2.5-inch screen, 320 x 240 resolution, and support for nearly all formats, including DivX 4, DivX5, XviD, it’s a must have. It can play for 25-odd hours, and though the earphones are not too great, this PMP makes for a delightful acquisition. Unless, of course, you want the iPod Touch.

Epson CX5500
This year, Epson marched ahead of HP and Canon with its multi-function printer, CX5500. Available for Rs 4,999 (you can get it for lesser price depending on your bargaining skills), it can scan, copy and print, all at affordable prices. It’s a boon for people who had a colour printer but still opted for monochrome prints because of the high cost colour prints and ink cartridges. With Epson’s INKdividual technology and the ability to replace any of the four cartridges at Rs 250 a piece as and when required, this makes for a good deal.