Best of 2008
You may not think technology could get any more exciting, but 2008 managed to offer up some cool new devices and even brought forth a whole new category of gadgets.
Any review of the year has to start with Asus' Eee series of computers, which not only made notebooks ultra-portable, but also ultra-affordable. Available with screens of up to 10.2 inches, the Eee PC revolutionised the computer industry by making the internet the number one application, hence coining the term 'netbook'.
They have proved so popular that almost every major PC manufacturer has their own variation, including almost full configurations, including faster processors and big hard disk drives.
The year's other big news was Apple's iPhone 3G, now one of the best-selling smartphones on the market. Not only did it look great and offer its distinct user interface, but it was probably the first phone to offer true web browsing and an easy-to-use online applications store.
2008 also saw computers with 19-inch LCD displays drop below the HK$1,000 mark, while the capacity of portable and external storage reached the Terabyte level.
For digital cameras, the focus shifted from increasing numbers of megapixels to improved lenses. The Canon SX10 IS comes with a 20x optical zoom, equivalent to a 28mm-560mm zoom.
Let's hope 2009 brings even more exciting developments. Happy New Year!
Pros: more portable and affordable PCs, smartphones that can surf the real internet, bigger displays, bigger storage, bigger lenses
Cons: just how do you keep up?
