Getting ready for school, particularly for high school and college, means choosing great hi-tech gear, but also working within a budget. I've selected some of the best gadgets for 2016, with links to Amazon. Prices are specified as listed on Amazon (or as otherwise specified) at the time of this post; list prices are too misleading. You should rarely pay "list" for consumer electronics. But, be sure to check the actual price before you checkout.
- Livescribe 2GB Echo Smartpen ($124.99) Note taking was was a problem that plagued my career as a student. "The five principle causes of the Civil War were..." would intone my professor. While I was writing I was also thinking about what was being said and invariably I'd end up with four of the five causes. If I had the Livescribe Pulse digital pen I wouldn't have had the problem. You see, as you take notes with your Pulse it is also digitally recording what is being said as an audio file. Just touch the notepage at the place you were when you missed an essential point and you'll hear the prof give you the answer! This is a must-have product for every high school and college age student!
- Keyboards and Mice
These are best tested in person, where possible. Otherwise, buy from an on-line source that accepts free returns, as these are very personal decisions. One of my favorite relatively inexpensive keyboard is the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard ($29.95) It takes some getting used to if you're coming from a traditional keyboard where the keys are in straight lines, but when doing lots of typing I've found it reduces the strain and effort. My keyboard of choice this year is the Logitech RGB G810 Orion Spectrum Mechanical Gaming Keyboard ($129.99). It has a great feel thanks to its premium Romer-G mechanical key switches, logical location of keys, and yes…it lights up in a huge variety of customizable ways that can be both functional and cosmetic. Everything is customizable, from the color to the functions of the keys. I love the layout of the audio controls, including an out of harm's way button to mute sound, and roller to control volume. One of its best functions is a "game mode" that turns off the function of some keys that can be accidentally pressed and throw you out of your game. Unlike some competitors, the top row of number keys also have their "shifted" function visible, for example the @ sign is on the same keycap as the number 2. This makes the keyboard useful for more than gaming. The keys are fast, give positive feedback, without being overly "clicky". (I actually like the super-clicky sound of Razer's BlackWidow Chroma Keyboard ($124.99), but it the noise was driving my spouse to distraction, so out it went.) If you are looking for a keyboard that is good for gaming and work, but want to save a bit, look at the two models of the Logitech G610 ($89.99). It has the same basic layout as the G810, but omits the color changing lights, and substitutes Cherry-manufactured keys for the Rohmer's. Professional gamers may notice a difference, but all three were perfectly acceptable to me. - K380 Multi-Device Keyboard ($21.99) Using a smartphone or tablet to take class notes isn't really practical without a keyboard, and this is the one I'd recommend. It has a reasonable weight, sturdy feel, yet is still light enough to toss in a book bag without weighing you down. The membrane-style keyboard is a cut or two above others of this type I've tried, with more tactile response. You know when you've "clicked"; there is good feedback What really sets this keyboard apart from the competition is its ability to pair with up to three different bluetooth devices. This means that if you have an iPad, a tablet, and an Apple TV, you can use the same keyboard, switching between them with a touch of a button. The switching is virtually instantaneous. I had no trouble pairing the keyboard to any of the devices I tested it with. You just hold down one of the three selector keys until it starts flashing; this puts it into pairing mode. Then, on your smartdevice, just go to bluetooth settings and you'll find the keyboard there. Click to pair and you're in business. You only have to do this once for each device. The only issue I ran into was that, though clearly identified by my iPad, in Windows 10 it only showed as "keyboard" without mentioning the brand or model. Unless you're trying to pair dozens of keyboards, however, it is obvious. Once paired you just click on the clearly marked device keys to activate it, switching devices at will. Logitech claims the keyboard will work for up to two years on two AAA batteries. Obviously I couldn't test this! A couple of caveats. I suggest you test the keyboard for yourself to see if you're comfortable with the size of the keys and their relative closeness to one another. This is a compact keyboard, and as such there is no number pad, so it isn't ideal for finance majors. Still, it is an amazing keyboard, able to connect to three bluetooth devices at a time. The two best mice I've used this year both came from Logitech: The G502 Proteus Spectrum Mouse ($69.99) and the Logitech G900 Chaos Spectrum Professional Grade Wired/Wireless Gaming Mouse ($149.97). Amazingly, the wireless feels to be as responsive as the wired model.
- Printers
For students still living at home I really love the Epson Expression ET-2550 EcoTank printer ($299). Rather than using the traditional (and expensive) ink cartridges that always seem to run out the night a big paper is due, the EcoTank line comes with a supply of ink that is conservatively rated to last up to two years. What that means is ultimately a cost saving to you, and the generation of a lot less plastic waste for the landfill. I love that you get a scanner and copier built in, really handy for your student's projects and lots of around-the-house tasks that crop up. If you are planning to use this for your home office as well as for student use, for a hundred dollars more consider picking up the duplex-printing ET-4550 ($499) with bigger screen, faster printing, and larger paper capacity. I hesitate to recommend it for college bound students because there is no completely safe way to drain the tanks if you need to ship it home. If, on the other hand you are going to be driving to and from campus, and take pains to keep it flat, maybe putting some tape over the top of the tanks, it would probably be alright. Otherwise, take a look at a more traditional cartridge based printer. College bound students might also check to see if the school provides printers in the dorms or elsewhere at no extra charge. It means one less thing to schlep, and a cost savings as well. - Bookbags
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, backpack-related injuries send an estimated 5,000 children a year to emergency rooms. Bigger is not necessarily better, but you may need to help your student prioritize what to bring back and forth every day. If you find that the school's homework assignments are literally breaking your kid's back, it is time to talk to the PTA and principal. That said you want a bag that is lightweight, but sturdy enough not to rip, and with sufficient padding on the straps. If a computer is going into the bag make sure there is a padded compartment that fits. eBags is a good place to shop: their Professional Slim Backpack ($199, but on sale as of this writing at $109) was a bit heavy for my tastes, but many students I showed it to thought it was great, praising its many zippered compartments, one of which is semi-crush proof and removable. Somewhat less expensive is Timbuk2's new and stylish Tuck Backpack ($79 and up depending on material). It's got a padded area for a 13" laptop, reflective zipper, side pockets, and more. Another way to go is an over the shoulder messenger bag. A very popular model is the ThinkGeek.com "Bag of Holding" ($49.99). It is deceptively capacious, with four compartments, one decked out for a 17" laptop. It weighs in at just over three pounds and is made of canvas. For almost half the price and a full pound less in weight, also take a look at the Bag of Holding - Con Survival model. It has a different layout, and is a bit smaller, but might have everything your student needs (for less). - eBook Readers
Amazon has set the bar for what eBook readers should be with the Kindle line. Still, at many schools specific traditional bound books are still required, so these next-gen wonders may be thought of as accessories, rather than necessities. I love them, though. Note taking is simplified, the books are often cheaper, and they make it easy to look up vocabulary. The newest Kindle is on sale for only $59.99. If your budget can handle it I highly recommend upgrading to the Kindle Paperwhite ($99.99). The backlit screen makes reading in any condition, night or day, extremely doable. The lightest and most advanced Kindle is the Kindle Oasis. It is ultra-light, has a built in case that opens left to right like a book cover, a fantastic typographical display, and buttons in addition to a touch sensitive screen. But, considering that you can buy two Paperwhites with optional (and recommended) cases for the same price, and the fact that they both have 300dpi screens, it might be more a holiday present for you than something you want to send off to school. - Battery Packs
You can find rechargeable battery packs priced from a few dollars to nearly a hundred. Obviously, the most important factor is how big a battery is inside. The EnerPlex Jumpr Stack 3 ($29.99) is rated at 3,200 mAh, enough to give me two emergency charges for my iPhone. It isn't the cheapest out there, but I love that it has built in connectors for miniUSB and the latest iPhone. Nothing is worse than having a dying battery, a battery pack, and a missing in action cable! A bigger, similar model with three times the juice is the EnerPlex Jumpr Stack ($47.75) - Headphones
Fatal1ty Fxm100 Performance Series Gaming Headset ($79.99 on the Monster Website) At E3 2016 I was surprised by the quality and design of the latest entry-level wired stereo headset from Monster. They are surprisingly light, surprisingly neutral in sound, with much less gaudy bling that you might expect in an era where gaming headsets routinely support all sorts of superfluous flashing lights. Compared to other gaming sets I found these less artificially bright, which made listening to music quite comfortable, with minimal ear fatigue from exagerated treble or hyped-up thumping bass. On the other hand, when playing games you may miss some of the audio cues that come from that exaggeration. The headband was comfortable, without the head-in-a-vise feeling. I liked the removable flexible boom mike, but found the fabric ear cushions which sit on the ear rather than around it felt hot rather quickly. I also thought that not including the necessary y-adapter to make the phones work on a PC was inappropriate in a product bearing the name of Fata1ity, one of the greatest PC gamers of all time. Still, for under a hundred dollars, they are worth checking out.
