For some, purchasing back-to-school supplies is the highlight of September. Many revel at the moment when a weary parent hands over a credit card, and they can scamper off to the local stationery store completely free of financial worries, to invest in a season’s worth of academic necessities. Whether or not the following supplies will help you study is debatable, but be certain that they are far more exciting then a ten-pack of single-subject notebooks.
4. Jazz up your note-taking experience with the Mead Five Star Sound Binder. Starting at around $13.99, this product boasts a 3.5-millimeter auxiliary input jack for plugging in any MP3 player to play music through its integrated speakers. With only two tiny speakers, the binder’s sound is mediocre, but more than adequate for the student who wants to share his music with a study group during a review session. Should any other students have the same product, you can link the binders together and play music from one MP3 player. The 1.5-inch binder also has slots for pens and an MP3 player or cell phone, and requires four AAA batteries. It comes in color combinations of black with red, pink, blue or black.
3. If you need to transfer files among many computers, the SanDisk Cruzer Micro USB flash drive is for you. At $39.99, this flash drive is a must-have for any Stuyvesant student. The drive boasts 4 GB of storage in a device the size of a small eraser, but memory is not its only asset. It also can store and run programs that many students use both for school and leisure directly from the drive. You no longer have to waste time installing programs onto the computer you are borrowing–just load them up from the flash drive itself. Enabling you to carry your music, photos, videos, programs and school work with you everywhere, this little device with large capabilities will be a life saver for many, especially during those nights when your printer “runs out of ink.”
2. If you’re strapped for cash but need an MP3, look no further than Apple. For the price of $129.99 for 4 GB and $169.99 for 8 GB, a refurbished iPod Nano is a fantastic option for those who desire an MP3 player at a cost lower than that of the original, $199.99. Apple’s simple interface makes its products easy to use, and its huge accessory industry will allow you to personalize the Nano however you want. A refurbished product is one that has been sent to the factory to be inspected and is being resold to the public. Only products that pass the inspection are repaired. Along with a warranty, the resulting like-new product is packaged with everything that its new counterpart comes with. Should anything go wrong, you can always exchange it. But these refurbished products sell quick, since the new family of iPods has resulted in significant price cuts in the previous generations. Apple no longer sells refurbished iPod Videos because they are completely sold out, but should you desire one, look to an authorized iPod reseller, such as J&R or CompUsa. The larger the retailer, the more of a product it should have in stock.
1. The absolute must-have product for the new 2008 school year is the Canon Powershot SD 1000. Capture all the images you want with this small, 7.1-megapixel camera, which uses SD memory cards cheaper than their media storage counterparts. The camera has most, if not all, the features a student needs to capture those important moments. One important feature the camera lacks is optical image stabilization, which clarifies shaky images. Since the camera is made by Canon, however, you do get the latest Digic III chip, which has the ability to track the faces of those whom you take pictures of. For example, if you are taking a snapshot of all your friends, each and every one of them will have a green box around his or her head.Should your friends move around, the box will track their movements, making sure you capture their smile every time with the utmost clarity and sharpness. At $200 to $220, this compact camera is a fantastic deal for its price, features and image quality.
The Mead Five Star Sound Binder can be purchased at Office Max or Staples.
The SanDisk Flash Drive can be purchased atJ&R, MicroCenter or CompUSA
The iPod can be purchased at any authorized reseller, such as J&R, CompUSA or online at apple.com.
The Canon Powershot SD 1000 can be purchased at Best Buy, B&H or J&R.
