April 28th, 2009
Get involved: build me your perfect tech-filled house
I am the luckiest sod alive. With a recession the deepest it has been since World War II, with swine flu slowly spreading to pandemic levels, and universities on the edge of closing down completely, we are in uncertain times.
But, I have scraped together every penny of savings I have, and now have myself a beautiful house within the Roman city walls of Canterbury, England. It’s gorgeous, I’ll tell you now, but probably won’t share exactly where it is; some of you guys are a little unhinged at the best of times. It’ll be on Google Street View soon enough anyway.
I face a problem though. My technological skills are alright, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to land a gig here. What I do lack, however, is the necessary skill to avoid going, “ahh, that’ll do”, and just picking random things out of the catalogue.
What we can use
Available to me, the current stores within walking distance are Currys (I get discount) and PC World, and any technology shop in Canterbury. Other shops which I can use are online include Ebuyer, Amazon.co.uk, iwantoneofthose.com and Dabs.com. I will not be using online auction sites, so don’t even bother.
How much can I spend
I have decided to spend absolutely no more than £1,500 (which is the equivalent of roughly $2,100) and I will not go a penny over this. If I do, I won’t be able to eat for a month, so there’s no point in having a brand new telly if I end up dying because I’m malnourished. Be careful though; don’t spend $2,000 on a flatscreen television with no money left for any of the other items.
What I already have (and don’t need)
There’s no need for me to buy absolutely everything new, no matter how much I may want to. So consider these already taken, but anything else I will leave your imaginations:
- Desktop computer (AMD 64×2 6000+ 4GB RAM, 360GB storage)
- Laptop computer (crap government specification)
- Mobile phone (BlackBerry Curve 8900)
- Digital frame (from itWorks)
- Multi-function device (Epson Stylus Photo RX685)
- Wireless router (standard O2 wireless box)
- Digital camera (an old Sony DSC-P32, but it works)
- DAB Digital Radio (Pure One Classic DAB radio)
Suggestions of items I could do with
There are a few things in my house which I’m going to need. A flatscreen television is vital, and a DVD player isn’t necessary, but might be nice if you have money left over. Having fancy items around the house such as an iPod docking station would be pretty useful when my friends come over, but pointless gadgets such as a colour phasing shower light would be brilliant, even though it isn’t essential.
I’ll need a phone in my office which works with Skype as well as an ordinary landline phone, and could do with a decent wireless keyboard and mouse. However, because of my medical condition, I’m likely to smash the shit out of my mouse; something that is durable, robust but cheap is important. I’ll need a wireless landline phone, too, for downstairs.
Besides that, if you have any left over money to spend, throw in anything you think would be a) awesome and b) perfect for a student house.
Finally…
I cannot stress this enough. If you don’t choose it, I won’t get it. What you choose is what I will get, or if there’s a toss-up between the two, I’ll use my judgement to the best of my ability. This is your chance to design the best student house possible, without spending a penny, and getting some other dork to do it.
If there’s anything else I can think of, I’ll let you know.
Let’s go! Begin leaving your suggestions!
Zack Whittaker, the youngest in the ZDNet network, is a British student at the University of Kent, Canterbury, where he studies BA (Hons) Criminology and Social Policy. His insight into the next-generation is unique and first-hand, sharing his knowledge of the here and now but more so what's next and how to get there.
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| 04/28/09
