Great Southern Lad: The Best (and Worst) 5 Gadgets

I have bought quite a few gadgets in my time. I am not necessarily an early adopter - I did not get onto the iPhone bandwagon until this year (2010) - but I am partial to purchasing the odd gadget or ten. It is the smell of the freshly opened box and the promise of the better life they will bring that they will give me.

But gadgets are far from created equal and I have bought - and I am sure will continue to buy - some stinkers. These gadget are bought with the best of intentions and often more than a little research goes into their selection. Yet, in the nether regions of my cupboard they do sit ...

So what makes a gadget great (or not do great) for me, then? Without over-thinking it, I would say my three criteria are -

Would I buy it again if it got lost / broken / stolen (or did I regret buying it)?
Do / did I use it often (or did I almost never use it)?
Did it (or didn't it) do what it said it would do on the tin?

Not everyone will have the same criteria. Further, not everybody would apply these criteria in the same way. What this means is that my list of best and worst gadgets is very personal. My bests include a buggy PVR while my worst include, according to consensus, some best in class gadgets.

My list is quite random, covering the most recent of smart phones with the most ancient of PVRs. This reflects a broad range of gadget buying over an extended period of time. While this it means it may not be great as a buying guide, it may provide a useful insight into the decision making process.

Right - here we go then.

The best five gadgets