20 most notable products of 2009

2010 is just a blink away. So it’s time to round up what has 2009 gave us. Uh, I mean gadgets.

Let’s just face the fact that some of these may not reach our shore here. But hey, it still rocks from where it comes. OK here we go.

1. Amazon Kindle 2



Amazon’s second-generation Kindle came out early in the year, but it managed to remain the most popular e-book reader throughout 2009, even as competitors did their best to knock it down.

2. Apple iPhone 3GS

With the iPhone 3GS, Apple didn’t make any design changes; however, it did make the phone twice as zippy and improved its battery life.

3. Apple MacBook Pro 13-inchPreviously known as the MacBook, Apple’s basic 13-inch aluminum unibody laptop was promoted to the “Pro” series, all while adding features and cutting the base price. It sits at the top of our laptop best-products list.
4. Apple iPod Touch third generationThe latest iteration of the iPod Touch failed to include a camera, but that’s one of its few flaws.
5. Barnes & Noble Nook e-book readerThe Nook may not have lived up to the hype, but it certainly was a noteworthy product of 2009.
6. Flip Video Mino HDLed by its Mino line, Flip Video pocket camcorders continued to gain market–and mind–share in 2009.
7. HP Mini 311 Netbook

HP’s Mini 311 is the first Netbook to include Nvidia’s Ion graphics chip that gives it HD video and basic gaming capabilities. In his review, CNET’s laptop guru Dan Ackerman says that, “HP’s Mini 311 adds a larger, high-definition display and advanced graphics to a basic Netbook, while keeping the price very appealing.”

8. HTC Droid Eris / HTC HeroHTC’s Droid Eris (Verizon) and Hero (Sprint) are very similar smartphones that currently run on Android 1.5. They don’t feature a built-in physical keyboard like the Motorola Droid does, but they are cheaper, with the Eris coming in at a very affordable $99.
9. Kodak Zi8Flip Video finally got a serious competitor in the Kodak Zi8, which features 1080p recording, electronic image stabilization, and a macro mode.
10. Logitech Squeezebox RadioThe Logitech Squeezebox Radio has an exceptional design, an unmatched variety of streaming music services, and solid sonics, making it the top value pick for Wi-Fi radios.
11. LG BD-390 Blu-ray playerWe like LG’s BD-390 Blu-ray player because it incorporates 802.11n Wi-Fi and video streaming (Netflix, Vudu) into a high performance product for an affordable price. It’s become so popular that it’s sold out at most stores.
12. Motorola DroidThe Droid’s not perfect, but it runs the newest version of Google’s Android OS (2.0) and gives Verizon users a worthy alternative to the iPhone.
13. Nikon D5000Nikon’s affordable dSLR that features HD video recording was a top choice among consumers in 2009.
14. Palm Pre

The iPhone 3GS and Motorola Droid stole some of its thunder, but the Palm Pre had its moment in the limelight. Now, it just needs a decent App Store.

15. Panasonic TC-P50V10 series plasma HDTVThe Panasonic V10 series plasma was the only TV this year to win an Editors’ Choice award from our video guru David Katzmaier. For the money, you can’t get a better picture in big-screen, flat-panel display.
16. Samsung UN55B8500 series LCD TVsIt costs a mint, but Samsung’s local dimming, LED-based UNB8500 series delivers the best picture quality of any LCD we tested in 2009.
17. Sonos ZonePlayer S5The ZonePlayer S5 shrinks the Sonos streaming music experience down to a compact single-speaker system with great sound that you can control from any iPhone or iPod Touch.
18. Sony PS3 SlimSony’s PlayStation 3 is finally taking off, thanks to a redesign and price drop to $299.
19. Vizio VF551XVTLED TVs were hot in 2009, and Vizio gets props for putting out the 55-inch VF551XVT, a local dimming, LED-backlit TV that cost less than $2,000 and exhibits excellent LCD picture quality for the buck.
20. Zune HDIt’s not quite as good as the iPod Touch, but Microsoft finally made the Zune sexy with this year’s Zune HD, which features a brilliant OLED touch screen.

Source: CNet