Following 5 tech products made an impact in 2012. Some received mixed reviews and some won raves, but all five made us sit up and take notice.
1. Windows 8, the industry shaker
Love it or hate it, Windows 8 picked up the previously predictable world of desktop operating systems and shook it — hard. The new operating system and its multiple iterations forced hardware manufacturers down the road to a completely different UI built around the startlingly different-looking interface. Aimed at a touch-based experience, the new OS pleased some and launched an army of interesting new, convertible Windows laptops such as the popular Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13.
2. Samsung Galaxy S3, leading the Android charge
Also our best product of 2012, the GS3 and its epic, relentless, and clever marketing campaign made this phone the first ubiquitous non-iPhone since the BlackBerry. A global powerhouse and a less expensive alternative to the iPhone in many cases, this phone doesn’t excite design snobs, but no one else seems to care.
3. Microsoft Surface, the Metro vanguard
As CNET’s Eric Franklin says in his review of Microsoft’s risky, experimental Windows 8 tablet, the Windows RT hardware “takes a legitimate swing at replacing your computer and comes closer to hitting the mark than any tablet before it.” The risk may or may not pay off — reviews are mixed, the price tag a steep $499, and sales lukewarm — but Microsoft’s first self-made hardware since the Zune puts on a brave, creative face with extended life HP 2230s battery, and if the idea succeeds, Surface may signal the laptop’s death knell.
4. Google Nexus 7, the price warrior
Our third favorite product of the year, the Nexus 7 also makes a bold statement about exactly how low tablet price tags can go. At $199, the full-featured 7-inch tablet provides access to the most recent Android tablet OS and the entire Google ecosystem. In contrast, the iPad Mini costs $329 and the Kindle Fire HD, though also starting at $199, is sold by Amazon at cost and with the limitations of the closed Amazon ecosystem.
5. MakerBot 3D Replicator, the invention engine
Announced at CES 2012, the MakerBot opens mind-boggling possibilities for people who like to invent for fun, for work, or for any other reason. This is the first truly commercial home 3D printer at a price within reach for many. For $2,000 and the cost of materials, you can print pretty much anything you can design, from toys to jewelry. Inventors use these printers for prototyping, and crafters use them for embellishment. Certainly, this printer will improve (and needs to) in future generations, but the promise and accessibility of this inspiring device should spawn a generation of home-based engineers.
