Read About Featured Gadgeteer - Druce Macfarlane

Gadgeteer Article

March 01, 2005

Name: Druce Macfarlane
Location: San Mateo, California

Hi, my name is Druce, and I am a Gadgetoholic.

It all started shortly after High School, when I had some extra spending money, and decided to spend it on computers. All kinds of computers. I had everything from a home made PC, to a CP/M-based S100 system and a Dec PDP11/34a (geez, just dated myself there).

I had my addiction under control, until HP released the HP LX95. There had been other PDAs, but this one engaged me. Then came Palm and Windows CE.
Then PocketPC. It wouldn't be bad if I could just settle on one, but I have to try everything now.

At some point, I just decided to let go, and give my addiction a budget.
Some people go to the Theater, some people have extensive wardrobes. I buy gadgets.

My current stash includes my Treo 650 (my current uber-gadget), which replaced my Treo 600, which replaced my 300 and aging Rio 500 MP3 player. I also have an Ipaq 3900, which alternates between running PocketPC and Linux.
Why did I install Linux on my Ipaq? Because I could. It is all part of the addiction.

My house used to be fully wired with Cat5, until I moved, giving my the excuse to go fully wireless (802.11a/b/g). Why all three? Because I could.
There is no logic to this.

I have a Sun/Cobalt RaQ that I use as a file and VPN server. Actually, I mainly have it because it looks cool. On my desk, I have a IBM Thinkpad T42 notebook computer.

I just got a Sipura VoIP/SIP unit, which I have been having wonderful early adopter fun with.

Other gadgets include a Pioneer DVD-burning TiVo (which I have hacked, because I could...), a 3Com Audrey (which I have also hacked, are you seeing a trend yet?), a Kodak DX6330 camera with the printer/dock, and my most recent addition, a Magellan Roadmate 700 GPS/Navigation unit (Which I haven't hacked. Yet.) Then there is my antiques collection. My Newton Messagepad 2100, my HP Omnigo 120, my IBM Simon Cell phone (yes, IBM made a PDA cell phone), and my Motorola Envoy.

This doesn't even begin to describe all of the secondary and tertiary accessories that I have collected for my toys. All of the retractable sync/charging cables, the styli, the storage. In fact, if you calculated the cost of all of these items, you could really tell that it is the razor blades that I am spending my money on.

They say, with any addiction, the first step is to admit that you have a problem and that you are powerless against it. Alright, I think I can do that. The second step is to want to change. This is where it all falls apart.