Read about Featured Gadgeteer - Tyler Puckett

Gadgeteer Article

June 16, 2004

Name: Tyler Puckett
Location: Salisbury, NC

The first thing I should tell you is that I am young---I’m 16, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love my gadgets!

I guess you could say I had an early “lust” for gadgets—I got my first “computer” when I was 2 or 3, one of those VTech laptop learning computers. I would play that thing for hours—I probably went through 2 sets of batteries a week! After this, my grandfather bought me a real computer at a yardsale. It was a relatively old IBM (a 286 if I remember correctly, running Win3.1). I say old, because at the time, Pentium was the thing and up to about 75MHz. This was 1993 or so. I loved that computer, but after a year, I upgraded to a 100MHz Compaq Deskpro running Windows 95, which I owned for over 6 years (I kept it up until I bought a Compaq Presario back in 2000). During my ownership of the Deskpro, my grandfather surprised me with a very speedy 300MHz IBM Thinkpad 600. I still own this laptop, though I upgraded it about 6 months ago to a newer model. My current computer is an IBM Thinkpad X20, 600MHz P2, with 128MB of RAM, running Windows 2000. I have never had the “cutting edge” when it comes to computers—I’ve never had a lust for the newest and greatest, nor the money to back it up.

The first PDA I ever set eyes on was a Palm m100, Thanksgiving Day, 2001. I knew I was hooked. I immediately began searching my new friend, eBay, for a cheap one. Unfortunately, they were selling for over $50, and in some cases, over $100, so it was out of my range. I went to Wal-Mart the night after, and they had a Handspring Visor Deluxe for only $75, brand new! I bought it and took it home. I had the Visor for almost a year, but it decided it wanted to learn to fly one day—off a table and onto a concrete floor. Needless to say, the screen cracked, and it is now in a landfill somewhere. I didn’t cry, however I did spend almost 3 months without a PDA. After “Black Friday,” as I call it, I went to Office Depot and purchased a Palm m125. I still own this amazing PDA, though it is not my daily driver anymore. I later upgraded to a Palm m505, which I sold just recently. Last Christmas, I got an Ipaq 1945, a brave move. This would be my first time moving away from Palm OS. I did like the Ipaq, and I still do—it’s one of my daily drivers. I keep going back and forth whether to put Linux on it or not, but I digress. After about 3 months of using the iPaq, I decided it was time to go back to Palm OS—I got a Tungsten E online for $80—and I’m in love! So, my PDA lineage is:

Handspring Visor Deluxe (broken, trashed)
Palm m125
Palm m505 (sold)
HP Ipaq 1945 (daily driver)
Palm Tungsten E (daily driver)

I have to say that I absolutely love the Gadgeteer. I stumbled upon this site while reading reviews of the Palm m125, and I have been hooked ever since. You may see me from time to time in the message boards, my handle is trophyofgrace there.

I am the webmaster of a community I started about a month ago. The name of the website is the Christian Sharing Network, and is located at www.christiansharing.net. I really enjoy webmastering, it gives me a chance to use my favorite software toys,
Macromedia Dreamweaver MX and Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0.

My next big gadget is a 15" Apple Powerbook Superdrive model, complete with a 20GB iPod. Making the switch, baby! If it's as simple and the OS is as beautiful as Julie made it out to be, I will love it!

That’s my gadget story, and I’m sticking to it.