Techies, toss your wish lists

Seriously, toss them. Tear them up. BURN them. Because you’re starting over. Right. Now.
Let me tell you how much fun we’ve been having with our new Sony Mylo. Its the gift I should have given to my husband. Instead, we’re all fighting over who gets to play with it next.
The mylo (short for “my life online”) is a hand-held portable device which allows you to go online in any hotspot. Which means anytime you’re in a McDonald’s, you’re online. Starbucks. Hotel. Business. Dorm room. You got it … online. In this way, you can surf the web, check your e-mail, upload to facebook, download a new song… you’re surfing because you can. The mylo is equiped to make internet phone calls using Skype or GoogleTalk. And you can IM with Aim and Yahoo Messenger. There’s hardly a need for an alternate device. Not only can you now make calls, but the mylo also has a camera AND a camcorder (and I must say, I’m pretty impressed with its skilz.)
So, after getting my mylo and playing with a few features, I ventured to the Sony Style store at our local mall for a tour of the features. Unfortunately, a tour wasn’t possible, as the very friendly sales people were able to give an excellent pitch, but neither had actually experienced the machine as much as I had. In fact, I might have taught them a thing or two. We did, however, talk about demographics and usability. Shawn told me his favorite feature was IMing from anywhere. As a twenty-ish guy, that’s how he communicates with his buds. For the longest time, he couldn’t IM unless he was infront of his computer. With the mylo, he can communicate from anywhere so long as there is wifi. And, with the way of modern times, wifi is in more and more places (we could even access it in our mall.) “This is really big among high schoolers and college kids,” Shawn explained. “With the QWERTY keyboard and access in almost all education buildings, kids are using these instead of cell phones, because they do more.” And the big selling point to their parents? No monthly plan. No contracts. Just pay to purchase, and you won’t be charged again. (I swear, I had to read the fine print several times to actually believe that.) So parents are finding it less expensive to buy a mylo (check it out! $100 off right now!) and pay for a basic cell phone*, than pay for all the bells and whistles of a contracted phone with all the “necessary” elements.
The mylo has a touchscreen with an attached stylus, and my 5 year old has had no problem figuring out how to rock out the songs on the MP3 Player. I also recently realized that he’s enjoyed using the camera and camcorder… never with a lesson. And he tells me the games are fun. Hmmm… Did I even give him permission to play?
So, who would love it? So far, I can totally see it as a hit amongst its biggest demo: the tweens, teens and twenty-somethings. But its something to be considered for the parenting crowd. How cool is it to have a mini personal internet hanging out in your purse? Access your favorite websites, google a map or check your e-mail in any hotspot?! That would be so key if you’re waiting in a hotspot doctors office, early for a meeting or on vacation. And you get the camera, camcorder, MP3… even VOIP, all right there. No contract.
The regular price has been slashed by way of a rebate at the Sony Style website through January 31.
*Since its not cell-phone equiped, the mylo doesn’t work to call 911. You can’t really use it in a car, unless your car is a wifi a hotspot. So this doesn’t eliminate the need for a phone.