Another year has come and gone.  I’ve actually heard some people say that this has been a slow year gadget wise, but I disagree and I am sure the rest of the Gear Diary team agrees.  Here is what we think deserves the title Gadget of the Year for 2009.  Note: I counted a mention if a team member said anything about it that is positive.  This is not scientific, and it is really just for fun.

Amy Z

My vote goes to the MiFi, whether its Sprint or Verizon’s version. It’s better than the usual 3g cell modems that are available it every respect. It’s small, easy to configure, supports 5 devices, and typically has good coverage. True, the 5G cap is a pain for some, but for most people, they won’t even notice. My runner up? Motorola DROID— the next step in Android evolution.

Michael Anderson

My choice:
- Motorola Droid: my first smartphone, and the first thing to make me not want an iPhone. Great app store integration, flexible UI, very responsive, and so on. The keyboard is a pain, but the rest of the device makes up for it.

My ‘anti-choice’ (i.e. worst of the year)
- PSP Go – I cannot imagine a single device that contains so much arrogance and anti-consumer hubris as the PSP Go. It is a device that gamers should have been able to support, but Sony made every choice in a manner that it is impossible.

Joel McLaughlin – The MiFi marks a incredible change of events in most carriers. Even Verizon has the MiFi and it’s at least allowed tethering on some of its phones. While the MiFi is remarkable, what is more remarkable is that Verizon and Sprint have both launched the device.

Also, the Droid gets top honors this year too.  Finally Verizon has a phone that is oh-so-close to the iPhone in usability.  Sadly, T-Mobile’s myTouch 3G and Cliq didn’t get much traction, thanks to the Droid.

Also, after having tried the Kindle 2, I have to say it definitely is living up to the hype for me.  It has it’s quirks, but the very readable screen and the experimental but somewhat usable web browser is OK.  The browser does not support Java Script or flash but mobile sites work well enough to make it something I may use from time to time.  Also, since I have the AT&T version, I can’t notice any of the overloaded network that iPhone users see.  So I think Amazon made a good choice to go to AT&T and leave Sprint.

Allistair Lee

I would say it would be HTC HD2 and Kindle 2. I would like to give MiFi a try when I get the chance to though. It seems like a great little gadget to have.

Travis Ehrlich

I will have to go the “fanboy” route and say the iPhone 3GS. Not only is this device like crack, it is amazingly functional. It seems like every week I find a situation where someone needs something and I’m able to pull my iPhone out and answer the question or find the information. I use the video all of the time to catch important moments with my kids. I can barely make it through the day without my iPhone!

Kerry Woo

For my Gadget/Device of the Year, I have to say without hesitation the Apple iPhone 3GS. Sure it doesn’t have a removable battery, or a slot for a memory card but the user interface and seamless integration with iTunes for music, photos, tons of apps and more provides a platform for a productive lifestyle. I manage 4 email accounts, get things done with to do lists, read eBooks, socially network and get all the info I need with WiFi or 3G ease. Even my 85 year old mother in law uses a iPhone!

Carly Z

I think it’s a tie between the iPhone 3GS and the Kindle 2. Not so much because they are the best of the best (though they are good), but because they grabbed popular culture in a way that is beyond any predecessors. People are buying smartphones in droves across multiple carriers, and the nook, the Sony Daily Edition and the Kindle DX are sold out. People are talking enthusiastically about smartphone applications, and suddenly buying and reading books is cool again. They’ve defined two of the major trends in 2009 heading into 2010, and that’s just astounding.

Jason Reese

I have to say my vote is for the Novatel MiFi. Being able to have your own mobile hotspot and connect up to 5 devices anywhere has been terrific. I’m using the VZW version of the MiFi, and so far the speed and coverage has been great. I was previously using aircards and tethering — and the MiFi can potentially save users from having to pay monthly charges for 2 or more aircards. The only “minus” is the 5GB data cap, but I’ve not hit it yet…

Judie Lipsett

This is a tough one! The Kindle 2, the Kindle DX, the MiFi … but also the iPhone 3GS are my obvious gadget choices. Less obvious are the Logitech Squeezebox Boom, the CatGenie, and all of the suddenly low-priced LCD TVs that we’ve all been seeing (We bought a 55″ early this year for ~$1500!). This year was a very good gadget year!

Side Note: Joel asked if I was going to take this opportunity to slam the nook, and I think not. While it’s true that the nook will not make my list of faves (not this year, anyway), I see it as a valiant effort. Remember that I didn’t buy love the original Kindle either, so who knows. The nook2 might be a horse of another color.

Doug Moran

I’m going to be a bit of a radical and say the Nook. Not because it’s a good device—obviously it isn’t—but because it meant that a huge bookseller seriously bought into the online reading market. Further, B&N is a brick and mortar company—when a company like that buys in to portable eBook readers, you know big change is happening.

Christopher Gavula

I think it was a very good year as well for gadget lovers. There’s a lot to love with the HTC HD2 – possibly the best Windows Mobile device to date. Amazon dramatically improved the Kindle with the Kindle 2. I think for me, however, that the kickers have to be either the iPhone 3GS (and the whole AppStore experience) – for dramatically expanding the market – again – at a time when we thought they would possibly stagnate due to their poor and inconsistent app approval process. My other thought is that the Nook – while not all it should be (yet) – actually has stimulated an amazing amount of interest – possible more than the Kindle. It certainly has gotten a TON of press coverage and it has gotten a lot of publishers to FINALLY make announcements about eB ooks – something that didn’t happen so much when the Kindle was released. So just like Apple didn’t invent the MP3 player, but DID get the market for digital music to finally surge forward, it may be that the Nook (boosted by the existence of the Kindle) may have got us to that push/surge point. If not – they sure got us a lot closer!

Dan Cohen

Gear Diary gave me the opportunity (and the excuse) to try some awesome gadgets during 2009. I had two different iPhones, upgraded my touch, tried two different Kindles and an eSlick (I still have the DX), and I think I bought and sold a dozen different laptops (scary but true). I discovered the Livescribe PulsePen (love it!) and, with the guidance of the group here at GD, dove into the world of HDtv with an awesome Samsung 61″. That required an upgrade to a TiVo HD box (of course!) and, thanks to a friend, I got a Wii to use with the Samsung beast.  I discovered (and continue to love) the Roku (seriously people you have to get one of these!!!) and I can’t count the number of different Bluetooth devices I tried. Oh, and much to my surprise 2009 also saw me enter the world of the BlackBerry as I began carrying two different phones. As the year ends I am waiting for my 27″ iMac to be delivered (Elana gets the 24″ and her folks get her MacBook Pro) and I continue to love my 13″ MacBook Pro. I am a lucky guy in so many regards… gadgets are just one small part of that.

The Gadget of the Year for me though??? No question the iPhone 3GS. Why? Simple. I love my MacBook Pro but don’t always have it with me. I live by my LiveScribe Pulse Pen but, at times, leave it behind. I love the Canon G9 camera a friend gave me but don’t always have it with me. My iPhone 3GS?? That is with me 24/7. Funny, since I started using the Blackberry Bold the iPhone isn’t even my main phone but the iPhone IS the one device I never leave behind. It is my phone, my email, my camera, my video camera, my gaming platform, my task manager, my dictation device, my on-the-go browser… it is THE device. And I can’t wait to see what the next generation brings.

Larry
The two obvious choices for me would be the iPhone 3Gs and the Kindle 2. But since those have already been covered I’m going to select the NetBook as my choice for gadget of the year 2009. NetBooks in 2009 have become affordable to most anyone bringing ultra-portability to the masses. Laptops used to be devices that only the ultra-rich could afford. While it’s true they’ve come down significantly in price over the last few years the NetBook still is a much more affordable option. NetBooks are getting more powerful too. The latest crop feature longer battery life, bigger hard drives and faster processors. I don’t think it’ll be long before we’re seeing specs that were once found inside high-end laptops in NetBooks too.

David
I hate to be an “also ran” but I agree on the iPhone 3GS as top gadget or device for 2009. I am eager to nominate mobile WiFi but want to reserve that for next year to see how well received it becomes in the automotive environment.

Jeff
There have been several devices this year that are worthy of mention: the MiFi is a great idea, the Nook and Kindle 2 both succeeded in furthering the ebook, and the iPhone 3GS made an already great device that much better. My vote is going to the Motorola Droid, though. It’s not without its faults – I’m still getting used to the physical keyboard – but whether due to its actual abilities or the unavoidable marketing campaign, it’s managed to bring Android that much closer to the mainstream. I mean, heck, I was out for dinner while visiting my small, rural hometown just a few days after the Droid’s release and was surprised to see another diner whip one out to show off… and this wasn’t someone I would have normally considered all that interested in new technology.

The winner is Apple’s iPhone 3GS with 7 mentions by the team.  With the increased speed of the processor and other enhancements made by Apple, it continues to be a juggernaut.  Will Apple maintain this through 2010?  Only time will tell.

Tied for second is the MiFi with 6 mentions from our team.  A portable access point that lets you share your connection with up to five users makes it a incredibly handy device to have in your kit.

Also tied for second  is the Kindle 2 with 6 mentions.  Amazon has a real winner with most of the issues the Kindle 1 had being resolved.  The Kindle DX even got a mention by Judie, and judging by the problems she has found with the nook, Amazon has nothing to worry about … yet.

In third is the Droid.  It has garnered attention from at least 4 of our team members.   Having tried the Droid myself and having several friends and family purchase it and hearing nothing but great things, it definitely deserves the attention.  Now if they can only fix the flat keyboard!

A honorable mention has to go for the Nook.  B&N is the first brick and mortar bookstore to go out on a limb and try selling a eReader of their own.  While Judie had issues with it, there’s a firmware update gradually sneaking out that make it a device worth watching.  While the Kindle 2 and Kindle DX are the King and Queen of the eReader market, once the Nook is more readily available, it could surprise Jeff Bezos and Amazon.

What is your Gadget of 2009?