I've been at Microsoft for over a year now, and was really good for the first year about not spending money on tech gadgets. So much so that I was very proud of the savings my wife and I had worked hard to accumulate.

Then came October...

First I bought a Sirius radio for the car (actually, it's for home and car with the home Kit). This finally lets me listen to my Alabama Football when I'm out of Alabama and not connected to the web. A must for any die-hard sports fan who doesn't live in their favorite team's market. I also listen to a lot of varieties of music. I may listen to a little of each classical, swing standards, Hair Bands, Country,.Grunge, and old-school rap on any daily commute to work.

Then I bought a Zune on the 1st day it was available. A lovely brown one. I wanted to do my part to help this be a successful product. Two words. I love this device (ok, maybe more than two words). We all have read or experienced the unique features of Zune, I'm just waiting to be in the area with another one to share some of my musical joy with someone else. Next, I realized that after giving up my old stereo at the house a few months back, I didn't have anything suitable for playing that music in the living room other than my headphones.

So I did what all tech addicted guys with extra money during football season do and bought a new Sharp Aquos 37" LCD tv. WOW! What took me so long to do that. I'm travelling during the week so I only get to see it about three days per week, but what a difference over my old 25" Sony. I would have gotten the 42" but my room is just not big enough to support it without it just completely taking over.

This had hookups I could now plug my Zune, my Sirius sattelite radio, DVD, and still have one input left over since I had just given away my XBox to my younger nephews.

What? Gave away my XBox? and I have extra inputs available? This can't be. So I jumped online and ordered the XBox 360 bundle from the MS company store and received it last weekend. Now, after hooking it up I realized that I don't need that DVD player taking up space in the living room anymore since I can use the XBox 360. That didn't solve my problem. Actually the XBox 360 is really my wifes, as she's the gamer in our family. I wish the game studio folks would get to work on more adventure games that involve more exploration and problem solving, rather than shooting. I'm not against the violence, just not coordinated enough to play well. But a Myst-like game can hook me for hours, days. We need more of that on the 360. It's graphics could do wonders for the experience. 

My over all impressions.

Zune is cool. Get one today, and hang out around the MS office in Alpharetta, or Dreamland BBQ so I can send you some music.

LCD HDTV. I won't ever be the same again. Get it now while there are great specials going on.

XBox 360. I can't belive I waited this long to get one. XBox live will too as soon as I get home and set it up. (just need the wireless adapter and it's on order). I don't think I would have liked it as much on a standard width TV though. It's the immersion factor and HD output that makes it cool to me.

Sirius sattelite radio - Perfect for the car (and home). I just wish I could record broadcasts from it and push to my zune (podcast style). I am addicted to Radio Classics on 118.

Can I just say thanks to my wife for letting me go nuts?