So, what should I get for my birthday?

[Ryan]

My birthday is coming up on the 16th, and I'm trying to figure out what to get. My parents tend to just tell me how much they want to spend, and I pick something out, since I'm the kind of person who has to research all the possible options before I decide.

I was going to get the Etymotic Research ER6i earphones, but I received those today, and while they sound great (much better than my current Bose headphones), I can't even imagine getting used to them. So while they get sent back to Amazon, I have to decide what else to get. My parents set a $100 limit, so that's my price range. I might be able to go a little over.

Please don't tell me to save up for a car, or car insurance, since I won't be getting one for quite a while.

So far, I have on my possibilities list:

- A good set of headphones. I was looking at the ER6i because I can easily take it to school with me and use it in a very loud environment without causing ear damage. Another product that is both portable and comfortable and on-par with these in quality would be great.

- Taking the hundred, adding it a hundred of my own and sending my PowerBook off to PowerBookResQ to have the hard drive upgraded. I have about six gigs left right now, but I have an external Firewire that has about 70 left.

- A hundred bucks of music.

I listen to music for hours a day, so the first and last option are my favorites right now. It really all hinges on whether or not a product like the ER6i exists that is also comfortable. I'm thinking of trying out the Shure e3c, but I'm not sure if it was just the ER6i that's uncomfortable or the inherent design of IEMs.

Any ideas?

[pilot1129]

$100 of treasury bills/bonds?
Add it to your college savings?

:) just thinking of the future

[Ryan]

A lot of my college tuition is taken care of thanks to a few investments my parents made a year or two ago, along with a portion of my father's stock options in the corporation he works for.

But it's still a good idea.

[colivigan]

You could get one of these. Barely.

http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/lm_case30gb_hero.jpg

Seriously, I have to wonder how many of these cases they're actually selling. :\

[chucker]

Seriously, I have to wonder how many of these cases they're actually selling. :\

Probably more than they deserve to. Major screw-up on Apple's part.

[Windowsrookie]

$100 of music with 6 gigs left? come on..... think aboout it.

[pilot1129]

sports betting. turn that $100 into $600 with a parlay. Then sell your computer and combine the two earnings to buy 709's orgasmic (http://forums.applenova.com/showthread.php?p=341966#post341966) Macbook.

[Ryan]

$100 of music with 6 gigs left? come on..... think aboout it.Well, at about $12 per disc, with an average of an hour a disk, and around 140mbs per album at 320kbps AAC, that should end up being about a gigabyte of music. But my math is probably off.

Besides, I can just move my video projects onto my external drive and I'll have another four-five gigs to use.

[Robo]

You're waaay too rich, Ryan. :| :) :(

[chucker]

320kbps AAC

Do you use VBR, at least? ;)

[hiltond]

A quick look at your profile tells me you are turning 16. Here is how you spend $100 on your 16th birthday:

Aqua Net
A grill lighter (for the ignition)
Some PVC pipe
A PVC cap
Some electrical tape
Lots of potatoes

Don't blow yourself or anyone else up!
Happy birthday!

[alschmid]

Save up over another 5 birthdays and then buy these:
http://www.ultimateears.com/custom/UE-5c.htm

Ok, they look strange. But: I have the UE-7pros (or the 10s, I'm not sure anymore and I have them at my rehearsal studio) - they sound better than any in-ear-headphones I have ever heard and you can be in a VERY noisy environment (read: rock stage) and still listen to what's coming out of them at a pretty quiet level. And they are really comfortable to wear.

[Ryan]

You're waaay too rich, Ryan. :| :) :(I'm not rich, we're just moving from California to Texas, so we no longer have a $400,000 mortgage. Now we have none, which saves about $2000 a month. Plus, the house I'm in in California has *doubled* in value since we bought it four years ago, so we get a nice bonus from that.

Of all the things I will miss in California, real estate prices are not one of them.

edit: Oh, yeah, the thread. I'm leaning towards the music option. I've been wanting to pick up a few Sufjan Stevens albums for a while now, so this seems like the perfect time.

[atomicbartbeans]

http://unitednuclear.com/nerd.gif (http://unitednuclear.com/uranium.htm)

:D

[Meltedbutter421]

http://unitednuclear.com/nerd.gif (http://unitednuclear.com/uranium.htm)

:D
wait wtf?
its all sold out though :(

[Ryan]

Okay, I made my decision, and I bought a Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 lens for my Digital Rebel XT, along with a UV filter. I also ordered Illinois and Michigan by Sufjan Stevens. All the items are coming from Amazon. I hadn't factored in other money from relatives, which bumped up my budget enough to get that stuff. I can't wait to get the lens, since all I have right now is a 70-300mm Canon lens, which is essentially useless for indoor photography.

[babelfish]

Umm about photography -

Next time, if you're actually serious about indoor photography, then if I were you I'd get a prime lens, something like a 50/1.8.

Not only is it cheaper but it also will allow for better control in low light conditions (which I am assuming in low light photography).

Having a prime lens also helps improve your photogrpahy as you have only one angle to work with and must position and frame your shots precisely in the way that you want to in order to get the outcome that you desire; as opposed to standing in one place and zooming in and out.

Photography good :D

[Meltedbutter421]

How much was that lense Ryan?
I only have the kit lense (18-55) for my Rebel XT

[Ryan]

How much was that lense Ryan?
I only have the kit lense (18-55) for my Rebel XTIt was $255 from Amazon, and another $25 for a UV filter. I found a few other places that had it cheaper, but I like to order from Amazon when I can. When I got my Rebel XT, I ordered it from Beachcamera.com, which at the time was selling their own kit, and that included the telephoto zoom lens I have now.

Babelfish, this lens isn't just for indoor photography, that's just one of the things my other lens isn't good at. Most of what I photograph is outdoors, so this will be used for landscapes and architecture most of the time. I had thought about getting a prime lens, but I wanted a bit more flexibility and it seemed to me that a zoom lens would better suit what I need. I'm still new to SLRs though, and I'm learning a lot.

[Zodiac]

*ahem*

Blow it on booze.