From Geek To Chic: 10 Eye-Popping Tech Transformations

Technology isn't just about geeks anymore. Mainstream culture has finally accepted its dorkier, side and that acceptance is fueling a transformation in the technology industry. Notebooks, desktops and other tech toys aren't just for the fringes anymore. The whole industry is capitalizing on the makeover, churning out gadgets with fresh eyes. These are some of the most eye-popping transformations of the past year.



MacBook





Any way you look at it, it's hard to get away from Apple's slick design. The 15-inch MacBook Pro, pictured here, has quickly become a staple for bongo-playing, beret-wearing cappuccino drinkers everywhere. Apple has always been forward-looking as a company, but the MacBook line changed the game, putting a premium on design without sacrificing performance. It was, and still is, the trendsetter for geeks looking to get chic.

The notebook and netbook spaces have seen a definite step forward in the way the systems are designed. Following in the footsteps of Apple's MacBook Air, Dell jumped into the ultra-high-end notebook space with the Adamo back in March. Adamo, which is Latin for "to fall in love with," has a 13.4-inch screen, is 0.65-inches thick and weighs less than 4 pounds. But while it may be sleek to look at and make quite an impression at the coffee shop, it's not cheap, starting at $1,999.

The newest is always going to be desired. Acer's Aspire One AO751h 11.6-inch netbook is no different. The company continues to take an innovative approach to its ultramobile computing solutions category, this time expanding the form factor of its netbook. Before, netbooks tended to top out at around 10.1 inches. But Acer took feedback from its customers and created a netbook with a bigger LCD monitor to make it that much easier to download movies. And while it may be bigger, you can still take it to a swank reading because it weighs less than 3 pounds.

Sometimes a picture really does say it all, so take another look at the Lenovo IdeaCentre A600 All-In-One Desktop. Traditionally, desktops were bland-looking towers, bogged down by cords and cables. Rarely would a desktop work as the focal point of the room. But the A600 is a sleek desktop with a 21.5-inch frameless screen, which is 1.06 inches thin. For entertainment enthusiasts, it offers a high-definition 16:9 aspect ratio screen for cinemalike viewing and support for 1,920 x 1,080 full HD resolution. A digital tuner is built in, letting users watch and record television on the A600. No tower, no cords or cables and 4-in-1 remote control will really impress your friends.

Can a product be any more aimed at the geek lifestyle than one that has the word "Lifestyle" in its name? The Sony Vaio P "Lifestyle PC" may be the lightest 8-inch netbook on the market. With a clamshell design, the Sony Vaio was designed with an array of colors in mind--the company probably hopes that customers will pick one up to match the colors of each outfit. And while netbooks are racing past the 8-inch form factor, it's hard to beat one that slips into the inside pocket of a jacket. So while those other losers are toting around a notebook bag, all you need is a pocket.

The Kindle DX from Amazon.com is quickly becoming one of the year's must-haves for tech-savvy people in the know. Measuring 9.7 inches diagonally and less than one-third-of-an-inch thick, the portable reader lets users download books and subscribe to newspapers with its built-in Wi-Fi connection. While the retail price of $489 isn't exactly recession-proof, the e-book reader continues to see high demand.

Even enterprise functionality in smartphones can be something of a status symbol. While it was hard to choose from Research In Motion's entire line, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 is ultimately the most lustworthy device the company offers. A touch screen may be nice, but light and thin is in. And with the Curve 8900 being the lightest and thinnest offering from the company, it's enough to make even the suits in the corner office drool a little bit.

Bluetooth headsets are still straddling the line between over-the-top geeky and socially acceptable. Let's face it, all you're doing is making people wonder if you're crazy by having one half a conversation with no one else around. But the M5390 Multiuse headset from Jabra has such a slick design that it's bordering on becoming acceptable to wear it while having cocktails with the Smiths. The M5390 uses a Bluetooth connection to sync up with a mobile or desk phone from 230 feet away and has a noise-canceling mouthpiece. Still, you might want to approach this one with caution.

There's still some mystery surrounding Apple's iPhone 3.0--will it stream video? How much storage will the device have? But, when it comes to smartphones, Apple more or less created the chic smartphone. Not to take anything away from Research In Motion's BlackBerries, but it was Apple that started the touch-screen revolution. Is iPhone 2.0 still a good choice? Of course. But for the alpha geeks, iPhone 3.0 might be the one single tech purchase they've been saving their pennies for.

Any geek who's not tired of leaving streaks and fingerprints on the iPhone, iPod or other touch-screen device will jump at the chance to muck up their PC screen, right? Well, put an HP TouchSmart PC in their hands and let the fingerprints fly. HP's TouchSmart PC IQ500 family features HP software designed specifically for touch: either a finger tap or sweep across the high-resolution screen delivers quick access to information, entertainment and social networks without a keyboard or mouse.

The TouchSmart IQ500 series makes it easier for users to interact with their media, record TV shows, burn personal videos and keep in touch with friends with a built-in Webcam and microphone. Requiring only one cord to set up and power the system, the TouchSmart IQ500 line combines a 22-inch diagonal high-definition wide screen with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor in a single design. It offers a low-profile wireless keyboard with integrated WLAN.