WHEN I think of the paper losses I made on my Australian dollars - I bought them at $1.36 last year and it is $1 now - it makes me want to weep.

Some women go shopping for bags, shoes and clothes when they are depressed. Me? I end up finding reasons to upgrade my tech products.

Whether you are on an anti-depression tech shopping spree or really need a new laptop or monitor, our Tech Buyer's Guide gives you the tips you need to get the most bang for your bucks.

Most of us want to get the best value that money can buy out of any gadget, especially given the belt-tightening times. So this year's guide is focused on helping you reach that sweet spot - where price meets performance.

For monitors, we are recommending the 24-inch ones because they just look fabulous when displaying high-definition content at 1,920 x 1,080. With an HDMI port built in, you can even hook up your Blu-ray player or Xbox 360 games console to the monitor.

Shutterbugs should look out for our tips on getting the right 10-megapixel compact camera, which unbelievably starts from just $299. It is amazing how manufacturers can squeeze so many features - face detection, low light shots, fast start-up times - into ultralight bodies complete with sensual curves.

Why buy a printer, scanner and fax when everyone goes for all-in-ones these days? Monochrome lasers are great for quality volume document printing while colour inkjets offer vibrant colours and even quality black and white prints these days. Some even come with an automatic document feeder so you can just plonk in a whole stack of paper and the machine works without the hassle of manually switching paper page-by-page.

Laptops just get better and better. Basic work-me units used to cost over $2,000 but, these days, you can get a souped-up multimedia powerhouse for just a little more. There is no perfect laptop because there are so many different features available. We think that the ones in our guide are definitely worth your every cent for the features they offer.

Last but not least, do check out our smartphones category, where we list the models which offer megapixels in imaging quality, maps, Qwerty keyboard, 3.5G connectivity and more - all without busting your budget.

In the meantime, my shopping barrage has already begun: I have just ordered the 24-inch HP w2448hc ($699). It is not the cheapest or the best in image quality but it offered me an HDMI port, three USB ports, webcam, microphone and stereo speakers - all built-in.

Now that is a huge sweet spot as far as I am concerned.

ginlee@sph.com.sg

This story was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life on 5 November 2008.

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