7. Nintendo Wii Fit
Give Nintendo a round of applause. Who else could take a £70 'fitness game' and turn it into one of the most popular products of 2008? According to recent ELSPA figures, Wii Fit has sold in excess of 1 million units in the UK this year. Worldwide, Nintendo has shifted around 9 million Balance Boards. The numbers validate Nintendo's decision to sit out the HD gaming war and aim its console at the so-called 'casual' gamer. Chances of finding a Wii Fit this year and paying £70 for it? Slim to absolutely none.
8. Freesat
According to Ofcom, the UK is "one of the most digitally advanced nations in the world". Consider the range of digital TV choices on offer – Freeview, IPTV, Internet catch-up TV (iPlayer, Sky Player, ITV Player, 4OD), Sky, Virgin Media and, most recently, Freesat. Crucially, FreeSat is more than just 'Freeview from space'. Unlike Freeview, Freesat is readily available to 98 per cent of the UK. And it has enough bandwidth to carry subscription-free high-definition channels from the BBC and ITV.
9. MSI Wind
While the Asus Eee sparked the netbook craze, the diminutive laptop has arguably been bettered by rival models – the Acer Aspire One, for example, and the MSI Wind. Earlier this year, our gaze was drawn to the MSI Wind 100, the first netbook to feature Intel's N270 Atom processor. And while websites like us have been chattering about the potential of Linux on these micro-portables, the real winner this year has been Windows XP's netbook-friendliness. Yet another embarrassment for Windows Vista.
10. Virgin 50Mbps broadband
Back in 1988, CIX was the UK's leading ISP and people could log onto the fledgeling 'World Wide Web' at a heady 2.4Kbps. 20 years on, Virgin has broken the speed barrier for residential net-access with its new 50Mbps service. What's interesting here isn't just the ability to download a Leona Lewis album in 11 seconds flat. No, Virgin's fibre optic technology throws the gauntlet down to BT, which is beavering away on its own 21st Century Network (21CN). Faster broadband for all by 2012? It's a distinct possibility.
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Now read The hottest PC technology for 2009
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