iPod classic and Nintendo DS neck and neck in our Greatest Gadget contest
Apple's iPod classic and Nintendo's DS handheld console are taking it to the wire in our Greatest Gadget tournament. Which deserves to go through to the next round? It's up to you...
Our Greatest Gadget of the 21st Century competition is steaming to its inevitable, gory conclusion. 31 pieces of technology will be unceremoniously slain in service of finding the single most incredible gadget of the last ten years. The Nintendo DS and the iPod classic both have the potential to go the distance, but on Sunday night one of those top-notch pieces of tech will be forced to walk the plank.
Right now the voting lies on a knife-edge. The Nintendo DS leads, but with only 51 per cent of the vote. Maths fans will realise that's barely any margin at all. They're both stonking gadgets, but which one deserves to go through to round three?
The Nintendo DS revolutionised portable gaming, and was the first major device to bring touchscreens to the consumer market, and thanks to its two gorgeous panels gave developers twice the space to play with when making games. It's played host to a huge wealth of excellent titles, and along with the Wii helped open up the world of gaming to a much wider market.
The first DS might not have been much of a looker, but the subsequent DS Lite, DSi and DSi XL turned this humble console into a stylish accessory. It's sold like crazy, and millions of people still use theirs every day. It's a masterpiece.
But then so is the iPod classic! If the DS revolutionised portable gaming, the iPod went one step further by turning the entire music industry upside down. It wasn't the first MP3 player, but it offered a bucketload of storage space and a beautifully intuitive interface.
We picked the classic to represent the whole iPod range because it was the first model to play video, and because it featured the brilliant click wheel.
A masterclass in design, marketing and usability wrapped up in a pocket-sized package capable of rocking your socks off. What more could you want?
It's time for you guys to have your say. Head on over to the voting page and give the gadget you love some support, then tell us which one you picked and why in the comments.