Your New Electronics Device: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

So your Christmas wish came true.  You've received the newest/fastest/latest electronic gadget and you can't wait to start using it and show it off to all your friends.  Hold up there, Speedy Gonzales!  Before you take that new toy out into the world, there are a few things you want to do to make sure you utilize your device to the fullest.

Find the power button.  Sounds simplistic, but if you can't turn the gadget on, it's nothing more than a pretty paperweight. 

Provide power.  Does that mean buying batteries, or letting the device charge up for a few hours?  Does it plug into a wall outlet or can it charge up through a USB or Firewire port on your computer?  Let the device charge fully before using it.  Unless of course you want to buy a new battery because you hosed the existing one by being impatient.

Read the manual.  I know, it's boring and you have to thumb through the booklet to find the version that's in your language.  Still, it's good to find out what all those buttons and switches do before you start using the device.  It'd be a shame to find out you wiped the memory on your new iPAQ because you pushed a button you weren't supposed to.  You can do that while you're letting your device charge up.

Keep the manual in a safe place.  Even after you've read through it, you'll want to refer to it again to refresh your memory about activities you don't do very often, or learn about something new you want to do.  Unless you just like spending money on all those fee-per-call tech support numbers overseas.

Start small.  What are you going to use your cell phone for?  Phone calls?  Texting?  Figure out what you need to know to do the vital things first.  If you've never accessed the Internet from a cell phone, play with that option later, after you've entered your buddies into the address book.

Fill out the warranty card.  Especially if you've never owned a small portable device before.  You'd be surprised at how easy it is to drop, kick, squash, crunch, pound, beat up, and lose these things.  Without your warranty information on record, you'll have a heck of a time getting repair service.

Be selfish.  I've seen too many episodes of the reality judge shows where people "loan" their electronics devices to friends and never get them back, which is why they end up in a television court room.  If your peeps want an MP3 player, they can get their own instead of keeping...er, uh, I mean, "borrowing" yours.

Why do all this?  Because a) you'll be able to use the device properly that much sooner, b) you'll be protected down the road in case of problems, and c) you won't look like an idiot in front of all your friends when you show them you haven't got a clue how it works.  (Guys, re-read item c several times.)  So do your homework, cover your bases, and then go enjoy that new toy.  And make a few people jealous in the process while you're at it...!