Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with recommendations and shopping

Umbrella recommendations?

kprincehouse — Mon, 25 May 2009 17:14:58 -0800

Recommendations for an awesome umbrella? Please share any links to cool umbrellas! Big or small, pretty or functional, innovative or classic. Thanks!

I need to find the best pair of matte black tights

otherwordlyglow — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:52:16 -0800

Please recommend durable non-shiny black tights. Cold weather approaches. Soon I will be wearing lots of black tights with skirts. Every year I spend too much time trying to find the ultimate black tights. I hate them if they have any shininess. Is it the lycra that does that? Whatever it is, I don't want it. Matte black, please. Online is good, any sort of texture is fine, they don't need to be plain smooth but that's fine too. I'm 5'3" but have longish legs in proportion to my body so sometimes that's a problem but not always. What's the best pair you've ever bought? The one that you carefully wash out and live in fear of the day when they get a run? And as an aside, I really wish manufacturers would do a better job of labeling their tights so that a year later after I've worn them and loved them, I'll know where I got them.

Eat and drink Canada

jamaro — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 20:10:05 -0800

What nummy items should I ask my SO to bring back from Canada? My SO has driven up to Canada—specifically BC and Alberta—for some business and hunting. After he mentioned he might be shipping back some dirty laundry, I suggested he would be well-advised to bring home something that I would actually welcome after three weeks alone wrangling our child, our house remodel, my job, our dogs, our cats, the yardwork, etc., while he's off playing Elmer Fudd. Based on our past history, I know it is best to give him specific lists vs. vague suggestions (the later is how I ended up with a fantastically ugly silver Conestoga wagon bolo tie...)

Thus far, I’ve come up with:
--Tylenol 3
--Nestle Coffee Crisps
--Fruits & Passion cosmetics (we used to have one of their stores locally and their facial toner is to die for)
--Tim Horton's coffee
--maple syrup (any brand suggestions? He's so disconnected from the shopping process that he's likely to drive home cradling a bottle of Mrs. Butterworths)

I'm not much for knick-knacks but welcome consumables. He's driving his own car, so he's got room to load up (especially after he FedX's his laundry home), so please suggest away.

hit me with your best digital shot

yonation — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 09:50:55 -0800

i want to buy a used digital camera online for really cheap. what are the best cameras of yesteryear (say, 3 or 4MP) that can be had for a paltry sum on ebay or other online places? yeah, i just want to take some shots, but i want the camera to be *good*. knowing the sharply falling prices of old electronics, what do you recommend thats 1 or 2 years old that can probably be found for, say, $50-$80 online?

Recommendations for a do everything boot?

Mitheral — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 10:21:17 -0800

I need to buy new boots. Requirements: comfortable (I'll be wearing them 70-100 hours a week), medium grippyness (Canada has all this frozen water half of the year), shinable, black, plain looking. I'd like to avoid spending much more than C$200. From recommendations in a previous thread I plan to look into Merrell's Wilderness boots and visit my local MEC. I like the look of these Zamberlan Cervino's from MEC but they are pushing the limits of my budget. I loved the Cat's (similiar) I bought five years ago however the replacements I bought last year are alreay worn out so obviously quality is way down.

These are basicly my only footwear besides sandals in the summer (which are not acceptable at work) and my -40 rated snow boots I wear a bit in the winter. I wear them to work (business casual), driving, in my shop (auto and woodworking), a bit of day hiking and while at the computer (because you never know when a mountain might spring up in the machine room). I need something I can polish in black with out any accent colours that wouldn't be covered by dress pants. I don't need nor want steel toe. Nor do I really need waterproofness though my feet shouldn't get wet from stepping in a puddle. I like to wear medium low boots rather than shoes because of the added ankle support and protection from ankle abrasion they provide.

Anyone have any suggestions that meet my requirements or another place to shop, preferably in Calgary or at least Canada?

Fashion-forward accessories and cosmetics available online?

condour75 — Mon, 07 Feb 2005 17:05:42 -0800

Coolhunting sites for the fashion-forward... for a new job, my girlfriend is looking for a site like gizmodo but for fashion accessories and cosmetics instead of gadgets. I'd love a few leads. Thoughts?

Looking for a camcorder

karen — Fri, 07 Jan 2005 13:12:20 -0800

Looking for a camcorder. [mi] My husband and I are expecting our first baby in a month and we wanted to buy a camcorder before the baby comes. We've looked at many different ones but can't seem to decide on one.

We've also considered the new jvc ones that may or may not be available right then (link1, link2)
but they are so new that they are still quite expensive so we were thinking it might be worth buying a mini dv format for a year or two until these digital ones are more widely available and thus cheaper.

Any recommendations are welcome since we've never owned a camcorder and don't know where to begin shopping for them.

Will work for webcam!

srboisvert — Sat, 23 Oct 2004 11:47:02 -0800

I am looking for a good low end webcam. Anybody got any recommendations ? WinXP/2000 compatible (linux drivers would also be nice but not essential). Price is a factor since I am a pov.

Broadband connection options?

luriete — Fri, 06 Aug 2004 09:43:25 -0800

This has been asked before but the answers I need are a bit more specific. I bought my home (1920s bungalow) here in Sacramento 3 years ago, and the previous owners had DSL - in fact the DSL port in the house is exactly where I need/want my broadband connection to be. So - I just got an Airport Express card for my powerbook and a Airport Extreme basestation: do I want DSL or cablemodem? I use satellite for TV, not cable, and am not going to switch any time soon, so bundles are out. I am not going to run a website and need no static IP. Insanely high speed is not necessary, just something a hell of a lot faster than my current 56k. Prices? Service? Will SBC give me a deal on DSL since the install is already in place?

Noise cancelling headphones for under 100 dollars?

answergrape — Thu, 01 Jul 2004 08:03:28 -0800

Good noise-cancelling headphones for under $100? I'm moving into new work quarters where I'll be in a cubicle-type environment. I need headphones that will dampen the noise from my amiable-but-loud co-workers. I'm used to just hooking up the ole IPOD to my stereo speakers, but that won't do in the new space where I have no door. I don't like the buds that come with the IPOD. Any ideas?

Looking for a personal CD / MP3 player

boneybaloney — Sun, 09 May 2004 15:13:07 -0800

I hate seeing this type of 'advertise-me-a-product' question, but I'm completely in the dark and a bit of a luddite in this area: can anyone recommend a decent personal CD player, specifically one that can play mp3 CD-Rs?

The budget is £85 absolute maximum, and I don't mind getting a pair of decent cans. Would appreciate good volume capacity and a decent capacity for bass. Thanks in advance and all that.

Are Tempurpedic foam mattresses worth buying?

bluno — Sat, 01 May 2004 19:07:56 -0800

I need a new mattress. While shopping around, I tried one of those TemPurpedic, Swedish foam mattersses. They are about 4x more than I would ever expect to pay for a bed, but i am tempted. Anyone have any experience/advice/tips on these? Worth it or not? Any cheaper alternatives?

New Lawyer Looking for Recommendations for Briefcase for Files and Laptop

gd779 — Wed, 21 Apr 2004 14:30:18 -0800

Help me pick out a briefcase? More inside. I'm about to take my first law firm job, and I know nothing about briefcases. What kind should I get? I'll probably want to move files and my laptop back and forth each day. Money is no object (It will no doubt be a graduation gift, or at least subsidized as a graduation gift).

Recommend a good laptop case for a 15" PowerBook

jed — Mon, 29 Dec 2003 09:52:51 -0800

I'm looking for a laptop case for my PowerBook Ti 15". I'm trying to find a basic sleeve which I can stash in a larger bag (so that I don't scream "steal this laptop" in France), but I still want a good deal of protection. Does anyone have any recommendations? I already ruled out Tumi because their sleeve is too small for the Ti 15".

Piano keyboard recommendations

wibbler — Fri, 26 Dec 2003 12:46:13 -0800

I'm looking to buy a music keyboard for up to £300. I basically want one that's as near to a proper piano as I can, but my needs are: 61 keys (preferably weighted), connectivity to a computer (therefore not much need for extra bells and whistles on the actual keyboard), touch sensitivity, option for pedal/sustain, and a really good array of spectacular sounds. Can anyone help with a make/model? I can't find anywhere that gives an unbiased view of buying a keyboard... or even 88 keys...