While Christmas is, as the song says, 'the most wonderful time of the year' for retailers, it presents at least two problems for prospective Santas — how to pay for gifts and what to buy.
We've come up with some electronics gifts that, while they can't solve the first problem, they will bring holiday smiles, and they're practical and reasonably priced.
Portable MP3 players
Believe it or not, digital audio quality has little to do with the player. More important is a song's audio compression bit rate and headphones/speakers. Look for features such as video capabilities, radio, microphone and overall ease of use.
Suggestions
Insignia Pilot 4 gigabyte Video MP3 player: Music and video, but Best Buy's inhouse brand also throws in Bluetooth, FM radio and recording capabilities. $140
Apple 8 gigabyte iPod Nano: Good things come from this small package that delivers an audio and video punch. $200
Zune 80 gigabyte Media Player: A whopping 80 gigabytes can hold 20,000 tunes or hundreds of episodes of South Park. $250
Apple 16 gigabyte iPod Touch: It doesn't come any cooler than this MP3 and video player, which is essentially an iPhone without the phone. $400
Memory cards
The trick here is to find out what sort of memory card your brother-in-law uses. Double the capacity of his current card and he'll regret giving you that thoughtless $25 gift card. Brand names rarely matter here, so get the cheapest one possible. Also, unless he has a top-of-the-line camera, he doesn't need high-speed memory, so don't pay extra for that either.
Suggestions
Sandisk: 4 gigabyte SD card, $30; 2 gigabyte SD card, $15.
Memory card readers
The truly cheap have a friend in these handy items, which make it easier to transport digital media from a computer to a camera or MP3 player (or vice versa). Once again, it helps to know what sort of card the gift recipient uses, but most readers can handle a variety of formats.
Suggestions
Mobilelite USB 9-in-1 Reader, $8
Sandisk ImageMate 12-in-1 USB Reader, $25.
Headphones
Digital music players are great, but the headphones that ship with most can stand improvement. While it doesn't make sense to blow a lot of cash on something that will be used to play back compressed audio, it is wise to seek a superior alternative once the original headphones are lost.
Suggestions
Koss 'The Plug' earbuds: Tolerable sound at a good price. The cushions do a good job at blocking out ambient noise. $11
Sennheiser MX400 earbuds: You get more than you pay for with these entry-level earbuds. $12
Sennheiser CX300 earbuds: For the price, the best portable headphones you'll find. $45
Sennheiser HD-555 headphones: The record producer who mixed the tracks likely didn't have anything much better. $99
Able Planet Clear Harmony noise canceling headphones: Expensive, but those who travel for business will appreciate the artificially created silence aboard their flight. $300
Portable MP3 player accessories
The iPod is so popular that a cottage industry of accessories has erupted. Among the most useful are powered speakers that make it possible to share tunes with others.
Suggestions
Mophie Bevy iPod Shuffle protective case and key chain bottle opener - The name says it all. $15
XtremeMac MicroMemo: The flexible microphone and miniature speakers can turn most recent iPods into a portable hi-fi digital audio recorder. $60
Kensington Liquid FM transmitter and charger: Juices up an iPod through a car's cigarette lighter and transmits tunes to FM radio. $70
Philips AJ300D iPod charger/ clock radio: An iPod will never lose its charge when it has a home right next to its owner's bed. The clock radio's sound is surprisingly rich. $80
Webcams
Reaching out and touching someone gets a lot more personal with video. The newest Webcams offer video quality comparable to that of camcorders from a few years ago. A Logitech product in your price range is a good bet, though Creative and Microsoft also make quality cams.
Suggestions
Logitech QuickCam Communicate STX: Impressive VGA (640 x 480) quality at an affordable price. $50.
Logitech QuickCam Pro/QuickCam Deluxe for Notebooks: A handy clip makes it a snap to attach these portable cams to most laptop screens. $100/$60
Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision SE: A glass lens and high-resolution (960 x 720) capabilities result in astounding video. $130
VoIP phones
Using a traditional phone to make an international call is financial foolishness. Voice over IP phones are now as simple to use as a normal phone, don't require a computer or monthly fees, and offer unbelievably low rates — it costs less than a dollar for a 30-minute phone call to most of Europe. All that is required is a VoIP phone like the ones listed below and a broadband Internet connection.
Suggestions
Philips VOIP841: A cordless DECT phone that works with traditional phone service as well as over the Internet. $150
Netgear WiFi phone (model number SPH200W-100NAS): For those who travel extensively, this phone can connect to most wireless networks and place Internet calls. $150
Printers
For home use, an inkjet printer, which can handle text and color photos, is the way to go. Lesser-known name brands are problematic because of build quality and because it's often hard to find replacement ink cartridges locally. Stick to a Canon or HP.
Suggestions
Canon Pixma MP520: The latest in the outstanding Pixma line creates fantastic photos and can also print directly from a variety of memory cards. $150
HP Officejet Pro L7680: Small offices can get it all — faxing, copying, scanning, document and photo printing, in one well-built package. $350
Laptops
There are too many variables in play to recommend a laptop suitable for everyone. Students will desire a more elaborate rig than lovable Uncle Rupert, who's looking only to surf the Web, write e-mail and maybe fire up a word processor. Still, these geek maxims will provide some guidance: Buy a computer that has a graphic chipset capable of rendering the type of software used; max out memory and worry less about CPU speed; get the fattest hard drive you can.
Suggestions
Dell Vostro 1500: Designed for business, the Vostro is unspectacular but super-solid (and heavy). It's also affordable. Dual core 1.4 ghz CPU, 1 gigabyte of memory, 120 gigabyte hard drive, $650.
Acer Aspire AS7520-5311: The extra horsepower and 17-inch screen is good for multimedia editing and light gaming. Dual core 1.9 ghz CPU, 2 gigabytes of memory, 160 gigabyte hard drive, $900.
Graphic cards
Christmas means video games, but to enjoy the visual spectacle of 'Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare' or 'Gears of War,' many computers will need a graphic card upgrade. The recently released GeForce 8800GT cards give a lot of horsepower at a reasonable price.
Suggestions
PNY G92 GeForce 8800GT with 512 megabytes of memory, $250
MSI GeForce 8600GT with 256 megabytes of memory, $110
Source: http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20071125/NEWS/71125014/1010/NEWS05
We've come up with some electronics gifts that, while they can't solve the first problem, they will bring holiday smiles, and they're practical and reasonably priced.
Portable MP3 players
Believe it or not, digital audio quality has little to do with the player. More important is a song's audio compression bit rate and headphones/speakers. Look for features such as video capabilities, radio, microphone and overall ease of use.
Suggestions
Insignia Pilot 4 gigabyte Video MP3 player: Music and video, but Best Buy's inhouse brand also throws in Bluetooth, FM radio and recording capabilities. $140
Apple 8 gigabyte iPod Nano: Good things come from this small package that delivers an audio and video punch. $200
Zune 80 gigabyte Media Player: A whopping 80 gigabytes can hold 20,000 tunes or hundreds of episodes of South Park. $250
Apple 16 gigabyte iPod Touch: It doesn't come any cooler than this MP3 and video player, which is essentially an iPhone without the phone. $400
Memory cards
The trick here is to find out what sort of memory card your brother-in-law uses. Double the capacity of his current card and he'll regret giving you that thoughtless $25 gift card. Brand names rarely matter here, so get the cheapest one possible. Also, unless he has a top-of-the-line camera, he doesn't need high-speed memory, so don't pay extra for that either.
Suggestions
Sandisk: 4 gigabyte SD card, $30; 2 gigabyte SD card, $15.
Memory card readers
The truly cheap have a friend in these handy items, which make it easier to transport digital media from a computer to a camera or MP3 player (or vice versa). Once again, it helps to know what sort of card the gift recipient uses, but most readers can handle a variety of formats.
Suggestions
Mobilelite USB 9-in-1 Reader, $8
Sandisk ImageMate 12-in-1 USB Reader, $25.
Headphones
Digital music players are great, but the headphones that ship with most can stand improvement. While it doesn't make sense to blow a lot of cash on something that will be used to play back compressed audio, it is wise to seek a superior alternative once the original headphones are lost.
Suggestions
Koss 'The Plug' earbuds: Tolerable sound at a good price. The cushions do a good job at blocking out ambient noise. $11
Sennheiser MX400 earbuds: You get more than you pay for with these entry-level earbuds. $12
Sennheiser CX300 earbuds: For the price, the best portable headphones you'll find. $45
Sennheiser HD-555 headphones: The record producer who mixed the tracks likely didn't have anything much better. $99
Able Planet Clear Harmony noise canceling headphones: Expensive, but those who travel for business will appreciate the artificially created silence aboard their flight. $300
Portable MP3 player accessories
The iPod is so popular that a cottage industry of accessories has erupted. Among the most useful are powered speakers that make it possible to share tunes with others.
Suggestions
Mophie Bevy iPod Shuffle protective case and key chain bottle opener - The name says it all. $15
XtremeMac MicroMemo: The flexible microphone and miniature speakers can turn most recent iPods into a portable hi-fi digital audio recorder. $60
Kensington Liquid FM transmitter and charger: Juices up an iPod through a car's cigarette lighter and transmits tunes to FM radio. $70
Philips AJ300D iPod charger/ clock radio: An iPod will never lose its charge when it has a home right next to its owner's bed. The clock radio's sound is surprisingly rich. $80
Webcams
Reaching out and touching someone gets a lot more personal with video. The newest Webcams offer video quality comparable to that of camcorders from a few years ago. A Logitech product in your price range is a good bet, though Creative and Microsoft also make quality cams.
Suggestions
Logitech QuickCam Communicate STX: Impressive VGA (640 x 480) quality at an affordable price. $50.
Logitech QuickCam Pro/QuickCam Deluxe for Notebooks: A handy clip makes it a snap to attach these portable cams to most laptop screens. $100/$60
Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision SE: A glass lens and high-resolution (960 x 720) capabilities result in astounding video. $130
VoIP phones
Using a traditional phone to make an international call is financial foolishness. Voice over IP phones are now as simple to use as a normal phone, don't require a computer or monthly fees, and offer unbelievably low rates — it costs less than a dollar for a 30-minute phone call to most of Europe. All that is required is a VoIP phone like the ones listed below and a broadband Internet connection.
Suggestions
Philips VOIP841: A cordless DECT phone that works with traditional phone service as well as over the Internet. $150
Netgear WiFi phone (model number SPH200W-100NAS): For those who travel extensively, this phone can connect to most wireless networks and place Internet calls. $150
Printers
For home use, an inkjet printer, which can handle text and color photos, is the way to go. Lesser-known name brands are problematic because of build quality and because it's often hard to find replacement ink cartridges locally. Stick to a Canon or HP.
Suggestions
Canon Pixma MP520: The latest in the outstanding Pixma line creates fantastic photos and can also print directly from a variety of memory cards. $150
HP Officejet Pro L7680: Small offices can get it all — faxing, copying, scanning, document and photo printing, in one well-built package. $350
Laptops
There are too many variables in play to recommend a laptop suitable for everyone. Students will desire a more elaborate rig than lovable Uncle Rupert, who's looking only to surf the Web, write e-mail and maybe fire up a word processor. Still, these geek maxims will provide some guidance: Buy a computer that has a graphic chipset capable of rendering the type of software used; max out memory and worry less about CPU speed; get the fattest hard drive you can.
Suggestions
Dell Vostro 1500: Designed for business, the Vostro is unspectacular but super-solid (and heavy). It's also affordable. Dual core 1.4 ghz CPU, 1 gigabyte of memory, 120 gigabyte hard drive, $650.
Acer Aspire AS7520-5311: The extra horsepower and 17-inch screen is good for multimedia editing and light gaming. Dual core 1.9 ghz CPU, 2 gigabytes of memory, 160 gigabyte hard drive, $900.
Graphic cards
Christmas means video games, but to enjoy the visual spectacle of 'Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare' or 'Gears of War,' many computers will need a graphic card upgrade. The recently released GeForce 8800GT cards give a lot of horsepower at a reasonable price.
Suggestions
PNY G92 GeForce 8800GT with 512 megabytes of memory, $250
MSI GeForce 8600GT with 256 megabytes of memory, $110
Source: http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20071125/NEWS/71125014/1010/NEWS05
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