In preparation for Black Friday, I wanted to summarize all the “gift guides” I’ve been reading on the Internet the past few weeks. As you can bet, there are nearly limitless options for technology gadgetry you can purchase this holiday season. Researching the best bang for your buck can be a pain in the rear, so let me do the leg work for you!
Computers:
- Sony VAIO VPC-W121AX/W 10.1-Inch White Netbook – Up to 7 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Starter) – Netbook with long battery life and Windows 7!
- ASUS Eee PC 1101HA-MU1X-BK 11.6-Inch Black Netbook – 11 Hour Battery Life – Unbelievable battery life!
- Gateway SX2800-03 Desktop PC – Big power in small package at a reasonable price!
- Apple Mac mini MC238LL/A Desktop – An entry-level mac desktop that still has plenty of horsepower.
- ASUS K61IC-A1 16-Inch Black Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium) – Full blown notebook with plenty of horsepower and a great screen at a reasonable price.
- Acer Aspire Timeline AS1810T-8638 11.6-Inch HD Display Black Laptop – Over 8 Hours of Battery Life – Notebook horsepower in a netbook package.
- Apple MacBook Pro MB990LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop – Close to the price of a regular Macbook. Step up to the macbook pro and you won’t regret it.
Personal Media Players:
- Archos 5 250 GB Internet Media Tablet – Holds a ton of files and does way more than just play movies/music!
- Apple iPod touch 32 GB (3rd Generation) NEWEST MODEL – Plenty of room for your music and videos, with access to games and apps through the iTunes App Store.
- Zune HD 32 GB Video MP3 Player (Platinum) – Microsoft’s offering includes a great screen, and the ability to listen to FREE HD Radio stations!
Mobile Phones:
- Verizon Wireless
- Sprint
- AT&T
Photo and Video:
- Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black) – Since you can’t expand the memory on the Flips, you may want this if you’re looking to sync with your computer less often.
- Flip Mino Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Black) – This is a relatively inexpensive way to capture all those fun moments with your loved ones!
- Nikon D5000 12.3 MP DX Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR Lens and 2.7-inch Vari-angle LCD – Great step up from a point-and-shoot camera. All the reviews I’ve read tout it as a great balance between price and features.
- Canon PowerShot SD940IS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-inch LCD (Black) – Great all-around point-and-shoot. I currently own an older Powershot model, and love it. One thing I really like about the Canons are the Underwater cases (great for snorkeling on your vacation or taking action shots on your ski trip)!
Gaming:
- XBox 360 Gaming Console – Take it from a converted PS3 owner, nothing beats the selection of games available for XBox 360. The proof? XBox is slowly converting my non-gamer fiance to a gamer (she LOVES to play Uno Online through XBox Live)! I know that the PS3 comes with a Blu-Ray player built-in, but shouldn’t a gaming system give you a great selection of games??
- Nintendo Wii Video Game Console w/ Wii Sports – Always fun! Nothing beats the interactivity of all the games available on the Wii.
- Nintendo DSi – I love the two screen setup on the DSi as it really helps increase the interactivity of the handheld. There are even a few games geared towards adults (such as Brainage), so don’t be surprised if you’re fighting with your 6-year old for some DSi time.
GPS Devices:
- Garmin Nuvi 785T (Amazon) – This is a full-featured device supporting realtime traffic, reality-view, and bluetooth integration.
- Tom-Tom GO 740 Live (Amazon) – This is a full-featured device supporting realtime traffic, Google Search, and bluetooth integration.
- Garmin Nuvi 265WT (Amazon) – A budget-minded model that features much of the functionality in the 785T.
- Tom-Tom ONE 140 S (Amazon) – A budget-friendly model that gives you spoken directions and reality-view.
Stocking Stuffers:
- Amazon Gift Cards – Amazon has four different ways you can give gift cards. Perfect for stocking stuffers or the gadget guy that seems to have everything! I also like these as an alternative to the iTunes gift cards as some of the Amazon MP3 albums are cheaper than iTunes (and are still compatible with iTunes/iPods).
- Apple iPod shuffle 2 GB Silver (4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL – Great for listening to music around the house, or as a “first” mp3 player for children.
- SanDisk Cruzer Micro 8 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive SDCZ6-8192-A11 – A great little storage device for the high school or college students in your family.
- DVD Movies Under $10
As always, feel free to Contact Me if you have questions about anything in the gift guide. If you are currently an owner of any of the items above, feel free to leave a comment about your experience with it!
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