Christmas Buying Guide 2009

As Christmas draws nearer and Black Friday is only a short time away, the question on everyone’s mind is what to get for that special someone. While the items I am about to discuss focus primarily on technology, they do provide a number of interesting gifts fro any type of person.

Laptops

Gone are the days of extremely expensive portable computing, as now you can easily find laptops for around $400. A few tips to keep in mind when purchasing a new laptop:

1. Dual Core and Windows 7- If you purchase a computer that says it has a dual core or multiple cores (think of these as additional brains, two heads is better than one), then you need to purchase the right operating system. Make sure you purchase a laptop that comes with Windows 7 x64 (64-bit edition). This edition utilizes both brains to their fullest extent, instead of using just one brain (x32 or 32-bit edition).
2. Memory or RAM – This will be listed in the details, get at least 2 GB (gigabytes) of memory
3. Hard Drive – Where you store audio, video, documents, etc.. Storage has become extremely cheap, so I would not settle for anything less than an 80 GB (gigabyte) hard drive.
4. Screen – Bigger screen will run a premium, so make sure you are comfortable with the screen size, consider what you will be using it for when you are choosing the screen size. You may want to go bigger if you are planning on doing a lot of typing while casual browsing of the net or checking email would allow you to go smaller.
5. Keyboard – test the keyboard out before you buy and once again think about how you will use the laptop. Bigger screen typically yield bigger keyboards.
6. Netbooks – Netbooks are great devices that are like miniature laptops that have a number of the features of full-sized laptops. Netbooks are typically much cheaper than regular laptops, however there are some trade-offs. Netbooks are not as fast, nor can they store as much as regular laptops. These devices are great for someone who is on-the-go or for the casual computer user. Anyone planning on doing extensive work on the computer would want to go more towards a laptop. Also, netbooks are much smaller than normal laptops.
7. Brand- In terms of Reliability, Apple is the best followed closely by Sony, then Toshiba. After these, there is a slight drop in quality before you reach HP. Dell has also improved their quality recently.

Always consider who will be using the computer and why before you purchase.

Televisions
When it comes to televisions, the latest and greatest is OLED or LED televisions. These screen are made using LEDs or Light-Emitting Diodes. Simply put, they do not burn out, they offer better, more brilliant colors and much better contrast and resolution. The downside of these televisions is their price tag. A reasonable step down from LED TVs is the LCD television. These have dropped in price significantly over the past year and provide a crisp, clear picture even in places where there is a lot of light. Plasma TVs are another option, however they do not do well in lit areas (such as rooms with windows) and they also consume a great deal more of electricity. My pick of these different types of televisions would have to be LCD due to their reasonable price and economy.

Pulse Pen

This pen is great for anyone having to take notes (especially students) due to it’s innovative note-taking system. It has an infrared camera which takes pictures of what you are writing while simultaneously recording the lecture and indexing the two. You can then take the pen and connect it to your computer and view the notes and recording of the lecture as well as add additional notes, upload them to the web, and download these notes or recording back to the pen. It is an easy way to keep you organized and to assure that nothing is missed while you take notes. This is a great tool for any student or note taker. Cost for the professional pack is $249. See the link below for more information.
http://www.livescribe.com/

Powermat Portable Recharging Mat

This folding mat allows you to charge your plethora of electronic devices by simply laying the device on the pad, no wires, no connections. While the price tag is hefty ($99), this is definitely a must have for those who have multiple devices to charge. Make sure you check compatibility with your devices before you purchase it. See the link below for more information.
http://www.powermat.com/


Nintendo Wii

By far, possibly the best family gift is the Nintendo Wii (current price $199). Not only is it affordable on most budgets, the games are fun, interactive (literally) and great for all ages. If you are looking for some family fun time, this is definitely a good choice. Below is a link for more information.
http://www.nintendo.com/wii