Well, it is that time of year again, when many of us are out shopping for gifts for our family members or other loved ones. Buying gifts for those close to you can always be stressful. Getting gifts of the electronic variety can be even more stressful given the choices that are available in the different categories. What I will do here is go over some the basic categories of gifts that are available, and things to consider before you plop down that cash or credit card when buying the gift.
Computers: If you are considering buying a computer for someone, the biggest decision in my mind is the type you are looking for: a standard PC or a Mac is the decision you will likely have to make here. Talk with the person to see what their preferences might be.
If they are on the Mac bandwagon you will know this rather quickly as they talk about the superior quality of Mac computers to PCs and how the latest OS X Leopard program will be totally sweet.
If they don’t mention Macs in their conversations, a standard PC from HP, Dell, or Gateway will generally suffice. When buying a computer you may look to see if it includes some desktop application programs (Microsoft Office or other programs are very standard), and perhaps check on the memory (at least 1 GB, 2 GB is better in most cases). If the person likes to store photos or music look to increase the size of the hard drive as needed (I would go with at least 250 GB here). If they are a big gamer you will want to look at the graphics cards available and go with a higher end option here as well.
Game consoles: For younger people on your shopping list, getting one of the popular home video game systems (Xbox 360, Playstation 3, or Wii) might prove to be the best choice. There are advantages and disadvantages to these three units right now.
Currently, it is fairly easy to find the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 at the store you might be shopping at. Wii’s are harder to find because of their popularity and the way their remote control units operate, where you move them to simulate the swing of a tennis racket or how you might release a bowling ball. The Wii price of under $300 is also attractive. For Xbox and Playstation (particularly Xbox 360) you will find more popular games available for these systems. However, their prices are going to be more than that of the Wii, so this will be something you have to factor in as well.
If the person you are buying for has been talking a lot about Halo 3, you need to go with the Xbox 360. If the person is more active and isn’t tied into a particular game, the Wii or Playstation 3 might be the better choice. The Playstation 3 has very good graphics and is starting to get more games available for it as well. The more information you have on the individual the better off you will be in making the proper choice. In my mind you can’t go wrong with any of these systems.
Digital cameras: In the last four years these have become extremely popular. The next time you go to a camera store look at how many standard 35mm cameras are still being sold. You will be amazed how few you can actually find now. Prices on digital cameras can range from under $100 to well over $500.
They typically will all take a standard number of pictures and hold them until you download them to your PC (see paragraph above relating to hard drive sizes for computers). The cost will go up based on the number of megapixels they support (more megapixels, better pictures essentially). If your loved one doesn’t mind the quality of your photos you can settle for something in the 4-5 megapixel range. If the person you are buying for is more of a photo nut, then you will want to perhaps look at cameras in the 7-8 megapixel range and spend a few more dollars.
I will try and hit some other electronic gift item options in my next post. In the meantime, have you bought electronic gifts in the past and did you have any issues deciding which model or type of product to get? Did the person receiving the gift like it after you presented it to them?
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