Our
annual 12 Tested and Suggested Xmas Techie Toy Gifts
December 2, 2002, by Angel Lee and the Tech Lab Staff
It's that time of year again and you just don't know what to get for the special person that happens to be a devout "Techie". That is where we come in, exercising our vast experience trying, testing, stressing and sometimes breaking some of the nicest Tech Gear you can buy.
Where it is for your wife, husband, children or parents; maybe your best friend or loved one, I'm sure that you'll find some great suggestions in our Annual 12 Toys of Xmas for Techies. So lets just jump right into Santa's bag of goodies to see what we picked!
First
Toy of Xmas
This is an easy pick for the game player at heart, young or old. The
Sony Playstation 2 is a clear choice because it has
nearly 100 times the number Game Titles that it main competitor (Microsoft's
X Box) has. Listen, Sony knows gaming and entertainment and the developers
know it too. The Graphics are smoother than that of the X Box and diversity
of titles for both "Adult" aged players or "Youngsters"
can't be beat.
The Sony
Playstation 2 lists at $199.95, but if you shop around you can find
bundled packages which include some very popular games and accessories
at $239.95 to $259.95. Check out your local "warehouse stores".
Suggested
accessory
- D-Link's
DWL-810 "Ethernet-to Wireless Bridge" is the advanced
gamers delight. Dedicated gamers want to get online and play against
each other, whether it's within their own city of across the country.
The
D-Link DWL-810 is a plug-in and play marvel for your
Sony Playstation or the X-Box as well. You'll also need to have a Wireless
network at home, so check out D-Links other 802.11b WiFi devices
. 
You can even it with any Windows PC or Macintosh that doesn't have internal
WiFi capabilities, thanks to it unique HTML browser setup interface.
We found the DWL-810 at TheNerds.com
for only $97.78, but always check online for the best
deals.
Second
Toy of Xmas
Digital Cameras have become all the rage; does anyone still use film?
The great thing about Digital cameras is that you don't keep that "stinker"
photograph you've taken, just delete it and shoot again. If you want
a quality camera that will provide you with film quality photographs
to print, you really need to spend more than $700.
We have two picks
for you from a long time manufacturer of Professional and Amateur film
cameras, Olympus. Our top pick is the new magnesium bodied Camedia
C-5050, which has a true 5 MegaPixel CCD, 3x optical and 3.4x
digital zoom.
It includes
the new ultra small 32 MB "xD " memory card, as well as being
able to use the ever popular Compact Flash (CF) and SmartMedia (SM) cards.
It retails for $799, we found it at BuyRiteDigital.com
for $695.00
As a lower priced
alternative, we picked the Olympus Camedia C50 at $599.
It also has a true
5 MP CCD and an all metal body with 3x optical /4x digital zoom and Quicktime
Movie Mode!
Third
Toy of Xmas
Whether
you have a digital camera, MP3 player, PDA or other device that uses Compact
Flash, your loved one can never have enough Flash Memory. Our favorite
high quality memory maker is Viking Components, a brand you an find at
any reputable computer or camera store. Here are two great deals that
are available online.
Viking 256 MB CF (Compact Flash) card at Buy.com
for $86.87. Or if you feel really particularly giving
this Christmas, a Viking 512 MB Compact Flash card at
Amazon.com
for $181.44, less a $50 rebate leaving you a total expenditure of
only $131.44
Suggested
accessory
- It just isn't efficient to download all those pictures directly from
you digital camera or DV Camcorder, unless you get your batteries free.
Asante's
"Gini" (6in1, cute) Universal Memory Reader/Writer
is just the stocking stuffer for your gift recipient. It will accept just
about every digital memory card, including those 512MB CF
cards you just bought, and Gini plugs right into your PC or Mac's USB
port (no drivers required for Mac OS X). We tested it on Windows XP and
Mac OS 9/OS X systems with Holiday joyous results. Gini retails for just
$39.00 and Asante is offering a $10 rebate.
Forth
Toy of Xmas
Thoughts of Christmas brings the sounds of jingle bells, carols, hip-hop
and heavy metal, What? OK, maybe you have different tastes in music that
we do. Nevertheless nearly everyone loves to listen to his or her favorite
tunes and what better way than with the quality and best selling MP3 player
around, the Apple iPod. Now available in either Mac or
Windows compatibility versions, they range in 5GB, 10GB and 20GB storage
sizes.
The iPod
is clearly the best "personal music player" made. It is smaller,
lighter, easier to use and look better than any other multi-gigabyte MP3
player. It is the status symbol amongst the hip music crowd.
The retail price for the 20GB Apple iPod is $499, and you won’t find it discounted anywhere, but you can still find a deal like this one; Amazon.com offer a complete "Travel Bundle" kit, which includes a nifty wireless radio adapter, and the 20GB iPod, for $474.05 at Amazon.com.
As an alternative for $399, drop by your local Target or BestBuy store for a 10GB Apple iPod or a 5GB for $299. Also check the internet for best $$.
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