Ok, you’re inundated with “Holiday Gift Guides”. Your snail-mail box is overflowing with catalogs. Your email is flooded with advertisements from every web catalog you gave your email address to this year. This very issue of the paper (the thickest of the year) has enough sale announcements to start those logs in your fireplace a-cracklin’ for the rest of the winter. Here’s some thoughts on technology gift ideas.

Computers. Look for these minimum features in a “family multimedia” computer system: 256MB of RAM; 40GB hard drive; CD-R/DVD optical drive (burn CDs, watch DVDs); FireWire port for digital video cameras; integrated photo, music, and video editing software; and, a video card with 32MB of memory. Be especially careful if you’re eyeing deeply discounted models.

For instance, I saw an ad on TV the other day for a Dell system for only $449, so I went to their web store to see what $449 would get me. Not much. A whopping 128MB of RAM – not even enough to efficiently run XP. Want to burn music, photos, or data onto a CD? Not with this machine. CD-ROM only. Want to edit home video? No way. No FireWire ports, not even as an option. In order to get a Dell with the minimum features listed above, the $449 system became an $820 system, which is within $30 of Apple’s eMac (which has a better monitor and graphics card, and far superior integrated multimedia). To include the capability to record DVDs (home video, photo and data backup) the price swelled to $1044 (again, within $50 of the SuperDrive-equipped eMac).

You’ll see a lot of hype this year on Media Center PCs, which are designed to make your computer the focal point of home entertainment. Just thinking about moving your computer into your family room, next to your TV and stereo, should send chills down your spine. Or how about this image: the family, huddled around the computer’s 17” monitor, seated on folding chairs, watching their favorite DVD. Warms your heart, don’t it?

Games. If the “kids” in your house (of all ages, off course) are into electronic games, get a dedicated “game console” (XBox, PlayStation, Nintendo) rather than souping up your present computer or buying a new computer trumpeted as “ideal for gaming”. Why?

Most homes have one main computer, but multiple TVs. If your computer becomes “game central”, there’ll be competition rivaling the fiercest of any game action, just to get to use it. With a game console, you can launch a “preemptive strike”, and move the game action to another room (or basement). You are now free to balance your checkbook without kids hovering around you like vultures on a telephone line.

Computers are, by nature, single-operator devices. Once you’ve “beaten” the computer, you do have the option of multiplayer action via broadband. Today’s games and game consoles offer multiplayer action, up to four players on each console. You can network multiple consoles, or use your broadband connection, to expand the arena. Game consoles also play DVDs, so you’re getting another home theater in the process.

Music. iTunes Music Store and iPod. iTunes Music Store recently recognized by Time magazine as the “Invention of the Year”. 99 cents a song. Seamless integration with the iPod. Available for both Mac and Windows. There are a lot of pretenders out there, with more on the horizon, but you can’t beat this combination right now. Want to give the gift of music? iTunes is a free download from www.apple.com. You can also order iTunes gift certificates and send them though email or the USPS.

© 2003 Peter F. Zimowski