With Thanksgiving becoming a recent memory and Christmas drawing ever closer, we find ourselves in the midst of the 2009 holiday shopping season. Stores will become crowded with people just hoping to get their hands on that hit holiday item. You may be asking yourself, what is that hit item of 2009 for that special gadget and tech enthusiast in your life? Well lucky for you I am here to break it down.
Here’s the top geek gifts of this holiday season (in no particular order).
Amazon Kindle 2 ($259)
Know someone who loves to read, but hates buying actual books? With Amazon’s latest upgrade to the Kindle series books can be purchased from a large library on Amazon.com and wirelessly transmitted to the device. There are currently two versions available from Amazon, the Kindle 2 or the Kindle DX which has a larger 9.7″ display, holds more books (3,500 compared to 1,500) and of course, holds a hefty price tag at almost $500.
The recent introductions of the Barnes & Noble Nook and the Sony Reader, the competition in the e-reader wold is heating up. However, with a comfortable 6″ screen, weighing just a little over 10 ounces and containing one of the largest digital book collections on the web, the Amazon Kindle is the perfect size and price for the reader on the go.
Apple iPod Touch 32GB ($299)
Who doesn’t love being able to listen to music, play games, surf the web, check your emails/weather and calender almost at the same time? No one, that’s who. There three iterations available. A smaller, cheaper ($199) 8GB version, the before mentioned 32GB and finally the larger and more expensive ($399) 64GB model.
In the current market, Apple does so much more than bring you just a music player. At the moment they are currently leaps and bounds above the competition and with the addition of the App store, they should be there for some time.
Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite ($299)
Have someone who loves games, but still stuck playing with a PS2 or Gamecube? Help get them into the current generation of gaming with the Xbox 360. Microsoft recently dropped the price on their high end model of the Xbox 360 down from $399 to $299 which is an excellent bargain.
It comes with a 120GB hard drive, wireless controller and black headset. With the recent release of Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2 and Assassins Creed 2 there are certainly no shortages of games to be played this holiday season.
DJ Hero ($199)
So you just got this brand new Xbox and are still feeling very generous or just looking for something to add to your collection. Activison recently released a new line in their music genre that allows the user to become a DJ. There are currently two price points available, the regular edition ($129) or the before mentioned Renegade edition which includes a Jay-Z and Eminem collaboration CD and a sweet little stand for your new toy.
DJ Hero is also available on the Sony PS3 and Nintendo Wii at the same price point. With a holiday season full of blockbuster releases, finding that game for wannabe DJ in your life is now easy.
Astro A40 Audio System ($249)
The award winning, A40 audio system is a great gift for a gamer who loves to play games and be immersed in sound without having to crank up the TV. These headsets work with the Xbox 360, PS3, PC and any sound system that has an optical output. The 5.1 Dolby Surround sound makes watching a movie or playing a game both quiet to other people in the same room and still give the user the feeling of watching the movie with a huge stereo.
Now, onto the second feature. The A40 offers high quality audio output through the fully adjustable and removable boom mic. The MixAmp also offers the ability to fine tune game sound and voice chat so that it can adjust the sound to your needs. It comes with a wide variety of cables and options which makes the A40s a great gift for the night owl in your life.
Holiday Gifts from the Past Years
Lets take a look at the holiday hit gifts of yesteryears.
Apple TV
When Apple announced its movie service almost 5 years ago, people were skeptical. A lot of people asked, do I really need to play 300 dollars for a device that allows me to watch/listen to my itunes library and rent movies? Well fast forward to this year and Apple has all but phased out the device. The Apple TV has not been updated in some time and appears to be headed out the door. As Apple pushes the Mac Mini to do the same thing, we can pretty much say good-bye Apple TV.
Digital Picture Frames
I can guarantee that every mom has received a digital picture frame at least once over the past few years. An easy choice as a last minute gift that mom was sure to enjoy. Who doesn’t love picture frames? Now the pictures show in a slideshow, depending on how large the hard drive was, thousands of them. Simply a staple of Holiday’s past.
TiVo
TiVo bursted on to the scene five years ago with its first device and has now been changing peoples lives everywhere. People no longer have to “tape” their shows, but now can digitally set up a timer for them. Not only has it made fast forwarding through commercials, or rewinding that big game, but it also made the word TiVo’d something relevant.
Sports Guide
Now if the person you are buying it for is more the sporty type, here are a few gifts that will help you out.
Bobby Holt
Anthony Vertucci
Raimundo Ortiz
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