Rob Enderle’s Holiday 2005 Buyer’s Guide

Here is my list of must-haves this holiday season. There is sure to be something on here you can afford!

There are a lot of choices this year, and probably no one reading this has unlimited funds. We do know that students, according to survey, want (in this order) an Apple iPod, a digital camera or digital video camera, a Tivo, or a Sony PSP. Since this survey was conducted, Microsoft announced the eminent release of their Xbox and many of these “students” got Apple iPods, so they have probably dropped lower on the list.  And, given that the initial allotment of the Xbox 360 is sold out, unless you’ve preordered that product, you are going to pay a huge premium for it this year (and yes, I’ve ordered mine and yes, I too am paying a premium).

What follows is my list of the products I found most interesting, with the stores that appear to have stock. Use the prices as guidelines; you also will probably find, in many cases, the retail prices will be dropping rapidly during the next few weeks.

iPod

You’d think this would be easy, but there are two products (no one really wants the Shuffle), two capacities and two colors. Initially, black was the hot color, but as problems with scratching became evident, buyers switched back to white. Since Apple has apparently fixed the scratching problem, black remains the favorite choice, while white is the safer choice; the person getting the gift will be happy to get either. On capacity, go with the lower capacity in the hard drive-based video iPod (30GB is probably six times more than what anyone really needs) and the larger capacity with the Nano, as 4GB is really the ideal number before managing this stuff becomes a pain.

You may find, like I did, that boys prefer the Nano and girls the Video iPod.

If you want a lower-priced alternative, the Dell Susan G. Komen Foundation bundle takes a Dell DJ Ditty and adds a pink armband; you’ll be helping to support breast cancer research, which could make this gift special for some women. Currently, there is a special on this at $129. It also has a built-in FM radio, something the iPods don’t yet have, making this more useful if you want to keep track of events or listen to the TV at your gym. The regular product is in black and is priced at $99, which is probably appropriate for a guy who isn’t a fashion expert (http://www.dell.com/).

Another low-cost player that has been highly reviewed, the Samsung Yepp YP-T7X, is generally rated much higher than the crippled iPod Shuffle – and it even has a 65,000-color screen for viewing photos. It also has the required FM radio and I found the 1GB version on our shopping page for around $140.

Apple iPod Accessories

Apple iPod accessories may be a safer path, given a lot of folks already have iPods. Here are a few that stand out:

The Griffin RoadTrip, a combined FM transmitter and iPod cradle for the car. It’s nicely designed and easy to use, and at $89 isn’t more expensive than your iPod; the new one works with virtually all third, fourth, and fifth generation iPods. If the person you are giving this to has a Nano, consider the Griffin iTrip for the Nano; this is just drop-dead gorgeous and uses the Nano display, but it only works with the Nano and costs $50.

For iPod speakers, the Altec Lansing Inmotion IM7 is considered the best. It isn’t inexpensive at $250, but it is both relatively portable and robust, and sounds great.

If you want something that is less expensive but still relatively good, the Logitech MM22 at $60 has a clean sound and a small size, just not much volume.

Giving a gift to a swimmer? The H20 Audio Waterproof Case for the iPod costs $150 and comes with special ear buds. A cool gadget is the Nyki iTop Button relocator for the iPod, which only costs $30 and has the buttons to the top, making them easier to use while the device is in your pocket (http://www.h2oaudio.com/).

The best headphones for the money are probably the Grado Labs SR80s; they have an over-the-ear style, but at $95 won’t break the bank. Although light on bass, they should impress anyone who gets them (http://www.sound-room.com/).

The Harman Kardon Drive + Play built-in car system at $200 isn?t cheap, but it appears to be the best way to get that BMW experience without actually buying a BMW. It should be on the market by the time you read this. It has a dashboard-mountable display and a joystick control, and can get to your car stereo through either an analog cable or an FM transmitter.

Personal Computers

You can get a lot without spending a great deal. For that special kid in school, a tablet PC is the hot property. Of the tablets, the one that stands out for education is the Gateway CX200X; it has a 14-inch wide screen unique to the segment (I’m a big fan of 14-inch wide screen products). It has solid performance and a price of $1,400 (http://www.gateway.com/).

For regular laptops, I like special edition products because, well, they’re special. The HP L2000 Livestrong Special Edition costs $900 and is feature rich, including that wonderful 14-inch wide screen, and solidly says you get what is important. It’s hard to beat $900 for a product that is cool and unique (http://www.hpshopping.com/).

Want a desktop machine that is cool, unique and won’t break the bank? CompUSA has the NASCAR PC Desktop:  A 160GB drive, ATI graphics, a Media Reader, 16X dual layer drive, and a price of $549. It is amazing what you can get for around $500 these days (http://www.compusa.com/).

Of course, if you want to really put a sparkle in your kid’s eye, the AlienWare Star Wars Special Edition is incredibly cool looking, is a solid gaming platform, and costs $1,500. Remember, your child is saving the world from aliens, so what is a few extra dollars for that (http://www.alienware.com/)?

Want a Media Center PC? Well, there is really only one that stands out from the crowd and won’t break the bank. The HP Digital Entertainment Center z556 at $1,500 is expensive but looks right at home in a stereo cabinet. Jet black and rich looking, this is the kink of the Media Center PCs. If you want one that looks more like a PC and for about half the price, the HP M7100e is a good choice at $800 (http://www.hpshopping.com/).

Monitors

There are two that stand out.

The price of the Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW 24-inch has recently been dropped to $950 for what is the most desired monitor for gaming and graphics currently on the market.

A lower cost alternative is the Gateway 21-inch display. It will do both portrait and landscape mode, and has a fully articulated base and a much more affordable $600 price. It will also work with game systems and has picture-in-a-picture if you want to use it for videos while you are doing your email (http://www.gateway.com/).

Software

Software:  Want to learn to sing? Wish your kid or spouse would stop scaring the pets? Have a neighbor whose singing sounds like the coming of the apocalypse? How about a software package that teaches singing? Look no further than Singing Coach Unlimited. With over 10,000 songs, there is a good chance it has the one that is driving you insane. Eighty dollars at http://www.amazon.com/.

Movie editing:  One of the best new packages is Pinnacle Studio Plus Version 10. It allows you to edit in HD (of course, you need HD content) and create DVDs that have a near-professional look. What better way to enthrall folks with your vacation videos or the shots of your child’s birth, or even (hold your breath) wedding videos! About $80 online.

If you just want to make cool movies on the quick, one product, which often comes preloaded on new PCs, is Muvee AutoProducer. This thing will allow you to put together a DVD fast and the software only costs $40 at http://www.amazon.com/. You can then give the DVDs as gifts! Think how excited people will be to get movies of your kids, pets, or the last doctor’s appointment!

Photo editing:  A product that generally leads its class is Corel’s Paint Shop Pro, now in version 10. Easier than Adobe but as powerful as the pro tools and containing one of the best photo organizers, this is a great way to take your poorly shot photos and turn them into masterpieces. One hundred dollars at http://www.buy.com/, or if you are a student, $57 at http://www.digitallyunique.com/.

TVs

I know it is tempting to get a Plasma TV but we have a massive oversupply right now, which means prices should drop like a rock after the end of the year. And next year, the new LED-lighted LCDs are supposed to start showing up, and they will be vastly better than anything in this class currently on the market if they hit the expected price points.

So, go DLP. Two TVs stand out:

The 61-inch InFocus Screenplay 61MD10, having a 7-inch depth and sold under the RCA brand for nearly $8K this year, sells for a vastly more reasonable $3K (you?ll need to shop for this price). It, along with its RCA brother, are the only DLP sets that can be wall mounted and compared to a 60-inch Plasma, which can cost ten times more; this is one hell of a deal.

The new HP DLP 65-inch TV is expected to hit the market around the time I’ll publish this. It has an amazingly sharp image and they moved the AV hookups to the front of the set behind a concealing door, which makes it easy to set up and easy to change. At $5K, it isn’t cheap, but it is a stunning set and the product to beat at the high end this year. Shop for price (http://www.tvauthority.com/).

Digital Cameras

At the high end, the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT stands out (there are two schools:  One arguing that Canon makes the best lenses, the other Nikon. I’m with the Canon school of thought). A kit, which includes lenses, costs about $1,000, so this would be for someone you really wanted to impress.

Dropping way down in price, if you want something cool looking but not that expensive the Casio Exilim EX-750 is small, has impressive performance, and has a much more affordable price of $450.

Even more reasonable is the HP Photosmart R517, which comes in at $200 and has 5.2 mega pixels, an impressive set of features including a 2-inch display, and a clean and simple user interface. A camera with these specs cost me over twice this much a little over a year ago, which just shows how rapidly prices are dropping for a given technology.

Tivo

Well, if people want a Tivo, by all means get them a Tivo. This isn’t even very expensive and, even though people think they are daunting to hook up, they are really not any more difficult than a VCR with a tuner. (In fact, they may be easier, as you don’t have to worry about the flashing 12:00.) Right now, you can get one for $50 if you pre-purchase 12 months of TV directory service (which costs $155.40), so total price is $205.40 for a 40-hour Tivo. It costs $100 more if you want 80 hours, $150 more if you want a DVD recorder (which means you can also replace the DVD player) and the 300-hour version is the same price. I’d recommend the 40 or 80-hour versions as good values depending on your budget; pre-paying the first year for something like this is probably a requirement. You can get these deals at http://www.tivo.com/.

Sony PSP

This product is still a little hard to come by, but you can find it. Amazon.com has it right now for around $250 and you’ll want to get a gift certificate for at least one game; they run around $50 with tax (I’ll bet you are missing the old Atari now, huh?). There are a number of accessories for this thing and, if you know someone who has or is getting a PSP, getting them a gift certificate to buy the accessories at a local game store or online retailer like Amazon is probably a good idea. There are ear buds, cases, screen protectors, accessory packs and games that can eat up a lot of change, so be aware that one of these things is hardly a one-time purchase.

A great accessory for someone who already has a PSP is the Hip Gear PSP Stereo Station; this costs $60, charges the PSP, and includes speakers, while it holds the PSP off the table at a working height. It looks kind of cool, too (http://www.etoys.com/).

Xbox 360

Okay, dream on if you haven’t already ordered one of these yet think you are going one under your tree. It took me the better part of a week some time ago to locate someone that was still taking preorders, and I have my doubts whether what I ordered will arrive in time for Christmas. Best bet is a gift certificate for around $450 for the premium player and one game (no, this puppy isn’t cheap) and then they can go shopping in January when supplies free up again. You can also wait in line at one of the stores that doesn’t have preorders. Check in your neighborhood and plan to get there early.

I’ve played this game system myself and it is as good as people expect it to be, so it’s likely well worth waiting for. However, I know how important it is for a child to have something they really want on Christmas day, so this may be one of those difficult gift decisions this year.

Satellite Radio Device

Moving off the short list, we have Satellite as one of the trendy services this year. The Pioneer AirWave can store up to five hours of programming, making it a powerful alternative to the traditional MP3 players, and it is tied to XM radio – arguably the better radio service. It’s very easy to use but not inexpensive at $330; XM will set you back $12.95, so this is clearly in the spouse class of devices (http://www.dealtime.com/).

Universal Remote

Know someone who has been breeding remotes and is both up to their armpits in them and out of control? The Logitech Harmony 880, which can be programmed on the Web, is the one for them. At $249, it is vastly cheaper than the high-end monsters that can cost in excess of $800 and require a technician to program (part of the cost). It has a rechargeable battery and a nice color display, and I know from experience it is incredibly easy to use.

Cool Stuff

For lack of a better category, these are things I’ve run into that are just too much fun to forget.

Flashlight:  The Lumaray FL12 looks like something out of Star Wars and it is a darned good LED flashlight as well. At $120 (the similar FL6 has half of the LEDs and is $70), it is a lot for a flashlight, but if you want to see in the dark and fight aliens, this one is for you (now don’t you wish the guys in Doom had this?). Guys actually go to Star Trek conventions with this thing (http://www.lumaray.com/).

Photo Album:  Photoworks at http://www.photoworks.com/ will take photos you want to share with a friend or relative and publish them into a coffee table book. Reasonably priced and very personal, these books can include text as well and may be the easiest way to obtain the title of book author. Certainly something that will be unique, and if the pictures are personal, treasured for a long time.

Music Mixer Revenge Gift:  The StikAx allows you to easily mix music; if you have a neighbor with a young child you want to get “even” with, this is the gift for their child – but only if you can’t hear what is coming out of their house. It looks like a ray gun, it works relatively well, and it costs $130. It is actually a rather nice, unusual gift for someone who is learning to mix their own tunes (http://www.stikax.com/us/home.html).

Car PC:  Okay, how many people do you know who have this? A PC designed specifically to be built into a car. At $300, the VoomPC barebone system is unique when it comes to products (which is why I didn’t put this in the PC section). It is based on the revolutionary VIA C7 processor, so it won’t kill a battery, and it will play DVD, handle navigation, and may even plot to take over the world. James Bond, eat your heart out (http://www.mini-box.com/).

Custom PC Case:  I’m a modder and I love wild cases, but it seems that no matter which case you buy, they all start looking the same. How about a custom painted case that captures the image of a favorite game character, logo, idea, or color? Smooth Creations (http://www.smoothcreations.com/) does this kind of work for the OEMs for special events and will do it for you for a reasonable price. They will also paint iPods, Laptops, or any other device that will take automotive quality paint. This really is special and, even if you don’t choose to do it, you should check out the site. (Personally, I love the Star Trek iPod.)