Issue 47.10
This is always a tough article to write for two reasons. First, there are way too many cool gadgets, computers and add-ons out there to mention in a short article. Secondly, most of the big stores guard their upcoming deals jealously because they want to make their big splash on “Black Friday” – the day after Thanksgiving. So, I will give you some basic categories and an idea of what they may sell for, but don’t be surprised to see additional deals (especially the limited stock type i.e. 2 per store, etc.) as we get closer to Thanksgiving.
In the computer arena, laptops have dropped in price over the last couple of years and are now near the price you would pay for a desktop and monitor. Some of the cheaper ones are not built as well as I would like and you might want to check consumer reports or other websites that review items for feedback before you buy. I don’t generally recommend extended warranties, but lower priced laptops and printers are an exception if the warranty isn’t too expensive. Available from $350 and up. The new net-books (small laptops without a CD or DVD drive) are making a big splash and are very easy to carry around and use for internet and basic computing. Starting at $225.
External Hard Drives are a great addition to your system for additional storage and backups of important data. (You all know how much I like having backups). They are now available in sizes from 100 Gigabytes to 2 Terrabytes (2000 Gigabytes) and start at $60. Flash Drives and card memory for portable data storage. These come in sizes from 2 Gigabytes to 32 Gigabytes and range from $5 to $125 depending on brand and style.
Digital Cameras and Camcorders are now considered computer peripherals. They are so easy to connect, then download and edit pictures, movies and sound files, that many people are buying them to keep their family memories, events, etc. for the future. You will want to be sure your camera has at least 10 megapixel capability and I recommend at least a 5X optical zoom (I prefer 10 or better). Camcorders should be able to store significant amounts of high quality video and their batteries should last at least an hour. Reasonably good cameras start at $50 and camcorders start at $150.
Digital picture frames are very nice to have and many of them can play video files and music as well. They range from 4 inch to 12 inch screens and prices run from $30 to $160. Some of these are very low quality and don’t last so be careful of off-brands.
Adding a second monitor to a system is a great Christmas present and prices have dropped again. You may need a dual video card (starts at around $100) to use a second monitor, but the monitors themselves range from 17 inch to 28 inch and prices start around $100.
Finally, they may not be as impressive to wrap and open, but a gift of a memory, video or operating system upgrade may make your computer user very happy and there are some very good deals out there that your computer professional can help you find. Most of these are not obvious in the stores. In the meantime, stay safe – and, as always, make sure you have a backup of anything important.