Rob Enderle’s Holiday Buying Guide

In buying a gift sometimes it’s the thought that counts and the typical first step is actually asking the other person (or someone that knows them well) what they want. Often they will have a specific product in mind and while you, or I, might think something else is better there is really no point in imposing your will over their’s when the point is to get them something they want. So, in a way, this gift guide is more to guide you in terms of what you ask for than to guide you in terms of what you ask for than a typical guide for gifts for others.


Video Game Systems

One of the most desired products this season will be a new next generation game system. Unfortunately if you haven’t already ordered or bought a Nintendo or Sony, unless you are willing to pay 3 to 7 times the retail price on eBay you aren’t getting one this year. You can get an Xbox 360 http://www.xbox.com and it actually has the most available games so if you want something you can actually open and play this year there really is only one choice. You can also get a Sony PSP http://www.yourpsp.com and it remains the best portable gaming system and it has gotten a lot better for portable video as well.

For folks that have an Xbox 360 already there are two accessories that just came to market that are worth looking at. The HD-DVD drive http://www.xbox.com accessory for $200 and the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel http://www.xbox.com for $150.

Now if you know someone that is getting a Playstation 3 already, get them a Logitech ChillStream controller http://www.logitech.com it’s $40 and vastly better than the controller that comes with the system.

For games, give money, there are some wonderful games out there but each person has their likes and dislikes and will probably get what they want anyway. A gift certificate is likely the best path here.

MP3 Players

Sometimes it is about personalization and the one product that is easy to personalize and still the most popular on the market is the iPod Nano http://www.apple.com , 2GB is more than adequate and if you buy it on-line ($150) you can have it engraved for free.

If you are iPoded out or want something that has an FM radio in it two products stand out. The over the top product is the Samsung K5 http://www.anythingbutipod.com . It has built in speakers, an FM Radio, and an alarm. In addition, if you don’t use the speakers it has a whopping 27 hours of battery life. It will show photos but that isn’t its strength and you should be able to find it for under $180 if you shop for it.

The other is the SanDisk Sensa series of players. The best match of price and capacity is probably the e260 http://www.sandisk.com(1940)-SDMX4-4096-Sansa_e260_MP3_Player_4GB.aspx at around $180 retail. It has an FM tuner wither recording capability (you can also use it as a portable voice recorder for school), replaceable batteries, and you can increase the memory with flash cards. It probably comes the closest to the iPod in terms of design and is vastly more feature rich. It will play videos and photos but it really isn’t optimized for that.

Video Players

If you want to do video you need a bigger screen and there are two products that impressed me (Apple is expected to have a large screen iPod early next year).

If you want a large impressive screen in a full featured product that even can be used as a digital video recorder the Archos 604 http://www.archos.com comes the closest to that on all fronts. It has recording capability and can be used for both audio and video recording with a camera. It has about 5 hours of video playback time and a replaceable battery for the long plane trips and with a 4.3” screen it is stunning to watch. It will store up to 85 movies on its 30GB drive and it has a modest built in speaker. It is tends to draw a bit of attention when used in public. If you shop you can find it for under $350.

The smallest video player with an acceptable screen is the Toshiba Gigabeat www.gigabeat.com . Similar capacities to the Archos but it only has a 2.5 hour battery life and you can’t replace the battery. It has a built in FM radio and it fits easily in a shirt pocket. The 30 GB model can be found for under $300 if you shop for it and comes in white at that capacity (there is a more expensive piano black 60GB model as well).

TVs

Flat Panel TVs are hot and prices are so fluid right now it is hard to recommend any one. The fight is in the 42” to 50” sizes with the best values at 42” if you are looking for a wall mount. Plasma looks better the darker the room, LCD the lighter the room. Plasma also, typically, has better off center viewing.

Three products to check out are the Philips Ambilight http://www.flattv.philips.com, the Sony Bravia http://www.sonystyle.com, and the HP Media Smart TV http://www.shopping.hp.com . These set the high water mark with regard to product offerings and, while they aren’t cheap, will probably look the best the longest. This will give you a sense for the market and the high watermark in terms of quality and features.

Monitors

For monitors that stand out I look for features or what the professional gamers are using. Right now the monitor most in demand is the Dell 30” UltraSharp Widescreen http://accessories.us.dell.com monitor. At around $1,300 it isn’t cheap but this but I agree with www.ubergizmo.com this is easily the most stunning product in its size and price class.

At a more reasonable $680 the Gateway 24” HD Widescreen Monitor http://www.gateway.com is more affordable (this was the hot size last year). With full support for a variety of media sources including game systems and HD-DVD and Blue Ray players this is the only monitor with a built in Faroudja Up-Scaler. There is literally nothing on the market that can touch this product on features (you can even rotate the screen to lay up large documents).

Video Software

Two products, both from InterVideo, are worth looking at if you need to watch video from your PC or convert Video for your portable media device. InterVideo WinDVD 8 http://www.intervideo.com is the first Vista (Microsoft’s new OS) ready DVD viewer product. The Platinum Version is worth the $20 and at $60 won’t break the bank. It’s great for watching movies on planes from your laptop and, if you are running out of time you can speed up the movie to the ending before you land. It is also the first to support both BlueRay and HD-DVD content. The other product is InterVideo DVD Copy 5 http://www.intervideo.com and it converts content for your portable media device more quickly then any other product I’ve trialed. At $50 for the Platinum version it also won’t break the bank.

Navigation

If you want a good, inexpensive, navigation product for a laptop computer is it hard to beat Microsoft Streets and Trips 2007 http://www.microsoft.com . It comes with a GPS antenna for the dash and costs under $130. It is arguably one of the most underrated products in the market.

The TomTom One http://www.tomtom.com at $500, is small, very portable, easy to use and arguably the best match of size, price and features on the market. It finds the GPS signals very quickly will warn you (or your kids) if you are exceeding the speed limit, actually automatically it increases volume as your speed increases, and has a very nice, bright, anti-glare touch screen. It also will connect to your Bluetooth phone to pull down traffic and weather information while you drive.

Digital Camera

These things are becoming ever smaller and more personal. However there was one feature that caught my eye that I think everyone would want regardless of sex or age and that is the HP slimming feature. At under $150 the 6 Mega pixel HP Photosmart M527 http://www.shopping.hp.com packs a lot into a very low price. 6 Mega pixels are more than enough and this falls well within gift range for a product.

Unique Photo Gift

You have a great camera and want to do more than the typical boring picture based Christmas card this year. One option is to go to Windsor Vineyards http://www.windsorvineyards.com and create your own label for custom wine. Use pictures of kids, family, vacation shots, or pets to create a unique personalized gift. Contact: Pete Ellis Windsor Vineyards 1-800-289-9463 X 5236 or pellis@windsorvineyards.com


Personal Computers

With so many similar products on the market I’m only going to provide general guidance. Fist laptops are in; desktops are out (but still provide the most performance for the buck). If you want something you will carry, a lot, go 12” wide screen and get the extended battery (if you like watching DVDs on planes get one with a built in DVD drive). If you travel a bit but really want a work horse go with a 14” wide screen, and if you almost never travel but want a PC that can go with you on vacation (and sit in the hotel room) get a 17” wide but don’t expect to use it on a plane unless you are in business class and can plug into power. Drop me a note at renderle@enderlegroup.com and tell me what you want to do and what you want to pay and I’ll point you at a vendor and product.

Two pieces of advice though, if you are buying an Apple Laptop make sure it is using Intel’s Core 2 Duo part the older Core Duo part is a dog. Also look for machines (non-Apple) which are Vista Premium Ready http://www.microsoft.com to ensure they don’t go prematurely obsolete.

Flash Drive

These things are all over the place but one product stands out and that is the SanDisk Cruzer Titanium http://www.sandisk.com(1167)-NEW__SanDisk_Cruzer_Titanium_USB_Flash_Drive.aspx . This is because the thing is near indestructible and has a cool titanium shell. The 1 GB model is around $70. Good pace to put back up your documents when you travel or carry your documents if you don’t want to carry your laptop.

Books

I’ve seen two recent books that I think would make great gifts. The first is Own your Space http://www.amazon.com which was put out by Symantec and is focused on protecting kids on-line. This is also a good primer for anyone who is spending a lot of time wondering the web and not aware of how dangerous that has become. About $14.

A good book for that clueless manager you may have, and it is a good read for anyone in marketing is “In Search of Stupidity” http://www.amazon.com . This covers the common marketing mistakes that have happened in the technology market and really should be required reading for anyone in or thinking about getting into technology marketing. About $18.

Accessories

Socket Mobile Battery Pack http://www.socketcom.com provides backup power for your portable device. About $90 it will keep your phone, PDA, Sony PSP, MP3 player etc running long after the battery has died. Really handy for devices that don’t have removable batteries.

The coolest mice on the market right now are the Logitech MX Revolution line. The desktop product http://www.logitech.com at $100 and the laptop product http://www.logitech.com at $80 are just stunning and well worth the money.

Until the Optimus http://www.artlebedev.com hits the market the best gaming keyboard is the Saitek Eclipse II http://saitekusa.stores.yahoo.net it is back lit in Blue, Red, or Purple has a very nice feel for gaming and costs around $70.

Video Stuff

Pinnacle PCTV HD http://www.pinnaclesys.com at about $130 this is the easiest way to add TV to your laptop computer, it does both normal and HD TV and comes with a nice portable antenna and remote control. A rather impressive little product.

Also from Pinnacle for that YouTube experience is the MovieBox Plus http://www.pinnaclesys.com which comes with its own Green Screen http://www.comedycentral.com and high quality microphone which can be used to make it look like you are actually at a remote location when taping your video.

Wireless

For those that don’t yet have home wireless arguably the best currently on the market is the Netgear Rangemax Next http://www.netgear.com router. It has benchmarked best in class and it actually looks really nice which is helps if it is going in your home. Particularly handy if you are using your wireless network for video which tends to suck up the bandwidth. Be aware you’ll also need either a compatible notebook (Dell XPS http://www.dell.com ) or a compatible notebook adapter http://www.netgear.com to get full performance. About $130 for the router and $50 for the adapter.

Podcasting

If you are into Podcasting M-Audio has a semi-pro set up for around $180 called the Podcast Factory http://www.m-audio.com. It has a little bit of a learning curve but is a good high quality product at a price you can probably live with. It comes with a Microphone high quality mini-mixer (USB) and mixing software.

Hands Free Mobile

With laws in many states either in place or due to be enforced with the New Year a product that allows you to continue to legally use your cell phone in the car might be a good idea. The BlueAnt SuperTooth II http://www.blueant.com.au hands free kit was the easiest to install and use of anything I tested this last year. It has its own battery so you don’t have to duck cables and it mounts on your visor in about 30 seconds so it won’t sit in the box waiting for that free weekend that never comes.

Wrap Up

That’s about it this year, remember to get your stuff ordered on-line before November month end or you’ll be running to stores, shop for price before you buy, and that gift certificates and gift credit cards are always good last minute alternatives. Good luck!