Tech shopping for the holidays

How to navigate through the hype to get the best gifts By Rick Castellini Nationally Syndicated Computer Columnist Special to PRIME Ahhh ... I can can smell the silicone in the air. It must be time for my annual holiday guide to technology gifts. Every year I work to sort out what is hot and what's not to make your gift selection a little easier. Unless you are a well-read and knowledgeable shopper, it is too easy to succumb to hype and pressure. In the world of technology, the pressure and hype can lead to buyers' remorse and an empty wallet. But lucky you! You are reading the right article that will help you sort through the jargon for you and save you money. HD TV under the tree? Let's start with televisions. This year the big box tech stores are rolling out large boxes like crazy. Inside these boxes are pricey, wide-screen, high-definition (HD) televisions. Looking at these sets in a store can easily cloud even the most seasoned shopper. There are two important questions to keep in mind when considering the purchase of a HD TV: 1) Do you have the room for a large TV? The best viewing distance for a 42" screen (standard plasma size) is 8 feet. That 60" screen requires at least 11 feet distance from your chair to the screen. 2) Do you have the right cable or satellite package? Currently there are only a few dozen HD channels and very few of them offer HD 24 hours a day. HD packages cost more money ... sometimes much more. I don't want to discourage you from buying a HD TV if you really want one, but I think you may be smarter to wait until next year. PCs buy now or wait for Vista? Let's switch gears from TVs to computers. This year the big question is whether to buy now and get Windows XP or wait until next year and get a computer with the new Windows Vista. My advice is to buy now. Laptops and desktop prices have never been lower, and Windows XP has proved to be a very good operating system. Prices will continue to drop right through New Year's weekend. I have been testing Windows Vista for a few months now, and have not been impressed at all. MP3s beyond IPod Portable digital players (MP3) players continue to be a hot seller and top the list of many technology minded dreamers. You can't go wrong buying one of the trendy Apple iPods. However, I would encourage you to look at some impressive offerings from both SanDisk and Creative. SanDisk's e200 series of MP3 players are very impressive and will save you some money over the iPods without sacrificing features. In the Creative camp, I like their Zen Vision and Zen V series. Digital cameras are a safe bet Lastly, a look at holiday gifts would be incomplete without mentioning digital cameras. Digital still cameras currently out-sell film cameras by almost three-to-one. Whether you are looking to buy your first digital camera or upgrade to a newer one, the digital camera market is very mature now and you can hardly make a bad purchase. The best advice I can give for cameras is to stick with the major brands (Kodak, Nikon, Canon, Olympus, etc.) and you will get a nice camera. Holiday shopping in the tech department can be a daunting proposition, but with a little research and cool head you can make smart purchases that will give you years of pleasure. My last piece of advice for you is to take time to read user reviews at shopping web sites. Amazon.com users have written millions of reviews from real users that can shed some light on how well a product performs in the real world. Other sites I visit to read reviews are newegg.com and circuitcity.com. Have a great holiday season and happy tech shopping! Rick Castellini is an author, computer consultant, and hosts a nationally syndicated computer radio show from Colorado. Visit his web site at www.HelpMeRick.com for new tips every week and sign up for his free weekly email newsletter.