It’s Christmas Eve Day. Have you gotten all your Christmas shopping out of the way? Although a rather staggering number of people purchased their gifts online this year(myself included), I’m sure there’s still a fair chunk of you who haven’t yet made your way to the store. Maybe you’re waiting for a last minute deal or two. Maybe you’re simply forgetful, and you’re rushing out for “one last gift.” Maybe you’ve been too busy, and now’s really the only chance you have to get gifts for your friends and loved ones.
Or maybe you’re just a terrible procrastinator.
Either way, you’ve left your shopping to the last minute. You’re stressed, you’re rushed, and you’re running yourself ragged rushing around trying to find the perfect gadget. You’re certainly not alone, if the clogged storefronts and frantic shoppers surrounding you are any indication. Assuming you didn’t get lucky and managed to get out before getting trampled, chances are good that it’s going about as well for them as it is for you. So what’s a shopper to do? How can you make sure you get hold of that piece of tech your loved one wants, while keeping your sanity intact? Here’s a few tips to get you on the right track:
Know What You Want Before you Shop
If you can’t figure out what you’re getting for your friend (for example, they haven’t told you what they want), things are going to get a touch more complicated. First off, you’ll need to find out what hardware they already have, and what they use it for. If they’ve a desktop PC, for example, are they a gamer? Do they do sound design? Do they simply use it to browse the Internet? How tech savvy are they? Do they have any particular brand preferences? What do you feel they need? Yes, you’re going to need to know them in order to answer any of those questions.
As a general rule, most people probably won’t object to receiving a shiny new tablet under the tree. The same goes for Mp3 Players. Smartphones, unless they don’t include a contract with them, generally aren’t the best gifts to buy someone spontaneously. If you’re particularly strapped for ideas, you could always find out how satisfied they are with their mobile provider – and offer to buy them out of their contract if they’re unhappy with it.
For anyone who’s a gamer; a new pair of headphones, a new mouse, or a new keyboard could be just the ticket (Razer, Turtle Beach, and SteelSeries are a few of the top brands). If they’ve got Steam, try finding out their username and seeing what they have on their wishlist (or find a friend who knows what they’re doing to do it for you). Buy a game or two, and tell them to log on to the service come Christmas morning. Same deal goes for games like League of Legends, which currently includes a ‘gifting’ system. Granted, they’re not exactly tech, but they’re gifts someone might appreciate, all the same.
Alternatively, the Wii U is pretty hot this season.
If you’re going all-out and buying a laptop or PC, make sure you know what the person you’re buying for does with their technology. Someone who writes for a living might be okay with a bare-bones, portable piece of tech, while someone who does something more intense would probably want something better. Generally, I’d stay away from buying specific parts such as graphics cards or RAM. That’s something best left to the person you’re buying for – if need be, you can simply get them a gift card.
Last, but not least, consider reading online surveys and forum threads such as this one.
Consider Shopping Online
Okay, this probably isn’t your ideal solution. After all, even if your seller does offer next day delivery, chances are good that you’ll have to pay a mint for it. Next day shipping is expensive on a good day, and on Christmas, well…you get the idea. Still, if you’ve the money to spare and you want to avoid the busy storefronts, it might well be worth your while to pop online and do your ordering. After all, everybody’s doing it these days.
Plus, if the product is sold out in most brick-and-mortar stores, it might still be available online (on eBay, for example).
Of course, the first step to finding the ideal gift lies in knowing exactly where to look. In general, I’d recommend avoiding Big Box retailers that provide everything and the kitchen sink. There’s certainly a chance you’ll find the gift you’re looking for there, but the staff sometimes tend not to be as knowledgeable about their products as would an employee at Future Shop, for example. Gamestop’s probably the best place to go if you’re buying any sort of gaming hardware, while the Apple Store (obviously) is your go-to location for any Apple products. In general, you’re going to want to stick to specialized electronics retailers; even PC wholesale outlets (it depends what you’re purchasing, after all). You’ll save yourself quite a few headaches, and the crowds, while they’ll still likely be considerable, won’t necessarily be as overwhelming as they might be otherwise.
Do Your Research
First thing’s first, assuming you’ve little knowledge of technology and you’re buying for a friend, you need to make absolutely certain they’ve spelled everything out to you, in black-and-white; right down to the model number of whatever piece of hardware you’re buying them. Particularly if you’re buying something without guidance, read a few reviews about the product you’ve got your eye on, to make sure it’s not a complete dud: Tom’s Hardware, CNet, and Gizmodo are all good places to start looking (and expand your knowledge a bit).
Second, even if you’re not doing your purchasing online, you should still do your shopping there. In other words, do your research: figure out exactly what it is you want before you leave. Instead of wasting time scurrying from one store to another, you can check store inventory online: most electronics retailers worth their salt will provide you with an online catalogue which you can peruse at your leisure. As an added bonus, this makes comparing prices – and tracking down deals- an incredibly simple task to pull off. Once you’ve tracked down a store, see if you can put a hold on the item in question. Again, some retailers offer this as an online service; for others, you’ll have to call ahead.
If you’re still not entirely confident about tracking down (or identifying) the product you want, and you’ve a friend who’s more knowledgeable about that sort of thing than you are, consider bringing them along (unless they’re the one you’re buying for). Offer to buy them a drink or a meal after the shopping trip’s done to thank them for their help. After all, ’tis the season, right?
Consider Waiting Until Boxing Day
Last, but not least – and I know this isn’t an attractive option for some of you, as it completely shunts the usual “presents under the tree” tradition – but if you’ve exhausted all other alternatives; consider waiting until Boxing Day to buy your gifts. You might get lucky, and nab even more hardware for your friend or family member than they originally wanted. There are, after all, some pretty extreme deals floating about. It might well end up being the only choice you have (even though a few retailers are, for some reason, open on Christmas).
Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for you folks at the moment. Have yourselves a grand Christmas, and if you’ve got any last-minute tech shopping suggestions of your own, drop a line in the comments.
Image Credits: [1][2][3][4][5][6]
The PCMech.com weekly newsletter has been running strong for over 8 years. Sign up to get tech news, updates and exclusive content - right in your inbox. Also get (several) free gifts.
