As a geek, all I ever hear about around this time of year is how difficult it is to shop for me for Christmas. What do I already have? What do I want? What would I use? All of these questions float around my house as my family tries to decide what they think I want for Christmas. From what I’ve heard, this is a fairly common problem for people with techies (or insert your word for GEEK here) in the family.
Here at PCM, we thought we would help you out with a guide to what to get your Geek for Christmas. These items are fairly general, but cover several big things, and also random little things that will make a techie’s Christmas bright.
1) Gaming system
Tyler’s pick: Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii
Ok, the PS3 lovers are going to be mad I didn’t put it on the list, but I do not believe it is worth the investment right now. A good investment if you have younger kids or someone who is a casual gamer is the Nintendo Wii gaming system. It is a really neat little system that uses wireless technology to detect how you move, allowing you to physically swing a tennis racket or punch a fighter. You’ll just have to warn them not to throw the remote through your new TV – I know I have a pretty bad temper when I miss a ball. The Wii will provide hours of fun for an entire family. The Xbox 360 is my choice for more experienced and competitive gamers, as a game of Halo 3 would make anyone in this category drool. They will love it!
2) HDTV
Tyler’s pick: Sharp 37” LCD TV with 1080p
What could be better than playing Halo 3 on an Xbox 360? Playing Halo 3 on your new 37” HDTV. 1080p offers a fantastic resolution for your various HD devices – and enhances football and Halo 3 that much more. I picked the Sharp brand because I have been impressed by the quality of picture on these sets, and the price was right. If you want to spend a little more, there are several 1080p Samsungs that are well worth the look. This particular TV has two HDMI inputs to allow you to run a couple devices at full HD resolution.
3) Surround Sound
Tyler’s Pick – JVC THD60
Found at Wal-Mart and other places to shop, this system really packs a punch for the price. I had a chance to toy around with one of these and absolutely loved it. It comes with both an HDMI in and out, something that I haven’t found true on most home theatre systems available. It has a built in DVD player with up-conversion to 1080p, but when HD systems get cheap enough, it becomes worthless without an HDMI input. This will likely be on my personal wish list for this Christmas – the sound is that impressive.
4) Games
Tyler’s picks: Call of Duty 4, Halo 3
Games are abundant nowadays, and if your favorite techie has a gaming system, find which one it is. You can’t go wrong with a good game for them to play. Be sure its not something they already have though! If you want to know what a good game is, check out gamestop.com to see what is popular. More than likely, you’ll find a great choice. Call of Duty 4 just came out and I know it is extremely popular, as is the new sequel to the Halo series, Halo 3. You can’t go wrong with either of those.
Now that we have covered some of the major items, what about stocking stuffers and smaller gifts?
My favorite store for geeks is ThinkGeek. Just a simple look around their site shows of some of the clever, geeky ideas that have been put into production. A few of my favorites:
Anyway, you get the point. They have cool stuff, period. If you don’t understand what it is, its likely cool to a geek – just remember that!
I hope this has been some help to you in your pursuit to make your Geek happy. Follow my advice and they will be!
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