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Tips For Buying High-End Electronic Gifts

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 95 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

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Here is how to find the best high-end electronic gifts

 

There is always season for great gifts - for family, friends, co-workers, bosses, etc. There is Christmas and the holidays season; there are birthdays every day and every day somebody somewhere is being promoted, passing exam or moving in and she or he deserves a nice present. That's why all the time the manufacturers and retailers are bombarding us with ever growing number of choices, but it's so easy to get dizzy from the abundance of the available options. However, even though there are many excellent products to choose from, finding the best gifts may be really difficult.

But don't worry - if you're looking for great technology gifts, then this lens is for you. I will show you how to shop for the electronic products and what specifications to look at to find the best value for your simply money. I will give you here a number of useful suggestions.

One of the most evident trends we see on the high-technology market is the lowering of the prices due to the fierce competition and innovations that make the manufacturers deliver new, exciting machines and gadgets every day. 

Although bargains may be tempting as it always feels good if you can save money, you have to be careful not to buy a product that is already obsolete. It's especially important with PC computers, DVD players and digital cameras. To see how much the prices went down just go to the library and look at the prices in the magazines from a year ago. You'll see a huge difference...

If you're looking for other choices, then eBay and CafePress are excellent sources of well-priced, contemporary gifts for every age and taste (and pocket too...). New deals are coming every day (even every hour!) so please bookmark this page and come back again couple times. Thank you! 

Ilona

P.S. Hard to decide what to buy? See what other people are buying at Amazon.com .

P.P.S. With Amazon e-mail gift card certificates, there is no more excuse that "...I forgot and it's too late..."  You can buy one (ore more) with prices from $5.00 - $5,000.00 and availability is immediate! They are simply the ideal gift - redeemable for millions of items, customizable with a personal message and can be sent electronically via e-mail or with an e-card , or on paper through the mail. Where to get Amazon e-mail gift card certificates? Just click - for:
electronics gift certificates, or just any Amazon gift certificate I'm sure the recipient(s) will like them...

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Photo author: pinkcakebox from flickr.com

My MOST IMPORTANT tip for buying consumer electronics 

The best piece of advice I can give you when you're starting to shop for a high-tech gifts for your family members, friends or for yourself is as follows:

Buy the model with the most advanced components and features that you can afford. Why? Because it's much more expensive to upgrade when it becomes necessary (and this can happen really quickly these days...).

Please take a look at the product choices that I've found for you on the Internet so that you don't have to do a lot more research. I'm showing here the highest rated products and tips on what to look at when buying those new-technology products. Most of them have at least 4 out of 5 stars and you'll be very happy with them. I also show you here some lower-priced, but good-quality products.

I hope that you'll find here the right gift for you and for your loved ones!


best gift ideas

Wanna a PS3? Here you go: 

PlayStation 3 (60GB)

With plenty of multi-media features, PlayStation 3 is a great home entertainment center. Imagine all of these in one place: video chat, Internet access, digital photo viewing, and digital audio and video! But let's remember that first and foremost it's a game console - with this version it's the most powerful one.

Amazon Price: (as of 09/05/2008)

Please take a look at this great gift offers on eBay 

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Great Presents on CafePress 

Frenchie Mom2 White T-Shirt

French Bulldog Mom. You are the proud Mom of your dog. This unique dog Mom design makes a great French Bulldog gift for dog Mothers.

Buy Now

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What are planning to buy as a gift next time 

Would you like to know what my visitors were planning to buy as Christmas presents? Well, I had a poll here and the results were as follows: laptop - 31.7% of those who voted; MP3 player - 26.7%; plasma TV - 26.7%; digital camcorder - 10%; satellite radio - 5%; GPS receiver - 0%. Interesting, isn't it? Please vote here what are planning to buy as a gift next time you will need to give somebody a present.

Panasonic TH-42PX60U 42

Panasonic TH-42PX60U 42

Plasma HDTV.2 points

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Amazon Top Sellers 

Can't decide what to buy? Looking for a hot gift idea? See which products are currently topping the charts at Amazon.

Amazon Top Sellers - Computers & Add-Ons - for computer geeks young and old...


Amazon Top Sellers - Camera & Photo - most popular cameras & camcorders


Amazon Top Sellers - Electronics - all electronic goodies in one place!


Amazon Most Gifted in Electronics - items that Amazon customers are most frequently noting as gift purchases.


Amazon Most Wished For in Electronics - items that appear most often on Amazon customers' Wish Lists.

 

Amazon Top Sellers - Stocking Stuffers - lots of great goodies!


Amazon Top Sellers - Luxury Gift Ideas - for somebody who deserves only the best!


Amazon Top Sellers - Corporate Gifts - for employees, clients, or colleagues


Amazon Most Gifted in Camera and Photo - cameras, camcorders and more...

Flat-Screen TVs (LCD & plasma TVs) 

Great plasma and LCD screens that are only a few inches thick.

Flat-screen TVs are the most popular electronics items this year because of prices falling down dramatically and wide choice of excellent models.

There are two kinds of flat-screen TVs: plasma and LCD.

Plasma TVs have wide-screen designs with a 16:9 ratio of screen width to screen height (aspect ratio) and HDTV resolution. Plasmas are easily viewable from well off to the side and do not exhibit any change in brightness as you stand up or sit down. They are thin, but relatively heavy. Common sizes are: 42 to 50 inches, but newest models can be up to 65 inches.

LCDs have lower contrast ratios than plasmas, have slower response times, are usually several inches thicker than plasmas and have a somewhat narrower effective viewing angle. However, LCDs are completely immune to burn-in, are easier to view in brightly lit rooms, and run cooler than plasmas. They are lightweight and come in a range of sizes - 23 to 45 inches.

Samsung LNS4051D 40-Inch LCD HDTV

Very good sound quality, easy to use remote, great HD picture quality.

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Amazon Price: (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $1,799.99
Used Price:

Sony Bravia S-Series KDL-32S2010 32-Inch LCD HDTV

Bravia models provide a sharp, clear, colorful picture.

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Amazon Price: (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $1,599.99
Used Price: $1,075.99

Samsung HP-S5053 50-Inch Plasma HDTV

Very good sound, great remote control.

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Amazon Price: (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $2,999.99
Used Price:

Panasonic TH-50PX60U 50-Inch Plasma HDTV

Sharp, clear, colorful images.

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Amazon Price: $2,399.99 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $2,799.99
Used Price: $1,167.23

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Sharp Aquos LC-37D90U 37-Inch LCD HDTV

Possibly the best value for the money. Excellent picture quality, easy to use remote, great sound quality. My #1 choice in flat-panel TV!

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Amazon Price: (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $2,499.99
Used Price:

Flat-screen TVs on eBay 

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Digital cameras 

Point-and-shoot cameras, subcompact cameras, advanced compact cameras, super-zoom cameras and digital SLR cameras.

Lots to choose from... Always a great gift - we love making photos at every age, so a nice digital camera will make happy both your niece and your grandpa...

Here are the most important specifications to find in the digital cameras:
- MPs or megapixels - the higher the megapixel number, the higher the resolution. With higher-resolution cameras you'll produce larger, higher-quality prints. Don't buy anything with less than 5 MP.
- Size and weight - too small camera may be difficult to operate.
- The optical zoom spec is more important than digital zoom (the higher, the better).
- The camera should work with a popular editing and sharing software.
- Ability to use rechargeable batteries is useful and cost-efficient.
- Don't expect great video capability - it's not a camcorder...

Canon Powershot A620 7.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom

#1 in compact cameras. Excellent print quality, manual controls, battery life, flip-out movable 2-inch LCD and manual focus.

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Amazon Price: $599.00 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $299.99
Used Price: $219.95

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Casio Exilim EXZ750 7MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

#1 in subcompact cameras. Although tiny (no optical viewfinder), it's powerful! Great resolution, 2.8-inch LCD, excellent battery life, high ISO capability.

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Amazon Price: (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $449.99
Used Price: $159.99

Fujifilm Finepix E900 9MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom (Black)

If you need more than the basics, get this #1 model in advanced compact cameras.

Release Date: 10/22/2005

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Amazon Price: $224.95 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $599.99
Used Price:

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Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 7.2MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilization Zoom

#1 among super-zoom cameras, it has a short shutter lag and next-shot delay, manual focus and optical zooming during video recording.

Release Date: 06/08/2006

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Amazon Price: $889.00 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $449.99
Used Price: $250.00

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Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 Lens (Black)

#1 in digital SLRs; very good image quality, excellent battery life and the lowest weight among this class leaders (only 27 oz.).

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Amazon Price: $698.85 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $599.99
Used Price: $440.00

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Find great digital camera deals on eBay 

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Portable digital audio players 

Digital MP3 players - they can do other things too...

This market segment - like no other - is dominated by one manufacturer and brand - the Apple's iPods! Why everybody likes iPod? More than three out of four portable audio players are iPods (including iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle). iPods are easy to use, provide excellent controls and music management and they look great. Their drawbacks are: short battery life (the only area where the competing brands are noticeably better), no FM radio and voice recorders and need to turn on computer to charge the iPod via the USB port.

Here are some tips for buying an audio player:
- If longer playback time, lower price, smaller size and weight are more important to you than a vast selection of songs, then buy a flash-memory model.
- Storage capacity doesn't usually affect the size and weight, thus buy the largest-capacity player you can afford. If you need a large capacity, you will have to buy a hard-disk model (can store up to 20,000 songs).
- The interface should be easy to use, including playing, charging batteries, etc.
- If your player is delicate, buy a carrying case.
- Buy "the other brand" if having a FM radio and/or voice recorder are important to you. Also, they often are cheaper and use standard AA or AAA batteries.

Kindle: Amazon's Wireless Reading Device

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Amazon Price: $359.00 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $359.00
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Apple iPod nano 8 GB Black (3rd Generation)

Release Date: 09/05/2007

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Amazon Price: $178.98 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $199.00
Used Price: $129.29

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SanDisk Sansa m250 2 GB MP3 Player (Black)

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Amazon Price: $29.99 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $149.99
Used Price:

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Apple iPod shuffle 1 GB Silver (2nd Generation)

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Amazon Price: $46.98 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $49.00
Used Price: $28.45

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Apple iPod touch 32 GB

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Amazon Price: $447.91 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $499.99
Used Price: $399.99

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Great audio players on eBay 

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Zune - new kid on the block! 

Finally, a solid contender that can challenge the iPod domination...

Introducing Zune by the Microsoft!

Zune on Ellen

The Zune on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

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GPS (global positioning system) 

You'll go far with your GPS.

A GPS (global positioning system) receiver is an electronic instrument that pinpoints your current location on a map. There are various types of GPS products aimed at different types of user and budget levels. GPS devices for consumers are generally available as add-on accessories for Palm OS and Pocket PC PDAs; as stand-alone devices used by hikers, urban explorers, and others; and as navigational systems built into high-end automobiles. The GPS device is a great solution for someone who travels to unfamiliar areas and must find their way to several locations.

Some of the best GPS devices at great prices:

Garmin nüvi 660 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

Notifies the driver of upcoming traffic or road construction delays and the delay's severity. Has a 4.3-inch display with a touch screen interface that makes it easy to select destinations, play MP3s, and more. Comes with an FM transmitter and a suction cup mount.

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Amazon Price: $314.99 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $699.99
Used Price: $427.09

Usually ships in 24 hours

Garmin 010-00422-00 GPSMAP 60CSx 2.6-Inch Mapping Handheld GPS

Extremely accurate, highly-sensitive; a bright, sunlight-readable color TFT display, integrated barometric altimeter and electronic compass and more. My favorite, as it's great for hiking, climbing and backcountry adventures.

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Amazon Price: Too low to display (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $535.99
Used Price: $265.00

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Garmin nüvi 360 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Bluetooth and Text-to-Speech

Great pocket-sized GPS navigator, personal translator, multi-media entertainer and tour guide all wrapped into one.

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Amazon Price: $224.99 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $279.99
Used Price: $175.57

Usually ships in 24 hours

TomTom GO 300 Portable GPS Navigator with Maps of US Pre-loaded on SDd

Combines ease of use, portability, touchscreen technology and a sleek design. Comes with the regional maps of your region.

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Amazon Price: (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $599.95
Used Price: $536.49

Garmin 010-00401-10 StreetPilot c330 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Compact; touch screen; preloaded maps; rechargeable battery. Accurate and easy to use.

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Amazon Price: $149.99 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $549.99
Used Price: $93.00

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GPS receivers on eBay 

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Digital camcorders 

There are a number of important specs to look at when buying a digital camcorder.

- You should be seeing easily what you're recording in any conditions, especially in bright daylight.
- The optical zoom spec is more important than digital zoom (you need at least 10X optical zoom).
- Decide which format is best for you: MiniDV tapes, DVD discs, Digital 8 or MicroMV.
- Buy a longer-lasting battery, although it will be heavier.
- Buy a wide-angle model if you also have and HDTV.
- Front-mounted microphones are better than top-mounted ones. Buy an external microphone if you need the best sound.
- Make sure that you're able to operate all of the controls.

Canon HV10 3.1MP High-Definition MiniDV Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

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Amazon Price: $899.99 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $1,299.99
Used Price: $550.00

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Panasonic PVGS50S MiniDV Ultra Compact Digital Palmcorder (Silver)

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Amazon Price: (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $699.99
Used Price: $200.00

Canon Elura 100 MiniDV Camcorder

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Amazon Price: $919.99 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $429.99
Used Price: $168.88

Usually ships in 1-3 weeks

Canon DC22 2.2MP DVD Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

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Amazon Price: $607.76 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $799.99
Used Price: $200.12

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Sony HDR-HC3 4MP High-Definition Handycam MiniDV Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

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Amazon Price: $1,908.11 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $1,499.99
Used Price: $590.12

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Digital camcorders on eBay 

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Laptops 

They are also known as notebooks and are extremely popular, especially among the students...

Here are the most important specifications your notebook should have:
- The bigger screen, the better - go for a 14.1-inch wide-screen (at least 12.1 inches).
- 512MB of system memory minimum.
- Graphics memory - 64MB or 128MB of dedicated video RAM if you plan to use your laptop to drive external monitors for presentations.
- 1.73-GHz Pentium M processor for smooth performance and long battery life.
- 60GB hard drive.
- Multiple USB ports (two or more USB 2.0 ports).
- Touchpad pointing device (easier to use than a pointing stick).
- Rewritable DVD drive.
- Built-in ethernet.

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Great laptop deals on eBay 

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Satellite radio receivers 

Satellite radios provide crystal-clear music transmitted from thousands of miles into space, usually uninterrupted by the commercials. Car manufacturers are enticing customers by installing satellite radio receivers in some models and several models of portable satellite radio receivers are availabel from a growing number of electronics companies. In the USA, two companies were granted licenses - Sirius (formerly CD Radio) and XM (formerly American Mobile Radio). The world's biggest satellite radio provider, WorldSpace, is available in Europe and other countries but not in the United States. All of those providers deliver a radio service that uses a satellite circling Earth to broadcast its programming. WorldSpace is the first and only company with rights to the world's global coverage for digital satellite radio. Its broadcast to over 130 countries including India and China, all of Africa and the Middle East and most of Western Europe - an area that includes five billion people and more than 300 million automobiles. You can listen to the satellite radio if you have the equipment - the receiver and if you subscribe to the service.

You can start with about $13 a month for subscription, plus about $100 for the receiver and an activation fee. After you're enrolled, your receiver is activated and ready to receive signals. Both Sirius and XM subscribers can receive more than 100 channels of satellite radio, including all kinds of music, news, sports, talk and entertainment - all commercial-free (almost).

Here are some important tips on using satellite radio:
- Sirius and XM are totally independent - if you're a customer of one of them and have their receiver, you can't use the service of the other company.
- Also the equipment manufacturers also stick only with one service provider, i.e., Pioneer, Alpine, and Sony supply XM; Panasonic, Kenwood, Clarion, and Jensen supply Sirius.
- Although the sound quality of XM had a noticable edge over Sirius some time ago, the difference now between them is hard to notice.

Some of the most important specs:
- Signal-to-noise ratio - the ratio between the audio signal and noise floor. The higher the number, the less noise is apparent.
- Distortion - a measurement of the deviation from the original signal to the reproduced signal.
- Dynamic Range - the difference between the loudest peak and softest passage.

Delphi XM Roady XT Satellite Radio Receiver

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Amazon Price: $69.99 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $69.99
Used Price: $27.99

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Pioneer Inno Portable XM2go Radio with MP3 Player

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Amazon Price: (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $399.99
Used Price: $159.99

PIONEER AirWare XM2Go Portable XM Satellite Radio Receiver

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Amazon Price: (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $199.77
Used Price: $149.99

Sirius SPR1 Sportster Satellite Radio Receiver

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Amazon Price: (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $129.99
Used Price: $59.99

Tao xm2go Portable Satellite Radio Receiver with Home and Car Accessory Kits

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Amazon Price: (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $199.99
Used Price: $120.00

Satellite radio receivers on eBay 

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