Everyone’s on a budget this year, but you can get a lot of great tech gifts for less than 100 dollars! Even an MP3 player, like the SanDisk Sansa Clip. It’s slightly bigger than your thumb, gets FM radio and clips on to your clothing- thus the name. CNET editors give it 3 and half stars calling it an incredible value for its $40 price tag.
Also for $40 dollars CNET editors recommend the Radius Atomic Bass earphones… a comfortable and stylish choice for the budget minded and bass lover in all of us.
If there’s a jet-setter in your life, the new Zip-Thru laptop bag from Targus is a great gift. From the outside it looks like any other black nylon laptop bag but inside it’s designed to get you through airport security lines WITHOUT having to take your computer out of the bag! Genius! And it comes in just under 100 dollars. Anyone who travels for business will love this.
And speaking of laptops- how about a pair of double A batteries that recharge via your computer’s USB port? The Moxia Energy USB cell batteries are available online for $20. I’m Molly Wood for CNET.com.
Gifts from $100 to $500
Our CNET Holiday Gift Guide has TONS of ideas in the $100 to $500 price range including the Nintendo Wii gaming console and Apple’s iPod touch video and music player. A few of our editors’ other favorites include…
A Sony Portable DVD player—it’s great for travelling with kids! The Sony DVP-FX-820 is about 160 dollars online, it’s got a nice big 8-inch screen, long battery life, AND it comes in white, red, blue, even pink. Love it.
GPS devices are going to be HUGE gifts this year! And CNET editors recommend the TomTom Go 930, which you can find online for about 400 dollars. It’s got ALL the top of the line features, like voice entry for addresses and even Bluetooth, so you can use it as a hands-free speakerphone.
Also if you’re looking for a compact digital camera in this price range, check out the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5. It is nine megapixels and has a megazoom lens. Plus, it’s a nice, small, sleek camera that’s easy to use, and only around $250.
I’m Molly Wood from cnet.com.
Gifts Under $1000
Now, I know tech gifts aren’t the cheapest things on the list. But there are some tech deals out there, and you can find great gifts for well under a thousand dollars.
Here’s a shopping tip – consider slightly older gadgets! CNET Editors recommend the Nikon D80 digital SLR camera. There are newer versions out there, but that means this one is on sale! You can get it with a lens for about 800 dollars, and that is a LOT of camera for the money. In fact, this is a CNET Editors’ Choice – great images, fast shooting, and tons of features.
If someone in your life wants a laptop, you can find one with plenty of power for under a thousand – in fact, we like the HP Pavilion dv4-1125nr, which is more like 800 bucks. And you will NOT find more features and power in an 800 dollar laptop.
And everyone’s going high-def this year, we’ve got a great choice for an HD camcorder. The Canon Vixia HF10 takes great video, it’s really nice and small, and it’s just about 700 dollars if you shop around online. PLUS, it records to flash memory, so no need to spend extra money on tapes!
See, there are still some tech bargains out there. For CNET.com, I’m Molly Wood.
Premium Gifts
HDTV Picks
A new HDTV is top of the wish list this year, and they come in all sizes and prices. And now is a GREAT time to be shopping, because these TVs are all on sale and you can get a lot for your money. And you know, these days, you don’t need to worry that much about deciding between an LCD or a plasma – the differences have gotten SO small that it’s really all about finding the best price and picture.
Now, for a small space and a budget, look for a good, cheap, 32-inch LCD. CNET editors like the Vizio brand, they’ve got one for about 600 dollars.
Our CNET editors also really like the Panasonic Viera line of HDTVs. You can get a 1080i plasma for less than 800 dollars. Now, that’s not the top of the line resolution, which is 1080p, but it’s MORE than enough HDTV for most people. Of course, if you have to have the best resolution you can get because you have a Blu-Ray DVD player or a PlayStation 3, check out the 50-inch plasma in that Panasonic Viera line. That is selling online for about 2000 dollars.
For CNET.com, I’m Molly Wood.
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