So there you are, working 70 hours a week at that Internet startup, making more money than you really need and just waiting for your dot-com to go IPO so you can watch your stock options skyrocket.
Oh, wait. That was 1999.
Well, the economy may have changed and pursestrings have tightened, but let’s assume for a moment that you haven’t been downsized out of a job and price still is no object this holiday season. What do you buy for that technophile on your list?
A quick visit to the popular technology Web site cnet.com gave me a frightening wakeup call. I haven’t made any cutting-edge electronic gadget purchases lately, and I am starting to fall way behind the times. VCRs? Out. It’s all about the DVD now. A CD Walkman? Sure, you can find one if you want to keep living in the 1980s, but portable MP3 players are in fashion now.
I probably could get by just fine without any of this stuff, but as a red-blooded American male I can’t help but salivate at the possibilities. I can picture myself, Sony PlayStation controller in one hand and Palm PC in the other, listening to MP3s I’ve downloaded from the Internet and watching DVD movies on my high-definition flat TV. Heck, as long as I’m picturing myself, I should use a brand-new digital camcorder.
Here, then, are the top five gizmos on my list this year:
At Amazon.com, you can get a bargain-basement Daewoo DVD player for about $100, but if you’re willing to spend $200 or so, you can get disc-changers and features like “Super ColorStream Pro progressive scan.” Remember, the longer the name, the more it will impress your friends.
X-Box and PlayStation 2 are the hot game consoles this year, and from what I’ve heard it’s worth the extra $100 to go with Sony over Microsoft. GameCube is the bargain end of the spectrum and has fewer cool features than X-Box or PlayStation 2.
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