ajc.com Holiday Guide

While Christmas is, as the song says, "the most wonderful time of the year" for retailers, it presents at least two problems for prospective Santas — how to pay for gifts and what to buy.

We've come up with some electronics gifts that, while they can't solve the first problem, they will bring holiday smiles, and they're practical and reasonably priced.

AP (ENLARGE)

Microsoft's new Zune music player

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Insignia mp3 player

HOLIDAY GUIDE Northside's top stories in 2007  New Year's resolutions shrinking  A how-to for the perfect thank-you  2008: Anniversaries and milestones

PORTABLE MP3 PLAYERS

Believe it or not, digital audio quality has little to do with the player. More important is a song's audio compression bit rate and headphones/speakers. Look for features such as video capabilities, radio, microphone and overall ease of use.

Suggestions

Insignia Pilot 4 gigabyte Video MP3 player — Music and video, but Best Buy's inhouse brand also throws in Bluetooth, FM radio and recording capabilities. $140

Apple 8 gigabyte iPod Nano — Good things come from this small package that delivers an audio and video punch. $200

Zune 80 gigabyte Media Player — A whopping 80 gigabytes can hold 20,000 tunes or hundreds of episodes of South Park. $250

Apple 16 gigabyte iPod Touch — It doesn't come any cooler than this MP3 and video player, which is essentially an iPhone without the phone. $400

MEMORY CARDS

The trick here is to find out what sort of memory card your brother-in-law uses. Double the capacity of his current card and he'll regret giving you that thoughtless $25 gift card. Brand names rarely matter here, so get the cheapest one possible. Also, unless he has a top-of-the-line camera, he doesn't need high-speed memory, so don't pay extra for that either.

Suggestions: Sandisk 4 gigabyte SD card, $30; 2 gigabye SD card, $15.

MEMORY CARD READERS

The truly cheap have a friend in these handy items, which make it easier to transport digital media from a computer to a camera or MP3 player (or vice versa). Once again, it helps to know what sort of card the gift recipient uses, but most readers can handle a variety of formats.

Suggestions: Mobilelite USB 9-in-1 Reader, $8; Sandisk ImageMate 12-in-1 USB Reader, $25.

HEADPHONES

Digital music players are great, but the headphones that ship with most can stand improvement. While it doesn't make sense to blow a lot of cash on something that will be used to play back compressed audio, it is wise to seek a superior alternative once the original headphones are lost.

Suggestions:

Koss "The Plug" earbuds — Tolerable sound at a good price. The cushions do a good job at blocking out ambient noise. $11

Sennheiser MX400 earbuds — You get more than you pay for with these entry-level earbuds. $12

Sennheiser CX300 earbuds — For the price, the best portable headphones you'll find. $45

Sennheiser HD-555 headphones — The record producer who mixed the tracks likely didn't have anything much better. $99

Able Planet Clear Harmony noise canceling headphones — Expensive, but those who travel for business will appreciate the artificially created silence aboard their flight. $300

PORTABLE MP3 PLAYER ACCESSORIES

The iPod is so popular that a cottage industry of accessories has erupted. Among the most useful are powered speakers that make it possible to share tunes with others.

Suggestions:

Mophie Bevy iPod Shuffle protective case and key chain bottle opener — The name says it all. $15

XtremeMac MicroMemo — The flexible microphone and miniature speakers can turn most recent iPods into a portable hi-fi digital audio recorder. $60

Kensington Liquid FM transmitter and charger — Juices up an iPod through a car's cigarette lighter and transmits tunes to FM radio. $70

Philips AJ300D iPod charger/ clock radio — An iPod will never lose its charge when it has a home right next to its owner's bed. The clock radio's sound is surprisingly rich. $80

Griffin Evolve wireless speakers — Beautifully conceived and executed, these stylish, battery-powered cube speakers can roam 150 feet from their base. The powerful remote can be used to change tracks and volume. $300

WEBCAMS

Reaching out and touching someone gets a lot more personal with video. The newest Webcams offer video quality comparable to that of camcorders from a few years ago. A Logitech product in your price range is a good bet, though Creative and Microsoft also make quality cams.

Suggestions:

Logitech QuickCam Communicate STX — Impressive VGA (640 x 480) quality at an affordable price. $50.

Logitech QuickCam Pro/QuickCam Deluxe for Notebooks — A handy clip makes it a snap to attach these portable cams to most laptop screens. $100/$60

Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision SE — A glass lens and high-resolution (960 x 720) capabilities result in astounding video. $130

VOIP PHONES

Using a traditional phone to make an international call is financial foolishness. Voice over IP phones are now as simple to use as a normal phone, don't require a computer or monthly fees, and offer unbelievably low rates — it costs less than a dollar for a 30-minute phone call to most of Europe. All that is required is a VoIP phone like the ones listed below and a broadband Internet connection.

Suggestions:

Philips VOIP841 — A cordless DECT phone that works with traditional phone service as well as over the Internet. $150

Netgear WiFi phone (model number SPH200W-100NAS) — For those who travel extensively, this phone can connect to most wireless networks and place Internet calls. $150

PRINTERS

For home use, an inkjet printer, which can handle text and color photos, is the way to go. Lesser-known name brands are problematic because of build quality and because it's often hard to find replacement ink cartridges locally. Stick to a Canon or HP.

Suggestions:

Canon Pixma MP520 — The latest in the outstanding Pixma line creates fantastic photos and can also print directly from a variety of memory cards. $150

HP Officejet Pro L7680 — Small offices can get it all — faxing, copying, scanning, document and photo printing, in one well-built package. $350

LAPTOPS

There are too many variables in play to recommend a laptop suitable for everyone. Students will desire a more elaborate rig than lovable Uncle Rupert, who's looking only to surf the Web, write e-mail and maybe fire up a word processor. Still, these geek maxims will provide some guidance: Buy a computer that has a graphic chipset capable of rendering the type of software used; max out memory and worry less about CPU speed; get the fattest hard drive you can.

Suggestions:

Dell Vostro 1500 — Designed for business, the Vostro is unspectacular but super-solid (and heavy). It's also affordable. Dual core 1.4 ghz CPU, 1 gigabyte of memory, 120 gigabyte hard drive, $650.

Acer Aspire AS7520-5311 — The extra horsepower and 17-inch screen is good for multimedia editing and light gaming. Dual core 1.9 ghz CPU, 2 gigabytes of memory, 160 gigabyte hard drive, $900.

GRAPHIC CARDS

Christmas means awesome video games, but to enjoy the visual spectacle of "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" or "Gears of War," many computers will need a graphic card upgrade. The recently released GeForce 8800GT series of cards puts a lot of graphic horsepower under the desktop's hood at a reasonable price.

Suggestions:

PNY G92 GeForce 8800GT with 512 megabytes of memory, $250

MSI GeForce 8600GT with 256 megabytes of memory, $110

COMPUTER MONITORS

A new LCD monitor is the best computer upgrade for the money, and prices have plummeted. There are dozens of brand names, but spend a few dollars more and know you've gotten quality. Gamers will be interested in a monitor's refresh rate, as quicker speeds help prevent ghosting. In general, Samsung models receive praise in gaming circles, while View-Sonic models are good bets for mainstream users.

Suggestions:

Samsung 226BW — A whopping 22-inch widescreen with a blazing 2 millisecond refresh rate. $310.

ViewSonic Optiquest Q20WB — A 20-inch widescreen suitable for movies and non-gaming uses. $200.

ViewSonic Optiquest Q9B-2 — A traditional 4:3 aspect ratio screen with built in stereo speakers. $210.

HDTV MONITORS

Prices are dropping just in time for Christmas, and there are lots of options between plasma and LCD screens. Which is best? That's debatable, but LCDs are cheaper and have comparable image quality to the best plasmas. Sets are available in two main resolutions, those that are capable of 1080 progressive scans and everything else (720 progressive, 1080 interlaced). The numbers represent how many pixels (dots of light) comprise the height of the picture. If shopping for a screen less than 40 or so inches, 720p is OK because the size of the individual pixels remains small.

Suggestions:

Westinghouse 32-inch SK-32H240S (LCD, 720p) — $600

Sharp Aquos 37-inch LC-37D43U (LCD, 720p) — $1,000

Sharp Aquos 42-inch LC-42D62U (LCD, 1080p) — $1,400

Sharp Aquos 52-inch LC-52D62U (LCD, 1080p) — $2,300

OPTICAL MOUSE

Few things are as frustrating as a ball mouse. If you know anyone that still uses one, please help them.

Suggestions:

Microsoft N71 wired optical mouse — $10

Microsoft BX4 wireless optical mouse — $15

WIRELESS ROUTER

The modern home is not modern unless it features a wireless network. All that's needed is a broadband Internet service (cable or DSL) and a wireless router.

Suggestions:

Linksys WRT54GL — The standard "wireless g" router that others are measured by. $65

Netgear WPN824 "RangeMax" — Easy to set up, and the powerful 802.11g signal may be needed for those with large homes. $75

D-Link DIR-655 — One of the few new routers using the latest draft 802.11n specification, which is several times faster than 802.11g. $120

DVD burner

Many laptops and desktop PCs don't have a DVD writer. An external drive makes it possible to play and burn movies or backup massive amounts of data.

Suggestions:

Lite-On DX-20A3H-05 — Creates DVDs 20 times faster than it takes to play them. Lightscribe support makes it possible to burn text and graphics directly to suitable media. $70

Lite-On DX-8A1H-01 — Slower, but a lot more stylish, this 8x DVD burner also has Lightscribe support. $80

GAME CONSOLES

Few fans are as rabid as those of the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or Nintendo Wii, so any recommendations are sure to be met with abuse. For older, traditional gamers, the Xbox 360 has the best game selection, though the PlayStation 3 is catching up and has free online play and built-in wireless. For younger gamers, or nontraditional gamers, the Nintendo Wii, which also features free online play and built-in wireless, is sure to please. Among portables, the Nintendo DS features plenty of offbeat games popular with children and women, but the Sony PSP has better shooting games and can be used to play music and video and even surf the Web.

Suggestions:

Nintendo DS Lite, $130

Sony PSP, $170

Nintendo Wii, $250

Xbox 360 Pro with 20 gigabyte hard drive, $350

PlayStation 3 with 40 gigabyte hard drive, $400

GAMES

It's been a great year for games. Find out what system your loved one owns and select something they don't already have from the following list of sure-fire winners. Online play is free for the PS3 and Nintendo Wii, but an Xbox Live game subscription ($49.99 for a year) makes a good gift for 360 owners. Games typically cost $40 to $60.

Suggestions:

"Bioshock" (PC, Xbox 360) — A good bet to win Game of the Year honors from most publications.

"Viva Pinata" (PC, Xbox 360) — A charming gardening game that will enthrall and educate children and gentler gamers. Released on PC this fall.

"Gears of War" (PC, Xbox 360) — The best game of 2006 was released for the PC recently.

"World in Conflict" (PC) — The best real-time strategy game for PC this year.

"Halo 3" (Xbox 360) — Master Chief goes out with a bang in Microsoft's seminal first-person-shooter.

"The Orange Box" (Xbox 360) — The incredible saga of Half Life 2 and its two expansions is packed onto one disc, along with an excellent online multiplayer game and an interesting puzzler.

"Warhawk" (PS3) — A great online multiplayer game pits teams of soldiers against one another in tanks, jeeps and jets.

"Heavenly Sword" (PS3) — A "God of War" clone, but tells a good tale in visually impressive style.

"Uncharted: Drake's Fortune" (PS3) — If Indiana Jones created a game, it would be a lot like this action-adventure.

"Oblivion" (PS3) — Released last year on other systems, Oblivion is a mind-blowing 100-plus hour long fantasy epic. The Game of the Year edition on the PS3 includes the "Knights of the Nine" and "Shivering Isles" expansions.

"Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" (PC, Xbox 360, PS3) — The grim brutality of war is fully realized in this instant classic.

"Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction" (PS3) — The wiley mechanic and his robot pal are back in action in perhaps the best-looking title available for the PS3.

"Super Mario Galaxy" (Wii) – The Italian plumber's latest adventure is in space, and it's as brilliant a Mario game as ever produced.

"Metroid Prime: Corruption"" (Wii) – The bounty hunter Samus bows out in style in the Wii's best first-person-shooter.

"Resident Evil 4" (Wii) – A fantastically creepy escapade perfectly melded to the Wii's motion-sensitive controllers.

"Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock" (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii) – For those about to rock, the third installment of the popular music-based game salutes you.

"Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure" (Wii) – A classic adventure game chock full of devious puzzles. A perfect quest for children.

"LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga" (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii) – Snaps together the adventures of all six films into one lovable package.

CAMCORDERS

The cost of admittance into the film director's club keeps getting cheaper. And on the Web, there's a market for almost anything. As with digital cameras, most any model will be sufficient to capture memories or create amateur films. HDTV owners should consider a high-definition camera.

Suggestions:

Flip Video Ultra Series (below) — Simple-to-use pocket camcorder records up to 60 minutes of video to 2 gigabytes of internal flash memory. Perfect for Web video. $150

Canon ZR850 — This budget MiniDV camcorder features digital image stabilization, 35x zoom and a 1 megapixel sensor. $250

Canon HV20 — High-definition MiniDV video camera with optical image stabilization, 10x zoom and a 3 megapixel sensor. $900

DIGITAL CAMERAS

Digital photography has made it easier to take and share photos. Nowadays, almost any camera is more than powerful enough to take fantastic still images, so worry less about megapixels and focus on features, such as video, LCD screen size and image stabilization. Canon and Nikon continue to be good names.

Suggestions:

Canon PowerShot SD1000 — This tiny 7.1 megapixel point-and-shoot fits perfectly in purses and has a 3x optical zoom. $175

Nikon Coolpix P5100 — Point-and-shoot ease of use with powerful SLR features. 12.1 megapixel images can be as large as 20 by 30 inches. $340

PC SPEAKERS

A thumping sound system can revolutionize the entertainment experience, especially with laptops, which generally have toy speakers. Brand name is important, as many companies attempt to foist garbage upon an apparently tone-deaf public. It's worth it to spend a few dollars more and get something made by Logitech, Creative or Klipsch.

Suggestions:

Logitech R-20 speakers — Just the basics, but the subwoofer provides solid bass for music, $30.

Logitech X-530 5.1 speakers — 6-speaker, 70-watt set at an entry-level price for gamers, $60.

Logitech AudioHub Notebook speakers (above) — Impressive sound in a portable package, features handy additional USB ports and a built-in Webcam stand, $90.

Logitech G51 5.1 speakers — PC games explode with this powerful, 155-watt, 6-speaker set, $130.