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Plenty of gift options available for area’s gadget-hungry horde

By Riley Gay

It’s that time of year once again. Time to start wracking your brain to come up with presents that will please everyone on your holiday giving list.

If your family’s like most families, they’re into high-tech gadgets. Fortunately, along with a few hot, new items, there are some great deals out there that should satisfy your gadget-hungry horde without sending you to the poor house.

Everybody loves games, and the hottest news in gaming circles centers on Microsoft’s X-Box ($299) and Nintendo’s Game Cube ($199) platforms.

Both feature stunning graphics and super-fast game play along with a bevy of new games.

For the little gamers in the family, check out Sony’s PlayStation 2 ($299), offering games that may be more appropriate for the younger set.

Portable music players are high on just about everyone’s wish list, with MP3 players leading the pack.

Right now you’ll find a variety of prices and sizes from which to choose, from small and lightweight models such as the Sonicblue Rio One ($80), to the high-capacity Archos Jukebox 6GB player ($170), to the versatile Rio Volt ($130) that plays both MP3 and prerecorded compact discs.

Prices on digital cameras have plummeted over the past year, with good quality consumer models, such as the 2.3 mega pixel Hewlett Packard 612, selling for under $300.

Nearly all of the 2 mega-pixel models offer enough resolution to produce crystal-clear 5x7 prints, and even 8x10 prints look sufficiently sharp for most uses.

Look for one with at least a 2x or 3x “optical” (as opposed to “digital”) zoom lens for best results and more versatility.

For about $100 more, you can move up to a 3 mega-pixel model, such as the Canon PowerShot A20, that will give you better quality 8x10 prints, along with slightly better optics and other features.

For snapshot-sized prints, or to add photos to a website, a 1 mega-pixel camera, such as the Kodak DX 3215 ($199) should be more than capable to handle those tasks.

Looking for a gift that will help your absent-minded Uncle Oscar get organized? A Palm m100 PDA, for under $100, might be just the thing.

Prices on many handheld computers, even color models, have dropped recently. If you know someone who’s been waiting to get one, now may be the time to surprise him or her with the perfect gift.

Your loved ones can enjoy the great outdoors without ever having to worry about getting lost if you get them a GPS receiver to help them find their way. Garmin eTrex and Magellan GPS systems have models that start at around $125.

Is there a budding young musician in your house? How about a gift that will help your promising little Prokofiev to learn the piano, without your having to dish out a grand or two for a baby grand?

The Yamaha PSR170 electronic keyboard ($90) is a full-size 61-key model that even comes with connections to let you hook it up to your computer.

And speaking of computers, prices on most peripherals, such as a wireless keyboard and mouse, speaker systems, large-size monitors, printers, and scanners, are lower than they’ve ever been.

Even flat-panel monitors, once considered a bit too high end for home use, have dropped well below the $400 mark. If Santa’s feeling particularly generous this year, there are some great deals to be had on computer products.

And, for Kyrene Corridor residents, holiday shopping couldn’t be easier. Best Buy, Circuit City, Fry’s Electronics and Ultimate Electronics have all the high tech items you’re looking for to go under the tree this Christmas.

Deciding what to get for everybody on your list is still the hard part, but at least this year there are plenty of choices when it comes to electronic gadgets and gizmos.

Riley Gay is Wrangler News’ director of technical services.

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