Hot computer and tech gifts for the 2016 holiday season
My first recommendation for a tech Christmas gift is the new Mac Book Pro, which introduces the Touch Bar. This new tech revolution is a touch sensitive glass strip above the keyboard and is an innovative way of interacting with your laptop. It replaces the function key and places tools at your ready when you browse your content. It is the first notebook to support “wide color” making reds and greens brighter. Apple has provided a long list of upgrades including touch ID support, better display and audio, new keyboard and a more powerful processor. It is costly with a beginning price of $1799.
Even more costly is Microsoft’s Surface Studio which begins around $2999. This desktop folds down to a 20-degree angle which most people would not need. But if your gift is going to a graphic artist this might be a great gift that a professional would want.
These two gift options are exceptions because the market for desktops and laptops is getting smaller. Global shipments dropped 3.9 percent this past quarter. Computer manufacturers are focusing on making their computers more like tablets. My last computer buy was a Dell laptop that is more like a tablet. It is super thin and light and doesn’t have any CD drive, a disadvantage for installing my many CD programs.
If these two options are too expensive for you, the $99 dollar Kangaroo PC might be your choice. It is so small it can fit in your pocket. Now you can plug it into a monitor with a mouse and keyboard. It is versatile because you can attach it to your iPad or your TV’s HDMI port. It includes a dock that you can use to connect to a USB device.
Similar to the Kangaroo is Intel’s compute stick for about $150. This is a new model with two USB ports which you can put into the back of your TV and connect the power adapter. It is actually a small computer which you can connect a keyboard and mouse wirelessly. It takes about four minutes for it to set up and a reboot to your log into windows 10.
Tech gifts as stocking stuffers?
Now let’s consider some stocking stuffers: An interactive night light for your bathroom. This light will automatically turn on when you walk in since it is activated by a motion sensor. You have your choice of eight colors giving you quite a show during your nightly run for the bathroom at 20 dollars or less.
Fly your camera by means of a small drone which can fit in the palm of your hand. It can dip, dash, spin or flip according to your orders. One can fly this drone at night because it has LED lights and document where it has been. It includes a 2 GB camera memory card with clear video and photography.
Also, consider sending a gift certificate from Perry’s Computer Repair. To get one, send me an email at pmitchell1938@gmail.com or go to my website to contact me: https://www.perryscomputerrepair.com/
