In lieu of a holiday gift list, a techno-gadget overview

It's the time of year when technology columnists usually present a roundup of the best gizmos and gadgets for the holiday season. While I'm not going to offer a detailed shopping list, it's a good time to look at the personal technology that's out there and how it has impacted our lives.

Advertisement

Since laptop (notebook) computers now make up almost 60 percent of the total retail PC market, it's not surprising that the mobile computing market is driving innovation. After declaring 2003 to be "the year of the laptop," Apple's portable lineup has stagnated. The difficulty in obtaining suitable PowerPC chips led to the company's decision to switch to Intel chips in 2006. Still, Apple's iBook line (www.apple.com/ibook) remains an economical, lightweight and rugged solution for business travelers. In the Windows world, Sony's TX series combines decent processing power with an ultra-portable frame that weighs less than 3 pounds (www.sonystyle.com).

Meanwhile, it's encouraging to see that the tablet PC is finally gaining acceptance, particularly in the education and health-care markets. There are now several models from HP, Fujitsu and Averatec (all less than $800) that are ideal for business users who are continually on the road.

Personal digital assistants (PDAs) and cell phones have become indispensable gadgets for most professionals. The phenomenon of "digital convergence" has resulted in hugely popular hybrid devices, such as the Treo 650 from Palm (www.palm.com/us/products/smartphones/treo650). Although Palm's next generation of smartphones and PDAs will abandon the Palm operating system (OS) in favor of Windows Mobile, they should still remain a solid choice in this market space.

There are those of us who still prefer the small size of a dedicated cell phone but don't want to give up the screen space of a dedicated PDA. Keeping two separate devices in sync has become much easier, thanks to Bluetooth -short-range wireless technology that's found on most PDAs and higher-end cell phones today.

The Tungsten T5 (www.palm.com/us/products/tungsten) is still the leader of the Palm OS pack. However, HP's iPaq hx series, running Windows Mobile, offers better performance (www.shopping.hp.com).

When it comes to cell phones, you can't beat the feature-packed yet sleek Motorola Razr v3 (offered by Cingular and Verizon) - at least, until the next Razr model is released.

The digital lifestyle space - photography, music and video - has seen the most activity when it comes to gadget development; after all, it's well-known that recreation enhances productivity.

The hottest gift this season will continue to be Apple's iPod nano (www.apple.com/ipod) - the latest addition to its successful digital music player lineup. Apple recently announced the addition of video iPods. These devices work with its revamped iTunes software to allow users to buy and download music videos, movies and television shows from ABC/Disney. The videos can be played back on the diminutive LCD screen (not the most exciting option) or on most TV sets and computers.

With digital photography and video revenues now well ahead of traditional cameras, it's not surprising that the average consumer faces a bewildering array of choices. A great place to make sense of it all and find the best camera based on your needs is Digital Photography Review (www.dpreview.com). Camcorder Info (www.camcorderinfo.com) provides similar features for digital videographers.

Although there are now more "must-have" gadgets than ever, some careful planning can help you find great gifts at bargain prices. And, of course, don't forget to put yourself on the list.