Hardware gift suggestions from TidBITS readers
A Bunch of Yo-Yos -- Gordon Meyer suggests the Yo-Yo call manager device from Big Island Communications. "The stylish device hooks to your telephone line and Macintosh to provide caller ID, speed dialing, contact management, and other phone-related features
Speed Up Your Internet Access -- Frederic Brehm suggests something we could all use: faster Internet access. His solution was to install a cable modem
A Stylus Gift -- Robin recommends Wacom input tablets not only for artists but also for people with repetitive strain injuries. "Although it is a great tool for graphics, it's also a great alternative for a mouse
Perhaps it's indicative of the state of the software industry, where less and less software is available as a discrete boxed product, but hardware and accessories garnered far more recommendations this year than software of any sort
We doubt anyone would object to receiving a snazzy new iMac, PowerBook, iBook, or Power Mac as a gift this season (certainly not your humble editors). But this year's hardware gift suggestions focused on peripherals ranging from essential additions (better mice, more storage) to clever spins on mundane devices (a FireWire-breathing thunder lizard).
For a few more ideas, be sure to check out past hardware gift suggestions; everything on last year's list would still be welcome to most Mac users
Would anyone take exception to receiving a sleek new PowerBook, iBook, iMac, or Power Mac G5 this holiday season? Certainly not us, but our readers aimed for more humble and affordable ideas this year, focusing on hard drives, mice, and, the breakaway suggestion this year, laser printers
Apple has outfitted all Apple Store employees in red t-shirts with the single word "give" emblazoned on the front, next to an Apple logo. Subtle, but we're sure many people would love to be on the receiving end of a piece of Apple gear
Hardware just isn't the thing this year, it seems, with relatively few suggestions other than Derek Miller's extensive collection of ideas for anyone interested in podcasting
Hardware would seem to be a pretty easy category: go to Apple's online store and say, "I'll take one of everything, please!" What's more tricky is finding good hardware that adds to the Mac experience