TidBITS is known for its insightful articles, timely news, and in-depth analysis of issues and events in the Macintosh and Internet worlds… but for this special issue, we throw all that out the window to bring you holiday gift suggestions from TidBITS readers! Whether you’re shopping for yourself or someone else, there’s sure to be something here to tickle the fancy or change the world of your favorite Macintosh enthusiasts. Enjoy!
Welcome to our 1996 gift issue! This is a special issue of TidBITS, so it falls outside of our normal distribution schedule and has no sponsors. We've long made a habit of publishing an article in mid-December with holiday gift suggestions from TidBITS readers
RAM, Wonderful RAM -- Perhaps the most commonly suggested item this year was more RAM, which is still quite affordable. Kate Norem said it best when she wrote, "You know, one can never have too much RAM."
Scott agrees, or at least he thinks he does:
As I get older I find that my memory isn't what it used to be
3M Precision Mousing Surface
I helped a neighbor with his Mac a couple of weeks ago and in an effort to thank me he gave me a "3M Precise Mousing Surface" (that's really what they call it)
Sundial
Sundial looks like a perfect gift for one Mac friend I know. It replaces the desktop pattern with a scenic picture. So? That picture changes with the time of day! Their Web site has small QuickTime movies to show the effect
TelePort Speakerphone Edition
My suggestion is the new Global Village TelePort Speakerphone Edition modem. Along with all the standard modem features (and an upgrade path to 56 Kbps speeds some time in 1997), the device acts as a speakerphone even when your computer is turned off and enables full-duplex conversation and simultaneous voice and data transmissions
Sinkha
Sinkha is a multimedia graphic novel along the lines of Heavy Metal, an adult comic book, wherein a young girl is presented with the opportunity to escape the hellhole of a planet she was born on by joining some aliens, the Sinkha, who are intent on uncovering her planet's secrets.
Marco Patrito, Sinkha's author, has done a great deal of impressive work for this CD
SpeechPrompter
As a gift for the public speaker or lecturer - including any businessman, academic, or scientist who goes to meetings - think of SpeechPrompter
PowerPC Screwdriver?
OK, so it's not the first thing that comes to mind when you think "computer," but last year I gave Black & Decker cordless PowerDrivers to my friends who work on computers and to those who don't
We hope you've found this special issue of TidBITS useful in compiling a shopping list for your favorite Mac enthusiast (whether that be yourself or someone else!) and that, no matter what you may give or receive, these last weeks of 1996 are happy ones