Jan Paschal
NEW YORK: Santa never lets on whether the letters from gadget lovers induce
headaches or heartburn. For his human counterparts, though, the best way to
goof-proof a gadget purchase -- whether it's a DVD or an MP3 player, a digital
camera or some other "must have" item -- is to do a little homework
before you shop.
That goof-proof approach also applies when you're gadget shopping for
yourself.
This holiday season, with retailers slashing prices to lure recession-wary
consumers, bargains abound. For instance, Digital Video Disc (DVD) players for
$79.99 to $89.99, caught my eye in Thanksgiving weekend newspaper advertising
inserts from Circuit City, Kmart and other stores.
A caveat: A good deal is not defined by price alone.
"If it's a brand you've never heard of, be careful -- especially if the
price seems too good to be true," said David Heim, managing editor of
Consumer Reports magazine, which includes reviews of DVD players and televisions
(27- to 36-inch screens) in its December issue.
Sherri and Larry Athay, a husband-and-wife team of gift etiquette consultants
and writers, recalled their experiences shopping for a boom-box CD player for
their son's 16th birthday last year.
"We are very price-sensitive," Sherri Athay told Reuters. "But
we ended up spending $100 more than we anticipated. We felt it was justified
because of the extra features and the quality. That's something people need to
be aware of when they shop for gadgets."
To get the best price on your selection, it's hard to beat online comparison
shopping sites, the Athays said. They like mysimon.com (http://www.mysimon.com).
BizRate.com (http://www.bizrate.com) shows consumers' ratings of online
merchants for merchandise quality and service. DealTime.com
(http://www.dealtime.com) is quick and easy to use.
Worth checking: Overstock.com (http://www.overstock.com), a liquidation and
excess inventory specialty store that sells electronics items for about 60 per
cent off retail prices.
How to speak DVD
When shopping for a DVD player, keep in mind picture quality and ease of use.
Most have picture and audio quality that runs from good to excellent, Heim said.
The lowest-priced DVD player "may be fine for that new copy of
'Shrek,'" the animated hit movie about a gentle green ogre, "right out
of the package," Heim said. "But if you rent a DVD that's scratched,
it might not maximize the picture."
Single-disc DVD players offer some of the best values.
"What we've found in testing is you don't have to spend a lot,"
said Heim, referring to the independent product tests conducted by Consumer
Reports engineers. "We've got two 'Best Buys' -- one from Toshiba and one
from Samsung. They're $160 (each) and all you would want from a single-disc
player."
Blockbuster, one of the biggest names in the business of renting videos, DVDs
and video games, is offering a Philips DVD player for $149.99 plus tax with a
free 10-week DVD rental card. Among multi-disc DVD players, two Toshiba models
are rated "Best Buys" in the Consumer Reports book "Best Buys for
Your Home 2001," available for $199.99 from the magazine's Web site
(http://www.consumerreports.org) and Amazon.com.
To assess ease of use, look at the design of the remote control unit and the
plug connection. A component video connection splits the color signal and gives
the widest color range, while an S-video connection is the next best, according
to "Best Buys for Your Home 2001."
For the tech-savvy person who wants to make personalized DVDs, this fall
Philips brought out two models of DVD recorders -- the DVDR1000 for about $2,300
and the DVDR1500 for $2,999.99 -- that use DVD+RW (DVD plus ReWritable format)
technology. With either machine, it's possible to record up to two hours of DVD
viewing. Both models were shown at the "Holidays in June" preview in
New York City by Philips Electronics NV Where to buy: PC Richards & Son,
J&R Music, Good Guys and small custom electronics retailers nationwide.
If this price is too steep for your budget, even for someone at the top of
your list, Sherri Athay suggested a graceful way out: A gift certificate with a
note saying, "This is meant to help you get what you really want."
The Athays' book, "Present Perfect: Unforgettable Gifts for Every
Occasion" ($15, Mobius Press) and their Web site GiftElan.com
(http://www.giftelan.com) are packed with ideas on how to find a gift for anyone
and present it in a clever way.
Through the MP3 maze
If you don't have a teenager or college student to brief you the finer points of
MP3 players, a good place to start is this Web site with the memorable name:
MP3.com (http://www.MP3.com). The site reviews MP3 players, including the hot
new iPod for $399 from Apple, as well as accessories and software.
"I'd suggest getting an MP3 player with at least 75 minutes of playing
time, and be sure to get one that plays the format you want," he said,
referring to competing formats for digitizing music downloaded from CDs or the
Internet.
Consumer Reports magazine reviewed more than a dozen MP3 players in its July
issue, Heim said, noting "the ones I've seen range from around $150 up to
about $250."
A Digital Camera Decoder
The rule here is simple: More pixels mean a better picture and a higher price.
"The sweet spot, or the best value, we found is the 2.0-megapixel
range," Heim said.
Megapixel, by definition, is "a million pixels, or a million little
points of light," he explained. "The more pixels you have, the better
print you can make and have it come out crisp and sharp, and the more you can
crop" the image.
Competition for the digital camera dollar is so fierce this holiday season
that it's possible to find a camera with resolution in the 2.0-megapixel range
for $200 to $300. For digital camera terminology, reviews and selection, check
online: About.com, MegaPixels.com and epinions.com.
Someone who's interested in creating images to email to grandma or friends
won't need as many pixels as a professional photographer or a serious amateur,
Sherri Athay explained.
If you're shopping for a digital camera for a child aged 6 to 10, consider
doing what I did: Buy a kid's camera on clearance ($39.99) at a RadioShack
store. The one I bought (Model 60-1207) is easy to use and although the prints
are a little blurry, it's a good way to get an inexpensive introduction to
digital photography.
The PDA price war is on
There's never been a better time to buy a PDA, or personal digital assistant,
especially if you're looking for a Palm or a Handspring, in Heim's opinion.
"What was $200 a year ago is now $100," Heim said.
To educate yourself before you shop, browse a bit on these Web sites:
PDAGeek, part of the Geek.com
Web site and PDABuyersGuide, to
compare features of these handheld computers and personal organizers.
(C) Reuters Limited.