Swords & Wizardry Light - Forum

Monday, November 22, 2010

Gifts For Gamers & Geeks

The holidays are sneaking up on us, and now is the time to find the deals to get your gift purchases for less (read cheaply).  I spent 8 1/2 years working in a retail environment before becoming a public servant and I refuse to stand on those Black Friday lines - maybe if a game store was having a sale of that type, but even then probably not.

Still, gamers and geeks need gifts.  As I posted on Saturday, I'm open to any and all suggestions.  This is my chance to throw a few out there for others in no particular order:

Sodastream - make your own soda.  It's about as geeky as you can get, and I am enjoying the crap out of it for the last month or so.  I got mine at Bed, Bath & Beyond with one of their 15% off coupons.  About $100 before coupons.

Roku - stream Netflix, Hulu, Pandora and other services to you TV.  The device starts at @ $59

Tablet Devices - the low end iPad will apparently be available for $399 at Marshalls and TJ-Max for Black Friday in very limited quantities.  The iPad is no longer the only game in town, however.  If your main desire is a mobile PDF reader, you can get Android Based 7" Resistive Touch Screen (means using pressure as opposed to the multi-touch iTouch/iPhone/iPad) for about $150 as a starting price.

Ebook Readers - there's a whole bunch of them out now, with the Kindle starting at $139.  Kindle has the advantage of the Amazon Kindle store, but adding books from outside the store can be a pain.  Still, lots of choices out there and it's hard to go wrong.

Amazon - yes, many folks consider it evil, but when I want my RPGs on the cheap its the place I hit.  Less expensive and free shipping.

RPGs - I'm a gamer, so I'll be happy to get a copy of a game I don't own, or even one I do.  Still, as its a gift purchase. I recommend something that comes in a box.  It's just more exciting when you unwrap and get a box then a book, probably because you know its a book the moment you feel it through the wrapping paper.

Mr Beer - Brew your own beer around the holidays.  21+ please ;)  - Damn, I really need to spend time on my brewing blog again

Amazon, Tiger Direct, Best Buy, Geeks and other sites will be running online sales starting Thanksgiving Day.  This is how I do 90% of my Christmas shopping these days.  Less time on line means more time for other stuff, like gaming ;)

More stuff as I think of it :)

2 comments:

  1. Going to have to go against the tablet flow here and suggest netbooks. Very good if you want something of a proper keyboard and battery life is outstanding.

    On the more hands on side, kit knives and the like work out quite well.. as does the gift of food. Windowfarms has a pretty nifty self scrounged & assembled hydroponic system that'll do just that without too much work.

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  2. Choice between my net book an my iPad (with external apple keyboard), I'll take my iPad. Prob even w/o the keyboard. My net book gets 3 1/2 hrs battery life, my iPad 8 plus.

    Well, that and my iPad has 3G, my net book doesn't ;)

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