Technology Related Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids
By: Ryan Thomas

Some kids can be easy to shop for, while others have no idea what they want, and the rest want EVERYTHING! Going over a child's wish list can make a parent's hair turn grey right before their eyes (assuming they're looking in a mirror, I guess). I bet if you add up all the gifts on the list they would cost more than actually buying the retail store you're thinking of going to in order to buy them.

I will attempt to break down some of the hottest holiday gifts for this Christmas season and give you an idea of what they are and which one to buy. Confused already? That's OK just read on.

Xbox 360: Microsoft's Xbox 360 is still a very popular Christmas gift. The price come down quite a bit in the last 3 years, but it's still expensive especially if you're on a budget. There is so much about it that I could spend an entire article writing about the Xbox 360, and I did. My article on an Xbox 360 Christmas.

Playstation 3: If your kid wants a Playstation 3 for Christmas then expect to pay over $400. This game console is nice, but if your kid gives you the option between this and the Xbox 360, get the Xbox 360! The Xbox 360 is cheaper and cooler, in my opinion. If you must buy the Playstation 3 try to get it bundled with extra games or other peripherals such as a headset or extra controller.

Nintendo Wii: The new Nintendo Wii has a lot of cool features that your kids will love including motion sensing control, a virtual console (play original Nintendo games!) and create yourself then play yourself in a game. Expect to pay through the nose if you can even find one to buy as supply is very limited. If you are on a holiday budget the I would look elsewhere to a Christmas gift as you can easily spend $650 - $800 on it, not including the additional add-ons. Yikes!

Laptop: Giving a laptop as a Christmas gift is a great idea, especially over the school's Christmas break. They are quiet and portable, which frees up the TV for you. My favorite brands of laptop are Toshiba, Sony and Acer. You probably never heard of Acer, but they make quality laptops and are very inexpensive compared to other major brands. If your kid wants the laptop to play games on (real games, not solitaire) then you must find one with enough video memory to handle it. Most games require 128MB so I usually recommend 256MB or more, just to on the safe side. Please note, you cannot increase the laptop's video memory using aftermarket products, what you buy is what you have to live with so please make sure you know what you are buying before you buy it.

Cell phone: Kids love cell phones these days with all the text messaging, music playing and custom ring tones. Getting a new cell phone can either be very easy or very difficult depending on which provider you currently have. Unfortunately I have heard both bad and good things about ALL major providers, so I cannot begin to recommend any one of them. Most service providers offer discounts on upgrading your old phones in your plan. Check with them to see if you qualify for a discount before spending hundreds of dollars on a brand new one. If you do plan to buy a phone from somewhere other than your provider's own store please be sure the phone is going to be compatible with your network. Most phones are not universal which means you have to buy a certain phone to use on a certain network. Got it? I told you it could be difficult. when in doubt just buy one from your provider's store.

Website: If you're looking for something unique you might try getting them their own website. You can even set up a blog just for them. It's much safer than MySpace and they can control every aspect of the design. The best hosting company out there for making your website is 1 and 1. They've been around for years and can handle everything from domain registration to easy to use website templates that will help you get the site up and running in minutes! Be forewarned that a lot of good domain names are gone by this point, so you'll have be creative in coming up with a good name, or just buy the hosting package and let them choose on Christmas day.

This is just a short list of products that are out for holiday gift ideas. Hopefully it got you thinking about the different aspects of buying a gift for a kid. Hope you have a very Merry Christmas and good luck!

More computer tips: EZ Computer Tips