Digital Photography & Printing

You may wonder why I am bundling printing in with digital photography, but if you think about it, it really makes sense. With the highly functional and affordable color printers available to us at consumer-level pricing, the B&W print speed isn’t really what attracts us. And besides, if you are into digital photography, you will need a good printer. Anyways, lets hit the cameras first.

Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Black) - Okay, I’m sure you are looking at the $600 price tag on this one and wondering what we’re thinking. However, if you are serious about photographer, you need a camera that is just as serious. That means dropping some serious cash. Another part of that is buying a decent lens. More than one lens to be exact because there is no miracle lens that lets you get perfect pictures of everything. Just try to take a detailed picture of the moon with a 35mm lens or take a macro picture and you will know what I am talking about.

Epson Stylus Photo R1800 Inkjet Printer - The printer is another place where you will need to lay down some green. Just remember, it is an investment. There are quite a few reasons I picked this printer. First off, Epson is the de facto brand in professional photo printing. The R1800 is a large format printer, which means it can print on paper larger than the regular 8.5 x 11 most printers are designed for. Eventually, you will want to have prints be larger than 8 x 10.

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Music/MP3 Players/Stereos

Ok, ok, sure I could have let the stereo alone and just plan on using the surround sound system. However, not everyone is interested in having a home theater system including 5.1 surround sound. That is where the standalone stereo comes in.

Philips FWM575 360 Watts MP3/WMA Mini Shelf System - Phillips is one of the best names in home audio and you can’t go wrong with this setup. With 360 Watts of power, you are ready to rock it out without having the neighbors calling to complain. Sure, the $170 price tag might be a shocker, but it is a great sounding system with MP3/WMA playback. That means you can fit almost 200 songs in a single disc for hours and hours of continual playback. And if you really need to, you can use the system for your home theater audio.

Apple 160 GB iPod classic (Black) - The 160 GB iPod Classic is definitely the way to go for the audiophile. The fact that you have a HUGE amount of space with all the sleekness of the iPod is definitely the biggest selling point. There may be some out there saying I should have chosen the iPod Touch, but I just want to remind them that the interface (no matter how awesome it is) is not worth getting stuck with a max of 16 GB of storage. Others may want to mention the Zune, but I’m not sure the Zune is ready for widespread adoption yet. I would wait for one more generation of both the Zune and the iPod Touch when the technology is more mature. Until then, the 160 GB iPod Classic will more than satisfy your auditory needs.

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Each of these systems has it’s own bad-ass attributes. There isn’t a clear-cut winner, so instead of being sheep… decide for yourself!

PlayStation 3 40GB Spider-Man Movie Pack - The reason I started with the PS3 is because I think it has the most growth to make in the next couple of years. Because of the awesome hardware built into the PS3, I don’t think the games out now adequately utilize it. As soon as developers create the games that do this, the PS3 will fly off the shelves. You also may be wondering why I chose the Spider-Man movie pack, but there is a method to my madness. Right now, the PS3 is the cheapest Blue-Ray player on the market at $399. That, to me, is the real selling point for the PS3 right now.

Xbox 360 Elite System Console Includes 120GB Hard Drive - Now the XBOX 360 is the hardcore gaming console of this Holiday Season. Anyone wanting to get into serious gaming is hankering for the XBOX 360 Elite. Providing the best overall experience, Microsoft has truly tapped the XBOX 360 hardware and is making sure the best games are coming out on their system. On top of that, the XBOX Live interface is raising the standard for the user experience. And as if that wasn’t enough, the 360 is also a media extender. That means the videos, music, and pictures on your Windows computer are available on your big screen TV.

Sports Starter Bundle for Nintendo Wii - I chose the Wii last because it is definitely the best family-friendly system out there. While researching this one, I was surprised to see how expensive the Wii is. The bundle I chose is actually $479 but I chose it because it comes with Madden ‘08 and two remotes. No matter what you think, you will ultimately want to play the Wii with friends and if you only have one wiimote, you aren’t ready. Nintendo really outdid themselves with the innovative gameplay they designed. Just be careful because the Wii is addictive.

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Do you have someone in your life who seems to have everything? And I bet you came across this guide begging to see something not currently in their house. You could also be the person who dreams of having everything but stopped by to drool. Enjoy!

TVs and Home Theater

I know we have already done a post about the Ultimate Home Theater, but that is if you are wanting to max out your wallet. This list is the more affordable components that will work just as well.

Samsung LNT3253H 32″ LCD HDTV - Samsung has always produced decent products for a good value and a price tag of $800 is actually REALLY good. For the picture quality and features you get, this is one hell of a deal. Sure, the 32″ screen isn’t the biggest screen, but really, who needs a TV that will cover your whole wall. For that, you would need a projector…

Mitsubishi HD1000U High Definition DLP Theater Projector - Speaking of Projectors, here is one to salivate over but won’t break the bank. Coming in at just under $900, this projector is perfect for most users. Really, unless you are in the hottest technology and the best of the best, this projector is all you need. The only thing to think about with projectors though is that any other source of light will detract from your viewing pleasure so you might want to buy some blinds for that gigantic picture window you put in your living room this summer.

RCA RTD209 250 Watts 5-Disc DVD/CD Home Theater System - For your audio experience, you can purchase this beaut. Not only is it a complete home theater sound system (complete with speakers and receiver) but it is also a 5 - Disc DVD/CD player. So that means you won’t have to have another box sitting there. And when you feel like watching the whole season of Gilmore Girls WWE Wrestling, you can set it all up and enjoy the next 6 hours of entertainment. Oh, and did I mention that it is only $115? Wow am I slipping!

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