Holiday Electronics: Hottest Bargain, Game, and Gift
The many electronic products released in the past couple of years are going to drive holiday sales in 2010. Devices like the iPad, smartphones, eReaders, and video games will be on millions of holiday wish lists, then sold by the millions.
You will view this article in one of two ways. Some of you will see it as a list of electronic products that will be great for your friends and family members. Some of you will see it as a list of electronic products that will be sold out and difficult to find. Either way, here is our take on the hottest holiday bargain, game, and gift.
Hottest Bargain: Televisions
The flat-panel televisions have already had their time in the holiday spotlight. Most fans of gadgets and new technology already have their 1080p whatever-inch flat-panel televisions, and they have moved on to buying video game devices to use with them and small touch-screen computers to use while they watch them. Either way, sales on televisions have gotten bigger while the general prices of these televisions continue to get smaller.
This holiday season is playing host to a lot of different gadgets. They’re all popular, and they all approach a slightly different demographic. Televisions are taking a seat in the back this year, but that is all the more reason to buy one. As you probably noticed on and leading up to Black Friday, one of the most commonly discounted items were televisions, very few of which were not flat-panel.
Now that we have moved into 3D-TV, it makes sense that prices for older televisions would keep dropping. But in 2010, an “old” television is still a quality television. Just because it was made in 2009 does not mean it will look any worse. In most cases, you will probably get more for your money.
Hottest Game: Xbox Kinect
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People raved about record-breaking iPad sales in its first two months when Apple sold 2 million units in such a short span of time. But in a recent press release, Microsoft announced that they sold 2.5 million Xbox Kinect units in its first 25 days, according to the Huffington Post.
Granted, Xbox Kinect costs much less than an iPad, but we should also consider the fact that Xbox Kinect is geared towards a much more specific, and therefore much smaller demographic. The iPad is a fitting tool for teens, college students, young professionals, stay-at-home moms, and retirees. The only demographic the iPad does not fit into is the age group that can’t understand how to use it because they are small children.
The Xbox Kinect is the clear choice above the Playstation Move and the Nintendo Wii. Playstation 3’s new Move system is a glorified Nintendo Wii without the amazing games like Mario, Zelda, and the upcoming Epic Mickey. Xbox Kinect is different from both of these games, allowing you to fully integrate your body into the video game.
The first wave of games that arrived with the release of the Kinect were a little more than disappointing, with a few gems here and there. But the key point to take from the 17 or so games that currently exist for Kinect: potential. Depending on the game you play, the Kinect sensor will perform differently. For example, the movement response in Kinect Adventures has a bit of lag, but in Dance Central, there is seemingly none.
If that is true, than the Kinect will be a hit for a long time. Games will be released that will show true imagination in game design and we will start to feel inspired to get up off the couch and move our bodies around, instead of just our fingers. Plus, if you already have an Xbox 360, it will only cost you $150. Check out this video to learn more about Xbox Kinect technology.
Affordable, available, and desired, the eReader seems to be the most popular item of this holiday season. Not only can consumers buy the popular and proven Barnes and Noble Nook or Amazon Kindle, but they also have more generic and affordable choices. This means that eReaders, although seemingly powerful technology, will be readily available at an affordable price, and a great surprise holiday gift. Some eReaders are powerful enough to basically double as tablets, yet are available at half the price of them. Any book lover would love an eReader, even they don’t know it yet.
If you plan to surprise a someone with an eReader, make sure you get them the original black and white Nook from Barnes and Noble. Because it uses a type of ink technology, the screen displays text just like paper. The ink technology also helps to save on battery life, so you rarely need to charge it.
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