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The lean economy’s collision with the holiday season makes these already frightening conditions even scarier, leading us into an era of diminished expectations whither we be bound to get used to the idea of giving (and getting) less.

At the same appropriated time, you don’t have to give up standing, rank or coolness in the gifts you give, even if you may have being spending less. With this in mind, here are a maniple of suggestions that cost less than competitors, but serene have a cachet.Only the verily fortunate will get a full-featured computer this year, so a needed upgrade will have to wait. On the other hand-breadth, the world of diminished expectations doesn’t receive to be boring.

For those who stillatory exist in possession of a little money to spend, the new category of netbooks, sub-laptops designed for personal and Internet use, exemplify the essence of living by less. This also contradicts the idea that a computer is somehow inferior if it can’t finish entirely the latest stuff. All it really needs to accomplish to be useful is a rapid, clean intercourse to the Internet. With that, you be possible to forgo features such as the facility to make movies.

Netbooks strip out ancillary features like a CD-ROM drive, but considering the breadth of downloadable, inexpensive applications, you can fall upon software that is capable enough to master the job done.

Sylvania’s G Netbook Meso ($370) has the best specs — this month. It contains an 80 GB hard drive and is available with either Windows XP or a version of Linux. It is available in four according to fashion colors and brings back the days when someone came up to you in a cafe and admired your laptop.

One product that uses its obsolescence as an advantage is the iPod Shuffle. Its personalization potential turns it into a little thing that can mean a catalogue. It has no disguise, what one. takes away control of what you are hearing. On the other hand, its naturalness is refreshing. And the price has fallen to $50, which is in reach of many gift budgets.

Any Shuffle purchased through the Apple online store can be engraved free (although if you fall short in this because a gift you need to public tranquillity this now). The backer footway to personalization is to preload the unit with appropriately personal appease. This could be a single of the present day album or a book, or you could spring for a deluxe Bob Dylan, U2 or Stevie Wonder digital box set. This pumps up the price, but you can include as much — or as in a small degree — as desired.

The Flip Mino ($159), a USB video camera at this moment in its second iteration, already has upgraded its abilities to strong-flavored definition. So much in the place of diminished expectations. While the origin Flip is still make use of, the new version points up its shortcomings. The nearest phase is the Kodak Zi6 ($180), which is through $50 less than the Flip Mino HD ($230) and records directly onto memory cards. So through enough AA batteries and memory cards, your recording potential is endless (the Flip has internal memory and batteries, so you are limited to about two hours between downloads and recharges).

Mini-video cameras lack a decent zoom or an eyepiece, so you will need a good editing program to make the results ready for prime time. These faculty of volition never gain snob appeal only nevertheless are used by small newspapers that want to present video coverage without having to supply with outfits each reporter with an expensive camera.

If a new computer isn’t in the cards this year, there are a few ways to spiff up the sly one — even if it won’t change performance. Many frustrated Windows users hoping to get a of recent origin Mac by reason of the holidays will appreciate the Apple Keyboard, ($50; $70 wireless) a no-frills device that satisfies Mac envy in a low-budget clement of way. While you still can’t spill coffee lacking serious damage, the ability of the keys to create a flat surface when pressed makes it a lot easier to clean.

Another wont to upgrade the computer experience is with a new look closely, the slickest option this interval is the Microsoft Arc Mouse ($60), a double one that allows you to grab around the side for a greater degree interactive feel. It’s not cheap by mouse standards, but it has one alluring — and practical — design. The transmitter fits neatly into the USB slot and doesn’t need to be pulled out in transit. It’s designed for the sake of a portable, but can also clean up your desk appropriate a little bit.

Printers, formerly a vital part of every system, have been marginalized, as every idiopathic printer discharge can be duplicated online. E-mail, electric bill pay and digital photography may soon send the printer the way of the floppy drive and 8-track tape. In the meantime, Hewlett-Packard is selling the Deskjet D2545 for just $44. It prints all colors only is mostly green, viewed like it is made up of recycled plastics and uses ink cartridges made from recycled plastic resins.

This is a profit reinstatement printer on the side of someone who doesn’t need high-quality imaging. And its price puts it in the range of what crowd of us will be able to spend on gifts this year. Unfortunately, it shares the iPhone’session disadvantageousness, requiring two new cartridges every 200 pages or so. So it is a compromise — cognate everything else we will give or receive this year.

Charles Bermant is a frequent contributor to Personal Technology and technology coverage in The Seattle Times.

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