Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Five Helpful Tips for Holiday Tech Shopping

Its unavoidable if you have kids, that little letter that makes them go crazy 'I' . From the pods, to the phones, to the pads not to mention the accessories that come with them. And then don't forget about laptops and computers and digital cameras. Is it just me or do I sound like I'm writing a new age version of the "Twelve Days of Christmas"?

With all this, and with some of us having no idea what makes a phone so smart, I've come up with a few tips on how to get the most out of shopping for the techie in your life.

  1. Ask those who know. I turn to my brother for most things that involve a hard drive of memory card, he can pretty much fix any issue that I have and since he went to college for computers and works on them I always rely on his work. Most of us have at least one person in the family that knows about these things. Go ahead and ask them for help because its probably easy for them to tell you whats up!
  2. Get the insurance. I can't tell you how many times that I've said 'man if only I had got that insurance" It doesn't' usually cost much extra but its worth it when you drop your laptop, or when your son downloads a virus that makes your computer turn to Greek. Especially with cell phones, I can't count how many free phones my friend has been through.
  3. Shop around: Go to the store and write down the items that you think you may like, then when you get home shop around on the internet. Look for reviews and prices so that you can find out how the product works and if its worth the price. If you can't find a cheaper price online, then head over to the store and get it there. You can save lots by taking some time.
  4. Know your system! Find out what kind of computer the person you are buying for has so that you can be sure the product that you get has the correct software to match the system. This is especially important when looking for computer and video games because one game may work for one system and not for the other.
  5. Get name brands: I know that they are usually more expensive but they usually work better, and its easy to get information from a well known company. Manuals, tutorials and instructional videos are usually available online to help make items user friendly for customers. 
With all the great tech items out there its for sure to be the top gift this year, so just remember that the people at the store are trained to help you and probably have many of themselves! Good Luck and Happy Holidays!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Staples blogging program, making me eligible for a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

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