Today, I'm sharing with you the 5 things I think are the ultimate things to give a geek for the holidays in 2011.
If you are a geek or you know one, this list points to some of the best gifts for geeks that I know of. Most of the things on this list are products that I would personally reccomend to friends, family and all of the geeks I know. Enjoy :)
5. Minecraft
Minecraft is a first-person game that you can build in and the goal is to build as much as possible without getting killed by the creepers during the night. The 3D gameplay is superb, and is definitely a game I would reccomend to most any geek out there.
Minecraft works on Windows, Mac, and Linux and needs a minimum of 1 GB of ram to work properly.
If you know another geek who doesn't have this (or if you've been wanting to it), now is the time to get it. If you already have an account, you can buy "giftcodes" on the website to give to others for them to redeem with their Minecraft accounts, or if you're buying it for yourself, you can make a Minecraft account and order it straight on the website.
$26.95 [Minecraft.net]
4. Angry Birds Plush
The Angry Birds Plush is something that for any geek who is an Angry Birds fan will love. The material that it is made out of is very high-quality, and it hasn't fallen apart on me yet. Very good to use for a variety of purposes and is good to have around. It even has a good smell to it! This is a wonderful thing to give as a side-gift to a geek for Christmas this year or even someone who just likes Angry Birds.
You can pick these up at your local Walmart if you are in a hurry, or on Amazon.com.
$15.99 [Amazon.com
]
3. Blue Snowball
The Blue Snowball is a USB microphone that is perfect for many things from making YouTube videos, to recording vocals for a song. It has 3 modes, although the one I'd best reccomend if you are making YouTube videos or podcasting with it is the #2 mode (these modes can be switched between with a switch on the back of the microphone). The sound it records is crisp and very rich. Also with the included stand, it should sit perfectly on most desks and should work with most computers. I'd definitely reccomend this if you or another geek you know are in the market for a USB Microphone. With the included stand, it should sit perfectly on most desks and should work with most computers.
This is a lovely gift for any geek who is making YouTube videos or is into podcasting. As a geek myself, I would reccomend this microphone as for the price and its functionality, it is one of the best USB microphones you can get.
If you want a full review of the Blue Snowball, you can read my review of the Blue Snowball on Fancy Show Tech.
$60.00 [Amazon.com]
2. Mac Mini
The Mac Mini is a small, and powerful Mac. This is good for a home theather computer or if you're switching from PC to Mac and want a inexpensive, small, and powerful Mac to start your journey into the Mac ecosystem. It should work for a good amount of internet browsing and basic movie and photo editing flawlessly. The Mac Mini also works well for a home media server/storage server. Be aware that this computer doesn't come with a display or mouse and keyboard and you will have to provide your own.
This is a great gift for a geek who is switching/planning on switching from PC to Mac or who wants a side computer. I'd definitely reccomend the Mac Mini this Christmas.
$599-999 [Apple.com]
1. MacBook Air
The grand finale of this list is the MacBook Air. This powerful laptop is great for anything from checking email, to editing HD Video and PhotoShop. I use one everyday and would reccomend this to any geek in the market for a ultra-portable laptop that also has sufficent enough specs to do most everyday tasks with ease. It also is surprisingly somewhat-durable due to the unit's lack of moving parts. I have (by accident before) dropped the MacBook Air while it was on and I was able to use it right after picking it up without any damage to the system.
This is the laptop I would reccomend to anyone in the market for a portable and powerful laptop that could go with them anywhere.
$999-1,599 [Apple.com]
These are my top 5 geeky gifts for 2011. The products featured on this list are ones that are of top build quality and I would reccomend to anyone who asked me personally. If you are buying gifts for another geek (or maybe for yourself), these are the things I would most reccomend getting for a geek this Christmas. If you have anything I didn't cover, or any thoughts on my picks, leave them in the comments below.
-Carmen
Tom Peters