Posted on June 18th, 2009 by Mike Jennings
The PC Pro Father’s Day gift guide
Father’s Day is this Sunday and, as the big day looms ever closer, there’s now little time left to go out and hunt for the ideal gift. Just turn to the PC Pro A List, then, for the perfect presents that you can rush out and buy before it’s too late.
Those with photographic fathers are spoilt for choice: there are superb choices available no matter what you’re looking for, whether it’s a compact, DLSR or video camera.
Take the Canon Digital Ixus 95 IS, for instance. It may cost £172, but for that money you’re getting Labs-winning quality that is, according to photography expert David Fearon, “the best compact camera for under £200″ and includes unbeatable picture quality alongside a broad range of features. If you’ve got the cash, then you evidently can’t go wrong with the Canon.
If your budget is a bit tighter, though, the A List alternative is almost as good. The Nikon Coolpix S220 was a runner-up in the same Labs test, winning praise for its flawless outdoor quality and impressive detail. It’s also only £122 so, if you’re looking for a bargain camera that doesn’t skimp on quality, this is worth investigating.
If you’ve got more cash to splash, though, a DLSR could be the perfect gift for the serious snapper. Our favourite is the Nikon D90, which packs in fantastic image quality, a huge range of features and a stunning lens; it’s so good that it makes the £730 asking price feel like a bargain.
If you’d like to buy your favourite parent a DLSR on a budget, though, the Olympus E-420 is a capable camera that costs relatively little – £260, to be exact. It’s got excellent image quality and an impressive range of features but, if you’re buying on a budget, won’t break the bank.
Should your father be into the moving rather than static image, our favourite pair of digital video cameras will delight your dad. The HDC-SD100 is Panasonic’s first CMOS camera and the results are superb, with exemplary image quality and a wide range of features costing just £443, and the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2000 is a pocket-sized package that crams high-quality video capture into a 311g package.
Satnav systems are sure to be popular choices for Father’s Day, so it pays to get the best one – and you can’t get better than the PC Pro recommended TomTom Go 730 or the new 740, which includes updated maps and features. This £199 GPS includes European maps and the IQ Routes system, which calculates routes from traffic speed rather than speed limits. It’s the best navigator around and, if your father is is a frequent traveller, indispensable.
Those buying on a budget, meanwhile, should try the TomTom One, which costs only £87 but offers clear, straightforward guidance at a knock-down price – ideal if your father doesn’t need the myriad extra features included with more expensive models.
Netbooks have proved hugely popular over the last 18 months, so one of these mini-laptops could be the perfect gift this Sunday. If you’re looking to splash out, Samsung models are the ones to pick: the smaller NC10 is the ideal mixture of value for money and fantastic build quality, while the NC20 is more expensive but closer to a real laptop thanks to its 12in screen and superb keyboard.
Musical parents are sure to be pleased with a new mp3 player, but make sure your gift is on-song rather than off-key. Our favourite is the £147 Cowon S9, which offers a sharp, vivid OLED screen and fantastic sound quality, turning a dull commute into a multimedia extravaganza. And, if your dad is an Apple fan, the iPod Nano is your best bet: a gorgeous and intelligent product that, at £123 for 16GB, won’t break the bank.
Audiophiles may also want some top-quality headphones to go with their new kit. If that’s the case, then your dad’ll be pleased with anything from Sennheiser, who normally provide fantastic aural experiences. If we had to pick one pair, though, we’d go for the IE8s: at £157, they cost more than the average mp3 player, but they provide the ultimate in sound quality – it doesn’t get any better than these.
And, finally, those who are a little more flush with cash may want to buy something a little more extravagant. Take a look at the Dell XPS One 24, which is one of the most stylish all-in-one PCs on the market today, or the stunning Sony VAIO VGN-Z31VN/X, which is simply the best ultraportable around, even if it does cost £1,781. And, if you’ve got a dad into gaming, the Chillblast Fusion Spitfire is our favourite pixel-pushing monster – and it’ll set you back £1,029.
No matter what technology your dad’s into, then, there’s sure to be something he’ll love: whether it’s a digital camera, satnav system, netbook or mp3 player, these products are the best in their respective classes – so, if you haven’t already, get buying while you still have time to spare.
Tags: apple, canon, Cowon, father, netbook, Nikon, olympus, panasonic, samsung, sony, TomTom, vaio
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June 26th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
car gifts and websites…
If all the money to be spent on gifts this Christmas is instead donated to the poor, we can eliminate poverty in our country. The annual poverty threshold is P14,900 per capita and the income gap is 30% or P4,470 per capita. That’ s the additional in…