Holiday Gift Guide 2001

Games and Software:

Encarta Reference Library 2002:
Microsoft’s Encarta has been the premiere multimedia reference tool for years, and the latest incarnation is no different. With a full encyclopedia, dictionary, thesaurus, and extensive multimedia library it’s the ultimate gift for students or anyone on your list who needs a massive amount of information at their fingertips.

Diablo 2 and Lord of Destruction:
Having sold millions of copies and won many of the industry’s more prestigious awards, the Diablo series from Blizzard Entertainment is a must-have for any gamer. It combined role playing and fast-paced action with an excellent storyline and revolutionary cinematic cut-scenes. Fill in any part of the collection with Diablo, Diablo II, or the Diablo II Expansion, or get it all at once with the Battle Chest that includes all of the above, plus strategy guides. After all, those students can’t spend all their time looking things up in Encarta.

The Sims:*
This extremely popular game has sold out again and again, and is definitely headed for a place in the history books. Besides the original award-winning game, there are now three expansion packs. So even if the Sim buff you know already has the game, they can always use an expansion to create people with new careers, new looks, and new furniture.

Age of Empires II: Age of Kings:*
I find myself starting to describe almost every game as ‘award winning’ and ‘a record breaking seller.’ Well, that’s because most of the games we stock are, thanks to my recommendations. Age of Kings is no exception. It made a serious impact on the Real-Time Strategy scene because of its remarkable features, realistic units, and to-scale buildings. It’s not the newest thing on the block, but I can say without reservation that it hasn’t really had any competition lately either. Know somebody who liked StarCraft or WarCraft? Chances are they’ll love this one too.

Photoshop Elements:*
Adobe’s Photoshop has been known as the standard in digital photo editing for years. Their latest foray into the consumer market is an excellent way for a budding photo editor to get their foot in the door without plunking down hundreds of dollars for the full version of Photoshop.

*See my full review of this item in previous versions of our newsletter, or online at www.compplace.com

Hardware:

Microsoft’s IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0:
Optical mice have come a long ways from their humble beginnings as an odd curiosity or prototype design. The latest ones are indistinguishable from their ball-bearing cousins, with the exception that they work better. You may have heard about the ‘drifting’ effect that occurred with optical mice when they were moved too fast. Well with the IntelliMouse 3.0 that’s no longer an issue. With a great ergonomic shape, five buttons, and USB support, this is one peripheral that anyone who uses a computer would love. From the gamer to the graphics designer, and even casual users who just don’t want to have to clean their mouse rollers. Microsoft’s Natural Keyboard Elite:
Although it hasn’t caught on as widely as they’d probably like, Microsoft’s revolutionary Natural Keyboard is a great way to reduce strain on your wrists and arms while typing for long periods of time. Prolonged keyboard use has been linked to repetitive motion injuries and other ailments. This keyboard is the answer. If you’re a touch-typist it may take a few days to get used to, but once you do, you’ll never want to go back. Our own Camolyn has been using one for a couple of years now, and says that it has worked wonders for her. If you don’t believe me, come on in and ask her about it yourself!

Joysticks:
It wouldn’t be right for me to sit here and recommend games without suggesting a control device or two as well. Our latest is the Gravis Eliminator. Equipped with six buttons, a throttle, and a hat switch, you’ll never be out of control again. It also has USB support, making it a piece of cake to install. If you know anyone still suffering along on an older joystick, or worse yet, a keyboard – they will probably appreciate this greatly.

Digital Media:
Traditionally, digital cameras come with rather small memory cards. Manufacturers do this to save money and lower the price of the camera. But lately, the plummeting price of memory makes it an excellent time to upgrade that little 4 or 8mb card in your camera to something better. We carry 128mb CompactFlash and SmartMedia cards, which can hold hundreds of pictures – as opposed to stock cards that may be able to hold only a few. We’ve also got card readers, which are a more efficient way of transferring pictures from a memory card into the computer. If you know someone with a digital camera, or you’re giving one to somebody on your list, consider one of these great accessories to make it even more useful!

Also Available:

Gift Certificates:
Don’t trust yourself to pick out the perfect computer-related gift for that techie on your list? I don’t blame you. Put your mind at ease with one of our gift certificates! Let them choose whatever they want!

Everything you can imagine:
If we don’t have it, we can order it. If there’s something you’re looking for that we don’t carry, just give us a call or drop by – we’ll do what we can to find whatever you need from one of our suppliers.

Well that’s all for this time. Have a happy holiday everyone, and as always, check out our web sites for the latest developments, or feel free to give us a call if you have any questions.