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Gifts Ideas For 'Non-Geek' Types?
BRock97 asks: "There is no better activity which sheds light on 'Geek/Non-Geek' interaction than Christmas shopping. As I try and browse Target's online store looking for the perfect gift, I can't help be gravitate back to ThinkGeek in hopes I will find something that the receiver of the gift will find useful AND also remind them of the person who gave it. I was curious as to what other /.'ers were planning on getting their friends and loved ones (parents/grandparents) who live the 'non-geek' lifestyle." We've already told Santa what we'd like for Christmas, now what about the non-geeks in our lives?
with a digital camera, ipod, or an xbox w/ halo.
It's like cocaine, you just have to get them started...
"If you think you have things under control, you're not going fast enough." --Mario Andretti
Need a 10% off online coupon for Target? You can get it from the front page on my website Retail Retreat. Loads of other coupons and deals too. Enjoy.
There's something deeply wrong if you're shopping for gifts at Target; take a step back and ask yourself why you're even bothering in the first place. Because you "have to?"
Send a nice card or take them to dinner if you can't find something unique and "nice". Sorry, but I'm a bit of a purist in that sense--either make it tasteful and personal, or don't give a gift.
I'd rather get a phone call saying "hi", or a card than some tacky mail order department store shit.
Cole's Law: Thinly sliced cabbage
Nothing says I love you, even though you're a reanimated corpse, like Tesla coils
I bought two family members those USB keyring drives. Both of them use computers in two places and still use floppies. It's a level of technology that they'll be comfortable with, and it's something that they'll find useful.
If you have friends who like to eat (okay, most like to eat), then a gift of some tasty morsels may work wonders. Not something that you can buy at the local Kroger's, but something really good from the likes of Harry and David, Teuscher, or some other gourmet food store. Just make sure that they are likely to like that type of food (okay, no Omaha steaks for your vegetarian friends).
For parents, if you have kids, particularly babies, you're in luck: just get them a gift book of photos or a good photo in a nice frame, and they'll be thrilled.
For the non-geek a PDA would prove to be quite useful. PalmOS based ones are very nice. Even for geeks they are nice. My personal fave is the Zire71. Simple to use, bright screen, built-in camera, and yes, it will remind the person you got it for who gave the gift. I gave my gf a Zire71 and she uses it daily for her job, and it's not because of the geek-factor, it's because she can use it to help her manage her schedules and contacts. My old boss got one for his retirement, and he loves it. He is not a "geek" at all. My sister has went from a Palm Vx, which broke, to a Pocket PC. She's not a geek either, far from one, and yet she loves hers too.
A lot of the non-tech's in my life would like to take advantage of the latest technology, but don't know how. So every tech gift should come with free tech support..
For example:
Wireless Router: They'll love surfing the web from the couch on their business laptops -- just be sure to set it all up for them.
Tivo: Most non-techs I know watch a LOT of TV. Tivo is easy enough that they may not even need your help with it.
Universal Remote: Over the years, you've built up their entertainment system with an amplifier, pre-amplifier, DVD player, CD changer, etc but they can't figure out how to just watch TV. Buy a good universal remote and program it to have easy "Watch TV", "Watch a DVD", "Listen to Music" buttons.
MP3 Player: Obviously great for exercise buffs
Roomba: Who wouldn't love a robot vacuum cleaner
Just about anything from Sharper Image or Brookstone, especially the Foot Massager: Everybody loves this stuff but will never buy it for themselves
Non-geeks like jewelry, books, kitchen stuff, etc.
I got my wife a pair of Bulova watches (one for every day, one for special occasions), a book on used book stores, a book on Breyer collectable horses (which she collects), the usual assortment of candy, the new Train CD, a new Williams-Sonoma tea kettle, and some other small stuff. Not a geek toy in the bunch, even if I did order quite a bit of it online.
BTW, if you know my wife (not likely if you read slashdot), don't tell her!
- Vincit qui patitur.
Is that good, or have I become out of touch with non-geeks?
"Sexy Man" is not a moderation option. -- arose
You can generally find them for about 6 to 10 here in the UK. They are surprisingly bright and perfect for use when you have parked the car somewhere dark and lost your keys. They also look pretty robust, though I havn't had one long enough to attest to that.
Be nice to people on the way up. You will meet them again on your way down!
- love,
- friendships,
- memories (that are not measured in MB's or pixels)
- getting away from the computer
- sunshine (one *not* coming from the monitor)
- fresh clothes
- mountains/beaches -- these things in LotR:RotK actually exist!
I was so startled by thier weird tastes that i say kudos to anyone who claims to have mastered their weird ways.If you're shopping at Target for presents, the one thing you won't be getting for xmas is laid.
There are a couple of easy ones that I use and re-use every year always with good results:
In a hurry: Blockbuster Gift Card. Who doesn't go to Blockbuster? Geeks who use Netflix, right? Well stop trying to convert those poor ole simple folk and give them what they need-- a way to pay off that $15 3-day late fee. Another quick gift (if you are REALLY last minute) is an Instant Prepaid Phone Card. Some companies (NobelCom.com springs to mind) will even send out a gift e-mail along with the Access Number and PIN on whatever day the event is-- for instance, have it arrive on someone's birthday. This is a good gift for people who make a lot of International calls (think H1B workers and non-resident aliens), but other than that, you suck if you are so last minute that you have to buy an instant phone card as a gift.
Gourmet Food: Everyone likes to eat tastey things. Try iGourmet.com for a wide selection on everything from wine and cheese to curred ostrich, and try Dans.com for the best chocolates anywhere.
Flowers: Women love flowers. Gay men love flowers. Heck, little girls love flowers. I sent flowers to my 12-year-old niece for her birthday in October and she loved them! KaBloom.com consistantly has the best presentation when you open the box compared to 800flowers or FTD. Too bad their website is kinda hokey.
Designer Apparel: Nothing says "I know style" like a new pair of Gucci, Christian Dior, or Versace glasses. You can get these in stores everywhere (try Sunglass Hut and Solstice), or for the really good stuff, online at eyewearcentre.com. Beware discount vendors like 'EyeSave', and especially stay away from eBay. There are more fake designer glasses on eBay than there are fake Rolexes in a New York Street Vendor's cart-- and even though you probably can't tell, trust me, your mark can and will notice a fake. The most important things when picking designer apparel are: Get something from THIS SEASON'S COLLECTION. Getting last year's stuff on sale will NOT go over well. Make sure this is a color or style that looks ok on your mark. If you are clueless, look at that person's existing favorite clothes, glasses, etc. for reference. For glasses: make sure that you get the right shape for that person's face type. Again, if clueless, look at that person's existing stuff, or see this nice chart.
Give them a coupon that says you will fix their computer for free the next time they screw it up or some other techie service.
I never buy gifts and I don't expect any and everyone's happy that way cause they didn't spend 2 weeks salary on expensive (and often unusable) gifts. But I do prepare special dinners during the hollidays, sometimes for familly and sometimes for friends. I think it's the best way to spend your money.
I give calendars with nature photos I take during the year. This goes over very well.
new Inkjets print photos really well. The way I do it is to print the picture at the top of a page (8.5 x 11 or 11 x 17) and put the calendar part on the bottom. I usually use 35 mm negatives I've scanned, but this year 2 of the pictures are digital from a 4 megapixel calendar (4 megpixels is good enough for full frame on the larger calendars, about 8x10 inch).
Its relatively cheap too. for a 11x17 page 1 sheet = $1 + ink. 12 sheets for the year. You can customize it too by putting peoples birthdays on the calendar.
At Home Depot, all power tools purchased in December come with a free first aid kit, uselful in the unlikely event she wanted something else.
This year, our families (except the little kids) are getting small token gifts. We gave the hundreds we might have otherwise spent on them (and then some) as gifts to our unemployed friends.
I can assure you someone that's been out of work for 9 months appreciated a couple hundred dollars a lot more than my in-laws will appreciate their usual shot-in-the-dark gifts.
You know the hackable DVD players, the MP3s with OggV support, You know the Difference between DVD-R and DVD+R. They will appreciate it if you give them something and say, "I know you like music so much - so I picked out the BEST DAMN MP3 player a geek like me could get. Merry Christmas! Now let me help you get this bad-boy installed on your computer..." Now that says something.
If they are Quakers or something visiting them and holding a real 'lucent' conversation with them is also a treat for people who are more people-oriented. (Yeah, you are going to have to remember thier name, better make up cheat-notes!)
"Enjoy what you're doing! If it becomes drudgery, you're doing it wrong!" - Jim Butterfield