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Tom's Holiday Buyer's Guide 2008, Part 1

Tom's Holiday Buyer's Guide 2008, Part 1
By , Chris Angelini

by: Chris Angelini

Alicia may or may not give back these Sennheiser HD515s

Welcome to the first installment of this year’s six-part Tom’s Hardware Holiday Buyer’s Guide, put together by editors from Tom’s Hardware, Tom’s Guide, and Tom’s Games. We’ve all worked together to compile the hottest list of PC components, gadgets, and gaming titles, which we’ll introduce one part at a time throughout the months of November and December.

Each guide is organized to center on a slightly different theme. This first one is aimed right at our hardware audience and includes gifts for the enthusiasts who just want to plug and play—no time for building. But don’t think that we’re only including pre-built boxes here. We’re covering the gamut, from monitors, to security cameras, to power protection, storage, VoIP, and sound.

Here’s the breakdown for what you can expect to see as the series progresses. Each time we publish a new piece, we’ll update those that came before with links to the newest guides. By the time we’re ringing in 2009, we hope you’ll be enjoying at least a couple of gifts from our six stories!

  • Part 1: Tom’s Hardware—No Hassle Hardware Gifts, Good To Go
  • Part 2: Tom’s Games—Best Games To Buy From 2008
  • Part 3: Tom’s Guide—Great Gifts For Tech Gurus
  • Part 4: Tom’s Hardware—Hardware For The System Builder In Your Life
  • Part 5: Tom’s Games—Keyboards, Mice, Headsets, And More Games
  • Part 6: Tom’s Guide—Great Gifts For Tech Novices

Dell's 3008WFP is so large that it needs to be delivered by *two* elves.

Even as the subject matter of each installment changes, you’ll see the same two models popping up over and over to show off the gifts we’re showcasing.

VoIP may not be very festive, but this Response Point-powered unit is still very tech-chic.

Before we get into our favorite gear for this year’s holiday season, please allow me to introduce you to our models, who so graciously spent a full day in our Culver City, CA office posing with the massive collection of hardware we amassed for these six guides.

Danielle, the lovely blond with a penchant for Hello Kitty merchandise, is originally from Oklahoma City. She’s an enthusiast in the truest sense of the world—she builds her own PCs and has been reading Tom’s Hardware since high school. She moved out to California for college, where she earned her B.S. in computer science.

Alicia, the beautiful brunette Mrs. Claus, is my wife. She grew up in Bakersfield, CA and went to UC Irvine where she majored in dance. She’s a professional ballet dancer now and doesn’t spend much time around PC components, though her interest in technology does spike when boxes of hardware start spilling out of my office into places where they shouldn’t be, at which point they often come back flying at my head.

If you haven’t yet checked out our "behind the scenes" video footage of our photo shoot, you can check that out here.

Now, onto our first piece of hardware!

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  • 3 Hide
    Anonymous , 5 November 2008 14:50
    I was so looking forward to reading this first guide! Till i got to the end and there was nothing to read, but thx for the update on your wife dance career.

    Look forward the complete story.

    r()n
  • 1 Hide
    strangestranger , 6 November 2008 01:29
    Dammit, where'd the usual elf go, no offence to the wife but there is usually a member of toms staff doing it, a sarah i think, bring here back.
  • 0 Hide
    Anonymous , 10 November 2008 20:20
    You are one lucky man my friend... one lucky man!!
  • 0 Hide
    newton_93 , 3 December 2008 13:00
    You provide the best services and goods allover the world and i like your
    company