Welcome to Krunker’s first annual Holiday Buyer’s Guide for 2005

It’s the holiday season which means it’s time to start shopping for family and friends. Unfortunately shopping isn’t always so easy especially for the person that seem to have it all. If you’re sitting at home wondering where to start, we here at Krunker thought we’d offer some starting points to help things along. We must emphasize that these are merely starting points. There are plenty of products out there that are worth looking into it and we’re certainly going to miss a number of them here. However, this should offer a glimpse into what is cool for the ’05 holiday season.

As we enter the Christmas shopping season, there is pretty much only one thing left that we’re all waiting for – and that is the Microsoft Xbox 360 gaming console. So, without further ado, we’ll start our guide right there.

Gaming

  • Xbox 360 – We start things off with the new Microsoft Xbox 360 console. What’s there to say about this next generation system that hasn’t already been said? You get three custom designed Power PC processors (each running at 3.2GHz) alongside a custom ATI graphics processor chiming in at 500MHz. There’s also 512MB of RAM inside the box (in a unified architecture – system and graphics share the same memory space) which should be enough for most of the games coming out. Perhaps what is most important about the 360 is the requirement that all games be HD capable at 720p or 1080i. There’s a slew of other features – wireless controllers, a new Xbox Live system, removable hard drive, and a new Dashboard.
  • Sony PSP – The Sony PSP is the de facto standard when it comes to portable game playing. The PSP measures 6.7″ x 2.9″ and has a beautiful 4.3 inch 16:9 widescreen display. Yes you can play a ton of video games on the PSP but you can also view photos, audio files, video files, and surf the Internet. Do you know someone who travels a great deal? Well the Sony PSP makes the perfect companion for that someone.
  • Logitech PlayGear Pocket – If you have a Sony PSP, then you’ll want to find some way to protect the gaming device – look nowhere else but the Logitech PlayGear Pocket. This case provides a protective polycarbonate shell to your PSP and provides full access to all the controls on the PSP. The lid also rotates up 270 degrees to double as a sun visor when you’re out playing video games in the sunlight.

Camcorders

  • Samsung SC-X105L – The Samsung SC-X105L was one of the more interesting digital video camcorders to come out in 2005. This thin device recorded MPEG4 video either onto it’s 512MB of internal memory or to the Memory Stick slot. The camcorder has a 680K resolution with 10x optical zoom and 100x digital zoom. The coolest feature about the SC-X105L was the externally mountable camera which meant you could take pictures in nearly any location possible.

Digital Cameras

  • Casio Exilim EX-Z750 – If you’re looking for a small digital camera with a super high resolution sensor, consider the Exilim EX-Z750. This camera provides 7.2 megapixels of CCD goodness, records in MPEG4 video at VGA resolutions, provides a great battery life of 325 shots per charge, has 3x optical zoom and a 2.5 inch color display.
  • Casio Exilim EX-S500 – now if you want something EVEN thinner, consider the S500 also from Casio. This little camera wonder has a whopping 5 megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom, and a HUGE 2.2″ LCD monitor in the back. It has Anti-Shake DSP, movie capture at VGA resolutions, and is available in an array of colors.
  • Nikon Coolpix 7900 –
  • Kodak EASYSHARE V550 – Another alternative to the ultra compact line of digital cameras is the new Kodak EASYSHARE V550. This small camera is about the size of a deck of playing cards, features 5.0 megapixel resolutions, has a 2.5 inch color display, 3x optical zoom, and includes the Kodak EASYSHARE Photo Frame Dock. We personally love the dock because it allows you to showcase your photos to your friends and family while at the same time charge and sync the photos.

Digital Satellite Radio

  • SIRIUS Starmate Replay Radio – Digital Satellite Radio has really come into it’s own over the last few years and what better way to show your love than to give the SIRIUS Starmate Replay Radio. This self installed dashboard unit can store up to 44 minutes of content allowing you to pause live satellite radio and play back from exactly where you left off.
  • GPX BCDW9815CNP XM Ready Portable CD player – it’s not the most sexy product name out there but this portable boom box is also capable of receiving XM Satellite Digital Radio – and that’s what any man or woman wants this Christmas folks. Other features include a CD/CDR/CDRW/MP3/WMA supporting disc player, LCD display, remote control, and AC/DC power adapter.
  • TAO XM2go – If you’re into XM Radio, then you’ll absolutely have to check out the TAO XM2go portable XM receiver device. This small portable device gives you everything you need to enjoy XM Radio wherever you are at – whether it’s in the car, at home or on the go. The package includes a car kit, home kit, rechargeable batteries, headphones, and antennas. You can store up to 5 hours of fresh new XM content on the XM2go device and also play back music for approximately 5 hours with the internal battery.

Home Theater

  • Slingbox – The Slingbox was one of the truly unique products of 2005. Connect this box between your cable box and your broadband connection and you’ll be able to view your TV shows wherever you have an Internet connection and a computer handy. The Slingbox introduces a new word to our geek jargon called “placeshifting”. Instead of timeshifting, the Slingbox “placeshifts” the television content – basically you can enjoy your home TV programming wherever you are (of course as long as you have that net connection).
  • TiVo – Yes TiVo has been out for many years now but this popular DVR is still the gold standard and a popular gift for anyone new to the DVR market. TiVo has sweetened the deal over the last few months making the 40 hour TiVo free if you agree to a one year subscription with them. With a Series2 box, you can watch and record television content and then distribute this content on a local area network to your PC.
  • Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote – It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the number of remote controls that fill our lives these days. There’s a remote for everything – from your television set to the DVR to the DVD player to the home theater PC. Logitech comes to the rescue with the Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote Control. You get a beautiful color screen and a remote control that can be programmed over the net. The 880 also includes a sleek docking station which charges the remote when it’s not in use.
  • LG Electronics LRM-519 Digital Media Recorder – LG Electronics introduced the LRM-519 towards the latter half of the year – it’s first DVR using the Microsoft Program Guide. The unit includes a built in DVD recorder and can connect to your home network to play back TV shows, photos and music from Windows XP and Windows XP Media Center systems. There’s a 160GB Hard Drive built inside the unit but in order for the program guide to work, you’ll need to pay a subscription fee. This isn’t a cheap device but it’s certainly something to look at for Christmas if money is not a concern.

Home Theater PCs

  • HP z558 Digital Entertainment Center – You get a Windows Media Center based PC without the boring looks of a PC. The z558 looks like a home theater component but don’t be fooled by the appearances. Inside the sleek slim box is a Pentium 4 processor with 300GB of Hard Disk space. You also get HiDef audio and over the air ATSC TV tuners.
  • Voodoo PC ARIA – If you’ve got some money to burn, you might want to spend a few moments looking at this beautiful Windows Media Center system. One look at the front of the PC and you’ll understand why you have to consider this for the living room.

Computer Systems

  • Apple mac mini – How can you end 2005 without mentioning the Mac mini? This small wonder uses a G4 processor, is super quiet and efficient, and fits into any environment you can think of. Apple also decided to just sell the system without a monitor and keyboard making it one of the most affordable OS X based systems ever. If you’ve ever wondered whether you should get a Mac, the mini is every reason why you should and it won’t dent the pocket book either.
  • Lenovo ThinkPad Z – Yes it’s true – There’s a ThinkPad out that has a widescreen display. Amazing right? Not only does it have a widescreen display, it still keeps all the things you’ve ever liked about the ThinkPad intact – an awesome keyboard, incredible build quality, and solid performance. Verizon Wireless users will love the built in EV-DO support for high speed wireless broadband connections.
  • Lenovo ThinkPad X – Ah yes – yet another ThinkPad – this time it’s the new X Series Tablet PC. At 3.5 lbs and only 1.14 inches thin, this is one of the lightest and most portable Tablet PCs out there. The X series is a convertible laptop and takes everything you love about the X series laptop and adds Tablet features including of course the Microsoft Tablet PC OS.
  • Acer Ferrari 4000 – Acer and Ferrari collaborated to create the Acer Ferrari 4000 laptop this past year and it was one beautiful looking system. One look at the system and you’ll see how Ferrari’s design team managed to make a laptop system seem exciting. From the bright red chassis to the Ferrari logo on the front, the 4000 is truly a unique beast. The system uses AMD’s Turion 64 processor and comes with a 5 in 1 memory card reader, a 15.4″ widescreen LCD, and ATI Mobility Radeon X700 graphics.

Mobile Phones

  • Motorola RAZR V3 – The gold standard to slim phones, the Motorola RAZR V3 is why Motorola matters again in the mobile phone market. This phone measures 13.9 x 55 x 98 mm and weighs a scant 95 grams. Yet the RAZR manages to pack in a VGA camera with 4x digital zoom, a bright 176 x 220 2.2″ color display to watch MPEG4 videos on, Bluetooth support, and a slew of other features. Motorola has recently expanded the RAZR lineup to include other newer models but the V3 is still a favorite for many out there this holiday season.
  • Samsung A940 – If you’re looking for a high end multimedia phone for Sprint Nextel, look no where else but the Samsung A940 clamshell phone. This was recently announced as PC Magazine’s Editor’s Choice and packs a whopping 2 megapixel digital camera with optical zoom, full motion streaming TV, satellite radio, over the air music downloads, voice commands, speech to text dictation, Bluetooth, and a shake sensor. It’s got it all folks – PLUS you can swivel the top half around to make the camera feel more like a traditional video camcorder. Very cool phone. A must see for Sprint PCS users.
  • Sony Ericsson W800 Walkman -Sony may be losing out to Apple in the digital audio player market but it’s got quite a winner in the W800 Walkman for the mobile phone market. This 2 megapixel mobile phone comes with a 512MB Memory Stick PRO Duo card and allows you to swap in even larger cards for more music. You can connect the phone to your home stereo system and play back music through your speakers. The music cuts out when an incoming call comes in. Of course the W800 also comes with Bluetooth support for wireless communications. This is how the ROKR should have been.

Smart phones

  • Palm Treo 650
  • Samsung i730 – Looking for one of the fastest Windows Mobile Smartphones out there? Look to none other than the Samsung i730. The i730 comes with Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 SE and includes support for 1x/EVDO which translates into super fast broadband like connections on your Pocket PC. You also get a sliding QWERTY keyboard, dual speakers, SDIO support, and a speakerphone. Ah yes there’s even Bluetooth support in this phone. The only bummer – you can’t use EV-DO at the same time you use WiFi and the use of WM 2003 SE.
  • Sprint PPC-6700 – Sprint offered up their own Pocket PC phone in the second half of 2005 called the PPC-6700 and the early reviews show it to be a clear winner also. It uses a unique sliding keyboard that offers much more typing space than your normal thumbboard found on many slider phones today. You also get the latest Windows Mobile 5.0 OS along with EV-DO support. There’s a 1.3 MP camera, Bluetooth support, Speakerphone, and a wealth of other features on this phone. It’s a bit on the thicker side but it’s definitely loaded with features.
  • Blackberry 7100 – This year saw a number of new Research in Motion BlackBerry phones that belonged to the 7100 series. There are now seven models to choose from, all with varying degrees of capabilities but all delivering phone, email, and data capabilities in a single device. If you’ve always been into the BlackBerry – you’ll love the 7100 series which turns the email device into a candybar like mobile phone with a full thumbboard.

Portable Media Players

  • Archos AV700 – If you’re looking for one of the most decked out portable media players out there – look nowhere else but the Archos AV700. The high end model comes with a 100GB hard drive, a 7 inch widescreen LCD and the capability to schedule and record up to 400 hours of your favorite television shows. This is a Microsoft PlaysForSure compatible device so you can easily sync up Windows Media content.
  • Archos Gmini 402 – If you’re looking for a slightly smaller PMP – consider the Gmini 402. The 402 has a 2.2 inch color screen and supports movies, videos, photos, music, and video games. The more unique feature on the 402 is the inclusion of a built in camcorder. You can record videos and take still shots with the 402. Archos takes Portable Media Players to the next level with the 402.
  • iRiver U10 – The U10 is iRiver’s latest entry into the PMP market. It comes with a small 2.2 inch color display and supports music, videos, and photos. There are two models – a 512MB and a 1GB model – and they both come with a 28 hour battery life. Other features include an FM tuner, integrated voice recorder, alarm clock, enhanced 3D audio, USB 2.0 transfers, and a 1 year warranty. The U10 also works with music subscription services that use DRM protected WMA files.

Portable Audio Players

  • Apple iPod – Just when you thought Apple couldn’t make the iPod any better – they go ahead and do so with the Apple iPod nano and the new iPod video. With the nano, you get all the great iPod features and functionalities in a package that is impossibly thin. Choose from 2GB or 4GB models but you might as well go for the 4GB since you’ll want to load tons of music on it.

    The new iPod video (it’s really not called the iPod video but that’s the best way to differentiate it from the earlier versions of the iPod) comes in 30GB or 60GB varieties and of course the major new feature is the support for MPEG4 videos. It’s slimmer than ever (although a bit wider) before but you don’t sacrifice a thing as battery life has been drastically improved. With the new iTunes in place, you can store tons of music videos or television shows on your iPod and take it anywhere you go.

  • MobiBlu DAH-1500i – Now if you’re looking for something OTHER than an Apple iPod, consider the MobiBlu DAH-1500i. This flash based MP3 player measures a mere one cubic inch all around. Despite it’s small size, it manages to pack in up to 1GB of storage space, an FM tuner, and an OLED display. What’s particularly great is – you can purchase these little bad boys at Wal-Mart making them accessible all around the country.

HDTV Televisions

If you’ve been living under a rock for the last year then you probably didn’t notice the rapid emergence of HDTV across the board in new television sales. Open up any circular and you’ll find HDTV this and HDTV that – but there are so many to choose from. You can choose from plasma to LCD to DLP projection systems.

  • Philips 32PF9630A 32 inch LCD Television – This LCD television features Philips Pixel Plus 2 HD technology and supports a resolution of 1366 x 768p. Pixel Plus 2 improves images for both HDTV and even standard television signals while the built in light sensor optimizes the picture quality based on surrounding light conditions.
  • Sharp LC-37D7U LCD Television – The Sharp LC-37D7U is a 37 inch LCD television with a resolution of 1366 x 768. The panel utilizes Sharp’s proprietary Advanced Super View/Black TFT panel which provides an 800:1 contrast ratio and 170 degree viewing angles. The Sharp LC-37D7U is also HDTV ready with a built in CableCard slot. The television set comes with DVI, HDMI and 2 HD Component connectors.
  • Sony BRAVIA KDL-V40XBR1 LCD Television – BRAVIA is Sony’s latest product name for their WEGA lineup of television sets. The KDL-V40XBR1 is Sony’s 40″ LCD Television which supports 1366 x 768 resolutions and comes with a 1300:1 contrast ratio. Other features include the WEGA Engine Technology, Integrated HDTV with CableCard support, S-master Full Digital Amplifier, HDMI connectors, and an integrated light sensor.

Home Audio

  • Sony STR-DA7100ES – This is the flagship receiver of the Sony ES line of receivers and includes HDMI switching, 7.1 support, and video conversion into HDMI. The system is capable of delivering 170 watts per channel, includes five A/V composite and S-Video inputs, two component inputs, and two HDMI inputs. Personally, the two component inputs seem a bit low but this is an otherwise good solid high end receiver system for anyone’s home theater setup.
  • Sony DAV-LF1 – The Sony DAV-LF1 DVD Dream System provides all the necessary components to make your home theater come alive. You get a CD/DVD/SACD player and a 5.1 speaker system outputting a total of 600 watts of power. The DAV-LF1 features Sony’s Digital Infrared Audio Transmission (DIAT) technology to make wireless dreams a reality. The system’s speakers are connected to the receiver via wireless infrared links that maintain the original signal integrity of high bandwidth media such as HDTV and SA-CDs.

Accessories

  • Jabra BT500 Bluetooth Headset – With more and more mobile phones supporting Bluetooth, you owe it to yourself to get yourself a Bluetooth headset. If you do, check out the Jabra BT500 – the latest generation of headsets from Jabra. The BT500 fits comfortably behind your ear and is slimmer than past designs from Jabra. You get one touch pair, LED lights, Easy charging via USB and a slew of other features.
  • Klipsch iGroove – Own an iPod – will accessorize then. Check out the Klipsch iGroove which is a speaker system designed specifically for the Apple iPod (will support all sorts of iPods including the new nano). The iGroove uses dual 2.5 inch fiber composite woofers and a dual 1 inch MicroTractrix Horn loaded tweeters. It includes an iPod dock and a remote control for you to control the music playback. It’s not cheap but Klipsch sound is hardly ever cheap.
  • iHome IH5 Alarm Clock – If you’ve always wanted your alarm clock to work with your iPod, check out iHome Audio’s IH5 Alarm Clock. This system has a built in dock for the Apple iPod, a digital AM/FM clock radio, solid speakers, and a cool looking design. It’s great for the students out there who absolutely need to get up in the mornings. The nice thing? Use the iPod to wake you up and have it charged at the same time!
  • iDJ Mixing Console for iPod – Do you know someone aspiring to be a DJ? Well check out the iDJ Mixing Console for iPod from Numark. Take two iPods and mix them together using the iDJ. There’s even large oversized buttons that work with the iPod on both sides of the console.

So there you have it folks. There are plenty of other products that deserve to be on this list and we’d be interested in hearing what you think should be on the guide. We hope you enjoyed this guide and remember to do your research before buying anything out there. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

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