Students going abroad in the spring might appreciate the portability of EeePC by ASUS. This ultra-portable laptop measures about 9 inches by 6.5 inches, 0.8 to 1.3 inches thick and comes with a 7-inch LCD display sandwiched between two side stereo speakers. It has a small keyboard, a touchpad, a microphone jack, an audio jack, a VGA port, optional camera, wireless LAN, MMC/SD/MS card reader, Ethernet, 900MHz Celeron processor and three USB ports. Depending on the model, the laptop can have 256MB, 512MB or 1GB of RAM , and a two-, four- or eight-gigabyte solid state hard drive. The EeePC comes with a very basic and user-friendly Linux OS, though some users may still want to try installing an OS on their own, despite the small hard disk space (a clean installation of XP and Microsoft Office takes up about 3.5GB). The laptop comes in white, black, green, blue or pink, leading many onlookers to deem it “cute.” Aesthetically speaking, it looks very appealing and somewhat toy-like. For those who are traveling, the EeePC is perfect for browsing the internet or word processing. It weighs about 2 lbs. and has a battery life of approximately 3.5 hours. The pearl white, 4GB, 512MB model of the EeePC can be found for $400 at many online retailers such as NewEgg.com.
Considering that streaming video uses a considerable amount of bandwidth, and that fast internet access in foreign countries may be hard to find, students traveling abroad might also want a webcam for video conversations or sending pictures. Webcams generally come with all the setup that is required to get started, which includes the necessary software and USB cables. Some webcams have an integrated microphone while others require a separate headset. The price range for webcams is anywhere from $20 to $100. Higher priced models have higher image resolutions and frame rates for video capture. Another consideration is that the camera may have an autofocus lens (pricier) or may need to be manually focused. Two final points to consider are whether the camera will be mounted on a monitor or table, and whether it will be compatible with the computer. Used in conjunction with a free program like Skype, a webcam can be an indispensable tool for communication while abroad.
Entertainment gifts are perfect for those brave students who are staying in Amherst for the winter term. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock was released late last month for all major consoles and is highly addictive. The game play is still the same as the previous versions, but with additions of more contemporary music and online play. The game’s popularity has even inspired a “South Park” parody.
For the soldiers in training, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was released earlier this month for Windows, PS3 and Xbox 360, and has received spectacular reviews. Still in high demand, the revolutionary Nintendo Wii also has games that are fun for all ages. Prospective customers do not seem dissuaded by its low supply and inflated price tag. While it may not be the most powerful or advanced console out there, the Wii’s unconventional controller and broad selection of titles more than makes up for its hardware deficiencies.
Students who have been too busy to watch TV regularly may enjoy watching the first three seasons of “Lost,” available for $40 each on Amazon.com. “Grey’s Anatomy” fans can indulge in the first three seasons of the show available on DVD and selling for $20 to $40 each. “Heroes” is also available online for around $40. Although many of these shows are illegally available online for free download, the quality pales in comparison to that of a DVD.
Keep in mind that the day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday, is the busiest shopping day of the year. Most of the items mentioned above will likely be in short supply after Black Friday, so grab these gifts as early as possible and avoid the long lines by shopping online.