Top Ten Christmas Gifts for Techies

Admit it... you need that techie person in your life; everyone does. You'll run into something in life that you know you're not going to want touch because you feel like it'll cause some major malfunction. Whether it's at work, at home, or in your car, everything has technology wrapped around it. Thankfully there are those (like me) who don't mind getting our hands dirty in a binary sense.

Some are able to build their own gadgets and gizmos that do exactly what they envisioned it doing. Some are so sharp on a computer they could create software that puts Microsoft out of business, so another computer may not give them much excitement. So how do you give to someone technically-inclined when you don't know the lingo or what they might like? Let me give you ten possibilities:

1. An iTunes gift card (at least $25)

Get the techie person in your life the gift of music. Most techies have either an iPod or an iPhone or some other MP3 device they can import songs into. Allow them to download the songs of their choice to relax to or work to when they desire.

2. A space to work in

There might not be any better gift to a techie than space to work in. It's hard to have great ideas and nowhere to implement them. This gift may be a little harder to get, but if you can somehow create a dedicated area of your house (or perhaps buy another piece of property just for this) then the innovation of a techie may flow like crazy.

3. A mini-refrigerator

Techies have to eat too! Why not a mini-fridge in their space to make it easier to get snacks and drinks. This will also prevent them from waking you up by going into the kitchen late at night.

4. A second computer monitor

This gift is helpful for productivity purposes. I'm a witness as someone that works in computers, having a second monitor is very helpful. It's better than picture-in-picture on your high-def television. It gives you more options as far as what windows to have open and what kind of work you can do.

5. An external 1TB hard drive

I remember when 1GB was a lot of disk space... now fifteen years later we're at terabytes. If you're not familiar with what a terabyte is, think of it this way: 1MB = 1024 kilobytes... 1GB is approximately equal to 1000MB... and 1TB (terabyte) is approximately equal to 1000GB. What kind of digital media collection could you possess with that baby, huh? And it's portable? Please...

6. A Wii or Playstation 3

This would be a fun gift. Perhaps your techie is a gamer. Give him (or her) the gift of gaming for Christmas. Include some common games with the system, and see what type of controllers are needed for the games and add those too if you can.

7. A Swiss Army backpack

I like the Swiss Army brand. I always felt it was a bit stylish without being too rugid. I think it's perfect for techies. There are backpacks big enough for you to put your laptop in as well, and there are some on wheels where you can transport it around if need be. For more information on which ones you can pick from, click here.

8. A portable DVD player

Great for transport, a portable DVD player is great for road trips or plane rides. Perhaps find a couple of movies to test out the new gadget. I'd recommend a good action movie as well as a good humorous movie if possible.

9. Ideas for places where they can find spare parts

Sometimes what a techie wants is a place where they can get the parts they need. A specialty store if you will. Help them find out where these places are and they'll be thankful all through the Christmas holiday season.

10. A massaging recliner

This is a gift that any man or woman will enjoy; techie or not. Get your techie a massaging recliner. It'll feel like there's a masseuse right there in the room with them. The added advantage - your techie won't have to keep pumping quarters in it to get more time!