Christmas wish list

Payton H. Wilmott • Gleaner Writer

It's once again that time of the year when you have to run up and down the shopping malls like a headless chicken looking for gifts for family and friends.

Usually, if you head into Christmas shopping without a clue of what you're going to buy, you'll be doomed to failure. Luckily, here are some great suggestions for the whole family. I know you guys might be in a haste right now, so let me fire away.

The Family Tree

I have gone to the trouble of dividing a typical family into subgroups, by age, to improve the odds of getting the right gift for the right person.

BenQ DC E1260 digital camera

17-25

Most young adults these days are all about clubs and parties. Persons who love this lifestyle will also enjoy cherishing the moments. The best way to do so is by taking photos. Therefore, cameras are the perfect gift for young adults. I recommended buying a BenQ camera for this occasion because they give amazing quality for a reasonable price. The two most highly recommend cameras are the BenQ DC E1260 ($13,000-$14,000) and the BenQ DC W1240, which goes for the same price range.

16 and under

When I was in this age group, all I could think about was games and more games. To be honest, that largely hasn't changed. Anyway, games are the best thing to invest in for kids this season. The choices in this category are slim because at the moment the two top contenders are the Microsoft Xbox 360 ($30,000-$40,000) and the PlayStation 3 ($30,000-$50,000).

But if you already got Junior a game console, you could purchase the cool motion-sensor attachments that are on the market for both Xbox 360 and the PS3. They are the Kinect ($23,000-$25,000) for the Xbox 360, and the PlayStation Move, which needs the PlayStation Eye Camera ($4,000 and $6,000, respectively) and the Move controller ($4,000-$8,000).

PlayStation 3 Move Bundle

Xbox360 and Kinect

AOC LED monitor

Samsung Syncmaster P2370hd

When you reach this age, many 'worldly' things don't matter that much to you anymore. What does matter is memories of you and your growing family. So skip buying traditional gifts for middle-agers or old fogeys this season. Instead, give them something to think about.

The best way to do that is to buy yourself a photo printer and make them a personalised postcard, or just print photos of you and your family and give it to them. To be on the safe side, you need a darn good photo printer, and that's where the HP Photosmart Plus ($12,000-$13,000) comes in. This baby prints sharp pictures and also comes with built-in Wi-Fi, which makes it the perfect all-in-one printer.

HP Photosmart Plus all-in-one printer

26-40

I'm part of this gang, and we take pride in making our living spaces incredible for us and the opposite sex. The first step in transforming your castle is getting a fancy object that is most noticeable. In the electronics category, that object would certainly be a TV. The touch-sensitive-buttoned Samsung Syncmaster P2370HD ($32,000-$33,000) is ideal for persons who don't wanna splurge for the holidays.

If you are more of a computer person, I'd recommend switching your monitor to the new AOC Razor LED e2243Fw monitor ($17,000-$18,000), which is super thin and also has a touch-sensitive base.

41 and above