My wife is upset with me because there are no affordable items on my Christmas wishlist, she says that because I’m a geek (and therefore by deduction you will understand that she is not) it is very difficult for her to know what to get me, and that every time I find something I want it is both too geeky, and over budget for Christmas; I’m not sure whether this is a unique problem, or whether there is a global phenomenonen in terms of the fact that the things we want are getting more and more expensive, or maybe I am really just a geek.
So the truth of the matter is that I tend to have expensive taste and I like toys too (toys have never been cheap, even Lego was pricey relatively speaking), so some of the items that are top of mind for Santa this year:
- Macbook Air: It seems that every year I want a new PC, laptop or netbook, but the truth is that these very small, super powerful machines have become an accessory that talks about who we are. I’m
Apply because I’m cool, and I’m small and light so that it can always be with me because I’m the sort of geek who needs to be able to blog or surf the web or reply to an email or make friends on Facebook wherever I might be. Available from www.apple.com and depending on the specs a starting budget of $999 (but you know the base config will never do!).
- iPad: So this year has seen the tablet craze with the launch of the iPad which has now taken up 95% of market share. I resisted the temptation to buy one from the first iteration, since there are several features that still need to be added or upgraded when they launch version 2 sometime next spring (not least the camera, and hopefully a USB connection); that being said, if I found it under the tree this
year I wouldn’t throw it out with the box! Available from www.apple.com and budget of $829 because you really need the 64GB Wi-Fi+3G.
- iPhone 4 & Android phone: I wrote a post a while ago about phones, wallets and keys being the most personal items and the ones that you never leave home without. So it’s only fitting that they are upgraded on a yearly basis and appear on the list – the wallet is further down, and not sure what I can about the keys (apart from get a new car, also further down) but from a phone point-of-view, I’d like to throw in my Blackberry for both an iPhone and an Android OS phone too. I always thought I was a Blackberry-lifer, but it feels about the right time to move to something new. The iPhone is available from most major operators at around $299 (again, the fully loaded version), and I’m still undecided on an Android phone, but probably an HTC.
Mustang Shelby GT500: No Christmas list should go without a shiny new car, and this year it has to be the Ford Mustang – I’ve been wanting one of these since the first time the US tried to kick-start the economy with interest free credit back in the early 2000s. There are of course plenty of other cars that I’d love to have parked in front of the house, and many that are more suited to my personal situation and more adapted to the image I should portray of myself on a daily basis; but at the end of the day, I’m a boy racer at heart, and here the Shelby GT500 is the dog’s… It’s a shame about the keys that Ford offer (I have an Edge) since they haven’t mastered the fold away and there is still that metal prong that scratches your phone and wallet and cuts a hole in your pocket and leg… But the music of the V8 makes up for all that.
- Paul Smith wallet: As fashion brands go, I’ve always been a lover of the modern-traditional look that Paul Smith manages to achieve, and even in accessories like this wallet there are the touches that make all the difference, here the outside is nothing compared to the explosion of expression that the inside reveals. Budget about $230.
- Wifi photo frame: As we live far away from our respective families (we are in Dubai, with families in London, Paris & Florida) we want to find a low-tech way of keeping in touch and sharing our lives in a more animated way beyond Facebook. One of the responses to this is a gift that I bought for my wife, so I can’t reveal it now (the product will appear here… after Christmas) and another response is the latest iteration of digital photo frames that can be updated over the internet – rather than a data card or cable that needs to be connected, the frame itself is connected via Wifi to a dedicated email address, online album or even Facebook, allowing it to be dynamically updated by whoever from wherever. This is exactly what we need to leave on the mantelpiece at home and send regular updates via photo… no logging onto email or downloading, just straight to the viewer. Budget approx $150 depending on brand/model.
- Wifi HDD: So we spend far too much time at home copying things between computers (we have PCs and a Mac), emailing files and photos and generally trying to be networked when we aren’t. So this is the solution to end all of this and give us close to unlimited storage over Wifi, and also allow me to connect the hard disk to the TV and our media player as well as the computers. Budget approx $200.
- White shirts: The uniform of the geek-entrepeneur era is the white shirt – I guess trying to separate us from the blue collar workers. These are my daily staple and they need to vary in usage from matching up with a suit & tie and a pair of jeans. I particularly like those with the special touch which might be a coloured button or buttonhole.
- Farmhouse in South of France: It’s never too early to think about retirement and where better to think about living out our days that close to the Cote d’Azur. I dream of a house with a garden and pool where we can laze out in the sun and hidden away from busy roads, tourists and the general public. Maybe an old mas that we could start to renovate ourselves, and somewhere that could really feel like a home for all the family. Budget: endless
- Apartment in Manhattan:
For the days when we aren’t in the South of France, the only other real place to live is in Manhattan, but this requires a decent budget for the right sort of place, so it’s definitely on my list (just leave the keys under the tree, I can pick up locally).
- Labrador retriever: And finally the last item that I’m waiting for under the tree this year, sitting next to our beloved cat, Tartufo, is man’s best friend – a dog. I’ve longed all my life for a labrador to keep us company, so maybe we can start this year.
What are you waiting for under the tree? Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!
