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How Many Sleeps To Christmas? 27 November 2002 Edition
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It's only late November and already we're seeing "Christmas" being advertised on TV.

Neil Martin continues to roll out his "over a thousand tips and branches" for those who prefer a sanitary plastic tree to the olfactory delight provided by a real pine -- and a myriad of other retailers are gearing up to annoy the snot out of us.

About this time of the year I usually start asking readers what they think would be the coolest gift for your average computer/Net user -- and here I am, doing it again.

Obviously the Microsoft Xbox (woohoo!.. there's another entry for me in the Microsoft draw to win a trip to E3 in LA next year) is probably a strong contender -- but what else tickles your fancy?


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Updated 29-Oct-2002

Maybe a handful of WiFi cards so that you can hook up all your PCs and the notebook computer without annoying cables? Anyone who's visited my place will be well aware that my "carefully concealed network of cables" is actually anything but.

What about a DVD writer? Today's modern PCs with their huge 40GB+ hard drive capacities really need something a little more practical than a puny 700MB CDR/RW drive to back-up their valuable contents don't they?

Readers Say
(updated irregularly)
  • One rule for us, another for... - Andrew
  • Awards... - Allister
  • x-mas goodie... - Adrian
  • backup... - Bahu
  • Christmas WishList... - Andy
  • Awards? - Why Not... - Murray
  • Christmas list... - Charlie
  • Backup... - Colin
  • Christmas Wish... - Hamish

    From Yesterday...

  • Public not the priority... - Mike
  • A conduct that stirs ... - Dominic
  • Have Your Say

    Maybe you lust after a PXT-capable cellphone -- the modern day equivalent of inviting friends around to view the pictures of your holidays. Does anyone remember "slides" and slide-projectors?

    Or (perhaps best of all) what about your own PC-based Tivo-like box? Okay -- yes, I know it's taken a lot longer than I'd planned but the next update on the Tivo-like PC project will be published this week and personally, I think it would make a brilliant family gift!

    However, one thing's for sure: the technophile is never short of gift suggestions -- so let's hear yours.

    Awards -- Who Needs Them?
    About this time of the year I've also tended to run the Aardvark Awards, but this year I don't know if it's worth the effort.

    The Netguide Awards were announced last week and produced barely a blip on the industry's radar screen.

    Other annual Net-related awards also seem to have suffered through an almost total lack of interest so why bother?

    Perhaps the biggest problem faced by people running these awards is that they end up being caught between a rock and a hard place.

    Let the public vote and it becomes easy for the results to be skewed by any "vote for us" campaign that might be mounted by a high-traffic (but not necessarily very good) site.

    Appoint a panel of independent judges and there's always going to be cries of "unfair" and "biased".

    What do you think? Should there be a 2002 Aardvark Awards?

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    Other media organisations seeking more information or republication rights are also invited to contact me.


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