Christmas Gifts for Computer Geeks

By Richard Morochove

First published December 12, 1996

It’s getting to feel a lot like Christmas. If you’ve got a computer geek or two on your gift list, here are my recommendations. From computer novice to advanced Web-site builder, there’s something for everyone.

For the student, what better to give than the gift of knowledge? And what better choice than the flagship offering from the world’s largest publisher of encyclopedias, Microsoft?

MS Encarta 97 Encyclopedia, Deluxe Edition ($109 from Microsoft Canada) now comes on two CDs, which allows more multimedia content than before, including a 3D panorama of the Roman Coliseum. This is one encyclopedia that won’t get out of date as soon as you buy it. The Windows 95 package includes 18 months of online updates and more than 4,000 links to additional information on the World Wide Web.

An excellent companion is MS Encarta 97 Encyclopedia World Atlas ($69.95 from Microsoft Canada). You can view 3D maps and images of the Earth from space, as well as more conventional example of the cartographer’s art. Keep up to date with over 7,000 Web links to sites about cities and places, using this CD for Windows 95.

And in the category of useless knowledge, the winner is You Don’t Know Jack XXL, from Berkeley Systems (about $55) for Windows and Macintosh. Compete in a trivia game show, moderated by a host with attitude, against up to two other players to answer 2,000 trivia questions. Jack’s a lot of fun at parties, but contains mature content, so it isn’t suitable for young children.

Holidays are a time for making memories. Relive those memories with photos of loved ones that can be transferred to a computer. The MGI PC PhotoStarter Kit ($29.95 from MGI Software) includes everything needed to take photos you can use with your PC. Create custom wallpaper, photo calendars or post them on your Web site. The kit comes with a 12 exposure roll of 35mm film, a Photo Idea Guide instructional booklet and MGI PhotoSuite Starter Edition software for Windows. The kit includes free film processing to disk. Load the images from the disk and use the software to apply special effects and add word balloons, frames and props before printing them or uploading them to the Web.

If someone on your gift list perennially complains about never having enough money, you could do worse than giving a copy of Quicken 97 Deluxe, ($80 or less from Intuit Canada). This personal finance program helps keep tabs on spending and budgets and the new version includes online links to update the market values of stock investments.

It’s not too early to begin thinking about income taxes. QuickTax Deluxe HeadStart version ($39.95 from Intuit Canada) calculates personal income tax returns. New this year is an RRSP analyzer that shows taxes saved with varying contributions. The Windows program includes online versions of several tax planning books as well as official Revenue Canada tax guides.

For the stock market guru, Traders Edge, ($79.95 from Trader's Edge Inc. of Richmond Hill, Ont.) helps manage investment portfolios. The Windows program prepares reports and graphs that show the performance of investments. It even handles the translation of securities priced in a foreign currency and keeps all the records needed for income tax purposes.

Utility software keeps a PC running smoothly by checking for viruses and fixing common problems that can pop up. Norton Utilities for Windows 95 from Symantec Canada can fix just about everything, but it’s pricey and is overkill for most. So Symantec has released a pair of more basic fixer-uppers for Windows 95.

Healthy PC (about $40) checks for viruses and removes most common ones including the notorious Microsoft Word macro virus. It also optimizes a hard drive to improve performance.

PC Handyman ($69.95) is one step up. In addition to the capabilities of Healthy PC, Handyman also provides solutions for more than 20,000 potential problems, from hooking up a printer to more serious hard drive problems. The program runs in the background and alerts users when it detects a problem and fixes it. It includes CrashGuard that offers protection against losing files as a result of software crashes and freeze-ups.

If your giftee has recently acquired a Windows computer, Windows 95 Simplified by the maranGraphics Development Group ($24.95 from Prentice Hall Canada) is an excellent introductory guide. As with all the maranGraphics books, it features easy-to-read instructions and is gloriously illustrated with plenty of screen views and other graphics. Anyone can understand Windows 95 after reading this book.

There are computer books for dummies and idiots. Now there’s a series for busy people. The World Wide Web for Busy People, by Stephen L. Nelson ($32.95 from Osborne/McGraw-Hill) is an introduction to logging on and exploring the Web. It covers everything from the hardware and software needed to hook up to how to use search engines to find stuff and download files. Combine this book with a subscription to an online service for a super gift.

Another book in the series is intended for more advanced users already on the Web who want to set up their own site. Web Publishing with Netscape for Busy People by Christian Crumlish and Malcolm Humes ($32.95 from Osborne/McGraw-Hill) covers all the essentials of how to publish pages on the Web using Netscape Navigator Gold and its Netscape Editor module.

Finally, even the most experienced Webmasters will appreciate HTML Sourcebook by Ian S. Graham ($39.95 from Wiley Computer Publishing). This thick reference covers it all, from basic to advanced commands and helpful Web-building techniques. I referred to it when building my Web site and it answered every question. CW