Jolly old St. Rick recommends....

By Richard Morochove

First published December 10, 1998

The thermometer may say October but the calendar says Christmas is fast approaching. If you're scratching your head thinking what you might buy for the computer nerd in your family, here are my high-tech gift suggestions.

A young one who can't type can still have fun with technology. I like the latest additions to Microsoft's ActiMates collection of interactive dolls. Last year purple dinosaur Barney was a bestseller for Microsoft. This year Bill Gates (who's expecting an addition to his family next June) placed his bet on the star of the kids' TV program, Arthur, along with his baby sister D.W.

Once a kid squeezes one of the 7 touch sensors located in the hands, ears, feet or wristwatch, Arthur comes to life, displaying realistic movements. Chatty Arthur, with an impressive vocabulary of 4,000 words, asks if your child wants to play a game or sing along to such popular tunes as, "The night they drove old Microsoft down." OK, I confess I made that song up. More of a computer peripheral than a typical doll, add-ons include a TV pack with interactive videos so Arthur can chat and react to the on-screen activities.

For an older child, consider some software to help out with the homework. The 1999 Canadian Encyclopedia Deluxe Edition from McClelland & Stewart includes 7 CDs chock-full of multimedia reference information, which should provide enough help to research most essays. In addition to the standard encyclopedia, there are discs devoted to Canadian airplanes, stamps and the history of the north.

Microsoft's Bookshelf is a good all-round reference work that features a dictionary, atlas, thesaurus and much more, including links to educational websites.

If encyclopedias and dictionaries sound more like work than play, an MP3 player should be music to your ears. Many independent bands are skipping deals with the major labels and releasing their music direct to fans on the Internet using the MP3 format for compressed digital audio. While MP3 music can be played on a multimedia PC, this ties you to the desktop.

Now there's a new specialized MP3 music player from Diamond Multimedia that's portable so you can carry it anywhere. The Rio PMP300 is smaller than an audio cassette and stores up to 60 minutes of digital-quality sound. The PMP300 has no moving parts and plays back up to 12 hours of music powered by a single AA battery.

If the object of your affection uses a PC that's more than a couple of years old, chances are the graphics are something less than dazzling and a tad slow. Buying a new PC would quickly cure that problem but also clean out your wallet. A new 3D graphics accelerator board is a less expensive solution that can deliver all the gee-whiz in the hottest games. I like the Rage Fury board from ATI Technology, among the many good graphics boards available.

If you'd like to introduce someone to cyberspace without the complications and expense of a full-blown PC, then take a look at Microsoft's WebTV. The computing device, made by Sony, sits atop a TV like an extra converter. I also recommend you purchase the optional keyboard that makes it easier to write E-mail messages.

WebTV is as easy to set up as a VCR. Upon payment of a monthly subscription fee, WebTV unlocks the door to the World Wide Web and E-mail as well as providing enhanced program listings of the coming week's TV shows.

I've reviewed many handheld organizers, but I still like the combination of ease of use and portability delivered by the Palm family from 3Com. The company recently announced a wireless (and rather pricey) Palm VII handheld, but it won't be available until next year.

Right now the top of the line remains the Palm III. It has 2 megabytes of RAM, sufficient to store 6,000 addresses, five years of appointments (about 3,000 entries), 1500 to-do's, 1,500 memos and 200 e-mail messages. Other, less expensive models, include the Palm Pilot Professional and Personal. They provide less memory and don't come with an infrared communicator.

If a computer owner you love is hardware rich but software poor, then I recommend Microsoft's Home Essentials. It's just that, a collection of useful software including Word for writing, Encarta 98 encyclopedia, a greeting card creation program and Money for keeping track of the bills.

If time is running short and still can't find something you think is right for a computer user, I have one word of advice. Consumables. Yes, buy supplies used by the computer system. Computer supplies such as ink jet cartridges, laser printer toner, paper and recordable CDs will always be put to good use. Just write down the make and model of the equipment so you buy the right stuff. CW