If you haven’t noticed, our country survives when we buy stuff. We buy houses and the economy booms. Black Friday is the new Fourth of July in America. Love it or hate it, it’s reality.  If you missed out on waiting in line at 4 am last Friday, here are some shopping tips for helping get our country back into the black.

HDTVs

TVs are this year’s game system. Last year, people were choking their neighbors for a Wii. This year, folks will be braving the swine flu for a new HDTV. LCD or Plasma? 1080p or 720p? What does it mean if it has a 120hz refresh rate?

The knock on Plasma used to be it’s lifespan. Specifically, it was shorter than an LCD. Modern manufacturing has changed this and now they have roughly the same lifespan, which is to say neither will last nearly as long as your old tube television, just like my fancy washer and dryer will never last as long as the one my parents had for 18 years. In fact, my jeans will outlive both. Yay for disposable appliances. 120hz refresh rate is, as far as I can tell, not important. Even the geeks at CNET can’t tell a 60HZ refresh rate from a 120hz refresh rate, so don’t believe for a minute that the helpful little goof at Best Buy can tell the difference. As long as it’s 1080p, you’ll be happy. And the difference between 1080p and 720p is really obvious as soon as you try to play a Blu-ray or Xbox 360 or PS3 games.

E-book Readers

This was supposed to be the new iPod. Which is totally true if you are comparing it to the first iPod that was 5GB, had a black and white LCD  screen, and was about the size of a deck of cards. I’m sorry Sony and Amazon, but you are manufacturing technology that will be completely obsolete sometime next year when Apple releases the tablet. It’s going to happen. I’m not just a delusional fanboy. If you buy an e-book reader for a loved one this christmas, include a sweet little note that says “Don’t invest in accessories. This gift is only good for a few months at best. Love, Johnny.” Then ask your friend to slap you for wasting $200.

GPS

I’m embarrassed to say it, but I need one of these. Sorta. My iPhone has awesome Google Maps integration which almost does the same thing. It doesn’t tell me in a snobby english accent that I missed my turn and now it’s recalculating. Again. But if I quickly glance down at my phone it will confirm that i’m not quite at my destination yet. I should really have a GPS. If you leave Wichita once a year, it’s probably worth it. You can also buy one for the family member you don’t like and program the “Home” location somewhere in Nebraska. Eventually your sister-in-law will get the hint. Hint: for extra fun, definitely find the snottiest British voice on the GPS. After each time it has to recalculate, the voice gets more and more irritated.

DSLR Cameras

Nikon must be feeling crushed by Canon because it seems everyone has a great deal on Nikon DSLRs this year. I’ve been shopping DSLRs for a couple years and, if you aren’t buying for a professional photographer, you can get a great consumer DSLR with an extra lens at no less than 3 different retailers this season. If you’re spending real money on someone this year, a DSLR makes a great gift (and can mark the beginning of a serious hobby).

Computers

I always think these are the biggest scam each year. Here is my recommendation: if it has a Celeron processor, run away as fast as you can. If it’s pre-loaded with Windows XP, it’s because it’s underpowered – otherwise it would have Vista or Windows 7.  And while Atom processors are great for 10 inch netbooks, they’ll probably be obselete by February in a 15″ laptop. Buyer beware.

What am I asking for this Christmas?

Well, I’m pretty blessed. Really, I haven’t even thought about a wish list. I’m going to be looking for an opportunity to donate some time and money to help some of the many families who are struggling this year and encouraging my kids to do the same.

And I’m totally holding out for the Apple Tablet next year.

Image Credit

Related posts:

1. [shop] local: Holiday Gift Guide
2. [shop] The Disappearing Local Business
3. [shop] Don’t Be a Dumbass on Black Friday
4. [read] 12 Days of Gift Ideas for Your Favorite Bookworm
5. [do] Homemade Holiday Gifts That Don’t Suck