Six more gifts

In these belt-tightening times, buying an expensive holiday gift for a friend or loved one isn’t always possible. If that’s your predicament, then check out last week’s column in which I reviewed six great gifts for under $100.

Still with me? Then here are six holiday gifts for travelers on a bigger budget who want value from their gizmos:

The Compaq Armada notebook series is more computer than most road warriors could possibly use. The M700 model comes with a 1GHz processor, a 14.1-inch display, a 30GB hard drive, and up to four hours of battery life. The part I like best about the Armada is its weight: less than five pounds. Now is a great time to buy an Armada (or any notebook computer for that matter), because you won’t have to do battle with Windows ME, which was a woefully lacking operating system. The new system will ship with Windows XP. The part I like least about the Armada? Same thing I dislike about any major purchase: the price. Although for about $2,500, you’re getting your money’s worth.

The Sharp DV-L80U portable DVD player offers a nice alternative to the in-flight movie, with an eight-inch LCD screen and enough battery life to watch “Gone With the Wind.” Price: $1,599.95. Why spend that much on a DVD player? I asked a Sharp spokesman and he said the screen is specially designed for viewing a film. PC screens don’t feature the 16:9 widescreen ratio (you get a black line on the top and bottom of the screen), and few if any come with Virtual Dolby Surround Sound. Airport DVD rentals are one of the fastest-growing businesses, and deservedly so. Maybe a day will come when every traveler will be issued a DVD player and a rental club membership in the name of good taste. Let the flight attendants watch the in-flight movie.

Prefer a book? Then try giving the traveler in your life an RCA REB1100, a portable reader for electronic books. Choose from your favorite Stephen King novel or browse today’s issue of The New York Times. The reader solves one of the most enduring problems on a plane, which is how to read an entire newspaper without getting the crumpled leftovers on your seatmate. Of course, a Stephen King novel isn’t going to run out of juice, either. But with up to 40 hours of battery life, that’s something you don’t have to worry about to the same extent that you’d fret over your laptop’s battery. Price: $299.

If you’ve got a friend or family member who’s constantly buried under a stack of business cards, then maybe a CardScan product would help. I’m hoping to review this product in more detail in a future column, but when I finally was able to install the software for my CardScan Executive, it did exactly what it was supposed to. It turned paper business cards into digital addresses and allowed me to clean my desk. (I say “finally” because the version I got didn’t work with Windows XP-a glitch that will probably be fixed by the time this is published.) Price: $299.

Some of the sturdiest luggage I’ve had the opportunity to test is made by Lodis, which specializes in combining the best elements of ballistic nylon with leather. For $275, the Onyx Leather and ballistic nylon combination carry-on makes a superb roll-on for your laptop, cell phone, and important papers. It’s thoughtfully designed, with deep front pockets and even a section for CDs and disks. I was particularly impressed by the look of this luggage-sleek, elegant, and functional.

I normally also include a camera in my gift roundup. Of all the digital units sent to me for review, I liked the Argus DC 1600 best. Why? Because it’s small, takes a lot of pictures, and is relatively easy to use. The “spy cam” also shoots up to 10 seconds of video. Another neat feature: You can hook it up to your PC and use it for videoconferencing. With a list price of $120, it also won’t break the bank.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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