High-Tech Gifts for Mother's Day
Show your love with a new LCD monitor, phone, or modem.Steve Bass
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Last year at about this time, I wrote "A PC Tune-Up for Mom." It not only proved that I'm a terrific son, but it also guaranteed I wouldn't forget the day. (It's May 9 this year, just in case you didn't know).
This time around I thought I'd go in a different direction and find some computing gifts you can get your mother. Of course, I'd encourage you to try some of these yourself first; you know, just to make sure they're really suited for your mom. (Stop chuckling, I've used this tactic for years.)
Monitors, phones, and modems are all things your mom could probably use.
A Spiffy LCD Monitor
If you're feeling flush, you might soothe your mother's eyes with an LCD monitor.
I've been using a Planar PX191 for the last few months. It's a well-designed, good-looking monitor with vivid, stunningly sharp colors and a nice compact size for a 19-incher. I really like being able to rotate the LCD from landscape to portrait mode when I'm working on a newsletter.
You can check the specs at Planar's site, and read the PC World review to see how it fared in our tests. I trust you're sitting, because the price is a stunner: About $750 according to the PC World Product Finder. [Note to Mom: You're not getting this. Nor am I. It's a loaner destined to be returned this week.]
Is the Planar too rich for your blood? Have a look at PC World's Top 5 17-Inch LCDs. Dell's 1703FP, at $529, got a Best Buy. And if that's still too hefty a price tag, check out our Top 10 15-Inch LCD Monitors. The $350 Iiyama ProLite E380S-B is a Best Buy on this chart.
Quick LCD Tip: Windows XP includes ClearType, a nifty feature for LCDs that's disabled by default. You can turn it on by going to Microsoft's site. [Hello, Microsoft? How about changing this in Service Pack 2, huh?]
Dig This: If you have a hamster that shares your home office and worry that he's not getting enough attention, look into the PC HabiCase. No, I won't describe it--you really have to see for yourself.
The Latest in Telephone Technology
My mother was once the last person in Southern California without a cordless phone. The one I chose for her is Uniden's 2.4-GHz Digital Expandable DCT 6485-2. It's got a built-in answering machine, a handset on the base and another handset she keeps upstairs in the computer room. I like that she can use the phone as an intercom to talk with my father when he's in the garage. The device also lets you add up to two more handsets. Our Product Finder has prices starting at about $120.
The downside is the phone broadcasts at 2.4 GHz, which could interfere with a Wi-Fi network--something my mother doesn't have because her lazy, good-for-nothing son still hasn't set one up for her. If Wi-Fi interference is a problem, check Uniden's 5.8-GHz version, about $170.
If you really love your mom, you'll want her to have the latest in phone technology. The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association show is the spot to see what innovations are coming down the pike. Some examples? Haier America's tiny phone pen, World Mobile Technologies' Cellular Jewelry that flashes when you get a call, and a GPS Locator Phone. Dial in and read about it in "CTIA 2004: Picks and Pans."
A Fast New Modem
You may have a speedy broadband connection, but I'm guessing your mother is still stuck on dial-up. How about treating her to a new modem, an external one with all the old standards--V.90 and K56Flex--as well as the new ones like V.44 and V.92 QuickConnect?
The Actiontec USB/Serial 56 Modem connects using either serial or USB ports (the USB method is way easier, with no old-fashioned interrupt hassles). BTW, even if she's on broadband, it's good to have a modem available. I was delighted to have one two weeks ago when my DSL connection went south for most of a work day. The modem costs about $40 and you can check prices at our Product Finder.
Dig This: I don't know about you, but my spam filter fails to block messages for a male performance enhancement drug that starts with the letter V. Ever wondered why that word sometimes slips though?