Author: Tiara Rea

Black Friday is always the most intense day on the planet…well, at least here in the US, especially in Orange County! People drive like maniacs, the malls and even grocery stores are crowded beyond repair, and if you so much as considered heading out to take advantage of a sale, you had to get there at the crack of dawn to be considered on time.

The holidays can be a mess, especially if you’re shopping for nerds, who require some of the most intricate and elaborate gifts in the world. Here at Lunarpages, we’re all a bunch of nerds at heart, and so I thought it would be nice to supply you guys with the top gifts this holiday season for your nerdy, geeky, dorky, super-freaky family and friends.

Number one on the hottest holiday gifts for nerds list would be Rock Band, not simply because I would shove innocent toddlers out of the way to get my own copy but because it represents one of the coolest video games on the market today. If you thought Guitar Hero was cool or have ever wanted to pretend you’re a rock star, Rock Band should be your main holiday gift. Brought to you by the gurus of games over at Harmonix Music Systems and MTV Games, Rock Band is a music video game where up to four players can experience rock stardom by playing guitar, bass, drums, or even singing. The game rates your performance in terms of accuracy, you can turn up or down the levels on the mic (in case you’re like me and a bit shy at parties), and the drumset mirrors the real thing. The coolest thing about Rock Band is that for about $170, you get a full drum set, a wireless guitar, the mic, and the game. Plus, it’s available for PS2, PS3, and Xbox 360, which means it’s actually pretty hard to miss out on this great game.

The Good: Available for multiple game systems, priced under $200, ability to download extra tracks on PS3 and Xbox 360 systems
The Bad: Waiting till Dec 18th to purchase it for PS2

Number two on the hottest holiday gifts for nerds would have to be iPod Touch. Now, as a friend of mine said, “real nerds use PCs” – while I mostly agree, I don’t think anybody can ignore the awesomeness that is the iPod Touch and a lot of people these days buy Mac products and own a PC. Basically, the iPod Touch is the same as the iPhone…except that it’s not a phone. But for people like me, who wanted all the iPhone features but didn’t care as much that it was a phone, this is a great gift. The iPod Touch comes with a flawless 3.5” widescreen display to watch music videos, movies, trailers, TV shows, etc, as well as a multi-touch interface that allows you to zoom, copy, type, and pan across virtual dimensions. With Wi-Fi web browsing, the iPod Touch can do pretty much anything you’d like it to. Prices start under $300, though I’d bet you can find a deal through various Apple stores or retailers for this holiday season.

The Good: Um…everything? It’s Apple, it’s chic, it’s awesome.
The Bad: Still kind of expensive, though honestly for what it does, it’s worth every penny.

Number three on the hottest holiday gifts for nerds list is a blanket statement for Gaming Systems. The two I’m specifically talking about are PlayStation3 and Wii (though I know I’m going to get kicked for not including Xbox 360). In Sony’s case, they market PS3 as a “computer entertainment system” and that pretty aptly describes its purpose. It features a built-in Blu-Ray Disc drive, high-definition graphics, 20-80GB hard drives, space for up to 7 controllers, WiFi connectivity…and oh yeah, it plays games too. It competes directly with Nintendo’s Wii, which is marketed as the next generation of video game consoles. The Wii is set up quite differently than its predecessors, with games that make you jump up and down, dance, and use the Wiimotes in various ways, such as acting as wands (hooray for the Harry Potter Wii game!), baseball bats, fishing poles, flashlights, and more. With WiFi connectivity, Miis (mini Wii players’ alter egos), and a more interactive edge, the Wii is a pretty awesome holiday gift.

The Good: Both systems come with plenty of internal hard drive storage, Wi-Fi, and the top games in the industry. In Wii’s case, the price falls into this category too, as it’s around $250.
The Bad: The price of the PS3, which ranges between $399-499. For that price, I’ll stick with my Wii and PS2 for now.

And finally, number four on the hottest gifts for nerds this holiday season…web hosting from Lunarpages! Nerds and non-nerds will greatly benefit from Lunarpages Holiday Sale, offering $30 off any 12 or 24 month Shared Hosting purchase for current Lunarpages customers! Use the coupon code XMAS30 to get $30 off your next LP purchase or purchase a 2nd account for a friend. It’s never been easier with your instant $30 savings.

Runners up for my gift guide include a gamer’s chair with speakers, a new Mac computer pre-installed with Mac OS 10.5 “Leopard”, a new Windows PC with Vista, and the full set of Harry Potter books (1-7) in hardcover – can’t get much nerdier than that. There are tons of gifts out there for the 2007 holiday season, but the above ideas are just some to think about. Enjoy, and feel free to contribute.