'Tis the season, dear readers, when Chrismuhannukwanzakah occupies the hearts and minds of many, and holiday-themed displays saturate the aisles at retailers everywhere. It may be the thought that counts, but thought alone probably won't produce that winning smile from a friend or family member who has just unwrapped that super cool gift they secretly (or perhaps not so secretly) wanted.

Looking for some ideas to give the gadget-lover in your life? Or are you a technophile wanting to spread the joy of gadget lust to friends and family? Follow the continued link and check out our roundup of holiday gift guides, gift ideas on the cheap (and where to get them), and a compendium of our buying guides all in one place. We have some individual holiday guides still to come as well, so we'll keep updating this page with the new arrivals. Happy gift giving!

 

Gifting without breaking the bank

Holiday gift guide: Cheap gift ideas
Just because some of the tech toys that are worth obsessing over are expensive doesn't mean all gadget gifts have to break the bank. With a little creativity and skill, finding the right tech gift for a loved one can be a simple solution that can make a big impact.

 

Holiday gift guide: Best places to find electronics deals on the web
We gave you a list of items that can be purchased on the cheap, but where can you go to get the best deals? Fortunately for you, we've compiled a list of our favorite places to get deals on tech items. We'd like to note that none of these companies have contacted us, provided us with merchandise or money in exchange for our recommendation. These are companies we've worked with in the past who have left a good impression on some of the editors of Obsessable.

Best Black Friday deals for 2008
Retailers are doing their best to ignore the non-commercializable Thanksgiving holiday sandwiched between two of the most commercial holidays. And while we're all about Turkey Day, let's be real: We're looking for the best tech deals on Friday just as much as everyone. With that said, let's not wait any longer to reveal some of the best Black Friday deals around.

 

Holiday gift guides

Blu-ray players
While our conventional wisdom has told potential Blu-ray buyers to simply stick with the PS3, we're actually rethinking our strict buying advice with some worthy Blu-ray contenders hitting the marketplace this holiday season. Chief among our picks? Blu-ray players for under $200. Read on as we look at our holiday picks for Blu-ray players.

Camcorders
Have the next Spielberg of YouTube on your hands? Think about a camcorder as a holiday gift. Camcorders range dramatically in price, from the cheap cameras that simply have a "record" button to the cameras that'll help aspiring videographers create high-quality video. Join us as we break down some of our favorites.

Cell phones
A cell phone is something a person has to use every day, so gift givers thinking about giving a phone to a loved one need to make their list and check it twice for the perfect gift. Carriers have tried their best to oblige cell phone shoppers as they've released their major phone contenders for the holiday shopping season, and we can help get you set up on the right track to find the perfect gift phone this holiday season.

Plus, don't miss the comparator!

Desktops for $400 or less
Does a loved one in your life have an old clunker of a machine that can't even surf the internet without slowdowns or crashes? Luckily, modern computers are cheap. Dirt cheap. We set a top threshold of $400 and found some computers that are pretty decent to replace an older machine.

Digital cameras
One of our favorite holiday gifts to both give and recieve is a good digital camera. For the giver, count on seeing many pictures taken from the recipient and sent to you via email. For the receiver, ditching that old cam for a new shiny toy is always a fun gift. Read on as we break down our holiday gift guide for our top 10 digital camera picks this season.

Check out the holiday digital cameras comparator too!

Gaming:

 

Game console bundles
Black Friday may be over, but that doesn't mean holiday deals have ended. Quite the contrary, especially for the ever elusive but ever popular game console. Every parent hopes a present will inspire as much adulation and excitement as the Nintendo 64, but even if the kids might not have a YouTube-worthy freakout, we'll nevertheless help you find the right console and save a few bucks in the process.

Wii accessory essentials for your holiday wishlist
For the past two holiday seasons, Nintendo has managed to position their Wii console as one of the hottest electronic gifts around. Their reign looks to continue this year as retailers are already running very short on (if not completely sold out of) the console. While this is a pretty impressive feat on its own given the fact that the console is now two years old, there is plenty that Nintendo hasn’t included in the box which remains essential to a truly glii-ful (sorry, Wii puns can't be stopped) Wii experience. Join us as we run down a list of accessories that will surely make your Wii-centric holiday parties a time to remember.

Xbox 360 holiday bundles
Microsoft have tried to make the Xbox 360 the most appealing game console for parents and gamers alike. The company recently dropped the price of the low end Xbox 360 Arcade console (which omits a hard drive) down to $199, which puts it as the lowest priced game console, $50 cheaper than the $250 Wii. Now, the company has announced plans to up the ante even further by bundling a few different games to the available console packages.

More gadgets:

GPS
Finding your way around town happens one of three ways: Have experience in the city, get lost enough times to gain experience, or ask someone who knows where they're going. Rather than stumble around new surroundings aimlessly, using a navigation system can all but eliminate the bad directions, lost maps and other travel frustrations. Many people won't buy a GPS unit for themselves, but people who've given GPS units in the past as gifts know how thankful the recipient is once they've used them for a month or two. Join us as we break down the best GPS devices for the holiday season.

Laptops
Finding the right notebook to give as a gift takes a bit of time commitment, especially since there are so many. Instead of sifting through the thousands of laptops around, we've broken down some of our favorite notebooks in each category that are perfect for giving as a gift this holiday season. Read on and see our picks for 2008.

Netbooks
2008 saw the creation of one big consumer electronics category: Netbooks. Starting with the original Eee PC, these netbooks spawned many imitators flooding the market with their little laptops. Now with the holiday season fast approaching, netbooks could definitely make a great gift for a loved one — that is, if you can sort through the dozens of different machines. Rather than rounding up all the different options, we're going to show you some of our favorite netbook choices.

Check out the netbooks comparator too!

Portable media players
Christmas 2005, 2006 and 2007 all had one hot consumer electronic item shared betwixt the three years: The iPod. While the iPod isn't quite as poised to be the holiday 2008 juggernaut that its been over the last few years, that doesn't mean a portable media player is going to be a bad gift. This year's crop of PMPs is particularly exceptional, and outside of certain fruit branded MP3 players, the devices are starting to look like a bargain. Join us as we take a look at some of our favorite portable media players this holiday season.

Plus, don't miss the comparator!

 

Buying Guides

Camcorder buying guide
Whether it's a ballet recital, soccer game or a wedding, camcorders have become a fixture in the American family. Recording the special moments in life is something we often take for granted now, but as anyone knows who's been apart from a loved one, a video can help bring all the memories rushing back. To make sure those memories are captured the way that you need, rather than rely on self-interested sales people to show you the way, we've put together this buying guide that'll help you pick the perfect camcorder for your situation.

Cell phone buying guide
Sometimes it feels like the best way to buy a cell phone is to close your eyes and randomly point at one. There are so many different brands and styles, all with a plethora of varying features, that purchasing one can be an overpowering experience. Do you go for the tiniest phone possible, or a big one loaded with features? What about memory cards? Can it play a ringtone of “My Sharona” by The Knack? Purchasing a cell phone may seem like an impossible challenge, but by examining the features individually and considering your actual needs, you’ll find there’s a cell phone for everyone.

Digital camera buying guide
There is a digital camera out there for every kind of would-be photographer. Whether you just like to take pictures on vacation, or you’ve decided to try your hand at becoming a professional, there’s a digital camera tailored to your needs. The problem is there are so many digital cameras out there, each with its own set of features, that trying to choose one can make a person swear off photography altogether. This guide helps cut through the confusion by explaining the concepts you're most likely to encounter in your search for a new camera.

HDTV buying guide
Walking into an electronics store and being faced with a wall of large panel HDTVs can be daunting. Then you're made to feel like an idiot when the sales person starts spewing statistics and acronyms that sound like a combination of Latin and calculus. Buying a flat screen HDTV is far easier than store sales staffs for electronics "experts" make it. You need only consider four questions, all of which can be answered before you step foot into a store.

Home Theater in a Box buying guide
Some home theater buyers long for the crystal clear audio of 5.1 surround sound in a home turned cinema without spending all the time and effort of researching every individual part — and without spending a lot of money. Luckily, manufacturers have heard the cries of the overwhelmed home theater purchaser and have created the Home Theater in a Box (HTiB for short). We'll explain exactly what a HTiB is and who should buy one as we run down a buying guide for picking the perfect Home Theater in a Box.