I want to thank everyone around the world who sent in their high-tech Christmas wishlists to me. Out of all the great entries I have picked the best and will be sending out the $20 (US) gift certificate via email very soon to the winner. My top three runners-up (along with my smart-alecky comments about each) are as follows:

"Dear Scott,

All I want for Christmas is BATTERIES, BATTERIES, BATTERIES!!!! I want batteries for all the little games, toys, and gadgets that never seem to come with them anymore. AA's, AAA's, C's, D's, Lithium, NiCad - you get the picture. Without batteries it will be a very quiet Christmas here at the Knight home this year, which would be a BAD thing.

Sincerely,
George A. Knight
Richmond, Virginia"

Mr. Knight's wish makes me wonder... Where are the "hydrogen fuel cells" we've all been hearing about? Most importantly, will the hydrogen fuel cell mobile phone battery last longer than the half an hour my mobile phone battery lasts?

"Hi, Scott,

High on my High Tech wish list are:

1. A laptop, so I don't have to borrow relative's computers while traveling.
2. A good solid HP Laser Printer/Copier/Scanner.
3. A digital camera, preferably a Nikon Coolpix 990 series.
4. Microsoft Windows XP

Warm Regards,
Grace Germany
Austin, Texas"

Ms. Germany, one of the few Free Republic members in leftist Austin, has a very wishful list. Mainly because HP hasn't had a "solid" all-in-one office product that works with any Microsoft operating system for years. HP printers are cheap and ubiquitous, but their driver support is really horrible (as an example, the generic HP OfficeJet 500 had no official drivers from HP for Windows 2000 driver until summer 2001).

"Dear Santa Scott:

1. Apple PowerBook, so I can finally see what my Mac friends see, be in the loop on Mac-goodies, and much more.
2. Latest Nikon Coolpix Digital Camera - simply 'cause it's the best! and Heather Champ, champ photographer has one.
3. Color PDA - I don't care which (actually, one PocketPC and one PalmOS would be cool so I can REALLY be thorough). I test a lot of PDA stuff and it's time I test in color and give more thorough reviews.
4. Peace among geeks and everyone else.

Thank you for reading my greed list.

Peacefully yours,
Meryl K. Evans
Plano, Texas"

I especially liked Ms. Evans' first one because it made the Apple Macintosh sound so ethereal... "Use a Mac and see things from the strange and mystifying 'Mac Dimension'." Of course, that's easy enough to do if don't have a Mac - just go to San Francisco. The "peace among geeks" and "greed list" parts made me a little uncomfortable though, like I was Regis Philbin at the Miss Geek Pageant 2001... The num

ber one list was sent at the LAST minute from Neish Carroll (it came in at 11:39 PM last night) who sent me a long, funny and through list:

Scott,

Here's my top ten tech wishlist for Christmas:

1. A handheld that works. My beautiful Sony Clie crapped out on me the first time I tried to put a new piece of software on that wasn't a game.

2. Something that would deliver an electric shock back to those who forward stupid email jokes and feel-good chain emails.

3. An operating system that actually works as advertised. I just received my brand new Dell Dimension 1.8 GHz P4 at work loaded with Windows XP Professional mind you, and I'm ripping my hair out. It seems designed to prevent those who know something about operating a computer from getting anything done. For an OS GUI that is supposed to more like the Mac GUI, talk about an interface not being intuitive. The damn thing is patronizing.

4. A computer that will actually do my work for me, allowing me to concentrate on the more important things in life, like beating the pants off some of these little preteen dirtbags in online game sites who only win because Mom and Dad got'em a T1 line.

5. A "virtual wedgie" for Bill Gates. He deserves it.

6. A flat panel TV that's as big as a small movie screen. Better to go after those little monsters mentioned in item four.

7. Computer labs for the homeless and the poor underprivileged youth of our country.

8. Anti-terrorist software that can take the offensive against those who perpetrate or aid those who ... I'm sorry, did I say anti-terrorist software? I meant to say anti-virus software.

9. A George W. Bush screensaver. and last but not least,

10. A GPS unit programmed with Bin Laden's exact coordinates. Enough said. That list gets you twenty bucks from me and Amazon.com! Thank you, Mr. Carroll and everyone else who sent in their lists. Merry Christmas to you all and Happy New Year!

Scott McCollum
Technology Editor
World Tribune
scott@worldtechtribune.com.
 

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