Set-Top Boxes

Don't buy: A fake media extender.
SanDisk Sansa TakeTV is, to me, a silly device. It extends the media from your PC to your TV via sneakernet. So you transfer the media from your PC to the thumb drive and then plug the drive into a special dock connected to your TV. Puh-lease! It's a perfect gift for people who stopped thinking in 2002.

Maybe buy: A standalone media extender.
A few companies like Linksys and Netgear are selling media extenders that should connect your PC and all its content to your TV and audio systems, but I worry that they're still too complex. And, with most homes lacking wired networking and still running 802.11b or 802.11g, these living rooms will be filled with more frustration than image and video enjoyment. If you're wedded to iTunes on one or more of your PCs, Apple TV could be the shortest distance between your stored digital content and your living room.

Do buy: An Xbox 360.
Your children want an Xbox 360 (yes, they also want a Nintendo Wii). But you should want one, too, because if you have a full-blown Media Center PC in the house, this gaming console is ready to extend the media from the PC to your TV and audio devices with a minimum amount of fuss. BTW: This is the perfect pitch for your wife, "Honey, it's two devices in one. I'll be saving us, like, $500!"

Digital Media Players

Don't buy: PC-less players.
These players from Haier and Slacker sound cool—there's no PC required and music streams directly from a Wi-Fi connection—but the reality is that they're not ready for prime time. The more content you put on Haier's arguably innovative new player, the slower it gets. Plus, though Slacker (which works with Internet Radio stations) will work with open Wi-Fi networks, it pulls music onto the hard drive for off-line playback. So how is that so different than what you do with an iPod classic?

Maybe buy: A Zune.
Not everyone owns an iPod or uses iTunes. For these folks, the best choice for a hard drive–based player today is the Zune 80GB. Like Apple, Microsoft wants you to buy into the Zune ecosystem. Use the Zune with the Zune Marketplace. If you like that kind of thing and more features than you can find on the iPod classic, the new Zune is for you.

Do buy: An iPod touch.
The most lust-worthy digital music player ever made simply has no equal.—next: Printers & Storage >

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