For a present that will keep on giving long after faddish items lose their luster, consider a new computer -- the true thinking person's gift.

Desktop computer: iMac Core 2 Duo

We can't in good conscience recommend buying a Windows PC this holiday season. With the consumer versions of Windows Vista shipping in late January of 2007, the Windows world is simply too up in the air right now. Sure, you can buy an XP machine with a Vista upgrade coupon, but do you really want to buy someone a gift that requires installing a new operating system in a month or two? We didn't think so.

Instead, why not give your loved one a space-saving, multimedia-savvy, user-friendly computer that offers the best out-of-box experience of any consumer system on the market? The models in Apple's gorgeous iMac line, ranging from $999 to $1,999, house the computer's guts inside svelte 17-in., 20-in. or stunning 24-inch widescreen displays. The Mac OS X Tiger operating system is visually appealing and easy for even beginners to master, and the included iLife software suite provides all the tools you need to organize your photos, burn CDs and DVDs, create blogs and podcasts, and more.

All that style is backed by the power and efficiency of Intel's Core 2 Duo processor, and all iMacs except the bottom-line model offer speeds of 2.0 GHz or faster, at least 1GB of memory, an 8x double-layer SuperDrive for playing and burning CDs and DVDs, and an ATI Radeon X1600 or better graphics processor. For the best balance of price, features and display size, go for the 20-in. model. If price is no object, it's the 24-in. model all the way.