The definitive 2011 IT nerd Christmas List
(Above) Happy Holidays!
If you stare a screen for 8 – 12 hours a day (like nerd truly to your left), then you may be obtuse to the fact that Christmas lights have sprung up like tents around Wall Street. Fellow nerds, we are officially awash in the 2011 Christmas season. So, before Grandma buys you another J.C. Penny turtleneck, shoot her a link to a Woot! t-shirts.
Russell’s IT Ultra Nerd
2011 Christmas List
VMWare Workstation 8.0 – Virtualize nearly any platform on nearly any computer worth it’s weight in salt; run Windows XP, Ubuntu and RedHat Enterprise Linux… at the same time in Windows7! Workstation 8.0 was just released, so buy a license now and get the most future-proof bang for your buck!
BlueLounge: The Sanctuary – Trying to run out the door and can’t find your keys? Or getting ready to go, only to find that your cellphone is dead? Can’t keep track of every proprietary charging cord? You need the Sanctuary. A gorgeous wooden box that serves as a charging station and ‘drop place’ for all of your pocket necessities.
Substrata: Wooden cases for iOS devices – Just about everyone has a portable iOS device in their life… and just about everyone that has dropped that portable iOS device. I’ve dropped by iPhone 4S half a dozen times, often on asphalt while hopping out of the car; thanks to the wooden case I keep mine wrapped in, it’s never been broken or damaged. Wooden cases are sustainable and gorgeous, and a great talking piece.
Woot.com t-shirts – Everyday, the site features a new fan-designed t-shirt for only $10.00 (price includes shipping). Or, buy previously featured shirts for $15.00. Chances are you’ll be able to find a very original gift for everyone on your list.
A blindingly fast SSD – Shame on you if you haven’t hitched your horses to the SSD bandwagon. At this point, 120 gigs of SSD storage is very affordable (a good rule of thumb is about $2.10 per gig). Since installing my 120-gig Intel 510 Series, I’ve experienced W7 restart times of 19-21 seconds… that includes the time it takes me to type my username and password. Corsair, OCZ, Intel, and many others make great SSDs, just make sure you ask for one that is compatible with your current hardware set.