This holiday season, as we are all scrambling for memorable, thoughtful gifts, it might be nice to consider something practical as well. This does not have to mean boring or mundane, like socks, but rather something that the recipient will be able to use frequently and really appreciate. If nothing is coming to mind, let me suggest a keyboard or mouse.

These may not the the type of gift you are used to giving, unless you are really into computers they may seem as unexciting as that tie you get every year, but it’s time to look past that. The average computer user spends their time on a keyboard that is not only boring but lacking in features; the same goes for their mouse. Why not improve their computing experience this holiday season?

When choosing a keyboard or a mouse there are a lot of options, but here are some great ones to consider:

1) Logitech VX Revolution
This might just be the ultimate cordless mouse. It is small enough to be called a notebook mouse, but it is comfortable and packed with the types of features you might not expect from a portable product. The VX’s coolest feature is its brand new metal scroll wheel- it be switched into “hyper-fast” mode so it can spin freely. Other things that set this mouse apart are a USB dongle that is stored in the mouse and a laser sensor.

2) Razer Tarantula Gaming Keyboard
Razer is highly regarded for their gaming mice but they just came out with their first keyboard. The Tarantula is a great choice for the serious gamer because it has up to 100 profiles, ten macro keys, every button is programmable, and it has the most advanced drivers of any keyboard on the market. One of the keyboard’s unique features is the BattleDock, a modular accessory system so their features can be added to the keyboard, like a LED light or webcam. http://www.daskeyboard.com/ ]
Got a friend or family member who is a computer expert? The Das Keyboard II is a great way to say thanks for all those hours of help over the year. The Das has one major change from the rest of the items on the market- is it completely blank! With no characters printed on the keys the user will have have to know the keyboard by rote, but once they get used to it, they should be typing faster than ever. This version features an amazing mechanical key mechanism for an old-school “clicky” keystroke.

3) Das Keyboard II
Got a friend or family member who is a computer expert? The Das Keyboard II is a great way to say thanks for all those hours of help over the year. The Das has one major change from the rest of the items on the market- is it completely blank! With no characters printed on the keys the user will have to know the keyboard by rote, but once they get used to it, they should be typing faster than ever. This version features an amazing mechanical key mechanism for an old-school “clicky” keystroke.

4) Microsoft Habu
Not many people equate Microsoft with gamer equipment, but this may change once they learn that Microsoft teamed up with Razer on the Habu laser gaming mouse. Despite its plain looks, this combined effort should bring about one of the best performing mice of all time. Some notable features include customizable buttons, high speed motion detection, and and on-the-fly sensitivity adjustment.