Christmas Shopping, the parental way

So it is barely 10 days until the big event and currently I'm sitting pretty as I've nearly completed all the present shopping. I do however reek of cheese. Today we received a very lovely gift from a supplier at work consisting of Prosecco, Chutney, Crackers and the stinkiest French cheese that you could possibly imagine. While managing to offload the cheese but hang onto the Prosecco (win!!) I received a helpful email from my Mother about some Christmas gift suggestions for her and me Dad. Or at least it was helpful until I read it...

It started innocently enough with a standard (if slightly boring selection of gifts) of slippers, socks and similar until the fifth bullet point "CD (have to get back to you on name)". Now while I'm all up for a treasure hunt challenge to find the perfect gift when out shopping  and despite the fact that when given a hint I do feel find it necessary to follow it for fear of disappointing the potential recipient I am not a mind reader (contrary to popular belief). But even with my massive powers of deduction (Sherlock Holmes has nothing on me) the limited information on this suggestion means it needs shelving for now. So with further information hopefully looming on the CD I moved on.

So next on the list were more standard Christmas items perfect for the father figure in your life (jogging bottoms, hankies, socks.....my family really aren't as boring as these gift ideas suggest I promise) and I find this suggestion lurking mid way on the page "DVD - something funny (can't think of his name but they're advertising it on the TV)" So this could range from box sets to Sex and The City????

So lets recap after socks and slippers I'm hunting around in the high street for a CD artist unknown (male/female/band/Mr Blobby??) and a DVD being advertised on the TV - at Christmas - that narrows it down then!

My only conclusion is that it would appear thinking of your own Christmas list is just as difficult and stressful as thinking of what to buy other people...unless you decide to leave hints instead of clues. In which case the obligatory toiletries and chocolates come out to play. Well it may help disguise the Eau Du Fromage at any case!

Oh iPad how I love thee...

Ok it's true while not a mega technical geek (see previous posts) I am so desperately in love with the gorgeous new iPad that while typing on this laptop I am contemplating what would happen should I throw it on the floor and stamp on it to justify purchasing one right now....

Actually I know exactly what would happen if I did throw my laptop on the floor here in Mr P's lounge. I would be homeless!! Or at least sleeping in the garden for a few days.. This floor was a labour of love for Mr P and while as yet unfinished (well it has only been 2 years and you can't rush perfection or so I am told) it is his pride and joy. To the degree that we had to choose a sideboard that went with the floor (feel my pain oh readers of trying to co-ordinate your lounge furniture with your flooring have you ever tried to find soft furnishings in Oak?!!)

Anyway I digress, the iPad, a computerised vision of loveliness that can be a book, a magazine, a photo frame or just a portal to the wonder web. It however is also the best part of £800 (taking into account case, SD card adaptors and the like) this is much monies... So I have a Pros and Cons list for the iPad lets see if I can justify the spends:

Pros:

1. Travelling- the iPad would make travelling (trains/planes etc) far more fun and the luggage far lighter as the iPad could hold numerous books and magazines plus movies and music for entertaining me while trapped in the confines of public transport hell
2. Work- being in the magazine game being able to view, subscribe and interrogate magazines on the iPad will become a vital part of my job - I neeeeeed to be on top of all these technical advances otherwise I will loose my edge (or something like that..)
3. Socialising- with all my photos, internet, blogs, facebook etc on one speedy easy to use device keeping in touch will take less time allowing for more reading
4. Photos- being able to download holiday photos while still away thus creating a record and saving the photos (handy when you are as clumsy as me!!) makes sure that all the photos can make it home even if the camera doesn't
5. Post- Mr P will of course be delighted that many of the magazines that currently drop through our letterbox on a daily basis are available as iPad Apps thus removing the need for Wired to be delivered monthly adding to the recycling mountain I generate every week
   

Cons:

1. The Cost- do I really need one? Isn't £700+ a little much to spend on a gadget that technically I don't need (although referring back to a previous post I would probably have less issues with spending £700 on a handbag than a piece of tech!)
2. The new one- and as if the mehusive cost wasn't enough there are strong rumours of a iPad version 2 due out pretty early next year - surely waiting for a new one is a good idea?
3. Sharing too much?-with the iPad offering Apps much like the iPhone - will it become too tempting if people see it to just scan through my email or check and update my Facebook status. I know you can pass code protect it but is that not saying "hello lover I may love you but I don't trust you" or is it really just based on knowing that if it were the other way round I am far too nosy not to peek???
4. Duplication- surely my iPhone is enough? Does the iPad really do that more??
5. Competitors- with so many new tablets out over the next few months are any of them going to be even better than Apple? The Microsoft Courier looked like an awesome potential competitor but word is that project has been shelved and with the Blackberry version not yet available for journalists to see does it mean that no-one else has really nailed the tablet premise?

So here we are - will I actually read books on it? - I love paper, the smell of a magazine or new book can be intoxicating and at least if I drop it in the pool it is only 1 book and not £700 caught in the drainage system...Will an iPad really reduce my paper recycling contribution in Dorset? Would it become that random techy thing that was a waste of money or will it become as vital to my wellbeing as my iPhone and chocolate?

Hmmmm decisions decisions...