Last Minute Gadget Gifts

If you've procrastinated, or if you've waited to Christmas shop due to budget issues, one of the most helpful services in the area of tween gadget gifts is the ability to order online and pick up in-store. We used this service in the last year on a couple of occasions, with Best Buy, and it worked perfectly. Being an hour away from our nearest Best Buy, it's not a good feeling to go looking for something, only to find that it's not in stock, or that the last one just sold. With Best Buy's service, you can order and pay online, and pick up in store. You will have to go through a verification process, to make sure that the item is in stock at your store, or to find which local stores have the desired gadget. Further, you will need to bring identification, along with the credit card used to make the payment. If you are looking for that hard-to-find tech item for your tween, during the holidays, or on another occasion, this is one of the most useful services, in terms of saving time and frustration.

Learn more at the Best Buy website.

Black Friday Deals for Tweens

Black Friday Deals for Tweens are hot search items, and in your research, it's helpful to have references to previous years' deals.  This will give you an idea of what you can hope to find, though there's never a guarantee.  I like to keep past trends in minds as I think about Black Friday shopping for my tweens and teens.  Following are summaries of a few deals featured in 2011.  If you are looking into Black Friday deals for tweens for 2012, be sure to keep a look out here.



Black Friday, 2011


Thursday-Saturday Only: Dell Streak 7" Tablet, $149.99.
If your tween is wanting a tablet computer, this is one of the more budget friendly models.

Thursday-Saturday Only: Samsung Laptop with Pentium Dual-Core Processor, 320GB Hard Drive, 4GB Memory, $299.99.
If you want an inexpensive tween laptop, this is one of the best Black Friday laptop deals out there.

Thursday-Saturday Only: HP All-in-One Computer has AMD E-Series Processor, 4GB Memory, 1TB Hard Drive, $399.99.
If you need a stationary computer system, safe from tween mishaps that may be more common with portable computers, then you won't want to miss this bundle!

Thursday-Saturday Only: $20 Off Any $100 iTunes Gift Card.
If your tween is all about his or her playlists and tunes, then this is one of the best deals of the season.

Thursday-Saturday Only: Xbox 360 250GB Holiday Bundle with Fable III and Halo: Reach, Only $199.99.
If you are looking for a great deal on Xbox, this is it.

Thursday-Saturday Only: $60 Off LP Aspire Cajon.
Do you have a musical tween, who always moves to his own beat?  A Cajon is an outstanding musical instrument, a sit-on drum in the form of a box, which the player beats with the palm of his hand while seated.  Very cool, and very unique!

Thursday-Saturday Only: Great Digital Camera and Camcorder Deals.
If you have a tween who loves to borrow your camera, or camcorder, then it may be high time to find an entry level model as a holiday gift.

Thursday-Saturday Only: Free $50 Gift Card with Apple iPod touch 8GB MP3 Player.
This is potentially the best deal you'll find on an iPod Touch, with the $50 gift card making the net value of the iTouch package $150.  This is a great tablet alternative for a tween, and will provide a multitude of uses!

Thursday-Saturday Only: 60% Off Skullcandy Ink'd Stereo Ear Bud Headphones.
If you are picking up earbuds, this is a great deal, and much better than everyday cheap earphones.

Supplementing Middle School Academics: Tween Computers?

With finances tight for many households, it seems tough to keep up with technology.  On the one hand, as advances in development happen, prices decline for more outdated products, and many of those so called "Outdated Products" are light years beyond the dinosaur computers of a decade ago! Costs aren't as prohibitive, but getting the best return on your technology investment is important. 

Desktop computers are priced to sell, in many cases, and are especially cost effective during back to school sales, and during the Black Friday blitz in late November.  Plan for either of these time frames, to get the best package.  Do your research on Black Friday discussion boards so you have an idea of previous years' offerings.  The last few years, I have seen huge speculations about $100 netbooks, but the only netbooks that come close to that price range tend to be insubordinate models, and really won't grow very far with your tween.  Basics will be able to be accomplished, but netbooks have advanced so well in recent years, that the $250 range can purchase a nice piece of equipment, suited to most school needs for the middle schooler. 

Laptops are often desired, but caution is suggested in terms of size.  Middle schoolers, and younger, will have a little trouble handling a larger laptop, so sticking with a smaller size, 14-15 inch, is advisable. 

If your budget isn't super stretched, and you can afford to spend more, there are lots of fun options, including colorful tween netbook computers.  Likewise, all in one and touchscreen computers are great options for enhancing your middle schooler's research options.  Tablets are also great computing options, with multi-modality benefits for all major learning styles.  Everything boils down to budget, interest, and goals.