There’s absolutely no shame in having trouble keeping up with all the latest tech devices, formats, and standards used today. Some people still enjoy curating their DVD collections, for instance, and with the resurgence of vinyl formats and their lossless audio representation, it’s not hard to see why sometimes, old methods can come back into vogue.
That said, when gifting items for a family member or friend, perhaps our son or daughter who knows more about the latest tech than we do, it can be tough to know where to begin. Of course, asking them exactly what it is they’re looking for can help you avoid making certain mistakes, but it does ruin the surprise a little.
That said, it’s not uncommon for well-meaning grandparents or unsure relatives to purchase incorrectly based on what they think they need, such as offering a child a controller for a video game console they don’t own yet. While the thought is there, and the gesture is lovely, a little more research could have helped.
So – how can you understand your purchase of tech for those with less preemptive knowledge? In this post, we think it’s a good idea to discuss that and more. Without further ado, let’s consider:
Read The Specifications
It’s good to read the specification sheets of the given devices or tech products you hope to buy. It will help you understand the basics of what the item does, what it’s capable of, and anything else that you need to keep in mind. In some cases, this might be as simple as the amount of onboard storage in a given camera, and if it accepts additional storage options like SD cards as part of that.
Specifications can also help you more easily compare certain items to others. For instance, you’ll be able to see how the DJI Mini 3 compares to the 2, and be able to make better value judgments as a result. After all, it’s very easy for other tech brands to invest in marketing and copywriting, ensuring that their product looks to be the most interesting. But is it really? The specifications will help you understand that.
Furthermore, specifications can also help you understand if the item is suitable for the person in question. If purchasing a phone for your daughter, then perhaps a 6.7-inch tall phone might not be suitable for her needs, or comfortable in her hands. As you can see, this information is often very revealing. It’s a legal requirement for these specifications to be listed, and if they’re not available, then you can ask the manufacturer directly for their product specification sheet.
Read Current Reviews
Reviews are a great way to get your bearings because they’re written to be applicable to most users. For instance, reading a video game website for analysis of a certain game console can be inspiring. Read a few of these, and you’ll get what the general sentiment is. You can choose to watch YouTube content creators too, as reviews are often quite popular there.
That said, nothing can quite compare to the practiced opinion of a tech journalist. There are many sites that provide this kind of insight, from Ars Technica to TechRadar to The Verge, and that’s just to name a few. Sites dedicated to certain topics can also be tremendously useful, such as television review websites that make sure to give calibration instructions as well as a deep analysis of a unit’s color profile.
Lastly, user reviews will be helpful in kind. This can help you see how people view the device or item, without industry inside access or much prior knowledge. Their reasoning for leaving the review can be weighed up as relevant or irrelevant, which can help you weigh up any issues in advance.
Consider Comparisons
Directly comparing a few models against one another can help you understand which may be the best item to purchase for the needs of your gift, and also which one is of better value. The Xbox Series X, for instance, is known to be the most powerful gaming console on the market right now, and much easier to purchase than the Playstation 5 at the moment. But the Playstation 5’s video game product line is often considered more interesting and ‘blockbuster’ in scope – although of course, this can be debatable depending on your preference.
But what if you compare both of these to the Nintendo Switch? The latter is much more friendly for children, has a great product line, and will be much cheaper. It also provides portability. As you can see, depending on who you’re purchasing the item for, you may or may not wish to select a certain model.
Speak To Store Tech Helpers
It can be tremendously helpful to speak to in-store helpers at certain tech brands. Many of them have tech specialists that can help you with selecting a model and discussing its features. That said, be wary of purchasing from these brands if you can. Often, these tech specialists, while a fountain of good advice, are instructed to upsell you and to perhaps add on other services like insurance or accessories that you might not need.
A good way to avoid this is to opt for a more dedicated, smaller store. Heading to a family-owned instrument store is going to grant you more value than a larger brand that has stronger targets to meet. In both instances, though, you’ll gain great advice and can field any beginner questions you want to ask – they hear them all the time.
Ask Appropriate Questions
A further note on asking questions. Make sure to do so. The only stupid question is one you don’t ask. It might be that you need to know just how much free space you can expect on a given hard drive after the internal architecture takes up some of it, or if a device you already have is compatible with the one you’re trying to use.
Perhaps you want to know if you really need that additional accessory with a given purchase, and ask the question to a specific owner’s club forum online. Reddit is a great place to start here. If you write down all of the questions you may have, then you can more easily go through them, step by step, ensuring that everything is ticked off before you make your purchase.
Consider Its Running Costs
Considering the running costs of a given model can help you think of what a burden the item may be. For instance, a tech product might ask for an additional subscription before you can really use it.
An example that illustrates this point is that of television streaming “sticks” that plug into the TV and can provide a range of streaming services. That said, you still need to subscribe to those given services, the USB “stick” itself works as a kind of combined platform to host them, meaning that the item might be more expensive in reality than you expect.
Additionally, if purchasing a mobile/cell phone for someone, then it’s worth making sure such a device is ‘unlocked’ so that the carrier/provider is compatible with the person’s contract. As you can see, it’s often the smaller details like this that can catch you out. Don’t be afraid to ask a vague question to the recipient so that you can be sure, or to iron out any confusion, just ask them directly if they could make use of it. There’s no shame in wanting to be sure.
Research Its Insurance
Earlier in this post, we encouraged being careful about adding too many optional ‘extras’ to your purchase, so that you don’t get ripped off or oversold on packages that you may not need. That said, in some cases, insurance is healthy to purchase, or at least recommend. For a $2,000 camera, it might be worth paying $15 a month to insure it in case of damage, for instance.
Depending on how close you are to the person in question, you might take this plan out for them (such as for your child), or you might help them pay the first few months of such a plan so they can take it from there. Or, maybe you’ll purchase the item that has two more years of warranty compared to the competition, and make sure to transition this into their name as they become the legal owner of the gift.
Are Any Accessories Needed?
Do you need any accessories with the gift? Sometimes, just buying your own batteries can be a nice touch, so they can use it the moment they get the gift. In other cases, the accessories might be recommended but could be entirely optional. Wireless chargers for mobile phones, for instance, are nice but not really needed at this stage.
With this advice, you’ll be much more able to purchase a tech gift for someone, even if you have less pre-emptive knowledge about this field than others might. However you go about it, we’re sure your friend or relative will deeply appreciate your gift.