Gallery: 10 great gifts for grads
The flagship of Apple’s laptop line, the 11” MacBook Air may be pricier than most PC notebook computers, but its also one of the lightest (2.3lbs) and one of the fastest for its size and weight due to its solid state hard disk and low-power Intel Core 2 Duo processor, as well as sporting excellent battery life.
And while PC’s are generally cheaper, with Mac OS X your grad will spend less time on the phone with countries abroad dealing with technical issues and spending more time writing papers and doing their classwork.
If your grad is a PC and not a Mac, then look no further than the ultra light Lenovo X220. With an integrated Intel Core i7-260M, a 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive and 4GB of DDR3 memory, there are few tasks your grad could throw at this laptop and have it not make child’s play out of it.
If any tablet computer is going to make the list for any grad, it’s the iPad 2. With over 65,000 optimized applications and climbing, as well as being able to run over 300,000 iPhone apps, stream video content such as Netflix and HBO, act as an iPod to store and purchase music, access to virtually all form of eBook and electronic reading content imaginable, the iPad 2 will be an indispensible content consumption friend to any grad entering college, grad school or the workforce.
At $114, the special offers Kindle is practically a no-brainer. With access to over 600,000 books and newspapers, including an increasing number of textbooks from Amazon’s Kindle Store, your grad will be able to lighten their load considerably and still be able to carry much of their required reading material with them. The crisp E-Ink screen also enables your grad to read their material in natural sunlight, even outdoors, and its very low power draw also enables the device to be used for weeks between recharges. The Kindle also supports Adobe PDF as well as library lending, so your grad might not need to pay for all of their reading material, either.
Grads and college students thrive on coffee, and when they need it, they need it quickly. The Keurig Elite brewing system produces consistently good cups of coffee in 8oz and 10oz pours, one cup at a time, within 60 to 90 seconds of powering the unit on.
When paired with the easy to clean Solofill re-useable K-Cup, your grad can buy any inexpensive brand of coffee they wish, while still having all of the convenience of the Keurig system.
To be in peak studying condition, your grad needs to stay hydrated. The 3M Filtrete Water Station provides clean water with a fast-flow filter and re-usable bottles so that your grad can take their clean water on the go and also be green.
Dorm rooms and shared living spaces aren’t exactly the most hygienic places in the world to live, and also aren’t the best ventilated either. The last thing you need is your Grad getting sick. The 13lb, tower-configuration Honeywell HHT-081 can filter dust, dirt and pollen and many types of microbes, as well as freshen air with its built-in ionizer for rooms up to 170 square feet. The permanent filter can be vacuumed clean and the pre-filter is washable, so there are no parts to replace.
Find it on Amazon.
Dorm rooms and shared living spaces in college are not only icky in terms of air quality, but they can also be environmentally uncomfortable. The oscillating Lasko Wind Curve Fan provides excellent ventilation capability in a compact tower configuration. It has a convenient remote control and a timer so that it shuts down automatically when your student isn't in the room.
Not only will your Grad be struggling to get good grades in their Freshman college classes, but they’ll be fighting the “Freshman 15”, the inevitable pounds that get piled on from eating too many late-night pizzas and other junk food, so they’ll want to exercise to help stay physically and mentally fit.