Well, the truth is that the electronic gadget you buy today will probably be obsolete within the year. Strides are made all the time in the fields associated with electronics. Remember when cell phones came in a carry bag and weighed about 10 pounds? Look at them today and you will see what I mean.

So how do you find the best value when shopping for electronics? I have found a combination of in-store and online research works best. When you go to the store, you can get your hands on the merchandise and even see it work if they have a display set up. Like a certain store that displays working camcorders, for instance.

Once you have got some hand on experience, go home and go online for research. Go to message forums, brand sites, shopping sites or store sites. Find the specific item(s) you are looking at and there should be consumer reviews of it available. This is the best way to get the feel for how good or bad an item really is.

One good tip is to stick with the brand names you know from past experiences. If you haven't heard of a brand before, it is time to research them and see what they are all about. Even the ones you do know have pitfalls, though. Watch for brand new models or items that may be flawed or have a design problem.

Example: A couple of years ago, a certain video game console was EXTREMELY popular and sold millions of units for the holidays. Six months later, a lot of them were broken beyond repair due to a design flaw that nobody saw coming. This is a very good reason to be careful and do the homework first.

Here is a small list of items and what to look at in them:

o Digital cameras
Watch the pixels (the more the merrier) and the type of memory unit it requires.

o Camcorders
Look for name brands and features like a fold out screen (size is a factor here, a 4.5" is great), optical zoom, VCR type playback and a wide/tight shot selector.

o Televisions
Important factors include screen size, resolution, type of picture (LCD, projection or plasma) and mounting (table or wall mount).

o Phones, blackberries and PDAs
Too many to even start a feature list, but choose depending on what the user will be doing with it.

o Computers
Look at memory, RAM, processor, hard drive size and software package included.

The most important thing I can tell you here is this:

When you purchase electronics, it is always a good idea to go ahead and get the extended service contract with it. That way, your item will be covered for as much as 3 years. Also, add the batteries and any accessories that will be required to use the item right away. Especially true if it is a gift for someone else.