Back to school tech gifts Video

Back to school tech gifts Video Transcript

I can remember college like it was yesterday. The thrill of higher learning, the taste of jerky, the smell of bong water, and the sound of my 56k modem desperately clawing onto the internet. In this Top 5, we?re counting down the best Back to School tech gifts, any one of which would have seemed like a miracle when I went to school. Starting off at #5: an all-in-one printer. There?s nothing cool about it, but you just gotta do it. CNET?s top pick is this $80 Epson that can also work as a scanner. Your kid may groan when they get this, but it?ll save their hide when they?re printing a term paper at 4am. #4: get them a real camera. If you don?t, their college memories will be nothing more than a series of Instagram pics scattered across Facebook. Our top pick here is the Canon EOS Rebel T3i. It?s so good, they?ll be earning art credits in their sleep. {maybe a pic of college kid passed out on the couch} At #3: give them some mindless entertainment. I know it sounds counterproductive, but if you want your kid to skip the kegger, give them a good reason to stay in. At minimum, send them off with a $60 Roku HD. But if you want maximum vegetation, try this 50-inch Editors? Choice Panasonic TV and seal the deal with a Sony PS3 Slim. Of course, all the real work they?ll be doing is going to be on a computer, which slides in here at #2. If they already have one they?re comfortable with, you could throw in an iPad for a little extra ammunition. But if they need a serious upgrade, the Dell Inspiron 14z is our top choice for students. Now before we get to our #1 back to school tech gift, here?s a gift worth holding off on -- an iPhone. All the rumors are pointing to a new model coming out in the Fall, which is sure to make the current iPhone feel very uncool. pause That being said, having a smartphone on campus these days is so essential that it tops our list at #1. Even if they?re dead set on getting the new iPhone 5 when it comes out, you need to send them off something. Our top pick for students is the Droid Razr Maxx. It has the battery life to keep up with all-day use and a Kevlar design that?s very forgiving. For CNET?s full list of Back to School gift ideas check out grads.CNET.com, where you?ll find gift ideas for any budget. And for more Top 5?s like this, try Top5.CNET.com. I?m Donald Bell, thanks for watching.