Some Gifts for Your Favorite Nerd

Aside from eating leftover turkey, I spent my Thanksgiving weekend shopping for software and playing computer games. No, I wasn’t goofing off. It’s time for my annual column on what to buy for the computer nerds on your holiday gift list.

Before you hit the stores, snoop around your friends’ computer desks to find the type of equipment they have. You need to know the type of computer, and, for many gifts, it’s necessary to know the size of diskette that it uses. The older Apple II and IBM PCs use 5 1/4-inch floppy disks, but some newer models use 3 1/2-inch disks. Also, some programs require a color or graphics screen, and not all personal computers are equipped with such displays.

You can find gift selections at just about any computer or software specialty store. Don’t overlook office supply and Radio Shack stores or your local bookstore. And most bookstores carry at least a few computer-related titles and some carry software, diskettes and accessory items.

Colored floppy disks make a nice gift. Not only are they pretty, but they can make it easier to find certain types of programs or data. You might also consider a disk holder. They range from functional plastic to exotic hand-carved woods. You can also find disk wallets for the computer user on the go. Egghead Software stores (throughout California and in several other states) carry a pastel paper kit complete with envelopes in pink, ivory and light blue.

Does your friend or loved one ever curse at his or her dot matrix printer, wishing it would stop eating paper? Kensington makes a handy Universal Printer Stand ($25) that holds your paper and neatly stacks your printouts, helping to avoid paper jams. It can be used with almost any dot matrix printer.

If your associate has blurry eyes, it could be from overindulgence at the office party, but more likely it’s from staring at a computer screen. Radio Shack and most independent computer stores carry anti-glare screens for as little as $24. Santa Monica-based NoRad Corp. argues that you should also be concerned about electromagnetic radiation emanating from your monitor. The company claims that its screens, which also block glare, eliminate 99.99% of harmful rays. The screens start at about $130; for more information, call (213) 395-0800.

For the laptop user in your life, consider a carrying case. Most laptop computers come with their own case, but none are as versatile as the $60 Ultimate Laptop Attache. This case and lots of other goodies for the laptop crowd are listed in Traveling Software’s catalogue, which you can order by calling (800) 343-8080.

Beats a Card Table

Laptop users will also appreciate the No Squint Cursor from SkiSoft of Lexington, Mass. The program, which runs only on MS-DOS computers, costs about $30 and is available from Traveling Software. The program increases the size of the cursor, which is often difficult to see on those tiny LCD screens.

Is your friend’s computer perched on a rickety old card table? Those Scandinavian-style furniture stores generally carry computer tables starting at under $100. On the other hand, if you have at least $2,000 to spend, check out the handmade oak or walnut Manifesto Executive desk from Sunrise Technologies of La Mesa, Calif. “With the mere press of a button or turn of a key, your computer lifts up. . . . Push the button again, and down it goes,” the company says. For more information, call (619) 466-5991.

Games are popular gift items, but be careful. Just because your friend uses a computer doesn’t mean he or she will like computer games. Some people’s idea of a good time is curling up with a new programming language.

I’m afraid that I don’t know much about game software--I get my kicks from relational databases, spreadsheets and word processing programs. But I recently cruised my local software stores, playing everything I could get my hands on. I am amazed at the number of titles and the improved graphics--especially when run on an Atari SE, a Commodore Amiga or an IBM PC whose screen is equipped with an Enhanced Graphics Adapter.

Mac games, though fewer in number, also tend to have good graphics, but many are only in black and white. One exception is Crystal Quest from Greene Inc. of Monterey, Calif. It’s a high-gloss shoot-em’-up arcade-type game that brings the colorful best out of a Mac II. Crystal Quest retails for $50; for more information, call (408) 624-8716.

For some expert advice, I spoke with Russell Sipes, editor of Computer Gaming World. For would-be fighter pilots, Sipes recommends Battle Hawks 1942 ($49.95) from Lucasfilm Ltd. or F-19 Stealth Fighter ($69.95) from Microprose. The games, which run on the IBM PC and are widely available through software stores, allow you to control the plane with your choice of a joy stick, mouse or keyboard.

Computer Gaming World’s readers voted Wasteland, from Electronic Arts, as their adventure game of the year. It tests your survival skills in “post-holocaust America,” Sipes said. What a dreadful thought. The game magazine’s award for the overall top game of the year went to Empire, a war game that, according to Sipes, can go on for as many as 350 to 400 turns. A subscription to Computer Gaming World--another gift idea--costs $24 for 12 issues. In California, call (800) 422-4241, ext. 400. Elsewhere, call (800) 854-7100, ext. 400.

Subscription a Possibility

If you have a fisherman on your list, you could give a copy of Rich Tauber’s Bass Champ. This is no game--it’s a serious simulation of bass fishing. I tried it and, well, you should see the one that got away. The program, which retails for $39.95, is published by Shadowfax Software, 2005 W. Culver Ave., Suite 19, Orange, Calif. 92668; for more information, call (714) 937-1661.

If your friend’s computer has a modem, why not give a subscription to an on-line information service. Compuserve--which offers news, electronic mail, games, reference material and databases--among its many services, is the most popular. A starter kit, which includes some free on-line time, costs up to $40 and is available from computer specialty stores and most Radio Shack dealers. You can call Compuserve direct at (800) 848-8199.

Macintosh enthusiasts might enjoy a subscription to MacNet from Connect Inc., which you can call at (800) 262-2638. It’s incredibly easy to use. Lots of people are now signing up for Prodigy--a new on-line service from Sears and IBM that costs only $10 per month, with no hourly on-line fees. A starter kit, which includes three free months, costs $50. Call (800) 822-6922.

And, yes, there is one gift that is compatible with just about any computer. The Chocolate Software Co. makes edible floppy disks, keyboards and complete computers--starting at about $10. For a catalogue, write to P.O. Box 481290, Los Angeles, Calif. 90048 or call (213) 931-1527. I was planning on reviewing the product, but my kids got to it before I could complete my evaluation.

Computer File welcomes readers’ comments but regrets that the authors cannot respond individually to letters. Write to Lawrence J. Magid, 1641 N. First St., Suite 160, San Jose, Calif. 95112, or contact the L. Magid account on the MCI electronic mail system.