Need some ideas about what to buy for your love ones (or yourself) this holiday season?  Well, I've compiled the first entry in a two part list of some of the best products on the market.  Feel free to chime in and let me know what you think about my choices, whether you agree or disagree!

Laptops:

Gateway P-7809u FX Edition
My first pick is the new (and ultimate) mid-range laptop bargain, the Gateway P-7809u FX Edition.  As a gamer, I can appreciate the laptops impressive specs -- a new Nvidia 260M GTX GPU with 1 GB of video memory (112 CUDA cores), Windows 7, an Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 2.53 GHz CPU, and 4 GB of DDR3.  ASUS has a similarly priced offering, the even-more-verbosely named G51Vx-X3A.  However, it only offers a 320 GB hard drive and 15" screen, versus the 17" WVGA screen and 500 GB hard drive on the Gateway model.  Either laptop is a solid pick, but when add in that the Gateway is only $1149 -- $50 cheaper than the ASUS, the winner seems clear. 

Two great upgrades for your new gaming laptop would be a solid state drive (as the hard drive is a weak 5400 RPM) and Windows 7 Professional edition.

MacBook Pro 15" 2.66 GHz Model
The aforementioned Gateway is a bulky beast at 9.01 lbs. and it only has 3 hours of battery life.  But what if you could retain much of that performance in a much slimmer package and get great battery life?  That's the potential of the MacBook Pro 15" 2.66 GHz edition, my entry-level recommendation for high end buyers, and likely my most controversial pick.  While not for the faint-of-wallet, I can recommend the 15" 2.66 GHz and up MacBook pros as they come with a 9600M NVIDIA GeForce 9400M + 9600M GT combo that allows for decent graphics.  While obviously inferior to the 260M GTX, this GPU is actually pretty powerful as far as mobile GPUs come. 

Make no mistake here -- hardware-wise you're accepting an inferior GPU and paying more.  What you get in exchange is an able laptop, which will be worth it for some.  The 15” MacBook Pro weighs a mere 5.5 lb and is slender thanks to the aluminum unibody.  And the battery life is a whopping 7 hours.  While a netbook would offer similar grab-and-go potential, with a MacBook Pro you can actually game and do graphical editing on-the-go.  Gaming, you ask?  Well, of course you need to buy a copy of Windows 7 to do that.  Windows 7 (via bootcamp) is essential, in my eyes, for a Mac owner.  I admit I'm a bit biased -- I don't like my 'Nix variants (be they BSD, Linux distros, or OS X) quite as graphically rich as OS X, and when you add that you can't reasonably game in it, Win 7 seems a necessity.  An SSD is another solid upgrade.

MP3 Players:

Microsoft Zune HD 3.3" 32 GB MP3/MP4 Player
While the iPod Touch would certainly be a safe pick here, there's a lot to like about the Zune HD.  It features a great looking 3.3" OLED display that's arguably superior to the Touch's slightly larger 3.5" display.  It features touch technology, like Apple's toy, but adds an FM/HD tuner.  It also claims longer audio battery life (33 hours, versus Apple's 30 hr).  Video look gorgeous for such a small screen thanks to the new NVIDIA Tegra mobile GPU.

While app selection isn't on par with Apple's App Store, there are some nice ones out there that flex the player's graphical muscle.  Project Gotham Racing: Ferrari Edition offers graphics on par with anything the iPhone/iPod Touch can throw at it, and there's a number of puzzle games in the vein of what'd you find on Pop Cap.  All things considered, the $289 Zune HD 32 GB seems a slightly better buy than the $299 iPod Touch, especially if you're going to watch video.

Apple iPod nano 16 GB
The iPod nanos were always nice, but I never felt particularly compelled to buy one.  That could all change with the latest generation of nanos.  For only $179 you get an iPod that can finally play FM radio (including pausing it -- recording would be nice, but oh well).  And you get a larger vibrant screen, while the weight stays just over 1 ounce. 

That'd all be fine and dandy, but Apple had to outdo themselves and throw a camera on the thing.  Picture quality is low (VGA resolution -- 640x480), but the thing can also take video, which is a nice perk.  Often times I find that such low-end cameras (such as those on cell phones) are most handy as they allow shots when you don't have your camera around.  While the iPod nano's camera will be put to shame by most cell phone cameras, it's still a compelling feature in case you don't have your phone at hand.  With 24 hours of audio playback and solid headphones for a packaged offering, the iPod nano seems a great buy.

Phones:

iPhone 3G S 32 GB
While Droid may finally provide the iPhone a solid competitor, it's main advantage is its network -- Verizon.  If you can stomach AT&T's less than optimal coverage, the new iPhone 3G S 32 GB model will provide you with unbeatable entertainment value.  With well over 100,000 apps it's head and shoulders above the competition.  Over a third of the apps are games, making it a solid alternative to mobile gaming consoles like the PSP Go or Nintendo DSi.

The improved camera (which now takes video), ability to send MMS texts, shoot video, and copy and paste are all welcome additions in the latest model.  However, the biggest improvement is perhaps the faster CPU/GPU combo that are allowing for some dynamite apps.  Given Apple's at times tight control of the app store, the less able AT&T network, and some quality issues, I do have my misgivings about the device, but in all it's hard to find a competitor that's better in terms of an entertainment phone (Tip: For business, get a Blackberry, though I wouldn't recommend the Storm/Storm 2, as the Storm was, and is, a mess in my opinion).

Disclosures: The author is currently writing an iPhone game and currently owns a Blackberry Storm by RIM on the Verizon network, an iPod Classic 160 GB edition, a Sony Vaio AR750E/B (with Windows Vista Home Edition), and a MacBook Pro 15" 2.8 GHz edition (with Windows 7 Professional).