Christmas is now less than a week away, and soon, many of us will be eating too much chocolate, drinking far too much eggnog, and excitedly unwrapping gifts from our loved ones.
But unless you"ve dropped plenty of unsubtle hints about what you"d like over the festive season, there"s often no knowing exactly what you"ll find when you tear away the wrapping paper. That can make the whole process rather nerve-racking for those of us who love technology.
The problem is that many of our friends and family don"t follow the ins and outs of tech with quite the same gusto as you or I do. They may well know that you"ve got your heart set on a beautiful new iPad, but that can leave you with the excruciating challenge of feigning delight when you unwrap the $59 Android 2.3 tablet plucked from Best Buy"s bargain bin, which they thought was pretty much the same thing.
What can be even worse is when they think they"ve bought you exactly what you"ve asked for, not realizing that they"ve actually purchased a cheap imitation. You"d better start practising that oh-so-happy smile for when you unwrap your gifts and find a Nuntenda 3D5, or an Xb0ss Won.
Of course, these gifts are bought with nothing but love and the best of intentions, so while we may be disappointed... well, we know it"s the thought that counts (along with the desperate hope that they kept the store receipt). And especially at this time of the year, it"s worth remembering that however crushing the disappointment might be, it"s still a wonderful thing to receive presents from those who care about us, even if those gifts aren"t quite what we were hoping for.
Still, it"s always fun to hear about the terrible tech prezzies that others have got, so we"re certainly eager to hear about yours. What"s the worst tech gift that you"ve ever received? Share your festive tech horror stories in the comments below!
Parks and Recreation image via The Odyssey Online