20 Perfect Things to Buy a Web Developer for Christmas

Let’s face it. Web developers are geeks. But that’s okay! Who wants to be normal? As I always tell the children – “Geeks rule the world”. The problem is that “normal” people don’t know what to buy us for Christmas. That’s why we always end up with “Photoshop 6 For Dummies”. They’ll say in a rickety old voice, “It’s a little old, sonny – but I got a good deal on it.”

So email this list to your family and friends and tell them, “This is what you should buy me.”.

Though it’s impossible to scan the minds of every web developer, this article will list a roundup of recommendations. Feel free to include your own via the comments.

*Note – Just for the record. This article was meant to inform, not make money. There are zero referral links.

• 

  .NET Magazine Subscription

  As an American, I hate how the greatest web design magazines all seem to come from Europe – resulting in a high subscription price that I can’t justify. This makes it a perfect gift!

  $50 – Buy a Subscription

• 

  XBOX 360

  It’s common knowledge that web developers make their way from screen to screen. We might say, “Man I need a break from work. Wanna go to a movie?” Though videogames may not be everyone’s cup a tea, there’s a high likelihood that a web developer will enjoy them. Though yours truly might prefer Mario Galaxy or Zelda, it seems that XBOX 360 currently stands as the “gamers platform.”

  $299 – Buy It

• 

  Macbook Pro

  No one can deny how “dead sexy” these laptops are. You can’t hide from the huge price either! But if you have the money and want to dazzle your loved one, this will do the trick! Make sure you shop for a good price.

  $1500(ish) – Buy It

• 

  Coda

  For the mac enthusiast, you’ll have trouble finding a more fluid code editor than Coda. If he or she doesn’t own it already, buy it!

  $99 – Buy It Online

• 

  IPOD Touch

  Mac user or not, you won’t find a better media player for the price. But be a trooper and upgrade to the 16 gig model.

  $285 – Buy It

• 

  The Non-Designer’s Design Book

  This book is for anyone who has to design a newsletter, job ad, flyer, business card, memo, report or whatever, but has no idea what separates good design from bad. Except, of course, that the first looks clear, professional, sophisticated and right, and the second is an ugly, unreadable mess.

  $15- Buy It

• 

  PHP Solutions

  For the aspiring PHP developer, or the experienced one for that matter, this book will help a great deal!

  $23- Buy It

• 

  Don’t Make Me Think

  Years old, but still relevant. Many consider this book to be their web dev bible. If your loved one doesn’t own it, buy it!

  $26- Buy It

• 

  Iomega 1 TB External Harddrive

  You can never have too much harddrive space! Nowadays, don’t bother getting a smaller capacity. You can purchase up to 1 TB of space for under $150. He’ll love it!

  $133- Buy It

• 

  Wacom PC Tablet

  We all want one because we all can’t afford it! But if you have the pennies and want to see a “grown man cry like a baby”, this will do the trick!

  $1999- Buy It
• 

  Apple 24 Inch LED Cinema Display

  Another contender in the “blow your socks off category” is the beautiful 24 inch monitor. You won’t see him returning this the day after!

  $899- Buy It

• 

  The Big Bang Theory – Season 1

  Obviously, it’s impossible to determine the television preference of a complete stranger. However, I know many, many web developers that adore this show (including myself).

  $19- Buy It

• 

  The Office

  You’ll have trouble finding someone who doesn’t like The Office. Both the US and UK versions are fantastic and will fit quite nicely into his or her collection.

  $30- Buy It

• 

  Nintendo Wii

  Though irresponsible waggle can potentially destroy half of the items on this list, it’s hard to deny how enjoyable a well executed Wii game can be. And come on folks – they’re remaking Punch Out! That’s reason enough. If you grew up in the 80s, the updated music will give you goosebumps.

  $279- Buy It

• 

  Learning jQuery

  Learning jQuery is the best book available on the obvious subject. If your loved one is learning this library, buy it! (Shameless plug…Have you check out the “jQuery for Absolute Beginners” daily video tutorials over on the ThemeForest blog?

  $35- Buy It

• 

  Logitech Cordless Laser Mouse

  Wouldn’t we all like one of these? We touch the dang things enough!

  $75- Buy It

• 

  Bose Around-the-Ear Headphones

  Exceptional sound, lightweight, 5 foot cord….gosh I want one!

  $125- Buy It

• 

  The PHP Cookbook

  “This book is absolutely packed with quick solutions to common obstacles or ideas in PHP. The chapters on security are worth their weight in gold, as you’ll learn how to properly protect your site against unauthorised use.”

  $29- Buy It

• 

  Adobe CS4 Creative Suite

  We’ll all eventually upgrade to CS4, if we haven’t already. It costs a whopping $1400 to purchase the entire suite. But how quickly will it pay for itself?

  $1375- Buy It

• 

  Notebook Engraver

  I came across this one via a tweet from Collis. Consider purchasing an engraved notebook for your designer friends. You can engrave images, drawings…pretty much anything.

  Buy It

So that’s it for now. What do you think should and shouldn’t be on this list? What did we forget?

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