26 Days Of Christmas - #4: Digital Photo Frame

Today's gift idea is another "type", vs specific product.  Today, we're going to look at the digital photo frame.    The first time I saw one of these, one of my relatives was putting together one for my grandparents.   Everyone submitted their pictures to my aunt, and they put everything together on a flash drive, set it up and gave it to them.   This was a great gift, as it would cycle through all kinds of fun memories, plus, pictures could be added to it down the line.    We would end up making one of these for my other grandmother not long afterward.  

There are many different brands to choose from, from store-specific ones (Dynex and Insignia with Best Buy) to stand alone brands such as Polaroid, Pandigital and Sony, to economy brands like Curtis, Axion and Coby.   There are also a number of different screen sizes available, from keychain siized to 10"+.


Keychain frames are nice, and portable, but are limited on storage, generally, to a fixed amount.  Generally the screen will be about an inch, or so, and the resolution may be poor.   Prices may vary, but these tend to be fairly inexpensive, and sometimes may even be  "giveaways" or "novelties".

The more common frames are in the 7-10" range.  Prices vary from about $20 to over $100.  This Sony frame, for instance, with 2GB internal storage, multiformat mediacard reader, and video playback capability is currently $169.99 at Best Buy. Screen size, quality, resolution, and features will help determine the price of the photo frame.

The "right one" will vary by your budget and desires.  Most will have, at the very least, a USB port to connect a flash drive, and one (or several) slots for media card(s). 

These make great gifts for parents and grandparents.   Sure, you can give Grandma the school pictures of your kids.  But, with one of these Grandma can cycle through a slideshow of so many more!   These are also good for offices, allowing for many pictures to be viewed in a minimal space.   They're also great for family events.   Whether a happy gathering, like a wedding or a reunion, or something unfortunate, like a wake or memorial, these allow for a great display of fold memories.

If you're looking for a good gift idea,a digital frame may be worth, at least, looking into.   You can even "pre-load" it with your own assortment of pictures, to personalize it for the recipient!

Check back tomorrow for another gift idea!