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A. I need wife gift ideas that don't break the bank. Everything that comes to mind is fitness related and that's going to get me killed.

B. I need a decent, cheap laptop/netbook. I'm old, can a netbook do most of what a laptop can?

C. I'm EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED with FM transmittors for my iphone/ipod. My 2003 Accord doesn't have an auxilarly line and b/c the gps is factory installed it would be a pain in the a$$ to replace the stereo. Any ideas? All of the cheapo fm transmitters I've tried s#ck balls so far but the last time I tried was a year ago, maybe things have improved.

W. Unseld wrote:A. I need wife gift ideas that don't break the bank. Everything that comes to mind is fitness related and that's going to get me killed.

B. I need a decent, cheap laptop/netbook. I'm old, can a netbook do most of what a laptop can?

C. I'm EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED with FM transmittors for my iphone/ipod. My 2003 Accord doesn't have an auxilarly line and b/c the gps is factory installed it would be a pain in the a$$ to replace the stereo. Any ideas? All of the cheapo fm transmitters I've tried s#ck balls so far but the last time I tried was a year ago, maybe things have improved.

a> gift card to antropology, it's a gift card but to the woman dream store

b> netbook is good for what is says: net. good for internet not for much else. can do some wordprocessing but screen is very small. get a decent laptop for 500 bucks and you won't over pay but still get decent value eg: i swear by dell. i have owned and operated dell, toshiba and sony for years! dell beats em all

c.have auxilairy plug installed at best buy or car outfitter. easy plug in. or...headphones

W. Unseld wrote:A. I need wife gift ideas that don't break the bank. Everything that comes to mind is fitness related and that's going to get me killed.

B. I need a decent, cheap laptop/netbook. I'm old, can a netbook do most of what a laptop can?

C. I'm EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED with FM transmittors for my iphone/ipod. My 2003 Accord doesn't have an auxilarly line and b/c the gps is factory installed it would be a pain in the a$$ to replace the stereo. Any ideas? All of the cheapo fm transmitters I've tried s#ck balls so far but the last time I tried was a year ago, maybe things have improved.

A. Can't go wrong with jewelry or clothes (well, I mean, you can go wrong but she'll at least appreciate the thought as opposed to workout stuff where she'll just think you're calling her fat). Some other ideas off the top of my head - a day at the spa, maybe a bed-and-breakfast for you and the mrs., possibly a new digital camera or ipod if she is technically inclined.

B. Best advice I can give you is to find a used laptop or netbook off of craigslist or amazon.com if you really want to save money and still get a slightly used by effective product. Whether you want a notebook or netbook is up to you. The main difference is that netbooks are lighter, smaller, have better battery life and cheaper. If you don't mind the smaller size, a netbook is for you (though graphics will be worse).

C. Try this. My old girlfriend had one and it worked perfectly. The only problem was that it was a tad bit loose when plugged in, but not bad at all.

A) Don't do a gift card, unless your wife likes gift cards. My experience with women is that they do not like gift cards since "you didn't put time" into getting an actual present. Go with a nice gift set from Bath and Body Works, I got a set as a gift that individually would cost around $60 but ran me $40 as a set. Or you could go with a netflix subscription if she likes movies (much better than buying a DVD set).

B) Depends on what you want to do with it. Just internet/word processor or other basic stuff that doesn't use much disk space or power? Then it really does not matter that much, just look for the minimum in terms of specs (RAM/Hard Drive Space).

C) No idea sorry

[B] Just saw this posted, you might find some possibilities in the comments.

I own an original model MSI Wind (a netbook), and I really do love it, but that's because I use it for exactly one thing: browsing the internet. I don't do graphics editing, or video encoding, or gaming, or even word processing on it. It's purely a convenient way to browse the internet from anywhere with a connection with ease. That's not to say that you couldn't do some light work on it, but personally, I'd get tired of working on the lower resolution and smaller keyboard.

Summary: a netbook makes a solid secondary computer, but I wouldn't recommend as a primary unless you don't do much more than spend an hour a day surfing the web and writing emails.

A. How long have you been married? And do you have kids? Need a little perspective and I'll do my best with suggestions

AlohaWiz wrote:A. How long have you been married? And do you have kids? Need a little perspective and I'll do my best with suggestions

-5 years plus, with a 3 and a 1/2 year old and a 9 month old.

Guys, thanks for all of the help thus far. I have solved the i-pod/cd player problem but I probably spent too much but I'm quite happy with a pioneer radio installation at best buy for $200 including installation.

Still working on the wife idea and whoever suggested Anthropology every girl in my office agrees with you.

Netbook question: I've got a work laptop so this would be my internet at home laptop, is it any good for games, will it run word or is it purely for surfing?

W. Unseld wrote:

AlohaWiz wrote:A. How long have you been married? And do you have kids? Need a little perspective and I'll do my best with suggestions

-5 years plus, with a 3 and a 1/2 year old and a 9 month old.

Guys, thanks for all of the help thus far. I have solved the i-pod/cd player problem but I probably spent too much but I'm quite happy with a pioneer radio installation at best buy for $200 including installation.

Still working on the wife idea and whoever suggested Anthropology every girl in my office agrees with you.

Netbook question: I've got a work laptop so this would be my internet at home laptop, is it any good for games, will it run word or is it purely for surfing?

i'll take it as a thank you. gift cards usually are not the way to go unless you know where to get them from. Antropolgy is a winner!

W. Unseld wrote:

AlohaWiz wrote:A. How long have you been married? And do you have kids? Need a little perspective and I'll do my best with suggestions

-5 years plus, with a 3 and a 1/2 year old and a 9 month old.

Guys, thanks for all of the help thus far. I have solved the i-pod/cd player problem but I probably spent too much but I'm quite happy with a pioneer radio installation at best buy for $200 including installation.

Still working on the wife idea and whoever suggested Anthropology every girl in my office agrees with you.

Netbook question: I've got a work laptop so this would be my internet at home laptop, is it any good for games, will it run word or is it purely for surfing?

The reason I asked is that I'm married (about 4 years) and have 2 boys (3 and 1 y/o), so I know how the duration of the marriage and kids can affect things. So to answer your question, what you should give your wife is the ability to feel like an adult again, even if only for a short while, by giving her time away from the kids. And, personally, I think Miller was on to some excellent ideas (spa, B&B, etc.)

Last year for Christmas, a few months after our second boy was born, I gave my wife a gift certificate at a local spa for a full massage treatment, plus the extras (facial, etc.) Now, I agree that giving a gift card or certificate to your wife/girlfriend is generally a big no-no, but in a situation like this it works. Especially, if you do like I did and call your wife's best friend to ask where the best spa in town is (plus, I didn't know a thing about spas & massages, so I needed the help). Not only does your wife get a wonderful day away from the kids (whom she loves, but bless her heart, she needs the time away from) but all her friends then know what a wonderful husband you are. That's a gift that keeps on giving.

Another thought is to plan a special, romantic evening for you and your wife (or the B&B idea Miller had). Get away from the kids for a little while and reconnect. Again, feeling like adults without your kids around is a priceless feeling.

I was previously unaware of Antrhopology as a source for gifts, but fully intend to check it out (thanks Zerocious). However, I would suggest going to the store (wheher online or stand alone) to pick out a gift that you think your wife would appreciate. Because, again, gift cards are generally not a good gift idea for the significant other. Plus, if she doesn't like what you get, then she can take it back. And what woman doesn't enjoy shopping?

AlohaWiz wrote:

W. Unseld wrote:

AlohaWiz wrote:Now, I agree that giving a gift card or certificate to your wife/girlfriend is generally a big no-no, but in a situation like this it works. Especially, if you do like I did and call your wife's best friend to ask where the best spa in town is (plus, I didn't know a thing about spas & massages, so I needed the help). Not only does your wife get a wonderful day away from the kids (whom she loves, but bless her heart, she needs the time away from) but all her friends then know what a wonderful husband you are. That's a gift that keeps on giving.

Sneaky, I like it.

how did it all work out?