2008's top ten most-searched tech terms

One of the cool things about working for Yahoo! is that you get to know what consumers are really interested in, based on what they actually search for on the site.

The good people in the Yahoo! search team provided us with the most-searched-for terms in the world of technology for the year to date. Some are surprises, some not so much. Either way: Here are the top 10 terms for 2008, as dictated by you.

10. Garmin - The GPS maker (with a 56% market share) considerably outclassed searches for "GPS." Competitor Tom Tom was the #13 search term.

9. iPod - Now seven years old, ye olde iPod is still a perennial top search on the web.

8. PS3 - The PlayStation 3 is crawling into its own this year, with more games, new models, and an improved online experience.

7. Skype - Though growth is slowing, interest in the leading provider of VOIP calls continues to be high.

6. BlackBerry - With the new BlackBerry Bold and the upcoming BlackBerry Storm, interest in the venerable RIM smart phone continues to surge.

5. PSP - Surprise: The PSP outranks both the PS3 and the Nintendo DS when it comes to the sheer volume of web searches.

4. Xbox 360 - Another game console on the list, no big shock. The Xbox continues its popularity this year thanks to some big price cuts, awesome games, and its upcoming new dashboard.

3. Wii - No mystery on this one. Wiimania continues its run in 2008. "Wii Fit" alone was the #12 search term of the year.

2. iPhone - Have you heard of this device? Apparently Apple has some sort of mobile telephone product out now. Sounds interesting! Must research this.

1. Digital Camera - Check this out! Never mind your iPods, your iPhones, and your gaggle of video game consoles, it's the humble, generic "digital camera" that was the top tech search term this year to date. Why? My hunch is that there's a lot of confusion over largely-undifferentiated camera brands, so consumers need a lot of help in figuring out which one to buy, so they search search search. (On the other hand, if you're getting a Wii, you're getting a Wii...) Plus, cameras are relatively inexpensive now, making them good gifts and affordable for personal splurges, too. Best of all: Digicams are always in stock, unlike pretty much all the other stuff on this list.