Dad Needs Gadgets, Not Ties

Gender bending news from the National Retailers Federation. We don't spend as much on dads at Father's Day as we do on moms at Mother's Day—by a lot. We spend about $122 on the average Mother's Day gift, but only $88 on one for dad.

What sort of things do dads get on Father's Day? Clothing, CDs, and books count for more than 50 percent of the spending; another 38 percent surveyed said they bought special meals or outings.

About 15 percent plan to buy their dads some form of electronics and I'm assuming that a few of you are amongst us now.

Here are some LUXURY gift ideas for the gear-loving Dad. (Read my next post for a more frugal celebration).

Sony HDR-HC3 HDV 1080i Handycam. If the rest of his HD life is in order then this is the next step, an HD camcorder. Diminutive, but packed with power, this camcorder can record in standard and high-definition 1080i video, recording onto mini-DV tapes. For a video demonstration watch this.

Pioneer Inno. If your dad loves music, then this is the tale of two music experiences rolled into one. This device is like crossing an iPod with satellite radio. You get to listen to XM Radio's great roster of stations and if you hear a song you gotta have, just click on the Buy It button. It'll record up to 50 hours of music and stream live radio. A bit pricey at $300 (not including the radio service), the Inno won Best of Show at CES last year.

Mio GPS. Mio is a relative newcomer to the GPS world, but the size, readability, and competitive pricing should put Mio on the map (no pun intended). If your dad's into car trips, you can promise him he'll never be berated into asking for directions again. If he's a hiker,, Mio has other choices, and finally, if he wants a PDA/GPS, they've got that, too. Check out the models.

Motorola Q. What more can I say? If Chris Null, one of my favorite dads and colleagues is suitably impressed, most dads will be. The Motorola Q is head-turningly thin, elegantly designed, and easy to use. It's the smallest full QWERTY keyboard phone on the market, it runs Windows Mobile, and it's got Verizon's EV-DO.

Notebook PCs. The ThinkPad Lenovo z60t is the notebook for the mobile dad in your life. Affordable and portable, with great tech support from Lenovo and, best of all, integrated WWAN from Verizon EV-DO. EV-DO access means you can use the cellular phone network for your Internet connection. Combine access with benchmarks like eight hours of battery life, a great keyboard, and the Intel Core Duo Processor, and you've got a winner. Watch the video as it wins editors' choice over at CNet.

Toshiba Qosmio G35. Here's a good choice for the dad who loves his entertainment. Adept at the big four—TV, audio, PC, and DVD—the Qosmio lets you watch and create just about any media, though at $2,000 you may be forfeiting your kids' orthodonture to buy this one.

None of these idea quite zany enough for you? Join me in part two and we'll shake things up for the dad who has everything.

Are you looking for more high-tech Father's Day gift ideas? See what the other bloggers are getting the Dads in their lives:

• Christopher Null (The Working guy)
• Dory Devlin (The Mom)
• Gina Hughes (the Techie Diva)