Five Great Gift Ideas for Public Transportation Commuters

At my previous job, I took the train from the suburbs straight to Union Station in downtown Chicago. The train ride would leave me with about 2 hours each day to do whatever I please, as long as it could be done on a train. Thankfully, technology has drastically increased the number of entertainment options the typical day-commuter has for the boring trips to and from the office. Whether your loved ones take the train, bus, or carpool with others, here are five great gift ideas that they are sure to love.

5) Amazon Kindle

Reading is probably the most old-school of activities one could do during a commute to work, or any time, for that matter. Old-school or not, people still enjoy reading during their free time more than any other pastime. Thankfully, with technology, it is no longer necessary to drag along your library books.

An entire book can be loaded on to this device, which is much smaller than your standard paperback novel. When you finish one book, there is no need to go to the library or the store to find a new book; one can browse for and download a new book from the Kindle Store, straight to the device itself. They even come equipped with 3G and WiFi, so the busy individual can acquire new reading material on the go. Available for purchase from Amazon.com, this gift is perfect for any commuter on your list that enjoys reading.

4) MP3 Player

There are all kinds of MP3 players on the market, most of which are quite capable of playing a large collection of music on the go. Perhaps the fact that there are so many options out there is what makes this such an attractive gift. But buyer beware, not all MP3 players are created equal. The right gift for that special someone can vary greatly based upon their own personal tastes.

Personally, I still love my iPod Classic, but I know many people that prefer their iPod Shuffles, iPod Touches, or even the iPhone. In my mind, the iPod Classic plays my music, and plays it well. I don’t personally care about the other features and apps of newer MP3 players, but many do, so it is important to take that into consideration when shopping for the audiophile on your holiday shopping list.

3) Netbook

How could one possibly go wrong with a laptop? They can do simple word processing, browse the internet, send email, watch video, and a seemingly countless amount of other tasks, all from one device. Add a 3G or 4G mobile device, and all of this can be done on the go. It’s literally the gift that can do it all.

Sure, it’s quite a bit larger than an iPad or similar tablet device, but personally, I wouldn’t trade in my laptop for anything. During my long commutes, I would actually write code and design websites, which would be much more difficult, if not unfeasible, to do on an iPad. A netbook or laptop is the perfect gift for the IT nerd on your list, or for the individual that wishes to perform many tasks from one device.

2) Android Smartphone

The single greatest advantage to the Android smartphone platform is the variety of different options available to the consumer. If you go with the undoubtedly solid iPhone, that is more or less your only option. Apple has a monopoly over the iOS, so you get whatever Steve Jobs says you’re getting.

Android, however, has many different flavors, and is available on many different networks, including the most dominant carriers, Verizon and AT&T. Consumer choice is the ultimate benefit of the Android platform, providing the perfect smartphone for anyone on your list, no matter their tastes.

1) Sony PSP Go!

This device is my personal favorite. I spent countless hours playing games such as Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness, God of War: Chains of Olympus, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, LittleBigPlanet, and even some PlayStation Minis. All of the games are downloadable from the PlayStation store, which features hundreds of titles spanning every genre known to man.

The PSP Go!‘s small size makes it easy to fit in your pocket, or backpack, or even your lunch bag. The possibilities are virtually endless, perfect for the avid gamer on your holiday list.