In some places it’s customary to give tea-towels and saucepans for Christmas, but we have none of that chez Frost. In this house we want the kind of presents that come with plugs on. The shops, real and online, are stacked high with fabulous gifts, all of them strictly PC.

If electrical goodies come at a price, there are special savings from Hewlett-Packard’s latest all-in-one device, the hp psc 950 (pound;299). Saving space, money and the hassle of working a printer, fax, copier and flatbed scanner, the hp psc 950 could be the hub of a home work area. With stylish looks to boot, it can kick out a fax and photocopy in black or colour. It can read text from a printed sheet (OCR) as well as reduce or enlarge it on to multiple sheets. To be relished is its photocard reader which prints pictures directly from the Compact Flash, Smart Cards and Sony Memory Sticks. Put one of these digital camera cards in the slot and it prints a contact sheet of thumbnail pictures. Like an exam paper, you mark which pictures you want to print and put the sheet on the copier glass. The psc 950 reads the marks, prints in the size you ticked and the result is no-compromise photo quality.

Camera-makers have also realised that getting your pictures from a camera needs to be easier. Setting the pace here is Kodak’s DX range, including the DX3600 and DX3700 (both pound;349) which dock in an EasyShare base when you’re not taking pictures. From here they charge their batteries and send pictures to the computer. With a docking base and just a “send” button to press, battery handling and cable handling are no more. Short of thinking your pictures into a computer, this is the way to go.

For a first foray into digital pictures, a Web camera is very affordable. Logitech’s Quickcam range come with software (see www.logitech.com) that makes pictures, videos and Web photo albums. It can even broadcast your lesson on the Internet. But new this Christmas are the ClickSmart 310 and 510 Web cameras that you can also use away from the computer. The 310 (pound;69) fits in a pocket and takes a 15-second video or 160 small snaps you can email. Connect it to the PC and it sends all the pictures without fuss. Snap away while you’re connected to the PC and you gain greater memory and more control. If this is much the easiest camera to start with, the 510 (pound;139) boosts the picture quality to postcard size (1.3 Mega pixel). It also has a flash and memory card to make it very versatile and has the look and feel of a really novel gift.

A quality mouse makes a nice gift - the Logitech IFeel Mouse has an optical sensor which, over time, proves to be more reliable than the usual mouse-ball mechanism. This one also has a motor inside, so it vibrates to draw attention to screen buttons and menus and it’s especially good for those, such as grandparents, who need help with their aim.

If you demonstrate computers, or find the mouse cable is a bother, the new Cordless Optical Mouse (Logitech pound;39) is the answer. This remote mouse is a blessing in meetings and presentations where you can pass it around - while its optical sensor saves passing a mouse mat too.

Keyboards too have improved. For example the Internet Navigator Keyboard (pound;25) would suit surfers with its array of shortcut buttons to websites. Music buttons play tracks on CDs, while a wheel volume control makes this handy at home. I’d value its flatness over the tilted designs - a serious point for frequent computer use.

Digital organisers, like the funky Handspring Visor, are affordable as the capable starter model costs pound;89. For more memory, speed and a cradle there’s Visor Neo (pound;169) and then there are slim, executive models like the Visor Edge. If you’ve a bigger budget, late next year you’ll see Visor Treo - a GSM phone with diary, address book, Web surfer as well as a mini keyboard.

With 100Mb or more of storage, the famous Zip disc lets you carry your digital works wherever you go. If once you needed a Zip drive to hand, today’s drives now fit your pocket and work off one plug (USB). Look for Zip 100 New Generation (pound;79) or The Ultimate Zip 100 (pound;89) which is even smaller. For more storage per disc, try the Zip 250 mobility kit (pound;169). In this handy format, it looks like the document briefcase is the next thing to go from the present list.

Hewlett-Packard www.hp.comIomega www.iomega.co.uk Logitech www.logitech.comKodak www.kodak.co.uk Handspring www.handspring.co.uk Available through high street or online retailers. Prices include VAT