Before you grab a consumer electronics product, here are a few things to consider. Given how quickly devices become obsolete, a key point to be mindful of is whether the gadget will provide long enough useful life for its recipient.
Google apparently still has big ambitions in the hardware game. The search engine and online advertising giant is reportedly going to launch the first Chrome OS netbooks within the next few weeks.
With Apple's iPad leading the pack, shipments of tablets and netbook computers are expected to skyrocket a whopping 41% next year.
Taiwan's PC industry, the world's largest, is booming. Driving sales is a massive shift toward mobile computing as buyers flock to devices like netbooks and tablet computers.
Boob tube shipments are up and manufacturer revenues are expected to rise in the first quarter, reversing a six-month decline. But LCD makers are hardly raking it in as prices continue to slide every year.












