An iPod- and hype-free guide to Internet shopping

Yes, I get his point about too many people recommending iPods for Christmas:

This is not a holiday gift guide. There are plenty of those floating around, and, frankly, I’m a little bit tired of every one of them including some form of iPod product. There are cheaper, equally good and certainly more versatile music players out there, people. This is, instead, a basic Guide to Online Shopping, that small miracle of antiseptic commerce and porch-dropped packages that is sweeping the nation. It contains tips and advice, but no coupons and no warranties, expressed or implied. Use the information herein at your peril, and check my blog during the day Friday (chicagotribune.com/johnson) for additional notions from readers or to post your own.

In case you're wondering, though, what I want for Christmas...I'd like an iPod, please.

Link: An iPod- and hype-free guide to Internet shopping