Digital Home Thoughts: Remembering The Christmases Of Yore

"A snowy Christmas in Chicago has given us time to dig through our parents' Newsweek archives, including some amazing Bill Gates covers -- see photos below. More topical: Gems like this year-end gadget shopping guide from the Nov. 24, 1997 issue. (Cover story: "Can we stop Saddam?") On the Newsweek editors' Christmas lists:"

It is amazing to see just how much a difference thirteen years makes. In some ways, technology has not changes that much and looking at the list that Newsweek editors made, a lot has stayed the same. Of course, gadgets are a lot more powerful these days but the biggest difference I can see between the lists of yesteryear and today would be that devices have become increasingly connected.

The Internet and network connectivity has become much more ubiquitous. The Newsweek list has only a single item that is a true communication device. Now, we have the iPad, Boxee Box, iPhones, Windows Phone 7, Android, netbooks, Google TV, eye-Fi, Twitter... all of these involve communication in some way or another.

A lot of gadgets now also feature much more social networking. Everything seems to be about sharing your interests, activities and hobbies where a lot of the gadgets of long ago either were about recording memories, or tended to be more utilitarian in nature.

Still, one thing about gadgets that has not changed is that we love to give or receive them! The best part of it all!