New research from Forrester Research ¿ ¿Top 10 Devices For The 2004 Holidays¿ ¿ predicts the top ten electronic devices consumers most want for Xmas this year. Forrester tracks the adoption of devices in North America and Europe through its Consumer Technographics surveys of tens of thousands of people each year. Paul Jackson, Forrester¿s European consumer devices analyst, and Ted Schadler, Jackson¿s counterpart in the US, have bundled this data along with their industry expertise to suggest ten products for consumers¿ holiday shopping lists.

At number one, Forrester finds the Sony or Toshiba sub-$1,000 HDTV, ideal for those consumers wanting widescreen high-definition television (HDTV) for their viewing pleasure.

Second on Forrester¿s list caters to the space-conscious consumers who will opt for an HD plasma or LCD TV..

Forrester finds that the Apple iPod will be the clear winner for music lovers — especially given today¿s announcement of the photo carrying, colour screen iPods — while the design-conscious will thank you for a sleek Apple iMac..

And parents wanting a little peace and quiet over the Xmas period will purchase a DVD-playing laptop such as the AVERATEC, HP, or Toshiba..

¿Prosumer¿ digital cameras and photo printers will please ardent photo buffs, while home photographers and music librarians will thank you for extra storage..

For the youth market ¿ which cares more about instant and text messaging than voice ¿ Forrester suggests the Ogo from AT&T Wireless. This weird-looking gizmo lets you send an unlimited number of instant messages over the IM network of your choosing, plus SMSes, for only $17.95 per month..

For those who want their handset to increase their street cred, the Motorola super-thin, anodized aluminum-skinned RAZR V3 is the answer, or even the new megapixel camera phones like the Nokia 7610, Sony Ericsson s700i, or SAMSUNG MM-A700..

And finally, for the person who has absolutely everything, Forrester suggests new gadgets that are so far out there even they won¿t have heard of them yet:.

  • The Ambient mood globe. This quirky $150 product from Ambient Devices sits on your desk and glows lovely pastel colors according to the mood of pretty much anything reported on the Internet ¿ the weather, the stock market, a public opinion poll. The data flows in over FM airwaves, so no Internet connection is needed.
  • The Philippe Starck Weatherstation. Interested in the weather, but put off by faux oak barometers? The Weatherstation, designed by Philippe Starck, offers comprehensive weather, time, and audio options in a minimalist case. The bad news: It¿s only available in Europe at the moment.
  • The Microsoft-powered SPOT Swatch. Microsoft¿s MSNDirect service uses the FM airwaves to send news, weather, and even your calendar to your watch. While Tissot brings sleek stainless steel, it¿s the kitschy orange Swatch that catches our fancy ¿ the basketball-dunking watch face is only a bonus. Be sure to include a coupon for the first year¿s service fee to give this watch its information feed and pizzazz.

¿Newly affordable technology, like digital cameras and super-cheap DVD players, will once again propel technology to the top of people¿s Xmas lists,¿ says Paul Jackson, Principal Analyst at Forrester Research. ¿This season, avoid devices that require too much learning from the poor friend or family member who gets it. Instead, think about which product will slip into their lifestyle with nary a ripple.¿