The big folly this year was a digital camera my mom gave to my daughter. You'd think a camera being given to a kid would be a simple camera to use, right? Unfortunately not. In this case, the camera that's appropriate for a kid is the cheapest digital camera you can buy. I'm guessing it was $19.99. It can only be charged by USB cable connected to a PC. It has no on/off switch, so it is always on. The batteries last about 30 minutes. The pictures are lost once the batteries run out. So you have to take the pictures and run back to the computer in 30 minutes to load them. The resolution is only 640x480. It takes (according to internet reviews) crappy pictures inside in low light. No flash.
I'm afraid to load the software to run the thing. The internet doesn't have much to say about this camera, but what it does say is all negative, including crippling computers that load the included software. There's a slip of paper with the documentation that says in big bold letters that if we have trouble with the camera, "Do not return it to the store where it was purchased." Instead, we should call a non-toll free number for technical assistance.
Fortunately, my daughter has been distracted by other presents and even though she has always wanted a camera, she will probably be fine if I tell her I wasn't able to get it to work.
