No other desktop computer comes close to the iMac's beauty and elegance. If you're looking for a truly tasteful gift this year, the iMac is it.

-- Valerie Potter

Laptop computer: MacBook Pro

Why buy one laptop when you can get two for virtually the same price? We're talking, of course, about Apple's high-stylin', aluminum-clad MacBook Pro ($1,999 to $2,799), which not only runs Mac OS X, but -- with the help of free software from Apple -- does Windows, too. Even better, it's ready for Windows Vista when that operating system ships to consumers early in 2007.

Apple does just about the best industrial design in the computer industry, and the top-of-the-line MacBook Pro is a prime example. The 17-in. model is lightweight at just 6.8 lbs., offers a widescreen LCD display -- pick glossy or matte -- that packs a resolution of 1,680 by 1,050 pixels, runs almost silently and is just an inch high when the lid is closed. But when it comes to features and technology, the MacBook Pro is a heavyweight. Just look at the specs for the 17-in. model: superfast 2.33-GHz Core 2 Duo processor? Check. 160GB hard drive? Check. 2GB of RAM? Check. SuperDrive that burns both CDs and DVDs? Check. Built-in webcam, wireless networking and remote control? Check, check and check. You get the picture.