I'm doing some early looking around for Christmas for my guy. I know I'm getting him an 120 gig Zune. But from wheeere? Walmart is cheapest with 97 cent shipping and a low price of $228.54. Best buy's price is $249.99 but comes with a free $39.99 docking station. And the official zune site sells them at $249.99 as well but allows for free engraving on the back. I was going to engrave our names and a lovey message.

Which package would you appreciate more receiving? Is the engraving worth the difference in price compared to walmart? Or should I go with the walmart price so I can buy more little things for him?

My brother in law gave his wife an engraved iPod, and they still hate each other. So in my experience, engraving isn't really worth it. Plus I'm pretty sure there are certain shops and companies that can engrave the item after the fact.

I don't know if more little things would be better, and engraving depends on how close you two are, and if you both like that kind of stuff.

You're an awesome girlfriend though, buying him something like that. Personally I'd think it would be very sweet of you ^^

Maet:
My brother in law gave his wife an engraved iPod, and they still hate each other. So in my experience, engraving isn't really worth it. Plus I'm pretty sure there are certain shops and companies that can engrave the item after the fact.

Really? O_O If I could save the money and engrave it for cheaper that would be great.. I wonder how much extra engraving is somewhere else though, and what they are willing to hold themselves liable for. I'll have to research.

And I'm sorry for your brother in law and his wife.

Sennz0r:
I don't know if more little things would be better, and engraving depends on how close you two are, and if you both like that kind of stuff.

You're an awesome girlfriend though, buying him something like that. Personally I'd think it would be very sweet of you ^^

Thank you! And, we're very close. Been together for five years and having a baby in December. We're both pretty mushy. Haha, I'm just so cheap it's making it hard to decide! I only have about 400 USD to spend and I want to make it stretch.

Ionait:
And I'm sorry for your brother in law and his wife.

Just be sorry for my brother in law. His wife's a bitch.

But all kidding aside, just do a bit of research on places that engrave items because I'm almost positive they exist for iPods and Zunes as well (and if not, I just got a brilliant idea for a business).

Good luck.

Personally, I think you're getting the most bang for your buck with the Best Buy deal, as the docking station is quite handy. Engraving is lovely, but on something that's going to get banged around and perhaps one day be obsolete, it's a bit of a waste. (If the tech improves, he'll likely want a new model in a year or two.)

Susan Arendt:
Engraving is lovely, but on something that's going to get banged around and perhaps one day be obsolete, it's a bit of a waste. (If the tech improves, he'll likely want a new model in a year or two.)

*dies laughing* That translates to English VERY badly.

Hint: bang = euphemism for rough intercourse and model has two meanings as well.

Susan Arendt:
(If the tech improves, he'll likely want a new model in a year or two.)

I was thinking of that too.. How he'll want a new one eventually and might want to trade the old one in. He says he never sells away gifts, though it still doesn't matter much if it's shoved in a box somewhere unthought of. Hm hm.. My mush quadrant of my brain is conflicting with my logic quadrant.

Well whatever you're going to engrave, just buy one item, that's my two cents. Buying multiple items screams "I didn't know what you'd like best so I'll just use a shotgun method and see what hits" to me. Might sound a bit harsh, but I'm the kind of guy that does pick up these kinds of things in that manner :P

But then again I'm 18, and haven't had nearly as good a relationship as yours. Just about as near as the tip of the Eiffel tower is from the South Pole, but I still think one purchase is best, and will be appreciated regardless.

Ionait:
Which package would you appreciate more receiving? Is the engraving worth the difference in price compared to walmart? Or should I go with the walmart price so I can buy more little things for him?

Personally, I wouldn't go with the normal engraving at all - like Susan said, an MP3 player is going to get abused and possibly traded in. If you get him a lovey engraving he might appreciate it, but he'll also feel obligated to keep it longer and he might feel bad if it gets destroyed or stolen. Then again, you might consider those a positive ;)

On the other hand, if you know his tastes, the Zune Originals are very nice. The art covers the entire back, and the engraving process they use is quite durable. The Zune will also come in a different set of packaging that includes a small poster and postcard of the engraved art as well as information about the artist. Mine has the Kenzo Minami engraving and I have the poster hanging on my wall at work. If you think he'd really dig one of the options, go for that.

Otherwise, if he'll use it, the dock would be a no-brainer. The nice thing about the dock is that the Zune can automatically sync wirelessly when it's docked, so you can put the dock somewhere away from the computer to let it charge and sync. That's what I do - I have the A/V dock though, which is also connected to my stereo.

Thanks for all of your opinions! I think I've been turned off from the engraving and might do the docking station deal from best buy. That does seem like the best bet. I am eventually getting him a better engagement ring, and of course a wedding ring, so I'll save the engraving for that.