The 2017 Gifts for Programmers List

Welcome to the “Gifts for Programmers Master-list”.

On this page you can find Christmas gifts for programmers targeting Software Developers and nerds alike.

Everything is organized in terms of price point. If you're confused about a gift, or need more information, make sure to read the details below each item.

Stocking Stuffers ($5 – $25)

1. 1. Programmer Mugs

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      “The 6 Stages of Debugging” Mug

      ** Top-Pick for Under $25 **

       

      This isn't just any ordinary mug. This mug has power. At some point or another, every progammer has struggled with debugging. Having this mug by your side will help you through those ‘tough times' that we all encounter.
      It might help crack a smile while pulling out what hair you have remaining. Or maybe your thing is banging your head on the desk? To each their own.

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      “99 Bugs In The Code” Mug

       

      There's a couple things that make this mug great. It's meant to be sarcastic and funny, but with a subtle injection of optimism.

      Here's a break-down:

      1. It's referencing a classic “jingle” which makes me smile, since beer is always nice.
      2. It's referencing a “Programmer-ism” about debugging. It's very common to fix one problem, recompile your code, and discover there's a bunch of new problems that weren't there before you “fixed” it.
      3. And one last nuance: Often when you discover there's new errors, it's usually an overall positive thing. New errors = progress.

      I recommend this mug if your programmer needs to be reminded to stay positive!

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      “I'm Here Because YOU Broke Something” Mug

       

      This is the perfect mug if your programmer works for a company and has a Senior Developer Role. If you've ever had to listen to your programmer wine about how they “had to stay late to fix someone elses shi*t,” they're guantanteed to
      get a chuckle out of this.

      Alternatively, this makes the PERFECT gift if YOU are that senior dev, and you need a gift for the person who keeps breaking shi*t.

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1. 1. Programmer Shirts

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      “I Don't Always Test My Code” T-Shirt

       

      Every programmer has a horror story related to this topic. You could be a web developer, app developer, game developer, anything. This is going to be especially funny to senior developers because they've likely had many painful experiences. If you buy
      this product it's guaranteed to provide laughter.

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      “Trust the Process” T-Shirt

       

      Here we have the Simple Programmer “Trust the Process” T-Shirt. The material is very soft and it has a slightly fitted “modern” shape. It's made from light, high quality cotton and it runs slightly longer than most T-Shirts.

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      “So Much Internet To Do” T-Shirt

       

      Another classic meme shirt. It's sarcastic, goofy, and true. All Software Developers really have a lot of internet to do.

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1. Other Cool Programmer Gifts for Stockings

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   Touch-Screen Compatible Gloves

    

   This isn't just a great gift for programmers. This is excellent for anyone who spends a lot of time on their phone (*cough* everyone).

   Think of all the possibilities:

   • Walking to Work
   • Walking the Dog
   • Getting into your cold car in the morning

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   Adjustable Monopod

    

   This gift is perfect for programmers who need to film themselves or stay active on social media. If your programmer owns his own business or is thinking about starting his own business, this selfie stick is a cost effective tool for supplementing
   online content.

   The holder is suitable for iPhone, Samsung, and all other devices up to 3.25 inches in width. Don't feel like measuring? To give you perspective an iPhone 7 plus is 3.07 inches wide. So there's plenty of room even with that large screen.

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   Microfiber Screen Cleaner For Phones, Laptops & Desktops

    

   Give the gift of a clean screen with these portable spray cleaners. They're non-toxic and ammonia free.

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Been on a Few Dates ($25 – $50)

1. 1. Programmer Books (Great gifts for all developers)

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      The Complete Software Developer's Career Guide

       

      This is my latest book and definitely a must-have for every developer, newbie or experienced. It takes you step-by-step through the process of becoming a top-notch developer, guiding you through every aspect of your career.

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      Soft Skills

       

      This is my first book and the life manual I believe every developer should have.

      If you've conquered the technical skills you need as a developer, you still need to conquer the soft skills to take your developer career to the next level.

      I also touch one subjects like fitness (which is usually not a top-priority for developers).

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1. Programmer Tech (under $50)

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   20,000mAh Portable Charger

    

   ** Top-Pick for Under $50 **

   This portable charger has a 20,000mAh capactity, which is a considerable amount. To give you some perspective, a 2017 Macbook Pro holds a 4,883mAh charge. So it could charge your laptop 4 times before it dies.

   An iPhone 7 rougly holds a 2,000mAh charge. So you could charge it fully 8 – 10 times before the charger dies. This is a great choice for those who aren't able to frequently charge their phone or forget to.

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   Wireless Bluetooth Headset (Apple iOS 10+)

    

   I recommend them, I have some and they are great.

   • They’re made to keep up with you, thanks to a charging case that holds multiple additional charges for more than 24 hours of listening time.
   • They connect automatically to your iPhone, they are quite comfortable, and they have a particular feature that stops music if they are suddenly removed.
   • Need a quick charge? just 15 minutes in the case gives you 3 hours of listening time.

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2. Programmer Accessories (under $50)

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   Computer Glasses

    

   These Computer Glasses were designed for those who stay in front of a monitor for a long time.

   • Prevents your eyes from dryness.
   • It's cool to be nerdy in 2017. These glasses turn you into a nerdy-chic-magnet. Wait, that's not politically correct. Correction: They turn you into a nerdy human magnet?

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   Logitech Bluetooth Keyboard

    

   If you're looking for a quiet keyboard, this is just about as quiet as they get. The “feel” of it is similar to an Apple keyboar.

   The major features include:

   1. Bluetooth Connectivity
   2. Multi-Device Connectivity. Connect to:
   3. • Computers
      • Apple iPads
      • Android Tablets

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Things Are Getting Pretty Serious ($50 – $100)

1. Electronics Hobbyist

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   Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit

    

   The Raspberry Pi is perfect if your programmer is an electronics hobbyist. How do you know your programmer is an electronics hobbyist? They're easy to spot in their natural habitat. Look for these 4 signs:

   1. Lying around the work station is a collection of tiny wires and electronics that look like computer parts.
   2. Likely has a saudering gun.
   3. Likes to try and control things (lights, robots, other computers) using devices they've built. Often failing and damaging house-hold electronics.
   4. Asks for help connecting tiny little wires because their fingers are too large. This probably isn't a problem if the programmer is a female.

   ** Top-Pick for Under $100 **

   The Raspberry Pi is an amazing low-cost micro-computer. It's basically a full-blown computer but it's the size of credit card.

   It can run various flavors of Linux/Unix, act as a Media Center, and even moonlight as a Microcontroller, which is great for developers who are looking to learn how to hack.

   Some other things you might want to buy along-side this product are:

   The Complete Rasberry Pi Start-Kit

   

   It comes with:

   • A 3.5 inch LCD touch screen
   • Extra Wiring
   • Preloaded System (2016-04-06-raspbian-jessie)
   • Cooling Fan (NOTE: if you want the Fan and Screen to work at the same time, please purchase Kuman K70 40pin Male to Female Ribbon GPIO Cable ASIN:B01L6THEE8 )

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   ARDUINO Starter Kit

    

   What the heck is an Arduino and why would my Programmer want one?

   Good question, let me explain why your programmer (even if they aren't an electronics hobbyist) would want an Arduino.

   Arduino's are microcontrollers that can run a single program at a time. You can program them to control other electronics (hence the name “micro-controller”.) They're commonly used to control hobbyist robots and house-hold electronics.

   This Exclusive Arduino Deluxe Bundle includes everything you need to get started with Arduino – including the only Official Starter Kit.

   They're very commonly used in University student projects.

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2. Games (under $100)

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   NES Classic Edition

    

   This is another option for those who love video games and want to revive their childhood memories. One of the most popular games I remember is Super Mario Bros 3.

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   Fallout (BOARDGAME)

    

   This is the game board version of the popular game Fallout. If your programmer likes getting together with friends to play board games, this is an easy choice. And rest assured, the game got a 7.8 on
   boardgamegeek.com , which is a respectable rating.

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   Zelda Breath Of The Wild

    

   For those of you who are Zelda fans, this is a no-brainer purchase. For those of you who aren't, this is the newest Zelda released for the Nintendo Switch.

   It's considered to be the best game of 2017, along with Super Mario Odyssey. The visuals are absolutely stunning. It reminds me of an MMO because you can wander around completing missions that don't necessarily pertain to the main story line. I definitely
   recommend picking up this game if you own a Switch.

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   Player Unknown Battlegrounds (“Pub-G”)

    

   This is a very popular first person shooter computer game. One of the “online celebrities” who streams this game is named “Dr.Disrespect”. Google him and I guarantee some laughs.

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   Super Mario Odyssey

    

   I recommend this game just for being Super Mario and for scoring an incredible 97 on Metacritic. Definitely a must pick if you own a Nintendo Switch.

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   Sid Meier’s Civilization VI

    

   If your programmer likes computer games where you can build cities, cizilizations and fights battles, this is the game you want to buy. And rest assured, it made the “Best Steam Games 2017” list on techradar.com.

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3. Electronics (under $100)

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   Amazon Echo

    

   Amazon Echo (shortened and referred to as Echo) is a brand of smart speakers developed by Amazon.

   Echo connects to Alexa to play music, make calls, set alarms and timers, ask questions, control smart home devices, and more—instantly. Just ask for a song, artist, or genre from Amazon Music, Spotify,
   Pandora, and more. With multi-room music, you can play music on compatible Echo devices in different rooms. Echo can also play audiobooks, radio stations, news briefs, and more. Call or message almost
   anyone hands-free with your Echo device. Also, instantly connect to other Echo devices in your home using just your voice. If your not really sure what to get your developer for Christmas, this is safe choice.

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   Belkin BOOST UP Wireless Charging Pad (Designed with Apple)

    

   It is a wireless charger and an excellent gift for people with an iPhone X or Google Pixel 2, as they have this type of charging capabilities.

   Engineered to charge without removing your case.

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   Mophie Juice Pack Wireless – Charge Force Wireless Power

    

   This is a case with a battery specially designed for iPhone. The 2,525mAh battery case provides one full charge to the phone inside. So the battery life is effectively doubled. As an added bonus the case is very durable with
   High Impact Protection which features rubberized support pads on the interior for drops and hard falls, and rasied corners for added protection against cracked screens.

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4. The Gift of Knowledge (under $100)

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   10 Steps To Learn Anything Quickly

    

   Every programmer should be able to learn things quickly and this is exactly what this course is about.

   I'll take you step-by-step into the techniques I've used to learn things faster. Forget about reading books cover-to-cover.

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   The Pragmatic Programmer

    

   I recommend this book to every programmer. It talks about a wide variety of technical skills you need to master as a maturing developer. Something else I loved about it was that it referenced useful
   technologies that make a programmers life easier.

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   Clean Code

    

   this is another book I recommend to every programmer. The author, “Uncle Bob” Martin, is somewhat of a legend in the programmer community.

   One of the most important skills a programmer can have is the ability to write “clean code”. What is clean code? If your code is “clean”, it means others have an easy time reading it and can build onto
   it with relative ease. There's nothing worse than trying to decipher someones code that's terribly written. Imagine trying to read a book written by a 3 year old. Sounds pretty terrible, doesn't it?

   I've interview Uncle Bob a number of times, here's the most recent one: Interview with Uncle Bob Martin.

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Wanna Move in Together? ($100 – $250)

1. 1. Gaming (under $250)

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      SNES Classic Edition

       

      Relive your childhood with the amazing SNES Classic Edition. The Super Nintendo is a pretty classic gift option that will bring you good memories and even better games.

      The SNES is one of my favorite options on this list. One of the most popular games I remember is Super Mario All-Stars

      If this is too expensive you can check out the classic version which is a bit cheaper: NES Classic Edition

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      Xbox One 500GB

       

      If your programmer likes to play games on a TV, this is never a bad choice. Recently a very popular first-person-shooter PC game was made available for Xbox One named “Player Unknown Battlegrounds”.
      If you're looking for a great game to go with the Xbox that's definitely a solid choice: Player Unknown Battlegrounds

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      Razer Wireless Gaming Headset

       

      If your programmer likes to play games that require voice communication, this is pretty much the best head-set/mic out there. With these noice-canceling headphones, they won't hear anything but the
      game they're playing. You can't go wrong with Razer products.

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   2. Electronics (under $250)

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      SOL REPUBLIC 1430-00 Wireless Air Tracks On-Ear Headphones

       

      The SOL REPUBLIC Tracks Air are an awesome solution for those who are looking for wireless on-ear headphones that block out noise. It has a 4-star rating on Amazon with 414 total reviews.

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      Ultra 400gb Micro SD

       

      ** Top-Pick for Under $250 **

      It's a micro SD with an incredible amount of space for data. It has 400gb of memory so it's perfect if you need to store a large amount of photos or video in HD. It can transfer up to 100MB/s which amounts to about to 1200 photos in a minute.
      Ideal for Android smartphones and tablets, and MIL cameras.

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1. The Gift of Knowledge (under $250)

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   Interview Cake

    

   Interview Cake is an awesome service for those who want to crack the coding interview and get the programming job you've always dreamed of.

   I have received a lot of feedback from my audience regarding this platform, so I consider it an excellent gift.

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You're a Nerd and I Love it ($250 – $500)

1. Computer Electronics [PC](under $500)

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   Samsung 960 PRO Series – 512GB Solid State Hard Drive

    

   This Hard Drive is ideal for GAMING, and high-performance tower desktops. This is the perfect gift if your developer loves to game.

   Not sure if your developer already has one? Ask one of their gamer friends, they'll definitely know.

   5 year limited warranty.

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   Optane SSD 900P – 280GB Solid State Hard Drive

    

   This Solid State Hard Drive is designed for the most storage demanding workloads, ideal for professional users, creators, and enthusiasts. The Samsumg 960 Pro is definitely a top pick in terms of SSD performance and overall computer performance
   in general. Some say it's the fastest on the market and the king of SSD, but it's also the most expensive. So if your developer wants the best and spares no expense, this is the hard drive you want to buy.

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2. Gaming (under $500)

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   Oculus Rift

    

   This is another one of my favorite items. I bought an Oculus last year and since then I haven't wanted to play anything else.

   It's quite fun, interesting, and allows you to play in 3D. I highly recommend it. You can check out a review I did here.

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   Nintendo Switch

    

   ** Top-Pick for Under $500 **

   I'm a big fan of video games and I was pretty much blown away by the new Nintendo Switch.

   I got it on my birthday this year and I've been enjoying it a lot so far. As a “hybrid” console, you can play it on your TV screen or you can take it out and use it in portable mode. It's basically a game-boy that you can hook up to your TV.

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3. Tech Accessories (under $500)

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   Apple Watch 3

    

   This is another great product from Apple. In fact, I have the first version and I'm pretty satisfied with it.

   The Apple Watch 3 is an improved version of its predecessors and features new qualities like a built-in GPS.

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   ecobee4 Alexa-Enabled Thermostat with Sensor

    

   Simple put, this is an incredible product. You can literally adjust the temperature of your home using your smart phone (Android or iOS). ecobee4 comes with built-in Alexa Voice Service, so you
   can ask your ecobee to set a timer, read you the news, adjust the temperature, and more. With Far-field voice technology your ecobee4 can hear you from across the room.

   ecobeer advertises that it's common to see a 23% savings in your house-hold heating costs every year by preventing a constant hold on the temperature.

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5. The Gift of Knowledge (under $500)

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   Pluralsight

    

   If you want to improve yourself as a developer, I'd suggest that you buy a one-year subscription to Pluralsight, a developer-oriented platform where you can learn everything you can.

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   How To Market Yourself As A Software Developer

    

   This is the course for every developer that wants to build a solid career. Or if you're an aspiring developer I'd also recommend this course. Get your career stared the right way.

   I'll take you step-by-step through marketing yourself and transforming your name into a brand.

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Let's Make Babies ($500+)

1. Computer Electronics ($500+)

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   Dell Ultrawide Montior (U3415W)

    

   ** Top-Pick for $500+ **

   I own this Dell Ultra Wide Monitor and it's incredible. It's one of the first versions so it's priced more reasonably than other Ultra Wide Monitors.

   If you're looking for a ultra-wide monitor and you want something that's still going to perform, this should definitely go on your list.

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   Dell Ultrawide Monitor (3417w)

    

   This Dell Ultrawide Monitor has a 34″ screen and excellent graphics performance. In terms of price, this ultrawide monitor falls in the mid-range.

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   Dell Ultrawide Monitor (3818dw)

    

   If you want to go all the way and really invest in a high performance ultra-wide monitor, then the Dell 3818d2 should be your pick.

   It has a 37.5″ screen and superior graphics performance. If your developer wants the absolute best monitor, this is what you need to buy.

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   Your Slide Laptop Monitor

    

   This product has 2 additional monitors that attach to your Mac or Microsoft laptop depending on your needs. The advantage of these screens is that they are completely independent and you can perform 3 different tasks at the same time.

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   Microsoft Surface II

    

   This is a high-end laptop that's great for gaming. I have the first version of this laptop and it's definitely something I'd recommend.

   This second installment and it advertises a huge improvement with the high-performance graphics card. As I stated before, this laptop is ideal for running games (I know there's are A LOT of game developers here).

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   MacBook Pro 2017

    

   If you're a “Mac Lover” and you have a few (ok, a lot of) dollars to spend, you can buy the latest version of the MacBook Pro, one of the most sought-after notebooks by developers who are not very fond of Microsoft.

   This laptop has similar characteristics to the Surface II in that it's a very high-end product. Mac Products are notoriously expensive but one reason is because they're so reliable. A friend of mine still has his Macbook
   from 2009 and it works the same as the day he bought it. If you purchase the Apple-care warranty for around $250, you basically get a “no questions asked” repair policy.

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2. Phones

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   iPhone 10 / X

    

   The iPhone 10 / X is an excellent phone. I acquired one recently.

   With the updates, there's facial recognition, fingerprint identification, an awesome camera, and although it's a smaller phone, its screen is bigger than the previous version.

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   Google Pixel 2

    

   Google Pixel 2 Phone is a very popular phone in the Simple Programmer community. It's presumed to be in direct competition with the iPhone X.

   The Pixel 2 has the best camera quality of any Android phone, and updates like water resistance and a best-in-class processor, which makes it a top pick.

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