Many Seek Tips On New Tech Toys

CHICAGO -- In electronics stores across Chicagoland on Tuesday, there were two kinds of people -- those looking to buy something new and those trying to figure out how to use what they were given.

"I'm not that good with technology," one shopper told NBC5's Phil Rogers.

A manager at the Best Buy store on North Avenue said that many times, a lot of people think their new item is broken.

"A lot of people think (an item is) broken, because they take it out of the box and don't want to take the time to read the manual," the manager said.

Jennifer Chillo is one customer who got a fast lesson in how to use a new digital camera.

"I had one, but it was a long time ago. I needed a refresher course," she said.

At ABT Electronics in Glenview, Jean White was making an appointment for a house call for her new flat screen TV. White said she likes the new picture.

"There's no color on regular TV. On HDTV, it's perfect," she said.

Technology has advanced a lot in the last few years. And often, consumers are learning that right in the store.

Marc Cook with ABT Electronics said any technology, sufficiently advanced, "is indistinguishable from magic."

Experts said that cameras and flat-screen TVs seemed to be the most intimidating new tech toys.

"I know that having, like, a lot of mega pixels is good," one customer said.

Consumer electronics sales were expected to reach $21 billion this season, about one-fourth of this year's total holiday spending.

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