The Cheapskate

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a cheapskate. (I even have a blog that says so.) Needless to say, when it comes to buying games for my iPhone, I tend to choose titles that are free or supercheap.

In fact, my buying habits work like this: If a game I want costs 99 cents, I'll usually grab it without a second thought. If it's $1.99 or $2.99, I'll sometimes pull the trigger, though not without some hesitation. Anything that costs more, I rarely pony up for it.

Am I alone in this regard? To find out, I created this poll. Cast your vote, then read on for more discussion.

I suspect most people will choose, "It depends on the game." And, sure enough, some games offer relatively limited replay value, and therefore should be priced lower than games you're likely to play endlessly.

On the other hand, why should I balk at spending, $5 for an iPhone game that's every bit as good as a $50 PlayStation game? (PlayStation 2, anyway.) I'll drop five bucks for a Starbucks coffee and cookie, which last all of 10 minutes, but not on a game I might play for weeks. Why?

Maybe it's because I'm spoiled by all the great freebies, like Tap Tap Revenge 3, Unblock Me, and Traffic Rush. Or perhaps there's less perceived value in a game that runs on such a small screen.

Just two months ago, the Droid Eris was $99. Now you can get one for free!

(Credit: LetsTalk.com)

Sorry for my absence yesterday. I was sick as a dog and barely able to get out of bed. It's true what they say: health is the first wealth.

Fortunately, I'm "wealthy" enough today to get back in the saddle, and to make up for yesterday I'm bringing you not one, not two, but three deals. Check 'em out:

1. Dell has a 21.5-inch LCD monitor for $119 shipped. That's the lowest price I've seen on a Dell screen of this size, which is notable for offering 1,920x1,080 resolution and a 3-year warranty. This deal expires sometime today, so if you've been thinking about a new monitor, act fast.

2. If you want an iPhone but don't want AT&T, most people agree an Android-powered phone is the next best thing. LetsTalk.com is offering the HTC Droid Eris free with a new Verizon contract. Actually, the phone and shipping are free, but you will have to pony up $35 for activation. CNET really liked the Eris, even when it was rocking a $99 price tag.

3. Although I'm violating my own ban of CircuitCity/CompUSA/TigerDirect deals (which always seem to sell out in a matter of minutes), this one merits exception: a refurbished 15.6-inch Acer Aspire Timeline laptop for $399.99 shipped. Specs include 3GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, 802.11n Wi-Fi, an HDMI port, and a six-cell battery (which Acer says is good for 8+ hours of operation). It comes with Vista Home Premium, but a couple of the user reviews mention success in obtaining a free Windows 7 upgrade from Acer (YMMV). Really nice laptop for the price--so don't be surprised if when it sells out.

What do you think? Anything look good? You head to the comments; I'm heading back to bed.

The HP IQ524 TouchSmart features a wireless mouse and keyboard--and a touch screen!

(Credit: J&R)

I'm a sucker for all-in-one PCs. There's just something appealing about getting the full "desktop experience" without a big, bulky tower.

Right now, J&R has a doozy of an all-in-one deal: the HP IQ524 TouchSmart Desktop PC for $699 shipped. It's a refurb, so there's a 90-day warranty.

This is no ordinary all-in-one. The IQ524's 22-inch LCD is actually a touch screen, meaning you can interact with it using a finger instead of a mouse. (Don't worry: a wireless mouse comes with the system, as does a wireless keyboard.)

Consequently, I envision this as a pretty ideal "kitchen PC," one that allows you to leave the mouse in a drawer while still pulling up Web pages, checking e-mail, and the like.

The rest of the TouchSmart's specs are solid, including a 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, and a DVD burner.

The system also sports a Webcam and microphone (Skype away), 802.11n Wi-Fi, and integrated Intel GMA X3100 graphics--too weak for heavy-duty gaming, but sufficient for everyday operations.

I haven't found many reviews of the IQ524, but scattered user ratings lead me to believe this is a terrific system. The only real disappointment is that it comes with Vista Home Premium 64-bit, not Windows 7. On the other hand, it regularly sells for $900 or more, so I can't ding it too much for the OS.

I have no idea when this deal will expire or sell out, so if you're interested, act fast!

Four HDMI cables for less than $10? That's one important lesson for 2009.

(Credit: Buy.com)

Hey, has anyone seen 2009? It was here a minute ago. Under the sofa cushions, maybe? No? Dang, guess it's gone for good. That was fast!

Because this is my last post until 2010, allow me to share some of the things I learned this year:

1. Never overpay for HDMI cables Actually, I learned this in 2008, but it bears repeating. If you pay more than a few bucks for an HDMI cable (you know, the kind that connects HDTV to receiver, Blu-ray player to HDTV, and so on), you're getting screwed. Witness this deal from Buy.com: a four-pack of 6-foot HDMI cables for $9.91 shipped. If you just walked out of Best Buy with a $30 Belkin, take it back!

2. Always look for coupon codes Do you often find yourself wishing for a big, juicy coupon code for the checkout page? A quick bit of Google searching may produce one. Or hit up Web sites like DealLocker and RetailMeNot to browse their coupon collections. I can't tell you how many times I've scored an unexpected discount, free shipping, or some other savings.

Normally $50, the top-rated Left 4 Dead 2 is on sale for $29.99 shipped.

(Credit: GameStop)

If you're among those lucky enough to have this week off, well, I'm insanely jealous. That means you've got time to sit around and play games, which I rarely do. But I can live vicariously through you, and give you three amazing deals on new and classic PC titles alike. Take a look:

1. Valve's Steam service is offering one of my all-time favorites, BioShock, for just $4.99. I've mentioned it for that price a few times before, but if you haven't pulled the trigger, here's another chance. BioShock mixes action, role-playing, sci-fi, and horror to great effect.

2. Also on Steam: The Eidos Collector's Pack for $49.99. This amazing 20-game bundle includes the exceptional Batman: Arkham Asylum, which by itself normally sells for $49.99. Other titles include Battlestations Pacific, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, a couple Tomb Raider games, and Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition. The total value is a whopping $262, and the deal's good until Jan. 3.

3. I love me some zombie-whompin', and right now GameStop has Left 4 Dead 2 for $29.99 shipped (plus sales tax in most states). Regular price: $49.99. Check out GameSpot's review; the game scored a 9.0, making it one of the top-rated titles of 2009.

There you go! While I'm toiling away looking for deals, y'all can go and have some good, cheap fun.

In the meantime, if you've found any killer game deals (for PCs or consoles), feel free to share 'em in the comments.

Roku's nifty little box delivers on-demand video from sources like Amazon and Netflix.

(Credit: Roku)

Did Santa bring you cash this year? A big fat gift card? An unexpected work bonus? Whatever the case, you're probably primed and ready for a little splurging.

And on this one day out of the entire year, I'm going to recommend three decidedly splurge-y items. They're not necessarily deals (though I've found the best possible price for each of them); they're just items I've enjoyed myself in recent months.

1. A second monitor After years of hearing how great it is to run side-by-side monitors, I finally took the plunge. Guess what? It is great. Just having Outlook and Firefox visible at the same time is, alone, worth the price of a second LCD. You can usually pick up a 22-incher for around $140, like this Sceptre X226W available from Newegg for $139.99 shipped. But right now Staples has a 21.5-inch eMachines E211H LCD monitor for just $99.98 shipped (plus sales tax in most states). First time I've seen a screen that size for under $100.

2. Jabra Halo stereo Bluetooth headset I find it extremely liberating to walk around with my iPhone in my pocket, headphones on my ears, and no bothersome cord connecting the two. The Halo headset is slim, comfortable, foldable, and able to take calls. The controls aren't fabulous (show me a headset's that are), but overall this is my favorite headset ever. It lists for $129.99, but Amazon Best Buy has the Halo for $99.99 shipped.

3. Roku HD-XR Streaming media is the future. Roku's top-end box already delivers Amazon Video On Demand, Netflix Instant Watch, Pandora Internet radio, Major League Baseball, and various freebie channels like blip.tv and Revision3--all in high-def (when available). The HD-XR model ($129.99) offers Wireless-N connectivity, but get the cheaper HD ($99.99) if you're rocking Ethernet. Granted, some Blu-ray players deliver similar streaming capabilities, but usually without wireless, and definitely without the same fast, easy interface. For Netflix in particular, I really dig this little box.

So, there you have it: three splurge-worthy items. Let me know if you decide to pull the trigger on any of them, or if you have your own splurge-ables in mind.

Today only, download Grand Theft Auto IV for just $7.49--its lowest price ever.

(Credit: Valve)

Well, here we are at the end of "100 Days of Deals"--what a long, cheap trip it's been. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. The Cheapskate will be back in the saddle come Monday, posting new deals every weekday. You can't get rid of me just because the holidays are over! :)

Since we're heading into a long weekend, today's deal is all about fun: Valve is having a huge sale on PC games. You'll need the Steam downloader to take advantage of it, but check out some of these fairly spectacular offers:

• Today only, Grand Theft Auto IV is on sale for $7.49. The game earned a 9.0 score from GameSpot and is universally acclaimed as one of last year's best games.
• Also today only, you can grab S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl for $1.99. This first-person sci-fi shooter scored an 8.5 on GameSpot, making it a no-brainer for fans of the genre. I'm buying it!
• Ghostbusters: The Video Game is on sale for $6.79. I was tempted to grab this when it was $9.95 at Direct2Drive (it's back up to its usual $19.95), but I'm glad I waited.
• A puzzle game like no other, World of Goo is on sale for $4.99. I picked this up a while back during the developer's name-your-price promotion. Trust me, it's five bucks very well spent.

That's just a sampling of what's on sale at Steam right now. If you've been a good gamer this year, now's the time to reward yourself and stock up on some dirt-cheap fun.

By the way, if you're in need of a last-minute gift (and didn't find anything you liked in my roundup of gifts you can print), Steam offers a gift option: You buy the game, the recipient gets an e-mail with download instructions. Easy-peasy.

Thanks to reader gwailo247 for bringing the Steam stuff to my attention! I also want to thank all of you for giving me a little of your time each day. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Have a safe and happy holiday, and I'll see you back here on Monday.

DiscRipper may not rip all your discs, but it should handle most of them.

(Credit: Rick Broida)

Giveaway of the Day is a site that offers a different software freebie every day of the week. It may sound too good to be true, but trust me, I've grabbed some real gems over the years.

Today's giveaway is an app for anyone looking to archive their DVDs or convert them to a mobile format. The aptly named DiscRipper normally sells for $29.95, but if you download and install it today, it's free.

Let me repeat that: The only catch is that you have to download and install the program before 12:00 PST tonight.

After downloading DiscRipper, be sure to read the instructions contained in the readme file. They're quite simple, but I'm always amazed by how many people report that a GotD freebie "doesn't work" or is "not the full version"--because they didn't follow the instructions.

I'll help out: Copy the license key from the readme file, run the program, click the Buy Now button, and then click Enter License Key. Paste in the key and you're good to go.

The program is a pretty basic ripper: Insert your DVD, choose an output folder and format (it supports everything from AVI to WMV), tweak any other settings you want, and then click Rip.

In my quick, informal test, it worked just fine on a new-release DVD, but I ran into trouble ripping a much older DVD. Your mileage may vary.

Either way, it's still a free DVD-ripping utility. I know some commenters will find a way to complain about it, but I say don't argue with free.

Backup deal: Speaking of freebies, Amazon Video on Demand is offering a free rental (by way of a $4 credit) when you enter code AVODGIFT. Today's turning into a free-nanza!

This TV tuner-DVR in a box is a steal at $29.99 shipped.

(Credit: Meritline)

Update (Dec. 22, 4 p.m. PT): Sorry, folks, the tuner is sold out--at least for now.

For several years I've relied on free over-the-air digital signals to bring high-definition TV into my house. And I've paired those signals with Windows Media Center for free DVR goodness.

The key bit of hardware in that equation is a TV tuner, and right now Meritline has the deal to beat: a Mygica U6012 Hybrid USB TV tuner for $29.99 shipped.

Because this is a "hybrid" tuner, it can pull in the aforementioned over-the-air HD signals (aka ATSC), Clear QAM (digital signals delivered via cable), or analog channels (aka NTSC, also delivered via cable).

Notice I said "or." I think many people mistakenly believe a tuner like this lets them view all of these sources simultaneously (and some of the negative reviews reflect that), but that's not the case.

What you can do, however, at least with software like Windows Media Center, is connect multiple tuners. Thus, you could have one devoted to, say, analog cable, another pulling down ATSC HD, and so on. That's what I do.

And it works beautifully, though over-the-air signal quality depends in large part on where you live and what kind of antenna you use. The Mygica tuner comes with a small set of rabbit ears, which should pull in at least a few local channels--but you may need something bigger or stronger. Read the FAQ on the product page for more details.

Also, be sure to read the info about updated and forthcoming drivers. I'm happy to see that there's one in the works that will allow the bundled remote to work with Windows 7.

In short, if you've been thinking of dipping a toe into the wonderful world of TV on your PC, this is a seriously affordable pool pass. Other hybrid tuners I've seen sell for upwards of $100.

Backup deal: A site called GameBay.com has Lego Indiana Jones and Kung Fu Panda for Xbox 360 for $13.49 shipped. That's a mighty sweet pair of games for the price.