The Cheapskate

Here's a little Friday fun for all you game fans: From now until Oct. 25, the insanely popular puzzle game World of Goo is on sale--and you get to name the price.

It normally sells for $20, but in honor of its first birthday, developer 2D Boy decided to run a little experiment. (Check out the results on the company's blog. Very interesting stuff.)

Basically, when you click the Get It button, you're whisked to a PayPal page where you specify your "donation" amount. (No PayPal account? Click the "continue" link on the left side to use a credit card.)

So, what'll it be? A penny? A five-spot? A sawbuck? If you're honestly not sure what the game is worth, download the demo before you pick a number. World of Goo is available for Windows, Mac, and even Linux systems.

I'll admit I wasn't familiar with the game when I heard about this promotion, but it's without a doubt one of the cutest, weirdest, and most inventive puzzles I've ever played. You don't have to take my word: GameSpot awarded it a 9.0, as did several thousand readers.

I'm not going to reveal what I paid for it, as I don't want to influence anyone one way or the other. But I did pay for it--and definitely more than a penny.

How about you? Are you going to get your Goo on? If so, what's a fair price? (And how much did you actually pay?) Let's hear from you in the comments.

This shiny silver monolith houses a 1TB Hitachi hard drive, but costs just $75 (after rebate).

(Credit: Newegg)

Got storage? Got lots of storage? Newegg has a Hitachi 1TB USB external hard drive for $74.99 shipped. That's one terabyte for those not up on their techno-breviations.

Two caveats. First, there's a rebate involved (PDF). You'll have to pay $99.99 up front, then wait the prerequisite 8-10 weeks for a $25 bailout--er, rebate--check.

Second, the drive is formatted for Macs. That's obviously not a caveat for Mac users, but the Windows crowd will need to reformat the drive. It's an easy process (scan the user reviews for instructions), but it might take a couple hours.

The drive itself is a 7,200rpm Hitachi H31000US (read: faster than the 5,400rpm drives you typically find in USB enclosures) housed in a silver, monolith-looking tower. I know, I know, SATA drives are way faster, but how many desktops and notebooks have eSATA ports? Very few.

(Speaking of speed, if you end up using this drive with a Vista system, I recommend installing a utility like TeraCopy, which makes file copying go much faster.)

The rebate offer expires this Saturday, June 13, so if you're looking for a mountain of external storage for the lowest price I've seen to date, don't wait. Newegg tends to sell out of stuff like this.

Had it with Windows? Ready to chuck your spyware-infested desktop and buy a Mac? Here's your chance to do it on the cheap: J&R has the Mac Mini MB138LL/A for $459 shipped. No rebates, no refurbs--these are new units.

Well, kind of. This is actually last year's model, meaning it has a slightly slower processor and smaller hard drive than the current entry-level Mini.

Even so, the specs are solid: a 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 1GB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, and a slot-loading DVD/CD-RW combo drive. Plus all the other Mac Mini goodies, like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and iLife '08.

As with all Mac Minis, this one is BYODKM: bring your own display, keyboard, and mouse. Luckily, you should be able to use whatever gear you have lying around.

CNET's review of this Mini is mostly positive, with props given to its ultracompact size, great looks, and robust software bundle. This model sold for $799 when the review was written, so you're saving nearly 50 percent.

Of course, even with that kind of reduction in the "Apple tax," there are cheaper desktops to be had. CompUSA, for example, has a refurbished dual-core Hewlett-Packard desktop for $359.99. It has a 2.4GHz processor, 3GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, a DVD burner--and a mouse and keyboard. That's a pretty amazing deal.

Yeah, I went there--but let's not revisit the tired old Mac-versus-Windows debate, shall we? Instead, riddle me this: does anyone even buy desktops anymore? I mean, I bought one a couple months ago, but I'm fairly certain it'll be my last.

A mere $39 buys you 9 great Mac apps--and possibly a 10.

(Credit: MacHeist)

Calling all Mac users! Now's your chance to score some first-class software on the cheap and help charity at the same time.

It's called the MacHeist 3 bundle, and here's how it works: For $39, you get nine full, unlocked, commercial Mac apps (which have a combined value of $621.75).

At the same time, you get to a choose a charity to receive 25 percent of that $39. Action Against Hunger, Humane Society International, Save the Children, and Save Darfur are among the 10 available charities.

Already, it's a win-win proposition. But wait, there's more. If the contribution tally reaches $400,000 (it's currently at about $371,000), MacHeist unlocks a 10th app--and makes it available to everyone who already purchased the bundle.

You can see the app list at the MacHeist site. It's a terrific mix of stuff: games, image editors, recording utilities, and even a $300 3D animation builder.

I was going to hold this post until Monday, but MacHeist has only three days left, and I want to encourage as many folks as possible to support it.

Anyone know if there's a Windows equivalent? If not, I may just have to rally the Cheapskate troops and create one myself. In the meantime, even if you're not a Mac user, consider supporting this admirable promotion. I am.

Thanks to CNET's Brian Cooley for letting me know about this when I was a guest on CNET Live earlier this week.

Oh, MacBook Air. So thin, so sexy, so crazy-expensive. Or not, if you're willing to go the refurbished route. Now reappearing at Apple's online store: the refurbished MacBook Air for $999 shipped (plus sales tax in some states).

This model sports a 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, and all the other standard Air goodies: 802.11n, a built-in Webcam, a 13.3-inch display, and so on. Read CNET's review for all the details.

The Air doesn't include an optical drive, which has been one of the big complaints since day one, but you do get a full one-year warranty--same as with new models.

That makes this a pretty compelling buy in my book. What do you think? Did you grab an Air the last time it broke the $1,000 barrier? If so, how's it treating you? If not, are you waiting for the price to drop even lower? Hit the Comments and "Air" your thoughts. (Geez, I crack myself up.)

Editor's note: If you're not seeing a Comments link up top, click the post title, then leave your comment. Sorry for the hassle; I'm told our engineers are working to fix the problem ASAP.

If you were tantalized by the razor-thin MacBook Air when it debuted a year ago but disheartened by its price, here's good news: the online Apple Store is selling refurbished MacBook Air laptops for as little as $999 shipped. To put that in perspective, the least-expensive new Air sells for $1,799.

The $999 model sports a 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, and all the other standard Air features: 802.11n, a built-in Webcam, a 13.3-inch display, and so on. Read CNET's review for all the details.

Needless to say, you don't get an optical drive, which has been one of the major MacBook Air complaints since day one. You do, however, get a full one-year warranty, same as with new models.

Wow, is that tempting. I always thought the MacBook Air was way cool, but way overpriced. At $999, it's definitely more reasonable. The lack of a DVD drive doesn't bother me in the slightest, but I'm not wild about the small hard drive. What about you? Is this the nudge you need to grab some Air?

(Credit: Dell)

The Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-950, a "hybrid" TV tuner (meaning it can tune in over-the-air digital broadcasts or standard cable), normally sells for $79. Dell's Home store has it for just $40.79 plus five bucks shipping. That's after a $20 mail-in rebate, but I reckon Dell's good for it.

Hauppauge tuners are widely regarded as some of the best in the business. The HVR-950 comes with DVR software but also works with Windows Media Center. (Also included: Elgato EyeTV Lite, meaning you can use the tuner with a Mac!) You'll have to supply the antenna if you want over-the-air HD, but as long as you live in a fairly metropolitan area, any cheapo antenna should do.

Regular 'Skaters know of my fondness for tuners like this. Here's your chance to score one of the better models at a bargain price. The rebate offer expires May 21.