The Cheapskate

Apple's price on the current-generation 8GB iPod Nano: $149.

J&R's price on the current-generation 8GB iPod Nano: $124.99. Amazingly, that's for a new unit, not a refurb. And there's not a rebate in sight.

The catch? You have just one color option: yellow. (Don't worry, guys: It's a manly looking yellow.) J&R does carry all the other Nano colors, but they're priced at $139.99.

There's probably not much I can say about the Nano that you don't already know. And I've embedded CNET's First Look video if you want a quick overview.

Instead, I thought I'd list a few things you can do with the $25 (er, almost $25) you stand to save:

• Save it for a rainy day. (Plenty of those to go around.)
• Get Michael Jackson's "Thriller" for $9.99 and remember the guy for what he did best.
• Get an unlocked 3G wireless modem card for your laptop for $19.99 (today only).
• Get 5 hours of classical adagios from Amazon MP3 for $2.99.
• Buy one Jamba Juice smoothie, get another one free. Man, I wish there was a Jamba Juice by my house.

Assuming you were planning to buy a Nano anyway, what would you do with an extra 25 smackers?

Whatever the case, J&R says it has limited availability of these spiffy, yellow Nanos, so if you want in on the deal, click fast.

Update: As astute reader ZephyrVolta points out, the Apple Store is currently running a special on refurbished 8GB Nano players (again, 4th-gen): $99 shipped. They carry the same one-year warranty as new models, and they're available in all colors. Much better deal, IMHO!

Sorry to hit you with a one-day-only deal two days in a row, but this is too good to pass up: Woot has the fourth-gen iPod Nano (8GB) for $99.99, plus $5 for shipping. Yes, fourth-gen: the latest and greatest model.

These are refurbished units available in your choice of colors: black, blue, green, orange, pink, purple, silver, and yellow.

I don't own this particular model, but CNET had lots of good things to say about it. Standout features include sleek design, a tilt sensor, and a Genius playlist builder. I particularly like the shake-to-shuffle capability.

So, here's the bad news: Woot's refurbs come with only a 90-day warranty. If you buy the same model from Apple's online store (scroll down a bit to find the fourth-gen Nano), you get a one-year warranty. Plus free shipping. You'll have to decide if that's worth an extra $25.

Personally, I think there's so little chance of anything breaking on this model, you might as well pocket the extra cash. But I'd definitely act fast: Woot tends to sell out quickly, and once the iPods are gone, they're gone. (They'll definitely be gone at midnight.)

I might just have another deal for you later today (yep, a two-fer!), so be sure to check back.

New Nanos means lower prices on old Nanos.

(Credit: Apple)

Run, don't walk, to the Apple store if you want to scoop up a third-gen iPod Nano for peanuts. You can get a refurbished 8GB Nano in blue, black, green, pink, or silver for just $99 shipped. Or you can grab a refurbished 4GB Nano in silver for $79 shipped (same link). The latter is 20 bucks cheaper than I've ever seen it, and I've never seen the 8GB model for under $100.

I won't debate the merits of the Nano versus other media players (like the 8GB SanDisk Sansa).

Bottom line: it's an iPod--one of my favorite iPods, in fact--and it's a steal at these prices. (Don't take my word: CNET loved the third-gen Nano, too.) And let's hear it for Apple for offering a full one-year warranty on these refurbs.

You know, gift-giving season is just around the corner. Now's your chance to line up something sweet for under the tree/menorah/Festivus pole and save some moolah at the same time. And this year, don't forget your favorite blogger(s).

(Credit: Apple)

Last month I posted about refurbished 4GB iPod nanos selling for $99.99 shipped. I've got two updates for you. First, they're available again from Buy.com. Second, a Cheapskate reader picked one up last month and had these favorable comments to share. (It's always great to get some real-world feedback on a deal.)

As before, the only color option is silver, and the warranty expires after just 60 days. But for a hundred bucks, that's a risk worth taking. At the risk of repeating myself, the 3rd-generation nano is a wafer-thin thing of beauty and a steal at this price. And you don't have to wait on a rebate!

By the way, when the time comes to buy new music for your iPod, you don't necessarily have to buy it from iTunes. I'm a huge fan of AmazonMP3, which offers a fantastic library of DRM-free, iPod-compatible MP3s. Plus, its downloader utility will automatically add new purchases to iTunes for easy syncing to your iPod. Give it a try; you won't be disappointed.

(Credit: Amazon)

Cheap things come to those who wait. Samsung's T10 media player sold for around $170 when it debuted just a couple months ago, but now you can snap one up from Amazon for just $96 shipped.

At first blush, this 4GB flash player might look like little more than an iPod nano knockoff--and in many respects it is. But unlike Apple's player, the T10 includes an FM tuner (and recorder, a feature I doubt anyone ever uses), support for the Rhapsody subscription service, and an RSS feed reader. It plays videos, too.

But the real nano-killing feature is stereo Bluetooth, which allows you to pair the T10 with Bluetooth headphones (not included, alas) for wireless rockin'.

CNET gave the T10 high marks, and users liked it even better still--particularly Amazon customers, who rated it 4.5 stars out of 5. I haven't used the T10 myself, but I have known the pleasure of Bluetooth headphones. Now if only Apple would wise up and add Bluetooth support to iPods...

(Credit: Apple)

An iPod nano for under $100?! Sign me up. Buy.com has the 4GB silver model for $99 shipped. No rebates, either! So what's the catch? These are reconditioned units with a 60-day warranty. If that doesn't square with you, the Apple store currently has the same refurb nano for $129 with a 1-year warranty.

Of course, nanos have few mechanical parts, so there's little opportunity for something to break. I do wish you could choose from colors other than silver, but that's a minor quibble. The 3rd-gen nano is a wafer-thin thing of beauty, and an outright steal at $99.

(Credit: Apple)

As I've noted before, iPod deals are rare indeed, so I gotta post 'em when I find 'em. B&H has the 16GB iPod Touch (droooooool) for $365 with shipping. That's $34 less than you'll pay if you order straight from Apple.

I won't bore you with Touch details; you already know it's the coolest iPod ever. So here's your chance to save a few bucks on one--money you can use to stock up on DRM-free MP3s from AmazonMP3. Just a thought.

B&H also has the 8GB model on sale for $275 and the 8GB iPod nano for $185. Free shipping on those babies, too.

(Credit: Apple)

It's really rare to find a deal on iPods (unless you're shopping the Apple store for refurbs), but Amazon has a doozy: The 8GB iPod Nano for $179.99, shipped. This is the new 3rd-gen model, the one with the 2-inch screen and ridiculously wafer-thin design. (I know this is going to sound weird, but I just want to pop the little guy in my mouth. You just can't appreciate how cute and tiny and, well, tasty-looking it is until you hold one.)

Equally rare, you get a choice of colors: blue, green, black, or silver. Plus, these are new units, not refurbs, and they qualify for Amazon's free-shipping deal. Granted, the savings amount to just $20, so maybe "doozy" is too strong a word--but like I said, it's unusual to see any kind of discount on iPods. Get this one before it's gone.

Troll the Web all you want--you'll almost never find price breaks on iPods. Unless you go straight to the source, that is: Apple's own outlet store sells refurbished players for pennies on the iPod dollar.

For example, you can snap up a 4GB nano (last year's perfectly cromulent model) for a mere $99--half the original selling price. Other current bargains include a 1GB Shuffle for $49 and a 30GB video iPod for $199 $179. I say "current" because the deals and availability change on a fairly regular basis. So if you see something you like, don't wait to pull the trigger.

(Credit: Apple)

To Apple's considerable credit, refurb iPods carry a one-year warranty. If you don't mind last year's models, the deals are impossible to beat.