The 10.1-inch Acer Aspire One.
(Credit: Acer)This Sunday we have a pair of old-school Netbook deals for you.
First up is a 10.1-inch Acer Aspire One with a 1.6GHz Atom processor at Target for $199. It's listed at $289.99, but the price drops to $199 when you add it to your shopping cart. That's a savings of 28 percent.
It comes with a 160GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM (expandable to 2GB), 802.11g, an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, a three-cell Lithium ion battery, and a built-in Webcam. This Netbook runs Windows XP Home (for those of you who are quite happy with XP, shied away from Vista, and not ready for Windows 7).
So what so old school about this deal? No rebates, no coupons, no secret handshakes, no hoops to jump through. Also, no shipping--meaning you gotta head to your nearest Target store and pick it up.
Besides the no-shipping, there's one potential drawback. At this price, it's available in only one color: blue. But at a price less than $200, you could probably put up with any color.
The 10.1-inch Gateway LT2005u.
(Credit: Gateway)If the color is an issue, Best Buy has the 10.1-inch Gateway LT2005u for $230. It comes with the same 1.6GHz Atom processor, a 160GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, 802.11g wireless, an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, Webcam, and Windows XP Home.
So what's better about this model? It's in "NightSky Black" and comes with a six-cell Lithium ion battery. Is that worth $30 more? That's up to you to decide. But you can also have it shipped, which adds $12 to the deal, but you can opt to pick it up at your local Best Buy if you want to have it now and avoid the shipping costs.
The Toshiba Satellite L455-S5980.
(Credit: Toshiba)If you are in the market for an inexpensive laptop to make the jump to Windows 7, we may have just what you're looking for.
Office Depot has the Toshiba Satellite L455-S5980 15.6-inch widescreen notebook for $349.99 with free shipping, $130 off the list price and a good $100 cheaper than the closest deal we could find for this model.
Toshiba's laptop features an Intel 1.8GHz dual-core Celeron T3000, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB 5400 rpm SATA hard drive, a SuperMulti DVD drive, 802.11g Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and Windows 7 Home Premium.
The deal includes a one-year warranty and expires Saturday.
Veterans Day bonus
With Veterans Day approaching this week, Amazon is giving away a collection of songs to honor the brave men and women who have served in the U.S. armed forces.
The e-tailer's MP3 store is offering for free download "Veterans Day Honor" by the bands and ensembles of the U.S. armed forces, a DRM-free collection of patriotic music that usually retails for $8.99 on the site ($9.99 on iTunes).
This collection of 12 songs includes "The Star Spangled Banner" by the U.S. Coast Guard Band, "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" by the U.S. Air Force Airmen, and "Retreat" and "Taps" by the U.S. Marine Band.
A one-year IOBit Security 360 Pro license normally costs $29.95, but right now it's free.
(Credit: IOBit)Nothing thrills me like getting something for nothing. Yesterday, for example, I redeemed the last of my birthday coupons, wolfing down a free scoop of Cold Stone ice cream (Fudge Brownie Batter with brownies mixed in--yum).
Today I've rounded up three software freebies that have a combined value of $1,089. Seriously! Take a look:
- IOBit Security 360 Pro Normally $29.95 for a one-year license, this security app is free until Nov. 11. It promises "advanced malware and spyware removal," along with protection from all manner of threats: trojans, keyloggers, worms, etc. I haven't found any reviews to speak of, but the always-free, non-Pro version earned four stars from CNET users. So it must be halfway decent.
- WinX DVD Author Remember WinX DVD Ripper Platinum from last month? (Since expired, sorry.) The same developer, Digiarty Software, is now offering its DVD-authoring tool, normally $29.95, for free until Oct. 31. Use it to turn AVI, MPEG, FLV, and other kinds of video files into menu-enhanced DVDs. I haven't tried it myself, but DVD Ripper Platinum was a little gem.
- Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard This might be the weirdest and most surprising giveaway ever. Microsoft's DreamSpark program is offering this new Windows Server release to eligible high school and college students. Why? To learn IT skills, I reckon. Obviously not everyone needs or wants this OS, which is worth $1,029, but I had to mention it. Anyone who does want it will need a Windows Live ID, a valid student e-mail address, and a way to burn the downloaded ISO file to a CD or DVD.
You wouldn't know to look at it, but this $400 laptop is among the first to come with Windows 7.
(Credit: CompUSA)The Windows 7 systems are coming! The Windows 7 systems are coming! One if by laptop, two if by... Um. Hmm.
As you may possibly have heard by now, the new OS drops this Thursday, October 22. But starting today, you can preorder a 15.6-inch MSI A5000 laptop with Windows 7 for $399.99 shipped.
This is one of the best configurations I've seen at this price, with one small exception: the processor.
It's a 1.8GHz dual-core Celeron T3000. Normally I wouldn't go near a Celeron with a 10-foot pole, but I've seen Windows 7 run at a sprightly clip even on Atom-powered netbooks, so the A5000 should be a decent enough performer.
The rest of the specs look rock-solid: 3GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and a SuperMulti DVD drive. It even has an HDMI port for connecting an external display, just in case the 15.6-inch, 720p LCD isn't doing it for you.
And, drum roll...Windows 7 Home Premium. I'm not as wild about the OS as some of my fellow technologists, but it's definitely an improvement over XP. That's right: XP.
Perhaps best of all, the MSI A5000 is backed by a three-year warranty--a real rarity these days. And in a $400 notebook!
CompUSA doesn't say when these "preorders" will ship, but obviously it'll be Thursday at the latest. If you're in the market for a new PC and you've been waiting for Windows 7, wait no longer.
Quad-core? Check. Blu-ray? Check. Free Windows 7 upgrade? Check!
(Credit: HP)Update: Sorry, folks, looks like the discount code has expired.
If you're in the market for a new desktop that's equally well-suited to games and movies, HP has a ridiculously good deal going. It's the HP Pavilion Elite e9110t, which you can get for $649.99 shipped after a few configuration tweaks and a coupon code.
The tiger in the tank, Intel's 2.33GHz Core 2 Quad Q8200 processor, roars along with 6GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, and a 512MB GeForce G210 video card. Those are some kick-ass specs.
Other highlights: a Blu-ray drive with LightScribe-DVD capabilities, an 802.11n Wi-Fi adapter, and a 15-month subscription to Norton Internet Security 2009 (aka the good version).
Perhaps best of all, the system comes with Windows Vista Home Premium but is eligible for a free Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade come October 22.
By the way, this is a new Pavilion, not a refurb, so you get HP's full one-year warranty. Here's how to put it all together, courtesy of DealNews:
- Ctrl-click this link to open the product page in a new tab.
- Click the Customize & Buy button next to the $649.99 option.
- Click the Memory option and choose the free 6GB upgrade.
- Click the Primary CD/DVD Drive option and choose the Blu-ray player.
- Click the Networking option and choose the Wireless-N LAN card and external modem.
- Click Review & Buy, then apply coupon code DTM4558.
Presto! That should get you out the door for $649.99. In an ideal world, this system would also have a TV tuner (which you can add for $80), but it's still one of the best desktop deals I've ever seen.
HP's various discounts on this system end Aug. 15, so you've got a little time if you want to shop around. I'll be mighty surprised if you can find a better configuration for the money.
Preorder two copies of the Windows 7 upgrade, then sell one later to recoup all your costs.
(Credit: Microsoft)By now you've undoubtedly heard the news: Until July 11 (or while supplies last), you can preorder the Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade for $49.99.
After the deal expires, that same upgrade will cost you $119.99. Needless to say, if you're interested in Windows 7, now's the time to buy.
My advice: buy two. Then, after Windows 7 ships (on October 22), turn around and sell your spare copy for $100. Obviously that's $20 less than the list price, meaning you should have no trouble moving it on eBay, Craigslist, or wherever.
At the same time, you recoup 100 percent of your investment and get Windows 7 to boot (literally).
Risky? A gamble? Perhaps, but to this day upgrade copies of Vista are selling on eBay for $100 and more. And that's two years later. The only real downside is that you're out $100 for about four months. Worth it? Let me know in the comments.
In the meantime, keep in mind that if you're a Windows XP user, there's no automated way to upgrade your system to Windows 7--not without wiping your hard drive. (Vista users, however, can upgrade directly.)
That means you'll need to back up your drivers, data, and the like, install Windows 7, restore your stuff, reinstall your applications, etc. It's a hassle, but in the end you'll have an outta-the-box-fast PC with a spiffy new OS.
And a free one at that.
The DMA2200 features 802.11n wireless and an upscaling DVD player.
(Credit: Linksys)Your PC's in one room, and your big, fancy HDTV's in another. How can you bridge the gap between the two? Answer: with a media center extender, which wirelessly pulls music, photos, videos, and more from PC to TV.
Newegg has the Linksys DMA2200 Media Center Extender with DVD for $94.99 with free shipping. These are new units, not refurbs, and they're rebate-free, to boot.
Easy to mistake for a DVD player, the DMA2200 doubles as one. Even better, it upscales your regular old DVDs to 720p, 1080i, and even 1080p. Given that you could easily pay upward of $90 for a standalone upscaling player, the media center stuff is just gravy.
And good gravy, that's good gravy. The DMA2200 streams content from Windows Media Center, the menu-driven multimedia front end that comes with most Home versions of Vista. The end result is akin to connecting your PC directly to your TV--a desirable but rarely practical solution.
The box joins your network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi--preferably 802.11n, though it can do 802.11b/g as well. (Just don't expect reliable high-definition streaming at those speeds.) It joins your TV via HDMI or component/composite video.
Space doesn't permit me to get into all the nitty-gritty on the DMA2200, so be sure to read CNET's review. It's not overwhelmingly positive, but I think that the dirt-cheap price tag makes this a more desirable buy.
Indeed, the DMA2200 originally listed for $350, at which point you were better off buying an Xbox 360 (which nicely doubles as an extender). At $95, it's definitely a worthwhile option for anyone looking to make the PC-to-TV connection.
Normally 30 bucks, Lego Indiana Jones for the PC can be yours for $10.
(Credit: LucasArts)Call Monday a "slow deal day." After an awful lot of scouring, here's the best bargain I could find: the Lego Store has Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures for Windows for $9.99.
I know, not exactly my best deal ever. But I will say this: The game is an absolute blast. It's ridiculously cute, incredibly clever, and equally fun for kids and grown-ups. (My two tykes are ga-ga for the Xbox version.)
And, hey, the $9.99 price is a full $20 less than what you'd pay at retail. The only downside is that you'll have to cough up $4.99 for shipping. But it's still a bargain, and well worth the price if you're into gaming on the PC.
(Bonus: It covers only the first three Indiana Jones moves, so you don't have to relive that Crystal Skull train wreck. Even Lego can't make that fun.)
So what were my runners-up? All reruns: AT&T still has refurbished iPhones starting at $99. Buy.com has a 1TB Phantom USB/eSATA drive for $89.99 shipped (after rebate). And TigerDirect has refurbished Acer Aspire One Netbooks for $239.97, plus $1.99 shipping.
Like I said: slow deal day. Hopefully Tuesday will yield some better bargains.
ZoneAlarm ForceField is a new security utility that promises bulletproof protection against browser-related threats. It normally sells for $29.95, but Check Point Software is offering it absolutely free, today only, as part of a Patch Tuesday promotion.
The software relies on a technique called "virtual browsing" to protect your PC against unauthorized downloads, malware installations, phishers, keyloggers, and the like. It also promises total privacy by erasing the (virtual) browser's cache, cookies, history, and passwords. According to Check Point, the program won't interfere with any existing security software you might already have.
I haven't tried ForceField yet, and I tend to think my browser (Firefox 3) already provides pretty solid protection from Web threats. But, hey, it's a one-day-only freebie, and you know me: I'm all about the freebies.
Note: The above promo video is fairly amusing, but it has segments that are NSFW.
(via PC Magazine)
(Credit:
Buy.com)
In my experience, most computer users have pretty basic needs. Word processing, Web browsing, e-mail, maybe a little money management and photo organizing. The Acer Aspire Slim ASL100-ED420A has more than enough horsepower for tasks like those, yet it's priced at a mere $349.99. Free shipping, no rebates, and it's not even a refurb.
The Acer's specs include an AMD 2.2GHz 4200+ dual-core processor, a 320GB hard drive, a DVD burner, and even an 802.11b/g wireless card (fairly rare in a desktop)--all packed into a slim, stylish case. The only shortcoming I can see is the 1GB of RAM, some of which is allocated to the GeForce 6150 graphics card. Because Vista (in this case Home Premium) all but demands 1GB for decent performance, this machine could prove a little pokey. If it does, bump the RAM to 2GB and you'll be golden.
Acer provides a 1-year warranty on parts and labor. This looks like a very solid desktop deal for students, seniors, the home-office crowd, or anyone else looking for, well, a solid desktop.
