The Cheapskate

This Aspire One Netbook sports a roomy 11.6-inch screen.

(Credit: Buy.com)

Quick note before I dive into today's deal: Because so many items sell out so quickly these days, I'm adding a "backup deal" to each post. Seems only logical, right? You'll find it at the bottom.

But don't skip ahead just yet. For the next 7 seconds or so (I'm guessing), Buy.com has the refurbished Acer Aspire One AO751H-1948 Netbook for $249.99 shipped.

What's the big deal? The big screen: whereas most Netbooks in this price range sport a 10-inch LCD, this One packs a 12-incher. (Actually, an 11.6-incher; in the computer biz they round up.)

Needless to say, that makes for a much more comfortable computing experience, in part thanks to the higher screen resolution (1,366x768 pixels). The 10-inch Netbook I use is livable, but definitely cramped.

The rest of the specs offer no surprises: an Intel Z520 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and Windows XP Home.

The battery's a three-cell, so don't expect more than 3 to 4 hours of runtime. Also, because this is a refurb, the warranty expires at the 90-day mark. These aren't showstoppers in my opinion, just limitations worth considering.

Also, while CNET hasn't reviewed this exact configuration, the almost identical AO751h-1545 scored 3.5 stars. The big ding: slow performance. (News flash: All Netbooks are slow.)

At least you don't have to pay sales tax (unless you live wherever Buy.com is located) or deal with rebates. Bottom line: this is a mighty sweet deal on a spacious, comfy Netbook.

Backup deal: From now until December 15, Digiarty Software is offering WinX HD Video Converter absolutely free (it's normally $39.99). This Windows app can convert nearly any video format (including high-def formats) to nearly any other video format.

Score a 22-inch Acer LCD for $109.99--and get a three-year warranty!

(Credit: Staples)

Update (10:10 a.m. PT): Looks like everything but the Dell laptop is sold out. Sorry, folks! It's worth checking back on the other items, though, as sometimes stock gets replenished.

Ah, Cyber Monday. Now this is a day of deals I can get behind. No crowded parking lots, no unruly mobs, no pushing and shoving. (What? The old lady got in my way!)

Of course, as regular visitors to The Cheapskate know, nearly every day is Cyber Monday--the deals keep coming all year 'round.

But this Monday is special, so I've rounded up four particularly sweet bargains that are good today only. And, as always, the sellout risk is high, so get your mouse-clickin' finger(s) warmed up.

1) In the market for a monitor? Staples has the Acer X213HBbd 21.5-inch LCD for $109.99 shipped (plus sales tax in most states). Specs include VGA/DVI (HDCP) inputs, a 5-ms response time, and a three-year warranty (score!). This is the lowest price I've seen on a new 22-inch monitor.

2) Need a desktop replacement? Dell has an Inspiron 17 laptop for $549 shipped. It sports a whopping 17.3-inch display, a Core 2 Duo processor, and Windows 7 Home Premium. You can customize just about every feature to your liking, but the base configuration is mighty solid. That's the best deal on a 17-inch lappie I've seen all year--not the lowest price, mind you, but the best bang for the buck.

3) Still shopping for the perfect portable PC? Best Buy has the Samsung N140-14R Netbook for $279.99 shipped (plus sales tax in most states). That's higher than other models I've posted recently, but this is a decidedly high-end Netbook. Specs include Intel's Atom N280 processor, a 10.1-inch screen, a 250GB hard drive, 802.11n, and a six-cell battery. The OS: Windows 7 Starter.

4) Here's a great stocking stuffer: Newegg has the Zune Premium Headphones for $9.99 shipped. I've had a pair for years; they're my preferred earbuds for travel. They do a great job isolating outside noise (like airplane engines), and they're extremely comfortable. Obviously you don't need a Zune to use them; they'll work with any phone or MP3 player. Microsoft sells them for $39.99, so I can't recommend this deal highly enough.

Well? See anything you like? If not, don't worry--there's always tomorrow. In the meantime, hit the comments to share your tales of Cyber Monday scores.

P.S. Anybody catch me on Good Morning America today? No worries: you can catch me daily on CNET's Holiday Help Desk at 1 p.m. PST.

Update 2 (10 a.m. PT): Looks like it's back up again. See? Told ya. Crazy Dell. Why do you torment us this way?

Update (8 a.m. PT): Well, I am NOT giving thanks for Dell this year, as this deal has already expired. My apologies, peeps. Watch for something even better later today--you have my word.

Still on the prowl for a Netbook? Sorry for all the grief with that Lenovo deal last week. (Anyone actually get one?) Hopefully this one makes up for it.

Dell is offering the Inspiron Mini 10v Netbook for $229 shipped. That's after removing the Bluetooth card from the configuration (switch to List View and scroll all the way to the bottom).

Of course, if you need Bluetooth, the $249 price tag is nothing to sneeze at. Indeed, it was nary a few months ago that finding a 10-inch Netbook for under $300 was virtually impossible.

I have little use for Bluetooth, but I'd probably think about dropping an extra $30 to get Windows 7 Starter (the Mini 10v comes standard with Windows XP Home). That'd get you out the door for $259--still a solid deal.

The system's other specs are fairly standard: an Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and a 1.3-megapixel Webcam. It comes with a three-cell battery; an extra $35 buys you a six-cell--another upgrade worth considering.

CNET had lots of good things to say about the Mini 10v, which, incidentally, was $334 (with the six-cell battery) when we reviewed it just three months ago. Not sure why we dinged it for a lack of configuration options, though--Dell offers more than most Netbook vendors.

I'm hoping this doesn't sell out, like, five minutes after I post it. (We've been down that road, right?) If it does, check back later in the day and even in the days to come; Dell often gets replenished stock.

I'm off tomorrow, so let me take this opportunity to wish everyone who celebrates it a happy Thanksgiving. I'll be back on Friday (and Saturday), and in the meantime you can catch me embarrassing myself almost daily on CNET's Holiday Help Desk, which airs live at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET. (Here's yesterday's show if you just can't wait.)

This is one of five designer colors you can choose for this dirt-cheap Netbook.

(Credit: Lenovo)

Update No. 5 (7:40 a.m. PST, Sunday): Now Target has that same 10-inch Aspire One for $199! It's in-store only, though, so call before you drive. Thanks to reader Travisp11 for the heads-up!

Update No. 4 (7:45 a.m. PST, Saturday): Amazon has a deal that's nearly as good: the Acer Aspire One for $229 shipped. (Note: Add any of the available colors to your cart to see that price.) I've reviewed this netbook; it's superb.

Update No. 3 (11 a.m. PST): Sorry, folks, looks like the deal is definitely dead this time.

Update No. 2: Working again! Make sure you follow step 5 and add Bluetooth, otherwise you won't get the color choices.

Update: Sigh. I knew this wouldn't last. Looks like Lenovo has already taken it down (or at least removed the custom-color options necessary to drop the price). My apologies. Deals are so ephemeral right now.

Best Netbook deal of the year, right here, right now. I have no idea how long it will last, so let's get to it.

Lenovo has a 10-inch IdeaPad S10-2 Netbook for $208.70 shipped. The specs are pretty standard, including a 160GB hard drive, Bluetooth, and Windows XP Home. And it's new, not a refurb!

There's a little hoop-jumping here, so stay with me:

1. Head to the Lenovo Family and Friends page.

2. Enter passcode familyandfriends and click Sign In.

3. Wait for the red Holiday Gift Ideas banner to appear, click it, and then click it again on the subsequent page.

4. Click the Netbooks tab, then click Customize & Buy on the IdeaPad S10-2 at the far left.

5. Scroll down and add Bluetooth. Then choose one of the five designer color options (Flower Sea is pictured here). Alas, there's no preview, but they're all pretty gorgeous.

6. Click Continue a couple times and then add the S10 to your cart. Finally, apply coupon code USP12NETBOOK for a final price of $208.70.

Awesome. Just plain awesome. Gotta give shout-out credit to Dealnews for this deal, which should tickle those who've been waiting for a Netbook.

I don't even need a Netbook, and I'm this close to grabbing one anyway. How about you?

The Maestro 5310's roomy 5-inch screen makes for much easier viewing.

(Credit: Amazon)

Shopping for a GPS? You can get one with a 3.5-inch screen for as little as $50, a 4.3-inch screen for under $100, or a 5-inch screen for--well, these models are relatively rare, so prices start at around $300 and rise sharply from there.

Not today. TigerDirect has a refurbished Magellan Maestro 5310 5-inch GPS for $129.99 shipped.

What's the big deal about a 5-inch display? That seemingly small amount of extra screen estate makes maps easier to view and onscreen menus easier to operate. Consequently, I'd say it's a safer GPS than one with a 3.5-inch screen.

The Maestro offers everything else you'd want in a GPS, too, including text-to-speech (i.e. it pronounces street names), 6 million points of interest, a windshield mount, and optional real-time traffic.

Even if you don't spring for a traffic subscription (which costs $60 annually after a free three-month trial), you can use the Maestro's SmartDetour feature to plot a route around suddenly slow or stopped traffic.

You don't get a lot of fancy frills like Bluetooth or a media player, but I consider that stuff fairly superfluous anyway. The big screen is the big attraction here, and the traffic option is icing on the cake.

CNET hasn't reviewed the 5310, but the handful of user reviews over at Amazon are overwhelmingly positive.

Because this is a refurb, the warranty expires after 90 days. As always, I think that's a potential positive: whatever problem might have existed has already been corrected.

In any case, this deal has been running all weekend, so there's a chance it'll be ending soon. If you're in the market for a nav system and you'd budgeted $100 or so anyway, I'd definitely consider paying a little extra for this big, beautiful screen.

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.

If there's a single device that's almost as universally adored as the iPhone, it's the Novatel MiFi 2200.

This ingenious gadget puts a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot in your pocket, delivering 3G broadband to up to five nearby devices.

Normally the card costs $99.99, but right now Wirefly is offering the MiFi 2200 for free with a 2-year Verizon contract. Shipping is free, too, though you will have to pay a $35 activation fee.

You'll also have to pay monthly service charges, but, hey, that's the price of doing mobile-broadband business. Verizon charges $39.99/month for 250MB of data (joke) or $59.99 for 5GB.

Steep, I know, but if you need a solution like this, it's aces. To learn more, read my complete review of the MiFi 2200, then read CNET's review (which, surprisingly, is even more price-hostile than mine). You can also check out the above video review.

If you've been eyeballing a MiFi, now's the time to pounce. It's a truly phenomenal little gadget; one I can enthusiastically recommend.

This 10-inch Netbook is loaded, and it sells for a mere $239.99 (with coupon).

(Credit: Mwave)

I'll cop to posting a lot of Netbook deals these days, but that's only because the deals just keep getting better. Witness Mwave's latest: a refurbished Asus Eee PC 1005HAB 10-inch Netbook for $239.99 shipped.

(Don't be alarmed when you see $249.99 on the product page. You need to apply coupon code FALLSVG09 to get the lower price.)

This midnight-blue Eee PC sports a 10-inch screen (which I consider the minimum for computing comfort) and the usual core-spec suspects: a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and Windows XP Home.

The Eee also features a Webcam, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and a multitouch touch pad, so it's actually a bit ahead of the curve, spec-wise. Only the three-cell battery disappoints, though Asus promises better than 4 hours of runtime.

Because this is a refurb, the warranty tops out at 90 days. (Also, take note of Mwave's return policy: the Eee can't be returned for a refund, only exchanged for a replacement if it's defective.)

Consequently, you might actually be better off with last week's $279.99 Acer Aspire One, which is new and has an 11.6-inch screen.

Still, not everybody who wants a Netbook wants a Netbook that big, and $40 saved is $40 saved. (How profound am I this morning!) I just think it's remarkable how much further your Netbook dollar goes than it did just six months ago.

Netbooks keep getting bigger and better, but somehow their prices keep getting lower.

(Credit: Acer)

It wasn't too long ago that finding a 10-inch Netbook for less than $300 was cause for whoopin' and hollerin'. Now Amazon has the 12-inch (well, 11.6-inch, technically) Acer Aspire One AO751h-1378 for $279.99 shipped.

That's a full $100 less than when CNET reviewed this model just two months ago.

By "12-inch," of course, I'm referring to the size of the screen. As noted, this One actually has an 11.6-inch screen; I rounded up.

What's particularly impressive about this LED-backlit display is its 1,366x768 resolution--way higher than what you find on 10-inch Netbooks, and about on par with 13- and even 15-inch laptops. Translation: you'll have a much easier time working in your Web browser, word processor, etc.

Despite the "big" screen, the Aspire manages to keep to a trim 11.2 inches by 7.8 inches by 1 inches and 2.8 pounds. Dimensions like those are a big part of Netbooks' appeal.

The AO751h should run a bit faster--and longer--than previous models, thanks to its 1.3GHz Intel Atom Z520 processor. Alas, according to CNET, it was a bit on the pokey side, though battery life was indeed excellent.

(Note: CNET tested the six-cell battery; the $279 model highlighted here comes with a three-cell. However, you can get the six-cell Aspire for just $295. That's an extra $16 I guarantee you won't regret spending.)

Everything else is pretty standard: 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, a Webcam, three USB ports, and Windows XP. You also get Acer's cool multitouch touchpad.

How big can a Netbook get before it's no longer a Netbook? That's a debate for another day. But there's no debating that this is a stellar deal on a portable PC.

Bonus deals: In case you haven't heard, you can now buy a Nintendo Wii for $199.99 and an Xbox 360 Elite for $249.99 (after rebate). Great time to be a gamer!