buying

Apple enjoyed a healthy gain in consumer technology sales last year amid a down market.

The iPhone maker took home 19.9 percent of all consumer technology sales in the U.S., up from 17.3 percent in 2011, according to stats released today by NPD Group.

Based on sales, Apple proved to be the top consumer brand for the year, outshining Samsung, HP, Sony, and Dell. Beyond Apple, only Samsung's cut of revenues rose among the five, reaching 9.3 percent from 7 percent the prior year.

Together, Apple and Samsung scooped up $6.5 billion in higher … Read more

Microsoft's planned Surface Pro launch event in New York City tonight has been canceled due to a blizzard that's expected to hit the area today.

But users who aren't put off by the rain, sleet, and snow will still be able to go to the Union Square New York Best Buy store and purchase Surface Pros starting at midnight.

Microsoft had invited a number of "Most Valuable Professionals" and other selected guests to attend a prelaunch event near the Best Buy store. The head of the Surface team, Panos Panay, was going to be in … Read more

Thinking of buying a new cell phone sometime in the next few weeks? How about the next few months? Before the calendar strikes 2014? If you're willing to part with a few bits of information, Best Buy will give you a $50 gift card when you buy a new phone -- even if it's not for another 11 months.

Interesting, no? I've seen retailers offer gift cards for purchases made within a small window, but never anything quite like this. All you do is give Best Buy your existing and active mobile or landline number and your e-mail address, … Read more

"Windows or Android?"

It seemed like an innocent enough question.

But for one moment, I wondered whether Amy Poehler would waft through her local Best Buy during the Super Bowl -- while being paid a lot of money to do it -- and avoid anything that might have been designed in Cupertino.

Still, the more she came on to the gorgeous, virginal men in the blue polo shirts, the more it was clear that this was an amusing fantasy. Poehler was there to make women feel good about gadgets. And sex.

There was, indeed, a more than subliminal … Read more

Microsoft's Surface Pro has made its first appearance on a retailer's site other than Microsoft's.

That would be big box retailer Best Buy, which is already boasting that the new Microsoft tablet will go on sale at midnight February 8 at a store in Union Square in New York City.

Best Buy lists the two available models, 64GB and 128GB, priced at $899 and $999, respectively. Neither product comes with the $129 Type Cover, which is a 5.75 mm-thick mechanical keyboard.

Microsoft is also offering a $119 Touch Cover pressure-response keyboard.

The tablet comes with 4GB … Read more

In the first quarter of today's Big Game featuring big people doing big things to each other, Amy Poehler will be trying to do big things for Best Buy.

Unlike the players -- who will probably be tied 3-3 in a dull defensive battle when Amy appears -- Poehler has one shot to give the Best Buy brand a shot in arm. Or perhaps a shot at redemption.

Best Buy has been crossing some turbulent oceans recently, so securing the services of one of America' funniest actors is a pleasant coup.

The company has released a sneak preview (embedded … Read more

MacBook Pros equipped with a Retina display are not exactly priced to move. Best Buy and Amazon are trying to change that.

Best Buy, for example, is now selling the 128GB version (model MC975LL/A) of the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro Retina for $1,549.99, $150 off the regular $1,699.99 price.

Need 256GB of solid-state storage with that gorgeous Retina screen? That model (MD213LL/A) is now $1,799.99, $200 off the regular price of $1,999.99.

The pricier 15.4-inch models with 256GB and 512GB solid-state drives (MC975LL/A and MC976LL/A, respectively), also … Read more

The first question is, what do you want from your hi-fi? Do you want to play LPs, CDs, or an occasional movie? Next, where will you put the speakers, and how large or small do they need to be? I'm writing this blog post for folks trying to put together the best-sounding hi-fi they can on a fixed budget. That's why I won't be covering wireless systems, because dollar for dollar, the better wired speakers always sound better than wireless models.

Setting the budget is the next logical step. I've written about an amazing-for-the-money $70 hi-fi system, … Read more