refurbished

Taking PCs apart--and sending them back to school

BOGOTA, Colombia--In one corner of a massive warehouse, workers pick through bins of computers, keyboards, and mice, painstakingly cleaning each part.

There's a special room where peripherals such as mice go for washing and another where they go for drying. Once the hardware is reassembled, often with a few new parts added to the mix, the first set of testing takes place, to make sure all of the hardware functions as it should.

In another area, the newly rebuilt systems get their collection of software--Windows 2000 and a several-generations-old version of Office. Then the machines go through another round … Read more

Refurbished gear: Good or bad?

From time to time I'll post deals on refurbished/recertified items, which are sold at a discount because they didn't meet a manufacturer's quality standards or were returned (for one reason or another) and can't be sold as new. What do you think of these deals? Have you had good luck buying refurb gear, or did you end up regretting it? I'd love to hear your stories--and so would your fellow Cheapskate readers.

I'll kick things off with one of my own. Last year, Mrs. Cheapskate needed an LCD TV with a built-in DVD … Read more

Own an Ocean for $99

There's much to love about the Helio Ocean smartphone, as evidenced by CNET's 8.0 rating. Of course, the $299 price tag always seemed a little rich for my cheapskate blood. That's why I'm geeked about Helio's new "refreshed" (a.k.a. pre-owned) Oceans, which you can score for just $99. You even get free 2-day shipping.

Helio says these refurbs are "good as new," though I'm troubled by the lack of specifics and warranty details on the company's Refreshed Devices page. Still, it's probably worth a little … Read more

iPods for peanuts

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, … Read more

Microsoft program puts new Windows on old PCs

Under a new program announced Friday, large companies that sell refurbished PCs can get a brand spanking new copy of Windows to put on the machines--provided they pay Microsoft for the privilege.

The initiative, which provides refurbishers with a special version of Windows XP, could help save more machines from heading to the landfill. In many cases, though, it means Microsoft will be getting paid twice for putting Windows on the same PC.

That's because, to properly resell a refurbished PC using its original copy of Windows, Microsoft requires that resellers have either the "certificate of authenticity" … Read more

Priced to move at the Clearance Center!

Thanks to the internet revolution, it's easy to find deals on almost anything your heat desires. Even so, one is always on the hunt for the deal of all deals. Fortunately for you, our Clearance Center is here to help you find the best prices on a wide array of products. From refurbished to overstock, the Clearance Center is your destination for rock bottom prices and items from all across the spectrum. Check it out today, and find yourself a serious deal.