notebooks

If you've got $350 in your pocket and a laptop on your mind, you can score a pretty amazing deal. For starters, that Dell Vostro V13 I wrote about last month is, against all odds, still available for $349.

But if you're more into power than portability, Best Buy has the Gateway NV53A74u 15.6-inch laptop for $349.99, plus sales tax and around $15 for shipping (a charge you can avoid by opting for in-store pickup).

The 5.7-pound NV53A74u--uh, I think I'll just call it "the Gateway" from here on--sports a 3GHz AMD … Read more

So my daughter is starting middle school next year (but...but...she's just a lil' punkin!), and that means she's going to need a laptop for the school's laptop program. I think I just found the perfect system.

It's the Dell Vostro V13, a superslim, easy-to-tote model that has more than enough horsepower for a student. Or a business traveler. Or pretty much anybody.

For a limited time, Dell has the Vostro V13 ultraportable laptop for $349. Shipping will run you around $8, and you may be on the hook for sales tax as well.

I … Read more

Ever have one of those days when you just couldn't make up your mind? You know: chocolate or vanilla? "Megamind" or "Despicable Me"? iPad 2 from Verizon or iPad 2 from AT&T? (Don't tell Mrs. Cheapskate about that last one.)

This morning, I couldn't make up my mind which deal to post--so I'm posting the three top candidates. (Also, like you, I hate it when stuff sells out right away, so this affords a little insurance.)

First up, Best Buy has the Dell Inspiron IN5030-2450B3D 15.6-inch laptop for $399.99 shipped (… Read more

Laptops and coach seats don't mix. I was reminded of this the other day while trying to contort myself in strange and painful ways at 33,000 feet. Never again.

A Netbook would have been a much better fit, but I find most models too small for my taste--and too underpowered as well.

Where's the happy medium? Right here: HP has the Pavilion dm1z ultraportable laptop for $419.99 shipped (after applying coupon code SAVE30HP). That's a total savings of $130.

The dm1z may look like a Netbook, with its 11.6-inch screen, absent optical drive, and … Read more

Every so often I get an e-mail asking me to share a good tablet PC deal. My response: as soon as I find one, I will!

Tablet PCs (by which I mean the kind that have traditional laptop keyboards but can transform into slates) just haven't come down much in price over the years.

Today, however, there's a compelling exception: the HP TouchSmart tm2t convertible tablet is on sale for $699.98 shipped (when you apply coupon code NB3749 at checkout). Regular price: a thousand bucks.

This isn't some low-grade 2007 leftover, either. The tm2t features an … Read more

When it comes to desktop productivity, nothing beats a dual-monitor setup. But if you're a laptop user, you may have discovered an annoying quirk: most LCD monitors stand a few inches higher than your laptop's screen.

Not so with the Samsung LD220G 21.5-inch LCD, which TigerDirect has on sale for $119.99 (plus $9 for shipping). It's designed specifically to sit alongside laptops, and does so at just the same height.

In other words, it has no stand. Well, not the traditional kind: it has an arm that folds out from the back to prop it … Read more

What's this? Another laptop? Normally I wouldn't do the same kind of deal two days in a row, but hear me out.

See, yesterday's system was a 17.3-inch, 8-pound colossus, not so much a laptop as a lap-crusher. It was fine for anyone needing a desktop replacement, but not the right choice for folks looking to travel light.

If you're in the latter category, today's your lucky day. Dell is offering the Vostro V13 ultraportable laptop for $399 (plus $8 for shipping and sales tax in some states). The system is new, not refurbished, … Read more

I love me a good laptop deal, and this one from TigerDirect definitely qualities.

Until midnight tomorrow, Jan. 14, you can get the refurbished Acer Aspire AS7741Z-5731 17.3-inch laptop for $399.99, plus around $9 for shipping. That's after applying coupon code MGU17038 at checkout.

You might expect a fairly no-frills configuration at that price point, but the Aspire is nicely appointed--very nicely indeed.

It starts with a dual-core, 1.86GHz Pentium P6000 processor--no speed demon, mind you, but fast enough for mainstream computing chores.

Other noteworthy specs include 3GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, a DVD … Read more

Just last week I crowed about a $399.99 HP laptop--a one-day-only deal that I know many of you snapped up. If you happened to miss it, here's good news: today's $399.99 laptop is even better.

Buy.com has the Acer Aspire AS5742z-4685 15.6-inch laptop for $399.99 shipped. It's new, not refurbished, and you don't need a coupon code or anything.

Update: Rats. As I predicted, the Aspire is sold out. But Buy.com's product page says "check back soon," and you should--they may release more inventory later. It'… Read more