Perhaps they're living up to their name...
10:24 AM 08/30/2004
An internal CD writer for $5? I would wonder what they were thinking, but with a name like "Mad Dog", I guess I shouldn't be asking too many questions about business sanity...
Its a great time to be looking for an internal CD writer! In addition, USB enclosures are getting cheaper as well. Throw one of these internal CD writers into a USB enclosure, and presto - you've got an external, USB-connectable, CD writer!
Another Seagate discount disk
9:49 AM 08/29/04
I'm getting curious about Seagate now. They're letting some serious disk capacity go at some serious discounts, making me wonder if there's something seriously wrong with either the product line or the company. After watching all the 160 GB disks hit the market for between $50 and $60, I saw this one today that seemed even interesting - 200 GB for $90 from CompUSA. The specs look good, and CompUSA rebates are good. And its one rebate, not two or more like a few others I've known.
I know, I know - "If its too good to be true...", but hey, its a reputable vendor, a reputable brick-and-mortar store, and some serious disk capacity at a very good price. I think CompUSA's got a restocking fee, though - unless you live in Hawaii. And if you do, I would suggest that you stop tinkering with your computer and go outside for the great weather et al!
Where did all the free 50-pack CDRs go?!
10:15 AM 08/29/04
I remember a time when webcams were going free after rebates. That was about three years ago, before the broadband wave hit and before everyone was doing "video email" and before some ISPs decided to go the cheesy route by advertising "better video conversations" and give a free webcam along with new connections. Anyway, webcams went up and stayed up. Blank CDRs also seem to be following the same trend. About six months to a year ago, 50-pack CDR spindles from good companies like Imation were going for free after rebates from reputable stores like OfficeMax et al. Now, you would be lucky to find a matching deal. Blank DVDR deals are all the rage now, and they ain't going free. Methinks the vendor community is finally getting wise to the interesting deals they were putting on store shelves, or, perhaps its just a lot of stores and a lot of vendors trying to make their hay in the back-to-school sun.
Anyway, as I understand it, Spin-X is Imation. I like Spin-X discs 'cause they're shiny and brand-name-less, meaning both their sides look almost alike. Yeah, yeah, I know that this isn't necessarily a good thing...
OfficeMax has a good deal on a 50-pack Spin-X spindle.
I prefer Delorme's Earthmate, but...
10:21 AM 08/29/04
In my opinion, Delorme does GPS best. Hardware and software-wise, their stuff's been real good to me and has stood up against most obvious obstacles (pinpointing locations in the boonies, updated phone numbers for places in the boonies, dropping the device from a height, etc.) very well. Their current versions have small, well-designed form factors, and speak both USB and Bluetooth very well. Yes, they are a tad expensive, but not by much, and the extra pays for itself very well when you find yourself in the middle of a dirt road, surrounded by miles of cornfield (yeah, I speak from experience!).
CompUSA's got the Microsoft Streets & Trips 2005 with GPS locator for $80. That's an interesting deal, but this is the first time I've heard of Microsoft doing hardware GPS devices. I'd heard of their Streets & Trips software for a while now, but hadn't really heard much by way of good or bad reviews about it. It was out there, and perhaps an option that not many seemed to comment on. However, an $80 deal for a set of updated mapping software and GPS hardware is interesting. If the just-above-$100 Delorme deal ain't your thing, and you've got a hankering for a GPS gizmo, I would suggest taking a look at this one.