Black Friday computer deals?

[skynyc]

My computer is on it's last legs. Ancient, and running on Windows 98 (I know). I still have to feed the hamster running on the wheel to power it up.

Use a Mac at work, and think I am switching to a mac at home.

Has anyone heard of any great deals on computers for this shop-crazy weekend. This computer really isn't in my budget right now, but is no longer an option.

There goes my escort Christmas present to myself.

[Guest greatness]

Aww

 

I think Mac has a monthly payment option so you can use that. Computers are expensive.

 

My computer is on it's last legs. Ancient, and running on Windows 98 (I know). I still have to feed the hamster running on the wheel to power it up.

Use a Mac at work, and think I am switching to a mac at home.

Has anyone heard of any great deals on computers for this shop-crazy weekend. This computer really isn't in my budget right now, but is no longer an option.

There goes my escort Christmas present to myself.

[josephga]

I hear staples is going to have a hp for 299.95

[gp0560]

Computer Deals

 

Even if Black Friday doesn't work out for you, you can usually find a good deal at TigerDirect or NewEgg. Give a look at their sites and good luck.

[rvwnsd]

Buy an HP and you will still be able to afford that escort.

 

I love my HP notebook. I bought it last year for about $700 on sale at Best Buy. It was a discontinued model (new model has a different color case), but is very powerful and works great.

[josephga]

I'm going too need a new one soon. My toshiba lap top is almost 7 years old. Iv already replaced the hard drive once and the cd rom drive no longer works

[+ deej]

There won't be any one vendor. Rather, I think all of them (except Apple) will be trying to move units. They're all hurting in this economy.

 

A lot depends on your needs. If you're like most home users and only use e-mail and surf the web, you would probably be perfectly well-served by one of the current crop of netbooks. They're small and light. The down-side is they're not for heavy-duty video processing or other "big" chores. The up side is they're typically less than $300.

 

I also saw a flier from Best-Buy this week that had more fully-equipped laptops for under $600.

 

Now is a good time to buy even if you avoid black Friday entirely.

 

Most people forget the basics when shopping for computers: start by making a list of the things you need a computer to do, and find one that does those things.

[Lookin]

Deals on Macs are pretty anemic, if you find one at all. But you may want to check out CraigsList. Here's a MacBook with a few months left on the warranty, memory upgrade, and hundreds of dollars worth of software.

 

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/sys/1480349622.html

 

With the $300 savings, you may also find your holiday escort on CraigsList, and not have to choose after all.

[EXPAT]

Actually Apple is pushing a major sale this Friday on their website. As I always said, I can't recommend Apple enough. It is soooo far superior to anything Microsoft does. I used to be a PC product manager for one of the larger PC manufacturers years ago and dealt a lot with Intel and Microsoft and now I won't touch Microsoft with a ten foot pole.

 

The investment in Apple is worth it and if they have good deals on Friday, take advantage of it.

[+ g56whiz]

Unless you absolutely positively must have the very latest thingamagig on your laptop or pc, you might check out IBM. It markets on-line rebuilt IBM's and Lenovos:

 

http://www.ibm.com/products/specialoffers/us/en/icue.html

 

The most expensive top of the line laptop now available is well under $600 and will do all the things most of us want to do: e-mail, internet, word processing, checkbook etc. You'll have to reinstall your software. But you don't have to wait for black Friday.

 

Why, you may ask, does IBM compete this way with itself? It helps them establish (justify?) a residual value for these products which governs the profitability of it's leasing business.

[Guest countryboywny]

I saw a deal from Best Buy that included a laptop computer,a desktop computer, a net book and a wireless router for $1199.00

 

Check their website.

[+ deej]

Unless you absolutely positively must have the very latest thingamagig on your laptop or pc, you might check out IBM. It markets on-line rebuilt IBM's and Lenovos:

 

Why, you may ask, does IBM compete this way with itself? It helps them establish (justify?) a residual value for these products which governs the profitability of it's leasing business.

 

They all do that. Dell does a brisk business in "refurb" computers, many of which were simply mailorder returns due to a scratch on the case or other trivial problem that has nothing to do with the working of the computer.

 

Just be aware that you ARE buying a refurb. There is always a risk with refurbed electronics.

[zeferrelli]

Stay with Mac

[+ deej]

Stay with Mac

 

While I really do appreciate Mac and spent many years on the business end of the Mac, I cannot in good conscience make a blanket one-size-fits-all recommendation that the Mac is right for everyone. It isn't.

 

I can't rely on a Mac as my primary PC because it doesn't run SQL-Server, which is where I make my living. Sure there are databases that run on a Mac, but people don't pay me to work with those.

 

I'm also a cheap SOB. Entry prices listed in this thread for Windows PCs are hovering $300 to $600. Entry point for a Macbook is $999 (according to apple.com). That's anywhere from 50% to THREE TIMES more expensive.

 

I go back to what I've always said: make a list of things you need a computer to do and then go buy one that does that.

[+ deej]

Don't know how I managed a duplicate post. Must be the damn Mac this place runs on.

[josephga]

walmart has a hp 3gb memory 250 gb hard drive 15.6 hd display

 

for 298.00 fri 5am to 11am i think im going too get that one

[+ LIguy]

These 2 websites monitor upcoming Black Friday sales:

http://www.blackfriday.fm/

http://www.consumersearch.com/

another good one is fatwallet.com

 

While I'm not a big fan of Ebay you can find deals on there.I just purchased a brand new home theater setup for 70 dollars less than TigerDirects lowest price.

[GoodFella69]

Luv My Mac!

 

Actually Apple is pushing a major sale this Friday on their website. As I always said, I can't recommend Apple enough. It is soooo far superior to anything Microsoft does. I used to be a PC product manager for one of the larger PC manufacturers years ago and dealt a lot with Intel and Microsoft and now I won't touch Microsoft with a ten foot pole.

 

The investment in Apple is worth it and if they have good deals on Friday, take advantage of it.

 

ExPat, I couldn't agree more. After years of owning PCs, I've had my Macbook for a year now and love it! It's worth every penny. Highly recommend it.

[instudiocity]

Get a Mac

 

Apple is pushing a Black Friday Sale in their stores and online. If you still think it's too expensive, check out the link on the bottom left of the Apple Store page for "Clearance Center" for their refurbs.

 

I've bought now 27 Apple Computers, maybe 10 from the Clearance Center, and I've never had a single problem with any of these computers. They all worked well over 5 years which in computer terms is two lifetimes.

[Lookin]

I can't rely on a Mac as my primary PC because it doesn't run SQL-Server, which is where I make my living. Sure there are databases that run on a Mac, but people don't pay me to work with those.

 

I understand this completely. I always used DOS/Windows PC's for work, and bought one of my own for a consulting project. But, since 1984, I've always had a Mac for personal use.

 

I'm also a cheap SOB. Entry prices listed in this thread for Windows PCs are hovering $300 to $600. Entry point for a Macbook is $999 (according to apple.com). That's anywhere from 50% to THREE TIMES more expensive.

 

This is the piece I don't get. Last year, a friend of mine was bitching up a storm about the time it was taking him to set up a $700 laptop for his parents. He had spent fifteen hours so far, was on his way to Radio Shack for a cable, and was going to spend the weekend transfering files from their old PC and then try to get email working. Yes, he "saved" $400, but I had to wonder what value he put on his own time. And I knew that he'd spend many more hours the next time he "helped" them with an upgrade.

 

I know people who enjoy spending their free time fiddling with Windows, and you may be one of them. But he wasn't, and I'm not either, and you don't have to listen very hard to hear people bitching about the time they spend getting things to work. (I'm not bashing Windows. I think it's amazing that they get it to work as well as they do, given that they don't control the hardware, as Apple does.)

 

Sure, you can hire the Geek Squad to help you set up or upgrade your PC, but there goes your savings.

 

http://www.pennypinching-grandma.com/images/flying_money.jpg

[Guest zipperzone]

Actually Apple is pushing a major sale this Friday on their website. As I always said, I can't recommend Apple enough. It is soooo far superior to anything Microsoft does. I used to be a PC product manager for one of the larger PC manufacturers years ago and dealt a lot with Intel and Microsoft and now I won't touch Microsoft with a ten foot pole.

 

The investment in Apple is worth it and if they have good deals on Friday, take advantage of it.

 

I'm currently using a Vaio laptop with Microsoft Windows XP.

I have been thinking of switching to a Mac.

I have thousands of pictures stored that I don't want to lose.

Can these be transfered to a new Mac, and if so is it a big project?

[+ deej]

I know people who enjoy spending their free time fiddling with Windows, and you may be one of them.

 

Uh, no. In fact, I have absolutely no patience for fiddling with computers that some asshole who "knows" things has carefully tweaked to within an inch of working (whether Windows or Mac, and I've seen both). My rate increases when faced with that kind of work. (I charge more for work I don't want to do in the first place.)

 

Just last week, Daddy was whining to me that it's impossible to set up a DOS PC these days. But that just isn't so, as I told him at the time. No charge.

 

Other posts in this thread have pointed out Apple's clearance page. Woo hoo. I can now buy a Mac for a mere ONE HUNDRED percent more money. It won't be online any sooner. It won't print any sooner. And I'd have a refurb that costs more. Cool!

 

(I'm really kidding, but not by much!)

[+ deej]

I'm currently using a Vaio laptop with Microsoft Windows XP.

I have been thinking of switching to a Mac.

I have thousands of pictures stored that I don't want to lose.

Can these be transfered to a new Mac, and if so is it a big project?

 

They can be moved and it's not a big deal.

 

IF.....

 

* You know exactly where on your disk they are.

* You have a transfer media (external HD, burnable CD, home network, etc.)

* You know enough about the source and the target to pull it off.

 

It really isn't a big deal. Kinda like fixing the plumbing in your house. If you know what it takes you're set.

[Lookin]

It won't be online any sooner. It won't print any sooner. And I'd have a refurb that costs more. Cool!

 

(I'm really kidding, but not by much!)

I know I won't lead in a debate with someone as knowledgeable as you are but, comparing my experience with that of reasonably tech savvy friends, I think my Mac did get online sooner, and it did print sooner than my friends' Windows machines.

 

A couple years ago, I wanted to set up a wireless network. I bought an Apple Airport Express and plugged it into an empty outlet in my home office. No power cord, and I didn't even have to turn it on.

 

http://images.apple.com/airportexpress/images/overview_express_20080115.png

 

I plugged the cable from my modem into the bottom of the Airport Express, and ran the setup utility. It found the Airport Express and asked me four questions:

• what I wanted to name it,

• what kind of network I wanted (two choices, with simple explanations of each),

• what kind of security I wanted (four choices, with simple explanations of each), and

• what network protocol I wanted to use (two choices with simple explanations of each).

 

I read and answered everything in less than five minutes. When I was done, the light blinked amber for a minute or so and then turned green. Without any help from me, the Airport Express found the modem and got an IP address and my Mac found the Airport Express. Voila! I had a wireless network up and running in less than five minutes. A very knowledgeable friend of mine spent a lot longer than I did setting up her Windows router, did not get online until the next day, and had a bunch more hardware and wires than I did.

 

I then plugged my printer into the Airport Express and selected it as my default printer. Voila! I'm printing from anywhere in the house in less than a minute.

 

I got another Airport Express, plugged it into an outlet behind my stereo, and plugged my stereo into it. When I play something from iTunes on my Mac, I tell it to play through the living room stereo and it does. Simple as that.

 

The new Snow Leopard OS is slimmer and faster than the previous version. It doesn't come with a whole bunch of printer drivers. My Mac finds out what kind of printer I have, and goes out to the internet to download the correct driver. Every once in a while, it checks to see if there's a new driver. Nothing at all for me to do.

 

I like that. No kidding!

[EXPAT]

I recently switched to a MAC (well 2 years ago) and I moved my old hard drive data to a portable disk drive and then copied them into the new MAC. Very easy and very simple to incorporate those photos into iPhoto on the Mac.