Deal of the Day - 9/1/14

Hi All,

Happy Labor Day.  There are sales all over the place right now, one specifically to watch is Best Buy is selling iPad Minis for $199, which is $100 off and the lowest price I have ever seen for a new iPad mini.  Note, this is the first generation mini, not retina, and 16GB, but an incredible deal for a new iPad.  If you have not used or read about iPads, I don't know how you are reading this blog, but you can find reviews here, here, and here.

You can find this deal here.

Later,

John

Deal of the Day - 7/11/13

Hi All,

Apple is giving away a lot of free apps and games this week as part of their 5 year anniversary celebration.  The free stuff runs through the end of the week.  To get a good list, and overview, read this.

Later,

John

New Macbook Pros and MacBook Airs

Hello All,

New Apple products were announced yesterday and here is my take.  Unless you are a gamer, photographer, or into heavy image editing or manipulation, get a Macbook Air.  Apple reduced the price of the 13" model, the one you should buy, down to $1199.  This machine is lightweight, quiet, and has between 5-7 hours of battery life.

The 13" Macbook Pro is also $1199, which is a heck of a deal for the money.  Compared to the Air you get a faster machine, a DVD drive, a larger hard drive, but a much heavier machine.  If you want the portability though, the Air is impossible to beat, and if you do not want the portability you should buy an iMac and get a faster machine for about the same price.

If you are any of those people I listed to start this article I would recommend a 15 or 17" macbook pro.  Either the 2011 model on clearance, or the 2012 models are both solid, depending on your budget. MacMall is blowing out 2011, 17" models right now, but the rest of their prices on last years models are nothing special.  I would check Apple Refurbished before you make a purchase, here is the link for MacBook Pros, and for MacBook Airs.

Lastly, check with the local college if you have any affiliation.  They usually have a fair number of the last years laptops for a big discount, and you get a free printer/scanner/copier when you make an educational purchase.

Good luck,

John

Deal of the Day - 3/5/11

Hello All,

Apple has announced the iPad 2, debuting March 11th, and has started selling the original iPad, refurbished, from their store for $349.00.  This is $150 off the original price, and $50 off the new, lowered price, of the first model.  If you want an iPad this is the way to go.  If you buy refurbished from Apple you get a full one year warranty, and it looks new, the only difference is that the packaging is a plain brown box, not the pretty box the iPad usually comes in.

The only reason not to buy one of these refurbished iPads is because you want a new iPad 2.  Here is a quick run down of the changes to the new iPad 2.

• Faster processor - 2 A5 chips, the original iPad has one
• Dual cameras for FaceTime and recording video and snapping pictures
• Slimmer and lighter, with a better shape and new back cover material

I had an iPad for my old job and had to turn it back in.  Surprisingly I do not miss it as much as I thought I would.  It is cool, but for me it was only really a reading device (blogs, Facebook, email, web) and a music player.  I do not like the touch keyboard so I would not do any really work on it.  It was great as a game machine as well, but I did not use it for that very often.  Do not misunderstand me, I think the iPad is a great idea, and I used mine daily, it is just not completely there yet.  Maybe the new processor will make it more versatile, but for most people I imagine a decent Netbook would be more useful to them, and save them some green.  One last rumor floating around out there, to make you think twice about the iPad 2.  Rumor has it that the iPad 3 will be out this fall, in time for Christmas.  It will have the same incredible display on the iPhone 4, just in the larger size.  That would really be something.  Comparing the iPhone 3GS to the 4's screen is like bringing a picture into focus, it is that big of a change.  That would be a worth while upgrade, and worth waiting for, but as I said it is just a rumor.

You can find all the refurbished iPads here.

One last thing that I am thinking of doing, is trying a Color Nook out as my iPad like device.  Here is why

• It is only $250 - brand new
• It is easily hackable to make it into an Android tablet
• You can use microSD cards to increase the storage capacity

The downsides to this plan are 

• The nook is only a 7" screen vs a 9.7" on the iPad
• The battery life is not as good as the iPad
• The processor is not as fast as the iPad
• The Android marketplace is not as developed as the App Store

The real question is $250 and the downsides a better deal than $350 with known quantities.  This I have not yet determined.

Later,

John

Deal of the Day #2 - 6/24/10

Hi All,

Three posts in two days, who would have thought it possible?

Sellout.woot is selling a refurbished 8GB iPod Nano for $94.99 shipped to your door.  You can find that deal here.  For just a touch more you can get an Apple certified iPod Shuffle for $99.99 plus taxes.  The advantage this Nano has is that it has a one year warranty, versus a 90 day warranty.  You can find this deal here.

Both are good deals.  For the money I would pay $5 for nine more months of warranty.

Later,

John

When to buy Apple products

Hello All,

Gizmodo has a great article about when to buy Apple products.  I am publishing it here for the world to enjoy.

When to Buy Apple Products

Later,

John

Deal of the Day - 11/18/09

Hey All,

I am going to do something new today, that is post an iPhone app deal. Let me know what you think.

Konami is selling all of their apps for $0.99. I cannot find anywhere that states how long this deal will last, so act quickly if you want anything.

In quickly looking at the apps, Metal Gear is the top rated app with 4 stars. Most of the rest of the apps are 3 star apps.

Here is the link to all of the apps currently for sale.

Later,

John

Apple 9/9/09 Event Wrap-up

Hello All,

Apple announced new iPod Nanos, iPod Touches, iPod shuffles, and iPod classics yesterday, along with new software for the iPhone, and new iTunes 9.

What does this mean and why am I writing about it? Excellent questions. This means that the old stock is getting cleaned out, and now is the best time to get the prior generation models for reduced prices.

Apple themselves have cut prices on the refurbished old models, you can find the details below:

iPod Nano

• 8GB - $99
• 16GB - $129

Overall not a great deal, the new ones are only $149 for 16Gb and include a video camera and FM tuner. If you are looking for a basic and cheap iPod, maybe the 8GB is for you, but I would spring for the new ones myself.

iPod Touch

• 8GB - $149
• 16GB - $199
• 32GB - $249

These are kind of good deals. The new 8GB is the same as the old one, just with reduced price to $199, so you can save $50, or 25% by buying a refurbished model. The 16GB has been dropped from the new models all together, so if you want that size you have no choice but to get one now. The 32GB is not a steal at that price. The new 32 is only $299 and has double the processor speed of the last generation. This means nothing for mp3 playing, but for email, web browsing, video game playing, it means a lot.

iPod Classic

• 120GB - $199

This is a decent deal. The new models are 40GB bigger (160GB), but cost $249. If you need that space the new one is the way to go. If I took every mp3 I have it would not fill the 120GB so saving the money seems smart, as there are no new features on the classic.

iPod Shuffle

• 1GB - $39
• 2Gb - $59

The new ones are $59 for 2GB and $79 for 4GB. The new ones are smaller, and have to be controlled by the ear buds. Depending on what you use it for, the old ones are probably a better deal, but if you just use it to run, or walk or whatever, get a new one.

I hope that helps you with your iPod buying, and there will be more to come.

Later,

John

iPod Update

Hello All,

I probably should have posted this earlier, but better late than never. Apple is having a special event Tuesday September 9th. They will likely be announcing a whole new line of iPods. If you have not gotten an iPod but are close to picking one up, wait until next week. The current models will drop in price, and the new ones might be worth paying full price for, who knows.

More as I hear it.

Later,

John

Deal of the Day #2 - 7/31/09

Hello All,

Apple is starting to clear out their refurbished iPods to make way for the new models coming in September. Here are all the iPods on special, with direct links below.

Here are 8GB current gen iTouches for 179.00.

Here are the current nanos for $99.00

Here are the current nano, in 16GB form, for $149.00

I have purchased a few Apple refurbished items, and I could not tell that they were not new, aside from the ugly packaging. They have a full 1 year warranty and support from Apple. I would not hesitate to buy something from them at all.

Later,

John

Deal of the Day #3 - 7/9/09

Hello All,

Apple released updated laptops about two weeks ago, and consequently the old ones came down in price. If you do not need the speed increases or the sd card reader built in, you can get a great deal on a new, but last generation laptop.

If you work or go to the UW, you can get a 13" Macbook Pro, an iPod and, a printer all for $899 plus taxes. Find that here.

Here is a similar, although not as good, deal for people that have nothing to do with education.

It is a slippery slope, but if a 13" will not work for you, here are some Apple recertified laptops for cheap, directly from Apple.

Thanks Hans for the post idea.

Later,

John

Deal of the Day #2 - 6/10/09

Hello All,

With the announcements of new faster, and cheaper Apple laptops on Monday, the price drops on the older models make now a great time to buy an Apple laptop. All of the last generation models can be found for at least a couple hundred dollars off, and up to $800 off.

You can compare models and speeds here.

You can find the deals here.

Later,

John

iPhone Updates

Hello All,

Today was the first day of the Apple World Wide Developer Connection (WWDC) and there was a lot of news. There are all new laptops, a new operating system, and a new version of the Safari browser. This dear readers is all good news, but not the big news. The big news is two fold.

1. There is a new version of the iPhone operating system, 3.0, that is coming out on June 17th.
2. There is a new iPhone, the 3GS, coming out on June 19th.

Here is a quick rundown of the two biggest announcements.

The iPhone 3.0 operating system

• It is a free update for all iPhone users and $9.95 for all iPod Touch users
• Improved Safari web browser
• Copy and Paste
• Landscape mode in email, text, and notes
• Complete iPhone search
• Voice Memos
• Improved calendar app

You can find all the updates here.

The iPhone 3GS Update

• Same size and shape as the 3G phone
• Faster processor 2x or more, depending on the application
  
• Improved camera, 3 mega pixel, with video
• Faster 3G network support
• New 3D video support
• Improved battery life
• Voice control for many applications

The 8GB 3G is now $99, the 16GB 3G is $149. The new 3GS will come in 16GB and 32GB at $199 and $299.

The only bad news involves AT&T. If you are like me and got your 3G iPhone when they first came out last year, you will have to wait until December or so to get the upgrade prices. If you cannot wait that long you will have to pay an $18 upgrade fee and either $399 or $499, depending on the size of the phone you want. This is better than people with recent new contracts. They will be hit for $599 and $699, depending on the phone size.

Overall I am pretty excited about the new phone, but I am disappointed there is not a better upgrade path. If you can wait 6 months why would you not wait 6 more and see what Apple comes out with in June of 2010. AT&T would be better served to keep people like me on the hook for another two years then allow me to wait and see. This will without question piss off a lot of their customers, and that is not good for business. I am half way through my contract, why not lock me in for another two years. A lot can happen in a year with regard to technology. There could be a better phone out than the iPhone in another year, or at least close to as good and AT&Ts service leaves room for improvement. So maybe people wait for their contract to end and then they leave. That is a risk AT&T runs with this strategy. I know I switched solely for the iPhone, I would switch away if there were a better phone out there.

Later,

John

For more Apple coverage check out this, this, and this.

Deal of the Day - 4/9/09

Hello All,

Woot has a great deal on 4th generation iPod Nanos.  They are selling 8GB Nanos for $104.99 shipped to your door.  These are refurbished units, but they are 33% off new prices.

You can find this deal here.

Later,

John

Deal of the Day #3 - 3/31/09

Hello All,

I should have posted this before, but better late than never. Macheist is selling a bunch of software for $40 and of that, $10 goes to a charity of your choice. We picked it up the other day and have been happy with it. The wife likes Souschef a lot, and that costs more than the whole package by itself.

You can find the deal here. It ends a week from today.

Note - This is for Apple machines only, no windows software.

If you want to be nice to me, I can refer you and then I think we both get some free software.

Later,

John

Deal of the Day - 11/16/08

Hello All,

I will make this short as I had the big post yesterday. Best Buy is clearing out MacBooks for $996.99. This is brand new, but in store only. As of this posting both Madison stores have them in stock. You can find this deal here.

Here are the specs:

• 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo Processor
• 2 GB of Ram
  
• 13.3" Wide screen display
• 160 GB Hard drive
• DVD Burner (Super drive)
  

For a comparison, Apple is selling the same model refurbished for $3 more. Usually refurbished Macs from the Apple store is the cheapest way to go, and have the full 1 year warranty. You can see that here.

Later,

John

Deal of the Day - 11/15/08

Hello All,

With the new Apple laptops out in stores, there are good deals to be had on the past models. MacMall has good deals on many of the older laptops. Here is my recommendation for a great all around laptop.

• 15.4-inch MacBook Pro Glossy Screen, Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz, 2GB Memory, and 20oGB Hard Drive for $1499 - $200 rebate = $1349, with free shipping. You can find this here.

For a less expensive option, but still a solid performer, this MacBook is a nice option.

• 13.3-inch MacBook, Intel Core 2 Duo 2.1GHz, 1GB, 120GB, and Combo Drive for $1094 - $150 instant savings - $75 rebate = $869, with free shipping. You can find this here.
  

Here is a comparison between the two laptops.

Feature	MacBook	MacBook Pro
Processor	2.1 GHz Core 2 Duo	2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo
Screen Size	13.3"	15.4"
Ram	1 GB	2 GB
HardDrive	120 GB	200 GB
Video Memory	144 MB	256 MB
DVD Burner	No - DVD Read Only	Yes

They both have firewire, bluetooth, built-in cameras, wireless networking cards, Ethernet jacks, CD burners, Front Row with remotes, and come with the 10.5 Leopard operating system. The MacBook pro is faster, will play video games or any graphic intensive operation much better, and has the very bright and crisp LED backlight which also increases battery life. I would buy the MacBook Pro myself, as it has a bigger screen and has a much better video card. There are other configurations at MacMall, I just picked these as they were two good deals, and at very different price points. The other models are not bad, these are just my picks. General laptop advice is as follows. Buy the screen size you want, and the fastest processor you can afford, the other stuff (ram, hard drive) is upgradable down the road.

Last but not least, for you travelers out there is the MacBook Air. This is a crazy cheap deal on an Air.

• 13.3-inch MacBook Air, 1.6GHz 2GB RAM, and 80GB Hard Drive for $1249 - $100 rebate = $1149, with free shipping. You can find it here.
  

This laptop does not have a CD-rom drive, and has a lower power processor. It is designed for minimal size and weight, and long battery life. You can read about them here, they are very small.

One last note for these deals, any of the laptops featured above include a free Epson printer and Parrallels 4 after mail-in rebate through November 30th.

Later,

John

Operating Systems - Thoughts and Observations

Hello All,

I am often asked about computer operating systems. There have been many flamewars over the subject, and I am not trying to start another one. I am just going to try to keep this simple and applicable from an end user perspective.

First off, for full disclosure, I am a Mac user at both work and home. I work in IT, and Mac is my operating system of choice, and the one I recommend for everyone who can afford it, and values their time and productivity. You can stop reading here if you only wanted the short answer, continue on if you want the good the bad and the why.

Windows
Windows has a lot going for it. It is almost everywhere, over 90% of the desktop market, with its prevalence comes familiarity to almost everyone, and it is cheap. You can get a new laptop that runs Vista for $500 at Wal-Mart, anywhere in America. You can get a desktop that does the same thing for probably $350 at Wal-Mart. There is a ton of software available for Windows, and it is far and away the only one to use if you want to play video games on your computer. We truely live in a Windows world.

The negatives that come with that are many. Here are a couple biggies:

• Virus writers target this operating system
• Spyware and Malware target this operating system
• Windows is not as secure as either Linux or Mac
• You must run a firewall, anti-virus, and spyware remover at all times
• You have to pay for almost everything you want for Windows

You can get around some of these issues, but not easily and not if you are not an IT guru. Even if you are an IT guru, the prevention and upkeep take time, and time is money. I can think of a million things I would rather do than remove viruses and spyware from a machine for two hours.

So to recap, you have market dominance, abundance of software, familiarity and low cost offset by viruses and other bad stuff.

Linux
Linux is the up and comer. Since Vista's release and subsequent flop both Linux and Mac usage have increased. I like Linux. I want to see it win, but unless you buy it pre-installed on a machine, or install it on a wired Ethernet connected desktop, it is not for everyone. I recommend it for people who want many of the Mac features without the cost, however the cost savings comes back to haunt you as a time investment, and time is money. For everyday people Linux is just not there. I hate to say it, but it is not. If you can have someone set it up for you, then it is a viable alternative, but most people want Windows, and do not want Linux, which makes it an even harder sell. Since I have been pointing out the bad parts to Linux above, here are the good parts:

• It is free
• There is free software to do anything you can image
• You do not need to worry about viruses
• Spyware is not an issue
• It works great on old computers
• It is very Mac like, without the Mac cost
• It is improving very quickly; many versions are updated significantly every 6 months

For the majority of the world, Linux does everything you need it to, every day, and does not break. You can do anything on the Internet, play mp3s, work on Word and Excel documents, import and edit pictures, you can even play games. I like Linux. The biggest strike against it for me is that all of the Linux Admins I know use Windows or Mac at home. No Linux Admin that I know uses Linux on their home PC. That is a big blow in my mind. All of the Mac guys use Macs at home, and Windows guys use both Mac and Windows.

If you have a desktop that is not connected to the Internet via wireless, and can get over the fact that Linux is not Windows, you can be very happy with Linux. I do not think that is most people.

Mac
As I said off the top, Mac is my operating system of choice, and the one I recommend. It does cost more. It is different than Windows. It does stink for playing video games. That is about it for negatives though. Here are some of the many advantages of Mac:

• Very few viruses, you do not currently need to worry about them or run anti-virus software
• No spyware
• Minimal driver issues, video, printers, cameras, mp3 players, you plug something in and it works
• Lots of free software
• Very intuitive, and Apple provides free support of topics online
• Tons of cool features, specifically time machine, quick view, spot light and front row
• You can run Windows, if you need to, on all of the new Intel hardware
• One year of free face-to-face support and training at any Apple Store
• One year of free phone support

Learning the new operating system will take a little time, but with the great Apple stores, you can go take a class on it for free if you do not want to teach yourself. The Microsoft Office suite, Word etc, is not the best on a Mac, but it works, and you can easily open and share files with Windows users.

I like Mac OS. I recommend it to anyone. If you have more time than money, Linux is a good option and can handle almost anything you throw at it. If you have some time, some money, and like the status quo, Windows is a vaiable option, just remember you need to pay for anti-virus, spyware removal software, and probably Geek Squad to fix your machine when you come up with the total cost of the machine.

Later,

John