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Weekend Deals, Dell, Alienware & HP Promos

Rico Mossesgeld — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:30:23 +0000

The promos intensify as the holidays near. For this weekend, you can check out the following discounts available from Dell, Alienware, and HP:

Promo	Ends	Coupon Code
Free 2 business day shipping on all Alienware laptop and desktop purchases with coupon code D9MF6D4X1C9BVH	12/18/09 11:59 PM CST or after 200 redemptions	D9MF6D4X1C9BVH
Save $149 on this Alienware Aurora desktop. Only $1499 after discount	12/12/09 5:55 AM CT	None required
Save over 45% on this Studio 15 laptop. Only $549 after instant discount! Hurry only 1000 units available at this price.	After 1000 redemptions	None required
This Inspiron 15 laptop only $399 after $100 instant discount and coupon code 40M?6?W03KFH93. Plus get free next business day shipping.	12/18/2009 11:55 PM CST or after 1830 redemptions	40M?6?W03KFH93
This Inspiron 15 laptop only $479 after $220 instant discount and coupon code 1R$ZL9Q7CFG69V. Plus get free next business day shipping.	12/18/2009 11:55 PM CST or after 1200 redemptions	1R$ZL9Q7CFG69V
Nov 19-Dec 4: Only $415 for the Inspiron 11z laptop + free next business day shipping! Use coupon code $9532Z?LL5DB9$.	1/2/2010 11:55 PM CST or after 400 redemptions	$9532Z?LL5DB9$
Save up to $605 instantly on the HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition Series Customizable Notebook PC!	12/6-12/12	None required
Save up to $515 instantly on the HP Pavilion dv8t Quad Edition Series Customizable Notebook PC!
Save up to $545 instantly on the HP Pavilion Elite e9250t Series Customizable Desktop PC!
Save up to $515 instantly on the HP Pavilion Elite e9280t Series Customizable Desktop PC!

Please note the validity periods, as some promos last until certain dates, while others end after a certain number of redemptions. If you’ve got your own holiday promos you’d like to share—and have something to do with gadgets—hit the comments below.

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Dell and Alienware Holiday Promos

Rico Mossesgeld — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:00:52 +0000

The online retailer is at again, with a bunch of discounts lined-up for the holidays. All the following promos are for US buyers only, and run until this December 14, CDT (unless otherwise specified):

Dell Laptops

Select laptops starting at $449. Save up to 40% on Dell’s most popular laptops.

New Lower Price on Dell Netbooks! Now starting at only $279 + free standard shipping.

Save $404 on the Studio XPS 16 laptop! Only $1099 after discount

Dell Desktops

Inspiron 537s desktop starting at $499 after savings and includes a 20″ monitor.

Complete desktop package featuring the Studio XPS 8000 desktop and 20″ monitor for only $999 after $329 instant off.

Special 24-Hour Promo

For 24 hours only, Dell will hold a special “Performance PC” sale. This runs from 6:00 am today (December 3) until 6:00 am tomorrow. Highlights include:

Over 20% off a Studio XPS 8000
Save $320 on an Alienware Aurora Desktop
Get over $200 off the Studio 17″ Core i7
$275 in instant savings on the Alienware M15x laptop

Click on the link below once the sale starts to avail:

24 Hour Performance PC Sale!

Any other desktop and laptop holiday promos out there? Feel free to share below.

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Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals from Dell

Rico Mossesgeld — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:00:13 +0000

Dell’s marketing is busy cranking out deals for the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday, perhaps inspired by the maker’s strong laptop reliability showing. So expect a constant stream of discounts and promos, starting today until November 30, 2009. American shoppers, take note of the following below, and their corresponding end dates! Discounts available during this period of the year are notoriously short-lived.

Promo	Starts	Ends	Highlights
Electronics Sales Event – Save up to $690 on select TVs and Electronics	Ongoing	11/26/09 11:59 PM CST	Sony BRAVIA 55″ KDL55V5100 120Hz 1080p LCD HDTV $1769.10 after $529.90 instant off Nokia N86 Unlocked Smartphone $369.99 after $130 off
Ultimate Value of the Season. Black Friday at Dell Home + Free 3-5 day shipping on all items on landing page	11/27/09 12:00 AM CST	11/27/09 11:59 PM CST	The new Inspiron Zino HD desktop for only $199 Mini netbook for only $249 42″ Sharp TV for only $599 (limited quantities available)
Entertainment Sale – The great offers continue at Dell Home!	11/28/09 12:01 AM CST	11/29/09 11:59 PM CST	Mini 10v netbook with TV tuner only $499 Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle only $269.99 after $30 off
Great Cyber Monday Deals at Dell + Free 3-5 day shipping on all items on landing page	11/30/09 12:00 AM CST	11/30/09 11:59 PM CST	Inspiron 15 laptop for only $449 TomTom One 130 GPS only $79.99 Corel Photo & Video Bundle Software $69.99
Black Friday Alienware Special: Get $200 off when you purchase $200 or more in upgrades.	11/27/09 12:00 AM CST	11/30/09 11:59 PM CST	Upgrades are FREE if worth $200

CST stands for Central Standard Time. If you’re not familiar with this time zone, more information is available here (you can use the time zone converter here as well). As mentioned above, the promos only apply in the US. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are American institutions anyway.

Don’t forget, other “Black Friday” promos by Dell are still ongoing!

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Black Friday Deals from Dell

Rico Mossesgeld — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:30:32 +0000

They say Black Friday was so named because Philadelphia city officials usually braced themselves for “massive traffic jams and over-crowded sidewalks” as people take advantage of the day off to shop until they drop for the holidays. In any case, those problems are non-existent when you shop online, and Dell has a lot of Black Friday deals for shoppers looking for a computer for themselves or loved ones.

	Offer	End Date	Coupon Code
	Complete desktop package featuring the Studio XPS 8000 desktop and 20″ monitor for only $999 after $329 instant off.	11/23/09 5:55 AM CST	None Required
	Studio XPS 13 laptop only $999 after $369 instant savings!	11/23/09 5:55 AM CST
	Check out the new TOUCH Studio 17 laptop at Dell! Don’t miss our other great deals on touch screens!	“Ongoing”
Check out Dell’s most popular PCs with the all the options you want starting at less than $500 + free next business day shipping!		“Ongoing”
	This Inspiron 15 laptop only $399 after $100 instant discount and coupon code 40M?6?W03KFH93. Plus get free next business day shipping.	12/4/09 11:55 PM CST or after 500 redemptions (whichever comes first)	40M?6?W03KFH93
	This Inspiron 15 laptop only $479 after $220 instant discount and coupon code 1R$ZL9Q7CFG69V. Plus get free next business day shipping.		1R$ZL9Q7CFG69V
	Nov 19-Dec 4: Only $419 for the Inspiron 11z laptop + free next business day shipping! Use coupon code $9532Z?LL5DB9$.		$9532Z?LL5DB9$
Save up to 39% on Dell’s most popular laptops. Includes free standard shipping.		11/26/09 11:59 PM CDT	None Required
New Lower Price on Dell Netbooks! Now starting at only $279 + free standard shipping.		11/26/09 11:59 PM CDT	None Required

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Asus Tops Laptop Reliability Study

Rico Mossesgeld — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:30 +0000

According to research by warranty firm SquareTrade, you really get what you pay for, with premium-priced laptops lasting longer than their cheaper counterparts on average. Good news for those who’ve spent money for specs, bad for buyers trying to eke by on affordable netbooks; from the survey of 30,000 portables, netbooks have a 5.8% chance of failing within the first year.

Another notable trend becomes clear when comparing brands. Here’s the list of nine different brands, ranked from most reliable to least, in terms of malfunction rate:

Asus
Toshiba
Sony
Apple
Dell
Lenovo
Acer
Gateway
HP

Looks like Asus‘ marketing department have a new talking point to advertise, while Apple has another reason to stick its nose up at Dell. I’m also sure Sony would like to mention being second in reliability while pimping its stylish VAIO lines.

The most depressing trend noted, while somewhat obvious, is still a bit depressing: From an average of 7.2% after 12 months of ownership, the average rate of “total failure” rises to 19.7% after 24 months, and steadily rises to 31% by the third year.

Great info from Squaretrade, relevant to makers and consumers alike. What I’d like to see though is a survey on the reliability of desktops. In any case, do you own a laptop? How reliable (or not) has it proven to be?

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Dell Adamo XPS, “World’s Thinnest”, Now Out

Rico Mossesgeld — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:02:35 +0000

Yesterday saw Dell start shipping the Dell Adamo XPS, which they market as the world’s thinnest laptop. This ultra-thin gadget is 10.3mm thick at its heftiest point, and tapers down to 9.7mm. Average thickness is thus just under a centimeter at 9.99m. Aesthetically it stands out, thanks to its unique configuration, which sees the keyboard portion actually embedding itself into the display when the laptop is shut. The hinge placement unfortunately seems to make it hard to use the Adamo XPS on uneven surfaces, and definitely limits this laptop’s lap potential, though it does allow some natural cooling.

Complete spec list straight from Dell:

Storage	128GB Solid State Drive
Display	13.4″ WLED HD (720P) LCD Panel with 2.0MP Camera
Processor	Intel Core SU9400 (1.4GHz/800MHz FSB/3M L2 Cache)
Memory	4GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 800MHz
Video Card	Intel GS45 Integrated Graphics with DVI Video Adapter Cable
WiFi	Intel 5300 WLAN 802.11n (3×3) Mini Card
Battery Options	20WHr (4 hours) or 40WHr (5 hours) batteries
Bluetooth	Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module (2.1 + EDR)
USB Ports	x 2 USB 2.0

What do you think? Personally the 1.4 GHz processor worries me, but I bet people will buy this for the aesthetics, rather than performance. The Dell Adamo XPS is available from Dell.com, for $1799.

Introducing The World’s Thinnest Laptop. The New Adamo XPS at 9.99mm Thin.

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Weekend Deals From Dell: 20% Off on Desktops, Laptops

Rico Mossesgeld — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:30:11 +0000

Here’s yet another promo from Dell’s marketing peeps: 20% off the Inspiron 546 and Studio XPS 8000 desktops, and the Inspiron 15 and Studio XPS 16 laptops. Should be interesting for your holiday-influenced buying mind. You can access the promo here, then enter the coupon 5TK?LC9VJ5F$33 when checking out.

While the Inspiron desktop comes with its own 18.5″ display, the same isn’t true for the XPS 8000. However, the latter is definitely equipped for performance computing, with its Core i5 750 CPU, 750GB hard drive, and dedicated Nvidia GT220 with 1GB of video memory.

Bundled displays are of course standard on any laptop, but the difference in terms of performance also applies between the Inspiron 15 and Studio XPS 16; the latter features a 512MB video card and a spacious 500GB hard drive.

In any case, feel free to browse around before making any final purchase. Whatever configuration you decide on (if any), just use the coupon code 5TK?LC9VJ5F$33 to apply the 20% discount. This promo lasts until December 11, 2009, so you have lots of time to weigh your options.

Save 20% on all laptops and desktops on landing page, including the Studio XPS 16 with coupon code 5TK?LC9VJ5F$33

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Weekend Deals from Dell and Alienware

Rico Mossesgeld — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:30:12 +0000

There’s at least one advantage with the Alienware brand now under Dell’s control. How does paying only $99 for an Inspiron Mini sound? Buy any Alienware laptop or desktop and add an Inspiron Mini netbook for only $99!. Ends 12/23/09 5:55 AM CDT.

It also seems Alienware’s picked up Dell’s tendency to offer free shipping: Light Up The Holidays With Alienware and receive free shipping on all Alienware laptops and desktops. Ends 11/12/09 5:55 AM CDT.

Some more promos to check out:

Studio ONE 19 all in one desktop with touch screen monitor and free color upgrade for only $699! End Date: 11/30/09 5:55 AM CDT
Shop Smart. Shop Early. Laptops starting at only $499 after instant savings. End Date: 11/12/09 5:55 AM CDT
Save over 20% on the Studio XPS 16 laptop. Only $1149 after savings hi-def performance with ATI Graphics and 6 cell battery. End Date: 11/12/09 5:55 AM CDT
Studio XPS 8000 desktop. The newest member of the Studio XPS desktop family designed for a more immersive media experience for only $899 after more than $200 in savings! End Date: 11/12/09 5:55 AM CDT

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Dell Studio Hybrid at $200 Off, Until 10/29/2009

Rico Mossesgeld — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:30:54 +0000

Reps from Dell have positively insisted I share the following discount: $200 in instant savings on the Dell Studio hybrid desktop.

Courtesy Dell.Com

While Dell—and other online retailers—are known to slap “instant” discounts on their product pages to move sales, the $200 price cut is notable because it brings the price of a pre-configured Studio hybrid down to $299. The fact that Dell designed this particular Studio to be the “greenest, most power-efficient consumer desktop” should also appeal to our environmentally-conscious sides.

Note that the $299 price is exclusive of any applicable shipping charges and taxes. If you also want something a bit more powerful than the default configuration (2.1GHz Dual-Core Intel, 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD, DVD Burner, integrated audio, video, and ethernet) you’ll of course have to pay more.

The Studio hybrid also doesn’t come with a mouse, keyboard, and display, but these are also available through Dell.com at very reasonable prices. That $200 discount in any case makes it possible to get more for the same money, but you better get going, as it lasts only until 10/29/09 5:55 AM CDT.

Studio hybrid desktop only $299! Nearly 50% off (applies until 10/29/09 5:55 AM CDT)

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Dell Deals: Mini with TV tuner, Studio 15, Inspiron 537s

Rico Mossesgeld — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:30:20 +0000

Truth be told, the marketing snippets Dell sent in do a pretty good job of explaining what the promos are all about, which is why they are listed verbatim below:

While the first promo ends this October 17, 2009 (5:55 AM CDT)—or tomorrow morning for Mideastern and Central Americans!. The other two run until October 22, 2009 (same time, same timezone).

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