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.

For some reason I keep on forgetting to post the following message, which of course came straight from Flipswap’s marketing peeps:

Flipswap will give anyone as much as $350 for their iPhone plus a guaranteed $25 bonus with Droid proof of purchase. By taking advantage of this third party promotion, your readers will not only be the first of their friends with the latest gadget – but they’ll still have enough left over to buy out their current smart phone contract or pick up a Droid Multimedia Station.
The specifics are simple: Trade in your iPhone by November 30th and use promo …read more

As manufacturers constantly come out with new hardware, the answer to the question “what is the best graphic card for my money?” also changes. I don’t have the time to do the research and check out the specs, and that’s why I’m thankful Tom’s Hardware takes care of that for me, through the website’s Best Graphics Cards for the Money series.
Like previous editions, the November 2009 issue simply lists the best graphics card(s) for a particular price point, and explains why it is so. Without further ado, here are the cards:

Price
Card

$55
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4650 100253HDMI

$80
HIS Radeon HD 4670 H467QS1GH

$90
XFX GeForce …read more

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 …read more

Mark November 8, 2009 (11/8) on your calendars, dear readers. That’s when HP is launching some particularly generous promos, covering laptops and desktops alike:
Save up to $315 instantly on the HP TouchSmart tx2z Series Customizable Notebook PC! – Savings Include: $200 instant rebate, FREE memory upgrade from 2GB to 3GB ($30 savings), FREE hard drive upgrade from 250GB to 320GB ($40 savings), and get FREE shipping ($29 savings). Ends 11/14
Save up to $275 instantly on the HP Pavilion dv6t Series Customizable Notebook PC! – Savings Include: $150 instant rebate, FREE memory upgrade from 2GB to 3GB ($30 savings), FREE hard …read more

HP Laptop and Desktop Promos

Based in the US? Here are some promos from HP:

Save up to $319 instantly on the NEW HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition Series Customizable Laptop PC!. Includes $200 instant rebate, FREE memory upgrade from 2GB to 3GB (-$30), FREE hard drive upgrade from 250GB to 320GB (-$40), and Save 50% on 4GB memory (-$20). From 10/25 to 10/28/2009.
Save up to $209 instantly on the HP Pavilion dm3t Series Customizable Laptop PC!. Includes $150 instant rebate, and FREE memory upgrade from 2GB to 3GB (-$30). From 10/25 to 10/28/2009.
Save up to $518 instantly on the NEW HP …read more

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

Today marks the start of a week-long promo from HP. The company has slashed prices of two desktops and two laptops apparently in an effort to move stock, through discounts that last until the 24th of this month:

HP Desktop Deals

Save up to $515 instantly on the NEW HP Pavilion Elite e9280t Series Customizable Desktop PC! – Savings Include: $300 instant rebate, FREE 750GB hard drive upgrade (-$50), FREE 15-month Norton Internet Security subscription (-$49), 35% off a 21.5-inch diagonal widescreen monitor (-$90), and get FREE shipping (-$29).
Save up to $415 instantly on the NEW HP Pavilion Slimline s5280t Series Customizable …read more

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:

Save over $150 and watch TV while on the go. Get a Mini 10 netbook with TV tuner for only $479 after discount!
Save over $200 on Dell’s most popular laptop, the Studio 15 fully loaded for only $699.
Save over $100 on the Inspiron 537s desktop with 18.5″ monitor. A great value on a family computer for only $499.

While the first promo ends this October 17, 2009 (5:55 AM CDT)—or …read more

Basically, if you’ve bought a PC that came with certain versions of Vista installed, from June 26, 2009 to January 10, 2010, you get an upgrade to Windows 7 for free! According to the Microsoft Press Release:

“There is a lot of excitement for Windows 7 in the marketplace today. However, many consumers need a new Windows PC for school, work or home before October 22,” said Brad Brooks, corporate vice president, Windows consumer marketing at Microsoft. “So starting June 26th, any customer who buys a PC from a participating computer maker or retailer with Windows Vista Home Premium, Business or …read more