stationchief

Ah. That's what I get for posting in too many threads too much. You're talkin' about recording digital video off of TV (Direc TV satellite signal), right? I don't think you need anything other than a TV tuner card. They come with software to record digital video from either the coaxial or A/V, and it should be compatable with DirecTV. Dunno if that helps or not. If it does, the $850 desktop from CC has that.

The Gateway has IEEE 1394 and an S-Video connector, but I dunno if that helps. You talkin' about something like a TV tuner to connect your DirecTV service to the laptop? What exactly do 'ya use to connect your PVR to something?

Intel's "Core Duos" and AMD's "Turion X2s" are the top compeditors out there. But referring to that list of the cheaper processors, I'd have to agree to go for the Core Solo.

Heh! Wouldn't be surprised if it choked on Windows ME! That should have a free full upgrade to Windows Vista. All desktops and laptops bought from hereon that contain "Windows Media Center Edition 2005" will have a "coupon" good for a full version of the new OS when it's released next year. The other ones that have Windows XP Home will be good for a 50% off upgrade.

BF 2006 Desktop Comparison Chart updated! Updated with all HP desktops, except for the WM $398. eMachines yet to come and still waiting for the CUsa ad. Enjoy!

I've seen "Guitar Hero 2" at BB, with and without the guitar controller. Dunno if it's on sale now or if it's gonna be for BF. Maybe someone has GH1 on sale because of the second one being released?

The Core 2 Duo processors are top of the line. Seems like a great deal with a 17" LCD monitor, and from the sound/looks of it it should have a DVD burner and XP Media Center Edition for the O.S. witrh that free upgrade to Vista. It'd be a whole different world from older celerons and ... Windows ME?! Yikes!

If 3am couldn't get you your laptop last year, get there all the earlier this year. Use it as a learning experience and get your laptop.

Sheesh. My wife wouldn't love me much longer if she found that many 'puters in our house. I suggest to just use your video editing one for the videogames.

Nice to hear, but what makes you think we're interested in the quality of Vonage's service? Really just kiddin', but seriously there's not many folks here who got an AOL account last BF that actually used AOL to get on the net.

You get in that insanely long line well before 5am and sign up on the day of BF. Well, I'm sure you can sign-up pretty much all day long, but there'd be not much left to spend with your $200 after the big rush.

Yup. I did. It's a pretty decent overall computer. It's versatile and will be good to do pretty much anything you want from internet to gaming. Plus 'ya get all the bells/whistles to go with it, with monitor and printer. It might have a bunch of mail-in rebates to deal with but we just don't know yet. If all the rebates are, in fact, instant ones, then it's a super deal for an all-around 'puter. Personally, I don't care too much for the Celeron processors. They heat up too much (I like to leave my 'puter on all day/nite) and they're not designed for high-end stuff like video editing too well. They can do it, just not very well.

Unfortunately, that's true. It's mostly due to the limited quantity of doorbuster items. If employes could shop for those before the doors opened, there'd be none left. Fortunately the wife, a WM employee, works nights so blitz-day line waiting is no problem here.

Dunno just yet. Gotta wait and see.

On the early bird items, the ones being sold between 5-11am and in limited quantity, no. The ads usually specifically say "no rain checks". On the other items, maybe you can if they happen to sell outta those.

Dang, you guys are quick on the gun! Thought I might've out-scooped 'ya on that ad scan for a minute there, RossMan.

Think it says with new subscription only. Current Vonage users can sign up for another account with a different credit card than one 'ya may have signed up for Vonage with before. Even so, a laptop for $399.99 out the door with a $100 rebate later ain't too bad. It looks almost exact to WM's pre-blitz Compaq laptop they had for $398. Maybe even the very same model.

For desktop buyers, I'd agree that BB seems to be the place. Dunno about the rebates yet, if they're instant like what BB usually does on BF, or mail-in like they do every other day of the year. CUsa is still to come and maybe it's got such a great deal it'll blow everyone outta the water. But 'till then, I'm looking forward to my closest BB store. As for signing up for Vonage at CC, maybe some people are willing to do what most did with AOL last year: sign up for $15-20 a month just for the rebate and never use the service. I think they're gonna be stikier than AOL when it comes to cancelling service.

Looks lke RossMan posted the ad can after all as I was busy typing. I gotta learn to speed type better. Everyone take a look and discuss.

Yup, according to an ad scan coming from a different site (sorry GottaDeal, but apparantly they beat'cha to it) if 'ya sign up for 12 months of Vonage 'ya get $200 instantly off laptops and desktops. Do the math, and that makes the $299 laptop go down to $99 after the $100 mail-in rebate, or with the desktop 'ya get your money back. The page with the details is cut off a bit so I couldn't see the exact details, like if this is a gift card or if it's just for the purchase of a computer, but it does say with 12-month subscription to the Vonage phone service. Hopefully very soon GottaDeal will get a decent ad scan. Discussion time. Has anyone else seen this or heard any rumors regarding the specific details?

Yup, it's a $100 mail-in rebate, the rest are instant rebates. But, I just saw the ad scan myself and there's something else that's on the ad for that laptop, and the other computers as well. It doesn't say $299.99 after rebates. It says ... ... $99.99! When you sign up for Vonage for 12 months at CC, the laptop goes down to $199.99 out the door with $100 mail-in rebate later.

Just saw the CC ad scan (someone else from another site bet GottaDeal to the post). GottaDeal has a few of the computers already posted. However, there's a lil' something I think folks should be made aware of, and I thought this would be as good of a place as any to post it. Yes, there is a computer for what looks like $199 after all instant and mail-in rebates, and there is a laptp for $299 after instant/mail-ins. But, how badly would 'ya like that laptop for $99 after your mail-in rebate? How about that desktop for free after 'ya get your mail-in rebates? All depends on how much you like Vonage phone service. Looks like at CC, if 'ya sign up for 12 months of Vonage 'ya get $200 instantly off of laptops and desktops. That makes the laptop $199 out the door ($99 after your $100 mail-in rebate), and after rebates 'ya get your money back for the desktop. Dunno much of anything beyond that since the details are still to come soon as the folks at GottaDeal can verify them.

Looks like this is the $189.97 doorbuster desktop for BB. This one matches the ad rather well: eMachines 352 Desktop with 15" LCD Monitor, Printer, Cable & Surge Protector

All depends on your budget. If I could, I'd get one of those Quadro FX dual monitor ones myself, but I just don't have an extra couple o' grand to throw away. Seriously, if it's for gaming, look at the 512MB cards and sort by most popular on Newegg. Look at some reviews, too. I don't think top of the line cards should break your budget much farther than about $400 or so. The most popular thing these days is to take not just one, but two cards in two PCI-E slots and run 'em together like a dual-core graphics processor. But, then again, I'm not really into all that stuff. I'm more of a classic gamer.

Until someone gets a clearer scan of the ad, no one will be able to answer that. I'll try to hunt the specifics on all the BB computers down, but it's tough without a lot of minimal specs on the computer itself much less no model numbers to go off of.