len_mullen

I'll try. There are a lot of companies that make processors. The two main players in the personal computer market are Intel and AMD. The current crop of Intel processors are called iCore processors. Intel is in their third generation of iCore which is characterized by the ivy bridge architecture. Second generation was Sandy Bridge. First generation was Nehalem. There are major three levels of performance within each generation. i3 is entry level, i5 is mainstream, and i7 is power user. There are also mobile versions of all of these and value variations that do not carry the iCore name but are of the same architecture. What you need to know about current processors from intel is that ivy bridge is the current architecture and that i7>i5>i3. You will also see 987 based systems. The Intel Pentium 987 is an Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) dual core processor for entry-level laptops. It is based on the Sandy Bridge architecture. Probably a good solutions for the use you describe. Then there's AMD. The current generation of AMD chips are called Trinity. They are i3-i5ish in performance but have a better integrated graphical processing unit (GPU) than the iCores. Like the intel chips, they are named by performance a10>a8>a6. If you are going to buy an entry level machine and want to play games, these Trinity chips are good value. If you are a serious gamer, you'd be better off getting an iCore and a dedicated GPU. hope that helps.

I agree that Win8 is designed for touch, but I am using it on a desktop right now and it's fine with a mouse. You can even pop up a DOS windows by holding down the windows key, pressing r, typing cmd, and pressint enter

Per Microsoft... •Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with support for PAE, NX, and SSE2 (more info) •RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit) •Hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit) •Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver

I got my 'big win' today at Staples. I may go out for some small stuff and assess the mahem, but I won't be in line this year.

I got the 64g wi-drive. This is for my wife so she can take movies to dialysis (4-5 hrs at a pop), BUT this will be great on a long drive as three people can all pull media off the drive concurrently. $80 is a little high for a 64g thumb drive, but you cannot use a thumb drive with a Fire, so this is not only the best solution, it's the only solution.

Same price at staples.

from http://www.kingston.com/datasheets/wid_us.pdf >>Works with iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Android devices and Amazon Kindle Fire >>Share your data with 3 users simultaneously

For all you tablet buyers, Amazon has the Wi-Drive discounted today... - 64g $79.99 - 32g $49.99 great way to share media among your portable devices.

the coupon is only for today, so you may be too late.

Maybe I need to get out more ;-)

I went to Staples today to pick up the Lenovo i5 desktop. To my surprise, there was a LOT of traffic. When I got to Staples, the parking lot was nearly full. I entered the store with two other people. Inside the store I had to wait to be served. This is very unusual at this Staples. When I finished, I headed over to Walmart to pick up an item I had ordered online. Again, the parking lot was nearly full. There were lines at every register and I had to wait behind someone putting stuff on layaway to get my pickup. This pre-thanksgiving activity was not caused by any major promotion as far as I know (and I know about these things). Are others seeing unusual levels of shopping this weekend?

I just got this i5 for the BF price using this coupon. This is a MUCH better desktop than I had guessed. The case is a little larger than the HPs you see these days and there are accomodations for two additional disks. Perfect for me. Also, there is HDMI out. If you were on the fence, this coupon, this price, on this day should seal the deal. - hardware replacement guide - Staples Full Details - Trinity vs iCore

In 2008 we got the kids a PS3. When I plugged it into my 36" Sony TV, it disappointed. I decided to take the plunge and get an HDTV. I got a bundle from Best Buy. It was stunning. Still is. Even today, after four years, I sometimes stop to admire the quality of a movie or a commercial. Last year, I decided to indulge in a new TV for my bedroom. This one is also a Samsung plasma. It too is stunning. I do not doubt Samsung had made some bad televisions. I'm sure the people who have had problems are very unhappy. Generally, though, most people who buy Samsung sets are very happy. This interesting article captures this paradox -- showing people have had more severe problems with Samsung sets than other major brands but are more satisfied with their purchases than than buyers of other brands. Samsung had a major problem with power supplies a couple years back. The problem is well documented and the solution is not very expensive. DIYers discovered and remedied the problem before Samsung stepped up. After spending millions to settle a class action lawsuit, I suspect Samsung has exercised this demon. While I remain concerned that my older set may develop this problem, I am confident it can be repaired and count myself among the very satisfied customers. I suspect those of you who choose a Samsung plasma will be as satisfied as I have been. Understand the issue and make an informed purchase.

First thing you should do is contact the college. They may have specific requirements for specific programs or offer discounts, support, and software bundles for students. My kid's collect offers preconfigured macs and windows laptops that include software bundles for each major and a support plan that includes a loaner laptop. They also publish software and hardware requirements and recommendations for each major.

i wonder if i can get the 'mobile' offers accessing m.staples.com via chrome...

did you notice that the pcmag article linked to gottadeal's staples list rather than staple's posted ad?

With unions, dues paying members pay the bills and serve as muscle in politics and recruiting. A single union manipulating all walmart employees nationally would be intimidating.

Walmart does not impress employees. They sign on of their own free will. No one comes to their home if they don't go to work.

You explained it well. I don't agree. A lot of people think the government should not observe religious holidays. Others are insisting schools give kids time off for muslim and jewish holidays. I say let the businesses and their customers decide when they should be open. If people do not want to work holidays or weekends, it's up to them to find a job that does not require working holidays or weekends. If they think they have such a job, but the employer disagrees, then it's time to look for a new job. It's not up to the government, or a selectman, or even you to decide who can operate a business. That's what I think, anyway. I suspect that if Walmart advertised positions that were required to work Thanksgiving they would have no problem finding plenty of people to fill the jobs. Let those people work

Nothing virtual about this list...Staples: HP 17.3" Laptop w/ AMD A8 Quad-Core, 6GB RAM, 500GB HDD (G7-2243US) $399.99 Staples: Lenovo Desktop w/ Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 1 TB HDD $449.99 Staples: Logitech M185 Wireless Mouse $9.99 Staples: Logitech M525 Wireless Laser Mice $14.99 Radio Shack: Garmin Nuvi 50LM 5" GPS w/ Lifetime Map Updates $99.99 Radio Shack: Gigaware Wireless 2.4GHz Optical Mouse $9.99 Radio Shack: SanDisk 32GB Cruzer USB Flash Drive $9.99 Walmart: Beautyrest Down Alternative Gel Pillow $4.88 = $999.81

First, I see you are happy to see things YOU need staying open for YOU. I think you are being unfair to the employees of hospitals and gas stations -- not to mention police, fire, security, military, etc. Second, not everyone observes Thanksgiving or Christmas. Would you also support closing down services on Jewish or Muslim holidays? The stores are opening because people will patronize them. It should not affect you if someone runs a cash register or stands in line on Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter. Stay home and observe your holiday as you see fit. Let others do the same. If enough people stay home, the stores will not open. How do you feel about closing stores for the weekend? Saturday and Sunday are both sabath days for some. Shall we all rest for both? As for workers who prefer to be home on holidays, that's between employee and employer. The employee free to negotiate that on the way in and free to leave when if unhappy with working conditions. The only time employers can treat employees like crap is when the employer is paying more than another employer that treats employees well. Having worked a holiday or two in my youth, I always found the experience joyous. Employers were extremely generous with wages and perks and customers were very appreciative of the opportunity to shop at their convenience. I found plenty of time to celebrate with friends and family once my shift was over.

Brian, laptops are vulnerable to every malady that can befall a computer -- even when cared for by an adult. Generally, I try to spend as little as possible on a machine that will get the job done. Another thing to consider is upgrades. These days, it's easy to upgrade a laptop's RAM or disk, but it is virtually impossible to upgrade the CPU, screen, and video controller. Two laptops at Staples interest me. The $300 HP Pavilion Sleekbook 14 would be great for a kid. It's inexpensive enough that you won't feel bad when it breaks or is stolen and the specs are sufficient for the kind of activities most people are interested in... Item: 100374 Model: C6N76UA#ABA HP Pavilion Sleekbook 14 is perfect for everyday everything! Meet the everyday notebook that’s anything but ordinary. Get exclusive innovations like HP CoolSense to keep you comfortable and HP ProtectSmart which helps keep your data safe from bumps. Enjoy long battery life or swap it out to keep playing without recharging. At less than an inch thin and under four pounds, the HP Pavilion Sleekbook 14 is perfect for life on the go. •Intel® Pentium® B987 1.5GHz 2MB L3 Cache Processor •4GB DDR3 SDRAM Memory, Expandable to 8GB •320GB 5400RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection •14.0-inch diagonal HD BrightView LED-backlit display (1366 x 768) •Windows 8 I also like the $400 HP Pavilion g7-2243us. Here you have a good screen, good cpu, and good gpu with less disk and RAM than you'd like. Upgrade the RAM and install a SSD for cooler, faster operation. It would be helpful to know where you will likely shop on BF. PS Laptops are about to change dramatically. Touch screens, twist screens, docking stations (for tablets), and Windows 8 will dramatically change the way we compute on the run. Keep your powder dry for the laptop computer you've been waiting for all your life!

The biggest problem with inexpensive LCDs is viewing angle. If I look up the set on my frig when I am at the frig, it is posterized. From across the room, it looks fine. You really want to go out this weekend and see if you can look at the sets you are interested in. As to what will be appropriate in the bedroom, that depends. I sit below and to the right of the set in my bedroom when I am working at the computer. The plasma that hangs on the wall looks great while the LCD it replaced looked horrible -- from that angle.

Walmart doesn't need stores at all. Amazon gets along without them. Half of the time I go to Walmart, it's to pick up something I bought online. Were I king of Walmart, I'd set up tents at the far end of the parking lot and hand out 10x tickets as they were going to have merchandise then ship the merchandise directly to their customers. Then I'd replace the unhappy stores with small pickup and return operations.

A couple BFs back, I wandered into a Blockbusters on my way out of Radio Shack. They were closing up and I bought a couple DVD racks. Great BF deal for me...not so much for them.