len_mullen

I grabbed a TomTom XXL 550M (m=lifetime maps) 5 inch GPS from Beach Camera for $89 a couple months ago. Last year (a couple weeks before BF) Crutchfield had the 550MT (maps+traffic) for $110. My aging eyes appreciate the large screen and the GPS has performed very well for me. You definately want the lifetime maps. Traffic has saved my bacon a couple times, but i don't think I'd pay more than $20 premium for the feature and I would not pass up a deal waiting for traffic.

Cheaper at Amazon.com. Mixed reviews. Capacitive screen may disappoint.

Personally, I would opt for the less expensive fire and subscribe to prime. Free shipping on Amazon plus unlimited access to movies and tv are very compelling for $80/yr -- might even ween me off netflix. BUT REMEMBER that the Color Nook II was rumored to be released in September then October, so it would not surprise me if the release coincided with or preempted the availability of the Fire. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2393737,00.asp#fbid=4KdomxitGwF

thanks. our library does overdrive, so we have access to those books for free as well. The basic kindle does play games (look here http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=sv_kinc_5_US?_encoding=UTF8&node=2534114011), but it's not well suited for them in my opinion. The controls are very simple, so moving the curser with precision or entering text are a challenge to a non-texter like me.

The only things that do not go on my credit cards are mortgage, taxes, and my kid's tuition. Every penny that goes on a credit card is a penny earning interest for at least a month. If you get the right cards, you get additional benefits. Most protect you in the case of a dispute with a merchant, some extend your warranty, and many give you some kind of reward for using the card. Christmas is a good time to open a chase account since they often give up to $250 in rewards after meeting a spending threshold. We got out PS3, some peripherals, and a bunch of games this way. I opened an account for the PS3 and she opened one for the other stuff. We paid the balance and closed the account right away (Chase makes their money back on fees). My 'full time cards' are with 1) Discover, 2) Citi (Mastercard), and 3) Kohls. Discover is terrific to do business with. Once the wife forgot to mail out a payment that included my tuition. They said I was a good customer, forgave the late fee, and refunded the interest. Great people. I use this for $90% of my purchases. I use shop discover to earn 5-20% cash back on online purchases. Some merchants double cash back at Christmas. They also run 5% cash back on groceries, gas, etc. thoughout the year and right now Amazon is 2% bak. When you cash in our rewards, you can get discounted gift cards. Last year, I rolled $600 of rewards into $750 of staples gift cards and bought a couple laptops. Thanks Discover! Kohls is my second favorite card. They are always having 30% off and free shipping codes when you use their card. Often, this is coupled with 20% back in Kohls Cash. You do not need to carry the card and you can pay your bill in the store. I have a Citi Mastercard. We use this when Discover is not accepted and for their 5% quarterly promotions. I just got a check from them for $257 that had accumulated in rewards while I wasn't paying attention. A couple years ago, I got an offer to consolidate all of my balances on a 0% card. At the time, I could earn decent money on a money market account, so I did it. Not worth it these days. I did the math once, and my credit cards are worth about $4000 per year in rewards and discounts. That is money I do not pay taxes on, so it represents nearly $6000 I did not have to earn. So, yeah, I think you should get credit cards if you have the discipline to pay the balance each month. Read the fine print and play by the rules.

I think the question you have to answer is what form factor is best for your kid and what apps and services will he/she use...assuming budget is not an issue. Everyone thought the Kindle would be a <$300 iPad clone and it is not. At launch, people dismissed it as an inexpensive android based front end to Amazon.com -- that's wrong too. A kindle does not have a camera, microphone, or gps. The fire is wifi only. If you want to 'tag' pictures, or video chat, no Kindle is right for you. Otherwise, I think you would be very happy with a Fire. I have had a kindle (the $79 version) for less than a week. This has no speakers, no color, no 3g, and it's still a hit. I have installed Calibre on a PC and subscribed to around 30 services (free except for the wall street journal which I was already paying for), I have downloaded fifty free books from amazon.com, and I have copied (via usb) a bunch of documents (including the itinerary, menus, and supporting documents for a business trip). I'm looking forward to the companionship of my kindle in the airports and restaurants. My wife took it to dialysis this week. Also very tingly. She started Pride and Prejudice but ended up reading TMZ and the Boston Globe. Today, we are conflicted as she has dialysis and I have a boy scout event. I win! (she has a TV and internet) Santa will be bring her a Keyboard Kindle. We think this will be great for her mom who does not have internet. She'll need a 3g device, so we are thinking touch or keyboard. I can send her kindle stuff via kindle email over 3g. I looked at these for my 14 year old reader. I thought this would be great for him since he always has a book in his hands. I was shocked to see that he was completely unimpressed with the Kindle. He thinks books are fine and likes browsing a library or book store. This from a kid who sleeps with a zune! I think he will love a fire, though. We'll see. His brother started college this year. He had no interest in a tablet when he got there, but they are routinely available and he has expressed interest. He has an android phone and a laptop, so I think a touch or basic would be best for him, but he wants a Fire. So be it. So much buzz over a toy none of us ever even thought about until last month. I think Jeff Bezos has achieved what Steve Jobs and Bill Gates failed to attain -- a very compelling ecosystem of infotainment. Browse through the amazon android app store, check out the kindle books (select a genre and sort low to high to see the free stuff), and look at the movies and TV shows in the Prime service. For the price of an ipad, you can get your kid a Fire, a year's worth of streaming media, a couple games, and a bunch of books. That's my recommendation.

I have no interest in the Fire or any other tablet with an LCD screen. I have a notebook and a smart phone and the tablet niche is just too narrow at any price. The Kindle, Nook, and other e-ink devices, on the other hand, have caught my attention as they solve a lot of problems. First, the e-ink screen looks very good even in direct light. If you want to read something beside the pool, at the beach, or at a campground, this is a much better option than an LCD. Second, these devices are very energy efficient. My smartphone dims the alreay dim display before I can finish reading a page. Third, the prices of these devices are so low that there is no risk of buyer's remorse. In the case of the Mindle (minimal Kindle) and Kindle Touch, the form factor is very appealing. These devices will fit in my pocket while providing as much text real estate as a small paperback. I am holding off on purching a Mindle until i get to touch a Touch, but one of these will likely fill the gap between my laptop and smartphone. If you REALLY want a keyboardless computer, I suggest you look at the Asus Transformer. It's not cheap unless you are looking at an iPad.

ace hardware 10/15

Thanks for the chart Pnambic, but data tends not to influence this discussion. The good news for frugal shoppers is that 1080p hype has driven down the cost of amazing TVs. My 720p pn50a450 still blows me away, LCDs still disappoint, and 3D is still a gimmick. This year, like last, the sweet spot for big TVs is a 720p 50" plasma. Samsung, Panasonic, and Sony currently make the best plasmas, but Sony is commands premium price. You cannot go wront with Panasonic or Samsung.

B&N has announced Nook price adjustment, BB has cut the Playbook 20%. Let the price wars begin! http://www.thestreet.com/story/11264115/1/best-buy-cuts-tablet-prices-in-wake-of-amazons-kindle-fire.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN http://betanews.com/2011/09/29/let-the-tablet-price-wars-begin/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/terokuittinen/2011/09/28/amazon-launches-all-out-tablet-price-war/ My kid would love a Fire. He is exactly who Bezos had in mind when creating this device. He always has a book in his hands, loves youtube, plays all the cute web/flash games, wants angry birds, listens to music while he does his homework. At $200, it's a little extragent, but my wife does dialysis three times a week and may enjoy a touch. I travel and find my storm2 a little too small and too slow for reading. Maybe I'd like a touch 3g? It makes sense when you consider that Amazon lets you share content on up to six devices (we could all read the same copy of Harry Potter the day it was released). This is really compelling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm92Tnp953c

Rumor has it that the HP tablets will be in stores for BF. Samsung has had some legal setbacks which has closed European and Australian markets to the Galaxy. Amazon has announced four new kindles. This may not impact the demand for or price of ipads, but there will be a lot of price pressure on the android tablets. With the Fire selling for $199 with no lines, I think a very good $100 tablet is very likely. With the kindle selling for $80 everyday, I could see it as a <$50 stocking stuffer. Keep an eye of the Gold Box this holiday season!

Having five Insignia BD players, I can attest to their value. My 50" plasma is Samsung, but I have two 32" and one 26" Dynex LCDs and am very pleased with Best Buy products.

Please post links to articles -- I'd like to read them. This is what I'm reading... - Many retail industry analysts predict a good holiday season - Economic forecasters predicting a Christmas sales bump in the U.S. may be disappointed No matter, you cannot JIT China. I already see a lot of TVs going on sale at very good prices. Three years ago, I got a great deal on a 50" plasma/HTIB bundle from Best Buy in September. Since then, I've noticed retailers putting deals out earlier and earlier.

I have no idea what HP is thinking. This isn't really about the HP tablets. It's about what the flood of cheap tablets late in August does to prices for all tablets for Christmas. All orders for Chinese merchandise have been places by the end of August. In fact, the stuff is already made and in the US or on the way. If you remove 300k customers, that impacts supply/demand across the board. I think you are going to see cheap tablets this year.

Another 100,000 HP Touchpads will hit the market in the next 30 days. This will cause all sorts of problems for the other tablets and we will see great deals this year. Tablet sales will pressure laptop/desktop prices. Really big TVs will be on sale from October until January. People, still scratching their heads over 3D, will jump on LED sets. I will get a really good deal on a hugh plasma or DLP (both of which produce a better experience). PS3, XBox, and WII will be damn near free by BF. GPS units may actually be free as people invest in car mounts for their Droids. Amazing computers (2nd gen iCore laptops) will be $300 to $400. All this is based on four things that have happened this summer... - Gas prices are up and heating oil has not retreated while food prices are falling (>% of stagnant wages going to oil and gas) - HP dumping close to 500,000 tablets AFTER the retailers have places their orders for Christmas - Nintendo has announced a new gen HD game console - Smart phones have put a full blown computer in a LOT of cars Looks like a good Christmas for consumers.

My Staples now carries LG Tvs, so I'm hoping they put a big one with great features in the ad for BF. I could grab a couple tabs if the price is right. I'm hoping to see a PS3 game that justifies the investment I made in Move. College Boy will be finishing semester 1 of his freshman year, so I think he will have a list. My Boy Scout needs new uniforms. Maybe a new GPS for the wife.

I guess it's time. I check in when the kids go back to school. #1 leaves for college tomorrow, so... The year has flown by. The economy sucks. I have new windows and doors. We're painting inside. I gave away my pool table. I have $350 in Dell gift cards. I have $800 in Staples gift cards. My Staples is carrying LG TVs. All of this can only mean I need an even bigger, flatter, more awesome tv. Here's to hoping huge, 3d TVs are featured this BF. I'm still digesting HPs departure from the PC market. I've heard 250,000 tablets were sold last weekend and that another wave will hit the shelves soon. Still haven't bought one and probably won't, but this has to impact BF. I'm guessing a lot of these will end up under Christmas trees. Will this affect iPad sales? Android? Prices? I'd love to see the Samsung or Asus tabs drop a couple hundred bucks. I could be tempted to get an HP -- especially if Dell or Staples has them for $99/$150. I could definately see Oracle buying HP then donating all the WebOS stuff to the OpenSource community. Could be fun. Looking forward to gleaning good ideas and great deals here on GottaDeal.com.

My xxl540 arrived today. First thing I noticed was how quickly it picked up the satellites. When I powered it on, it started doing the first time use configuration. By the time I got to configure My Home, it had preselected New Hampshire. The interface is very easy to use but full featured -- I like the itinerary feature. I think this is the best of the current crop of value ($100-ish) GPS devices.

I have a PS3 and it makes a great bd player. It also plays netflix, has internet connectivity, and is a DLNA client. It's also kind of expensive and is not as good as some of the 'netcaster' appliances for internet access, but it's the best deal for someone who plays games. I got the BF570 for $120. I think that was the best deal and you can get it for $117 now from amazon.com.

LED and LCD TVs have LCD displays. What we call LEDs are LCDs lit by LEDs instead of fluorescent lamps. In theory, the LED lit LCDs should have darker darks since there isn't a lamp pushing through, but YMMV. I've seen some very good LCDs and some not so good LEDs. Only one thing is certain -- plasmas look better than LCSs no matter how they are lit. I love the Insignia 42" plasma at best buy. Search AVS for the model and you will love it too.

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Funny...it worked for me... Item Description Ship Qty B/O Qty Price Amount 625XX540MT TomTom XXL 540TM w/Map-Traffic Portable Navigation 5" Screen What's Included 1 0 109.99 109.99 AAAFA26 Refer a Friend Offer 1 0 0.00 0.00 000CARCAT Current Crutchfield Catalog Car Bounce Back 1 0 0.00 0.00 000PIPENV Envelope barcode Outgoing packages 1 0 0.00 0.00 000CEXCHNG CExchange Promo Sheet 1 0 0.00 0.00 Sub Total: $109.99 Shipping: FREE Total: $109.99

My oldest joined me for the first time this year. He commented on how nice everyone was -- much different than on TV. I helped a couple people decide on GPS and laptop purchases and disuaded a few more from paying $50 for setup service by explaining the process. The 8G thumb drives were 'lost' for a short time. I stumbled across the basket and returned to the table where the rest were to tell the associate where people could find them. When I left Staples, I held the door for an associate with a desk on a four wheeler. She assumed it was mine and followed me to my car. When we both arrived at my car, I told her that the very nice corner unit was not mine. I left an item behind at Home Depot and an associate ran across the lot in the pouring rain to get it to me. We were running too, so he had to keep up ;-) This is a good thread because everyone I meet in every store was all smiles. Lots of Merry Christmas greetings and good will.

It's been a long time since I've been willing to stand outside in the cold for the chance of getting a good deal. When I woke up this morning at 3:00am, I had already completed most of my shopping. By the time I finished my first cup of coffee, I had snapped up a couple more bargains. But my oldest wanted to experience Black Friday, so I woke him and we headed off to Staples. Except for one year, I have started each Black Friday at the Staples in Plaistow New Hampshire. I actually have acquaintences that I only see in that line. There were about (OK exactly) 19 people in line when we arrived. It was raining, but the line is covered, so we were fairly comfortable. It wasn't long before we joined discussions of the Door Busters. At 5:00am the Master of Ceremonies emerged to thank us for choosing Staples and to explain how they run Black Friday. He told us that employees would go from the front to the back of the line offering tickets for the Door Busters to each person until they were depleted. Each ticket had a number that was also afixed to the associated merchandise and the item would be held for the ticket holder until 11:00am. The manager told us that registers on one side of the store were for people purchasing a computer and registers on the other side were for people buying a GPS. The rest of the registers were for everyone else. He assured us that ticketless items were available in abundance on tables at the back of the store and disappeared into the store. Then employees walked the line with the tickets and fliers offering advice and answering questions. At precisely 6:00am the doors were opened and we were thanked as we entered the store. Employees directed traffic. Shoppers helped other shoppers. As tables were depleted, more merchandise was brought out from the back. Within a half hour, I was checking out with some terrific deals. And that is how Black Friday goes at the Staples in Plaistow New Hampshire. Next stop was Home Depot. I had no items from that store on my list, but there are always so many unadvertised deals that I always walk through. There were almost as many clerks in the aisles as shoppers and we had no problem spending $250. Then Walmart, Kohls, and Radio Shack before we settled into the Live Free or Diner for breakfast. Over my eggs benedict, I asked the new BFer if he'd do it again. He said, "Yes. It was fun. Everyone was nice and it felt Christmassy." I agree. See you all next year! Black Friday 2010 Haul... I take all my Discover rewards in Staples gift cards. Since they give you a $25 card for each $20 redeemed, it's like getting another 20% off... 2x 1t USB disk $50 1x 100 Count DVD+R $18 ($8 easy rebate) 1x 100 Count DVD-R $18 ($8 easy rebate) 2x 20 Count AA batteries $13 ($13 easy rebate) 2x HP 8G Thumb Drive $11 1x HP Photo Paper $10 ($10 easy rebate) 1x Remote $10 ($10 easy rebate) 3x Skull Candy Earbuds $10 2x Logitech v220 Wireless Mouse $7 $250 in Gift Cards == $200 in Cashback - $62 in rewards and rebates = $138 Home Depot almost always lets me use a Lowes mover coupon for an additional 10% off... Electric Fireplace insert $200 ($180) Changable Screwdriver $3 ($2.70) Three Prong Cord for New Stove $15 ($13.50) Four Prong Cord for New Stove $15 ($13.50) Bit and Screwdriver Set $20 ($18) $227 out the door! Walmart It's a Wonderful Life Collectors Edition $20 (no deal -- I just wanted it) So, $385 plus $25 for breakfast = $410 - $13.50 for the stove cord I return = $396.50. We're watching the colorized IAWL in front of the flames of the fireplace insert. What could be better?

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