This week on the Staples Holiday Podcast I’m taking a look at laptops and tablets and helping you how to figure out which will make the best gift for your family this holiday season. And remember—every week as part of Staple’s Tech Tip Tuesdays, we’re giving away a great tablet, laptop, or other piece of tech to help you out this holiday season! Read More
Category: Uncategorized
The Best Tablets and e-Readers (Staples Tech Tip Tuesday Episode 3)
This week on Tech Tip Tuesday, I take a look at the top e-readers and tablet computers from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Want to know how they compare? Check out the video above!
And of course, what’s a Tech Tip Tuesday without an awesome giveaway? Tonight we’re giving away the KINDLE FIRE HD!
Here’s the contest info:
1. At 7PM eastern TONIGHT tune into my Twitter @MarioArmstrong by clicking here. Make sure you’re following me
2. I’ll explain how the contest works, but basically, you have to answer ONE question on Twitter and use the hashtag #StaplesHoliday in your response.
3. One lucky winner will be going home with the Kindle Fire HD 7″ tablet!
Cyber Monday: Make Sure You Check Out Deals From These Online Retailers
Cyber Monday means shopping from the comfort of your own home, without any 4AM craziness or the threat of actual physical harm. Those same stores that were offering doorbusters a couple of days ago are still offering great deals, only online.
But what’s really great about Cyber Monday is discounts from online-only retailers pressured into competing on price. They can’t do Black Friday doorbusters, so they really have to make Cyber Monday count. Make sure you check these online-only retailers: we’ve highlighted a couple of great deals from each to give you an idea of what they have to offer.
For more tips, check out my appearance on the Today Show, where I share great deals and great apps to help you shop.
TigerDirect:
This is a great source for tech deals year-round, but the Cyber Monday deals are even better, especially laptops & monitors. Unlike a lot of retailers offering “cyber deals” all week, these sales really will end at Midnight tonight, so make sure you don’t put it off. Best bets include a 13″ Lenovo IdeaPad for $599 and a 14″ HP EliteBook for $699.
NewEgg:
Another big name online tech, NewEgg is a great source for some of the less flashy computer needs, like peripherals, accessories and components for upgrades (like memory). It may be the tech equivalent of buying someone socks, but some people like that! Practical gifts for the tech obsessed can also be an upgrade someone would love, but wouldn’t necessarily buy for him (or her) self. Think $200 off an Acer home theater projector (now $649) or a computer speaker upgrade, like the Creative GigaWorks for $90 (usually they’re like $150).
Amazon
Sure, this probably surprises no one. The thing to know here is that Amazon is running specials all week. With Amazon, always make sure to research a price, since many times Amazon is not actually the least expensive option, especially if you can find free shipping from the manufacturer or another retailer. Plus for today only, the Kindle Fire is $129, instead of $159, with code FIREDEAL. Check out our tablet buying guide if you need help deciding whether the Fire is a good bet.
Steam (PC Games)
Today’s the last day of Steam’s Autumn Sale and there are some great deals for the PC gamers in your family. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is half off at $29.99, indie hit Castle Crashers is $4.99, and you can pick up some older titles at great prices as well, like the latest Sonic game, Generations, as well as Civilization V for $7.49. EA’s Origin digital games store is having a Cyber Monday sale today as well, where you can get Battlefield 3 for half off, and there are some great deals on the Sims franchise amongst other games.
Flash Sale Sites
There are a ton of these to choose from these days, but they can be a great way to find unique and interesting gifts, tech and non-tech! Some good choices include Fab, Gilt, OneKingsLane, and Woot. These sites already offer a discount on merchandise from clothing to home goods, but also have Cyber MOnday specials to compete with other more traditional retailers.
Direct from Retailers
Cyber Monday is the day to go direct to the source for deals: I covered this in article for AT&T, but basically you want to make sure you check a manufacturer’s website no matter what you’re shopping for. A good example is the Dell website, which has laptops up to 30% off the usual price and is announcing new sales every few hours as a way to recreate that “doorbuster” feeling. Accessories are discounted too – the Duracell Powermat wireless charger is 20% off with free shipping using code CyberMonday20. Lots of retailers are offering discount codes, so if there’s a product you’ve had your eye on, do a quick web search to see if you can find any bonus coupons.
Today Show: What to Expect from Cyber Monday (VIDEO)
This morning on the TODAY show, I appeared to talk about Cyber Monday, the world’s largest online shopping day, expected to top $1.5 billion in sales this year.
On top of the deals, everything from deep discounts on Blu-rays, DVDs, and music and music at Amazon.com to wrinkle-free shirts at JoS. A. Bank to deals on home appliances like washers and dryers, I also mentioned three great apps to help you shop better this holiday season:
– Invisible Hand: Available as both a browser plug-in that automatically compares prices against other stores as you shop as well as an iPhone app to make in-store price-comparison possible as well.
– Price Grabber: Great comparison-shopping search engine and app for your smartphone.
– ShopSavvy: An app for iPhone, Android, and, yes, Windows Phone, ShopSavvy lets you scan barcodes while in-store to compare prices in other stores as well as online so you can find out if you’re really getting a good deal.
Today Show: Black Friday Tips from Mario Armstrong (VIDEO)
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Holiday Help Desk: How to Choose a Tablet (VIDEO)
In the video above, Shy and I discuss all of the tablets we had lying around: the iPad and iPad Mini, the Kindle Fire, and the Google Nexus 7 and 10. We even discuss the NOOK. We give our thoughts and impressions on all of them, which ones we’d buy ourselves, and who they’re best for. It’s long, but hopefully you’ll find it useful.
HLN: Looking at the new Nintendo Wii U (VIDEO)
When it comes to gift buying for gamers this holiday season there’s only one company putting out a new console. The new Nintendo Wii U stands alone as the single new system on store shelves in 2012.
Thinking about buying the Wii U or another console? Be sure to check out my guide to the hottest deals on gaming consoles for Black Friday by clicking here.
I attended the launch of the new system in New York. What sets the Wii U apart from the XBox and Playstation is a new & innovative controller. The handheld device incorporates joysticks, a microphone, speakers, a camera and even a touchscreen of its own. That ‘second screen’ allows aspects of some games to pop off your TV and into your hands. The gamepad can also be set up as a universal remote, to control your TV and even your cable box, which I’ve tested at home, and works great!
Black Friday Deal Guide: Deals on Gaming Consoles
This holiday season is a strange one for gaming. Nintendo JUST released the Wii U so for gamers, that’s going to be the HOTTEST product on the market. But because it came out over the weekend, you’re not going to see any big sales this holiday season. At $299 for the standard edition, and $349 for the deluxe edition which includes a game, it’s also a little pricier than other consoles this year.
But if your kids really want a Wii U, there really isn’t too much of alternative! Well, you could go with the Nintendo 3DS (there’s a deal on that below!) but you’ll want to find out what your child REALLY wants and get them a gift that matches their expectations!
Because the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 have been on the market for so long, there are some insane deals on those consoles this year. If your kids don’t already have at least one, and they want to play the hottest games, this might be the last year you’re going to see deals like this. By next Christmas, other new consoles may be hitting the market. We don’t know anything definitive yet, but Microsoft and Sony are working on their next-gen consoles as we speak. So keep that in mind too—you may not want to drop $200 or more on a console this year only to have your kids begging for a new one next year. But if you think your kids can wait and be happy with the current gen tech, check out these deals:
Xbox 360 4GB w/ Free Headset – $169 at Radio Shack
The entry level model of the Xbox 360 is going to be $30 off at Radio Shack this Black Friday. While you get a LOT more for your money at Best Buy this Friday, if you’re on a limited budget this is the best deal we’ve seen. Skip the $99 Xbox with 2-year contract and get this one instead. You’ll save money in the long run, and if your kid doesn’t want or need to play games online, you won’t have to get an Xbox Live subscription.
Xbox 360 Holiday Bundle 250GB (Skyrim, Forza 4, Headset) – $199 at Best Buy
This deal is insane. Two AAA games, Skyrim and Forza 4, plus the 250 GB Xbox (regular retail price $299) PLUS a headset, all for the standard price of the 4GB Xbox 360. If you don’t know those two games, Skyrim is probably the biggest and most anticipated RPG of the past few years. Set in a medieval fantasy genre, it provides literally hundreds of hours of dragon slaying for your kid to enjoy. Forza 4 is one of the top racing simulation franchises, and offers a deep and engaging gameplay.
Playstation 3 250GB Bundle w/ Uncharted 1&2, inFAMOUS – $199 at Best Buy
A somewhat comparable deal to the Xbox 360 one, the Playstation 3 bundle doesn’t include a headset but one of its games is actually 2-in-1: you get both Uncharted 1 and 2 in the same bundle, on top of inFAMOUS. All three games are Playstation exclusives, but the two Uncharted games are a little dated as the third installment came out LAST year. But these are some of the top-reviewed PS3-exclusive titles, and if someone doesn’t already own the Playstation 3, this is probably the perfect place to start.
Plus, unlike Xbox, you don’t have to subscribe to any service to play games online or watch movies or TV with Netflix and Hulu apps. While Sony does offer a premium service, called Playstation Plus it’s completely optional.
Nintendo 3DS w/ Super Mario 3D Land – $169.99 (Various Retailers incl. Best Buy, Walmart, Target, GameStop, Toys ‘R Us)
While Nintendo’s OTHER system, the 3DS isn’t going to see a price drop this Black Friday, you will be able to score a Limited-Edition Flame Red 3DS and get Super Mario 3D Land for free, pre-installed.
This is a great deal if you know your giftee is a Nintendo fan (and let’s be honest, if you’re considering the 3DS for someone, they’re probably a huge Mario, Zelda, or Pokemon junkie), because the new Super Mario 3D Land just came out and is still selling for it’s regular price of $39.99.
AAA Games – $34.99 at Best Buy
Many brand new AAA titles, none of which have seen much of a discount below their $59.99 starting prices yet this holiday season, are getting deep discounts at Best Buy on Friday. Some of the best deals I’ve seen are Assassins Creed 3 for Xbox, Madden NFL 2013 for Xbox, and Borderlands 2 for Playstation 3.
That’s a wrap for gaming. Have questions? Concerns? Drop us a line in the comments below and we’ll be sure to hit you back as quick as we can!
Giving Away a Sony Xperia S Tablet
This time of the year can be tough. Stressful, even. Cooking, cleaning, families, gifts, work. The list goes on, and those turkeys don’t cook themselves. I get it. I may not be able to help to much, but I am giving away a Sony Xperia S tablet. It’s the least I can do, right? Entering is easy, just use the widget below. We’ll pick a winner on Tuesday, once this whole Thanksgiving/Black Friday/Cyber Monday madness is over!
In case you don’t already know, the Xperia S is a 9.4″ touch screen tablet from Sony running Android, with access to all the Android apps in the Google Play store and 16GB of storage to use for apps, music and video. It also gives you access to the Sony Entertainment Store, and separate user profiles so the kids can safely use it too. Normally it retails for $499, so I’d say this is a pretty awesome prize! You can read all about the Sony Xperia Tablet on the Sony website here.
Black Friday Deal Guide: Laptops & Ultrabooks
Instead of all the deals, we’re only sharing our favorite laptop and ultrabook deals for Black Friday. If you’re considering a laptop we aren’t covering here, double-check the processor, and make sure it’s an Ivy Bridge, not Sandy Bridge. Older models with the Sandy Bridge processor may be less expensive – but the downgrade isn’t worth it! If you’re not sure, just ask.
Our goal here is make a recommendation based on your needs, not just specs, even though one machine may be a great fit for all kinds of uses. So we’ll give you our recommendations, with highlights, prices, and the store where you can find a deal. The goal is to match your needs with the machine you buy, so that it will be powerful enough for how you use it, but you’re not paying for features you don’t need.
If you’re not 100% sure which computer may be right for you, or if you’ve got questions about a deal you’ve seen that we haven’t listed here, let us know in the comments. And of course, we’ll be hosting our holiday help desk where you can ask questions, or you can hit us up on twitter @marioarmstrong!
Best Budget Laptop:
14″ HP Pavilion Sleekbook at Sam’s Club for $399
This is a budget model that still packs a good amount of processing power: 6 GB RAM, 500 GB hard drive with HD LED display, Intel® Core™ i5 processor and with Windows 8 OS. This would be a good choice for a student or family looking to add another computer to their living room or family room setup, since the i5 is powerful enough for gaming and more. Be careful: don’t get the i3 model: you can get more power for your money.
Best Gaming Laptop:
15″ Toshiba at Staples for $579.99
If you’re looking for a 15″ screen, this is a good bet for Black Friday. It features the best processor (the i7) that we’re featuring here, and can handle graphics and gaming no problem. But at 5.5 pounds, this is the least portable computer we’re featuring, and isn’t the lightest choice for constant carrying. But for a big, powerful laptop, this is a great deal.
Best Budget Ultrabook Deal:
13.3″ Acer Ultrabook at WalMart for $499
It is budget. It’s actually from last year, which is why there’s such a huge discount. But if you’re mostly into portability and primarily use your computer for email, surfing the web, streaming video and editing basic documents, it should be totally fine. If you’re in the market for an ultrabook, you’re not going to find one for cheaper. It’s only an i3 processor, but it does have 320GB HDD + 20gb SSD.
Best Touchscreen Deal: 15″ Acer Aspire V5 at Best Buy for $529
This touchscreen device features a 15″ screen and midrange specs, including an i3 processor. What really sets this model apart is the touchscreen, since quality touchscreen models are usually closer to the $800 – $900 range. It comes pre-loaded with Windows 8, and has a decent, if not spectacular, battery. This laptop would make a great home computer for kids, especially younger ones who can’t get enough of the touchscreen.
Money is No Object, Top of the Line: 13″ MacBook Pro with Retina Display for $1,699
This isn’t a deal, we admit. Apple doesn’t do Black Friday discounts like a lot of other manufacturers, but it still seems wrong to leave them off the list completely somehow. Of all Apple’s laptops right now, we’re the most excited about the Pro with Retina display. It’s thinner, it’s lighter, it’s incredibly powerful and it’s got a beautiful display and form factor. That also why it costs about twice as much as anything else we’re talking about here. But if money were no object (ha!), this would be the one to get.