Computers/Hardware Deals, Sales, and News

CircuitCity.com has the Compaq Presario C508US 15.4" Widescreen Notebook PC for $319.95 shipped for free. This price is after a $30 mail-in rebate. The computer features an Intel Celeron Mobile Processor, 512MB of memory, 100GB hard drive, 802.11G wireless, and a CD/DVD combo drive. Rebate ends September 29. Update: This item is no longer available.

Buy.com has the Creative Zen Stone Plus 2GB MP3 player for $44.99 after a $20 mail-in rebate. Plus, shipping is free. That's over $20 less than the list price and the lowest we could find for this item. It runs for nearly 10 hours without a charge and has USB 2.0 connectivity. Rebate ends September 22.

If you haven't heard, 802.11N is the latest in wireless networking. It's faster than 802.11G and backwards compatible. Buy.com has a D-Link 802.11N wireless network kit which includes a router and laptop PCMCIA card for $59.99 after a $20 mail-in rebate. Plus, shipping is free. Deal ends September 16.

An Ebay seller has listed a Braille Blazer embosser for an opening bid of $19.99. Or buy it now for $399.99. Plus, shipping is free. As usual, the item is shown as is, but the seller does offer a 7 day return policy. Auction ends September 12.

Buy.com has the Epson Perfection V100 Photo Flatbed Scanner for $44.99. This price is after a $40 mail-in rebate, plus, shipping is free. In addition to traditional scanning, this unit processes film slides and 3D objects up to 25mm thick. Deal ends June 18.

Buy.com has the Acer Aspire 3050-1733 Laptop Notebook with an AMD Sempron 3400+ 1.8GHz - 14.1" processor, 512MB memory,
80GB hard drive, CD-RW/DVD-ROM, Wi-Fi, Fast Ethernet, and Windows Vista
$475.99. With free shipping, that's a $24 drop from our last mention and one of the best budget laptop deals we've seen recently. Deal ends June 18.

Currently listed is another TeleSensory VersaPoint embosser with a starting bid of $24.95 plus $30 for shipping. The printer is being sold as is, but the seller has no way of testing the unit. So it could be a small problem or something more major. On the other hand, the unit may work just fine. According to the auction, the unit beeps continuously when turned on. From our experience with these printers, that is the signal for being out of paper. Read the description, and bid for yourself if you think it may be worthwhile. Auction ends June 15.

An Ebay seller has listed a brand new Humanware Pocketviewer portable magnifier with the odd starting price of $22.72. It magnifies items up to 7X and includes a rechargeable battery. The unit weighs less than a pound. These sell new for roughly $800. Auction ends June 7.

Sometimes, Ebay is a bit like a lottery. Currently listed is a TeleSensory VersaPoint embosser with a starting bid of $24.95 plus $30 for shipping. The printer is being sold as is, but the seller has no way of testing the unit. So it could be a small problem or something more major. On the other hand, the unit may work just fine. According to the auction, the unit beeps continuously when turned on. From our experience with these printers, that is the signal for being out of paper. Read the description, and bid for yourself if you think it may be worthwhile. Auction ends June 5.

Buy.com has the IBM Thinkpad T30 Laptop with Windows XP Home for $399.99 with free shipping. It's one of the best value-price notebooks we've seen. It features a Pentium 4-M 1.8GHz, 512MB memory, 40GB hard drive, 14.1 inch display, DVD-ROM, and LI-ION BATTERY. Deal ends May 27. Update: This item has sold out.

Camp Tuhsmeheta, a west Michigan camp primarily for blind youth, and Leader Dogs for the Blind have launched an essay contest to award eight Trekker GPS units. Essays must be at least 1,000 words and may be written by youth aged 14-18 regardless of location. Check the link on this post for more details. Deadline is May 25.

Buy.com has the new Creative Zen Stone 1GB MP3 player for $39.99. Plus, shipping is free. This stylish media player weighs less than a pound and plays MP3, WMA, WAV, and Audible.com files. Also, it allows direct transfer of files using cut and paste and no software required, which is great compared to many models that require clunky proprietary software.

Buy.com still has the Samsung Nexus 25 XM Satellite Radio and MP3 Player for free after a $50 mail-in rebate. Plus, shipping is free. This radio comes with a home cradle, holds up to 512MB of MP3 and WMA files, and records up to 25 hours of XM Radio content. XM Radio activation is required to receive the rebate. Rebate ends June 30.

An Ebay seller has listed a hardly used Humanware Pocketviewer portable magnifier with a starting bid of $80, or buy it now for $130. It magnifies items up to 7X and includes a rechargeable battery. The unit weighs less than a pound. These normally sell for roughly $800. Auction ends late on May 18 if not bought sooner. Update: This item has been sold.

An Ebay seller has listed a Jordy All-in-one Headmount Magnifier with a current bid of $251 plus around $23 for shipping. This unit is a stand-alone magnification system ideal for reading signs, arrival/departure information, menus, and according to the seller, seeing deer. A working battery is also included. Auction ends May 15.

Here's an odd one. An Ebay seller has listed a Tieman MiniBraille Terminal with an opening bid of $7.50. We're not totally sure, but this appears to be a 20-cell unit that connects via a serial port and formerly made or distributed by HumanWare. We're not sure of screen reader support, but at least a Linux braille output program supports it. The item, of course, is being sold as is but may be worth a gamble for that price. Auction ends May 20.

Onsale.com has the Olympus DS-40 Digital Voice Recorder for $142.99. With about $6 for shipping, that's over $50 off retail and the lowest price we've seen by about $3. This is the 512MB version of their new line of accessible voice recorders.

The retail price of the Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind KNFB Reader has plummited to $2,595. That's $900 off the former list price. The handheld unit reads printed documents, bills, and currency using a digital camera and customized PDA. The link goes to the list of dealers for the unit. While some have updated the price on their website, others still list the old price, so call ahead to verify the new price before ordering.

Dell Small Business has the Dell Inspiron 640M notebook for $699. It features an Intel Dual Core 1.73GHZ processor, 2GB memory, 120GB hard drive, DVD/CDRW burner, 802.11G wireless, and your choice of Windows Vista or XP Home. If you're new to Dell, here's how the page works. You are shown a choice of three different configurations for this machine. The one we're highlighting is the middle one. So look for the second link that says customize with Windows Vista or Customize with Windows XP, depending on what you're looking for. The following screens are pretty simple to navigate. Write us if you have any problems. Deal ends May 16.

Buy.com has the Samsung Nexus 25 XM Satellite Radio and MP3 Player for free after a $50 mail-in rebate. Plus, shipping is free. This radio comes with a home cradle, plays MP3 and WMA files, and records up to 25 hours of XM Radio content. Rebate ends June 30.