Computers/Hardware Deals, Sales, and News

It's not often that we see one of these, but an EBay seller has listed a Trekker GPS system with a starting bid of $500. That's less than half the retail price. This model runs on the Dell Axim PDA and includes several accessories. We are unsure as to the version of the Trekker software, however. Auction ends January 3.

Enhanced Vision offers the Max Color Digital Magnifier for $99 with the purchase of a Merlin LCD CCTV. That's $350 off the retail price for this unit. Resembling the size of a computer mouse, the Max reading aid connects directly to your TV or monitor in seconds and enlarges print on any surface curved or straight. No end date is given for the deal. note: If you can't find this deal on the website, contact them and ask for Justin Moore.

An EBay seller has listed a Romeo Braille Embosser, model RB40, with a current bid of $142.51. Shipping adds about $40. We love how the description focuses on the value of the case more than the embosser, but our readers know otherwise. It's a single-sided embosser that prints up to 40 characters per second. Auction ends December 23.

The I.D. Mate handheld bar code reader sells for $1,199 at the Magnifying Aids EBay store. With about $16 for shipping, it's nearly $100 off and the lowest price we could find. This unit will identify nearly a million items and is great for traveling to the grocery store or organizing your cupboards. Several accessories are also included.

A South Korean company has licensed technology from HP which, it says, will allow them to create a small device to read text aloud. Licensed by a company called Mouscan, Users will be able to waive the Voiscan unit, about the size of a cell phone, over text and hear it read aloud within a few seconds. It will also translate to other languages on the fly, making it a good candidate for international travelers as well as the blind. The closest competition we know of is the KNFB reader, which could make for some interesting competition if this machine works as promised. Expect it some time in 2008. Learn more at Tech Chronicles.

Up on EBay currently is a PowerbBraille 40 with a starting bid price of $14.99. Add about $11 for shipping. It's untested, but may be worth a look at this price. Freedom Scientific charges roughly $700 to repair similar units. Auction ends December 10.

It's not often that newer hardware ends up on EBay, but here we have a Braille Star 40-cell braille display with a bid of $200. It connects via USB and is advertised as working, though you will need to purchase a power supply. In addition to being a braille display, it can act as a scratch pad, storing up to 4,000 pages of text. Auction ends December 7.

TigerDirect.com has the OQO02 ultraportable PC for $1,199.99. Add about $10 for shipping. This is the machine used for the latest version of GW Micro's Smalltalk Ultra. This tiny machine includes a 1.5GHZ processor, 60GB hard drive, 1GB of memory, EVDO broadband support, and a one year warranty.

An EBay seller has listed a Juliet Classic Interpoint braille embosser with a starting bid of $499.95 plus shipping and handling. It's listed in good physical condition but is untested. The seller, however, is offering a 7 day return on the item if it happens to not work. This could end up being a great deal on an Interpoint embosser. Auction ends November 29.

OQO Computers offers $150 off the model 02 of the OQO notebook in its holiday promotion. This is the computer used by GW Micro for its Small Talk Ultra. OQO's start at $1,299, and there are four models to choose from. The latest features a 32 gigabyte solid state flash drive as its primary storage. No end date on the promotion is given.

Humanware has released version 1.1 of the software to run the Victor Reader Stream. It's a free update and available from their website. Among the changes are support for Audible.com audio formats and many new and improved navigation commands. For example, a go to percent option will let you jump to a particular portion of a file, by percentage. A complete What's New file is linked to this post.

An EBay seller has listed a VersaPoint Duo interpoint braille embosser with a starting bid of $9.99. Add about $45 for shipping. The unit has been tested but does not power on, according to the description. So it may be a good unit to buy for parts, though it could just be a bad circuit breaker. Auction ends November 14.

An EBay seller has listed a Pac Mate 20-cell braille display with a starting bid of $400. With about $20 for shipping, that's nearly $1,000 less than purchasing it new. This display includes many navigational buttons and operates via USB. Auction ends November 8.

I'm not sure what it is about these classic embossers, but they usually make it to our most popular deals list. So again, an EBay seller has listed a TeleSensory VersaPoint embosser with a starting bid of $49.95 plus about $25 for shipping. The printer is being sold as is, but the seller says the unit powers on and the feeds work.
Auction ends October 31. Spooky.

An EBay seller has listed a TeleSensory VersaPoint embosser with a starting bid of $24.99 plus about $35 for shipping. The printer is being sold as is, but the seller says the unit powers on and the feeds work.
Auction ends October 28.

An Ebay seller has listed an Optacon reading aid, model R1B, with a starting bid of $299.95. Or, BuyItNow for $499.95. Add about $25 for shipping. Three carrying cases, power supply, and a manual are also included. The seller believes this item is in working condition, and it does hold a charge. Auction ends October 21, if not sold sooner.

Geeks.com has the refurbished Creative Zen Micro 5GB MP3 player for $49.50. With about $8 for shipping, it's the cheapest 5GB MP3 player we've ever seen. It includes an FM radio, voice recorder, 8 equalizer presets and USB 2.0 connectivity. Of note, this unit does not have dedicated volume controls and touch-screen navigation, so we may have jumped the gun on this one.

CircuitCity.com has the HP Pavilion A6040N Desktop PC for $429.99. Add it to your cart to see this price. Plus, shipping is free, making it one of the better recent desktop bargains we've seen. It includes an Intel Core 2 Duo E6320 processor, 320GB hard drive, 2GB of memory, DVD burner with LightScribe, and Windows Vista Home Premium. Deal ends October 20.

NewEgg.com has 1GB of Crucial PC2-5300 DDR2 DIMM desktop memory for $12.99 after a $15 mail-in rebate.
With about $5 for shipping, it's the lowest price we've ever seen for 1GB of this type of memory. Of course, you'll need to check to see if it's compatible with your system. Rebate ends October 25.

Buy.com offers the Cavalry 1TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive for $199.95 after a $20 mail-in rebate. With free shipping, that's $30 off our last mention and the cheapest price we have ever seen for a 1-terrabyte drive. This unit has two 500GB drives which can act as separate hard drives, or as one large drive. New Google Checkout users can get $10 off. Rebate ends October 17.