Deals on Electronics and Shiny Gadgets

March 17, 2009 · Filed Under , · 3 Comments 

Due to the struggling economy and horrible retail sales, I knew that good bargains abound on electronics, gadgets, and other shiny things that I just can’t resist. I just really didn’t know what specifically was such a great bargain. So when I found an article from Business Week that broke down the best current deals on electronics, plus all the products came with high praise from Consumer Reports, I thought I would share it on my blog. I added a little of my own commentary to spruce things up a bit…

1. Philips DVD Player – DVP5992/37
Price: $50

Dang, a good DVD player for only $50, that’s pretty cheap. The player offers “very good overall performance and a good choice for use with an HDTV; but there are better choices for use with a standard-definition TV,” according to Consumer Reports, which praises the device’s ease of use. I think I am waiting until Blu-Ray players get under $100 before I ever buy a new media player…

2. Canon PowerShot Digital Camera – A590 IS
Price: $109 – $180 (PriceGrabber.com)

I actually just bought this camera and love it so far. With kids, you have to have a small camera in your pocket whenever you go anywhere and this one fit the bill. This point-and-shoot camera “is one of the most versatile compacts you can get for the money,” according to Consumer Reports. “It offers many shooting options, such as manual and exposure controls, plus practical features, such as an optical viewfinder, which can be helpful in composing in bright light situations. Produces images with very good sharpness, although we did notice visible noise.”

3. SanDisk Music Player – Sansa Fuze (8GB)
Price: $120

Looking for a digital music player that’s not an iPod? This one from SanDisk (SNDK) is “a smart, no-nonsense player that can grow with your library,” Consumer Reports says. “Rotating the Fuze’s control wheel provides a quick and amusing way to access the player’s menu icons…Good quality sound and recording from FM radio. Good quality recording from built-in microphone. Easier to handle than other players while walking or jogging.” Seems kind of pricey to me for only 8GB.

4. Canon Printer – Pixma MP520
Price: $150

My wife and I need a need printer for our home office and I have added this Canon unit to my want list. Anybody reading this own it and would recommend it? This all-in-one printer is “a very good all-around choice, with reasonable printing costs,” according to Consumer Reports, which notes the device offers high photo and text quality.

5. HP Digital Photo Frame – df800
Price: $150

A great gift for grandparents! Although I bought one for my Mom a few years ago and I think it is still in the box. So I should re-phrase, great gift for grandparents who are somewhat tech-savvy. Total oxymoron there. This digital photo frame from Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) “performed well in our tests and is recommended in its category,” Consumer Reports says.

6. TomTom GPS – One 130
Price: $150

This entry-level navigation device “might be appealing to shoppers looking for a good device at a great price,” according to Consumer Reports. I am an entry level map reader so this may be perfect for me!

7. Canon Camcorder – Vixia HV30
Price: $587 – $890.19 (PriceGrabber.com)


 

This camcorder “is a fine choice,” according to Consumer Reports. “It has excellent video picture quality and an excellent image-stabilizer.” Seems to be a decent price for a Canon.

8. Samsung LCD TV – LN40A550
Price: $899.99 – $1,399.99 (PriceGrabber.com)

I swear these are getting cheaper by the day. I remember not too long ago this TV would have cost over $2000. This 40-in. LCD TV scores high marks for “excellent picture quality across the board and a very easy to use menu system. Images have excellent detail, great color, and some of the deeper black levels we’ve seen on LCDs, though the viewing angle is only average,” according to Consumer Reports.

9. Apple White MacBook
Price: $1,000

Apple’s (AAPL) “entry-level laptop is very good, with exceptional battery life,” according to Consumer Reports. “Display was bright. Battery life was exceptionally long. Thin and lightweight. Speakers were good.” I suppose if you are an Apple die-hard this is a decent deal, but I know for a fact that you can get a good Dell laptop for half the price.

10. Canon EOS Camera – 40D Digital
Price: $1,029.95 – $1,339.99 (PriceGrabber.com)

Obviously, this is for the hardcore photographer, which I am not! This camera “has one of the fastest burst modes, being able to fire off 6.5 frames per second for as many as 75 JPEGs or up to 17 RAW files,” according to Consumer Reports. “It has excellent image quality, a large live-view LCD, and excellent battery life.”

Do you have any of these products? If so, have you been happy with your purchase? Please feel free to leave your review so we can all benefit. Thanks!

Please Pass This Post Along and Comment Below!
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Furl
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • YahooMyWeb

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Comments

3 Responses to “Deals on Electronics and Shiny Gadgets”

  1. Danielle on March 17th, 2009 3:27 pm

    DON’T get the Canon Printer – Pixma MP520! It prints well, but it “runs out of ink” very quickly. You cannot use the scanner or copying functions if it “out of ink,” which is very frustrating if you do not have extra ink on hand and you want to scan or copy something. It will not even start fading on the printouts when it says it is “out of ink.” I suggest you buy a different printer! (I have had this printer for a little over a year.)

  2. Kyle on March 17th, 2009 3:34 pm

    Thanks Danielle for commenting…that is a great tip, especially since ink cartridges are so darn expensive. I will proceed with caution and take your advice on getting another printer.

  3. stylejem on March 22nd, 2009 4:12 pm

    Hey coupon fans!
    I love this site so I wanted to share with you my new favorite “freebie” program I found in Glamour Magazine. They are giving out FREE shopping dollars if you spend $50! It’s great!!

    At Macy’s, if you spend $50 on DKNY fragrance, you get a $25 gift card to Macy’s (from 3/21 – 3/30)

    At Kmart, for every $50 you spend, you get a $25 gift card! (from 3/10 – 4/30)

    All you have to do is mail your receipt to:
    Glamour Platinum Rewards Attn: Promotion Dept.
    4 Times Square, 16th Floor
    NY, NY 10036

    Take advantage it’s so worth it and tops any free gift!!

Leave a Reply




Bad Behavior has blocked 932 access attempts in the last 7 days.