Marketplace Blog

Step into the Wayback Machine and check out this refurbished Compaq EVO D51S desktop. It's decently equipped: 2GHz Pentium 4 processor, 512MB of RAM, 40GB hard drive, DVD-ROM drive, and Windows XP Home. It even has a floppy drive! Geeks.com price: $99.99.

You'll have to supply the monitor, mouse, and keyboard, and you'll have to live with a case that has a few dings and scratches. (Read the full product description: This is definitely a "used" PC.)

Even so, this could be an ideal machine for young kids, tween/teen students, or a … Read more

Remember MagicJack, the VoIP phone gizmo that plugs into a USB port and provides unlimited local and long-distance calling? Normally it runs $40 plus shipping (and/or sales tax), but 1 Sale a Day has it for $29.99 (plus $5.99 for ground shipping) -- but only through midnight today. Granted, the savings here aren't huge, but why not save a sawbuck if you can?

I should point out that many commenters have encountered problems with MagicJack's customer service (or lack thereof). The company lists no address or phone number on its site, and even its message board … Read more

Got storage? You can always use more, whether for backing up your hard drive, housing your multimedia library, migrating from old PC to new, or whatever. Here's your chance to score a big drive on the cheap: eCost has the Seagate-recertified 320GB FreeAgent on sale for $69.

This is an external USB drive, and a rather stylish-looking one at that: The espresso-brown finish is complimented by an amber light strip. The drive comes formatted for Windows but can be reformatted for use with Macs. There's no bundled backup software, however, and the warranty expires after 90 days.

My … Read more

Cheap things come to those who wait. Samsung's T10 media player sold for around $170 when it debuted just a couple months ago, but now you can snap one up from Amazon for just $96 shipped.

At first blush, this 4GB flash player might look like little more than an iPod nano knockoff--and in many respects it is. But unlike Apple's player, the T10 includes an FM tuner (and recorder, a feature I doubt anyone ever uses), support for the Rhapsody subscription service, and an RSS feed reader. It plays videos, too.

But the real nano-killing feature is … Read more

The more programs you have installed on your PC, the harder it becomes to find the one you want. That's why I've fallen in love with Launchy, a simple application launcher that saves you having to slog through your Start menu.

To use Launchy, you simply press Alt-Space on your keyboard, then type the first few letters of the program you want. For example, to launch Google Picasa, you'd type "pic" and then press Enter. (You may need another keystroke or two if other programs on your PC start with the same letters.)

Launchy also … Read more

I've made no secret of my love for turning PCs into HDTVs. All you need is a tuner that pulls down over-the-air HD signals. I've spotlighted a few bargains in the past, but usually you had to wait on a rebate. Not so the KWorld PlusTV ATSC 340U, which Buy.com has on sale for $34.99 shipped--no rebate required!

The PlusTV is strictly an ATSC/Clear QAM tuner, meaning you need to use its included antenna (or your own rabbit ears). However, if you're a cable subscriber and your cable company broadcasts Clear QAM signals (… Read more

A $699 camcorder may not seem like a bargain, but hear me out. The Canon HV20 captures stunning high-def video (so says CNET) and includes high-end features like HDMI output (so you can connect it directly to your HDTV), instant auto-focus, and a "hot" accessory shoe. Normally it sells for around $799, but Dell has it on sale for $699.99 shipped.

If you're still shooting in standard-def, do yourself a favor and upgrade to an HD camcorder like this one. The difference is just jaw-dropping. The HV20 stumbles a bit in low-light environments, but that's … Read more

If you liked the sound of yesterday's $399 Dell Vostro desktop but wanted something a little more portable, here's your answer: For just $30 more, you can snag the Dell Vostro 1000 notebook.

This well-stocked, 6.25-pound laptop features a dual-core AMD Athlon TK-57 processor, 1GB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, and a 15.4-inch screen. You also get a discrete graphics processor (ATI's Radeon Xpress 1150) with its own 256MB of RAM, so you could actually fire up a few games on this baby.

Dell provides a 1-year warranty and free shipping. You can order … Read more

Most $399 desktops (particularly those from Dell) saddle you with a crappy processor and insufficient RAM. Not so the Dell Vostro 200, which features a dual-core Pentium E2160 and 1GB of RAM. Granted, that wouldn't be enough memory to keep Windows Vista running smoothly, but this system comes with Windows XP Home (bonus!).

Despite the "Home" OS, this is actually a business-minded desktop. It includes a 160GB hard drive, a 19-inch widescreen LCD, and integrated Intel GMA 3100 graphics (no Call of Duty 4 for you). It doesn't come with a modem, speakers, or any preinstalled … Read more