Marketplace Blog- Page 5

Name your own price for a $399 Mac software bundle

Most of the Mac bundles I see hit you up for around $40 to $50 -- a pretty good deal if you're getting hundreds of dollars' worth of software, but a little steep if you're interested in only a few of the included items.

That's why I'm jazzed about this one. For the next seven days, StackSocial has the Name Your Own Price Mac Bundle 2.0, which gives you software valued at $399 and lets you set the price.

Well, kind of. The bundle consists of 10 programs. You can pay as little as $1 … Read more

Get a decked-out Dell desktop for $599.99

Laptops, ultrabooks, and tablets are all well and good if you're a mobile person -- or you have a small desk -- but if you want serious horsepower for things like games, video editing, 3D modeling, and big ol' CAD drawings, your best bet is usually a desktop.

A desktop also gives you a lot more expansion options, whether it's adding a second hard drive or swapping in the latest and greatest video card. Something to consider.

For a limited time, and while supplies last, DealFisher has the Dell XPS 8500 desktop for $599.99, shipped. It is … Read more

Swag Bucks: Yeah, it's still a thing

It was just over three years ago that I first encountered (and wrote about) Swag Bucks, a service that rewards you for completing various online activities.

I used it pretty hot and heavy for about a year, eventually accumulating some downright decent prizes, but then it dropped off my radar. Way, way off -- I kind of forgot it existed.

Come to find out, though, that Swag Bucks is alive and well -- and still a rather interesting way to score freebies just for doing stuff you might already be doing anyway.

For example, you can earn points ("swag … Read more

Get an Acer Aspire 13.3-inch ultrabook for $529.99

Regular readers know that I just popped for a Lenovo IdeaPad U310 ultrabook, and I'll admit to having some buyer's remorse. The design is gorgeous, and it's a decent performer, but the touch screen adds no value (for me, anyway), and battery life is abysmal (around 3 hours).

Consequently, I may end up returning it, so I continue to look for other thin, light, and affordable systems. Like this one: Acer, by way of eBay, has the refurbished Aspire S3-951-6646 13.3-inch ultrabook for $529.99 shipped. It originally sold for $899.99.

The Aspire is an … Read more

Free cloud storage for life

Get all your files, photos, music and movies in one secure spot with no storage limits or file size restrictions. Have the power to share anything with anyone instantly. Play music and movies on any device, anywhere; free your mobile device from storage limits and stream from the cloud.

Get a $70 Walmart gift card when you buy a Nook HD+

I realize it's not Tuesday, but this tablet deal won't wait.

For a limited time, and while supplies last, Walmart is offering a $70 e-gift card when you buy a Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ tablet. The 16GB and 32GB models sell for $269 and $299, respectively.

If you frequently shop at Walmart for things like groceries (meaning you'd spend $70 there anyway), then this effectively works out to $199 or $229.

Contrast that with an earlier Nook HD+ deal, which awarded you a free Nook Simple Touch. That one came from B&N proper, and … Read more

The five best tax-day freebies

As a self-employed person who pays quarterly tax estimates and has lots of employers, April 15 is an especially rotten day of the year -- and not just because I once again waited until the last minute to file my annual return. It's because the whole tax system is insanely complicated, confusing, frustrating, and, duh, expensive. (Hey, government: I don't mind you skimming some off the top, but I do have some quibbles with how you're spending it. Call me, we'll talk.)

Thankfully, some companies are trying to make Tax Day a little less painful by … Read more

Get a Dr. Seuss e-book collection for $7.99

Every parent knows (or should know) the importance of reading to their kids. And when it comes to stories adults and toddlers alike can enjoy, it's hard to beat Dr. Seuss.

Of course, browse the aisles (real or virtual) of any bookstore and you'll see that your average Dr. Seuss hardcover can run $10-15. Ouch!

That's why I continue to be a big fan of Oceanhouse Media's Dr. Seuss e-book apps, which not only provide the complete Seuss experience (and then some), but also save you considerable coin.… Read more

Get a 3-in-1 sync/charge cable for $6.99

Someday, all syncing and charging will be done wirelessly. (The syncing is pretty much there, actually.) Until then, we remain slaves to cables.

This is especially hassle-tastic if you have different kinds of mobile devices -- say, an iPhone, a Kindle, and a Bluetooth headset -- with different kinds of connectors. That means you have to deal with three separate sync/charge cables.

Or not, if you grab today's deal. For a limited time, and while supplies last, Groupon has the Nextware Trio 3-in-1 Sync and Charge Cable for $6.99, plus $2.99 for shipping. (Order three and … Read more

Does it still make sense to buy music?

About a year ago I asked readers if it still made sense to buy CDs, what with DRM all but dead and MP3 albums typically selling for less than their disc-based counterparts.

The response was incredible, with some pretty passionate defense of the seemingly antiquated CD. For some users, it's all about sound quality. For others, it's about the security of owning physical media.

Lately I've been wondering if it makes sense to own music at all. Make no mistake: I grew up accumulating LP and 45 records (a crate of which I recently donated to charity), … Read more