With the official start of winter, we look at the few remaining days until Christmas. We start the week with three hardware deals, including a free one-day shipping offer that could rival the Macs being sold. First up is a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook for $870 from PC Connection. Next, are two more deals from the Apple Store, each offering free next-day delivery. If you still want a Mac under the tree, but have been waiting for lower prices, this may be your day. Apple has a number of Macs, starting with Core 2 Duo iMacs for $849. There are also offers on MacBooks, MacBook Airs, Mac Pro desktops and Mac Pro Xeon servers. An 8GB iPod nano for $99 from the Apple Store rounds out our top trio of deals.
As always, for details on these deals and more more, check out the CoM “Daily Deals” page after the jump.
PC Connection offers the Apple MacBook Intel Core 2 Duo 2.26GHz 13.3″ Widescreen Notebook, model no. MC207LL/A, for $974.99. This $105 mail-in rebate cuts it to $869.99. (With free shipping, that’s the lowest total delivered price we could find by $85, although Micro Center still has it via in-store pickup for $800 after a larger rebate.) This unibody MacBook features an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.26GHz dual-core processor, 13.3″ LED-backlit glossy display, 2GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, 8x SuperDrive, multi-touch glass trackpad, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M GT graphics, AirPort Extreme (802.11n), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, iSight webcam, and more. Rebate ends December 23.
The Apple Store has the following factory-refurbished Apple Mac computer systems, each at the lowest price we could find. Each carries free shipping via next day delivery and a 1-year Apple warranty, the same as new Macs. The refurbs:
Apple iMac Intel Core 2 Duo Desktops from $849
Apple MacBook Intel Core 2 Duo 13.3″ Laptops from $899
Apple MacBook Air Intel Core 2 Duo 13.3″ Laptops from $1,099
Apple MacBook Pro Intel Core 2 Duo Laptops from $1,299
Apple Mac Pro Intel Xeon Desktops from $2,149
Apple Xserve Intel Xeon Servers from $2,399
The Apple Store offers the factory-refurbished, previous-generation Apple iPod nano 8GB MP3 Player in seven color choices for $99. (With free shipping via next-day delivery, that’s $11 below the lowest total price we’ve seen for a new unit. Sales tax is added where applicable. All refurbished iPods carry a 1-year Apple warranty, the same as new iPods. Items are removed from Apple’s site when sold out.
Also of note, the factory-refurbished Apple iPod nano 16GB MP3 Player, available in eight colors, costs $129 with free shipping, another price low.
Order by 1 pm ET on December 23 to guarantee delivery by Christmas.
Dell Home offers the Sony Alpha A330 10.2-Megapixel Digital SLR Camera together with a Sony 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens and a Sony 55-200mm f/4-5.6 Zoom Lens, model no. DSLRA330Y, for $549. [With free shipping, that’s the lowest total in-stock price we could find by $50.] (It’s sold by several other retailers for just a buck more; however, they’re all out of stock.) Sales tax is added where applicable. This dSLR camera features a 2.7″ LCD, anti-dust function, HDMI port, USB connectivity, Memory Stick Pro Duo/SD/SDHC card slots, USB 2.0 interface, and more.
It’s not guaranteed for delivery by Christmas.
Below are downloads of several free applications available for a limited time from Apple’s App Store, with price drops from $1 to $9. The apps:
Groove Golf Swing (pictured): Golf swing analysis
Success: Business book brief
Doodle Golf: Putt putt game
Theme Clock Alarm: Alarm clock
TapIt Water: Water bottle refilling network
TimeMoney: Time and money variable calculations
Santa Trapper Online: Top-down puzzle game
Staples offers its Seagate FreeAgent Go 500GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive in Black (pictured), model no. ST905003FAA2E1RK, or Silver, model no. ST905003FGA2E1RK, for $99.99 with free shipping ($0.20/GB). Even better, get a free Seagate FreeAgent Go Dock, model no. 100521233, via coupon code “53148”. (That’s the lowest total price we could find for the pair by $14.) This drive runs at 5400 rpm. The dock ships with a protective travel case. Deal ends December 26.
Of note, Staples offers the Seagate FreeAgent Go 750GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive, model no. ST907504FAA2E1, for $149.99 with free shipping. Coupon code “53148” scores a free Seagate FreeAgent Go Dock. (That’s the lowest total price we could find by $15.)
Best Buy offers the Logitech Z320 2-Channel Speaker System, model no. 980-000329, for $39.99. Shipping adds $7.49, or opt for in-store pickup. (Even with shipping, it’s the lowest total price we could find by $5.) Sales tax is added where applicable. Features include 20 watts peak power, 70Hz to 20kHz frequency response, and more.
Sony Style offers the Sony BRAVIA S-Series 32″ 1080p Widescreen LCD HD Television, model no. KDL-32S5100, bundled with the Sony HT-CT100 3.1-Channel Soundbar System for $529.98. (Click the “Add Bundle To Cart” button.) [With free shipping, that’s tied with last week’s mention and the lowest total price we could find for this bundle, this time by $21.] Sales tax is added where applicable. The HDTV features a native resolution of 1920×1080 (1080p), 3,000:1 contrast ratio, three HDMI inputs, and VGA, component, and other video inputs. The audio system has a soundbar that houses the front- and center-channel speakers, subwoofer, auto-calibration, BRAVIA sync, and HDMI input.
Ending today, MacUpdate Promo offers its MacUpdate Holiday Bundle for $49.99. (It includes 14 applications for Mac, with a savings of $257 compared to paying the list price for each program.) The 11 included programs are:
Path Finder: Finder alternative
Speed Download: Download manager / accelerator
HealthNut: Calorie / Nutrient tracker
Socialite: Social network manager
Yep: Document manager
PCalc: Scientific calculator
Radio Gaga: Internet radio multi-recorder
GarageSale: eBay auction creator
DragThing: Launcher app
Machinarium: Puzzle / Adventure game
iRip: Copy songs from your iPod to Mac
Plus, the first 10,000 customers will receive PowerTunes, Holiday DVD Templates, and FlagIt! for free.
MacUpdate Promo offers downloads of Dare to be Creative’s MainMenu 2 for Mac and TastyApps’ Videobox 2 for Mac for free. (That’s $35 off and the lowest price we could find for this digital information manager.) Click here for more information about MainMenu; click here for more information about Videobox.
