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Get a 1TB Seagate external hard drive for $50

No rebates! No rebates! No rebates! No rebates! (But sales tax, probably.) No rebates! No rebates! No rebates!

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
The Seagate Expansion offers 1TB of speedy external storage for a price that's impossible to beat.
The Seagate Expansion offers 1TB of speedy external storage for a price that's impossible to beat. Best Buy

In recent months I've posted the occasional 1TB external hard drive for 50 bucks, but always with the caveat of having to wait for a rebate check--sometimes two of them.

That's what makes today's deal a little more exciting: Best Buy has the Seagate Expansion 1TB external hard drive for $49.99 shipped (plus sales tax in most states). Total number of rebates required: zero.

Update (12/3): This deal has long since expired. Please stop e-mailing me! :)

The aptly named Expansion is a pretty no-frills drive, offering a USB 2.0 interface and a better-than-average 7,200-rpm rotation speed. Also better than average: the two-year warranty.

As you can see in the photo, the drive is your basic black slab. It's designed to sit flat, not upright, which probably won't be an issue for most users.

The USB 2.0-powered Expansion is compatible with Windows and Mac systems. Seagate bundles no software to speak of; if you're planning to use the drive for backups, check out my post on three excellent backup tools that don't cost a dime.

This is truly an amazing deal on a mountain of storage space. (By the way, the deal ends Monday, but it could easily sell out before then.) Of course, next year at this time, we'll probably be seeing 2TB drives for the same price. Anyone care to take that bet?