Why You Can Trust CNET Get a 1TB portable USB 3.0 hard drive for $39.99
That's your post-rebate price, but you also get a $50 Internet security suite as part of the package.
How much do you hate rebates?
- They're as bad as root canals and tax returns.
- A lot, but if it's an especially good deal, I'll deal with it.
- Don't mind them at all. They're a great way to save!
If you answered with No. 1, thanks for stopping by, I'll see you tomorrow. Everyone else, listen up.
For a limited time, and while supplies last, TigerDirect has one of the best hard-drive deals I've ever seen: The Western Digital Elements 1TB USB 3.0 portable hard drive for $39.99, plus around $4 for shipping. And you also get Total Defense Premium Internet Security 5-user, which normally sells for $50.
As you've no doubt guessed, there's a rebate involved (PDF): a $60 payback in the form of a prepaid debit card. That means the bundle will cost you $99.99 up front. (This is the point where I'll kindly remind rebate haters this isn't the deal for you.)
Update: OK, whoa, lots of confusion here. So the rebate in question is on the software, not the drive. And according to the terms on the rebate form, this hard drive wouldn't appear to be a qualifying product. I chatted online with a TigerDirect rep who was unable to clarify this. What's more, although I believe that the software includes a one-year subscription, some users have reported that it costs $80 to activate it. I've found no evidence of this, but the bigger issue is whether the drive qualifies for the rebate. Until I can find out for sure, I recommend steering clear of this deal.
Update No. 2: Sorry, everyone. Not only was this a crazy-confusing deal from the get-go, it's now out of stock. Sorry I didn't look more closely at the rebate, but at first glance it looked like any other.
The Elements drive gives you a full terabyte of storage in a portable, USB 3.0-powered package. (It's literally USB-powered: there's no AC adapter required, unlike with larger desktop drives.) Assuming you've got a USB 3.0 port to receive it, you'll enjoy fairly blazing performance relative to any USB 2.0 drive.
You have to scroll down a bit to see them, but the 100-plus user reviews for this drive average out to 4.6 stars out of 5 -- a rousing endorsement by any measure.
As for Total Defense Premium, well, it's kind of an unknown. I found no professional reviews of the product, though a handful of Amazon customers had mostly good things to say. And it's fairly popular among TigerDirect customers as well.
Even without that extra, this would be a killer deal on a fast, high-capacity, travel bag-friendly hard drive. Consequently, I expect it will sell out rather quickly. (If it does, keep checking back; TigerDirect sometimes releases more inventory throughout the day.)
Bonus deal: Free music! Google Play is giving away 17 songs from artists including Busta Rhymes, Dave Matthews Band, Matt Nathanson, and The Rolling Stones. A lot of them are live tracks (not my favorite), but you can't argue with the price.
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