Why You Can Trust CNET Get a 16GB flash drive for $7.09 (after rebate)
Even if you skip the rebate, this superrugged drive is a fine deal at $17.09 shipped. While supplies last!
A 16GB flash drive for $18.99 is pretty good deal. At $17.09, it's even better, especially when you factor in free shipping. But $7.09? That's just about the deal of the century. OK, decade. Year, maybe. Oh, fine, month!
While supplies last (an important disclaimer for this deal), Newegg has the Corsair Flash Voyager 16GB flash drive for $18.99 shipped. Coupon code BLKNOVUSBD drops it to $17.09, and this $10 mail-in rebate (PDF) brings your final price to $7.09.
It seems like most of the flash-drive deals I post sell out very quickly, so I'm hoping anyone who wants this gets a shot at it. It was in stock when I posted, promise. (As always, if you wait on the Cheapskate newsletter to arrive in your inbox, it may be too late. I recommend visiting the site directly in the morning.)
The Flash Voyager is known for being ultrarugged thanks to its all-rubber housing. It's a USB 2.0 drive that's compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux, and it comes with a 10-year warranty.
I know not everyone is a fan of mail-in rebates, but I can honestly say I've never had a problem with one. Also, I rarely hear any "I didn't get my rebate!" complaints these days, suggesting that most companies have gotten better at honoring them (and/or customers have gotten better at redeeming them). Let me know your current thoughts on rebates.
In any case, when you factor that rebate in, this is the lowest price I've seen on a 16GB flash drive. And even when you don't, it's a solid deal.
Bonus deal: I like software bundles and love good causes. Bundlelytic's Web Productivity Bundle hits both counts. For $25 you get five killer tools/services (plus, weirdly, two romance e-books)--and 100 percent of the proceeds go to Flinders Medical Centre Foundation.
Bonus deal No. 2: When you buy the Xbox 360 4GB console for $199.99 shipped, you get a $50 Amazon credit. Alternately, when you buy the PlayStation 3 160GB console for $249.99 shipped, you get that same credit.