Get a 17.3-inch quad-core desktop replacement for $399.99
A big laptop with a big screen can be great for semipermanent desk duty. This one is modeled in stylish purple.
I quit you, basic black. And garish gray. When it comes to consumer electronics of every stripe, I want a splash of color.
If you feel the same way, and you're in the market for a new desktop-minded PC, and you're not in a huge rush, today might just be your lucky deal-day: Ending at midnight, and while supplies last, 1Sale has the refurbished HP Pavilion g7-2378nr 17.3-inch laptop for $399.99 shipped.
Update: A couple eagle-eyed readers pointed out that Best Buy has a similar model, new, for the same price. However, it has a smaller hard drive and half the RAM, and it's not purple! Plus, you'll be on the hook for sales tax. But if you want a full one-year warranty and much faster delivery, it's certainly worth a look.>
1Sale? That's the outfit formally known as 1SaleADay, well-known to regular Cheapskate readers as the company that takes forever to ship and does a poor job responding to customer-service inquiries.
That said, it's also the company that offers some especially great deals, which is why I continue to (occasionally) spotlight it, and always with the caveat that your order might take a full 3-4 weeks to arrive. For what it's worth, I've ordered from them several times; delivery was always reasonably quick, and the products themselves were as advertised. Your mileage may vary.
If you're still interested after all that, the Pavilion looks like a pretty sweet desktop replacement. It's stocked with an AMD A8-4500M quad-core processor (roughly equivalent to an Intel Core i5), 8GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive, and "discrete-class" AMD Radeon HD 7640G graphics.
This last powers a 17.3-inch LED-backlit screen with a native resolution of 1,600x900 pixels -- a bit shy of full 1080p, but I'd say it's sufficient for a display of this size.
In true "desktop" form, the Pavilion also has a Super-Multi DVD burner, a Webcam, a memory-card reader, and an extended keyboard with dedicated numeric keypad. Likewise, it offers solid expansion in the form of three USB ports (two USB 3.0) and both HDMI and VGA outputs.
Lastly, it's purple! Maybe not the color of choice for all, but I think it's pretty stylish.
I haven't found any reviews of this particular model, so if you already own one (or one like it), hit the comments and let your fellow cheeps know the score.
Bonus deal: Speaking of color, one of my favorite old-school speaker docks, the Fluance FiSDK500, is now available in a limited-edition color version that can really liven up a room. It normally sells for $199.99, but coupon code FISDK5A drops it to $159.99 shipped. I have the black version and it sounds tremendous. But now I'm totally coveting this beautifully painted objet d'art. Supplies are very limited, according to a company rep. (Before you click through, turn your speakers down or off, as there's an annoying promo video that auto-plays once you hit the product page.)
Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.
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