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Get an iPad Air 128GB (Wi-Fi + 4G) for $449

That's $180 less than what Apple charges for a refurb; this one is new. Sellout risk: ginormous!

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
2 min read

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The top-end iPad Air for $449? Yes, please. Apple

Morning, cheeps! Did you know that you can follow The Cheapskate on Twitter? (On occasion I share deals there that don't appear here.) Or get the daily deal delivered to your inbox? (Scroll down to the CNET Deals section and subscribe to the newsletter!) And if you're still into RSS, we have that, too.

On to business. Today's deal is likely to sell out fast, so let's get straight to the action: Today only, and while supplies last, B&H Photo has the Apple iPad Air 128GB (Wi-Fi + 4G) for $449 shipped. It's new, not refurbished.

If you've ever priced iPads, you know that's an unusually good deal. Apple sells the same model, refurbished, for $629. And the equivalent iPad Air 2 runs a jaw-dropping $829. Heck, the 16GB Wi-Fi-only Air 2 starts at $499.

The above link takes you to the white/silver model, though you can also select black/space gray. Both are for T-Mobile, but B&H is running the same deal on the Sprint versions. (Just FYI, you don't have to sign up for 4G service; it's entirely optional.)

Even at $449, the iPad is not exactly cheap, especially for a last-gen model. Anyone who read last week's treatise on the $37.99 tablet may wonder how I can possibly even suggest buying one that costs more than 10 times more.

Simple: iPads are awesome. Overpriced, yes, but as tablets go, they're in a class by themselves. That's not fanboy talk, and it's definitely not Cheapskate talk; I'm just saying I've tried every tablet known to man, and not one comes close to the elegance and excellent user experience of the iPad.

This is a rare opportunity to score the top-end model for less than the price of the entry-level model. Man, oh, man, it's hard for me to pass this up. Your thoughts?

Bonus deal: Watching the NBA Finals last night, I was reminded how awesome it is to watch sports in HD. And the bigger the HD, the better. Today only, Best Buy has an Insignia 55-inch LED HDTV for $429.99 shipped (plus tax). Insignia is Best Buy's house brand, but don't let that deter you: This model earned a 4.7-star average rating from some 130 buyers. Very telling. It's not a smart TV, but it does offer three HDMI inputs and, um, a remote!

Bonus deal No. 2: Regular readers know of my love of projector-powered home theaters, but not every wall is suitably flat and white. Hence, this: For a limited time, Best Choice Products (via eBay) has a 100-inch motorized projection screen for $49.99 shipped. The aspect ratio is 4:3, so not ideal for movies, but still an awfully inexpensive way to turn nearly any wall into a big-screen TV. It even has a remote! Screen goes up, screen goes down. Screen goes up, screen goes down. Woo-hoo!