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Get a 4TB portable USB 3.0 hard drive for $99.99

I'm not sure what one even does with four terabytes nowadays, but that's an insanely good deal. Plus: A 10-inch Windows tablet for $169!

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
3 min read

CNET's Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. And find more great buys on the CNET Deals page.


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This slim, pocketable drive can hold FOUR TERABYTES of data. For $100. Does not compute!

WD

Fair warning: This is going to be one of these deals that starts, "Back in my day..."

Back in my day, when I worked for a mail-order computer company (remember those?), it was a pretty big deal when we were able to sell a 25oMB hard drive for $250. That's megabytes, people. And it wasn't all that long ago.

Today, for a limited time and while supplies last, Best Buy has the WD Easystore 4TB portable USB 3.0 hard drive for $99.99 shipped (plus tax). That's terabytes, people.

Are. You. Freaking. Kidding. Me?

I don't know what's more amazing, the price of the drive or the physical size. I mean, 4TB for $99.99? And it can fit in your pocket? Also not that long ago, anything above a terabyte could fit only in a big, desktop-size case. This thing weighs eight ounces, measures 3.2x0.8 inches and runs on USB power.

So, for example, if you snap up today's bonus deal, a 10-inch Windows tablet with just 32GB of onboard storage, here's an extra four terabytes -- just plug and play.

Actually, though, consider where you plug: That Lenovo system has only USB 2.0 ports, and this is a USB 3.0 drive. Transferring a lot of data at 2.0 speeds will not be a pleasant experience.

My other musing: Does anyone actually need 4TB these days? Well, yes, if you're creating or archiving a lot of video. For example, if you use a certain DVR service to save movies and TV shows for offline viewing, a drive like this would hold a lot of movies and TV shows. And all those videos you're shooting with your phone, but don't actually have room for on your phone? Offload them to this.

That said, it's undoubtedly overkill for many folks, and you can get the 2TB model for $20 less. But I just had to share it, because it's amazing. Oh, and it has a two-year warranty.

Your thoughts?

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Presto: It's a tablet! Presto: It's a laptop!

Lenovo

Bonus deal: What good is a 10-inch Windows tablet? No, really, I'm asking: Does it even make sense at that size? There's not much you can do in Windows without a keyboard, and any accompanying keyboard will necessarily be pretty cramped.

Still feel like you could make good use of a system that size? Then here's a deal to consider: Adorama has the Lenovo Miix 310 two-in-one for $169 shipped. It's new, not refurbished, and comes with a keyboard.

A detachable keyboard. That means you can easily switch between 10.1-inch laptop and 10.1-inch tablet. Both are powered by an Atom processor and 2GB of RAM, so don't expect blazing speed. CNET hasn't reviewed this model, but here's a review that provides some good insight. Just keep in mind the original price tag: $299.99.

Bonus deal 2: You know I love a good drone deal, especially when it's a model that used to sell for, oh, nine times the price! For a limited time, and while supplies last, Best Buy has the refurbished 3DR Solo quadcopter for $184.99 shipped (plus tax). That doesn't include the all-important gimbal for attaching your GoPro (or compatible) camera, but you can add that for a very reasonable $47.99.

The 'copter itself is a champ, offering many advanced features and an impressive 20-25 minutes of flight time. (Spare batteries will run you at least $50 apiece, though.) As for this being a Best Buy-certified refurb, that's the caution flag: You get a full one-year warranty, same as a new Solo, but a few reviewers reported these arriving in decidedly "used" -- as opposed to "like new" -- condition. YMMV, but the Solo sells new (sans gimbal) for $300. That's still a solid deal, but $185? Might be worth accepting a scratch or ding.