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Or a non-touchscreen model for $179.99. Plus: Three bonus deals, including a seriously sweet Xbox freebie!
Acer
I know I shared a Chromebook deal just last week, but, hey, sometimes these things happen in waves. And this is a decidedly different model, one that may appeal to different users.
For a limited time, and while supplies last, Secondipity has the refurbished Acer C720P-2661 11.6-inch touchscreen Chromebook (in Moonstone White) for $219.99 shipped. Price new: $299.99. Price elsewhere: around $279.
Let me pause right here to note that if you're not interested in putting your mitts on the screen, Secondipity also has a used Acer C720-2420 11.6-inch non-touchscreen Chromebook for $179.99 shipped. But it's not classified as "manufacturer refurbished," and there's no warranty information listed, so there's a bit of buyer-beware on that one. Let's focus on the C720P.
And I'll start the discussion with this: CNET called it "the king of budget Chromebooks" after reviewing it early this year. Yep, this is a current-gen model, not some two-year-old clearance item.
Thus you get not only a touchscreen, but also 32GB of solid-state storage (double the average starter Chromebook), various expansion options (SD, USB, HDMI), a newer Celeron processor, and a battery that's good for nearly six hours of heavy use.
Of course, a touchscreen probably seems superfluous on a device like this, and I won't argue that point. But at this price? I'll take it!
And don't forget all the happy users: Over at Amazon, where the C720P runs $279 new, it earned a 4.5-star average (out of 5) from nearly 400 buyers.
Why choose this over, say, the 14-inch HP from last week? Simple: It's smaller and lighter, but with better battery life. It also gives you twice the local storage (MP3 library, anyone?) and, for those who like getting touchy-feely, a touchscreen. That's an awfully good deal for $219.99 out the door. Thoughts?
Bonus deal: Game time! If you're an Xbox Live Gold subscriber, Microsoft is offering Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (Xbox 360) absolutely free. Regular price: $19.99. This is a download, natch, so you'll need space enough on your Xbox drive to store it. The game earned a 9 ("Superb") from GameSpot and has an average rating of 4.5 stars from over 200,000 (!) Xbox users. Nice freebie, Microsoft!
Bonus deal No. 2: So it has come to this: Newegg has the refurbished Roku Streaming Stick for $34.99 shipped -- the same price as a new Google Chromecast. Which is the better HDMI dongle to bring Netflix, Hulu, and the like to your TV? I'm going to give the nod to Roku, mostly because I prefer a real remote (especially one with shortcut buttons for Amazon and Netflix). Chromecast requires you to BYO phone or tablet for clicker duty. Also, the Streaming Stick sells new for $50, so this is a deal indeed. Warranty: 90 days, same as a new Roku.
X-Mirage
Bonus deal No. 3: Speaking of streaming gear, you know you can mirror your iPhone or iPad to your TV courtesy of Apple TV, but what if you want to replicate your iDevice on your PC? There's an app (okay, utility) for that: For a limited time, X-Mirage (Win) is free. The software allows you to mirror your iDevice to your Windows computer -- and record what you see (and hear) as well.
