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PC Alamode
Compare and Deal
Holiday Shopping on the Internet
| Bill Klutz does consulting work, primarily in the areas of Management and Computer Applications/ Hardware/Software. |
There is an old saying, "There
are those who have, and those who will." If you haven't shopped online,
maybe this is the year you will (since the holiday season is rapidly approaching).
For either group, the end goal is to pay the least amount for the product
purchased. Perhaps one or more of the following comparison/deal sites,
in alphabetical order and not a complete list, may help you toward that
goal.
Popular with many online shoppers. Shows relative price at various Web stores, who has it in stock, and track record for on-time delivery. Check here before making any online purchase. Find coupon codes, one day deals, discounts, rebates, and free shipping offers for products and services from more than 400 Web merchants. Updated daily. Reports low price specials in various Web stores. Like Dealnews.com, but the primary focus is on Mac oriented items. Like Dealnews.com, but primarily addresses deals on all types of memory. Dedicated to DVDs. Create a custom comparison chart of your "gotta have" discs, with prices, shipping, and sales tax (where applicable). Shop by category — computers, software, apparel, etc. Even create an area to save your searches. Wireless accessible if you need to search while on the go. Find the product you want and enter your Zip Code. You will see a list of locations that stock it, plus total cost (shipping and tax included). Potentially grab an unbeatable deal. If you want frugal, enter the price you will pay for a specific product in a "wish list" and you will be alerted by E-Mail if there is a deal. Includes Brick-and-Mortar and Web based sellers. Shop by category — sporting goods, watches, health, photography, etc. Primarily dedicated to computer stuff. Browse by type rather than brand and model. Focuses on hardware, software and accessories. Price drop alerts show products with recent price reductions (sometimes significant).
Boasts of "current version software at clearance prices" — Microsoft, Borland, Corel, and other publishers. Free shipping. Lower priced data storage devices with detailed technical information about each product. Deals on refurbished and overstocked computer components Ä printers, monitors, notebooks, digital cameras, etc. — all dirt cheap and with a 30 day money back guarantee. Clearance, refurbished, and overstocked hardware and software. Inventory is constantly changing, and usually inexpensive Ä many hardware choices under $10 and some software for about a $1.
Trillian, from Cerulean Studios, is a multi-network chat client that supports all the major instant messaging programs. The 2.2MB freeware program lets you keep in touch with friends on IRC, AIM ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo Messenger, all through a single interface. Has buddy alerts. Copernic 2001 make locating things on the Internet easy. The 2.4MB freeware Basic program uses up to 80 multiple search engines to simultaneously search Web sites, Usenet, and E-Mail lists. (The $40 Plus version includes additional features and supports up to 1000 search engines. The $80 Pro version adds utilities to the Plus version, such as automated validation and scheduled searches.) Will help you find software linking to thousands of titles. Well written newsletters and no nonsense reviews help you locate the software that may be right for you. You pay shipping ($7-10 range) per item. No retail packaging, but newer full version software. Primary focus appears to be on games and lifestyle applications. Free downloadable software in many categories. Pop-up advertising gauntlet may not be appealing but there is always a "price" for Free things. Download simple software, yet fun, for toddlers, reading software for school-age children, or computer programming tutorials for older children. Parent computer safety tips also available. Dedicated to useful, tested Windows freeware. Subscription to the Plus version adds MP3 downloads and "best of" links. Freeware and shareware for Windows, Mac and Linux. Category list and reviews make finding the software you want easy. Internet related freeware and shareware — MP3 utilities, download managers, etc. — all tested, reviewed, and helpfully sorted.
|
Alamo PC Organization, Inc.
San Antonio, TX USA