OT: Best Buy Open Box Items

[Niteryder]

Some may already know this, but on the Best Buy website they have all the open box items listed by the city and the store. I was looking at getting another NT for my wife and checking the BB website, when i stumbled across the open box items. I did not find a NT but I did find an iPad 2 16GB, it stated check with store on price. I went into the store and asked about the item, the salesman said let me check. He came back with the iPad, I figured $50 off so it would go at around $350 or so. I asked about the price, it was selling for $260. My first question was whats wrong with it, he stated nothing it is an open box item and has been checked out and carries the same warranty as new. I checked it out found no signs of use and came home with an ipad.

You may be able to find returned Nook Colors and Nook Tablets that have been returned, if you are willing to check the site from time to time or just go into the store and ask about the open box items. did see couple of Kindles but did not check on the prices. I think I got a pretty good deal at $139 off the regular price. It seems to be a very cool device, I think I'll like it.

[schatzieWI]

You will love your new iPad. Very elegant device, not clunky.

[Omnigeek]

Congratulations on your find.  The open box iPad 2s at my local stores seem to be going for $360 so you got a great deal.

[Niteryder]

It was strange, an identical one, black 16GB, was going for $359. I checked very carefully and could not even find any difference between the one I got and a new one. So I am happy, and for what I paid, I am loving the white color.

SchatzieWI - So very true, this is a wonderful device, everything just seems to work the way you'd expect it to. It seems to be a wonderful work companion as well, it has allowed me to leave the laptop at home. So far everything I need to do can be done on the iPad, and it seems that everything new for mobile business is designed with the iPad in mind. 

This afternoon I was able to give a Keynote presentation, have my clients sign PDF documents, email the signed forms to them and my office, then print out copies for my to files. Life just got easier and my briefcase got much lighter.

[schatzieWI]

Niteryder, I haven't touched my laptop in months. I also have the white one with just a smart cover. For leaving the house, I purchased an STM bag from Amazon. Reading books and magazines is a joy. Some people say that Apple keeps you locked down in their products, but it's so nice to have a product that just works and doesn't need to be tinkered with.

[roustabout]

"a product that just works" 

The iPad didn't just work for me, since I wanted to quickly load and sort a lot of my own files (hundreds) and make my own decisions about what app to view them with. Also, the iPad didn't play well at all with my network.  Mom loves it, because she's not trying to do a lot of PDF curation and doesn't have a storage system full of music that she wants to stream rather than copy. 

I came close to picking up an ipad2 just to look into the multicast networking protocols Apple uses a second time, then realized that what I really wanted was an external speaker : ) 

It is a great device - Ma is using email for the first time in her life, and I think that's great.  And she is using it to listen to news from all over the world, which is great. 

It's just not a great device for me, and the Nooks are very good ones for what I like to do - which, granted, is a lot of tinkering : )

[Niteryder]

I guess it just boils down to what you like and what works for you. For me, all my documents and brochures are provided as PDFs from my company. I have no difficulty storing, accessing or opening them. I use Box to keep my files in order and use adobe reader and PDF expert to fill out and have my customers sign documents. I have had no trouble so far getting my documents to open in any app that I have. I use air print and epson iprint to print my completed docs. So far as of today it has worked flawlessly. But I guess what works well for one doesn't for another, good thing we have of types of devices to choose from.

[schatzieWI]

I NEED that printer! I can't wait for my current printer to bite the dust.

[Niteryder]

SchatzieWI - You need to "accidently" knock it over

 I found this printer at Office Max 3 weeks ago on sale from $99.99 to $59.99. I had a $20 dollar reward card and got it for $39.99. It's and Epson NX430 wireless all-in-one, it allows me to print wirelessly using either AirPrint ir the Epson App, both work incredibly well. I felt even at $99 for AirPrint capabilities it was worth it. My last wireless printer cost over $200 and isn't rated as well as the $99 printer.

Printing from the iPad is a bit slower, but it is very cool to be able to do so, makes the iPad even more valuable as a work tool for me.

[roustabout]

I picked up a Brother 2170W laser printer a few months back for 100 bucks on special at Best Buy. 

I've been very pleased - no fax capacity, no scanner, but it can be connected via USB, wired ethernet or wireless and prints in duplex if I ask it to. 

Unlike all the HP lasers in that price range, it uses a normal paper path and a bottom loading tray (the top fed HP printers are notorious for dying early. 

I just used Printer Share to print an article out of Newsrob to it from my glowworm, it worked just fine - duplexed for me, even. 

[Niteryder]

The last 2 HP printers I had died early deaths. They were expensive office models that could not stand up to the day to day use in a moderately busy office. My last 2 printers have been Epsons, so far they have held up, and the ink is a bit less expensive. Perhaps HP's quality isnt what it should be?