Now to be fair, this is basically a netbook in an ultraportable’s body. You get a big 13.4-inch screen and decently-sized keyboard along with a 2.8-pound weight and a thickness of just 0.79 inches, although the innards include an older Atom Z530 CPU, dumpy GMA 500 graphics, and Windows Vista Home Premium.

Full specs:

• Intel Atom Z530 CPU at 1.6GHz
• 2GB of RAM
• 320 GB hard drive
• 13.4-inch LCD at 1366×768
• Intel GMA 500 graphics
• Draft-N wireless, Ethernet, Bluetooth
• Webcam, card reader, VGA out, 3 USB ports
• Weighs 2.86 pounds, 0.79 inches thick

MSI Microstar X-Slim 13.4-inch X320-037US [JR.com via FatWallet]

SolarVoice 908 Features

• up to five hours talk time; infinite standby time in sunlight
• A2DP for streaming multimedia audio
• innovative ear buds specifically designed to allow air to reach the ear canal, which eliminates “plugged-ear” sensation and fatigue
• multi-point connection allows simultaneous pairing with two mobile phones
• MSRP: $74.99

Pros

• charges via USB, A/C, or sunlight
• A2DP support allows you to listen to music when not on a call
• extremely comfortable

Cons

• Pricey
• extremely slow solar charging

SolarCharger 906 Features

• about the size of a deck of cards
• can store charge for up to one year
• charges in four hours via USB, 22 hours in direct sunlight
• MSRP: $59.99

Pros

• charges via USB, A/C, or sunlight
• works in extreme temperatures: stores charge up to 158 degrees F, charges devices at up to 127 degrees F
• includes adapter plugs for many common accessories

Cons

• included cables are “charge only”, and not regular USB data cables
• assortment of connectors aren’t easily managed
• extremely slow solar charging

Review

Speaking solely for myself, I’m not particularly keen on Bluetooth headsets. They have a certain utility, but I’m not often in situations where that utility is really necessary. If I were, though, I think the SolarVoice 908 would be my headset of choice. The earbud really is extremely comfortable to wear, and just as the marketing material suggests, I never experienced the “plugged ear” feeling that I get with other headsets.

In most respects, the SolarVoice 908 is a pretty run-of-the-mill headset: sound quality is okay, but not superb; it’s lightweight and comfortable; and the buttons are too small to use without looking at the darned thing. The fact that it can be charged by sunlight, though, is a pretty big draw. It comes with a little cradle that you can mount to your dashboard, or office window, so that you can easily let it soak up the rays when it’s not in your ear. Solar charging is extremely slow, so you’re not likely to rely solely on solar power to keep this thing going. The notion of “infinite standby” is neat, but requires “optimum sunlight”, which isn’t likely to happen for most folks, most of the time. It’s a nice fall-back, though, and may help you out if you’re the kind of person who forgets to plug in their devices regularly.

The features that sway my opinion of the SolarVocie 908, though, are the A2DP support and multi-point connectivity. If you’re going to have a Bluetooth headset stuck in your ear, it might as well be doing something. A2DP support lets you stream media from your fancy smartphone, allowing you to enjoy (regrettably mono) music. It’s handy for audiobooks, too! And multi-point connectivity means you can keep the SolarVoice 908 paired with two devices simultaneously. That’s probably not a big deal to most people, but it’s a nice feature to have, if you ask me.

The SolarCharger 906 gets a very big thumbs up from me. It’s small, lightweight, and extremely useful. It’s the kind of accessory I really don’t mind carrying around with me, because there’s almost no penalty to doing so. When I need it, I can pull it out of my manbag and charge my devices.

The SolarCharger 906 charges pretty quickly via USB (about four hours), and provides more than enough juice to keep my iPhone going for a couple of hours. If I’m on a long drive, or visiting friends, I can simply leave the unit on the dash of my car, or propped in a window somewhere to soak up some solar energy. Full charge by sunlight takes 22 though.

This would be a good device to take camping, to be sure. Leave it out to charge while you hike, or hunt, or do whatever it is you do when you’re in the woods, away from your computer. You could then power an iPod or other media player to keep you entertained through the long, dark night. It might also be a lifesaver, should you need to make an emergency cellular call after a couple days in the rough.

Juggling the various adapters included with the SolarCharger 906 is a nuisance, and it would have been nice if some more elegant storage mechanism was provided. Instead, you get a clear plastic box, with individually wrapped adapters. Also, keep in mind that the cable provided with the device has a micro USB connector, but does not carry any USB data signaling. It can only be used for charging devices. In order to minimize the number of cables you tote with you, set theirs aside and use a regular USB data cable: it’ll allow the SolarCharger 906 to charge your devices, and allow your devices to connect with your PC as expected.

Product Pages: SolarVoice 908 and SolarCharger 906

Maybe it’s just me, but this dual-screen notebook Kojinsha started selling in Japan today [JP] looks very futuristic (and very cool) to me. The main selling point is that you get not one but two 10.1-inch LCD screens in a compact body (size: 280×210×19〜42mm, weight: 1.84kg). And you can even buy the DZ6KH16E, which looks like a normal notebook when you use just one of the screens, if you live outside Japan.

The two sliding LCDs feature 1,024×600 resolution and LED backlights each. The notebook also has an Athlon Neo MV-40 (1.6GHz) with a RS780MN chipset and an ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics card, 1GB of RAM (upgradeable to 4GB), a 160GB HDD, WiFi, three USB ports, a 1.3MP web camera, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, slots for SD/microSD/MMC/memory sticks and a digital TV tuner (which will work only in Japan and parts of South America) on board. Kojinsha says buyers can expect around 4.5 hours of battery life.

Kohjinsha started selling the DZ6KH16E in Japan today. People living outside this country can get the notebook over at Geek Stuff 4 U for $1,111.28 (Windows and other extras make it more expensive). But remember this is a Japanese device, meaning you’ll have to live with a keyboard with a Japanese layout.

Although there are far too many items to list in a single post, here’s a look at what’s in store. Check Amazon’s Black Friday page each day for the full list of deals too.

Monday:

• Samsung LN52B530 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV for $1299.99
• Polk Surroundbar 360 for $399.99
• LG 37LH55 37-Inch 1080p 240Hz LCD HDTV for $649.99
• HP Mini 10.1-Inch White Netbook (Windows 7 Starter) for $378.99

Full list of electronics deals here…

Tuesday (pricing not revealed yet):

• Magellan Maestro GPS
• Plantronics Voyager PRO Bluetooth Headset
• La Crosse Technology Digital Thermometer
• DJ Hero Bundle with Turntable (Xbox)

Wednesday (pricing not revealed yet):

• LG Blu-ray Player
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Xbox)
• Guitar Hero Smash Hits (PS3)
• Rapala: We Fish with Rod Bundle (Wii)

Thursday (pricing not revealed yet):

• We Ski and Snowboard (Wii)
• Tekken 6 (PS3)
• Sharp 32" LCD HDTV

Friday (pricing not revealed yet):

• Altec Lansing Computer Speakers with Powered Subwoofer
• Polk Bookshelf Speakers
• MartinLogan In-Ceiling Speakers

• Panasonic 46" 1080p Plasma HDTV
• HP 15.6-Inch Laptop
• Canon PowerShot 12.1 MP Digital Camera
• Panasonic 42" 1080p Plasma HDTV
• Dell Inspiron Mini Netbook with Integrated TV Tuner

• Nintendo DSi Bundle with 5 Pre-installed Titles
• Xbox 360 Bundle with 2 Games
• Xbox 360 Limited-Edition Console
• PlayStation 120 GB Bundle with 2 Games

There will apparently be sales on Saturday and Sunday, too.

Black Friday Calendar [Amazon]

Black Friday Deals Page [Amazon]

More Black Friday deals…

Blank Media

Maxell 50-Pack DVD+R or DVD-R Media – $9.49

Digital Cameras

Fujifilm A170 10.2MP Digital Camera – $69.99

GE A1250 12.2MP Digital Camera – $69.99

Kodak M341 12.2MP Digital Camera – $129.99

Vivitar V8025S 8.1MP Digital Camera – $49.99

Digital Media Cards

SanDisk 2GB microSD Memory Card – $6.49

SanDisk 2GB Secure Digital Memory Card – $6.49

DVD Players

Curtis Compact DVD Player – $17.99 *

GPX 8″ Portable DVD Player w/ Remote – $79.99

Electronics

Audiovox Under-Cabinet 10″ HDTV & DVD Player – $179.99

Belkin HDTV Starter Kit – $34.99

Coby 1.5″ Digital Photo Keychains – $9.99

DieHard Batteries (8 AA or AAA, 4 C or D, 2 9V) – $5.50

GPX Under-the-Counter AM/FM CD Clock Radio – $24.99

Jazz T55 Digital Camcorder – $49.99

Kodak 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $49.99

Kodak 8″ Digital Photo Frame – $99.99

Maxell Headphones (Assorted Colors) – $2.79

Memorex Ambient iPod / CD Shelf System – $79.99

Net 10 Motorola Prepaid Slider Phone – $29.99

Pandigital 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $49.99

Portable Karaoke System w/ Microphone – $29.99

RCA iPod Docking CD Shelf System – $59.99

Sakar iSpeakers for MP3 Players B1G1F – $9.99

Sony BDP-S360 Blu-ray Player – $149.99

Vtech DECT 6.0 Cordless 2-Handset Phone – $29.99

Wireless Gear Bluetooth Car Kit – $19.99

GPS Systems

Magellan RoadMate 1440 GPS Navigation System – $119.99

TomTom One 130 Portable 3.5″ GPS System – $79.99

MP3 Players

GPX 4GB Portable MP3 Player – $24.99

Mach Speed 2GB Clip MP3 Player – $11.99

Portable USB Storage

PNY 8GB USB 2.0 Mini Flash Drives – $9.99

SanDisk 2GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive – $6.49

Televisions

AOC Envision 24″ Widescreen 1080p LCD HDTV – $229.99

Element 40″ Widescreen 1080p LCD HDTV – $549.99

Samsung 50″ Widescreen Plasma HDTV – $699.99

Sylvania 32″ LCD HDTV w/ Built-in DVD Player – $349.99

Venturer 17″ Widescreen LCD HDTV – $119.99

Video Games

A Boy and His Blob for Nintendo Wii – $29.99

Assorted Nintendo DS Video Game 2-Packs – $14.99

Assorted Nintendo Wii Video Game 2-Packs – $14.99

Assorted Sony PS2 Video Game 3-Packs – $9.99

Assorted Sony PS3 Video Game 2-Packs – $24.99

Assorted Xbox 360 Video Game 2-Packs – $24.99

EA Active for Nintendo Wii – $39.99

Forza Motorsport 3 for Xbox 360 – $39.99

Guitar Hero Metallica for All Platforms – $39.99

Guitar Hero Smash Hits for All Platforms – $39.99

Guitar Hero World Tour for All Platforms – $29.99

Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar Bundle for PS3 – $49.99

Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar Bundle for Wii – $49.99

Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar Bundle for Xbox 360 – $49.99

Halo 3 ODST for Xbox 360 – $39.99

Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 for Nintendo Wii – $29.99

Nintendo Wii w/ Free $25 Nintendo Gaming Coupon – $199.99

Sony PSP 3000 Core System w/ Free $25 Gaming Coupon – $169.99

Sony PSP Gran Turismo Pack w/ Free $25 Gaming Coupon – $199.99

Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board for Nintendo Wii – $99.99

Kmart Thanksgiving Black Friday Ad [BlackFriday.info]

See more Black Friday posts here…

The “control strip” is a great idea. With little OLED displays like those the Optimus Maximus and G19 keyboards becoming more common, I don’t see why we shouldn’t have a little context-sensitive strip like that. You kind of saw what it could do in that four-screened laptop from a few months back, but that was pretty over the top. We’re talking media controls, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles, that kind of thing. Putting it on the slanted edge there separates it physically but not visually and really is a great solution.

Multi-purpose, convertible casing: if someone can pull this off, it’d be awesome. An integrated screen protector that doubles as a stand? God damn, sign me up. If it’s reliable, it’d really simplify the accessory situation.

The trouble, of course, is that this little “Netpad,” as they call it, would cost a mint. The many moving parts, expensive materials (carbon fiber, magnesium), and multiple touchscreen surfaces would probably propel the final price to… I’d guess about $2000 at least. And since part of the selling point of tablets is their simplicity and low cost, you’d have trouble making money with the thing, cool as it is. Still, if any of these features make it into the next generation of tablets, I’ll be pumped.

More info over at T3, where hopefully they’ll continue updating this thing.

Oh, I get it. It’s called “Shack” Friday at Radio Shack instead of Black Friday. Because “shack” sounds like “black” and “shack” is part of Radio Shack’s name. So basically, they just switched the two words around. I get it.

Know what else? The damn sale starts on Thursday! What a world! “Most stores open at 10 AM Thursday,” says the circular. And then they open at 5:30 in the morning on Friday! That’s Shack-rilege! See how I worked the name of the store into that one?

UPDATE: Radio Shack’s PR team was kind enough to send over high-resolution images of the national circular. Here are the links to the images:

Image 1 | Image 2 | Image 3

Anyhoo, here’s the good stuff. Doorbusters are marked with an asterisk.

Automotive

Gigaware Car Charger for iPod – $10.00

Sirius Stratus 5 Dock & Play Radio + Car Kit – $29.99

XM onyX Satellite Radio – $59.99

Blank Media

25-Pack of Gigaware 16X DVD-Rs – B1G1F

50-Pack Of Gigaware 52X CD-R – B1G1F

Gigaware 25 Pack of 16X DVD-Rs – B1G1F

Gigaware 50 Pack of 52X CD-Rs – B1G1F

Cell Phones

BlackBerry Curve 8520 (w/2-Year Agreement) – $0.00

Gigaware High Power Docking Speaker For iPod – $49.99

LG Xenon Cell Phone (w/2-Year Agreement) – $0.00

Motorola CLIQ w/Motoblur (w/2-Year Agreement) – $79.99

Motorola i776 Cell Phone – $69.99

Nokia 2720 No-Contract Mobile Phone – $9.99

Palm Pixi Cell Phone (w/2-Year Agreement) – $99.99

Palm Pre Cell Phone (w/2-Year Agreement) – $99.99

Plantronics E210 Bluetooth Headset – $19.99

Samsung Impression Cell Phone (w/2-Year Agreement) – $29.99

Samsung Instinct S30 Cell Phone (w/2-Year Agreement) – $0.00

Samsung Mantra Cell Phone – $29.99

Snap-On Covers for iPhone 3G or Blackberry Curve 8300 – $9.99

Computer Accessories

Gigaware 1.3MP Webcam w/Microphone – $14.99

Gigaware 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System – $10.00

Gigaware Folding Notebook Cooling Pad – $10.00

Gigaware VoIP USB Headset – $10.00

Gigaware Wireless Optical Mouse – $12.99

Logitech Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo – $19.99

Netbook Accessory Bundle (USB Hub, Mouse, Earbuds, Cooling Pad) – $29.99

Pinnacle Ultra-Compact USB HDTV Tuner – $39.99

Computers

Acer 11.6″ Netbook w/Intel Atom Processor Z520, 2GB Memory, 250GB Hard Drive – $249.99

Acer 15.6″ Notebook w/AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor, 4GB Memory, 320 Hard Drive – $399.99

Digital Cameras

Buy Any $89.99 Camera In This Ad, Receive a Free Polaroid Pogo Mobile Printer – $0.00

Casio Exilim 10 Megapixel 3x Optical Zoom Digital Camera Gift Bundle – $89.99

Kodak MD81 12.0 Megapixel Digital Camera – $99.99

Nikon S220 10 Megapixel 3x Optical Zoom Digital Camera – $129.99

Olympus 12 Megapixel 7x Wide-Angle Zoom Digital Camera – $149.99

Vivitar 8.1 Megapixel 2x Optical Zoom Digital Camera – $49.99

Digital Media Cards

Sandisk 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo – $9.99

Sandisk 2GB Type-M xD-Picture Card – $9.99

Sandisk 4GB MicroSDHC Card – $9.99

Sandisk Standard SDHC Card – $9.99

DVD Players

Memorex Upconverting DVD Player – $29.99

Samsung BD-1600A Blu-ray Disc Player – $149.99

Electronics

Casio 32 Mini-Key Electronic Keyboard – $29.99

Discovery 54-Key Electronic Keyboard – $29.99

Discovery Kids Digital Camcorder – $39.99

Emerson Portable CD+G Karaoke Player – $29.99

Gigaware 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $29.99

Gigaware Micro Projector – $99.99

MagicJack VoIP Kit – $29.99

Motorola 4-Pack of 2-Way FRS Radios – $29.99

Panasonic DECT 6.0 Cordless Phone System w/4 Headsets – $69.99

Pandigital 10.1″ Digital Photo Frame – $79.99

Sanyo 720p High-Definition Video Camcorder – $169.99

Skullcandy Headphones – $9.99

USB Turntable – $79.99

Vivitar 720p High-Definition Video Camcorder – $69.99

GPS Systems

Garmin Nuvi 255W 4.3″ Widescreen GPS – $119.99

Garmin Nuvi 265WT 4.3″ GPS w/Free Lifetime Traffic Updates – $169.99

Mio 4.3″ M400 GPS – $79.99

TomTom XL 330S GPS w/Free Dash Mount – $99.99

Hard Drives

Iomega 320GB Portable Hard Drive – $49.99

Miscellaneous

5×7″ Recordable Talking Picture Frame – $10.00

Duracell Color Charger w/2 AA Rechargeable Batteries – $10.00

Enercell Holiday Bettery Tin – $9.99

ESPN GameDay Universal 4-in-1 Remote – $10.00

Gigaware 1.5″ Digital Photo Keychain – $10.00

Gigaware Crystal Skin for iPod Touch – $10.00

Gigaware Laser Etched Skin for iPod Touch – $10.00

Gigaware Retractable Rapid Home Charger for iPod/iPhone – $10.00

RadioShack 25-Piece Mini Tool Kit – $10.00

RadioShack 4.3″ GPS Soft Case – $14.99

RadioShack GPS Home AC Charger – $14.99

RadioShack Weather Cube Radio – $10.00

Rechargeable Spotlight – $10.00

Swiss+Tech Micro-Max 19-in-1 Tool Kit – $10.00

MP3 Players

8GB iPod Touchw/$20 GC – $199.99

Gigaware 2GB MP3 Player – $19.99

Gigaware 4GB MP3 Player – $39.99

Gigaware MP3 Accessory Kit – $9.99

iHome Computer Stereo Speakers w/Dock for iPid – $29.99

iLive 2.1 Home Theater Upconverting DVD System w/Dock for iPod – $99.99

iPod 8GB Nano w/$15 GC – $149.99

iPod Accessory Kit – $30.00

Sansa 2GB Clip Plus Music Player w/1000 Song Music Card – $49.99

Sound Bar w/Dock for iPod – $69.99

Networking

Netgear WNR1000 Wireless-N 150 Router – $34.99

Portable USB Storage

Sandisk 2GB USB Flash Drive – $4.99

Sandisk 4GB USB Flash Drive – $9.99

Televisions

AOC 22″ 720P LCD HDTV – $199.99

Auvio 3.5″ Pocket Digital TV – $79.99

Auvio 7″ Portable TV – $119.99

Samsung 32″ LCD HDTV – $399.99

Video Games

DualShock 3 PS3 Wireless Controler – $29.99

Gigaware Recharging Station for Nintendo Wii – $12.99

Nyko Wand for Nintendo Wii – $24.99

V.Motion Game Console – $34.99

Xbox 360 Elite System w/$60 Cash Back & 2 Games (Lego Batman and Pure) – $299.99

Radio Shack Black Friday Ad [BlackFriday.info]

More Black Friday deals…

It’s here. Best Buy’s Black Friday ad is here. Stores open at 5AM and Best Buy will “pass out tickets for our Doorbuster Specials up to two hours before 5 a.m. store opening,” according to the circular. That means no running, probably. You can still do that thing where you walk really fast and sort of skip a little bit, but no running.

Doorbusters are marked with an asterisk.

Automotive

Alpine 50-Watt x 4-Channel Car Stereo – $99.99

Pioneer 50 Watt x 4-Channel Car Stereo & Speaker Pair – $89.99

Cell Phones

AT&T Sony Ericsson W518a – Free w/2 Year Contract *

BoostMobile Motorola Clutch i465 – $59.99

DLO Jam Jacket For iPhone – $9.99

Jabra BT-2080 Bluetooth Headset – $19.99

LG Chocolate Touch From Verizon w/Two Year Activation – $0.00 *

MiFi 2200 By Novatel Wireless w/Two Year Activation – $0.00

Mobile Broadband Card 598U By Sierra Wireless w/Two Year Activation – $0.00

Motorola H710 Noise-Canceling Bluetooth Headset – $39.99

Motorola S9 HD Stereo Bluetooth Headset – $49.99

Net10 Samsung T401G – $39.99

Sprint BlackBerry Curve 8330 Smart Phone – Free w/2 Year Contract

Sprint Samsung Instinct S30 – Free w/2 Year Contract

T-Mobile Motorola Renew Phone – $7.99

Verizon Wireless DROID – $199.99 w/2 Year Contract

Verizon Wireless Motorola Rival – Free w/2 Year Contract *

Virgin Mobile Kyocera X-tc – $49.99

Computer Accessories

Logitech C250 Webcam – $19.99

Logitech V450 Nano Cordless Laser Mouse – $24.99

Rocketfish AC Power Adapter – $39.99

Computers

Compaq Netbook w/Intel Atom Processor, 1GB Memory, 160GB Hard Drive – $179.99

Compaq Netbook w/Intel Atom Processor, 1GB Memory, 250GB Hard Drive – $229.99

Dell 10.1″ Netbook w/Intel Atom Processor, 1GB Memory, 160GB Hard Drive – $379.99

eMachines Desktop w/AMD Athlon Processor, 3GB RAM, 320GB HD, Windows 7, w/18.5″ LCD Monitor and HP Deskjet Printer – $299.97

HP 15.6″ Notebook w/AMD Turion II Dual Core Processor M500, 6GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 – $599.99

HP 15.6″ Notebook w/AMD Turion II Dual Core Processor M500, 8GB Memory, 500GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 – $699.99

Macbook 13.3″ Notebook w/2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDR3 Memory, 250GB Hard Drive, w/$150 Gift Card – $999.99

Sony 15″ Laptop w/Intel Dual Core Processor, 4GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 – $399.99

Sony 15″ Laptop w/Intel Dual Core Processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB HD, Windows 7, Sony Headphones, Built-In Blu-ray Player, Blu-ray Movie – $479.97

Toshiba 16″ Laptop w/Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 3GB DDR3 Memory, 250GB Hard Drive (Model # L505-S5984) – $399.99

Toshiba 16″ Laptop w/Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 4GB DDR3 Memory, 320GB Hard Drive (Model # L505-S5984) w/Printer and Case – $499.97

Digital Cameras

Canon EOS Rebel Tli D-SLR Camera w/18-55mm IS Lens – $699.99

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Grey) – $149.99

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Teal) – $149.99

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case (Grey) – $179.99

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case (Teal) – $179.99

Canon Rebel Tli Camera w/55-250mm IS Telephoto Lens and Lowepro D-SLR Bag – $849.97

Fujifilm Finepix Z37 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case – $149.97

Fujifilm Finepix Z37 Polka Dot 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera – $119.99

Insignia 720p HD Camcorder – $69.99

Insignia NS-DSC10A 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Pink) – $49.99 *

Insignia NS-DSC10B 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Blue) – $49.99 *

Kodak EasyShare C140 Digital Camera With 7″ Kodak Digital Photo Frame – $109.99

Nikon Coolpix P90 12.1 Megapixel Digital Camera – $299.99

Nikon Coolpix P90 12.1 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case – $329.97

Nikon Coolpix S60 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Red) – $179.99

Nikon Coolpix S60 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case – $209.97

Nikon D3000DX 10.2 Megapixel D-SLR Digital Camera w/10-55mm and 55-200mm Lens and Bag – $599.97

Nikon D3000DX 10.2 Megapixel D-SLR Digital Camera w/10-55mm VR Lens – $499.99

Sony Cybershot W180 10.1 Megapixel Digital Camera (Black) – $99.99

Sony Cybershot W180 10.1 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Flexpod and Camera Case – $119.97

Digital Media Cards

PNY 4GB Flash Drive – $9.99

PNY 4GB MicroSD HD Memory Card – $9.99

PNY 4GB SDHC Memory Card – $9.99

Sandisk 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo – $14.99

Sandisk 8GB MicroSDHC Memory Card – $19.99

Sandisk 8GB SD Card – $19.99

DVD Players

Insignia Blu-ray Disc Player (Model # NS-BRDVD3) – $99.99

Samsung BD-P4600 Blu-ray Disc Player – $279.99

Samsung Blu-Ray Disc Player – $149.99

Sony BDP-S360 Blu-ray Disc Player – $149.99

Electronics

2GB Pulse Smartpen w/$30 Gift Card – $169.99

Bose In-Ear Headphones – $89.99

Canon Vixia HD HF20 Camcorder – $499.99

Canon Vixia HD HF20 Camcorder w/Extra Li-Ion Battery & 8″ HDMI Cable – $599.97

Dynex 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $29.99

iHome Portable Alarm Clock Speaker iPod Dock – $39.99

Insignia 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $44.99

Logitech Harmony 510 Advanced Universal Remote – $39.99

Panasonic DECT 6.0 Expandable Cordless Phone System w/3 Handsets – $59.99

Pandigital 9″ Digital Photo Frame – $59.99

Sony DCR-SR47 Handycam Camcorder – $249.99

Sony DCR-SR47 Handycam Camcorder w/Extra Li-Ion Battery & Bag – $299.97

Sony DCR-SX40 Handycam Camcorder – $199.99

Sony DCR-SX40 Handycam Camcorder w/Extra Li-Ion Battery & 8GB Memory Stick – $259.97

Sony Reader Pocket Edition w/$30 Gift Card – $199.99

Sony Studio Monitor Headphones – $9.99

VTech DECT 6.0 Expandable Cordless Phone System w/2 Handsets – $44.99

GPS Systems

Garmin GPS Friction Mount – $14.99

Garmin Nuvi 205W GPS Navigation System – $99.99 *

Garmin Nuvi 255WT GPS Navigation System – $129.99

Lowepro Black Neoprene Sleeve – $7.99

Magellan SE4 GPS – $89.99

Tom Tom 540S Portable GPS Navigation System – $149.99

Tom Tom GO 730 Portable GPS Navigation System – $174.99

Hard Drives

LG External Slim Portable USB 2.0 DVD Drive – $49.99

Western Digital 1.5TB My Book Home Edition External Hard Drive – $119.99

Western Digital 500GB My Passport Elite Portable Hard Drive Titanium – $79.99

Western Digital WDTV Media Player – $74.99

Home Theater

4″ Monster Cable 700 Series HDMI Cable – $49.99

Init Cherry Wood Stand With Mount For TVs Up To 46″ – $99.99

Init Cherry Wood w/Black Glass Shelves TV Stand – $149.99

Klipsch Icon 2-Way Triple 5.25″ Floorstanding Speaker – $186.99

Klipsch Icon 2-Way Triple 6.5″ Floorstanding Speaker – $236.99

Samsung 5.1 Channel 1000W Home Theater System With Blu-ray Disc Player – $399.99

Sony 5.1 Channel 1000W Home Theater System – $279.99

Sony 7.1 Channel 770-Watt A/V Receiver – $279.99

Tilting Wall Mount For 30″-56″ Flat-Panel TVs – $99.99

Monitors

Acer 20″ HD LCD Monitor (Model # X203H) – $79.99

Dell 20″ HD LCD Monitor (Model # S2009W) – $99.99

MP3 Players

3 $10 iTunes Gift Cards – $25.00

8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Black) + Wall Charger & Case – $159.97

8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Blue) + Wall Charger & Case – $159.97

8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Pink) + Wall Charger & Case – $159.97

8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Purple) + Wall Charger & Case – $159.97

8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Silver) + Wall Charger & Case – $159.97

Apple 8GB iPod Touch 3rd Generation w/$30 Gift Card – $199.99

Bose Sound-dock Series II Digital Music System – $269.99

Power Pack for iPod/iPhone – $19.99

Sandisk 4GB Fuze MP3 Player (Black) – $44.99

Sandisk 4GB Fuze MP3 Player (Blue) – $44.99

Sandisk 4GB Fuze MP3 Player (Red) – $44.99

Networking

Linksys Ultra RangePlus Wireless-N Broadband Router w/4-Port Switch (Model # WRT160N) – $59.99

NetGear Wireless N Router (Model # WNR2000-100NAS) – $49.99

Portable USB Storage

Sandisk Cruzer 8GB USB Flash Drive – $19.99

Printers

$10 Gift Card With Any $40 Ink Purchase – $0.00

Epson Stylus NX110 Multifunction Printer – $24.99

HP Photosmart C4795 Wireless Multifunction Printer – $64.99

Software

Instant Immersion Spanish Software – $19.99

Microsoft Office Home And Student 2007 – $69.99

Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements – $74.99

Televisions

Dynex 19″ 720p LCD HDTV (Model # DX-L19-10A) – $149.99

Dynex 32″ 720p LCD HDTV (Model # DX-L321-10A) – $299.99 *

Dynex 40″ 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # DX-L40-10A) – $499.99

Insignia 42″ 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV (Model # NS-L42Q120-10A) – $699.99 *

LG 32″ 1080p LCD HDTV (Model # 32LH30-UA) – $439.99

Panasonic Viera 50″ 1080p Plasma HDTV (Model # TC-P50U1) w/Blu-ray Disc Player (Model # DMP-BD60K) – $999.98

Samsung 32″ 1080p LCD HDTV (Model # LN32B530P7F) – $497.99

Samsung 32″ 720p LCD HDTV (Model # LN32B360C5D) – $397.99

Samsung 40″ 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # LN40B500P3FXZA) – $597.99

Samsung 42″ 720p Plasma HDTV (Model # PN42B400P3DXZA) – $547.99

Samsung 46″ 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV (Model # UN4686000VF) – $1599.99 *

Samsung 46″ 1080p LCD HDTV (LN46B500P3FXZA) – $847.99

Samsung 50″ 1080p Plasma HDTV (Model # PN50B530S2F) – $897.99

Samsung 50″ 720p Plasma HDTV (Model # PN50B430P2D) – $697.99

Sony 32″ 720p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # KDL32L504) – $377.99

Sony 40″ 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # KDL40S504) – $662.99

Sony 46″ 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # KDL465504) – $852.99

Video Games

$20 Gift Card w/Any DSi Game System Purchase – $0.00

Assassins Creed (PC Game) – $19.99

Bash Party (Wii) – $14.99

Bioshock (PC Game) – $19.99

Bolt (DS Game) – $9.99

Brutal Legend (PS3) – $34.99 *

Brutal Legend (Xbox 360) – $34.99 *

Call of Juarex (PS3) – $19.99

Call of Juarez (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Civilization IV (PC Game) – $19.99

Cooking Mama (DS Game) – $9.99

Cooking Mama (Wii) – $14.99

Crash (DS Game) – $9.99

Dragon Age (PS3) – $34.99 *

Dragon Age (Xbox 360) – $34.99 *

Excite Bots Trick Racing (Wii) – $14.99

Fallout 3 (PS3) – $19.99

Fallout 3 (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Family Game Night (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Far Cry 2 (PC Game) – $4.99

FIFA Soccer 10 (PS3) – $34.99 *

FIFA Soccer 10 (Xbox 360) – $34.99 *

Guinness World Records (DS Game) – $9.99

Hawx (PS3) – $19.99 *

Hawx (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Left 4 Dead 2 (PS3) – $34.99 *

Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360) – $34.99 *

Madagascar 2 Escape From Africa (Wii) – $14.99

Madden 10 (PS3) – $34.99 *

Madden 10 (XBox 360) – $34.99 *

Marker Man (DS Game) – $9.99

Marvel Ultimate Alliance (Wii) – $14.99

My Sims Kingdom (Wii) – $9.99

My Word Coach (DS Game) – $9.99

NBA Live 09 (Wii) – $9.99

NBA Live 10 (PS3) – $34.99 *

NBA Live 10 (Xbox 360) – $34.99 *

Need For Speed: Shift (PS3) – $34.99 *

Need For Speed: Shift (XBox 360) – $34.99 *

NHL 10 (PS3) – $34.99 *

NHL 10 (Xbox 360) – $34.99 *

Nintendo DSi Brain Age Bundle (White) w/$20 Gift Card – $169.99

Nintendo DSi Mario Bundle (Metallic Blue) w/$20 Gift Card – $169.99

Pikmin Classic (Wii) – $14.99

Rayman Raving Rabbids (Wii) – $9.99

Resident Evil 5 (PS3) – $19.99

Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Riddick (PS3) – $19.99

Riddick (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Slots (PC Game) – $19.99

Sonic Chronicles The Dark Brotherhood (DS Game) – $9.99

Sony PlayStation 3 Package w/120GB Console, Little Big Planet, and Ratchet And Clank – $299.99 *

Spyro (DS Game) – $9.99

Stalker (PC Game) – $4.99

Sudoku Ball (DS Game) – $9.99

The Bigs 2 (PS3) – $19.99

The Bigs 2 (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Wii Sports Snowboard (Wii) – $14.99

Wii Sports (Wii) – $9.99

World Of Warcraft (PC Game) – $4.99

Xbox 360 Elite 120GB Bundle w/Four Pack Game Set – $299.99

BestBuy Black Friday Ad [BlackFriday.info]

More Black Friday deals…

CD/DVD Drives

Gear Head 8x Slim External DVD -/+RW Lightscribe Drive – $49.99

Cell Phones

Ed Hardy iPhone Faceplates – $24.99

XtremeMac InCharge Auto Charger for iPhone – $13.99

XtremeMac Tuffsheild Three Pack Screen Protectors For iPod Or iPhone – $10.49

XtremeMac Tuffwrap iPhone Case – $13.99

Computer Accessories

All Case Logic Laptop Sleeves – 50% Off

APC 550VA Battery Backup – $24.99

Height-Adjustable Mobile Laptop Cart – $17.99

iHome Wired Optical Mouse – $6.99

Logitech LX6 Cordless Optical Mouse – $7.99

Microsoft Digital Media Keyboard 6000 – $12.99

Moble IT Retractable USB Hub – $4.99

USB Web Cam – $9.99

Computers

Acer Aspire 15.6″ Widescreen Notebook Computer w/AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core Processor L310, 4GB RAM, 320GB Hard Drive – $379.99

Acer Netbook 10.1″ Computer w/Intel 1.6GHz Atom Processor N270 – $199.99

Compaq CQ4010F Desktop Computer w/AMD Sempron LE-1300 Processor, 2GB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive – $229.99

Compaq Presario AMD LE-1300 Desktop w/18.5″ Monitor – $329.99

Free Software w/Purchase of Computer – Free

HP Notebook Computer G60-508US w/Intel Celeron Processor 900 – $299.99

HP Notebook Computer G71-343US With Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T6600 – $449.99

HP Pavilion Desktop P6229PG w/20″ Widescreen LCD Monitor – $499.99

HP Pavillion Slimeline Intel E5300 Desktop w/20″ Monitor – $519.99

HP Pavillion Slimline s5220f Desktop Computer w/Intel Pentium Processor E5300, 4GB RAM, 640GB Hard Drive – $369.99

Toshiba 15.6″ Widescreen Notebook w/AMD Turion II Dual-Core Processor M500, 3GB RAM, 320GB Hard Drive – $469.99

Toshiba 17″ Notebook w/AMD Turion II M500, 3GB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive – $499.99

Digital Cameras

Ativa Digital 1080p HD Video Camcorder 4x Optical Zoom – $89.99

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0-Megapixel Digital ELPH Camera – $149.99

Canon PowerShot SD780 IS 12.1-Megapixel Digital Camera – $179.99

Kodak EasyShare CD80 Digital Camera Bundle – $79.99

Kodak EasyShare M381 Digital Camera w/Case & Tripod – $169.99

Kodak EasyShare Z915 Digital Camera w/Case & Charger – $199.99

Nikon Coolpix S570 12.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Black) – $149.99

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W220 Digital Camera – $129.99

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 Digital Camera w/Case & Charger – $229.99

Vivitar Digital Camera Bundle – $49.99

Digital Media Cards

SanDisk 4GB Ultra II SDHC Memory Card – $12.99

SanDisk 8GB Memory Cards – $14.99

SanDisk 8GB Memory Stick PRO Duo Memory Card – $24.99

SanDisk 8GB Ultra II CompactFlash Memory Card – $19.99

Electronics

1.5″ Digital Photo Frames – $7.99

Ativa 8″ Digital Photo Frame – $49.99

Brother P-Touch PT-1290 Electronic Labeler – $9.99

Panasonic DECT 6.0 Digital Cordless KX-TG9332T Phone Answering System (After Rebate) – $29.99

Plantronics Explorer Bluetooth Mobile Headset 220 – $14.99

Sony Earbuds – $7.99

GPS Navigation Systems

Garmin Nuvi 1200 GPS Navigation System – $119.99

Garmin Nuvi 1300 GPS Navigation System – $149.99

TomTom GO 630 GPS Navigation System – $169.99

TomTom ONE 130 GPS Navigation System – $77.99

TomTom XL 330 GPS Navigation System – $97.99

Hard Drives

Seagate 1.5TB Expansion External Hard Drive – $99.99

Seagate 2TB FreeAgent External Hard Drive – $179.99

Seagate 320GB Expansion External Portable Hard Drive – $59.99

Seagate 640GB FreeAgent Go External Portable Hard Drive – $119.99

Seagate 750GB Free Agent Go External Portable Hard Drive – $149.99

Verbatim 1TB External Hard Drive – $79.99

Home Theater

Ativa Home Theater System 5.1 – $39.99

Memory

Kingston 1GB PC 5300 DDR2 Memory Upgrade – $17.99

Miscellaneous

All Cross Gift Pens – 50% Off

Monitors

Ativa 21.6″ HD LCD Monitor – $119.99

Movies

Over 50 Sony DVD Movies – B1G1

MP3 Players

Ativa 2GB MP3 Player With Video And FM Radio – $17.99

Ativa Speaker Dock For iPod PF112 – $19.99

Memorex Docking Clock Radio For iPod – $34.99

Sony Speaker Dock Clock Radio For iPod Or iPhone – $79.99

Networking & Wireless

D-Link Basic N Wireless Adapter – $19.99

D-Link Basic N Wireless Router – $19.99

Linksys Wireless-N Rangeplus Adapter – $39.99

Linksys Wireless-N Rangeplus Router Or Adapter – $39.99

Office

Ativa 6-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder (After Rebate) – $14.99

Brother FAX 575 Fax/Phone/Copier – $9.99

CL Shore Mini-Solution Desk w/Hutch – $99.99

Limval L-Shaped Desk – $49.99

Office Depot Brand Premium Glossy Photo Paper – B1G2

Realspace Merrick High-Back Boded Leather Chair – $79.99

Realspace Soho Harrington High-Back Chair – $99.99

Realspace Soho Magellan Corner Desk w/Hutch – $139.99

RS To Go Alvy Task Chair – $34.99

RS To Go Ruvia Mid-Back Chair – $39.99

True Innovations High-Back Bonded Leather Chair – $79.99

Photos

Ativa 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $29.99

Portable USB Storage

Ativa 4GB USB Flash Drive – $7.99

Lexar 32GB TwistTurn USB Drive – $59.99

SanDisk 16GB Curzer USB Flash Drive – $27.99

SanDisk 8GB Cruzer USB Flash Drive – $14.99

Printers

Brother MFC-295cn All-In-One Printer – $59.99

Brother MFC-7340 Laser All-In-One Printer – $99.99

Brother Wireless MFC-490cw All-In-One Printer – $79.99

Canon 100 LIDE Scanner – $29.99

Canon PIXMA MP490 Photo All-In-One Printer, Copier, Scanner – $29.99

Free HP Printer D4360 With Any PC Purchase – $0.00

HP 6000 Officejet Wireless Printer – $59.99

HP 8500 Officejet All-In-One Printer – $149.99

HP CP1518ni Color Laser Printer – $199.99

HP D5460 Photosmart Printer – $29.99

HP J4680 Wireless All-In-One Printer – $64.99

HP LaserJet P1005 Monochrome Laser Printer – $49.99

HP P1006 Mono Laser Printer – $89.99

HP Plus Photosmart Wireless Printer – $74.99

HP Premium Photosmart All-In-One Printer – $99.99

Lexmark S605 Wireless All-In-One Printer – $119.99

Lexmark X7675 Wireless All-In-One Printer – $99.99

Samsung CLP-315 Color Laser Printer – $79.99

Wireless All In One Printer – $39.99

Software

$30 Off Rosetta Stone Software – $30 Off

Interior Design (After Rebate) – $0.00

Microsft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade – $119.90

Microsoft Office Home & Student 2007 – $79.99

Norton 360 Premier 3.0 Security Software – $9.99

Photo Explosion (After Rebate) – $0.00

Print Master (After Rebate) – $0.00

Scrapbook Factory (After Rebate) – $0.00

Television

Digital Prism 7″ Portable LCD TV ATSC710 – $84.99

Samsung 19″ 933HD Widescreen LCD HDTV – $199.99

Samsung 23″ 2333HD Widescreen LCD HDTV – $249.99

Samsung 26″ T260HD Widescreen LCD HDTV – $299.99

More Black Friday deals…

• Fast
• Surprisingly light weight
• nicely designed and set up

Cons:

• Short battery life
• Large size
• Runs hot

Price as reviewed: $4,423

While BFG is new to selling complete computer systems, they aren’t new to high performance gaming. BFG has been producing performance PC hardware for many years, and just this year got into building their own systems. The Deimos was launched at the end of October, and is intended to compete with other gaming laptop lines, such as Alienware’s M17x.

Does it compete? In a word, yes. In some ways, the Deimos surpasses the M17x. For example, when I reviewed the M17x, I had some issues with the biometric security system. Using your laptop’s webcam as a security device is a clever concept — if only it worked consistently. On the Deimos, however, everything worked perfectly out of the box. Performance is comparable. Battery life is about the same. What’s gone is the obvious “I spent $4500 on this computer!” factor that you get with the little alien head on the lid.

Let’s get down to it. Here are the specs on the system I reviewed:

Monitor: 18.4 inch, 1920×1080 resolution
Processor: Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9300 2.53GHz
Memory: 2x 4GB PC3 8500 (1066 MHz) DDR3 (8GB total)
Graphics: 2x GeForce GTX 280M 1GB (SLI)
Optical Drive: Dual Layer Blu-Ray Disc Reader (BD-ROM, DVD/RW, CD-RW)
HDD 1: Seagate Momentus 500GB 7200 RPM SATA II
HDD 2: Seagate Momentus 500GB 7200 RPM SATA II
LAN: Realtek RTL-WLAN 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth: Internal Bluetooth v2.1
Sound: Realtek ALC883 8-Channel Azalia HD Audio
Video Camera: Bison built-in USB 2 MP Camera
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium – 64-bit Edition

Performance: As you can expect from this configuration, the machine is fast. I ran some benchmarks using Far Cry 2, which averaged a framerate of 54.26 at 1920×1080, Direct3D 10, and Overall Quality set to “Ultra High.” 3DMark Vantage reported 11,799, which is a very close comparison to the M17x at 11,904. Of course, if you’ve read my reviews before, you’ll know I’m not huge on reporting numbers; I prefer to talk about the feel of the system. And basically, the Deimos is a great computer. I’m very much into the gaming, and that’s what’s important to me when I’m using a system. The Deimos is fast, plays games really really well (42 FPS in Dalaran, settings maxed, for you World of Warcraft people) and is surprisingly light for the amount of hardware that’s jammed in there. The system has DVI and HDMI out, and a total of four USB ports (two on the left, two on the right). The back is reserved for cooling vents and the power cord. One thing to be aware of: don’t expect to be able to overclock this machine using the BIOS. The BIOS on this system is functional, yet bare bones. There are no options for overclocking at all.

Controls: The keyboard took some getting used to; the keys aren’t exactly a style that I’d normally prefer, coming from the netbook school rather then a standard keyboard. And the numeric keypad is a hot mess. It’s pretty much impossible to touch type using the number pad because everything is jammed together with the arrow keys and the standard keyboard. There’s more then enough room that they could have provided a little space between the two and made it a bit more user-friendly. There is also a series of “G-keys” down the left side. These are customizable macro keys are much like what is used on the Logitech G-Series keyboards. These too, work as intended, however they do take up quite a bit of real estate on the left side of the keyboard area.

The trackpad (centered, and highlighted with LED light) works as expected, with no major issues. The left and right button (there’s only one, and you click on either side) responds well, and doesn’t feel mushy or too stiff. There is a fingerprint reader centered in the button, which provides biometric login options.

Appearance: Aesthetically, it’s a little bright. Where it’s nowhere near as gaudy as an Alienware system, it does have a touch sensitive strip across the top, and all the icons are lit from beneath with LEDs.The touch activated icons turn on the webcam, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth hardware. You can also control the volume, or activate your web browser or media player. The LEDs in the case (shining out the front and back) and the lid can change color, however the process is less than intuitive. The case is also extremely shiny, and regrettably shows fingerprints incredibly well. BFG is aware of this, even to the point of including a large microfiber cloth for wiping it down. Overall, compared to the Alienware, the Deimos is almost tasteful.

It is interesting to note that the Deimos is a re-branded Sager notebook. Further research showed that were you to go online and order a system with the same configuration, you’d save yourself $100. Despite this fact, I’d still purchase this computer from BFG, due to their excellent record on customer service. From a value standpoint, compared to the Alienware M17x, I’d still choose the BFG Deimos. For around the same price (the M17x, configured the same costs $4,399, $24 less), the Alienware laptop has a smaller screen, weighs twice as much, and a profile that screams “steal me!”. That’s not to say the Deimos is the ideal commuter laptop — it is quite large. But it lacks the ostentatious nature of the M17x.

Final thoughts: I wholeheartedly recommend the BFG Deimos. It’s a fine machine, and doesn’t try to be more then that. I’ve found it to be more then sufficient as a desktop replacement, both for work and play. Yes, the price is high, but if you are buying a performance laptop, you have the budget for it and you probably don’t really care about how much it costs; you want the best. I will admit that I’m not a huge fan of the keyboard, but it was a simple thing to plug an external keyboard in when I was sitting at my desk. The keyboard was just fine for casual use, but perhaps it’s not for the business user.

Staples’ Black Friday ad has finally made its way to the outside world. Stores open at 6AM on Black Friday, which almost seems late considering a bunch of other retailers will be opening two hours earlier. Hooray for (sort of) sleeping in!

Here’s a list of the electronics items being offered. Doorbusters are marked with an asterisk and will be available from 6AM to 10AM on Black Friday:

Blank Media

Sony CD-R Media 100/Pack – $16.98

Sony CD-R Media 50/Pack – $9.98

Staples CD/DVD Jewel Cases 50/Pack – $4.99

Staples CD-R 100/Pack – $4.98 *

Cell Phones

Motorola H710 Bluetooth Headset – $39.99

Computer Accessories

Altec Lansing VS2621 PC Speakers – $19.99

Any Business Case, Sleeve, or Backpack – 40% Off

APC 450VA Battery Backup – $19.99

Belkin 6-Outlet Surge Protector w/Left Extension Cord Combo – $5.99

HP Wireless Mouse (Black) – $9.99

Logitech C600 Webcam – $39.99

Logitech Illuminated Keyboard – $29.99

Logitech V450 Wireless Laser Notebook Mouse – $14.99

Microsoft 4000 Wireless Laser Keyboard/Mouse Set – $29.99 *

Microsoft VX-3000 Webcam – $9.99

Targus 208-CD/DVD Album – $9.98

Targus Notebook Fan – $9.99

Computers

Dell Desktop PC w/AMD Athlon X2 215 Processor, 4GB RAM, 640GB Hard Drive, 20-inch LCD Monitor – $499.98

Dell Studio 15.6″ Laptop w/Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 Processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB Hard Drive – $599.98

HP 15.6″ Laptop w/Intel Celeron Processor 900, 3GB RAM, 160GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 – $299.98 *

HP 15.6″ Laptop w/Intel Pentium Processor T4300, 4GB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 – $399.98 *

HP 17.3″ Laptop w/Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 Processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB Hard Drive – $599.98

Sony 15.5″ Laptop w/Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 Processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB Hard Drive – $649.98

Digital Cameras

Canon PowerShot A1100 12.1 MegaPixel Digital Camera w/4x Optical Zoom, 2.5″ LCD (Silver) – $129.99 *

Flip Ultra Camcorder w/2″ LCD – $129.99

Free Canon Photo Printer With Purchase Of Any Digital Camera (After Rebate) – $0.00 *

Kodak 10.0 MegaPixel Digital Camera w/Memory Card And Bag – $79.99 *

Kodak EasyShare M340 10.2 MegaPixel Digital Camera w/3x Optical Zoom, 2.7″ LCD – $109.99 *

Nikon Coolpix L100 10.0 MegaPixel Digital Camera w/15x Optical Zoom, 3″ LCD (Black) – $199.99 *

Nikon Coolpix L20 10.0 MegaPixel Digital Camera w/3x Optical Zoom, 3″ LCD – $99.99 *

Nikon Coolpix S570 12.0 MegaPixel Digital Camera w/5x Optical Zoom, 2.7″ LCD – $149.99 *

Nikon D3000 10.0 MegaPixel Digital Camera – $499.99 *

Olympus Stylus FE4000 12.1 MegaPixel Digital Camera w/4x Optical Zoom – $99.99 *

Sony Cyber-Shot W220 12.1 MegaPixel Digital Camera w/4x Optical Zoom – $129.99 *

Digital Media Cards

SanDisk 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo – $12.99 *

SanDisk 4GB SDHC Memory Card – $9.99 *

SanDisk 4GB Ultra II CF Card – $12.99 *

SanDisk 4GB Ultra SDHC Card – $12.99 *

SanDisk 8GB Memory Stick PRO Duo – $24.99 *

SanDisk 8GB microSD Memory Card – $14.99 *

SanDisk 8GB Netbook SDHC Memory Card – $14.99 *

SanDisk 8GB SDHC Memory Card – $14.99 *

SanDisk 8GB Ultra II CF Card – $24.99 *

DVD Players

Coby 7″ Portable DVD Player – $49.99

Electronics

4-Device Universal Remote – Free After Rebate

AT&T DECT 6.0 Cordless Phone With Digital Answering System – $49.99 *

Coby 7″ Portable Digital TV – $99.99

HP 10″ Digital Picture Frame 512MB Memory – $139.99

HP 8″ Digital Picture Frame 512MB Memory – $109.99

Maxell Noise-Canceling Headphones – $20.00

Memorex iPod Clock Radio – $25.00

Midland LXT360VP3 2-Way Radios – $24.99

Motorola H390 Bluetooth Headset – $9.99 *

Omnitech 12″ Digital Picture Frame – $69.99 *

Omnitech Bluetooth Speakerphone – $20.00

Omnitech Digital Photo Ornament – $10.00

Omnitech Mini-Speaker – $9.99

Panasonic DECT 6.0 Expandable Cordless Phone w/Digital Answering Machine – $49.99

Sharp Handheld Calculator – Free After Rebate

Skull Candy Ink’d Earbuds – $9.99

Sony Reader Pocket Edition And Cover With Light Combo – $214.98

Sony Reader Pocket Edition Cover With Light – $54.99

Sony Reader Pocket Edition With 5″ Display – $199.99

Sony Reader Touch Edition And Cover With Light Combo – $319.98

Sony Reader Touch Edition Cover With Light – $59.99

Sony Reader Touch Edition With 6″ Screen – $299.99

Sungale 7″ Digital Picture Frame – $29.99 *

Uniden DECT 6.0 Cordless Phone w/Digital Answering Machine – $59.99

GPS Navigation Systems

Garmin Nuvi 255W Portable GPS – $119.99 *

Magellan RoadMate 1700 Portable GPS – $199.99

TomTom Go 830 Portable GPS – $169.99

TomTom XL 330 Portable GPS – $99.99 *

TomTom XXL 530S GPS – $149.99

Hard Drives

Seagate 1.5TB External Hard Drive – $139.99

Seagate 1TB External Desktop Hard Drive – $69.99 *

Western Digital My Passport Essential 500 GB Portable Hard Drive – $69.99 *

Memory

PNY 1GB DDR PC3200 Desktop Memory – $49.99

PNY 2GB DDR PC5300 Desktop Memory Kit – $49.99

Monitors

Acer 23″ Widescreen LCD Monitor – $139.98

eMachines 21.5″ Widescreen LCD Monitor – $89.98 *

Samsung 23″ TV/Monitor Combo – $249.98

MP3 Players

Coby 2GB MP3 Player – $14.99

Trio V418 4GB MP3 Player – $29.99

Networking

Linksys Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router – $89.99

Netgear WNR1000 RangeMax 150 Wireless Router – $34.99

Portable USB Storage

HP 16GB USB Flash Drive – $29.99 *

HP 4GB USB Flash Drive – $7.99 *

HP 8GB Portable Flash Drive – $12.99 *

PNY 4GB USB Flash Drive – $11.99

Printers

Brother HL2170W Laser Printer – $89.98

Brother HL3040CN Color Laser Printer – $179.98

Brother MFC-295CN All-in-One Printer – $59.98

Brother MFC-7340 Laser Multi-Function Printer – $99.98

Caanon imageCLASS MF4350d Laser Multifunction Printer – $149.99

Canon Pixma MP560 Wireless Photo All-in-One Printer – $99.98

Canon Pixma MP640 Wireless Photo All-in-One Printer – $49.98

Epson Stylus 1400 Wide-Format Photo Printer – $89.98

Epson Stylus NX415 All-in-One Printer – $49.98

Free HP Inkjet Printer w/Purchase of Any PC or Laptop (After Rebate) – $0.00

HP Color LaserJet CP1518ni Printer – $199.98

HP Deskjet F4280 All-in-0ne Printer – $39.99 *

HP LaserJet P1005 Printer – $49.98

HP LaserJet P1006 Printer – $89.98

HP OfficeJet 6000 Wireless Inkjet Printer – $59.98

HP OfficeJet J4680 All-In-One Printer – $64.98

HP OfficeJet Pro 8500 All-In-One Printer – $149.98

HP Photosmart C6380 All-in-One Printer – $79.98 *

HP Photosmart Plus All-In-One Printer – $74.98

HP Photosmart Premium All-In-One Printer – $99.98

Lexmark E260dn Laser Printer – $124.98

Software

Adobe Photoshop Elements – $49.99

Microsoft Office Home & Student 2007 – $69.99

Norton 360 With PC Purchase Or Staples Rewards Members – $9.99 *

Norton AntiVirus 2010 – $9.99

Peachtree Pro Accounting 2010 (After Rebate) – $0.00

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Short Version: After a handful of rapid-fire firmware updates, the Android-infused Archos 5 Internet Tablet has turned out to be quite a compelling device. The snappy web browser, marathon battery life, and nearly endless list of features and functions make Archos’ latest couch companion a worthwhile option if you’re shopping for portables. If you’re drawn to the Archos 5 Internet Tablet purely based on the fact that it’s running Android, though, you’ll likely come away disappointed as there’s no access to the popular Android Market.

Features:

• Screen: 4.8-inch 800×480 touchscreen
• Storage: 32GB flash memory
• Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth, GPS
• Codec Support: MP4, WMV, MPEG-2, H.264, MP3, FLAC, OGG, AAC, WMA
• Promised Battery Life: 22 hours audio, 7 hours video
• Expansion: microSD
• Other: Android OS, web browser, downloadable apps, FM receiver, optional DVR
• Dimensions: 5.63” x 3.1” x 0.4” and 6.4 ounces
• MSRP of $379.99

Pros:

• Jack-of-all-trades device handles audio, video, web surfing, radio, e-mail, GPS, media streaming, digital video recording, games, photos, and more
• Impressive battery life — especially for audio and video playback
• High-resolution screen works well for web sites and videos

Cons:

• The $380 starting price is compounded by having to pay to unlock extras like MPEG-2/WMVHD video playback, GPS subscription, and DVR functionality
• Built-in Archos-branded app store is severely limited, and there’s no access to the more popular Android Market

Review:

I’ve been playing with the Archos 5 Internet Tablet for about a month now. I have the 32GB flash version, which is a gorgeous slab of electronics sized small enough to fit in a roomy pocket but large enough to keep next to your favorite armchair in lieu of a full size laptop.

While the aesthetic appeal of previous Archos devices has traditionally been the subject of great debate, most would agree that this new one looks pretty nice inside and out.

To say that the first couple weeks I spent with the device were worrisome would be putting it lightly. The UI was slow and clunky, the battery drained even when the tablet was in standby mode, and the web browser crashed out to the main screen during periods of moderate use.

Then came a firmware update. Then another. And another. And suddenly everything worked.

I’m now happy to report that the tablet is much more stable, the battery life has greatly improved, and surfing the web and navigating the interface is sufficiently slick. I’m using firmware version 1.2.15 (Android 1.5) at the time of this review.

The Archos 5 Internet Tablet does many things and, as with most portable media players, the big question is whether or not it can do each one of those things well.

Basic Audio and Video Playback

For audio and video playback, the device handles everything with ease. Videos look great on the crisp 4.8-inch screen and the 800×480 resolution renders downscaled HD videos and standard-definition videos phenomenally. Archos has really nailed down the core functionality of its portable media players. Music and videos come first, everything else comes second.

I was skeptical of Archos’ claim of 7-hour battery life for video playback, so I set a playlist up to repeat indefinitely at 25% brightness and 25% volume just to see how close we’d get to that number. To my surprise, the tablet hit 6 hours and 15 minutes before petering out. That’s not too bad at all, especially considering I left the Wi-Fi connected the entire time.

Audio playback is handled via a simple interface that displays album artwork. I found the built-in speaker to be too tinny to listen to anything other than spoken-word podcasts – playing actual music sounds much better through a pair of decent headphones. Battery life for music playback is pegged at 22 hours and, again, those claims held up pretty well. I managed about 20 hours and 30 minutes with volume at 25% and Wi-Fi turned on.

And finally, just for good measure, here’s where I complain about Archos charging people $40 to unlock 720p WMV and MP4 playback. That functionality should always be included at no extra charge but Archos has been charging people for it for a long time now, so I give up.

Web Browsing

The built-in web browser is quick and responsive, thanks in large part to the 800MHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU that powers the tablet. The 800×480 screen renders full versions of web sites relatively faithfully, although the browser will default to the mobile version of most sites if there’s one available.

Trying to use the Archos 5 Internet Tablet for web videos is, unfortunately, too hit-or-miss right now if one of your big goals is to watch YouTube videos all day. YouTube apparently tweaked their API recently, which caused videos handed off from the browser to Archos’ built-in video player to just freeze the tablet, requiring a reboot.

There’s a standalone Dailymotion player included, and I’m currently having trouble getting those videos to work as well. There’s loose talk of a Flash 10 update coming to the device sometime but until then, browser-based Flash video is still pretty rough around the edges.

Not to say that YouTube videos never worked on the device – they used to, at least. They even played back in HD (see this post on ArchosFans.com for proof).

So if you’re planning on using the web browser for basic, straightforward stuff then you’ll like it just fine. It’s quick, the keyboard works great, and pages render nicely on the 4.8-inch LCD.

Battery life is pretty solid as well. Under heavy testing (a website auto-refreshing every minute and a different site simultaneously scrolling through RSS feeds like a news ticker), the tablet managed to stay alive for five hours.

Software

And now for the Archos 5 Internet Tablet’s Achilles heel: software. Part of the allure of an Android device is access to the thousands of great free and for-pay applications found in the Android Market. Unfortunately, though, the Archos 5 Internet Tablet’s 800×480 screen resolution and lack of dedicated Home and Back hardware buttons place it outside the list of compatible devices for the current version of Android (1.5) that it’s running.

That’s not to say that you’re completely out of luck. Archos has built its own app store into the device, called AppsLib. It’s a pretty clunky, slow-loading (sometimes freezing), repository with a mere handful of available applications (listed here) – a far cry from what’s available in the Android Market. There’s no Google Maps here, no Qik, no SportsTap, none of that stuff.

That’s not entirely Archos’ fault and it’s possible that a future update might load Android 2.0 onto the device someday (which includes compatibility for 800×480 screens) but as of now, your options for new apps are very limited and the interface that’s used to deliver them is frustrating at best.

What you’re left with is a mish-mash of pre-installed applications that range from quasi-useful to downright unrecognizable. Archos is a French company, so some of the stuff (like Dailymotion and Deezer for instance) will be of little to no interest to U.S. consumers.

Here’s a list of what you get:

• GPS (called NDrive): Actually works pretty well. Free 7-day trial and then $39 one-time unlock fee thereafter. There’s 3D navigation, turn-by-turn directions, quick satellite lock – turns the Archos 5 Internet Tablet into a serviceable GPS system for the car.
• Quickpedia: Wikipedia front-end. Also includes location-based searches via GPS
• Dailymotion: YouTube-like video portal from France
• Browser, E-mail, Contacts
• Craigsphone: Craigslist front-end
• Twidroid: Twitter
• AppsLib: Archos’ app store
• High Paying Jobs: Guess!
• Deezer: French streaming music site
• eBuddy: Universal instant messaging client
• DVB-T: Digital TV front-end that requires Archos’ “TV Snap-On” accessory (I don’t think it’s even available in the U.S., though)
• DroidIn-Lite: LinkedIn front-end
• ThinkFree Mobile: Microsoft Office file viewer
• Moov: Application launcher
• Yellowbook: Phonebook
• Video: File playback, network streaming, and schedule TV recordings (with one of the required $80 or $140 DVR accessories)
• Music: File playback, network streaming, FM radio
• Photo: View local image files or grab them over a network
• Games: 8 Flash games available, 13 “Playin TV” games available – additional 4-packs can be purchased from Archos for $10 apiece.
• Media Club: Web TV (streaming weather/public TV stations, video podcast directory), Web Radio (streaming radio stations, podcast directory), Music (links to Jamendo web service), Archos Store (premium Media Club services)

Conclusion

Are you interested in an attractive, lightweight portable media player with great battery life that you can use mainly to consume audio and video files that have been directly downloaded or streamed across a local network? If so, you’ll like the Archos 5 Internet Tablet. You’ll get what you’re looking for along with the added bonus of a great web browser, pretty good GPS navigator, and a handful of somewhat useful software.

If, however, you’re interested in an Android device with a large, high-resolution screen that you can use to watch YouTube videos, download cool applications, and surf complex websites in an attempt to replace your laptop or netbook, you’ll likely be disappointed. As with most jack-of-all-trades devices, it’s common to be a master-of-none. I’d say that Archos has sufficiently mastered the multimedia end of the portable spectrum, but there’s still plenty of work left to be done when it comes to the company’s Android initiative.

This is Archos’ first stab at an Android device, and early adopters will likely be willing to put up with various shortcomings along the way. And, again, those looking for video and music features first and foremost won’t have too much to complain about here. But Android fans looking for a killer tablet for Android’s sake would be better off waiting to see what’s next.

Achos 5 Internet Tablet [Archos.com]

This is one of the smallest netbooks I’ve had the pleasure to carry. It weighs less than three pounds and is about 12 inches long. It is quite thin and the 10-inch, 1280×720 pixel screen is covered in glossy glass. The keyboard us tucked tight against the screen giving you about four inches of palm space on the wrist-rest/trackpad portion versus the same space for all the keys.

The model we tested had a 120GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, and a Intel Atom Z530 Processor running at 1.6 GHz. I has an SD card slot, SIM slot, and supports WiFi and Bluetooth. It includes an HDMI out port and a 1.3 megapixel camera. It is made of lightweight aluminum and has a definite MacBook feel except for the rounded front and top.

It also includes integrated A-GPS and GPS along with Ovi Maps, Nokia’s mapping software. It runs Windows 7 Starter edition. More on that shortly.

So what is this thing?
If your first question about the Booklet 3G is “Where can I buy it?” you may be slightly surprised. The Booklet is selling at Best Buy for $299.99 with two year Data Connect contract which ensures you’ll have 3G Internet in areas, presumably, where AT&T 3G is supported. It costs $599.99 without contract.

What you’re essentially buying here, then, is one of the first carrier subsidized netbooks. The question, here, then is whether to buy one of AT&Ts other mobile offerings for about $300 (*cough* iPhone *cough*) or a laptop with a keyboard and Windows 7. Call me old fashioned, but my money is still on a 3G phone when it comes to anything with a screen and a Mi-Fi dongle when it comes to portable networking. To lock yourself into one laptop for two years, especially one so underpowered, is, unfortunately, folly.

The Booklet scored 2.2 on the Windows Experience Index which puts it in the same classification as that old Dell in the closet or a potato ricer. It got 774 on GeekBench, a fairly lackadaisical score considering the year old MSI Wind scored 837.

The question, then, is whether this thing is a really big cellphone or a small, underpowered laptop. Given that you can’t make calls on it, I’m aiming for the latter. The buy-in required to own it is also a bit onerous.

Bad News: It’s Laggy
The biggest problem I found was lag. Closing a window takes a few seconds while browsing the web is an exercise in frustration. Because the processor can’t render pages fast enough you find yourself waiting quite a bit. YouTube videos took quite a while to load while other Flash load times were interminable. Netbooks were designed for web use and this is one slow web device.

The trackpad buttons are also a bit hard to press, which adds insult to laggy injury.

Good News: It literally lasts for hours
At first couldn’t test the battery on this thing because I didn’t have enough time to sit around and watch it. This laptop literally keeps going and going. It’s rated for 12 hours and I saw about 10 hours in movie playback. That’s great.

So who is it good for?
I feel that the Booklet is an odd chimera by any standard. It’s a netbook by one of the most famous cellphone makers and it’s subsidized like a cellphone but is not worth its unsubsidized price. In a nutshell, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Perhaps there is a market out there for subsidized netbooks. Perhaps a fleet of these things given out to a sales force in lieu of BlackBerrys might make sense. However, I’d be hard-pressed to find a mobile professional who wants to skimp on processor power to get WWAN capabilities.

I think devices like the Booklet are filling a hole in the market that will soon be overtaken by standalone, wireless WWAN-to-WiFi devices or, dare I say it, WiMax dongles. Until then, devices like this will fill that void although I feel that the end user will be underserved with these devices.

However, Nokia has proven it can make and build a nice netback, all things being equal, for the low end of the market. Is it a dream device? No, but it’s a strong showing and if they can get the unsubsidized price down to the subsidized price I’d be willing to recommend it to the general user.

The exact model will be revealed tomorrow, but at least the key specs have been released today: an Intel Celeron 900 CPU, 2GB of memory, and a 160GB hard drive. Chances are the screen will be around 15-inches too and it will have the standard assortment of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, DVD optical drive, webcam, and a 6-cell battery life. But for $249, who cares. It’s not like your mom is going to do anything but play Farkle on Facebook anyway.

RIM’s newest release brings us BlackBerry OS v5. It has all of the standard features you’ve come to know and love, email, SMS, IM, web browsing, etc. The Bold takes all of that and serves it too you on a 624MHz processor. i would say the only weak spot is the web browser.

The Bold is 4.29″ x 2.36″ x 0.56″ and weighs in at 4.3 ounces. Size wise, it feels about the same as any other BlackBerry, but it was much lighter than I expected. The back has this interesting faux-leather cover for those of you who want to feel like you really got your money’s worth.

The control surface proved a nice improvement. RIM replaced the traditional trackball with an optical trackpad. Personally, I like this interface much better. It feel much smoother and more precise than a ball. The trackpad sits flush with the body of the phone, so it won’t get damaged or worn out nearly as often. The keyboard proved to be easy to type on as well. The keys themselves are a little small, but the sculpted edges prevent you from slipping. Other dedicated buttons include a keypad lock key and a mute key on the top, voice dialing on the left side, and a volume rocker and programmable button on the right (default to opening the camera).

The display is something to behold. Not only can you watch streaming video with the new and improved JavaScript and streaming protocol support, but it all looks absolutely beautiful. The quality of pictures and video playback is pretty damn good. The camera itself isn’t too shabby either. 3.2 Megapixels with image stabilization, a 2x digital zoom, and flash. The onboard mic for video recording isn’t the greatest, but that’s to be expected.

In terms of connecting to the outside world, the Bold has not only 3G and Wi-Fi capability, but UMA support. Meaning you can make calls over a wireless network, without using your plan minutes.

T-Mobile hasn’t given us a firm release date. But you can expect it in time for the holidays for $199.99 with a two-year contract.

Technical Specs

• Memory: 256MB of internal flash memory, with a microSD card slot
• Battery Life: Talktime – 6 hours     Standby Time – 19 days
• Display: 480 x 360 color display, TFT LCD
• Camera: 3.2 MP camera with 2X zoom, flash, and video
• Optical Trackpad
• Keyboard: Full QWERTY keyboard, backlit
• Bluetooth: v2.1
• Headset Jack: 3.5mm stereo headset
• Media Player Supported Audio: 3GP, MP3, WMA9/WMA9 Pro/WMA 10, MIDI, AMR-NB, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+
• Supported Video: DivX 4, DivX 5/6 partially supported, XviD partially supported, H.263, H.264, WMV3, MPEG4, Sorenson Spark and On2 VP6 (Flash support)
• Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g (w/ UMA support)
• GPS: photo geotagging capability
• BlackBerry OS: v5.0

The new 2010 Volkswagen GTI is a stylish and versatile piece of machinery. This latest installment in the GTI’s nearly three-decade existence has been restyled to provide the driver with a sleek exterior, a comfortable interior, and plenty of power for moving around in the daily grind.

VW wanted us to drive test out this new car so bad, I was flown out to San Fran and put up in a swanky hotel for three nights where I was wined and dined. It was hard leaving my blue-collar routine in Detroit, but someone has to do it.

You know what though, I was thoroughly impressed with how the 2010 GTI performed during normal everyday driving and not-so-normal parking lot autocross racing. VW was even kind enough to provide me with one of their TDI cup drivers, Perry Richardson, to show me how to put the Mk VI GTI through its paces.

The two courses provided were set up thusly: a slow speed course that was very technical with numerous tight corners and switchbacks. Then there was a high-speed course, which featured a couple of good sweeping corners and a slalom at the end of it. Perry took me through both courses, explaining his technique to navigate through the sea of orange cones as he drove.

Then it was my turn. While a total blast to drive, my driving skills were not on the same level as Perry’s. Nonetheless, this event displayed just how powerful Volkswagen’s direct injected turbocharged 2.0L four cylinders are that making 200 SAE hp at 5,100-6,000 rpms and 207 lbs-ft. of torque from 1,800-5,000 RPMs. The 16-valve DOHC engine and six-speed manual transmission propels the GTI to a respectable 0-60 time of 6.8 seconds. The standard transmission allows the GTI to achieve a decent 21 city/ 31 hwy. MPG (EPA est.).

Now, as much fun as a manual gearbox is to drive, VW’s optional six-speed automatic with DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) gives the driver the ability to just get in drive and go, or put it into manual mode and control the up shifts and down shifts. The DSG automatic utilizes a computer to control the dual clutch system, telling one clutch to engage the next gear while the other clutch releases the current gear. The result is a smooth, crisp shifting, better acceleration (0-60 in 6.7 seconds), and improved fuel economy (24 city/32 hwy.).

A very neat feature on the automatic gearbox is the launch control. All you have to do is set the transmission into manual mode in first gear. Then turn off the traction control, put one foot on the brake and the other one the accelerator pedal. Release the brake pedal and let it fly! All this power is transmitted to either the standard 17 inch x 7 inch or the optional 18 inch x 7.5 inch wheels and “European-tuned” suspension.

While the wheels were stylish enough, I thought the suspension was almost too firm for a daily driven vehicle. Don’t get me wrong, I like a firm, responsive ride, but I felt like I was home in the pothole-riddled state of Michigan while driving around the surface streets of San Francisco. It’s not a bad ride, I just think they could improve on it some more.

Then there is the interior. It’s clean, functional, and easy enough to access the back in the two-door models. The front seats are very sport-minded and hold you in place during various… let’s just say fun maneuvers throughout your drive.

I love the fact that an integrated an iPod connection into the car. This makes jamming your favorite tunes a breeze on either the standard touchscreen radio or the optional navigation system with a 30 GB hard drive (20 GB of which can be devoted to music). Both of these radios support Bluetooth, so you can keep in touch with everyone hands-free.

How much is it, you ask? The base starts out at $23,290 and goes on up from there. It is available in six different colors: Deep Black Metallic, Candy White, Tornado Red, United Gray Metallic, Carbon Steel Gray Metallic, and Shadow Blue Metallic. Let me suggest checking out what 25-years of GTI heritage has created.