10 Days of Deals at Dell

Try to say that 10 times fast.

Click the image at right to see Dell’s “10 Days of Deals” page with savings on computers, monitors, Blu-ray disc players. Each day through October 14 through 23rd will feature discounts and savings on different products, so check back each day. Here’s a list of some upcoming products.

Day One:

Get a new Dell Studio Hybrid computer for $699 after $180 off!  The studio hybrid is small, powerful, and economical. It takes up 70% less space and uses 70% less power. It comes with an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU (the T5750 with 2.00GHz clock speed, and 667Mhz FSB), Windows Vista Home Premium, 1Yr Limited Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis, Dell SE198WFP 19 inch Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor, 2GB RAM/Memory (Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz), a 250GB SATA Hard Drive for storage, a CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-RW Drive), and a Dell Wireless Desktop Keyboard & Mouse. Upgrades available.

Get a Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop for $499 after $150 off!  It comes with an Intel Celeron 550 CPU (2.0GHz, 533Mhz), Windows Vista Home Basic, Microsoft Works, 1Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty and Mail In Service, a glossy, widescreen 15.4 inch display, 2GB RAM/Memory (Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz), a 250GB SATA Hard Drive, a CD / DVD Writer (DVD+/-RW Drive), Dell Wireless Internet 802.11g Mini-Card, and High Definition Audio. Upgrades available.

Day Two:

Get a Sony BDP-S350 Blu-ray Disc Player for $269 after $30 off!  Get the superb picture and sound quality only available on a blu-rayu disc player. CNET had this to say about the BDP-S350, “the combination of its small design, solid feature set, and excellent image quality make the Sony BDP-S350 a worthwhile standalone Blu-ray player–especially if you can find it for less than $300″. And her it is, under $300. Speaking for myself, this is the price I’ve been waiting for, a blu-ray player under $300.

Get $120 off on a Dell E248WP 24″ widescreen flat LCD monitor for $299! It has 1920 x 1200 native resolution for stunning detail without compromising desk space, a 5 millisecond response time which helps reduce ghosting and motion blur when gaming or watching movies, a 1000:1 contrast ratio for darker blacks and sharper images, crisp text, better color saturation and greater detail for HD entertainment.

There are more items available which I’ve not mentioned here.

Coming up on Oct. 16:

The Phillips DVD Home Theater System, Canon Rebel EOS XSi digital SLR camera, the Inspiron mini 9 laptop, and the Studio Desktop Mini 9 bundle computer system.

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Skipping CDs and DVDs?

Jewel Cases

Do you have a few CDs or DVDs that “skip”, “stutter”, or “freeze” when you play them?  Chances are the disc needs a simple cleaning to remedy that problem, but you don’t need to buy a disc cleaning kit if you take relatively good care of your discs.

By “relatively good” I mean you treat your discs almost as good as you would a vinyl disc or LP — for those of you who’ve ever had one.

People tend to think that modern digital discs are more durable, but they aren’t.

Proper Disc Care

Here are a few tips for safe handling and storage of your disks.

Storage: Store your discs in “jewel cases” instead of sleeves. Paper, fabric, and cardboard sleeves can make minor to small scratches in the disc’s surface. Dirt and dust can get into a sleeve and cause scratches. Quality jewel cases hold the disk off the case surface, thereby minimizing the risk of scratching.

Raised Spindles

Scratches make it difficult for the laser of a CD or DVD player to read the disc. Make sure your jewel cases have raised spindles to prevent the disc from touching the inside of the case.

Minimizing contact with the surface of the disc reduces the risk of scratching — even the label side. Scratching the label side of some less expensive discs can actually damage or remove the recording material underneath.

Disk Handling and Removal

Handling: Always grab or hold a disk by its edges. Keep your fingers and other objects off the flat surfaces. When removing a disk from its case, use your thumb and middle finger to grab the edges, while your index finger can be used to press down on the spindle to release the disk.

Disk Cleaning

No amount of good handling on your part is going to help you with a used or rented disk. I have yet rent a DVD that doesn’t have a dozen or more scratches, scuffs, and fingerprints on it.

Inspect the recording side of disk before playing to see if it needs cleaning. Marks and fingerprints on the shiny side of the disk will interfere with proper playback.

I often run water from the faucet over a disk’s surface, and then lightly dry off the disk with a clean facial tissue. Wipe the disk straight from the center to the edge. Be careful with inexpensive or home recorded disks with paper labels as the water may remove or smudge the label.

For a better method of cleaning the unprinted side of the disk, use a glass cleaner and a clean cloth like the ones used for cleaning eyeglasses. Though I’ve never tried it, I’ve heard some recommend to applying a little car wax to the disk with a soft clean cloth after cleaning.  Let the wax dry, and then wipe it off.

Be aware, not all scratches or marks are removable, especially with old used disks. Always use a soft clean cloth or you’ll make scratches all your own.

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Update: Blockbuster Total Access

I’ve updated my Blockbuster Total Access review with a new special two-week free trial in addition to the original $10 off the first month offer. Click the link to read it now.

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