I love Macs, but the prices are effing ridiculous. I’ve recently discovered a way to help defray some of that cost. As a corporation, I’m sure this is not their largest secret…but here’s a small secret you may not know about: Refurbished Macs. There’s an entire selection of discounted Apple stuff that is not publicized at all. You can’t navigate to it from the homepage, and even on the Apple Store page it’s relegated to the bottom left corner, well below the fold, in a box marked “Special Deals.” The box contains pretty images of rainbow-colored iPods, but refurbished Macs are relegated to one line of text in tiny font.

Once you click on “Refurbished Mac” you are taken to a wide selection of refurb goodness – Macbook Pros, Macbook Airs, iMacs, Mac Pros and more. These are used Apple products that undergo a refurbishment process, including full cleaning, testing, repair and repackaging. Apple certifies that all defective components have been replaced and everything is fully functional. They stand behind their certification by issuing the same full 1-year warranty as with new products, and you can purchase Apple Care for certified refurb items at the same price as new.

Depending on the retail cost, savings on refurbished gear can be substantial. High-dollar units like the iMac go for $300-$500 less than retail, Macbook Pros and Airs are $200-$400 cheaper, and iPods offer savings of $20-$40. Remember when the Macbook Air first came out and it was $3,000? Now you can get a refurbished newer model for $1,099 — just $100 more than a new Macbook.

Pro tip: If you don’t see exactly the model you want, keep coming back to check (or reloading the page of you’re truly obsessed like me), because the inventory changes constantly. If you DO see exactly the model you want, grab it, because it may not be there a few hours later.

So what’s the quality like? Well, I was a bit skeptical myself, but this week I decided to check it out. On December 23rd I found a refurb 13″ Macbook Pro for $300 off retail, and ordered it. Apple offered free overnight shipping for the holidays, but said it would take 3-5 business days to ship, so my earliest expected arrival date was December 30. Much to my surprise, later that same evening I received shipping notification, and by 3 pm on December 24 – just 26 hours after I ordered it – my shiny new toy had been Fedexed to my doorstep. After a 10-hour day at work (who works until 6 pm on Christmas Eve?) it totally made my day.

Just for fun, I waited until Christmas morning to open it. There isn’t much about this on the Apple website, but Amazon makes a big deal out of Apple’s “Frustration-Free Packaging” and they aren’t kidding about that. Inside the shipping carton, there was no inner box, no tape to struggle with – the Macbook was simply suspended by a piece of soft foam at either end. On top, nestled perfectly into a niche in the foam, was a long rectangular slider box, quietly marked “Apple Certified.” This box contained the power cable and adaptor brick, a booklet marked “Everything Mac,” a CD slipcase marked “Everything Else,” and a polishing cloth.

The Macbook itself was wrapped in clear cellophane, which I opened to find a perfectly clean, pristine, like-new unit, inside and out. Not a scratch or a smudge to be found anywhere. I booted it up and it started up just like a brand-new Mac — with Snow Leopard, no less. I spent the entire day (OK, so I have no life) putting it through its paces, and so far everything has worked perfectly. It blows my EEE PC out of the water, which is to be expected, and it also easily performs as well as my beloved 24″ iMac…but that’s a whole other post. If everything continues to be good, I will be completely sold on the refurb concept. I can’t see any reason to go back to paying full retail price for fabulous-but-overpriced Macs.

As a side note, Amazon has Speck satin-finish hardshell cases for the Macbook Pro on sale for $38, which is $10 cheaper than the Speck website…and yes, they come in pink.

This post was powered by delicious coffee and leftover holiday chocolate chip cookies.

After hours of careful consideration, I succumbed to the temptation to replace my pink PSP Slim (aka 2000) with the new PSP Go (aka N1000) model. I attempted to trade in my 2000 but GameStop wouldn’t take it because it’s a Japanese import, so I will probably sell it on evilBay or Craigslist instead. I actually hate to get rid of it because it’s so pretty, but I just don’t need two PSPs.

So, why the PSP Go and not the PSP 3000? I considered the pretty lilac 3000, but since I am over the age of eight, I really didn’t need all the Hannah Montana crap that comes with it. Also, the system itself is not all that different from the 2000. The PSP Go is a completely different shape and size and uses a substantially different philosophy in terms of functionality (more on that below). Unfortunately it only comes in black and white, at least for now, so I went with white. Like the iPhone, I figure I can get a pink case for it at some point and it will look better with the white behind it.

In terms of look and feel, the PSP Go is a pretty sweet piece of kit. It’s only slightly larger and thicker than my iPhone, and unlike the PSP 2000, it fits easily in a pocket. The Pearl White case is glittery in the sunlight, and less of a smudge-magnet than the Piano Black. The Go screen is about the same size as the 2000, but noticeably brighter and clearer. The slide function to access the controls is smooth and solid, and the buttons are laid out well and easy to use.

Aside from the slider format, the main functional difference between the Go and the older models is the lack of UMD drive. Although this is a benefit in my book (no more carrying around a case full of UMDs), this has been a major source of contention for gamers who have invested a lot of cash in UMD movies and games. It’s not a big issue for me because I had maybe 5 UMD games, and I had no movies because my Japanese PSP 2000 wouldn’t play US-formatted movies. When I bought the Go, I traded in my UMD games (along with some unloved PS2 and Wii games), so it wasn’t a total loss.

Games for the Go are available via download from the Playstation Store only, which is another complaint from gamers. You can download them directly from the console via wireless, or use your PC or PS3 as an intermediary. However, you can’t trade downloaded games in for credit if it turns out you don’t like them, and you can’t rent them to try them out before buying. Currently there is not a huge selection of games available in the PS Store, but there are some good ones, and more are being added. Regular games are about the same price as the UMD games, but some are less and the “PSP Minis” are just a few bucks. The download-only arrangement is similar to Apple’s iTunes model, and although the proprietaryness of it annoys me, IMO it’s worth it to give up the UMD format.

To accomodate all these digital downloads, the PSP Go is equipped with a 16GB hard drive. It will also accept Sony’s Memory Stick Micro for removable memory. The PSP Go has support for Bluetooth, so you can use a Bluetooth headset for Skype or use it to connect with your PC or PS3. It also has buuilt-in Wi-Fi, which I will likely only use for game downloads and system updates. I really have no need to use the very limited browser or RSS reader when I have an iPhone with real Safari.

There’s not much in the box along with the PSP Go – just the combination USB/power cable and the manual, plus a voucher to download Rock Band Unplugged Lite free. There’s a CD containing Media Go, Sony’s iTunes-like media manager, but you’re better off downloading the newest version (free) from the Playstation Network. Media Go is unfortunately not available in Mac format, so I have to use it with my netbook, but it does make managing everything easier. It had been a while since I accessed the Playstation Store, so when I logged in through Media Go it was nice to learn that not only could I re-download the digital games I’d purchased for the PSP 2000, but I also had a $19 credit waiting for me. Downloading Rock Band was as easy as adding the voucher code under “Redeem Codes.”

Connecting to wireless was a bit of a challenge. I tried it in two places, at work and at home. The work network has much more security so it took a bit of finagling to get the right key sequence entered. My home network is not secured, but initially I couldn’t connect at all. After a little internet research (OK, I could RTFM but I didn’t) I learned that the PSP needs wireless-b and my router was configured for wireless-g only. After tweaking those settings on my router it worked fine.

Inside the PSP Go, there are locations already set up for you to add your own music, photos, and video, and it has a bajillion different system color schemes to choose from. In addition to Rock Band, there’s a pre-loaded demo for the new Patapon 2 game and free Skype software. Rock Band comes with 5 songs but you can download more at $1.99 each, and some of them are pretty good. In my next post, I will write more about games and game play on the PSP Go.

The first thing I changed on the Eee PC S101 was the operating system. I noticed when I first booted up the S101 that it came with Xandros Linux installed, but the label on the keyboard says “Designed for Windows XP.” The box contained a system restore CD, but it was a generic CD and not the Asus-branded disc that typically comes with Eee PCs. There was also a CD containing all drivers needed for WinXP. The only explanation I can think of is that the seller was permitted to distribute these S101s but did not have Windows licenses, so they installed Xandros before shipping. I did consider trying Eeebuntu, but I use an application for work that is not available on Linux. Since I had all the WinXP drivers and a legal copy of XP Pro, I decided to start there.

It took me about a day to get WinXP installed properly. Note to self: be sure to delete ALL partitions before installing XP! I’ve been tweaking and updating everything for the past few days, and finally have it just about where I want it. Here’s what I’ve installed so far:

• 2 GB RAM
• Kingston 8GB SD card (got on sale at Fry’s for $20)
• Windows XP Pro w/SP3
• All device drivers
• Eee PC Storage
• MS Office
• Adobe Reader
• Fireworks
• Firefox
• Google Chrome
• Twhirl (a Twitter client)
• Google AdWords Editor

I also added a few 1024×600-friendly desktop wallpaper images from the thousands available at UKtechnics.

After installing the new operating system, all programs, all drivers, and the bloated Windows updates, I have 7.5 GB left on the hard drive. Including the 8GB SD card, that’s a total of almost 16 GB space left onboard, plus 30 GB Eee Storage in the cloud – more than enough for a netbook. I am not running iTunes nor storing music on the S101 because I have all of that set up on my iPhone, which I always have with me anyway.

As for performance, everything is running smoothly so far, although it’s locked up on me once. I had to make a few tweaks to get it to remember my screen resolution and left-handed touchpad clicking, but everything else installed seamlessly. My wireless network was recognized instantly without any input from me, and the speed is impressive where the signal is strong. I have not tested battery run time yet, but I did use it for a couple of hours and the meter said it was only 33% depleted.

I didn’t notice this until I used it under direct light, but the pink S101′s keys are slightly sparkly. Just one more reason to fall in love! I will wait until I’ve used it for a few weeks to make this determination, but the pink S101 may just be the perfect netbook for me.

My pink S101 is here! And it’s the perfect shade of pink – silvery and very slightly sparkly in sunlight. It got here all the way from Taiwan in just six days. I’m very pleased with it so far; it was packed very carefully so it’s in perfect shape, and everything’s working fine right out of the box. Even the power plug is US-friendly.

My first impression is that the S101 is a class act all the way. The box is matte black with a subtle “Eee PC” embossed in silver. A far cry from my Blush Pink 701 from last February, the S101 has an equivalent-sized body but a 3″ larger screen. Its SSD hard drive is 3 times larger and the battery life is more than double. But the real difference is in the fit and finish – my 701 looked like a Hello Kitty toy, but the pink S101 is sleek, shiny, and all grown up. The metal parts are not chrome but understated gunmetal, and the crystals embedded in either end of the hinge are subtly sparkly.

The keyboard is unfortunately not pink, but the palm rest and multitouch trackpad are brushed metal and color-matched to the pink cover. Even the case is classier than the 701′s, in brown, padded ultrasuede with matching drawstring bag for the cable and power brick.

I’d been wondering which version of Linux would be on it, and now I know: It’s standard-issue Eee PC Xandros. It’s supposed to be the English version, but it’s a little quirky — some of the subwindows are in Chinese. It doesn’t really matter because I’ll probably end up loading Win XP on it, although I may try Eeebuntu Netbook Remix first to see if I like it. I have a new RAM module on its way, so in a few days I’ll have an updated report on OS and performance. Until then…well…you know where I’ll be!

I have already written an ode to the Eee PC S101, including my fervent wish that it was available in pink. Well, just in time for Christmas, my wish has come true! Sort of. This pink S101 was just released for Japan, and is apparently also available in Taiwan. As long as you don’t mind a combination of English and Chinese characters on the keyboard, you can find them on eBay for $699, the same price as the other 16GB S101s. This is a Linux model, though I’ve been unable to determine what flavor — is it the usual Xandros, or maybe Ubuntu?

The keyboard isn’t pink, nor is the bezel around the screen, but everything else is, including the trackpad. And it’s a nice pink, not a cheesy Barbie pink like the Dell Mini. Without further ado, here’s what she looks like:

I‘ve been watching Dell’s “12 Days of Deals” holiday promotion with interest, and so far they have featured the Inspiron Mini 9 twice. Monday they advertised a price of “$299 after $50 instant savings” for the Linux system, but then they charged an extra $25 for red or pink colors, which they didn’t do before the holidays. Total savings: $25.

Today, they have a Win XP version for “$399 after $90 instant savings.” This configuration includes a 1GB RAM upgrade (normally $25) and 16GB SSD (normally $40), but they are now charging an extra $30 for colors. This same configuration was $449 before the holidays. Total savings: $20 if you want pink or red, $50 otherwise. Unless I do some really creative math, I can’t make the 12 Days of Deals savings equal $90.

All I can say is that this is typical Dell – promote something as being “on sale” and then jack up the price of the options. Do they think we are stupid? Sure, a $20 discount is better than no discount, but don’t pretend it’s anything bigger than what it is – especially when HP, Lenovo, Acer, and other netbook manufacturers have actually dropped their prices by $50 or more.

Just in time for the holidays, the HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition was just released today. Finally, a netbook marketed directly at women — not little girls. For all my love of pink, I dislike cheesy Barbie pink, which so many technology manufacturers seem to embrace. Worse, even when they do make decent pink laptops, most (Dell included) have only a pink cover — from the inside, you’d never know it’s pink.

This Vivienne Tam edition of the HP Mini 1000 is properly dressed, inside and out. It has a little bit of pink on the peony-bedecked cover, but it is primarily wrapped (even the keyboard) in a gorgeous, classy, juicy shade of red. The HP site claims this is “the world’s first designer digital clutch” with “vibrant peony blooms signifying good fortune and prosperity.” It even comes with a matching silk sleeve. It’s a class act all the way.

Of course, all this beauty is meaningless without specs, but the HP Mini 1000 has some pretty decent ones. HP’s 10.2″ BrightView Infinity display has now-standard 1024×600 resolution. At 10.3″ x 6.6″ x 1″ and 2.5 pounds, it’s definitely small and light enough to be portable. It’s almost exactly the same size and weight as the Eee S101. The only OS available is Win XP, but at least it’s not Vista. It has the current netbook-standard Intel Atom N270 processor and 950 Media Accelerator, 1 GB RAM. Thankfully, HP seems to have given up on the VIA C7-M processor that appeared in the Mini 900. There’s a 16GB SSD, or for an extra $25, a 60GB 4200 RPM (slow) hard drive. Bluetooth is also available for $25, and the wireless transfer rate was rated very well in LAPTOP’s review. You can get integrated mobile broadband through Verizon or AT&T for $199. The battery is an unremarkable 3 Cell Lithium Polymer, which will give you maybe 3 hours of life. I’ve heard rumors that a 6-cell battery will be available in the next month or so, but will of course add extra weight. All in all, a respectable little package.

Of course, there is a catch, and that is the price: configurations begin at $699. The same-size, same-config HP Mini 1000 with a not-unattractive black/grey spiral-patterned finish begins at $479, so you’re paying an extra $220 just to look fabulous. Worth it? If you decide the answer is yes, here’s the place to start.

I normally consider Dell to be a corporate behemoth who panders to the mainstream and is hopelessly out of touch with what high-tech consumers want, but they have surprised me with the Inspiron Mini. First it was Ubuntu, and now…it’s available in pink! I’d think they could have come up with a more creative name than “Pretty Pink,” but hey, it’s something. Just in the past month, they’ve come out with a number of other improvements over their launch model:

• The Mini 12, a slightly larger version with a (duh) 12″ display and a 6-cell battery option. At 11.8 x 9 inches and minimum of 2.7 lbs, it is probably too large for me to carry everywhere, but it is still only about 1″ thick. The dealbreakers for me are that it has a slow 4,200-rpm hard drive instead of a solid state drive, and it runs Windows Vista. Seriously, Dell? Vista?
• The Mini 9 now has an optional 32GB SSD, for Ubuntu systems only. It will set you back an extra $100, but IMO is probably worth it. If you want to order one with Win XP, however, you’re limited to a 16GB SSD.
• If you do select a Win XP Mini 9, you have the option of adding built-in AT&T mobile broadband. It’s an extra $125 but includes a $120 VISA Reward Card mail-in rebate. Of course, you have to sign a 2-year AT&T DataConnect Unlimited contract to get the rebate, but if you need mobile Internet, it’s there.

So the pink Mini 9 with 32GB is tempting. However, thanks to the amazing folks over at Eee PC User Forum, yesterday I caught wind of a pink Eee PC S101! Doesn’t it make the Dell pink look like a Barbie toy? According to a Taiwanese message board, the “Diamond Crystal” pink S101 is a limited edition and doesn’t seem to actually be for sale anywhere, but now that I’ve seen that it exists, it may be worth holding out for. Since there’s a little heart on the cover, perhaps it’s a Valentines’ day release?

How cute is this Samsung Cleo phone? It’s shaped like a little compact, it has subtle flowers engraved on the case, and it comes in pink. I love my iPhone, but if I were suddenly forbidden to have one, I’d want this pretty little phone.

Unfortunately, it’s currently only available in Canada, although I’ve heard rumors of a red version (renamed “U440″ instead of Cleo) coming to the US on Verizon. Why are the cutest pink gadgets never available in the US?

For something so pretty, it has a fairly impressive set of specs. At 5.5″ square, it has a full QWERTY keyboard, so when you flip it open it looks like a tiny, pixie-sized laptop. Phone service is dual-band and dual-mode, so it travels well. Cleo’s packing a 1.3 megapixel camera, an integrated MP3 player, and a micro SD card slot to expand the memory up to 8GB. Samsung’s product site says it has threaded SMS messaging, mobile email, and stereo Bluetooth, so you can pair it with a BT headset and rock out. Bell Canada has the Cleo in pink, light blue, and champagne for $99 with a 2-year contract.

Photo credit: HowardChui.com’s Cleo preview.

Come on. Touch me. Aren’t I sexy?
The S101, surrounded by satin, whispers seductively.

You know you want to. All your friends are doing it…

I’ll stop short of making cheesy hard-drive references, but you get the idea. Adding to their extensive lineup of netbooks and almost-netbook notebooks, Asus’ new Eee PC S101 — as evidenced by the glamour-shot in satin — is either directed at women or at horny men. I’m going with women, because although it doesn’t come in pink, it’s small, slim, and sleek, with a pearlized finish and Swarovsky
crystals embedded in the hinges.

Inside, the 92%-size keyboard is surrounded by color-matched brushed metal, multi-touch ElanTech touchpad and glossy silver buttons. The S101 is currently available in copper brown and graphite, and will soon be released in champagne. Pretttty.

At just 10.3 x 7 x 0.7 inches and weighing 2.4 pounds, the S101 is thinner and lighter than other Eee PCs, prompting Gizmodo to refer to it as “the Macbook Air you can actually afford.” It would easily fit in my purse. Including the adapter, travel weight is still just under 3 pounds, thanks to a new slim 4-cell polymer battery that boasts 5 hours of life. It’s actually tested at 3.5 hours minimum, which won’t set any records, but is longer than the Eee PC 900 or the Dell Mini. The 10.2-inch screen is the same as the used in the Eee PC 1000 series, with WSVGA 1024 x 600 resolution and LED backlighting.

The S101 is pretty, but it’s not made of pansies and rainbows on the inside. The processor is the same one found in most netbooks, the 1.6-GHz Intel Atom. 1GB of DDR 2 RAM is standard, although it’s easily upgradeable to 2GB. Asus’ Super Hybrid Engine (SHE) is controlled by a dedicated button, making switching between power-saving and higher performance an easy task. The spec that makes me the happiest, though, is the 16GB SSD, which is all in one module and not split into two pieces like previous Eees. It’s an MLC module, but in benchmarking tests it has been rated at an average of 91 MB/s read and 60 MB/s write, faster than any of the other Eees to date and many of its other competitors. It also includes 30GB of free online Eee Storage.

Most of the other specs are typical of other netbooks — 1 ethernet port, 3 USB ports, 1 VGA port, 2 3.5mm audio ports, built-in speakers and mic, and MMC/SD card slot. Also like other netbooks, there is no optical drive. The graphics card is the unremarkable but practical Intel 945GSE Express. The S101 also uses the same 0.3 megapixel webcam as the Eee 1000 series, which won’t win any awards for resolution but will work just fine for Skype or chat. The S101 comes with a strong wireless 802.11b/g/n radio and Bluetooth 2.0.

In terms of OS, the Eee PC S101 has just one US option at the moment: Windows XP Home. A Xandros version is available in the UK, which may or may not make it to the US at some point. I’ve seen 32GB and 64GB Linux specs quoted, but can’t find these actually for sale anywhere yet. Asus also bundles the S101 with Sun StarOffice Suite.

The downside? Well, at $699 the S101 is pricier than other netbooks. I don’t see this as a big issue, because it is still a third of the price of the small Sonys and Lenovos, so it’s all a matter of what you compare it to. For me, light weight is a major consideration, but if it’s not a big deal to you, there are other options. For around the same price as the S101, you can get more powerful 10″ laptop (albeit larger and heavier, with traditional hard drive instead of SSD) — you might consider the Asus N10J, which is not being marketed as a netbook but has the same 10.2″ screen.

One of the benefits of Eee PCs is that they are easily upgradeable. Laptop Magazine says the S101 is “difficult to upgrade,” but the RAM chip is easy to access, and contrary to their statement, the full 2GB is recognized by WinXP after a reboot of boot-booster. It would not be as easy to upgrade the SSD, however, so if you wanted to do this you’d be better off with a different Eee PC.

The S101 is currently available in copper or graphite at Amazon and at Newegg, where it’s bundled with a 16GB SD card. I haven’t seen the champagne color available anywhere yet. There’s been no word on whether they will offer other colors in the future, but I have my fingers crossed for pearlized pink!