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Thursday July 16, 2009
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 When Circuit City announced back in January that it was liquidating its assets after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last fall, it was sad to see the electronics chain close its doors forever. But just like athletes and singers who announce their retirement only to keep coming back, Circuit City is rising once again. This time, however, it's an online-only presence, powered by Systemax, a Fortune 1000 company and retailer of brand-name and private-label products. (Systemax also runs CompUSA.com and TigerDirect.com.)
On the new CircuitCity.com, it's a lot easier to find what you're looking for. On each product page, you'll find photo galleries, videos, product descriptions and specs, and customer reviews. I like the Quick Deal Links at the bottom of the homepage for quick access to deals.
Speaking of deals, CircuitCity.com is running a number of them on displays, laptops, cameras, and more. For today's TechSaver Test, I'm going to challenge the site's sales on the Samsung 2043SWX 20" LCD Monitor, the Garmin Nuvi 265WT, the Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless G Router, and the Sharp LCC5255U Aquos 52" LCD HDTV.
Find out if you should do your shopping on CircuitCity.com, after the jump.
Samsung 2043SWX 20" LCD Monitor
(Regularly $179.99; Now $129.99)--Hot Deal!
Free Shipping
The Samsung 2043SWX features a 15000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, a 20-inch widescreen, and a resolution of 1,600-by-900. With a sales price of $130, it can't be beaten! In fact, it's a hot deal.
Garmin nüvi 265WT
(Regularly $299.99; Now $229.99)--Bad Deal!
Free Shipping
Garmin's nüvi 265WT features everything the 265W does, except has a 4.3-inch widescreenn display. You get voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions, 6 million points of interest (POIs), Bluetooth pairing, and an integrated FM traffic receiver with a lifetime traffic subscription. Receiving $70 off the original price already seems like a good deal, but NewEgg has an even better one. You can get the 265WT for $214.99 with free shipping.
Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless G Router
(Regularly $59.99; Now $45.99)--Bad Deal!
The Linksys WRT54G2 offers 802.11g/b access points and a built-in four-port 10/100 switch to connect Ethernet devices together. CircuitCity.com's price is already a good deal, but you won't be able to take advantage of the site's free shipping deal unless you add more to your cart to equal $100 or more. So, if you'd like to save on shipping costs, I recommend going to Amazon.com; you can buy the Wireless G Router for $44.99 with free shipping.
Sharp LCC5255U Aquos 52" LCD HDTV
(Regularly $1,599.99; Now $1,199.99)--Good Deal!
With a way better price than what Buy.com is offering, this 52-inch HDTV set has a 10000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, four HDMI inputs, 1,920-by-1,080-pixel resolution, and a screen refresh rate of 60Hz. Good deal verified.
Is a store running a sale that you want me to put to the TechSaver Test? Send me an e-mail at TechSaver@pcmag.com, and I'll investigate.
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July 17, 2009 2:54 AM
It's remarkable where monitor prices are these days; LCD costs have dropped through the floor in recent years - there's pretty much no excuse not to have at least a 20" LCD display on your desk at this point!
July 17, 2009 12:24 PM
One thing to note, Buy.com offers free shipping on the Sharp LCC5255U Aquos 52" LCD HDTV, CircuitCity.com does not. There is not that much of a price difference all in.
Thanks.