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Blog posts tagged bargain
Business tech bargain: Microsoft Office single copy
June 21, 2013
If you run a business, you probably use Microsoft Office. And if you need to buy a single copy, it ain't cheap. Figure on paying £219 direct from Microsoft.
(Versions designed for home use are much cheaper, but the catch is that the software's licence agreement says it can't be used for business purposes.)
It is possible to save a bit on this by shopping around. At the moment, you can pick up the exact same package - Microsoft Office Home and Business 2013 - for £178.99. That's a saving of £40 on the Microsoft price.
See details and buy from Amazon >>
For that you get full copies of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote, which are all the major office packages you're likely to need in your day-to-day work.
If you're planning to buy, just be aware that all Amazon will send you is a card containing a licence key for the software. There's no disc included, so you have to download the software online, then activate it with your licence key.
It's probably one of the more expensive pieces of paper you'll ever buy, but if you need Microsoft Office then it's money well spent.
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Business tech bargain: Big Dell laptop, small price
June 14, 2013
Because they're too big to slip into a typical bag and carry around, 17" laptops aren't for everyone.
However, if you're keen to have a big screen and a keyboard with a numeric pad, and you want a machine you can move round the office and take out occasionally, a 17" model might be for you.
If you want to see how a laptop with a larger screen suits you, Dell's Inspiron 17 is currently available from just £335 including VAT and delivery.
See details and buy from Dell >>
That's a great price for a PC which has received decent reviews, and while the entry-level model isn't exactly over-powered, it still has enough oomph to run standard business software like Microsoft Office.
The Inspiron's real stand-out feature is its screen, which is crisp, clear and manages a resolution of 1,600 x 900 pixels. Most laptops in this price bracket make do with lower-resolution 1,366 x 768 screens.
In all, this is an excellent tech bargain if you're looking for a big laptop at a small price.
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Business tech bargain: get a big 27" monitor for under £170
May 31, 2013
When it comes to screen size, bigger is better. So why settle for anything less than this monster 27" screen from AOC?
Currently available at a surprisingly-affordable £169.98 from Dabs, it'll give you plenty of space to spread out several windows and work comfortably.
About this tech bargain
It wasn't long ago that buying a screen this size would have cost an absolute fortune. But the fact that you can now regularly find 27" screens at under £200 speaks volumes about how much the market has changed.
Quite simply, larger screens are more comfortable to work on for longer periods. You have to shuffle your windows around less, meaning you can work more efficiently.
This AOC E2752V is a great screen for the money, offering DVI and VGA connections which will work with virtually all desktop and laptop computers. (You'll need an adaptor to connect a Mac, but then that goes for most screens in this price bracket.)
See full details and buy now from Dabs >>
You might not think a bigger screen will make much difference to your average working day. But once you've tried one, you won't want to go back.
Business tech bargain: cheap domain names
May 24, 2013
If you're looking to bag a cheap domain name for a new project or to safeguard your brand online, domain name specialists 123-reg have a good tech bargain on at the moment.
EU domains for £1.99
You can register a .eu domain of your choice for just £1.99 (+ VAT) for the first year.
While it's fair to say .eu domains aren't the first choice of most brands online, they can be useful if you want to flaunt your international credentials, or simply need a cheap domain for a development or side project.
It's also not a bad idea to grab your business name as a .eu if you're worried about someone else using it for nefarious purposes.
Register a .eu domain >>
This is a decent saving and you'll almost certainly pay more if you buy from elsewhere. Domain names ending in .eu currently cost £4.99 from 1&1 or £14.99 from Easily.
Just remember that this is a deal for the first year, so you'll pay more to renew your domain in subsequent years.
Business tech bargain: Dell XPS 10 tablet for £199
May 17, 2013
The Dell XPS 10 tablet, without the optional keyboard
If you're in the market for a new tablet computer, Dell has knocked £100 off the usual price of its XPS 10 Windows tablet, meaning you can pick up the entry-level 32GB version for just £199 + VAT.
We reviewed the XPS 10 earlier this year and found it to be a solid, capable tablet that has an astonishingly good battery life. Its one Achilles' heel is that it runs Windows RT, a cut-down version of Microsoft's operating system that can only run special Windows RT apps, and not standard Windows software.
However, the range of available apps is expanding, meaning you can still use this tablet for a wide range of tasks. It includes a version of Microsoft Office too, so if you opt for the model with the keyboard (from £289 + VAT) then you'll be getting a nice productivity tool at a bargain price.
See full details and buy from Dell >>
You can also check out our review of this tablet if you're not sure whether it's suitable for you.
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Business tech bargain: cut hassle with rechargeable batteries
May 15, 2013
This isn't strictly a one-off business tech bargain. It's more a pointer to how spending just a small amount now on batteries can save you hassle, waste and - perhaps - money in the future.
Everyone knows about rechargeable batteries, of course. But it's still surprising how many of us don't use them.
Rechargeable batteries work
Look around your office and there are probably plenty of gadgets that could benefit from this business tech bargain. Wireless keyboards and mice, TV, projector and air-con remote controls, speakers, wireless microphones, radios, cameras ... they all have batteries in them.
If your office is overrun with items that frequently require new batteries, switching to rechargeables is a no-brainer. It's easy to keep a few spare sets charged and swap when you need to, and you'll never have to dash out to the corner shop just to carry on working.
Buying rechargeables
There are lots of places to buy rechargeable batteries from online. For instance:
- 7dayshop offers rock-bottom prices, even on branded batteries. I've bought from them several times with no problem, although delivery can sometimes take a few days.
- Amazon, obviously, sells a huge range of rechargeable batteries. These look a good bet if you need them in the AA size.
- Argos, if you'd prefer to buy from a High Street retailer.
If you're just getting started, you'll need a battery charger too. Probably best to go for something that can recharge most battery types, and stand up to regular use:
- This Panasonic smart charger costs just under £18 and can charge all major battery types.
- So can this model from Energizer,also priced at around £18.
- If you have a lot of batteries, this heavy-duty option will have batteries charged in just two-hours.
Will you really save money?
If you're switching your business to rechargeable batteries, do remember that there's some debate about quite how much money they'll save you.
As a general rule, if your devices need batteries replacing frequently, rechargeables will save you money. If they don't, then the cost benefits are less clear.
But it's not just about money. Rechargeables are more convenient, produce less waste, and are there when you need them. As long as you remember to keep them charged.
Business tech bargain: Samsung 355V5C Laptop
May 09, 2013
Need a new laptop for work? This latest tech bargain could be just what you need - it's a great value laptop from Samsung. At only £329.99 (a saving of £69.01 off the normal price) this laptop really is a bargain.
This Samsung laptop comes with a decent AMD DC A6-4400M processor, 6GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive, meaning it's well up to running standard business software.
See details and buy now from eBuyer >>
The 64-bit version of Windows 8 comes pre-installed, but all your usual programs and applications should still work on it properly.
The laptop has a good sized screen (15.6") which is makes it possible to use this laptop on the go. There's also a built-in webcam that's useful for any conference calls you need to make.
The Samsung 355V5C is available now from eBuyer.
Business tech bargain: Asus Fonepad tablet under £180
May 03, 2013
Asus has just launched a competitively-priced, powerful 7" tablet computer called the Fonepad.
It's going head-to-head with devices like Google's Nexus (which is actually built by Asus) and the Amazon Kindle Fire. At £179 it offers exceptional value for money.
With good reviews, plus features and build quality that are comparable to these two key competitors, Asus hopes the Fonepad's built-in 3G and smart phone features will sway buyers towards its product.
It envisages the Fonepad as being a single device to replace both your smart phone and tabet.
What the experts sayPC Pro Fonepad review: Techradar Fonepad review: |
We've mentioned these so-called 'phablets' before, and it's possible the Asus is one of the most elegant implementations yet.
With a slot for a 3G SIM card, you can use the Fonepad to access the internet via your mobile phone network.
And - of course - you can make and receive calls. It might be a little large to hold against your head for long features, but with a hands free kit you'll be all set.
You can buy the Fonepad online now, for £179 from these retailers:
Amazon | Carphone Warehouse | Laptops Direct
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Business tech bargain: Nook e-reader just £29
May 01, 2013
A few months back Amazon dropped the price of its Kindle e-reader to £69. Back then we reckoned that was enough to take e-readers into impulse buying territory - especially for people who get through a lot of books.
Well, this latest business tech bargain blows that Kindle price out of the water. You can currently pick up the Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader for just £29.
It's available at that price from a range of companies online, including the official Nook store, John Lewis, Argos, Sainsburys and Currys.
About this tech bargain
Weighing 165g and with a 6" e-ink screen, the Nook very similar to Amazon's £69 Kindle, except that it also has a touch screen to make navigating books easier. It's received excellent reviews and there's a huge range of e-books available from the Barnes & Noble Nook Store.
A nice touch is that the Nook also supports the open EPUB format, allowing you to read books from other sources and borrow from your local library, if they offer that service
Buy from: Nook store, John Lewis, Argos, Sainsburys or Currys.
Quite simply, this is the best-value e-reader on the market at the moment.
Business tech bargain: a great Lenovo laptop for under £450
April 25, 2013
This business tech bargain is a great-value laptop from Lenovo, a respected manufacturer that makes machines highly-rated for reliability. In fact, you'll find Lenovo computers in use at many of the world's biggest companies.
To be specific, it's the Lenovo Ideapad Z580. This 15" mid-range workhorse laptop has a capable Intel i5 processor, a big 1TB hard drive (that's enough storage for almost anything) and 8GB of RAM.
In short, it's more than enough to handle the business applications you might throw at it, unless you need to do graphic design or work with video, in which case you'll need a laptop with a more powerful graphics chip.
Being a Lenovo laptop, you can also be confident it'll be built to stand up to the odd knock and should last you a good few yars.
Oh, and the price? It's currently available from online merchant Dabs at £462. However, if you use voucher code Z580 then you'll get it for a bargain £442 all in.
See details and buy from Dabs >>
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Business tech bargain: 37" Samsung HDTV for under £300
April 19, 2013
Flatscreen TVs have all sorts of business uses. Many companies use them for presentations in meeting rooms, to show key statistics in the office, or to display corporate information in reception.
This business tech bargain is the Samsung 37EH5000 37" Full HD LED TV, available from eBuyer for just £299.99 including VAT and delivery.
Prices have fallen massively in the last year or so, but £300 is still an excellent price for a 37" model from big-name manufacturer Samsung.
See details and buy online now >>
About this tech bargain
This Samsung 37" high-definition TV can be hooked up to computers and other devices via its two HDMI ports. These should work fine with any computer that has an HDMI or DVI connection (just make sure you get the right cable).
However, if you want to use it with older computers that only have a VGA connection, you'll need a VGA to HDMI adaptor too.
Business tech bargain: solid state storage deal
April 17, 2013
Solid state drives (SSDs) are superfast replacements for traditional computer hard drives.
Because they rely on flash memory instead of spinning magnetic disks, they have no moving parts and can access data more quickly.
Switching the standard hard drive in your laptop for an SSD can lead to impressive performance improvements. The only problem is that SSDs tend to cost a bit more than an equivalent hard drive.
Having said that, prices have dropped in recent months, and we've just spotted a great deal: currently, you can grab a 500GB Samsung SSD for £249.99 over at Dabs.
That's a good price. But as long as you buy before 15 May, you'll be able to claim £40 cashback, bringing the effective price down to £209.99. Now that is a tech bargain!
About this tech bargain
This Samsung SSD holds up to 500GB of data, which should be enough for general business use. In fact, it's very generous in SSD terms, and will give you space for an awful lot of music and a fair few films too, making it a good all-round option.
It's a standard-size unit which will slot straight into most laptops in place of the existing hard drive. It comes with all the normal fittings you might need, plus software to help you move your data across.
Replacing your laptop's hard drive with this should lead to noticeable performance improvements, particularly when it comes to starting your computer up, opening software and working with large files.
Business tech bargain: Logitech speaker dock
April 08, 2013
If you want to keep your office nice and quiet, this might not be the business tech bargain of your dreams.
However, if you like to play a bit of music on a Friday afternoon or operate a stockroom, shop or other premises where background music is appreciated, this bargain Logitech rechargeable speaker dock for your iPhone / iPod might be just the ticket.
It's currently available from Amazon for just £47.
About this tech bargain
This Logitech Rechargeable Speaker S715i plays music from your iPhone or iPod, while simultaneously charging your device. You can also play music from other sources via the aux in port.
It comes complete with rechargeable batteries, which allow you to operate it when you're away from a mains power supply (although the volume does go louder when it's plugged in).
This tech bargain gets excellent reviews on Amazon and comes with a power adaptor, travel case and remote control.
At £47, it's by far the lowest price we can see it available for (the next cheapest seems to be Play.com, at about £70). We wouldn't be surprised if it sells out quickly, so see full details and buy online now.
Business tech bargain: pre-order the new Samsung Galaxy S4
April 03, 2013
Samsung's latest, greatest smart phone, the Samsung Galaxy S4, is now available to pre-order. If you can't wait to get your hands on this impressive mobile phone, then now's the time to place your order online.
You will, unfortunately, still have to wait until the phone's official release. But over at Carphone Warehouse, if you order today you can expect delivery on 26 April, which is the day the new handset becomes available.
Place your order online now >>
There's a wide range of tariffs to choose from, which could see you pay as little as nothing up front (you'll have to commit to a two-year contract, mind you) to £590 to buy the handset outright.
You'll also receive a free accessory bundle which includes a screen protector, flip cover, in-car charger and 32GB memory card.
About Samsung Galaxy S4 pre-orders
Samsung announced the Galaxy S4 at an event in New York last month. Some of the handset's key features include:
- Full high-definition screen, which isn't a first for a smart phone but does mean everything looks a little sharper.
- An eight-core central processing chip, that'll ensure this phone runs superfast (there's a large battery too, to allow for the extra power it'll consume).
- An NFC (near field communication) chip, which may - in future - allow you to pay for things by tapping your phone on a reader in shops.
- A 13 megapixel camera, offering excellent quality photos and videos.
As with other Samsung smart phones, the Galaxy S4 will run Google's Android operating system, which means buying one will give you access to an enormous library of free and paid-for apps. It also includes 4G capabilities, ensuring you can use it on EE, currently the UK's only 4G network.
For all that, this phone isn't a vast leap forward over the company's existing S3. It's more of a careful evolution - which should still position it as one of the best smart phones on the market today.
To be sure of getting your hands on one, place your pre-order now.
Business tech bargain: Lenovo laptop for under £360
March 25, 2013
If you're looking for a good business laptop that isn't going to cost you a fortune, this Lenovo G580 might well fit the bill.
It's currently available from Dabs for £359, which is an excellent price for a decent specification laptop from a well-respected manufacturer. As an all-round business machine, it's great value.
See it now on the Dabs site >>
About this tech bargain
The Intel Core i5 processor that powers this Lenovo laptop is more than capable of handling pretty much any business task you throw at it. Together with 6GB of memory and the 500GB hard drive, it should last you a good few years.
Perfect if you're mainly office-based but need to work on the move occasionally, this Lenovo G580 also comes with Windows 8.
It is a very good price and - as always - we're not sure how long Dabs will be offering it for. So if you're interested, best to see the details and buy online now.
Business tech bargain: Brother network laser printer, just £79
March 21, 2013
In need of a printer for work? Well, this Brother HL-2250DN Network Mono Laser Printer really is a business tech bargain at only £79.20 - that's a saving of £55.30 on the normal price.
This printer has a capacity of 250 sheets of paper and a maximum resolution of 2400 x 600 dots per inch (DPI). That means you won't have to reload it with paper every five minutes, and print quality should be nice and crisp.
See full details and buy now from eBuyer >>
About this tech bargain
This Brother laser printer has a print speed of 26 pages per minute (PPM), so you can print documents quickly. When you share this printer between several people, they won't have to wait too long for their print jobs to finish.
This printer comes with two USB connections, but most useful for businesses will be the network connection. This means you can plug it straight into your company network to share it between several users on different computers.
Business tech bargain: half price fibre broadband
March 13, 2013
Fibre: the secret to faster broadband. (Image: Flickr user James Laurence Stewart)
Here's a tech bargain ideal for home-based businesses looking for an internet connection with a bit more oomph.
Yorkshire broadband firm Plusnet is currently offering its unlimited fibre broadband service at £9.99 for the first six months. That's half the normal price of £19.99.
You'll have to pay line rental (£13.99 a month or £126 a year) on top of that, but the offer makes this broadband tech bargain significantly cheaper than most competitors.
See it now on the Plusnet site >>
Cheaper fibre broadband
Over a year, the Plusnet package will cost you £347.76 - or a little less if you pay the annual line rental up front.
For comparison, BT's Unlimited Infinity 2 package - which has the same 76Mbps speed and unlimited downloads - adds up to £423 over the same period.
About this tech bargain
If - like most of us - your internet connection is still based on ADSL (which uses a traditional copper wire to connect you to the local telephone exchange), this Plusnet package will give you a big speed boost. That's because it uses a modern fibre optic cable to bridge the distance from your street to the exchange.
This allows Plusnet to offer speeds of up to 76Mbps - around ten times faster than the speed of an average UK broadband connection. You'll notice web pages load more snappily, and the extra speed will make a vast difference when you download large files or several people are using the connection at once.
What's more, Plusnet's broadband service generally gets good ratings from users.
The main potential drawback is that you must be based in Plusnet's service area. To see if this includes you, just click Start your order on the Plusnet site, then pop in your postcode when requested.
Business tech bargain: Add storage to your network with the D-Link DNS-320 NAS
February 25, 2013
If you need to add some reliable and cost effective storage to your network you could do worse than going with a D-Link NAS (Network Attached Storage).
Ebuyer are currently selling the D-Link DNS-320 for £45.99 (plus delivery) so this offer is sure to run out soon! All you need is to add some hard drives, connect it to your network, and hey presto - you have network accessible storage for everyone on your network. This uses less power and is less noisy than a conventional server - plus you save a great deal of money if all you're after is a file server as opposed to a fully fledged Windows Server.
This enclosure offers RAID1 which means you have the option to duplicate your data cross the two internal drives for backup. Other features include:
- 2-bay Network Attached Storage for 3.5” SATA drives
- Gigabit connectivity for fast transmission speeds
- User/group quotas for security and confidentiality
- UPnP Media Server to stream media content to compatible media players
- Web file server for easy access to your over the Internet
- Built-in BitTorrent client to download directly from the Internet without a PC
- Touch-button for one-step backup of USB memory sticks
- Print Server to share a printer with other users in the network
- FarStone Backup software included free
- D-Link Green™: energy-saving design
What would you store on this if you had it on your business network?
Business tech bargain: extend your wireless network for under £30
February 19, 2013
We try to highlight a couple of business tech bargains each week so you can find the best value IT out there. After all, doesn't everyone like a good deal?
If you suffer from poor wireless network reception in parts of your business premises, a cheap way to extend your wireless network is to pick up one of these TP-Link wireless range extenders, currently available from Amazon for just £29.99 all in.
See it now on the Amazon site >>
About this tech bargain
It's easy to extend your wireless network with this tech bargain. All you need to do is plug it directly into a power socket that sits near the edge of your existing wireless network's coverage.
Then you just connect this wireless extender to your main wireless network. In most cases, you just have to press a button on your router, then press a button on the extender.
Once you've done that, the extender will rebroadcast your wireless signal, considerably extending your coverage if you've positioned it well.
This seems like a really good price for a wireless extender that gets good reviews. The next best price we can find it at is £32.99, from Expansys.
Business tech bargain: Acer Iconia B1 Android Tablet
February 14, 2013
At just 7 inches and 320g, the Acer Iconia B1 is a comfortable, feather-light and affordable tablet that's small enough to carry with you for every day business use.
Ebuyer.com have this on offer at the moment with free delivery, for £99.99. That means that if you've been looking for an e-reader, this is something else that should be on your list for comparison - plus it offers many more features, and the Google Play store to further expand what it can do.
If you've already got a tablet you love, this might make a perfect gift for the kids / loved ones - and it also means you get to keep your tablet all for yourself.
Business tech bargain: Philips 24" HD monitor at just £108
February 08, 2013
If you're looking for a crisp, clear monitor for your desktop or laptop computer, 24" screens currently strike a nice sweet spot between price and screen real estate.
We've just spotted this Philips E-Line 244EL2SB LCD LED 24" HDMI monitor over on eBuyer for just £107.99 including VAT and delivery. (Incidentally, why do hardware companies give their products such awkward names?)
That's a great price for a 24" screen from a reputable manufacturer, and we can't see it cheaper anywhere else at the moment.
See it now on the eBuyer site >>
About this tech bargain
This Philips monitor should be a perfect workhorse display for your business. It's large enough to have several windows open at once, giving you space to spread out your applications.
It's also a full HD screen, which means it has enough pixels to display high definition content (like films and games) at the best possible quality. The 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution is pretty standard for a screen this size.
The 24" screen has HDMI, DVI and VGA ports, which will allow you to connect it to virtually any computer in your company.
If you use a Mac, you'll probably need to buy a DVI adaptor to hook this screen up, and you'll also need a cable to connect it to your computer, if you don't already have one your can use.
This is an excellent price for a 24" monitor. See full details and buy online now.
Business tech bargain: NETGEAR N600 Wireless Router
February 04, 2013
What's a better way to start off the bargain hunt this week than by speeding up and securing your network with this wireless router from Netgear?
Whether you're upgrading your existing network from 100Mbit to 1Gigabit, or installing a router in your office for the first time - the Netgear N600 will have you browsing the web, accessing files, and printing wirelessly in no time.
5 ethernet ports mean you can connect 5 devices via ethernet cable, and many more via wireless. A built in USB port also means you can network your printer so any device on your network can print.
All the latest security standards are on board so you can be sure that your connection is secure, and safe from prying eyes.
Curry's has this wireless router as a web-only deal for £39.99, as opposed to the usual £79.99. Grab yourself a bargain because these won't be here for long!
Business tech bargain: 3TB external hard drive for under £90
January 31, 2013
As a new IT Donut feature, we'll be highlighting a couple of business tech bargains each week, to help you find the best value IT out there.
To kick things off (that's the best I can do for a football related pun) eBuyer is offering this Buffalo 3TB DriveStation external hard drive for £89.49 (including VAT, but excluding delivery).
See it now on the eBuyer site >>
About this tech bargain
An external hard drive like this is an easy way to add extra storage to your computer. It's also a good way to back up your key business files.
3TB (terabytes) of storage is an enormous amount of space for files, which means this hard drive can hold around 600 full-length DVD quality films or millions of documents.
At this price, it's worth having in reserve just in case you need extra storage in a hurry. See full details and buy online now.
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