The Explorer Mini Mouse has a distinctive look and is capable almost all situations. (click to enlarge)

After reviewing the gaming-oriented Microsoft Sidewinder X8 and being so pleased with its BlueTrack Technology, I knew that the Explorer Mini Mouse had potential to become my favorite ’small mouse.’

Microsoft was kind enough to send me one to try out, and in almost every situation it’s been superb.

There are obvious places where a mouse like this would work, paired with a laptop that you take on the go, as a compliment to your home theater PC (HTPC), or even as a normal desktop mouse.  But I would definitely caution, you’re not going to get amazing gaming performance out of this mouse, because it’s just not designed for that.   There are other mice in the same price range that would be much better suited for gaming performance.

That doesn’t make the Explorer Mini Mouse a bad choice, but you have to know what you’re going to use it for in advance.

The Explorer Mini Mouse has a shiny look and a smooth feel. (click to enlarge)

Out of the box, the Explorer Mini Mouse impresses.  It has a shiny finish to it’s two main mouse buttons, but also a nice touch.  There is a rubber grip that curves along the back of the mouse that kind of tucks into your palm.

The mouse also fit nicely in my hand, as I didn’t have to contort my fingers at all to get a good grip.  I wasn’t sure at first if that would be the case because as the name describes the mouse is smaller than standard.

The Explorer Mini Mouse has the 5 buttons that I have come to expect on mice.  There is your main right and left click, the middle button on the wheel and then two side buttons.  Placement is great.  The two side buttons are placed in a location where it’s still comfortable to click them, and you really don’t notice them otherwise.  The side buttons are also long enough that they stretch most of the side of the device.

The scroll wheel also steals a feature that I’ve liked in Logitech mice, that is a smooth scroll instead of a click scroll.  It’s not for everyone, but I’ve definitely found it nicer for scrolling through web pages and documents than a click wheel.  In Logitech mice you can actually whip the wheel and scroll through a document in less than a second.  That feature is absent on the Explorer Mini Mouse, but you can set the acceleration high enough to speed things up.

Tracking on the mouse was one of the most important things I wanted to try out.  Would the same technology that proved great in the Sidewinder X8 perform in the smaller form?  I can say yes.  I tried the mouse on my home desk, my work desk, the couch, the untrackable table, the untrackable end table.  It tracked great, with only a couple of minor hiccups.

The Explorer Mini Mouse Properties, you might want to change them. (click to enlarge)

The included software that comes with the Explorer Mini Mouse is pretty standard fare, though if you install it you may be surprised by some of the button assignments.

For one, the default for what is normally the ‘forward’ button for your browser is a feature called Magnify.  I changed it from the default the second I used it on the desktop, but found Magnify to be useful in an HTPC setting.  Sometimes text is just too small when you’re sitting 8 feet away from your television and it was nice to have the Magnify feature available to zoom in on a certain area of the screen.  I ultimately disabled it though and changed so that the button would be what I was used to, the forward button.

There are literally dozens of options that you could assign to each of the buttons, from zoom functions to copy and paste functions, but I generally just gave the buttons to the normal assignments.  If there were additional buttons, I may have assigned one as a quick key for opening a program.

You can customize the buttons to have program-specific settings, but I found that in general use at both home and work there wasn’t much need to set up different button assignments.  It’s nice to know that If I had wanted to though that the feature is there.

The Instant Viewer shows you every window you have open, kind of like Expose. (click to enlarge)

The middle mouse button defaults to a feature called Instant Viewer.  This feature pulls back all of your open windows into a grid to give you a kind of a Mac OS X Expose feel, without the flash of the Apple OS.

I’ve always been a heavy ‘alt-tab’ user, quick changing between applications is very important for the way I use a computer.  That being said, I generally don’t need to see every window I have open.  I left the button assigned to the Instant Viewer, beacuse I don’t really use the middle mouse button a whole lot anyways.

The Explorer Mini Mouse is wireless and like the bigger Sidewinder X8 also runs on a standard AA battery.  It comes with a non-rechargable battery, but I tossed in one of the Energizers I had plugged into the wall.  So far, through quite a bit of usage I haven’t had to replace it yet.  There’s no on/off switch on the bottom of the mouse, like I’ve seen on other mice models.

The Explorer Mini Mouse's bottom, with an indentation for the USB dongle. (click to enlarge)

The lack of a switch shouldn’t really be a problem in most cases though, because when you stick the USB dongle into the bottom of the mouse, there’s a push button that turns the mouse off.  So if you’re tossing it in your laptop bag, no worries the mouse will be off.

For a home theater PC setup, some people may prefer to have a switch to turn the mouse off because the USB dongle will always be plugged in.

When it comes to gaming with the Explorer Mini Mouse, it’s a little better than your standard wireless mouse.  It has a 2.4Ghz wireless transmitter, but sports none of the ‘gaming features’ that were included on the Sidewinder X8.   It will get you by though if you’re on your laptop or even a HTPC setup, but know that it’s not a gaming mouse and it’s not trying to be.

The mouse retails for $59.99 but can easily be found for around $40.   That’s more than you’re going to pay for Logitech’s VX Revolution, a similarly sized mouse, but the Logitech mouse has also been out for much longer and doesn’t sport the BlueTrack technology.

If you’re going to be using the mouse on a variety of surfaces or if you’ve had trouble with a wireless mouse tracking in some of the places you frequent, you’re going to want to check out the Explorer Mini Mouse.

As always you can leave your comments in the section provided, or shoot me an email at matt(dot)schuler(at)woodtv(dot)com.   Also check out my Twitter feed for updates on the “Save Your Money: Build A PC” series. (Currently the shipment is sitting in Wyoming, waiting to be delivered on Monday.)

The Microsoft Sidewinder X8 is a gaming mouse that’s attempting to change the way gamers think about wireless mice.  It combines all of the key gaming features into a wireless package, that I feel succeeds in a big meaningful way.  This mouse dishes out a ton of awesome (and yes I know that’s not really a noun).

The Sidewinder X8 is an imposing mouse, packed with features and speedy enough to compete with its wired brethren and cut them down.

Anytime you talk about a gaming mouse, you have to start with performance.  Does it go where I point?  Does it shoot when I want it to shoot?  Pretty basic questions, but the Sidewinder X8 faces additional scrutiny because Microsoft cut its tail.

Some gamers say they won’t touch a wireless mouse because of the lag involved.  They’ll say the time between the click and the registering of the click will be enough to turn a headshot into a miss.  In the past that argument may have stood, but now times have changed because of the Sidewinder X8.

There is no lag.   If someone wants to argue that it’s there, let them waste their breath.  The X8 shows no discernible delay between the time I click and the action on the screen.  This is important to drill into people, because there is a real bias against wireless mice.   The mouse runs  on a 2.4 GHz transmitter, like some other devices you may have used before.

Speed is another asset of the X8.  It’s 4000 DPI matches the levels seen in the Razer Lachesis (which I raved about here).  There are three DPI buttons beneath the scroll wheel that allow you to change the speed on the fly.  I set the levels to 2000, 3000 and 4000.   Depending on what you’re doing in-game, it’s a nice feature to have.

The 4000 DPI level allows for smooth and quick movements.  Running around in Team Fortress 2, it was great to have the quickness in view rotation.  When switching to a sniper, slowing down to 3000 with a simple click provides more precise movements.  Then there’s the 2000 setting, so that I don’t have to hear my wife complain she can’t move my mouse.  There’s a little LCD in the space between your thumb and index figure that tells you what DPI level it’s at when you switch between levels.  The X8 has a 500 MHz USB reporting rate.  This is half the speed of the Razer mice I’ve reviewed, but I didn’t notice any difference in the way my games responded.

The X8 sports Microsoft’s new BlueTrack technology (oddly enough, the Sidewinder X8 is not on the BlueTrack technology page).  This is actually the first thing I raved about ony my twitter page when I got the mouse out of the box.  Absolutely nothing tracks on my living room table or end tables and tracking is difficult on my couch.  That is until I broke out the X8.  The tracking worked, and I couldn’t believe it.  It actually makes me want to replace the mouse I use for my HTPC (currently the Logitech VX Revolution) with one of the Explorer Mini Mouse.   The tracking was that good.  Good tracking leads to good gaming.

It looks like a hockey puck and hides replacement mouse feet. The charging cable wraps up nicely inside too. The Sidewinder X8 charger is great.

Another knock against wireless mice is they run out of power.  It’s true that the battery of a wireless mouse will not last forever.  There are different ways companies have tried to answer the battery dilemma.  I’ve seen charging docks, where your mouse rests any time it needs a charge.  Some mice have swappable proprietary batteries, all you need to do is eject the battery and swap in the new one.   One of the most important things in a wireless battery is how long the battery life lasts.

I can say with certainty the X8 has a nice battery life.  Microsoft claims it can play up to 30 hours on a single charge and I definitely didn’t run into any problems.  The battery is removable hidden by a clip and is a standard AA rechargable battery.  If your charge life is diminishing, all you’ve got to do is pickup a new battery from the store and keep going. There’s also a switch on the bottom of the mouse so that you can turn it off.

Running out of juice? Connect to the charging base and keep gaming.

It’s worth noting when the battery does run out in the middle of a gaming session, the Sidewinder X8 has probably the best charging setup that I’ve ever seen.  The base has a nice long cord that connects to your USB port and a cord thatwraps up neatly inside of the base.  You can see to the above, where the  additional cord is wrapped inside the base and the end hangs out just a little bit.  When your mouse is running out of power, the LCD starts flashing a battery sign but don’t be scared, you won’t have to stop gaming.  Unwrap the cord from the base and it magnetically attaches right to the mouse to start charging.  Attaching the cord is painless, you could almost just wand the mouse over it and it snatches up the charging cable.  It is simply the best setup that I’ve ever seen in a wireless mouse. It’s an elegant solution to the charging dilemma, and another reason you can tell the people who cling to their corded mice to take a hike.

The X8 comes with three sets of mouse feet.  On Microsoft’s page it says they’re made of three different types of material.  I guess my tactile senses aren’t up to snuff, because they all seemed pretty similar to me.  But when one set gets worn down, it’s definitely nice to have three pairs of feet.

There are plenty of buttons on the mouse, 12 in all with seven of  them programmable.  I wish all 12 were programmable, but I’ll get to those in a moment.

The main buttons are standard fare.  Clicks were clicky and normal.  The side buttons are different from your standard mouse layout.  The buttons are vertical, essentially a top and bottom for your thumb.  It’s natural enough though, and was comfortable to not have to move the thumb at all to press both buttons.

The ones that aren’t programmable include the three DPI buttons, the quick launch button, and the macro record button.  I really don’t change DPI settings that often, most of my time is spent at the same level.  It’d be great to re-purpose those three buttons, liberating them from their fairly limited current scope.  The quick launch button would also be nice to change.  In Vista it launches the Games Explorer, which I have never used to launch a game in the history of my using the operating system.  In XP it launches the mouse properties, a much more useful function.  You can’t set it to launch iTunes, or a specific game, it’s locked in.  You also can’t change the macro record button.  But it’s unnaturally out of my thumb’s reach, so that didn’t bother me.

I didn’t really use the macro record button, but it’s nice to know its there.  You can set it to record a combination of button presses and then assign those to a certain button.  (But again, only the programmable buttons.)

You could take umbrage with the X8’s scroll wheel, but it’s a scroll wheel so you should probably get over it.  Logitech’s smooth scrolling is still my favorite, but normal scroll wheel’s are fine in my book.  I did have a small issue with the software with scrolling speed.   If I set the scroll speed too high I wouldn’t be able to navigate mini menus and if I set it too low scrolling in Firefox and Twhirl was a chore.  Thankfully I realized I should just crank the acceleration option on the scroll giving me that subtle option for menus and the speed option for web pages.

The Sidewinder X8 is a great mouse, I can recommend it as one of the best mice I’ve ever used and definitely a wireless mouse that helps fight against the stereotype that you can’t game with a wireless mouse.  The X8 cuts the wire and keeps the performance.  It retails for $99.95 but can easily be found for less if you look.

Questions? Shoot me an email at matt(dot)schuler(at)woodtv.com or hit up the comments section.  For more, shorter updates, check out my Twitter by clicking on twitter.com/mattschuler.

The X6 comes with a detachable number pad, which can be put on either side of the keyboard or left off entirely.  There are a lot of cool features on the X6, plenty of macro keys, volume and light knobs. You can also set the keyboard up in almost any configuration you want.  Pick which side you want the number pad on or chuck it altogether.

The multiple configurations of the Microsoft Sidewinder X6 keyboard. (Images courtesy Microsoft)

Read on for my thoughts on how well it performs.
The majority of my time with the X6 so far has been spent sans number pad.  It was just nice to take it off, and have a smaller keyboard footprint.  I don’t type a lot of numbers, so it’s not a huge loss.  If I did need to crank out a spreadsheet or two though, I can easily toss it back on because the X6 recognizes it in seconds. There are some additional features of keeping the number pad attached, but first to some other things.

The X6 has an impressive number of buttons and options on it.  It comes packed with macro keys, even with the keypad detached.  There are a row of six just to the left of the letter area on the keyboard.  This took some getting used to, because the escape key was still in the top left of the keyboard, and thus further away from the letters.  I found myself hitting F1 quite a bit at the beginning.  The macro keys can be bound to almost anything.  Microsoft says there are more than 90 programmable options, and if that’s not enough you can record and assign a specific group of actions with the keyboard.  This could be great for the MMORPG gamers, but having set World of Warcraft to the side, it was of limited use to me.  The X6 would also lend itself to RTS gaming, with the macro record I could think of a couple of interesting things to do in-game.

The X6 has three profile sets that allow you to setup different macros for different programs.  I setup my main profile to launch programs, assigning keys to Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2, Firefox and iTunes.  I didn’t really use the other profiles though.

The detachable keypad can also be used to setup another series of macros, taking the total macro button total to 30.  But seeing as I didn’t have a glut of macros I wanted to program in, I left it off.  Also on the keypad was a quick launch button for the calculator.  You could reassign it to any other program as well, or just leave it set to calculator.

There’s also a cruise control function on the keyboard that allows you to continue doing something without holding the key down.  Cruise control works with up to four keys at a time, but not with macro keys.

The X6 comes equipped with your standard media controls for your program of choice.  When paired with iTunes, I could pause, play, skip songs forward and back from any program without having to switch back to iTunes.  Pretty standard fare for media controls.  Volume is controlled through a knob on the keyboard that turns infinitely.  It controls volume system-wide, not just on the media player or current program.

The second knob on the keyboard adjusts the light level.  The keyboard has two colors it glows, red in the main area and keypad and amber in the macro section.  You can dim the light to the level you want, but most of the time I just left it at maximum.

With the keypad detached, the smaller footprint made it a bit more comfortable for me to game with, because my mouse-hand and keyboard-hand were closer together.  Other structural things worth noting, is that the palm rest is not detachable as it is part of the keyboard.  Also, there are no “feet” that would prop up the keyboard, it wasn’t that noticeable to me though, and I was still able to type comfortably.  There’s also a pair of tiny nubs on the W key

In all, the keyboard is great to use.  I didn’t get wrist fatigue when typing for long periods of time and gaming was as expected.

A serious knock against it though, there are no USB ports at all.  There’s also no headphone or mic jack.  It’d be nice to have those three things, but it still works without them.

Like the Razer Lycosa Mirror I reviewed in January, the Microsoft Sidewinder X6 retails for $80.  But, I was able to find it for less than $60 shipped.

Questions? Shoot me an email at matt(dot)schuler(at)woodtv.com or hit up the comments section.  For more, shorter updates, check out my Twitter by clicking on twitter.com/mattschuler.

Nate Hoekstra’s One week with the New X-Box Experience:

Some say that change is not always for the better, but Microsoft’s “New X-Box Experience” is a step in the right direction from the old user interface.
As a long-time X-Box user, I was a bit wary of what Microsoft had up their sleeves when I first heard about the overhaul of the 360’s user interface, but after playing with the new system for a week or so, I’ve come to love the new functionality of the design.

For a point of reference, the old interface on the X-Box was functional, familiar, and relatively stable, but had points where it was clunky and not user-friendly. Sometimes graphic changes were clunky due to limits either with cacheing or processing times.

With the newest version of the interface that Microsoft launched on November 19, function, design, aesthetics, and versatility are all improved. The system is very smooth, and works well based upon the new organizational structure (detailed below).

The new system is less cumbersome, as it takes on a much more media-center-style interface that allows a quick peek at several options from the main Dashboard screen instead of having to pick an option to see choices like with the old interface.

The big improvement here seems to have been inspired by, ironically, the “Cover Flow” concept used in iTunes and on new-generation iPods from Apple.

It works on several levels, and based upon conversations with other Xbox users that I’m friends with, seems to be a big hit, especially in terms of encouraging downloads of new featured games, themes, movies, and pictures (all of which are purchased with points, which you buy directly from the unit itself or in major retail outlets, making Microsoft money).

A good example of this is the game I bought last week after my Xbox 360 Pro (60 gig version) auto-downloaded the demo — it’s called Castle Crashers, a simple 2D side-scroller with bathroom humor galore, a clown at the ending, and a cheesy Terminator reference to boot. The demo was fun, and so I sprung for another block of 1,000 points (about $12 or so) and downloaded the game. I never used to look at downloaded content unless I knew what I was looking for — the new interface prompted the look, and Microsoft ended up with a purchase because of it.

Other awesome functionality improvements abound in the media sense. The unit still serves as the docking station for my iPod, completely compatible with the USB front ports, but still doesn’t allow playing of my iTunes purchased songs — bummer. However, a simple transfer to Windows Media Player would solve most issues, as the Xbox still works as a network device for Windows Media PC compatible machines.

The best part about the new setup, however, is that now the units are completely compatible with “instantly available” titles from Netflix. Found easily in the new video tab, the Netflix interface prompts you to register the device on netflix.com with a code that identifies your unit. Then, any movies added to your existing Netflix account are available on your Xbox instead of watching them on a computer monitor.

The video quality is top notch, and while I’m still waiting for some more current releases to be made available online by Netflix, this is a big step forward. If you have a fast enough internet connection, titles can also be streamed in HD. You want to fast forward? Fear not. Using the FF brings up still images of scenes you can select, and re-buffer and stream from there. It’s all quite quick, about 15 seconds of streaming on my relatively quick Comcast internet at home.

Another update is the ability to rip entire game titles to the hard drive, limiting the use and wear that comes with loading off the disk all the time. However, some games, like the first time I loaded up my perennial favorite Halo 3, it let me know in no uncertain terms, that Halo 3 was optimized to run off the disk, and not to run it off the hard drive.

Microsoft also took some cues from the development team at Nintendo, adding in heavily customizable avatars that can be used in a few games at this point, including the download of “UNO!” and some other games. The only experience I have playing with my own avatar is on the newest version of “Scene It!” in which your avatar occupies a place on the hopping magical cough that takes you from minigame to minigame.

The avatars don’t really do much but loaf around right now, but I’d imagine that the Microsoft developers are planning to make changes that will allow for the avatars to be used in many more games in the future. (What would be better than playing Halo Wars when it comes out as a cartoon rendition of yourself!)

Anyhow, the GUI is broken up into several categories:

Spotlight: My least favorite of the categories. It mixes up everything from video to arcade games, ads to themes. There’s an option to hide the “Welcome screen” once you use it the first time. I wish there was one to hide Spotlight, however, occasionally it does point you in the direction of something cool.

Events: Self-explanatory. This section lists the Live events going on in the near future. Say there’s a developer play night with the folks from Bungie, or a Halo 3 Double Experience Weekend, you’ll find them here.

Inside Xbox: Microsoft puts their featured content here. Kind of like Spotlight, but with better content. I actually use this portion a lot.

My Xbox: The place you’ll use the most. This is where you find your games, demos, media library, profiles, and settings.

Friends: Also pretty basic. This is where your friends are, and where you can add new friends.

Game Marketplace: Find downloadable content, demos, etc. here.

Video Marketplace: Just like game marketplace, but for videos. Pretty simple. I recommend the featured Comedy Central stand-up that was on there last night. Oh, and you can easily search — a plus.

One other portion that’s nice about the Dashboard and the NXE overall is that the page-flip design (called blades by some) of the old UI is maintained, albeit in smaller form, from the Xbox button on your controller. There are hardly any graphics, it’s efficient, and doesn’t dominate like the button-based quick launch of the old system used to.

Another new feature is multi-player matching that lets you and your gaming crew to transition from game to game pretty easily. I haven’t had a lot of experience with this, but based upon the interface, it seems pretty easy. Again, not a lot of game time on this, but it seems quite intuitive and easier to use than the old system.

Overall, the new update is fast, fun, and easy to use. And even if it wasn’t, you’d be stuck with it, because you need to update to get on Live. It’s a good update, and helps the platform a lot while adding a bunch of new uber-helpful features. The updates to the system as a whole are fast, games faster, and using the new features is user-friendly and easy to do.

So kudos, Microsoft, on an update well done.

-Nate

———————

You can contact Nate at nate(dot)hoekstra(at)woodtv(dot)com

I’ve gathered a list of what some other people have thought of NXE, check out the links.

The Avatars have landed: exploring the New Xbox Experience

New Xbox Experience (NXE) Review: It’s Pure Improvement

New Xbox 360 Experience hands-on and impressions

The NXE hard drive install only marginally improves game loading time

As I said in the comments of my Blu-Ray post here are the deals you’re going to want to check out for Black Friday.

It covers gadgets, games, TVs, Blu-Ray players almost everything.

Read on and enjoy the savings. Updated Wednesday Night!

These deals are coming straight from Techbargains.com They’ll be updating their site as frequent as possible from Wednesday on to highlight when these deals go live.

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To jump to a specific store, hit ctrl-f and type in the store. (If that’s your browser’s search function)

Included stores: Walmart, Staples, Gamestop, Sony Style, Dell Home, Sears, Kohls, Costco, Target, Office Max, Best Buy, Meijer, Amazon

I’ve added italics to some deals I think are pretty great.

Walmart

Friday 5am – 11am Door Buster Specials (may start earlier)

Samsung PN50A400 50” Plasma HDTV (720p) $798.00
Polaroid 42” LCD HDTV (1080p) $598.00
Emerson BLC320EM9 32” LCD HDTV (720p) $388.00 (That’s pretty cheap, even though the brand isn’t tops)
Magnavox NB500MG9 Blu-Ray Player $128.00 (CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!!!  This is the cheapest you will see a BD player for a while!  If you’re wanting to jump in for cheap this is it!)

Garmin nuvi 200 Portable GPS Navigation $97.00
Samsung BL103 10MP 3X Digital Camera $69.00
Venturer 8” Portable DVD Player $49.99
Philips GoGear 2GB MP3 Player w/ Accessory Kit $29.99
JVC Everio GZ-MG230 30GB Hard Drive Digital Camcorder $249.00
Xbox 360 Arcade 256MB Memory Unit Console w/ Guitar Hero 3 Wireless Bundle $199.00
GiiNii 8” Digital Photo Frame $39.00
HP Pavilion a6683w-b AMD Dual-Core Desktop Computer w/ 19” LCD $398.00
Kodak ZD86128MP 12X Digital Camera $149.00
KitchenAid Classic White 4.5QT Stand Mixer $130.00

Friday, Saturday 2-Day Specials (may start earlier)

Toshiba Satellite L305D-S5897 AMD Dual-Core 15” Laptop (4GB/250GB )$548.00
Seagate Free Agent 500GB External Hard Drive $69.00
Nintendo DS Lite Bundle w/ Super Mario Bros Game $136.00
Nintendo DS Lite Bundle w/ Brain Age Game $136.00

RCA M4208GR 8GB MP3 Player $49.00
Kodak EasyShare CD1013 10MP 3X Digital Camera $79.00
Samsung SC-DX103 DVD Digital Camcorder $179.00
Pure Digital Flip Video F230 30-Min Digital Camcorder $79.00

Samsung PN42A410 42” Plasma HDTV (720p) $698.00
Samsung LN40A500T 42” LCD HDTV (1080p) $798.00
Samsung LN32A300 32” LCD HDTV (720p) $498.00
Samsung LN46A500T 46” LCD HDTV (1080p) $1099.00
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Staples
Friday, Saturday 2-Day Deals (may start earlier)

Laptops:
Acer Aspire One Intel Atom 8.9” Laptop (1GB/120GB/XP Home) $349.98
Acer Aspire Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 16” Laptop $599.98
HP Pavilion dv4t Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 14.1” Laptop (4GB/250GB) $649.98AR

Computer Accessories:
Samsung 933SN 18.5” Widescreen LCD Monitor $119.98
Microsoft Wireless Optical 3000 Mouse $12.99
Logitech LX8 Cordless Laser Mouse $14.99
Targus Notebook Fan $9.99
Logitech S520 Cordless Desktop Keyboard & Mouse $29.99

Netgear WNR2000 Wireless-N Router $49.99
Sony 20X DVD+/-RW 3.5” Internal IDE DVD Burner $19.99
Microsoft Office Home & Student 2007 $59.99
Norton AntiVirus 2009 Software $19.99AR (or FREE with Upgrader’s Rebate)

Portable GPS Navigation:
Garmin NUVI 205W Portable GPS Navigation $149.99
Navigon 2100 MAX Portable GPS Navigation w/ Lifetime Traffic Updates $199.99
TomTom Go 730 Portable GPS Navigation $349.99
Omnitech Portable GPS Navigation (4.3”, TTS) $119.99

Printers:
HP Photosmart C4480 Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer $49.99
HP LaserJet 1215 Color Laser Printer $149.99
Brother MFC-3360C Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer w/ Phone $29.99
Brother HL-2170W Monochrome Laser Printer w/ Wireless Networking $79.99
Brother MFC-7420 Monochrome Laser All-in-One Printer $99.98
HP Photosmart C6380 Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer $119.98
Brother 575 Phone & Fax Machine $9.98

Flash Memory:
2-Pack PNY 4GB Flash Drives $19.99
SanDisk 4GB Memory Stick Pro Duo $19.99
SanDisk 8GB SDHC Card $19.99
50-Pack HP DVD Blank Disc Media $9.99

For The Office:
Uniden 3-Handset DECT 6.0 Cordless Digital Telephone $39.99
Panasonic 2-Handset DECT 6.0 Cordless Digital Telephone $49.99
Brother PT-1280 Label Maker $9.99AR
Skullcandy Ink’d Earphones $9.99

APC BE350R 350VA UPS Battery Backup $19.99 (That’s $10 less than I paid for mine.)
Staples Manilo Leather Manager’s Chair $49.99
Staples Dugan Terry Manager’s Chair $99.99
Staples Tillman Leather Executive Chair $199.99

Electronic Gifts:
Zenith Philips Universal Remote FREE AR
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W120 7MP 4X Digital Camera w/ FREE Canon Printer AR $129.99AR
Nikon Coolpix S550 10MP 5X Digital Camera w/ FREE Canon Printer AR $149.99AR
Omnitech 7″ Digital Picture Collage Frame w/ 512MB Storage $69.99AR
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Gamestop

Friday Doorbusters (7am – 11am, may start earlier)

FREE Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 w/ Xbox Console ($199.99-$399.99)
FREE PS2 Game (under $20) + $30 Gift Card w/ Sony Playstation 2 Slim Console $129.99
Crysis (PC) $19.99
World of Warcraft: Battle Chest (PC) $19.99

Friday, Saturday, Sunday 3 Day Deals (may start earlier)

Buy 2 Used Games or Accessories, Get 1 FREE
Sony Playstation 2 Slim Console w/ $30 Gift Card $129.99
Sony PSP Madden NFL 09 Limited Edition Bundle w/ $30 Gift Card $199.99

Guitar Hero Aerosmith Game Only (Wii) $19.99, (PS3, Xbox 360) $29.99
Samba De Amigo Game (Wii) $19.99
Nerf N-Strike Game (Wii) w/ FREE Maverick Blaster Gun $59.99
Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS) $29.99
Civilization: Revolution (DS) $19.99
New Release Chrono Trigger (DS) $39.99

Final Fantasy 12 (PS2) $9.99
Resident Evil 4 (PS2) $9.99
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PS3, Xbox 360) $39.99
Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway (Xbox 360) $19.99

=============
Sony Style

Deals Starting Thursday

Sony BRAVIA DAV-HDX576WF Home Theater System $349.99 (Exp 11/29)
Sony BRAVIA HT-CT100 Home Theater System $199.99 (Exp 11/29)

15% off Sony Style Outlet (Exp 12/1)
$300 off Sony SR Series Laptops (Exp 12/1)
$100 off Sony VAIO Notebooks and Desktops (Exp 12/1)

Sony Alpha DSLR-A350K SLR Digital Camera w/ Lens $699.99 (Exp 12/24)
Sony Ericsson K8500 Phones (BLACK, BLUE models) $349.99 (Exp 1/31)
Friday 1-Day Deals (may start earlier)

$250 off Sony VAIO CS Series Laptops Coupon Code: TECHBARGAINSCSBF
$200 off Sony VAIO FW Series Laptops Coupon Code: TECHBARGAINSFWBF
Sony Walkman NWZ-A818 8GB MP3 Player $69.99 Coupon Code: TECHBARGAINSMP3
15% off Select Sony Handycam High-Definition Digital Camcorders Coupon Code: TECHBARGAINSHDR (models SR10/SR11/SR12)

=============
Dell Home

Friday Deals (12 midnight – 12 midnight EST but may start earlier)

Computer Accessories:
Dell SE198WFP 19” LCD Monitor $129.99
Western Digital My Book World 1TB External Hard Drive w/ Networking $169.99
Norton 360 2.0 All-in-One Security Software $9.99AR

Home Entertainment:
Sharp 42” LCD HDTV (1080p) $779.99
Sony BRAVIA DAV-HDX275 5.1ch 1000W Home Theater w/ 5-Disc DVD Player $229.99
Microsoft Xbox 360 Arcade Bundle w/ Rock Band 2 (Game Only) $199.99

Portable Electronics & Gifts:
SmartParts 7″ Digital Photo Frame $44.99
Creative Labs Zen Mosaic 8GB MP3 Player $74.99
Pharos PDR200 Portable GPS Navigation $94.99
Canon PowerShot SD1100 8MP 3X Digital Camera w/ 4GB SD Card $159.99

=============

Sears

Friday 5am-12noon Door Busters Deals

Home Entertainment:

Sharp LC-46SB54U 46” LCD HDTV (1080p) $899.99
Samsung LN40A500 40” LCD HDTV (1080p) $799.99
Samsung LN46A500 46” LCD HDTV (1080p) $1099.99
Panasonic TH-42PX80U 42″ Plasma HDTV (720p) $699.99 (Brother has this thing wall-mounted at his house, but he paid $250 more for it.)
Sylvania 42” LCD HDTV $699.99 (item #: 71246/LC420SS8)
Proscan 32” LCD HDTV (720p) $499.99
Sony BDP-S350 Blu-Ray Player $179.99 (ANOTHER SUB $200 BD player! Wow!)
Memorex Progressive Scan DVD Player $14.99AR
Samsung HT-Z310 5.1ch 996W Home Theater w/ DVD Player $159.99
Portable Electronics:
TomTom ONE 125 Portable GPS Navigation $99.99 (item #: 30719)
Magellan Maestro 1412 Portable GPS Navigation $149.99
Venturer 7” Portable DVD Player $49.99 (item #: 57228/PVD730)
Samsung i85 8.2MP 5X Digital Camera $129.99
Kodak 9.2MP 3X Digital Camera $79.99 (item #: 53298/CD93)
iRobot Roomba 405 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner $99.99 (item #: 38800) (I don’t know if this is a good price, but it’s a robot that cleans for you… that’s nice.)

Gifts:
Nextar 7” Digital Photo Frame $37.99
Sony Wireless Stereo Headphones $29.99
Guitar Hero 3 Wireless Bundle (Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii) $54.99

=============
Kohls
Camcorders:

HD Digital Video Camcorder Value Pack $99.99

Digital Cameras:

Samsung 8.1MP Digital Camera $79.99

Electronics:

5-in-1 Music System $69.99
Charging Valet $24.99
Digital Labs 7″ Digital Photo Frame $39.99AR
Digital Labs 7″ Portable DVD Player Kit $49.99AR
Digital Photo Cube $19.99
Digital Photo Key Chain $14.99
Entertainment Projector $99.99
Entire Stock of Weather Stations and Atomic Clocks 50-60% off
HMDX Speaker-on-the-Go Portable Speaker Case $9.99
iLive Stereo Speaker with Dock for iPod $49.99
Innova Universal Dock Clock for iPod $29.99AR
Karaoke system $69.99
KitchenAid Classic Plus Stand Mixer w/ FREE $20 Kohl’s Gift Card by Mail
Nextar GPS Navigation System $79.99AR
Portable or Solar Power Lighting & Chargers 50-60%
Remington 7-in-1 Grooming System $16.49

MP3 Players:

2GB MP3 Digital Audio/Video Player $29.99
Kid’s fashion electronics – mp3s, CDplayers, etc. 50-60% off

Video Games:

Entire Stock of Video Game Accessories 50% off
Video Games – entire stock 30-50% off

=============

Costco

Costco.com (Online)

Friday, Saturday, Sunday Deals (may start earlier)

Sharp 32″ LCD HDTV (720p) $499.99
Garmin nuvi 750 Portable GPS Navigation $199.99
Garmin Forerunner 305 Portable GPS Navigation $199.99
Motorola MotoPure H12 Bluetooth Headset $49.99

Viewsonic 8″ Digital Photo Frame (800×600) w/ 50 FREE Prints $79.99
iTouchless Motion Sensor Trash Can $49.99
P-Touch PT-1100SB Electronic Scrapbooking Label System $18.49
P-Touch 1280VP Handheld/Desktop Label Maker $18.49

Costco Warehouse (In-Store)

Friday, Saturday, Sunday Deals (prices are in-store only)

Samsung 23″ Widescreen LCD Monitor $259.99
HP C5550 Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer $74.99
Samsung 23″ Widescreen LCD Monitor $259.99
Western Digital Passport Elite 320GB Portable Hard Drive $89.99
Olympus FE-370 8.0 MP Digital Camera $119.99

iHome iH27 Portable iPod Stereo Speaker System $49.99
iTunes $60 Card Pack $49.99
Magellan RoadMate 1212 Portable GPS Navigation $99.99
SanDisk Sansa Fuze 8GB MP3 Player $59.99

SmartParts 10.4″ Digital Photo Frame $99.99
KitchenAid Stand Mixer Professional HD Series $229.99
Vtech 3-Handset DECT 6.0 Cordless Digital Telephone $39.99
Philips Norelco Arcitec Razor $119.99

=============

Target

Friday, Saturday 2 Day Deals (may start earlier)

Home Entertainment:
Westinghouse 26″ LCD HDTV (720p) $299.99
Audiovox Under-Cabinet 12″ LCD HDTV w/ DVD Player $249.99
Crosley 4-in-1 Music System $79.83

Portable Electronics:
Apple iPod Nano 8GB MP3 Player w/ $15 Gift Card $145.00
Kodak MX1063 10.3MP 3X Digital Camera $89.00
Magellan RoadMate 1200 Portable GPS Navigation $99.99
Garmin nuvi 200W Portable GPS Navigation $119.99
TruTech Dual-Screen 7″ Portable DVD Player $88.00
RCA 7″ Portable DVD Player $49.00
Virgin Wildcard Cell Phone $39.99

Consoles & Video Games:
Xbox 360 Pro 60GB HDD Console w/ 2 Games + $60 Gift Card $299.99
Nintendo DS Bundle w/ Super Mario Brothers Game + $10 Gift Card $149.99
Nintendo DS Bundle w/ Brain Age Game + $10 Gift Card $149.99
Sony PSP Bundle w/ Ratchet and Clank + $20 Gift Card $199.99
Guitar Hero World Tour Bundle (Wii) Game + Guitar $59.00

Health & Beauty:
Dyson DC07 PINK w/ $100 Gift Card $349.99
Sonicare FlexCare Power Toothbrush $149.99
Norelco Speed XL Shaver $79.99
Norelco Arcitec Shaver $129.99
Braun Series 5 Shaver $139.99

Toys & Gifts:
Uniden 2-Handset 5.8GHz Cordless Digital Telephone $29.99
Fly Fusion Pentop Computer Digital Pen $29.99
RipStik Skateboard (RED) $59.00
Storm Rocket Wireless Gaming Chair $44.00
3-Slot Charging Valet w/ Power Strip $15.00

DVD Movies starting at $3.98
Batman Begins, Happy Feet, I Am Legend, Devil Wears Prada all at $3.98
=============
OfficeMax

Friday, Saturday 2-Day Deals (7am – 12 midnight EST but may start earlier)

Computer Peripherals:
Soyo 19″ Widescreen LCD Monitor $99.99
Cyber Acoustics 3ch Computer Speakers $14.99
Linksys Rangeplus Mimo 802.11b/g Wireless Router $39.99
Microsoft Communication Pack (Wireless Keyboard and Mouse + Webcam) $24.99
Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 5000 $14.99
Logitech QuickCam Connect Webcam $14.99

100-Pack TDK 16x 4.7GB Double Layer DVD+/-RW Blank Disc Media $15.99
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 $69.99
Nuance Dragon Naturally Speaking V10 Standard Software $39.99

Maxtor OneTouch 1TB External Hard Drive $139.99 (Wow! That’s a BIG! cheap! external HD)
Maxtor OneTouch 500GB External Hard Drive $79.99
SimpleTech Signature Mini 500GB External Portable Hard Drive $129.99
Maxtor One Touch 4 Mini 250GB $69.99

Portable Electronics:
Nikon Coolpix P60 Digital Camera w/ Free Inkjet Printer $119.99
Olympus FE-340 8.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/ FREE Starter Kit $119.99
Quick Flix Digital Camcorder $59.99
TomTom One 125 Portable GPS $99.99
Centon moVex 2GB MP3 Player $14.99
Centon 4GB MP3 Player $24.99
Motorola H375 BlueTooth Headset $17.99

Printers:
Brother HL-2140 Monochrome Laser Printer $49.99
Samsung CLP-315 Color Laser Printer $99.99
Brother MFC7420 Monochrome Laser All-in-One Printer $99.99
Samsung SCX-4725FN Laser Multifunction Printer $139.99
HP Photosmart C4480 Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer $49.99
HP Photosmart C6380 Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer $119.99
Epson NX300 Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer $49.99

Flash Memory Cards:
SanDisk 8GB SD Card $17.99
SanDisk 4GB SD Card $9.99
Olympus 2GB xD Card $14.99
Lexar FireFly 4GB Flash Drive $9.99
SanDisk Cruzer Micro 4GB Flash Drive $9.99
SanDisk 4GB Memory Stick Pro Duo Card $19.99
SanDisk Cruzer Micro 8GB Flash Drive $17.99

For The Office:
Epson PowerLite S5 3LCD SVGA Projector $399.99
Sungale 7″ Digital Photo Frame $39.99
Sungale 8.5″ Digital Photo Frame $59.99
Memorex 10″ Digital Photo Frame $89.99

Brother P-Touch PT-1280 Hand-Held Labelmaker $9.99
Memorex iPod Speaker Dock $29.99
High-Back Executive Chair $59.99
Swissgear Marlet Computer Backpack $39.99

=============

Best Buy

Friday 5am Door Busters (prices may be in-store only)

Toshiba Satellite L305D-S5892 AMD Dual-Core 15.4” Laptop (3GB/160GB) $379.99
Panasonic Viera TH-50PE8U 50” Plasma HDTV (720p) $899.99
Sony Playstation 3 80GB HDD Console w/ Ratchet & Clank Game & Casino Royale Movie $399.99 (That’s a pretty nice PS3 bundle, probably the best you’ll see before Christmas)
Garmin nuvi 260W Portable GPS Navigation $189.99
Transformers Movie (Blu-Ray) $9.99 (Cheap big name BD titles! This is what I’m talking about!)
Wii Game Party $9.99

Friday & Saturday 2 Day Deals (may start earlier)

Computer Systems & Peripherals:
HP Pavilion dv4t (dv4-1114nr) Intel Core 2 Duo 14” Laptop $499.99
eMachines AMD Single-Core Desktop Computer w/ 18.5” LCD Monitor $299.99
HP AMD Quad Core Desktop Computer w/ 21.6” LCD Monitor & Printer $599.96

Acer AL1919WAB 19” LCD Monitor $99.99
Samsung 923NW 19” LCD Monitor $129.99
Western Digital My Book Home 1TB External Hard Drive (eSATA/Firewire/USB) $149.99 (Another cheap big external HD.)
Western Digital Passport Elite 320GB External Portable Hard Drive $99.99

Microsoft Explorer Wireless Mouse w/ BlueTrack $49.99
Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick USB 2.0 TV Tuner $59.99
Netgear WNR2000-100NAS Wireless-N Router $49.99
Microsoft Office Home & Student $69.99
Canon MX700 Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer/Copier/Fax/Scanner $99.99

Home Entertainment:
Mitsubishi WD-60735 60” DLP HDTV (1080p) $999.99 (If you’ve got the room… that’s a BIG TV.)
LG 47LG70 47” LCD HDTV (1080p, 120Hz) $1499.99
LG 32LG70 32” LCD HDTV (1080p) $699.99

Samsung LN46A500 46” LCD HDTV (1080p) $1099.99
Samsung PN42A450 42” Plasma HDTV (720p) $699.99
Samsung LN32A300 32” LCD HDTV (720p) $499.99

Polk Audio 10” 100W Powered Subwoofer $99.99
Polk Audio T15 Bookshelf Speakers $49.99
Samsung DVD1080P8 1080P DVD Player $49.99

Consoles & Video Games:
Xbox 360 Pro 60GB HDD Console w/ 4 Games $299.99 (That’s a pretty good 360 bundle)
Guitar Hero Aerosmith Game Only (Wii) $24.99
Guitar Hero III Special Edition Bundle (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii) w/ 2 Wireless Guitars $79.98
Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway Game (Playstation 3) $19.99
Top Spin 3 Game (Wii) $19.99

Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 Game (Playstation 3) $19.99
Sims 2: Double Deluxe Game (PC) $9.99
Bioshock Game (PC) $9.99 (Perhaps one of the best PC games ever released!  If you haven’t played it pick it up.  If there’s a gamer in your life, buy it for them.)
Far Cry 2 (Xbox 360) $37.99

Tom Clancy’s EndWar (Xbox 360) $37.99
Soul Calibur IV (Playstation 3) $37.99
NBA 09 The Inside (Playstation 3) $37.99

Movies:

$16.99 Blu-Rays include The Departed, I Am Legend, Kung Fu Panda, AVP 2,
Indiana Jones & The Crystal Skull, Hitman, Cloverfield, The Bank Job,
The Love Guru, SuperBad, Prom Knight, Bee Movie, 300, Rambo, Live Free Or Die Hard

Portable GPS Navigation:
Garmin nuvi 205 Portable GPS Navigation $119.99
Garmin nuvi 780 Portable GPS Navigation $349.99
TomTom Go 720 Portable GPS Navigation $249.99
Parrot Portable Hands-Free Car Kit for Bluetooth-Enabled Cell Phones $39.99

Digital Cameras & Camcorders:
Olympus FE-370 8MP 5X Digital Camera $129.99
Samsung SC-DX103 DVD Camcorder $199.99
JVC Everio GZ-MG330 30GB Hard Drive Digital Camcorder $299.99
Panasonic SDR-S7K SD Card Digital Camcorder $199.99

MP3 Players & Accessories:
Apple iPod Nano 8GB MP3 Player w/ FREE $20 Gift Card $149.99 (Another iPod deal that’s pretty nice.)
SanDisk Sansa Fuze 4GB MP3 Player $49.99
SanDisk Sansa Fuze 8GB MP3 Player $69.99
SanDisk Sansa Clip 4GB MP3 Player $34.99
Bose SoundDock Portable iPod Speaker System (Battery Powered) $359.99

Electronic Gifts:
Logitech Harmony 550 Universal Remote Control $59.99
VTech 4-Handset DECT 6.0 Cordless Digital Telephone $59.99

=============

UPDATE! Some great deals I saw in the Meijer circular

Meijer

Sylvania 32″ LCD 720p 379.99

Apple 8GB iPod Nano 149.99 Comes with a $50 Mail in rebate.

50% off select video games.

===============

From Cheap***gamer.com

Some deals at Amazon.com

Xbox 360
*Friday Only – Fallout 3 – $39.95 (Reg. $59.99)
*Friday Only – Far Cry 2 – $49.95 (Reg. $59.99)
*Friday Only – Call of Duty: World at War – $49.95 (Reg. $59.99)
Pure – $29.95 (Reg. $59.99)
LEGO Batman – $29.95 (Reg. $49.99)
The Last Remnant – $39.95 (Reg. $59.99)
Infinite Undiscovery – $18.95 (Reg. $59.99)

PlayStation 3
*Friday Only – Fallout 3 – $39.95 (Reg. $59.99)
*Friday Only – Soul Calibur IV – $39.95 (Reg. $59.99)
*Friday Only – Call of Duty: World at War – $49.95 (Reg. $59.99)
Pure – $29.95 (Reg. $59.99)
Heavenly Sword – $19.95 (Reg. $59.99)
Resistance: Fall Of Man – $14.95 (Reg. $29.99)
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe – $39.95 (Reg. $59.99)

Wii
Wii will be in stock on Thanksgiving afternoon.
Wii Fit will be in stock on Black Friday starting at midnight.
*Friday Only – Guitar Hero Aerosmith Wii – $25.95 (Reg. $39.99)
DeBlob – $25.95 (Reg. $49.99)
LEGO Batman – $29.95 (Reg. $49.99)
Wario Land: Shake It! – $29.95 (Reg. $49.99)
Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree – $19.95 (Reg. $29.99)
Animal Crossing City Folk Bundle – $39.95 (Reg. $69.99)
MySims Kingdom – $19.95 (Reg. $29.99)

PC
*Friday Only – Fallout 3 – $29.95 (Reg. $49.99)
Guild Wars Eye of the North – $9.95 (Reg. $29.99)
Spore Creepy and Cute Parts Pack – $9.95 (Reg. $19.99)
Far Cry 2 – $29.95 (Reg. $49.99)

PlayStation 2
Persona 3 FES (PS2) bundle – $29.95
Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection – $14.95 (Reg. $29.99)
God of War – $9.95 (Reg. $19.99)
God of War 2 – $9.95 (Reg. $19.99)
PlayStation 2 Limited Edition LEGO Batman Bundle – $99.95 (Reg. $149.99)

PlayStation Portable
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – $14.95 (Reg. $29.99)
Metal Gear Portable Ops – $9.95 (Reg. $19.99)
N+ – $9.95 (Reg. $19.99)
God of War Chains of Olympus – $19.95 (Reg. $39.99)

===============

That’s all I’ve got for now, is there something you’ve seen that I’m missing?  Post it in the comments!

-Matt