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You are here: MacNN Forums > News > Tech News > Monday Deals: 55-inch 4K television, four-bay NAS, GoG DRM-free sale

Monday Deals: 55-inch 4K television, four-bay NAS, GoG DRM-free sale
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NewsPoster
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Nov 17, 2014, 08:13 PM
 
Welcome to the first instance of Monday Deals! As the holiday shopping period begins, we are doubling up on the posts where we find deals on gadgets, peripherals, accessories, games, and other items for you, the discerning MacNN and Electronista reader, to make your gift buying time easier. Just like the Friday deals, all prices are correct at the time of publication, but could be different if you are reading this later in the week, so check the deal before purchasing. We're going to keep adding to this until Friday, so check back often!

Hardware

Those wanting to have network attached storage may want to head over to Newegg.com. The retailer is selling the Seagate STBP100 Diskless System Business Storage 4-Bay NAS for $139, a 65 percent discount, but limited to five units per customer. Including support for Time Machine, mobile apps for iOS and Android and "government-grade hardware encryption," the NAS is certainly a good start for someone who wants more control over their network storage capacity.

Also at Newegg is a refurbished Microsoft Surface 64GB for $180, again with a five-unit limit per customer. The Windows RT tablet, complete with a 10.6-inch 1366x768 backed by a Tegra 3 processor with 2GB of RAM, dual 720p cameras, and the signature kickstand, is being offered at a $120 discount from its normal price. Despite being overtaken by newer models, it could still be a surprising and cheap gift for someone wanting a large-format tablet.

Those looking for a new monitor could probably benefit from looking at the Dell UltraSharp 22 Multimedia Monitor. The 21.5-inch 1080p display, complete with VGA, DisplayPort, and two HDMI connectors, along with two USB 3.0 ports, a full HD webcam, stereo 3-Watt speakers, and an omnidirectional microphone, is being offered at Dell.com for $240. As well as saving $40, Dell will also throw in a $100 eGift Card with the monitor, which can be used against future Dell purchases.

Best Buy is currently offering a 55-inch Samsung Ultra HD television for $1,400, discounted from $2,000. Capable of displaying a 4K picture, the LED television has a 120Hz refresh rate and Smart TV functions, including access to Netflix, Facebook, YouTube, Skype, and other online services via its built-in Wi-Fi connection. The smart remote control supplied with the TV includes a touch pad for simpler navigating, and a built-in microphone for voice controls.

Software

If you want to give the gift of a second or third language, Amazon is currently listing a number of the Rosetta Stone courses fairly cheaply. Both the download and disc versions are heavily discounted, in a variety of languages, with the French Level 1-5 set priced at $274 for the disc, $249 for the Mac and PC downloads, all down from $499. Similar pricing is also available for the Italian and Spanish versions.

While it cannot really be classifiable as a "gift," GoG is currently holding its DRM-Free Big Fall Sale. With deals changing every 24 hours, flash sales every 40 minutes, and free copies of The Witcher 2 and The Gamers: Director's Cut movie for visiting the sales page for seven days, it is extremely difficult to recommend specific games to try and get. At the time of writing, TellTale's Sam and Max series is at 90 percent off (Windows only), the Deponia trilogy is discounted by 85 percent (Mac and Windows), and Thief 1, 2, and 3 are 75 percent off.

Over on Steam, the store is holding a collection of 69 items under its Weeklong Deals page. Running until the 24th of November, the games on offer are a mixed bag, ranging from the indie Stick RPG 2: Director's Cut to Postal 2, with the bulk of discounts between 50 percent and 90 percent.

In a rare sale, most of the Final Fantasy series of adventure games are on sale for the iOS. Final Fantasy II is $4. Additionally, Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy IV: The After Years , and Final Fantasy V are all $8. All prices are 50 percent off of full retail.
( Last edited by NewsPoster; Nov 18, 2014 at 11:21 AM. )
     
jdonahoe
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Nov 17, 2014, 09:04 PM
 
Would any of these 4K TVs work as a monitor for the new Mac Pro?
     
Mike Wuerthele
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Nov 17, 2014, 10:53 PM
 
Other than them being 55 inches, sure.
     
jdonahoe
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Nov 18, 2014, 12:07 AM
 
Duh, I'm an idiot. I meant to ask if you would be able to pull out the full or near so 4k resolution out of the monitor. 3840x2160 would give you a 27" 1080p movie in one corner and leave you the other 3/4 of the screen for other (real?) work. With an Apple thunderbolt 27 at nearly $1000, it would be nice to have other, higher resolution alternatives until Apple upgrades it.
     
Charles Martin
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Nov 18, 2014, 02:20 AM
 
Yes, that would work, though as movie buff I have to say that's an absolutely terrible way to watch movies. Well, maybe its okay for crap movies, but a really good film should command your full attention -- and if you're not watching really good movies, what's the point of watching crap ones?
Charles Martin
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climacs
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Nov 18, 2014, 10:59 AM
 
the $1400 for the 4K sounds great, just a couple years back I paid nearly that much for a similarly-sized Panasonic HDTV. I'm astounded how quickly the prices are falling. However before y'all fall all over yourselves dropping cash on a 4K tv, remember that beyond a certain distance that is well within the range of 'normal viewing distance', your eyes cannot tell the difference between HD and "ultra HD" (4K). Google it. Basically it comes down to, if you can get a 4K TV for a price close to what you would pay for an HDTV with similar features and specs, do it. Otherwise, there are features much more important to picture quality than number of pixels. Such as, the depth of the blacks the TV can produce and number of inputs.
     
Mike Wuerthele
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Nov 18, 2014, 11:06 AM
 
Yeah, I got a Philips 50-inch plasma in 2006ish for this kind of money. Still works!
     
   
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