This month's Cheap Basket

The best price I could find is for the orange-and-black coloured version of the clamshell styled Xplore M98, which is selling for around $250</> at time of this writing. This is impressive since on my previous research I found the same phone selling for around $429 plus $84 shipping to America at DOML.com.

Xplore M98 is a must-have for PalmOS fans.
Now at $259 on Amazon.com and Mobileplanet.com. Retails for $400+ in Asia

The Xplore M68 which adds Bluetooth and sports a traditional non clamshell design is currently going at $369, both at online giant Amazon.com, and courtesy of MobilePlanet.com, the american base of UK mobile retail giant eXpansys. The only drawback I found is that apparently they are importing these units in very small quantities, because both models are listed as a single unit at a time on Amazon.com. When such listing disappears, however, you can go directly to the Mobileplanet.com site and fill your e-mail address in the product description to be notified when a new unit arrives, or place your order in advance. Mobileplanet promises you'll be billed only when the unit ships. Their pricing, I repeat, is hard to beat.

Xplore M68 on Amazon.com offered by Mobileplanet.com

I complained about GroupSense's poor U.S. distribution and non-existent marketing in the U.S., and I continue thinking that Mobileplanet could do better. The Xplore M68 for instance shows "1-5 in stock" at Mobileplanet, but the black version shows stock status as "usually in 5 days". Regardless of this, the listings on Amazon.com certainly means a lot of people with Amazon.com credit can take advantage of this offer and get access to these nice mobiles.

Xplore M68. Photo courtesy of Paddy Tan, Bak2u.com
MP3, MPEG4 video, 1.3MP camera, bluetooth, SD slot. SMS, MMS, WAP, e-mail...

Not only are these PalmOS phones great for Europe and Latin America where GSM is the rule, but also for American readers in big cities where there's GSM coverage. A reader wrote me after my rant on Xplore phones and said: " I just read your article, and it was dead on correct. I had trouble getting my Xplore M98, but finally got one. I live here in the US and the phone works great on the GSM network of T-Mobile. I also have the Qool QDA-700 that I got off of E-Bay and it too works great on the T-Mobile network. Just wanted to let you know that I too find it troublesome that Xplore and Qool don't promote their respective products here in the America's, since these phones are cheaper than the Treo and just as good". I rest my case: these are good alternatives to a full blown Treo, for cheapskates with GSM coverage.

Viewsonic's 19-inch LCD for $219

This offer caught my eye as well. Buy.com is offering the Viewsonic VA1912WB 19-inch LCD panel, sporting analogue and digital inputs, 8ms video response, a 500:1 contrast ratio and 1440x900 wide-screen resolution for $219 with free ground shipping in the continental U.S.

The same model shipped from Amazon.com retails for $249, that's a not bad $30 savings. Hurry up to get this one from Buy.com. The retailer warns "Very few left In Stock! Order soon -- product may sell out". And always keep in mind, all prices are at the time of this writing. Please don't flame me if you read this one week or two after the publishing date and it's cheaper or more expensive.

1.3 MP digicam in a lighter for $29.95

I was notified of this one by a reader, who swears he's in love with his "spy camera". At $30 -what you save by buying the 19-inch LCD at Buy.com vs. other retailers-, you can play James Bond with this tiny concealed camera inside a Zippo-style lighter.

Buyer beware: while I have had good experiences with both Buy.com, and Amazon, I never heard before of StarSurplus.com, so your mileage might vary. Find this nice toy, over here.

That's all folks, there has been enough 3-digit figures in this story to make the cheapskates amongst you very, very anxious. Let's save some money for next month's Cheap Basket. µ