More cheap hardware kit o'the'day

IF YOU know of any good value IT sales (auctions, rebates, one-off, clearance, surplus, classified ads) going around in the United Kingdom, France, USA or Singapore, don't hesitate to contact me, at least 24 hours before the sales end.

Thanks to Cyrille for this one. Bradinfo is a wholesaler who does some retailing as well. They have some very interesting deals going on right now here. For example, they are selling a Hewlett Packard Jornada 525 PDA for only Eur 109. The Jornada came out back in 2001 and was one of the first cheap colour PDA oon the market. It comes with a Hitachi SH-3 133MHz processor, 16MB RAM and a CF card type I slot.

This means that you will be able to plug in a compatible Wireless Ethernet card and access Wireless networks where available and given permission. The model has few buttons on its face and its screen - a large 3.75-inch 240x320 pixel, 8-bit LCD passive matrix takes only two third of the space available.

There is also a useful jog-dial on its left hand side and a stylus for handwriting functions. IOs include IRDA port as well as a serial one - no USB port though, remember that it came out almost four years ago. The limited onboard is not a problem nowadays given the affordability of Compact Flash memory.

The built-in LiIon battery makes sure that the HP525 has a good autonomy. It is also equipped with an earphone jack, a speaker and a microphone. The HP525 is powered by MS Windows for pocket PC 2002 and comes with loads of software includeing Outlook 2000, PocketPC versions of MS Money, Excel, Internet explorer, media manager etc.

You can also use it as an MP3 player but beware of the battery life then. Neoseeker considered the HP525 highly when it reviewed it saying, "The Jornada 525 works amazingly well at a lower cost to other PDAs on the market. Its 8-bit display with 256 colors is almost as good as the 540 series. Its 133MHz 32-bit processor is capable of running most applications on Window CE comfortably."

Ecost has a couple of ongoing deals in its countdown sections. Yamakawa's first 8x8 dual format writer, designed and produced in a technology partnership with Pioneer. The DVR-Y08 is capable of writing at 8x speed on DVD-R discs whose standard is being ratified in the DVD Forum and +R discs that are designed for this recording speed.

The drive also records high-speed DVD-RW and +RW discs at up to 4x speed, and CD-R and CD-RW discs at up to 24x speed. The new-developed Liquid Crystal Control System for precise recording onto the surface of discs that may be warped or of uneven thickness. Smart Laser Driver to provide a precise laser pulse control and achieve more reliable recording for high-speed writing.

Precision Recording Technology, which utilizes an auto-adjustable writing technique to enable recording under the best conditions for each disc characteristic at all times. This technology lets the Yamakawa 8x8 Dual DVD Writer to achieve optimal initial writing performance and helps to minimize the normal deterioration of re-recordable discs due to repeated writing. As a result, the quality for repeatedly used DVD-RW discs is up to 10 times better than previous writers.

A Defect Management System that enhances the writing reliability further, while maintaining read compatibility with other DVD-ROM drives, DVD players and DVD recorders. An Ultra Dynamic Resonance Absorber that reduces vibrations that can affect performance during high-speed recording and playback of some discs. With this feature, the high precision servo system remains stable during both high-speed recording and playback.

It has a 2MB cache and a CDR write speed of 24x - anyone still writing on CDR media? Interestingly, you can mount it vertically without increasing the change of having coasters. You can get it here at $34.99 after a $50 rebate. Ecost had it before for $14 but still at $35, it is pretty much affordable.

It might not be the cheapest wireless optical mouse around but it is unique. A4Tech, the input peripheral specialist has made the first battery free wireless mouse, the NB-30 creating a friendlier environment since no batteries mean less harmful static and electric waves in your living space. Since batteries are no longer a problem, the BattryFREE Wireless Optical Mouse was designed with a much lighter but more durable framework, providing perfect ergonomic handling and easy portability.

By placing your palm on this mouse, you will feel the thrill of the smooth and effortless handling. Unless you are looking at the mouse, you will not even know it's there. With comfort like this, you will be able to interact with your computer longer, making the BattryFREE Wireless Optical Mouse the best companion for any desktop or laptop computer. The mouse has an optical resolution of 620dpi, which is less than other mice like Logitech's gaming series but still, it would be very interesting to see how gamers react to it.

Not only is the BattryFREE Wireless Optical Mouse designed with a light-as-a-feather frame, it is also imbedded with A4 Tech Corp.'s latest Radio frequency identification technology, providing the most secure and interference-free wireless connection, allowing hundreds of users to work in a closed environment.

In addition, A4 Tech Corp. eliminates the traditional scrolling wheel barrier and engineered the U-Shaped Big Scrolling Wheel, based on the human finger. This new wheel base completely redefines the comfort experience, because the mouse now operates as a part of your hand, providing better handling and navigation. Ecost sells it only for $21.99.

Retek has a Radeon 9200 All in Wonder pro available for only £38+VAT, making it the cheapest Direct9.0 compatible AIW. It is a refurbished card meaning that it carries only 30 days RTB. Furthermore, you won't get anything else than the card itself - no cable or bearkout box. Anyway, with its 4-pixel pipeline and 128MB DDR memory, you can prepare yourself for some serious fun if you are on a tight budget.

No you won't be able to play DOOM III at high resolution. But nothing prevents you from playing older - and in some cases - better games in a much more smoother way. The 9200se jas a memory clocked at 400MHz while the core runs at 250MHz. It comes with the ATI Rage Theater chip as well as TV out, VGA, SVideo and Composite support. It comes with passive heat sink and will be ideal if you want a silent computer running rather than living next to a 747. It was originally carried only in Walmarts but somehow Retek got some of them for sale.

Tweaknet reviewed it in March and thought that "If you a very occasional gamer that want acceptable 3D performance, but still wants all the great features associated with an All in Wonder videocard, you will not find a videocard that will give you a bigger bang for the buck than this card." µ