The Best Tech Deals of the Week

No need to spring for a full-fledged (and full-priced) laptop if a netbook can meet your computing needs. After all, you can get a netbook for less than $500. And, right now, you can get Acer's Aspire One, running Windows XP, for $258 at Wal-Mart.com. That's almost $100 less than it cost when we reviewed this product last fall--and even then, we lauded its bargain-basement price.

If a netbook isn't for you--and those mini computers certainly aren't for everyone--you can step up to a full-sized laptop, while still keeping the price reasonable. You can now get the 15.4-inch Toshiba Satellite L305-S5921 laptop for $400 at NewEgg.com. That's a significant savings off the usual price, which ranges from $500 to $590.

If you want an unlocked smartphone--one that's not tied to a certain cellular carrier--you can usually expect to pay for that privilege. But not always. When we reviewed the Nokia E63, we were impressed that you could get such a robust unlocked phone for $250. And now, you can take another $50 off that price: NewEgg.com is offering the phone for $200. A $50 mail-in rebate knocks that price down even more, to just $150.

An iPod is not your only option if you're in the market for a portable audio/video player. And opting for another brand of portable audio/video player can often save you money. Case in point: NewEgg.com is currently offering an 8GB re-certified (yes, used) Microsoft Zune for $80. That includes a free car pack, for hooking the player up while you're on the road. We reviewed this player when it first launched, and found its audio quality surpassed that of the iPod Nano.