SUPER HOT (if you can find one) Compaq Ipaq 3630 on CLEARANCE @ Best Buy $499.50

[youDIEjoe]

RUN, NOW to your local Best Buy if they have the super hard to find Ipaq 3630 on display...You can now buy the display (the chance of them actually having an unopened one in stock is EXTREMELY slim) Best Buy won't (normal) sell display items until they are on clearance. As with most of these deals don't call the store the clerks if not already clued in will snag it for themselves ....read on.....

I lucked out and found the local store had the display and the clearance tag right next to it. The counter guy, TOTALLY didn't want to sell it to me cause when he noticed at 3:32am the night before the new tag had been printed with the word CLEARANCE on it....My luck the manager walks by and say YEP sell it...and give him 20% off, the stylus is stuck in backwards. #5 tork wrench, pop, and the stylus is freed. SWEET!

Good Luck,

yDj

 

[Teekster]

How is this hot? This is MSRP.

 

[austonia]

yeah i am curious, whats the deal here? i don't think i would buy a display model after all those chumps at best buy put thier hands on it either. might not last too long!

 

[badluck]

MSRP means nothing if the supply is low. It is a hot deal if you are looking to buy one and the altenative is Egay, where you have to spend at least $580.00. So 499.99 is a good deal in this type of market. Simple economics fellas...

badluck

 

[youDIEjoe]

badluck: YES! that is the correct answer

Teekster: see badluck post

austonia: The unit is in fine condition, and with the discount I got on the unit I also picked up a 3 year replacment warranty.

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Just do a search on this device and you will see WILD prices as high as 700.00, this is a HOT deal if your looking for this unit.

yDj

 

[Unsickle]

If you want one, stick it out and get from circuitcity.com

they come in every few days.

Compaq is seriously doing something fugly with the supply.

 

[HawkeyeNJ]

As with most of these deals don't call the store the clerks if not already clued in will snag it for themselves !!

Tks

 

[ChipNOW]

I'm happy - picked one up dutyfree (3650 though) for a little less than that

 

[In_Ur_Face]

oh wow, i'm in...these are worth their weight in GOLD... best PDA out there, actually a pocket PC! ( not a pocket pad o' paper like the palms )...

I'll be selling the palm now

 

[timmins]

In_Ur_Face: you sound like an idiot. Pocket pad of paper? Have you EVER used more than the Memo pad or are you technologically inept?

 

[vegetation]

Make sure the serial is 4G11DW---, indicating it is a Jan 2001 manufactured model. This is obviously the newest version and has many bugs fixed. In fact, this is the only model that is worth substantially more than retail right now. The older models can be found on egay for comparable retail prices.

 

[Thomcat]

timmins: Chill out. There's no need to call anybody an idiot.

Have you ever used a Palm OS AND a PocketPC PDA for an extended period of time?

 

[amnesiac]

Ditto that Thomcat. I thought the compaq was an oversized, overhyped, glorified Palm on crack until I actually used it. I'd sell my left nut for one but I kinda need that for other things.

 

[sygyzy]

Compaq iPAQ rules. That reminds me, I need to sync mine now. MUHAHAH!

 

[HyTekJosh]

I am a reseller of these and I had to wait over 1 month to get my hands on one! I sold it for $600 on e*ay and got it for $480 shipped. I have another two on order but it looks like I am 46,000 behind getting mine.

 

[Atrac]

Sorry to revive this old thread, but if anyone knows the Best Buy SKU for the 3630, it'd help me get the display model just like the original poster did.

The clerk, who clearly *did* want to sell it to me (believe it or not), had trouble finding the SKU on the system. It's possibly already been taken out for some weird reason (he could only find the 3635). He's holding it for me while he researches it, but if someone here has it (youDIEjoe?), it'd be thankful.

Any help would be appreciated. And yes, if this works out, I too will need a #5 tork wrench (and an A/C Adapter too).

Thanks!

 

[jaybert]

just a word of advice, their 3 year services plan = their weight in gold if you use your ipaq/palm alot without super abuse. What they did int he store I use to work at was they would just give you the amount you paid for the product if the item was marked (DEVO, which meants is unservicable, which all palms/pocketPCs are) are towards another one. We had a guy come in here w/ a 2 year old Palm III (original) which he paid like $450 for back then (worth like $50 now), and he went out w/ the top of the pocketPC for FREE, and still had a year remaining on his contract. Some of you may not believe in extended warrenties, but if the item is DEVO (ask the CSR, they can check for you), I strongly recommend getting it. Oh yah..I also saw someone bring back one of those funny IBM computers (w/ the detachable base that sits under the monitor). He spent $3500 almost 3 years ago and he left w/ a custom built compaq i believe (P4, 512mb RDRAM, and everything else you can think of) free of charge. Also, most computers are now DEVO as well (ask reps, they'll tell you if it helps them sell the service plans).

 

[frazzled]

Guys,

A word of warning here. Heed vegetation's advice about the serial numbers. I almost grabbed a display model earlier this month when I was looking for mine, had it in my hand when they were nowhere to be found, but it was a model from December, so I held off and bought it from circuitcity.com. The newer SNs have the newest ROM (there were problems when some people had to flash them on their own) and some significant hardware "fixes".

I spent the extra $100 and got the 3635 package. It has the newest SN batch, plus a CF sleeve (which you would have to spend at least $40 on ...and you will want this), some full version software and an expandable case which works quite well. IIRC, Amazon has them and I *think* there is still a 10% off coupon somewhere. Or if you want one *today* Compusa has the 3635 in-stock at the B&M stores. Not to mention circuitcity.com which got mine to me in 2 days.

As a long-time Palm user (since the first model released!) I must say that this little machine is a blast. So go for it...carefully

Oh, and you iPAQ users should be sure to check out Brighthand and PocketPC Passion. The discussion boards (especially brighthand's) and How-To's are extremely useful.

regards and have fun,

fraz

 

[youDIEjoe]

SKU# 3960388 Compaq IPAQ
COMPAQ IPAQ/H3630 WDWS PKTPC


There ya go...good luck....great buy, I use mine daily.

NEWEST Best Buy DEAL picked up a Casio QV3000EX Digital Camera, also clearance and Open Box (see a trend here?) for 599.00 it's a 3.3 MP camera that comes with a 340MB Microdrive that fits nicely into the CF sleeve for my IPAQ!

Also check out Newegg for a great deal on CF memory 128MB Viking CF Card for 108 + shipping.

good luck all,

yDj

 

[Atrac]

youDIEjoe: You ROCK! Thanks a lot!!!!

Now, I just have to check the serial number of that unit. I've also found that the a/c adapters are readily available on amazon or outpost for ~$30, so that makes it quite easy.


On a sidenote, at the Best Buy's I've been to in my area, if an item is DEVO, they won't even sell it to me. They say it has to go back to the manufacturer.

The PSP (Performance Service Plan) does sound like a good deal for Open Box items, except of course if the markdown is substantial. I found a MiniDV camera "open box" marked down to $99.60, so the PSP would not make sense. If it breaks, I get it replaced (maybe after 3 fixes in this case), but only for the cost of the unit: $99.60. A comparable unit would cost a lot more, so I'd end up having to spend a lot more or lose the amount I paid for the PSP (assuming it could not be fixed originally of course).