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Walmart
As a general rule I don’t recommend refurbished TVs, which don’t always get the same loving reconditioning as, say, a tablet.
However, this deal is worth a look, for reasons I’ll explain momentarily. While supplies last, Walmart has the refurbished Vizio E500i-A1 50-inch HDTV for $398 shipped (plus tax).
Let me just come straight out and note that according to the user reviews, some of these refurbs arrive in less-than-stellar condition. Which, again, is why I don’t usually recommend buying refurbished TVs. If you do get a bum unit, return shipping tends to be a hassle, to say nothing of expensive.
But because this comes from Walmart, you can easily return it to your local brick-and-mortar should the need arise. So it might be the worth the gamble to score big savings on a big screen. (Again: “might be.” This deal isn’t for everyone. I’m really recommending it only to the cheapskate die-hards.)
The E500-A1 is a pretty feature-packed TV, offering LED backlighting, built-in Wi-Fi, apps aplenty, a 120Hz refresh rate, and four HDMI ports.
Oh, and it’s 50 inches. The same TV sells new for $648. (And if you want users reviews of that version, look no further. They’re overwhelmingly positive.)
Ultimately, you’ll have to decide if these dice are worth rolling. I’d say as long as you have a Walmart nearby and realize you could end up with a cracked base, scuffed bezel, or the like, this is an awful lot of bang for the TV buck. Thoughts?
Bonus deal: Although I often push lower-end tablets and laptops, the reality is that many users need more power than your average Atom or Celeron processor can deliver. For those folks, this: The Microsoft Store has the HP Pavilion 11-h112nr x2 hybrid for $599 shipped, a savings of $200. It features an 11.6-inch detachable display, Intel Core i5 processor, 128GB SSD, and 8.5-hour battery life. Oh, and Windows 8.1, natch.
