really missing that bing discount

[wellington1869]

I just upgraded my ereader to the sony prs650 (quite possibly the most perfect ereader ever made, in my estimation  
Unfortunately it set me back 200 big ones. Oh bing discount, how I miss thee.  
Bing came out with something called 'bing rewards', a sorry substitute. Apparently it works kind of like credit card rewards programs, where you earn points for every purchase made thru bing. Pah.

I'm also not expecting huge discounts this xmas shopping season. Coupon season usually begins early and i'm not seeing anything yet.

[elservo]

Not a Kindle fan?  I'm a fan of my Kindle.  I have a version 2 white kindle, and it is one of my favorite devices.  The only problem, though, is that I read it in bed so often that my body has started to associate it with sleep, so even if I spend some time reading in the afternoon I find myself asleep within 30 minutes.

[Voixdelion]

Wasn't there an issue with the bing discount sort of nullifying itself because some products were actually priced higher via the bing site?

[Co-Op]

We should all get free, white Otaku keyboards no doubt.

[wellington1869]

Not a Kindle fan?  I'm a fan of my Kindle.  I have a version 2 white kindle, and it is one of my favorite devices.  The only problem, though, is that I read it in bed so often that my body has started to associate it with sleep, so even if I spend some time reading in the afternoon I find myself asleep within 30 minutes.

 
hey that a good thing. I wish I could fall asleep in 10 minutes.

my friend here just got a kindle3, sold his sony. He likes the kindle. I'm still a fan of the sony for its feature set though.  Especially the touch screen and hand written notes (and nypl library ebooks) and format compatibility etc. But you do pay a premium for it ($230!)

the new version (prs650) also has 12 built-in language dictionaries (reading a french book? get the definition with a single tap on the word). simply brilliant and a no brainer for language learners.

[wellington1869]

Wasn't there an issue with the bing discount sort of nullifying itself because some products were actually priced higher via the bing site?

not that i know of. I mostly used it on ebay where it could be used on any 'buy it now' purchase.

[wellington1869]

so I sold that sliderule that I found among my dad's stamps. Got a "pretty penny" for it
Now on to selling the two RC cars.

All this will be funding my new sony reader, and I'm also saving up for what may be the most coveted item on campus: a Brompton.

yes, my friends, I've come down with brompton fever.

[elservo]

Is that Sony Reader backlit?  There's an interesting article comparing the iPad and the Kindle (really any e-reader will suffice for the argument), talking about the backlight and how it can keep you awake because your brain processes fluorescent light as sunlight.  

http://gizmodo.com/5524005/experts-kindle-helps-you-sleep-ipad-causes-insomnia


Fascinating article.  Definitely take a second to read that.

[Lanx]

yes, my friends, I've come down with brompton fever.

don't you goto school in ny? that bike'll be gone in a manner of seconds.

[Lanx]

Fascinating article.  Definitely take a second to read that.

i don't think any ereaders are backlit, really just buy the stupid ereader light, i got one for my fiancee and while it clips on really well, it's like a hi-beam! it lights up the whole room.

[elservo]

i was asking because the backlighting keeps people awake nights.  I wouldn't want one for my e-reader.

[wellington1869]

don't you goto school in ny? that bike'll be gone in a manner of seconds.

lol, i know, i know.  two seconds is the average :-(
I was going to get any old folding bike, but the big advantage of the brompton is that it folds up much, much smaller than other folding bikes - in other words, you can just carry it into class. Or into the office where i work. Without raising even an eyebrow from anyone. Or onto the bus/subway. Or even into restaurants. Its the only folding bike that i've seen people bring indoors like that and never raised an eyebrow from professors/bosses/drivers/waiters. Cuz it folds that small.  You can literally store it in a bookshelf.  Far smaller than any other folding bike on the market.

And there's more. You can carry it like a suitcase (built in handle). You can put a canvas cover over it (which you carry under the seat) and it even looks like a small attache case. You can roll it in front or behind you like a cart, and with the cover on it, it merely looks like a small rolling suitcase.

All this makes it ninja-like discreet.  In other words - never have to lock it up outside (and risk it being stolen). Can always take it indoors. Well, in 99% of cases. And people do. But this is the only bike with which you can get away with that, because of how it folds, how small it folds, its rolling/carrying features, its canvas cover. No other bike has this kind of 'liveability'.  With any other folding bike i would more often than not have to lock it outside to a post and risk it being stolen. Not so with the brompton.

And for that tho I'll have to pay the brompton premium.  Used dahons go for under $200 on craigslist here. A used brompton? Try $800. If you're lucky. Usually $1000. :-(  But its the only folding citi bike that is truly 'liveable' and that you can truly just take with you indoors.  And so much better chance of not getting stolen if i always take it indoors with me.

and best of all, when unfolded, it looks pretty normal. Not like the Strida which looks freakish.

[wellington1869]

i was asking because the backlighting keeps people awake nights.  I wouldn't want one for my e-reader.

no backlight on the sony.  It would kill the battery anyway.
I do have a small (actually several) booklights, but usually there is enough ambient light in my room.  The contrast on the new version is much improved anyway.  Besides, e-ink is meant to mimic paper and use the sorrounding reflected light. In other words, the lamp on my nightstand.

i know what you mean about lights killing sleep, they say that about computer monitors too.  Thats one of the reasons i like e-ink so much.

[instantkamera]

ereader's are what they are because they are NOT backlit. eink and reflective LCD (a la JETBOOK) are exactly that: REFLECTIVE displays. Like paper, the more external/ambient light there is, the BETTER they work.

This wasn't made clear in the ereader thread before, but that is a HUGE selling point for a proper ereader over the new fad-pads. Try reading your ipad in the park on a sunny day.

[wellington1869]

that said there was one sony reader version with built-in lights around the edge of the frame (the prs-700 i think) but it was not popular, discontinued.

[instantkamera]

that said there was one sony reader version with built-in lights around the edge of the frame (the prs-700 i think) but it was not popular, discontinued.

yeah but it was not backlit, that was a built-in reading light.

[wellington1869]

yeah but it was not backlit, that was a built-in reading light.

true dat

[elservo]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking of.  I also recall Sony tried a touch-screen with their e-reader, but it messed with the resolution and made the e-ink look cloudy.


And come to think of it, since the e-ink is basically just a magnetied ink pool, it would be impossible to backlight it.  Why did I ask if it was backlit?

[instantkamera]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking of.  I also recall Sony tried a touch-screen with their e-reader, but it messed with the resolution and made the e-ink look cloudy.


And come to think of it, since the e-ink is basically just a magnetied ink pool, it would be impossible to backlight it.  Why did I ask if it was backlit?

Yeah, that was the prs-600 ... I think welly owned one. Yes both e-ink and reflective LCD are non-transparent ... no backlight is even possible.

[Lanx]

Move to Japan.  Unlocked bikes everywhere.

The sign of a civilized people.

i had kids teach me all sorts of bike tricks, easiest is pull the bike up over the pole, then if you don't have tools kick out the front tire, at least you'll have the bike frame, then bolt cutters, even portable n2o and stuff and even how to pick a master combo lock by listening to the clicks (this proved useful in H.S. when ppl would forget their numbers). All this was taught to me in the boy scouts, Brooklyn baby! we have a different kind of merit badge.

Oh and you can do all this in this open too if your white, ppl will just think you lost your key, just don't dress like a thug.

[Voixdelion]

Welly, RE: that sliderule - are those actually worth anything?  My mom has one and she can't remember how to use it.  She shows it to her tutoring students and they all marvel at the historic relic...

[wellington1869]

Welly, RE: that sliderule - are those actually worth anything?  My mom has one and she can't remember how to use it.  She shows it to her tutoring students and they all marvel at the historic relic...

depends on the model. I got lucky. It was like a private episode of antiques roadshow.

you should definitely look up the model online to see if its worth anything. You think keyboard collectors are mad? There are more sliderule collecting websites than keyboard collecting websites. Thats the truth. Huge cult following for sliderules.

If you cant identify the model, join the sliderule yahoo group, they'll help you identify it in a jiffy.  

As far as value? I got (I'm almost embarrassed to say it) $700 for mine. With which I promptly went out and bought a Dahon Curve SL folding bike. Which I have named "Sliderule."

[WhiteRice]

I use ebates.com all the time. It may not be bing, but it's something.

[wellington1869]

I use ebates.com all the time. It may not be bing, but it's something.

how much do you get?

[Voixdelion]

depends on the model. I got lucky. It was like a private episode of antiques roadshow.

you should definitely look up the model online to see if its worth anything. You think keyboard collectors are mad? There are more sliderule collecting websites than keyboard collecting websites. Thats the truth. Huge cult following for sliderules.

If you cant identify the model, join the sliderule yahoo group, they'll help you identify it in a jiffy.  

As far as value? I got (I'm almost embarrassed to say it) $700 for mine. With which I promptly went out and bought a Dahon Curve SL folding bike. Which I have named "Sliderule."

"Are you ****ting me??"  (In quotes because I just exclaimed that aloud as I read that.) Wow.  Who knew?   Well, I guess they aren't easy to come by nowdays.

Wonder how much they cost back when they used em?

Just OOC, Are there any abacus yahoo groups?

[wellington1869]

"Are you ****ting me??"  (In quotes because I just exclaimed that aloud as I read that.) Wow.  

Believe me, I said that out loud too

Like I say, I'm almost embarrassed to say  It really was like a private antiques roadshow moment.

"Sliderule" rides like a dream, btw!  I suppose I should have invested the money or something.....
....nah!

Wonder how much they cost back when they used em?

not sure. this was my dad's, and according to mom he got it as a gift in the mid-to-late 60s. Never used it much, pristine condition with box. I gather it was a high end one even back then though. German made and quite fancy.

Just OOC, Are there any abacus yahoo groups?

I wouldnt doubt it for a second

Seriously, raid your mom's attic. Anything not made anymore, even old toys, can have serious nostalgia value. You'd be amazed what people collect and pay for. You could probably put together two or three grand just like that, with old junk that you really would have thrown out.  My mom was about to throw out the sliderule had I not intervened out of curiosity. Imagine the riches piling up in our landfills.

It doesnt take much to find prices (ebay completed sales search) or identify things (yahoo groups, websites, no more than 1/2 hour to get a rough idea) or put up a quick ebay ad and a buy-it-now price about 10% under recent prices. They go fast. Its a crazy world.

[Voixdelion]

Yeah, really.  But at least a slide rule I can somewhat understand as it is a scientific TOOL that while outdated and less efficient than current tech, still useful as such because the math isn't different than it used to be.

The problem is sometimes you just can't tell what people will want... I was cleaning out the back office of Grandads house and there was (along with a door sized poster of Mark Spitz) this HIDEOUS orange chair from some brady bunchy era ago which my friend asked if he could have and boy golly was I glad to have someone take it away - AWFUL Ugly and not particularly comfortable either, and I HATE orange in general as a color for wearing or decorating as a rule.  He sold it for $500 and later found out he probably could have gotten $800 if he'd cleaned it a little first.  Some things if you don't already know someone who would want it, you just have no way of knowing if ANYONE would.  Why would anyone pay 500-800 dollars for one old, ugly and uncomfortable chair?  


Ahh who am I to talk?  I spent 150 bucks on a keyboard someone found in the garbage (plus it has a special place in my heart that makes me all warm and fuzzy thinking about it)...  but that person did know that someone would want it when they found it (they were looking for an M15  & found an M5-1- I think it might be my favorite just because of how serendipitous it was to acquire.)

[wellington1869]

 He sold it for $500 and later found out he probably could have gotten $800 if he'd cleaned it a little first.

Wow!  Hey, where's your cut?

its interesting, cleaning things up just a little bit can sometimes add hundreds of dollars. Also, original box. its worth so much. So much so that, today I save all the original boxes for any electronics i buy. Cuz when I inevitably upgrade and sell off old stuff, I get top dollar for having the original box.

Why would anyone pay 500-800 dollars for one old, ugly and uncomfortable chair?  

good question.  In the case of the sliderule, by the way, even the collectors websites I visited, declared this model to be one of "the great ones", one website called it "a must have for any serious collector", and another named the sliderule museums (yes, they exist! apparently!) in which this model was displayed. So right off the bat I had an inkling that pursuing the question of price would probably be worthwhile.
Once I identified the model, it was easy to find out selling prices. In my case, it wasnt just ebay searches; there is an actual sliderule website that tracks historical prices, by model, website put together by some total sliderule fanatic, but extremely helpful, because it actually charted out the best times of the year, month, and even time of day, to sell or buy  
Sliderule nuts are serious nuts But it made my job easy in terms of figuring out the model and its value, so I didnt have to spend gobs of time really.

But yea, once you start googling, I think you can pretty quickly get a sense of "is this going to be worth selling or not?".

Ahh who am I to talk?  I spent 150 bucks on a keyboard someone found in the garbage

lol, exactly. me too

 (plus it has a special place in my heart that makes me all warm and fuzzy thinking about it)...  

Heck, I actually considered paying $150 for an old 'crash bang smashemup' car toy that I have serious feelings for from when I was little, I found a pristine unopened box on ebay, and I was actually tempted. I didnt do it tho. I'm not made out of cash! But if I were, I'd have bought it in a second  Warm fuzzy feeling, serously.  Its like that guy's childhood sled (rosebud) in citizen Kane. [oops, spoiler alert]
And that was just for a $10 toy that only people who played with it in their childhood in the late 70s would even know or care about.

[WhiteRice]

Usually 1-5%. Better than nothing and it adds up on larger purchases.

how much do you get?