The IdeaPad 730S is a great deal at $550, but even better with $110 in Rakuten bonus cash.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Everything I look for in a laptop can be found in today’s deal. Thin and light: check. Solid-state storage: check. Backlit keyboard: yep. Truth be told, I’d already been eyeballing the Lenovo IdeaPad 730S before this deal came along; this just puts it over the top. Today only, and while supplies last, you can get the Lenovo IdeaPad 730S 13.3-inch laptop for $549.99. You’ll also get 1% cash back (so, $5.50) and a whopping $109.80 in Rakuten Super Points. Those points are as good as cash for future Rakuten purchases.The IdeaPad isn’t just thin; it’s thin, measuring a mere 11.9mm. That beats Apple’s notoriously skinny MacBook Air (15.6mm). It’s also quite light, though there’s a bit of discrepancy between Rakuten’s product page (which indicates 2.2 pounds) and Lenovo’s (2.4 pounds). The current-gen MacBook Air weighs 2.75 pounds.This SKU features an eighth-gen Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB solid-state drive. The 13.3-inch screen displays a generous 1,920×1,080-pixel native resolution, though the integrated Intel graphics subsystem might fall short if you’re looking to play certain games or work with big image or video files. It’s not a touchscreen, either, if that matters to you. (Personally, I see zero value in that on a laptop.)
I’m also not sure of the value of Dolby Atmos in a system with tiny built-in speakers, but it’s there. Also there: a backlit keyboard, a feature I consider fairly essential. Hate typing passwords? The IdeaPad sports a fingerprint reader. Finally, Lenovo promises up to 10 hours of runtime, and a battery that can recharge to 80% capacity after just one hour.That’s due in part to the presence of a USB-C charging port. In fact, the 730S has three of them, and no legacy Type-A USB ports — so be prepared to buy a hub if you need to plug in older devices.Read CNET’s IdeaPad 730S review to learn more about the machine. Verdict: “One of the best alternatives to the MacBook Air you’ll find.” And that was based on a $999 price tag. I’m loving this at $550, especially with $110 in Rakuten “mad money.”Your thoughts?Read more: The best ultraportable laptops for 2020The 3rd-gen Amazon Echo Dot is $25 againNot to go all Mr. T on you, but I pity the fool that pays $50 for an Echo Dot. It goes on sale all the time, though usually for $10 to $20 off. This deal is a bit more rare — usually reserved for the likes of Prime Day and Black Friday.Today only, and while supplies last, Woot has the third-generation Echo Dot smart speaker for $24.99. Shipping is free for Amazon Prime subscribers; $5 for everyone else. (Amazon owns Woot.) These Dots are new, not refurbished.In case you’re new to the planet and don’t already own at least one of these things, here’s CNET’s Echo Dot review. Short version: Hockey-puck smart speaker that responds to all manner of voice commands, and does so well.My version: Totally worth $25.Brother’s multifunction printer is a steal at $50 (save $30)Print, scan, copy and fax, all for $50.
Brother
Call off the search: I found the most ridiculously great printer deal, maybe ever. For a limited time, and while supplies last, the Brother MFC-J491DW multifunction printer is just $50 at Amazon. Regular price: $80.I’m not sure how such a compact device can do everything this Brother does, but check it out: It prints, copies, scans and faxes. It auto-duplexes, meaning it can print on both sides of page. It has an auto-document feeder (ADF), meaning you can scan or copy up to 20 sheets at a time.It offers USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity. It supports all the wireless-printing options (AirPrint, Google Cloud Print and so on). Perhaps best of all, like most Brother printers, this one works well with inexpensive third-party ink cartridges. (Here’s a high-yield replacement set for $28, for example.)Two small complaints: The paper tray holds only 100 sheets, and there’s no USB port for plugging in a flash drive (for print-from or scan-to functions). But did I mention this MFP is only $50?!CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on tech products and much more. For the latest deals and updates, follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and check out our CNET Coupons page for the latest promo codes from Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon and more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page.
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