edit: Please, people, if you want one or several of these, do your business with woot. Even "smartpost" should not daunt you. woot's deal is about the best you are going to ever get for these unless they are being handed out at a trade show or something.
dasarp wrote:YOU CAN GET THESE FOR FREE (THE 2GB VERSION!):
http://www.thenerds.net/index.php?page=productpage&pn=GYT8102US
(puts on flame-retardant clothing)
You aren't getting them for "free", <epithet removed>.
Worse yet, their deal is for one device at $99 minus secret code (oh dear, I mentioned the 'secret code') and $9.99 for the S&H (are they going to rebate THAT??? I don't -think- so). That's right, just one device. At least woot is selling you TWO devices (again, please don't bug me about the difference in memory capacity) for $29.99 and $5 for shipping. Not merely one device and the hassle and "costs" as are noted below.
First off, you have to give this other company $99 (etc., etc., good and bad) per device.
They've got your money and you don't. In fact, you don't have anything.
It is likely that they will put it into an interest-bearing account and accrue perhaps even a small amount of money on your payment until you receive back whatever you get as "tender" for the rebate.
You have to print out the rebate - let's presume you are honest because the number of dishonest ways to do this are far too numerous and boring to state. In any case, you use your own paper, you use your printer' ink or toner, you put wear on your printer, and you use your time (it -is- worth something to you, isn't it?) which, in sum, are not free.
You have to put the rebate that you've printed in your envelope, put postage on it, put the address on the envelope, and have it entered into the USPS system (the latter is only used as an example). These entail either direct costs for materials or cost as related to the time you've spent doing this action.
You obtain the device (just one, remember) - who knows when? At this point, you've given them more than $99 dollars all told and all you've got is one thing-a-ma-jig. You've mucked around with the initiation of rebate process and have mailed it in. That doesn't appear to be "free" as far as I can see. This appears to be a purchase (in effect) of a device for $99 plus $&H minus "secret code" plus a huge amount of hassle - and you haven't been given the rebate's value yet, have you? Merely the device.
You have to wait (apparently a -long- time) until they return whatever "tender" is due you - read a U.S. Federal Reserve Note (dollar bill, five dollar bill, etc.) some time: "This note is legal tender for all debts public and private" if you aren't sure what "tender" means. You still don't have the original money you poneyed up in the first place and you will never recover the costs of conveying the rebate form to them or the S&H. You certainly cannot, by any means, accrue interest on the money you didn't have for a while, can you?
Finally, if they actually decide that you've done everything to their specifications, they probably return to you a check for $99. At this point, you have to cash the check - again, taking your own time to do so (and I'm still presuming that the saying "time is money" applies to you).
All told, the $99 plus S&H minus "secret code" goes forth, and but only $99 and ONE device comes back.
By no means whatsoever have you received anything for "free". Furthermore, as noted above, you only have one device, not two.
Dig?
<considers removing flame retardant clothing, but decides that reticence is the best policy until people quit crabbing at me for being too strident.>
