Month: November 2015

If you really, really, really have to go shopping immediately after Thanksgiving dinner, here’s a list of the places that are open as early as Thanksgiving Thursday afternoon as well as Black Friday. Just be careful and sensible if you go!

Best Buy

Thanksgiving: Opens 5 p.m. and closes 1 a.m. Friday
Black Friday: Opens 8 a.m.

Dick’s Sporting Goods

Thanksgiving: Opens 6 p.m. and closes 2 a.m. Friday
Black Friday: Opens 5 a.m.

Ellenton Premium Outlets

Thanksgiving: Opens 6 p.m. and closes 12 a.m. Friday
Black Friday: Opens 12 a.m.

Gulf View Square Mall

Thanksgiving: Opens 6 p.m. and closes 1 a.m. Friday
Black Friday: Opens 6 a.m.

H. H. Gregg

Thanksgiving: Opens 4 p.m. and closes 12 a.m. Friday
Black Friday: Opens 7 a.m.

JC Penney

Thanksgiving: Opens 3 p.m. and stays open all night into Black Friday.

Kmart

Thanksgiving: Opens 7 p.m. and stays open all night into Black Friday.

Kohl’s

Thanksgiving: Opens 6 p.m. and stays open all night into Black Friday.

Lakeland Square Mall

Thanksgiving: Opens 6 p.m. and closes 12 a.m. Friday
Black Friday: Opens 9 a.m.

Macy’s

Thanksgiving: Opens 6 p.m. and stays open all night into Black Friday.

Michaels

Thanksgiving: Opens 4 p.m. and closes 2 a.m. Friday
Black Friday: Opens 7 a.m.

Radio Shack

Thanksgiving: Opens 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Black Friday: Opens 8 a.m.

Sears

Thanksgiving: Opens 6 p.m. and closes 2 a.m. Friday
Black Friday: Opens 5 a.m.

Sports Authority

Thanksgiving: Opens 6 p.m. and closes 12 a.m. Friday
Black Friday: Opens 6 a.m.

Tampa Premium Outlets

Thanksgiving: Opens 6 p.m. and closes 12 a.m. Friday
Black Friday: Opens 12 a.m.

Target

Thanksgiving: Opens 6 p.m. and stays open all night into Black Friday.

Toys ‘R’ Us

Thanksgiving: Opens 5 p.m. and stays open all night into Black Friday.

Tyrone Square Mall

Thanksgiving: Opens 6 p.m. and closes 1 a.m. Friday
Black Friday: Opens 6 a.m.

University Town Center

Thanksgiving: Opens 6 p.m. and closes 12 a.m. Friday
Black Friday: Opens 8 a.m.

Walmart

Thanksgiving: Deals start at 6 p.m.

Westshore Plaza

Thanksgiving: Opens 6 p.m. and closes 1 a.m. Friday
Black Friday: Opens 6 a.m.

Click the photo to see it at full size.

I’m sure the Disney lawyers are already on this case.

Click the photo to see it at full sad size.

He’s still not as sad as Billy Corgan at Disneyland.

The 15″ MacBook Pro.
Click the photo to see it at full size.

SOLD! as of Monday, November 23 at 11:00 am Eastern.

Attention cash-strapped web and mobile developers! Hey, starving artists and musicians! Look here, budget-conscious students! If you’ve been pining for the one-two killer combo of a Mac laptop and iPad, but can’t get them because they’re out of your price range, I’m selling my trusty early 2011 15″ 2.2GHz MacBook Pro and 32GB iPad 2 as a kick-ass budget package for $700.

Go ahead, go look on eBay and see what they sell for individually, and when you’re done, come back here and read on!

The iPad 2.
Click the photo to see it at full size.

Here’s a screenshot of the Mac’s specs, as reported by the “About This Mac” dialog box:

This model features the “Sandy Bridge” 2.2 GHz Intel “Core i7” processor (2720QM), with four independent processor “cores” on a single silicon chip, a 6 MB shared level 3 cache, and integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics. It has the stock 750GB 5400 RPM hard drive. You can get the full set of specs on this model from EveryMac.com.

I maxed out the RAM to 16GB with a pair of Crucial 8GB DDR3/DDR3L-1600 MHz (PC3-12800) SODIMMs purchased from Amazon in 2014.

I got it in early 2011, which means I qualified for the recall (a number of them, including mine, started experiencing video issues), which means I was eligible for a replacement motherboard, which I got in April 2015. It may be a 2011 machine, but it’s only 7 months old on the inside!

Here’s CoconutBattery’s report on its battery:

In addition to this battery, I’m throwing in an additional new battery, complete with the hard-to-find tri-wing screwdriver required to install it.

I’ve taken good care of the Mac, always carrying it in a carrying case, and then inside a padded laptop knapsack or bag. Take a gander at these photos to see what good shape it’s in — here’s the top with the lid shut:

Click the photo to see it at full size.

Here’s the top with the lid slightly ajar so that the apple is lit:

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Most laptops take a fair bit of abuse on their underside. This one’s in quite shape, with brand-new rubber feet, which I got at the same time as the motherboard replacement:

Click the photo to see it at full size.

Here’s its left side:

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From left to right, the ports are:

• MagSafe power port
• Gigabit Ethernet port
• FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps)
• Thunderbolt port (up to 10 Gbps)
• Two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps)
• SDXC card slot
• Audio line in
• Audio line out

Here’s its right side:

Click the photo to see it at full size.

From left to right, what you’re looking at are the slots for a security cable and the SuperDrive (combination DVD/CD drive). My one caveat is that the SuperDrive hasn’t been working reliably, but it’s 2015, and unless you’re planning to use the Mac as a CD/DVD player, this shouldn’t be an issue. I haven’t used it in ages.

And finally, here’s a closeup of the keyboard and trackpad:

Click the photo to see it at full size.

Like the MacBook Pro, the iPad is also a 2011-era device: a black 32GB wifi-only iPad 2 with A5 processor. Wikipedia can give you more about its specs.

Click the photo to see it at full size.

Also like the MacBook Pro, it’s been well taken care of — always in a case, and never dropped. Here’s a pic of the back, the most-abused part of a tablet:

Click the photo to see it at full size.

I’ve got better things to do than to try and wheel and deal, and I’d rather get some nice machinery in your hands and a decent amount of money in exchange. That’s why this combo is so reasonably priced.

Interested in this deal? Drop me a line at joey@joeydevilla.com, and let’s talk! [Update: Sorry, it got sold!] I’m based in Tampa and would prefer to sell locally, but if you’re willing to cover shipping, I’m willing to ship…

Once you come up with your band name, post it in the comments! Better still, if you tell me your credit card’s expiry date, I’ll send you a postcard from Hawaii!

Thanks to Peach Flambee for the find!