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Judge blocks Staples and Office Depot merger
Last year around this time, Staples announced that it had purchased Office Depot, in a deal that would have created one enormous outlet for office supplies, computers, 3D printing services and more. However, US regulators thought the new company would be too enormous, and convinced a court to kill the merger on antitrust grounds. US District Judge Emmet Sullivan ruled that the acquisition "will substantially impair competition," especially to business customers, and that blocking it was "in the public interest."
Staples expands its tech shopping empire by acquiring Office Depot
Best Buy may have to fight a bit harder for your technology dollar. Staples just bought Office Depot, making it by far the biggest office supply outlet in the US and a considerably larger source for everything from computers to 3D printing. The combined company hopes to use its newfound clout to speed up its "strategic reinvention," letting it dip into delivery businesses and escape its old-school focus on workplace basics like pens and desk chairs.
Samsung's Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 ships in the US February 13th for $850, up for pre-order now
Arriving in the US just in time for Valentine's Day, the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 is set to ship stateside February 13th with an equally beefy $850 price tag. If you'll recall, the 12.2-inch behemoth was announced back at CES and sports the same S Pen chops as the Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 outed then as well. The 64GB WiFi version is up for pre-order for folks in the States over at Office Depot, should you be looking for extra screen real estate and don't mind the added heft that it requires. Need a quick refresher on the device? Take a peek back at our hands-on to do just that. [Thanks, Matt]
Office Depot starts stocking 3D Systems printers online
Could 3D printing be the future of office supply stores? Staples, for one, has been dipping its toes in those rising waters, offering a limited selection of devices on its site. Office Depot's following suit, making the seemingly logical move of including the third dimension in its printing offering. The chain announced today that it's added 3D Systems' Cube and CubeX to its online store, selling the printers for $1,299 and $2,499, respectively. It's not quite a 3D printing kiosk in every store (who wouldn't want a personalized Star Trek figure while you wait?), but it's always nice to see a company looking to embrace emerging technology.
Acer's 8.1-inch Iconia W3 tablet now on sale in the US
If you've wanted full-blown Windows 8 in bite-size form, you now have your chance: the Acer Iconia W3 is on sale in the US. The 8.1-inch slate is in stock at both Office Depot and Staples, starting at $350 for a 32GB model at both outlets. Don't count on the 64GB version being available -- it's still listed as an online-only pre-order at Office Depot. There's also no word on inventory at Amazon or other competing retailers. Should you not be picky about capacities or store choices, however, you can take the W3 home today.
ASUS VivoTab RT pops up early at Office Depot, teases our Windows RT future
Want an early glimpse of the VivoTab RT without having to attend ASUS' special event? Thanks to our tipster, you've got it. An Office Depot has received at least one example of the Windows RT slate a full three days in advance. The short impressions: it's an "awesome" Tegra 3-packing tablet, although the OS reportedly chews up more than half of the 32GB of storage, and USB depends on an adapter if you're not relying on the keyboard. While price wasn't immediately available, we're not expecting retail to deviate greatly from the $599 pre-order formula.
ASUS Transformer Prime TF700T showing 'in stock' at Office Depot, days before scheduled US release
July 16th? Why wait? A full three days prior to the previously scheduled US release date, ASUS' Transformer Prime TF700T is showing as "in stock" right now from Office Depot. For those who've managed to forget about it's amenities since its original unveiling some six months ago, this one's packing a 10.1-inch (1,920 x 1,200) display, Android 4.0, Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11b/g/n, 32GB of internal storage and NVIDIA's Tegra 3 keeping the gears turning. As expected, $499.99 is the asking price, with an estimated delivery of "Just as soon as shipping partners get back to work next week." Oh, and scalpers -- it's limit two per customer. Just a heads-up. [Thanks, Tony]
Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 makes a splash Stateside, offers a lightweight slice of Android 4.0 for $349
Lenovo has offered few hints (if unsubtle ones) that the IdeaTab S2109 was on the way, but it's now in the US in earnest. As we saw early on, some of the Android 4.0 tablet's specs read like those of an iPad 2, down to the 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768 IPS panel, 1.3-pound weight and ever so slightly thicker 8.9mm unibody shell. Lenovo is catering more to the movie-watching set, though: a four-speaker system and 1080p video over micro-HDMI make us see it as a couch-surfer's Netflix machine. We're a bit less enthused with the aging dual-core, 1GHz TI OMAP 4430 inside, but we won't complain about the $349 asking price. If the balance is appealing, both Lenovo and Office Depot will be ready to serve it up in early June.
Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1-inch) priced at $399, still unavailable for purchase
Office Depot probably isn't the first place you'd think to look for Samsung's incoming Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1), but it looks to be the first legitimate retailer to throw a price tag on the aforementioned slate. Just weeks after cruising through the FCC, the Tab 2 is now being shown with a $399.99 price. Granted, that's for the lowly 8GB model, but it's still a step in the right direction -- you know, towards folks who would like to pay less than $499 for a 10-inch tablet. As of now, it's still impossible to actually check out with one, but those feeling lucky can hit the source link and get 'er a go.[Thanks, Dube]
Lenovo IdeaPad K1 begins shipment odyssey, courtesy of Office Depot
The IdeaPad K1's long, crazy journey of near-availability looks to finally be at an end. Lenovo's ethereal Honeycomb tablet has been popping up in online retail sites since May, teasing us with availability in June, and finally offering the promise of pre-order earlier this month. It seems that the plucky 10.1 inch Tegra 2 slate has taken the final step separating itself from the hands of consumers: getting sent out for shipment. One tipster passed along shipping confirmation from Office Depot that has the device lined up for delivery today -- assuming, of course that the recipient is there to answer the door in the eight and a half hour delivery window provided. [Thanks, Dan]
Lenovo Ideapad Tablet K1 priced at $500 by Office Depot, inches closer to release
The Ideapad Tablet K1 is about as well known an unannounced product as there is right now, having been pictured and listed by a couple of online retailers and passed the requisite tests over at the FCC. What we weren't quite so sure about was its price, which a tipster now informs us is $499.99, and its launch date, which looks to be fast approaching. The Office Depot placard we've been forwarded promises 32GB of storage, Android 3.0 (with a "custom-built" interface on top), 1280 x 800 resolution on a 10.1-inch multitouch screen, a pair of cameras, up to 10 hours of battery life, a weight of 1.6lb (725g), and a thickness of just over half an inch (13.2mm). Not exactly an unorthodox list of specs, but more choice is rarely a bad thing. [Thanks, GorillazKing]
HP TouchPad goes up for pre-order starting at $500, will be available July 1
It's true, the TouchPad, HP's inaugural webOS tablet, won't go on sale in the states until July 1, but that doesn't mean you can't claim yours pronto. She's up for pre-order at a long list of retailers that includes Amazon, NewEgg, Best Buy, Walmart, Staples, Radio Shack, J&R, Office Max, Office Depot, Costco, Sam's Club, PC Richard & Son, Micro Center, and even Nebraska Furniture Mart. You'll see it listed on HP's site, too, but the company's only accepting orders for businesses at the moment. As expected, the tab comes in two flavors: a 16GB version for $499.99 and a 32GB model that'll set you back $599.99. Both of 'em pack a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, stereo speakers, Touch-to-Share, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, and, of course, a gussied-up version of webOS optimized for that 9.7-inch display. Intrigued? Hit the exhaustive list of source links below to scoop one up for yourself. [Thanks, Casey]
WiFi BlackBerry PlayBook priced at $500 in Office Depot's systems
Now this is what we're talking about! Sure, we've been well aware of RIM's plans to take the PlayBook to Sprint (and maybe even Verizon), but if this Office Depot listing is to be believed, a 16GB, WiFi version of the 7-inch tablet will also be heading to some retailers for the very competitive price of $499.99. It's really the first solid PlayBook pricing we've seen, and we've got to admit, we're happy to see that RIM followed through on its word to offer the touchscreen slab for under $500. (And hey, it sure beats the leaked Xoom pricing we saw earlier this week.) Unfortunately, the screenshot above doesn't reveal much more, although it lists the QNX-powered slate as hitting Office Depot stores on "Week 17," which is the last week in April according to our calendar. That's a bit later than the March date we've heard before, but either way we're waiting for spring to start and hoping Office Depot's cut out its shady practices so we can snatch up one of these ASAP. [Thanks, Braden]
Office Depot welcomes 10-inch ViewSonic G Tablet into the fold, slaps $399 sticker on it
If your tablet wishlist includes things like Tegra 2, Android 2.2, and 1080p video playback, you might want to drop by your nearest Office Depot some time soonish. ViewSonic's G Tablet has just been made available for purchase at the store's many outlets across the US and is also supposed to be up for grabs at its online portal. We say "supposed" because we can't find it anywhere on officedepot.com, but that's probably just a temporary issue. The main point is that $399 will buy you a seat on the Froyo tablet bandwagon, a very glossy 10-inch seat with 1024 x 600 resolution. Skip past the break for the full PR.
Dear Aunt TUAW: $1.39 iPad holder
Dear Aunt TUAW: Behold the $1.39 iPad holder. It holds the iPad perfectly in both orientations. All of the iPad users in my office have one, and it's the best. It's very very stable, too. Love and kissies, Your nephew Joel
Cyber Monday deals roundup: Core i7, HDTVs, SSDs, free Droid Eris
In Soviet Bulgaria, we don't have Cyber Mondays, but from what we've been told this is a pretty bargainous time of the year. HP starts us off with a pair of coupons on its dv8 Core i7 notebook, one of which drops the 18.4-inch laptop to just $899. There are also deep 50 percent discounts on its printers, but only the Photosmart Premium All-in-One remains after the two cheaper models sold out. Click the Logic Buy link below to get in on the action. Amazon has the older Modern Warfare at $29.95 and Uncharted 2 at $40 flat for the PS3, Garmin's nuvi 260W at a cent under $115 (or half price), and plenty of discounts on DVDs, gadgetry and even clothing. Best Buy keeps pace by offering the same price on the Garmin nav unit, as well as 10 percent discounts on Apple's iPod range. Walmart is kicking off a whole Cyber Week with a Sony Bravia 32-inch HDTV priced at $398 and a $249 Nintendo Wii Value Bundle, which includes Wii Sports, sporting peripherals, and a choice of free game. If you're more interested in computer components, Newegg's $30 mail-in rebate on the 120GB OCZ Agility SSD will net you the drive for $289, our favorite of a plethora of deals at the online store. And finally, Dell is offering the Droid Eris for free when taking out a new Verizon Wireless account, which is at least $30 cheaper than you can get it anywhere else. Time to get clicking! Read - Amazon Read - Best Buy Read - Dell Read - Logic Buy Read - Newegg Read - Walmart
Acer Timeline 8000 series arrives at Office Depot
Well, that didn't take long. Less than a day after Acer announced the new Timeline 8000 series, the 14-inch AS4810T-8480 has popped up on an Office Depot shelf for $699. It's not bad for the money -- you're getting a 1.4GHz Core Solo SU3500, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB disk, and eight hours of battery life -- but we'd wait to buy until next week, when our tipster says it'll be on sale for $549. Anyone planning to pick one up?[Thanks, Mike]
Is Office Depot taking care of business by screwing over customers?
For better or worse, Circuit City has gone to that great big box in the sky, and, while we hate to see competition disappear in the retail world, we have a pretty good idea of which shop we might like to see go next. Office Depot has been the victim of various allegations lately, and Laptop Magazine has managed to get confirmation from numerous sales associates that those allegations about its staff are true, including lying about stock to prevent customers from buying machines without paying extra for extended warranties, and using Photoshop to raise laptop price tags by $100 so that those extended warranties are unavoidable. These and other shady dealings don't seem to be exactly supported by the company, as Office Depot issued an internal memo telling its sales force to cut it out, but with confirmations from around the country it sounds like this was standard operating procedure. Discouraging, really -- if we were looking for that kind of dishonesty we'd just buy all our gear on eBay. [Via Switched]
Gateway's LT1004U netbook lands domestically, at Office Depot of all places
We can't get up for a nice cuppa these days without tripping over some new netbook, but still every now and again one offers styling that catches our eye. Such was the case with Packard Bell's "dot," an Aspire One rebadge with a striking red metallic hinge but otherwise familiar internals. It later appeared as a Gateway in Singapore, and reader APowe emailed to say he'd seen one prowling the aisles at a local Office Depot. We were incredulous, but he drove back to get proof and was kind enough to pass the resulting pics along. Gateway is calling this the LT1004U domestically; it has the standard netbook specs you've come to love (9-inch screen, Atom 270, 160GB drive, 1GB RAM, Win XP) and is selling for a quite competitive $379. This particular one was spotted in Redmond, WA, but maybe you'll be lucky enough to find one near you.[Thanks, APowe]
Office Depot closing 112 stores
Office Depot's jumped on the "get outta town quick" train and announced it'll close 112 of its "underperforming" stores over the course of the next three months. The closures will amount to roughly nine percent of the OD's locations, and the company will also close six out of its 33 North American distribution facilities. All of this falls under the banner of cutting back costs, of course, in response the economy's woes and "no profits." [Via TG Daily]
