When I’m looking for clearance laptops, I usually hit up an online site like PC Corner. MSI is a Taiwanese brand and known for being value for your money. Currently, there are some 10 inchers with selling for only Php10,000 (USD 230) which is such a steal!

Actually I was already won over by the variety of colors available. Show me a pink gadget and I’m an easy sell.

But seriously. The thing with these clearances, though, is they are probably slightly used or damaged. Some will have scratches, some will show signs of wear and tear. They are usually display units, and after being handled by many people over a few months (usually around 6 months), no one will buy them for full price anymore. These units may also come at a shorter period of warranty. So if you’re looking for a cheap laptop, make sure you know what you’re dealing with.

Doesn’t mean I won’t buy one, though. I have often heard that the value of a product drastically drops the second it is sold. Which means that most stores are really selling concepts rather than materials. Me being a cheapskate, I don’t buy ideas. I prefer simply to pay for tangible things.

Just need to be careful and considerate of all factors BEFORE buying anything, is all.

Cracked your Palm Treo? That’s really too bad. But you can always replace it! Find a reliable place on the Internet where you can buy the housing, then get to tinkering!

Prepare your new Treo housing!

Now remove the stylus, your memcard, and your SIM card from your phone.

Then remove the battery.

With a screwdriver, remove all seven screws so you can pry your phone apart.

When the screws are gone, pull apart your phone.

Ready to transfer, yeah?

Disconnect the ribbon cable from the internal circuit board next.

Flip over the main board, and you will see the LCD screen and the keyboard. Remove the cable connecting the board to the LCD. The board is now all disconnected.

Now, remove the screws connecting the keypad to the cover.

Now you can replace the cover! Put the board into the new housing and reconnect the cables.

Transfer the speaker and LCD screen to the new unit. Put the two pieces together, and screw the back cover in place.

There you go!

If you are looking to replace the screen on your Treo, follow the instructions below.

You don’t have a PC? How about a TV? Yes? Then turn your TV into a PC by using Smartbro Surf TV!

That’s the latest product that is on offer from SMART. It’s worth Php4500 – way cheaper than the cheapest desktop you can scrape together. It includes the Smartbro Surf TV box, a Smartbro Plugit, a keyboard and a mouse. The box has 4 USB ports so you can connect an external storage to the box if you want to download stuff.

You’ll be charged Php10 every 30 minutes worth of surfing, unless you already have an unlimited plan that’s worth Php999 per month. If prepaid, you can load your Plugit just like a normal SIM – via Pasaload or via a load card or via a Smart eloader.

You can read more about the product in the official website here.

For more inquiries, please call *1888 from your Smart cellphone or 02-672-7277 from your landline. To avail, visit any Smart Wireless Center, Smart accredited dealer or Agent.