Black Friday no longer happens on a Friday or even in the week of the namesake Friday. It’s in full effect now and some of our perennial favorite fruity themed deals are back and worth grabbing before the deals sell out.
If you need a small computer for any kind of demanding task — actually if you need a computer for any kind of more-than-basic task — stop here for $499 ($100 off). The M4 Mac mini is one of the best kept secrets in the computing world. Everyone knows about this thing called the “Mac Mini,” but few realize just how good it is.
Apple’s M4 processor is a speed demon and ushered in a generation of Macs that finally come with 16 GB of RAM standard. Around the big sales like this one, Amazon often has an open-box M2 Mac Mini for an even better price. While now several years old, that computer can still handle pretty much any demanding task you might want to throw at it. It’s worth grabbing if you see it, but, that said, the M4 offers beefed up RAM, more power and a software support window 2-3 years longer than the M2.
The M4 can crunch 4K video without issue, do impressive local AI processing and has a small, but very fast internal SSD. While it is not internally upgradable, the high speed Thunderbolt 4 ports allow for a plethora of external expansion options that operate at internal speeds.
If you need a desktop — even if you weren’t specifically shopping for a Mac — just stop thinking and buy it. You will not find a better power-to-price deal. Period.
If you’re shopping for wireless earbuds for a Christmas gift — or you’re in need of a new pair for yourself — Walmart has two excellent offers. For something more basic and not completely Apple-centric, the Beats Solo Buds are just $39. We find the whole Beats line offers consistently good sound and these earbuds are a steal in territory that is normally dwelt by no-name imitators.
They do, however, lack Apple’s impressive noise cancelation. Perhaps for those of us who use Apple devices, even worse is the lack of the nearly magically, automatic switching between Apple devices that more expensive Beats and Apple-branded headphones offer. (AirPods and high-end Beats will detect which devices you are using and automatically switch between them.)
But, $39 for a pair of earbuds that works well on Android and iOS? It’s a steal.
Moving up to something higher end, Walmart’s $139 price for the last-gen AirPods Pro 2 is incredible. We’ve seen them go down to $169 at times, but this new, lower price is almost unbelievable. While the newer, better third generation is out, it will set you back $200 or more. This is a great deal on a truly excellent set of earbuds.
AirPods Pro 2 include the creature comforts the Solo Buds lack and improved sound quality to boot. Transparency mode — the ability to hear the outside world when you need to — is a huge gain and device switching makes using the buds a joy.
While the third generation offers further refinement on quality and noise cancelation, these are excellent in themselves. With great battery life, convenient Qi or USB-C charging and comfortable fit for about one hundred bucks less than the new generation, you won’t go wrong with them. 
Timothy R. Butler is Editor-in-Chief of Open for Business. He also serves as a pastor at Little Hills Church and FaithTree Christian Fellowship.
Pass along this article.
Never Miss Another Article from Timothy R. Butler.
You need to be logged in if you wish to comment on this article. Sign in or sign up here.
Start the Conversation