HTC Thunderbolt

True, but a million iPhones is incredibly far below what they expected. The Verizon PR department can't do anything but try to swing stories that make the launch look good. Unfortunately for Verizon the only good news about the iPhone 4 launch was that it was the "biggest launch ever". Have you noticed how we haven't heard shit about it since then?



I'm with you on the RAM aspect. That's why I'm probably steering clear of the Bionic. 512MB just isn't enough.

For the dual-core it depends. Android 3.0 is coded for dual-core. Thus why Xoom is a Tegra 2 device. Android 2.3 does OK dual-core but the rumored Android 2.4 (still Gingerbread) will increase the dual-core capability for smart phones.

However, if we look at the PC and multi-core CPUs there are still tons of applications that don't make use of multi-core CPU's correctly or efficiently enough. I expect the same to be true with smart phones for the time being especially since the fleets of smartphones out there right now are single core and will remain that way for another 2-3 years.

Information like that is why I'm having a hard time deciding what I want to do with my current upgrade eligibility. Get a Thunderbolt which will serve me well for 2 years or wait for an HTC dual-core which could be 6 months out or more.

I'm leaning towards getting the TB. I'm thinking like that because the mobile phone market is like PC's since the newest phone is already obsolete as soon as it is released. Plus if I get the TB and go multi-core in 2 years I'll be on a 3rd or 4th generation multi-core phone.

The fact that a phone can sell 1MM units SEVEN months after its release, become the biggest launch product for one of the world’s BIGGEST and LARGEST mobile company and sell out of preorder stock within TWO hours during the wee hours of night is a testament to the power of the iPhone. People were setting their alarms for 2:55 AM,ordering at 3 AM and going back to sleep at 3:05 AM, tell me another phone where it had people doing this.

Do you think the nexus S (or any other android line) would enjoy an equal amount of attention if it was released on VZW, and that phone isn't even as old as the iPhone.
 
Well I'm officially due for an upgrade today. Hoping I can order the TB on thursday. Still haven't seen anything on the website about a release date.
 
Do you think the nexus S (or any other android line) would enjoy an equal amount of attention if it was released on VZW, and that phone isn't even as old as the iPhone.

Sprint's 4G Flagship the HTC EVO did pretty well and went out of stock quite fast (not as fast as iPhone obviously, but compared to most launch devices it was very successful.) Which should say something about Android (and also something about smartphones in general...)

If the HTC Thunderbird is Verizon's Flagship 4G phone, I'm betting it sells out extremely fast too.
 
The fact that a phone can sell 1MM units SEVEN months after its release, become the biggest launch product for one of the world’s BIGGEST and LARGEST mobile company and sell out of preorder stock within TWO hours during the wee hours of night is a testament to the power of the iPhone. People were setting their alarms for 2:55 AM,ordering at 3 AM and going back to sleep at 3:05 AM, tell me another phone where it had people doing this.

Do you think the nexus S (or any other android line) would enjoy an equal amount of attention if it was released on VZW, and that phone isn't even as old as the iPhone.

Way to twist my words like a typical iPhone fanboi. :rolleyes:

Where did I ever say selling a million in a week was a bad thing? I simply said the iPhone 4 on Verizon has been a failure overall and has sold far below everyone's predicted levels. So what if people wanted to pre-order at 3am. It means they didn't want to wait in line. Oh wait! There were NO LINES!

Verizon please bring on my Thunderbolt!

EDIT: Also good luck doing something like this on iOS: http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-news/131001-privacy-blocker-inspector-xeudoxus.html Can't wait!
 
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If the phone does not release by the 13th of March, last day I am in town and can jump on my parents plan :D, I will go iphone.
 
That is currently vaporware, so I am sure its not hard to get something similar on a iPhone.

Vaporware? Did you not go to the website of the developer and see the countdown timer that had about an hour and a half when I posted that last night?

Oh it's on the market now. https://market.android.com/details?id=com.xeudoxus.privacy.blocker

I have the beta version as well. Xeudoxus (the dev) sent it to anybody who wanted it last night. It's an absolutely amazing piece of software and the best part? You don't need root.
 
Vaporware? Did you not go to the website of the developer and see the countdown timer that had about an hour and a half when I posted that last night?

Oh it's on the market now. https://market.android.com/details?id=com.xeudoxus.privacy.blocker

I have the beta version as well. Xeudoxus (the dev) sent it to anybody who wanted it last night. It's an absolutely amazing piece of software and the best part? You don't need root.

Wow. You managed to find an app I'm considering paying $$$ for... (which is no small feat) Gonna try the lite (free) version now.

Thanks for the link!

On this note, how bad _IS_ iPhone about letting apps reveal your data? I thought this was mainly a google-born problem (excluding poor programming leaving backdoors, of course)
 
Wow. You managed to find an app I'm considering paying $$$ for... (which is no small feat) Gonna try the lite (free) version now.

Thanks for the link!

On this note, how bad _IS_ iPhone about letting apps reveal your data? I thought this was mainly a google-born problem (excluding poor programming leaving backdoors, of course)

They are all probably as equally bad, and if anyone is horrible about leaving back doors its Apple. Safari has been a treasure trove of backdoors, both mobile, and on pc's for years.

The Apple storefront on the other hand is probably the best monitored of the major OS's, but part of that is also because of their choice of being the decider if you should be able to purchase something and fear of a product that replaces an Apple service. The result being that more eyes see an average Iphone app before it goes onto the market then any of the other brands.
 
Wow. You managed to find an app I'm considering paying $$$ for... (which is no small feat) Gonna try the lite (free) version now.

Thanks for the link!

On this note, how bad _IS_ iPhone about letting apps reveal your data? I thought this was mainly a google-born problem (excluding poor programming leaving backdoors, of course)

Well considering Apple has pulled apps in the past for uploading complete contact lists to central servers or companies actually calling people who installed their application I think it's probably just as bad.

I'm still using the beta for Privacy Blocker but I plan on buying it tonight as soon as I get home. All I can say is holy mother of god is this application freaking amazing! This is without a doubt a must buy app for any Android user. It's actually downright scary seeing what the applications are accessing. For example Dolphin Browser Mini has 8 holes to plug!

Make sure you buy in the next two weeks though as it's $2 during that time period. It will be going up to $4 after that, although even at $4 it's a steal for what you get to do!
 
I went ahead and purchased it. It's downright scary what data apps send! (why the f*** does an app to copy my dolphin bookmarks to my SD card need my ESN?!!? why does it need network access at all!?)

Most of what I see is benign though, like wheather I'm on a mobile or WiFi network (which I WANT it to send)

One small problem though every time I try to scan the Chase (creditcard) app, PrivacyBlocker crashes... anyone else had this problem?

AND google goggles, AND k9 mail AND Yahoo mail....

I'm starting to question the quality of this app...
 
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I went ahead and purchased it. It's downright scary what data apps send! (why the f*** does an app to copy my dolphin bookmarks to my SD card need my ESN?!!? why does it need network access at all!?)

Most of what I see is benign though, like wheather I'm on a mobile or WiFi network (which I WANT it to send)

One small problem though every time I try to scan the Chase (creditcard) app, PrivacyBlocker crashes... anyone else had this problem?

I have had issues with some apps. I'm "fixing" apps on and off with the Beta version while at work when I have time.

Some of the crashes are due to memory on my Droid (256MB RAM just doesn't cut it, need the Thunderbolt already >< ). Some may be due to the apps themselves. Overall according to xeudoxus (the apps dev) smali/baksmali suck up a lot of memory to do what they do so that could be part of the problem as well.

Long press on the app in Privacy Blocker and you should get an option for "Problems". You can check there for information otherwise pull the Logcat and send it to the dev. You can use this to pull the logcat: https://market.android.com/details?id=org.jtb.alogcat

xeudoxus has a support thread here:

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/xeudoxus/131027-support-privacy-blocker.html
 
Some of the crashes are due to memory on my Droid (256MB RAM just doesn't cut it, need the Thunderbolt already >< ). Some may be due to the apps themselves. Overall according to xeudoxus (the apps dev) smali/baksmali suck up a lot of memory to do what they do so that could be part of the problem as well.
Long press on the app in Privacy Blocker and you should get an option for "Problems". You can check there for information otherwise pull the Logcat and send it to the dev. You can use this to pull the logcat: https://market.android.com/details?id=org.jtb.alogcat
xeudoxus has a support thread here:
http://www.droidforums.net/forum/xeudoxus/131027-support-privacy-blocker.html

Not sure if memory is an issue with my EVO since it has 512, but it also has several apps running in the bg (K9 mail, Y! Mail, possibly Dolphin (forget to exit it))

Thanks for the links, if I cant get it to work I'll send the logs to the dev ^_^
 
At this point, I wish VZW would just give a release date on the Thunderbolt so I can know whether I should wait for it or not.
 
Yeah, that's the only reason to get a dual-core is the longevity thanks to developers like the CyanogenMod Team, Project Elite team, ChevyNo1, Team Liberty and all the rest.

However, with that in mind it would actually be a better idea to just get the TB and get whatever the fastest multi-core phone is in 2 years to have really amazing longevity at that point.



Thunderbolt has already been rooted. ;) Standard S-OFF implementation. HTC doesn't screw their customers like Motorola has been doing. However, Motorola does appear to be changing their tune since the Xoom is locked by default but can be unlocked for "developers".

The Atrix is still bootloader locked and I assume Bionic will be as well since Motorola has never answered the question about Bionic but they quickly answered the question about the Xoom when asked.

I would also argue about HTC and Motorola screwing the pooch with updates. I think both of them have done fairly well rolling out new Android versions to their phones. The original Droid has seen a number of OTA updates. It started at 2.0, moved to 2.01, to 2.1, to 2.2 to 2.2.1, to 2.2.2 which is where it will officially stay. Droix X and Droid 2 have both received updates and will be moving to 2.3 in the "near" future as well.

I do think that HTC and Motorola could do a better job if they dropped Sense and Blur since that built-in bloat adds large amount of time to the roll out of new Android versions.

Samsung is the only manufacturer (that matters) who has seriously screwed over their customers when it comes to supporting their devices.

It was always aimed at the Bionic. The Thunderbolt should be fine.

The original Droid is a Google experience phone and considered a developers device. As long as Google is making OS's that they think will run on it, Motorola is basically bound to update them. Really the Droid X is the only phone that Motorola has done a true OS version update to, and that really only happened because they wanted to get it out of the door to pick up where the Incredible could due to Stock issues. There are almost dozens of Motorola phones left behind without updates.

I am not saying that someone shouldn't buy a Bionic or a Droid X, or so on. The Blur complaints are retarded. For the most part they are great phones. People looking to buy a phone after the Bionic shouldn't shy away from it just because the second core doesn't get used much. But on the reverse end of it I wouldn't buy a Bionic if my plan was to be upgraded a better multithreading OS. It might not happen and there is enough proof that Motorola has a tendancy to give up on updates if it seems to daunting. Knowing that, never assume you will get an update. The Bionic will be a great 2.2 phone and should be an even better 2.3 (or 2.4) phone if it gets it. Just saying that without the ability to install any rom you want, counting on an update to better use your phone because of the locked boot-loader, is a mistake.
 
They are all probably as equally bad, and if anyone is horrible about leaving back doors its Apple. Safari has been a treasure trove of backdoors, both mobile, and on pc's for years.

The Apple storefront on the other hand is probably the best monitored of the major OS's, but part of that is also because of their choice of being the decider if you should be able to purchase something and fear of a product that replaces an Apple service. The result being that more eyes see an average Iphone app before it goes onto the market then any of the other brands.

Not to pat my own back but, http://www.hardocp.com/news/2011/03/10/safari_ie_hacked_first_at_pwn2own/
 
Look at any phone that launched around two years ago. Right now those phones are not looking so great, however when they launched people were always like "Wow this phone is amazing, it should easily last me a few years!". Talking about phones like the HTC Dream (G1), HTC Hero, Samsung Moment, original Droid (not close to 2 years old yet, but feels old), Motorola Cliq... This will be no different, by the time 24 months tick by, many new phones and new Android OS versions will have come and gone.

Those older phones you mention may not be up to spec with the phones of today, but they're no slouch either. My Palm Pre (the slower, non plus version on Sprint) is pretty ancient in terms of specs yet it still does everything I need - calendar/email, very light web browsing, texting, a few apps + angry birds, and god forbid a phone call every now and then just fine. I'm looking to replace it in a month or two just for a change of pace, but the phone itself is hardly unusable.

Will there be something faster and better over the horizon? Always. Does that make the phone you're using now inadequate? No.
 
The Best Buy rep called and said I can pick up my TB on Thursday 17th after 9am. Looks like its finally coming out.
 
The Best Buy rep called and said I can pick up my TB on Thursday 17th after 9am. Looks like its finally coming out.

Yep the 17th definitely looks like the real deal. Hopefully we get an official press release from Verizon at some point to really confirm.
 
I'm I the only one that doesn't care about the TB?

Phones like it have already been out for a year. It just doesn't offer anything new and exciting.

4g? the issue that caused all the delays, small coverage, not life changing on a mobile browser, etc
 
I'm I the only one that doesn't care about the TB?

Phones like it have already been out for a year. It just doesn't offer anything new and exciting.

4g? the issue that caused all the delays, small coverage, not life changing on a mobile browser, etc

Read the rest of the thread bro... These topics have already been covered and your opinion was obliterated.
 
I'm I the only one that doesn't care about the TB?

Phones like it have already been out for a year. It just doesn't offer anything new and exciting.

4g? the issue that caused all the delays, small coverage, not life changing on a mobile browser, etc

Well considering the TB has a far more efficient 1GHz Snapdragon CPU and 768MB of RAM i don't think I'd say "like this already for a year." ;)

The SoC in the TB is far superior to the one in the EVO. 4G is in my area (DC Metro) so it's a big deal to me. Droid Bionic only has 512MB RAM in it. Not to mention Bionic will almost undoubtedly be bootloader locked unlike TB.

Plus after the severe ass kicking the PowerVR SGX 543MP2 gave the Tegra 2 (in the iPad 2 vs Xoom over at Anandtech) I'm not exactly high on Tegra 2 at the moment.

So why not replace my aging Droid with a Thunderbolt? Seems like a great idea to me. :D
 
Well considering the TB has a far more efficient 1GHz Snapdragon CPU and 768MB of RAM i don't think I'd say "like this already for a year." ;)

The SoC in the TB is far superior to the one in the EVO. 4G is in my area (DC Metro) so it's a big deal to me. Droid Bionic only has 512MB RAM in it. Not to mention Bionic will almost undoubtedly be bootloader locked unlike TB.

Plus after the severe ass kicking the PowerVR SGX 543MP2 gave the Tegra 2 (in the iPad 2 vs Xoom over at Anandtech) I'm not exactly high on Tegra 2 at the moment.

So why not replace my aging Droid with a Thunderbolt? Seems like a great idea to me. :D

Are you definitely getting yours at launch? I'm contemplating it. I have a Droid right now too and it's did me well, esp. with putting PE 5.02 on it (thanks again for showing me that). I wonder if I'll miss any GB features after going to the TB, though I'm sure Sense 2.0 will cover down on most of it (like selecting text on pages and stuff).

The only thing I'm concerned about is battery life. After seeing all the bad Evo experiences and TB rumors on this, I don't want to have any worse battery life than my Droid which barely gets me through a day as it is. I definitely don't want to spend $50+ on an extended battery after paying $300 for this phone and prolly another $30+ for the car dock and stuff.
 
Are you definitely getting yours at launch? I'm contemplating it. I have a Droid right now too and it's did me well, esp. with putting PE 5.02 on it (thanks again for showing me that). I wonder if I'll miss any GB features after going to the TB, though I'm sure Sense 2.0 will cover down on most of it (like selecting text on pages and stuff).

The only thing I'm concerned about is battery life. After seeing all the bad Evo experiences and TB rumors on this, I don't want to have any worse battery life than my Droid which barely gets me through a day as it is. I definitely don't want to spend $50+ on an extended battery after paying $300 for this phone and prolly another $30+ for the car dock and stuff.

Most likely yes I will move to a TB on launch day. Provided the Verizon store has one. ;)

The wife just wants me to ask them if the price will drop at all if I wait a few more months to get closer to the actual end of my contract. She won't listen to me when I say they won't drop its price anytime soon and she doesn't believe me when I tell her Verizon has killed their NE2 policy.

As much as I love PE 5.0.2 (you're welcome) it has its quirks that annoy me. Things from CM7 that I miss and what not. I find that PE is definitely NOT as stable as CM7 was for me. I doubt I'll miss anything from GB by going to the TB. I'm not worried about battery life since the demo TB's were already been rooted. I don't expect that to change especially since it's HTC. That means Cyanogen and other GB ROM's will most likely make their appearance rather quickly.

At the very least I'll be able to use SetCPU to control the battery life more and with root access I'll be able to remove whatever bloatware is installed. I also plan on using ADW Ex versus Sense which again should free up battery life. I have two weeks to decide if I like it or not so what the hell right? ;)

I love my trusty Droid and it has served me well but it really is slow now even with GB and overclocked to 800MHz. Compared to my wife's Dinc with MIUI it's slower then dogshit. GB overall has made multi-tasking on the Droid hard unless I start swapping which apps are locked in memory. It is definitely time for an upgrade.
 
Most likely yes I will move to a TB on launch day. Provided the Verizon store has one. ;)

The wife just wants me to ask them if the price will drop at all if I wait a few more months to get closer to the actual end of my contract. She won't listen to me when I say they won't drop its price anytime soon and she doesn't believe me when I tell her Verizon has killed their NE2 policy.

As much as I love PE 5.0.2 (you're welcome) it has its quirks that annoy me. Things from CM7 that I miss and what not. I find that PE is definitely NOT as stable as CM7 was for me. I doubt I'll miss anything from GB by going to the TB. I'm not worried about battery life since the demo TB's were already been rooted. I don't expect that to change especially since it's HTC. That means Cyanogen and other GB ROM's will most likely make their appearance rather quickly.

At the very least I'll be able to use SetCPU to control the battery life more and with root access I'll be able to remove whatever bloatware is installed. I also plan on using ADW Ex versus Sense which again should free up battery life. I have two weeks to decide if I like it or not so what the hell right? ;)

I love my trusty Droid and it has served me well but it really is slow now even with GB and overclocked to 800MHz. Compared to my wife's Dinc with MIUI it's slower then dogshit. GB overall has made multi-tasking on the Droid hard unless I start swapping which apps are locked in memory. It is definitely time for an upgrade.

Good points. I'm getting tired of tweaking every friggin thing on my Droid just to keep everything smooth too, so I know where you're coming from. I'll prolly jump on this too after seeing what you and other reviewers/owners say about it. I would really like to hold out for the Xperia Play, but I'm sure that's at least a couple months away and I don't want to wait that long. By then, I can prolly just give my wife the TB and user her upgrade to get the Xperia Play if it's as good as it seems or even sell the TB towards it as long as it's not $900 like it is in Europe, lol.

If you have a D1 then you should be eligible for 1 more Ne2 credit.

Indeed. Verizon rep said I was eligible a few days ago when I went in to ask about it. I got my Droid in December of '09.
 
If you have a D1 then you should be eligible for 1 more Ne2 credit.

True, which is why I actually get my upgrade this early. But that still doesn't change the fact that the TB is $300 no matter what. ;) The wife just doesn't believe me that shit has changed. :eek:
 
Good points. I'm getting tired of tweaking every friggin thing on my Droid just to keep everything smooth too, so I know where you're coming from. I'll prolly jump on this too after seeing what you and other reviewers/owners say about it. I would really like to hold out for the Xperia Play, but I'm sure that's at least a couple months away and I don't want to wait that long. By then, I can prolly just give my wife the TB and user her upgrade to get the Xperia Play if it's as good as it seems or even sell the TB towards it as long as it's not $900 like it is in Europe, lol.



Indeed. Verizon rep said I was eligible a few days ago when I went in to ask about it. I got my Droid in December of '09.

I have two issues with the Xperia Play.

1. It's only a single core processor.
2. It's Sony who don't have the best track record with keeping their mobile devices updated. Not nearly as bad as Samsung but still...
 
I have two issues with the Xperia Play.

1. It's only a single core processor.
2. It's Sony who don't have the best track record with keeping their mobile devices updated. Not nearly as bad as Samsung but still...

Well the TB is single core and you're getting it..? lol

Yeah, Sony has been pretty bad about updating. My friend has the X10 and was pissed about that (understandably so with the specs it has). But I think Sony will support the Play better since it's going to be a major phone/device for them. Launching with 2.3 is already saying a lot since no other phone announced (that I've seen) is launching with it anytime soon.
 
True, which is why I actually get my upgrade this early. But that still doesn't change the fact that the TB is $300 no matter what. ;) The wife just doesn't believe me that shit has changed. :eek:

I can tell you with 100% certainty that you'll have a Ne2 credit @ your 20 month point. Be it 30, 50, or 100. Just find out how much and when it unlocks then make your decision.
 
Well the TB is single core and you're getting it..? lol

Yeah, Sony has been pretty bad about updating. My friend has the X10 and was pissed about that (understandably so with the specs it has). But I think Sony will support the Play better since it's going to be a major phone/device for them. Launching with 2.3 is already saying a lot since no other phone announced (that I've seen) is launching with it anytime soon.

I should have been more clear. The Xperia Play is being marketed as a gaming phone. Thus why they have the hardware Playstation controls. If I buy a gaming phone I want it to be slightly more future proof then the Thunderbolt.

I think some of the issue with phones launching with 2.2 instead of 2.3 is simply the logistics. Phones like Thunderbolt have been in development for at least a year meaning they've been using 2.2 from the start. If you suddenly push to 2.3 then your SDLC starts all over. The question now is how quickly will HTC upgrade the Thunderbolt to 2.3?

I can tell you with 100% certainty that you'll have a Ne2 credit @ your 20 month point. Be it 30, 50, or 100. Just find out how much and when it unlocks then make your decision.

Agreed. Thus why I said the phone is $300 no matter what. TB MSRP is $750. Subsidized price with new contract is $300. ;)
 
Agreed. Thus why I said the phone is $300 no matter what. TB MSRP is $750. Subsidized price with new contract is $300. ;)

Verizon just confirmed it for $250 :D. They're also keeping unlimited 4G/3G data at $30/month and throwing in free mobile hot spot until May 15th. A much easier deal to swallow than before, I think. So pending battery issues and seeing whatever everyone else says about it at launch, I think I'll be picking this up :). I never buy anything without reading on it as much as I can. Looking forward to seeing Engadgets review too.
 
Got tired of waiting, bought an Iphone, unlimited everything 40 bucks a month :D
 
Verizon just confirmed it for $250 :D. They're also keeping unlimited 4G/3G data at $30/month and throwing in free mobile hot spot until May 15th. A much easier deal to swallow than before, I think. So pending battery issues and seeing whatever everyone else says about it at launch, I think I'll be picking this up :). I never buy anything without reading on it as much as I can. Looking forward to seeing Engadgets review too.

Yeah saw that this morning too. Made me very happy. The battery life thing is now rumored to deal with Skype over LTE. Originally Skype was supposed to be bundled with the phone. It is no longer being bundled. So initial rumor mill is stating that the Skype software was destroying battery life when in use over LTE. Sounds very plausible but we will probably never know the truth. Hopefully, the TB reviews hit tomorrow or very early on Thursday because I'm probably headed to the store after work to upgrade. :D

Got tired of waiting, bought an Iphone, unlimited everything 40 bucks a month :D

Just remember: You're holding it wrong! :D (Sorry, couldn't resist)
 
http://blog.laptopmag.com/htc-thunderbolt-first-speed-tests-freakin-fast-mixed-hotspot-mode-results

I want.

EDIT: Done.
newphone.png
 
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I'm I the only one that doesn't care about the TB?

Phones like it have already been out for a year. It just doesn't offer anything new and exciting.

4g? the issue that caused all the delays, small coverage, not life changing on a mobile browser, etc

I dunno. 4G is a pretty damn big change. and no you haven't seen phones like this. Faster and more efficient Snapdragon. Faster GPU. 8GB onboard and 32GB SDcard? Not to mention the 4.3 inch screen and 4G connection? Pretty damn big difference.

And if you would actually research the reason for the delay at this point is two fold. iPhone 4G on Verizon did piss poor. So they held TB back in order to try to maximize those profits. Secondly it wasn't LTE but Skype over LTE. Skype was originally supposed to be included with the TB. Now it isn't. Rumor is Skype using LTE destroyed battery life.
 
Also its 768m Ram.

Amazon wireless has a good deal on it but I heard they're already backordered. I'll head to Verizon and Best Buy tomorrow and see if I can get a decent deal on one.
 
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