Reports still coming in that CompUSA has HTC Advantage for cheap
I have been hearing from readers for a few days that some CompUSA stores that are going out of business have the HTC Advantage in stock for cheap prices. Reader Rob let me know just now that his local Tampa store had the Advantage for $629 which is a very good price. If you’re in the market for an Advantage it might be worth a trip to your local CompUSA before they close for good. One reader reported that there were no Advantages displayed and that she had to specifically drive the sales rep to look in the back where a number of them were found.
When I got mine, there were none on display and it had to be retrieved from the back, as well, but the employee actually knew they were there.
My problem is now trying to figure out why my AT&T SIM card doesn’t work with it, I’m not in a hurry to go to AT&T for help and have them decide I need a new data plan.
Interesting – I can report that within the last week in Connecticut I checked the Manchester CompUSA and found Advantages on display for ~$800 (which was marked down from about $880). I’m going from memory on the $$ — but I’m withint +/- $20 I think.
I stopped at the Orange, CT CompUSA store on Boston Post RD on Friday night (12/28) and they had no Advantages displayed. I did not inquire.
For some bizarre reason sales were VERY light at both CompUSA stores. A lot of people browsing but not many buying. The prices look like regular everyday pricing – especially when compared to the web. I think CompUSA will have to go 75% to 80% to clear their stock. They have a lot of really generic stuff that isn’t going to be price competitive without a huge markdown.
My guess is they’re going to offload what they can then sell the rest to a liquidator rather than keep their stores open for a few more months only to sell stuff at a loss.
P.S. – The store in Orange is nasty dirty. Manchester CT is ok but nothing to write home about. I won’t really miss CompUSA – they were primarily useful for last minute stuff – and increasingly Staples and Office Depot are filling that niche.
Keith, I use an AT&T SIM with my Advantage and it works fine. I do have a data plan with them.
I picked one up from the Lansing, MI store 2 days ago for $630 and they still had 2 more in stock when I left. They did have one on display in the smartphone section.
Like James, my AT&T SIM works fine (from my Tilt).
I have a non-smartphone SIM card and unlimited data plan, but it won’t even let me make phone calls with it.
Keith,
Make sure your sim card is a 3G card since the Advantage is a 3G device. It should have the orange 3G fireball on it.
I’m sure it isn’t, but I thought Jenn at pocketables had said she used her iPhone SIM in her Advantage and it just limited it to GSM/EDGE/GPRS use.
If the iPhone SIM is removable, I’d like to know how.
Looks like it just pops out:
http://www.pocketables.net/2007/09/iphone-sim-coul.html
But I did notice immediately that her iPhone SIM is 3G despite the phone itself only supporting EDGE, so it seems Mobilist was right. I’ll have to see what I can work out with AT&T to get a 3G card without changing data plans, or how cheap of one I can get.
Quick update: $30 for new SIM at Best Buy and I’m good to go! Thanks for the info, Mobilist.