Best deals of the week: 12 February

[[artnid:324937|Virgin Mobile Wi-Fi Modem]]

Price: $199 (includes bonus 2GB back-to-school data)

Virgin Mobile's battery-powered Wi-Fi Modem allows up to three devices to connect to it wirelessly for shared mobile broadband access. Though the flaky Optus network may be an issue for some, this remains a great device that's convenient and portable. Better still, Virgin is currently running a back-to-school special, with all new activations receiving 2GB of data instead of the usual 1GB. At $199 on a prepaid broadband account, we think this is a great back-to-school deal.
[[Artnid:254263|Brother MFC-7840W mono laser multifunction]]

Price: $499 (Save $100)

Brother's MFC-7840W mono laser multifunction is great if you need to print off loads of essays and assignments but also need to scan and copy. It's wireless, too, so you can share it with your family or even use it in a home office. Though its initial $599 price was a little steep for back-to-school budgets, DickSmith has now [[xref:http://catalogues.dse.com.au/portal/offerdetails/brother_mfc_7840w_mono_laser_multi___/12649899547884?CatalogueID=12645457109682&sessionid=4b74963c0395d4942741c0a87e0106df&CatalogueID=&source=catalogueoffer&jump=&pageview=two|lowered the price to $499]].
[[artnid:322309|Lenovo S10-2 netbook|Review: Lenovo S10-2 netbook ]]

Price: $399 (Save $250)

Lenovo's S10-2 has a standard netbook configuration and performance, but it's very well built and perfect for students who want something small to take to class. It's come down in price since we first reviewed it back in October; you can purchase it from Bing Lee for $399 (or negotiate an even lower price). That's $250 off the original retail price.
[[artnid:332346|Intel Core i5-661 CPU]]

Price: $257

If you're planning to completely upgrade your computer, the Intel Core i5-661 makes for an excellent starting point. It's a central processing unit, a graphics controller, a memory controller and a PCI Express controller all in one. It delivers fast performance and reasonably cool running temperatures. Originally retailing for $529.95, the Intel Core i5-661 can now be purchased from [[xref: http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/default.php?cPath=27_28|Centrecom]] for just $257.

Stay up to date with the latest reviews. Sign up to [[xref: http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/user/register| GoodGearGuide’s Gear Daily newsletters| Register for GoodGearGuide’s Gear Daily newsletters]]

Follow GoodGearGuide on Twitter: [[xref:http://twitter.com/Goodgearguide|@Goodgearguide|Follow Goodgearguide on Twitter]]
Compaq Presario CQ3260AN desktop PC

Price: $1498

If you're in the market for a powerful new desktop PC with a 20in LCD monitor, check out [[xref: http://www.harveynorman.com.au|Harvey Norman]], which has a [[xref: http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/au/en/ho/WF06b/12454-12454-3329737-89304-89304-4075997-4082368.html|Compaq Presario CQ3260AN]] for just $1498. It features a quad-core AMD Phenom II X4 CPU, a 1TB hard drive, ATI Radeon HD 4350 graphics, and Windows 7 Home Premium. It's a tower PC with good looks and plenty of USB 2.0 ports and because it has a quad-core CPU, you'll be able to undertake any type of work you wish.
[[Artnid:275707|Iomega Prestige 1TB external hard drive]]

Price: $128 (Save $41)

Storage is storage is storage these days, with most external hard drives looking the same and doing the same things. For something a little different, Iomega's 1TB Prestige hard adds an all-metal enclosure and stand for a stylish design that should easily fit in with tower Macs and some higher end PCs. Harvey Norman is now selling the hard drive [[xref:http://harveynorman.dynamiccatalogue.com.au/portal/offerdetails/iomega_prestige_desktop_hard_drive/12645454603118?CatalogueID=12634462730722&CatalogueID=&source=catalogueoffer&jump=&pageview=two|for $128]]; $41 off its original price.
Optus Pre-paid Turbo Cap

Price: Free with $30 recharge

Whether it be communicating with friends or family, organising a night out or asking a classmate for tips on the latest assessment, sending SMS messages is a huge part of mobile phones' appeal, especially school, university or college students. As a result of customers tending to SMS a "small group of friends," Optus has seen fit to release the [[artnid:335934|Turbo Text]] offer — allowing unlimited text messaging to five nominated mobile numbers on any Australian mobile network. The recharge (which expires in 30 days) includes the Turbo Text deal and $30 worth of credit that can be used for national and international calls and regular text messaging, pay as you go Internet browsing or international roaming. The offer applies to any Optus prepaid service and can be used on a range of phones including the [[artnid:320058|BlackBerry Curve 8520]].