Shipping Status Qty Item Price
Not yet shipped 1 MIDLAND LXT330VP3 16-Mile GMRS Radios $29.99
Shipping & Handling (Budget: 7 to 9 business days) : $0.00
Tax (NY) : $0.00
Google Checkout & Buy.com $10 Sign-up Bonus - Bonus may not appear on Buy.com’s web site or emails. -$10.00
Total: $19.99

So I finally broke down and bought a pair of 2-way radios. I often need these for car runs / rallies, usually with a variety of friends or dedicated MINI afficionados. Up till now, I’ve borrowed, which is a pain because I’ll have to re-learn how to use each radio. Plus I’m being a radio-borrowing schmuck.

I went with the Midlands LXT330VP3. Buy.com had the cheapest price. I was going for a more expensive Cobra unit, but ultimately decided it was a waste of money. (My research? The quoted “distances” that the more expensive units deliver are BS. Any 2-way that retails for less than $200 or so will only give you a 2-3 mile range, max.)

ANYWAYS.

Since I decided to cheap out, I figured I’d try Google Checkout to get the widely publicized “$10 sign-up bonus.” Coulda used Paypal, but damn I hate using Paypal. (For example.)

I hit the button, Google recognizes my computer, it takes two seconds to sign my life away (ie. give them my credit card information). Bingo bango, the radios are on my way, and after the ‘point of no return,’ there’s STILL a button that allows me to cancel a purchase 15 minutes after submitting it, in case a wave of common sense hits after an impulse buy. Groovy. Best of all, the pages load Google-fast, something that matters when you’re connected to the interweb at 24000 BPS! Paypal is always monstrously slow for me.

Just another way that Google will soon rule my life. When Google and Apple merge, it’ll be all over. Matrix shit. Just you wait.