Today, Apple introduced the Mac Box Set for $169. This software bundle includes the newly updated iLife '09 and iWork '09, as well as Apple Mac OS X 10.5.6 Leopard. That's a savings of $118 off the retail price for these three apps if purchased separately. It's scheduled to ship by the end of January.

Of note, the Mac Box Set 5-User Family Pack costs $229

Today, Apple announced its new MacBook Pro 17" notebook, with the base configuration priced at $2,799. Like the recently released 15.4" MacBook Pro, it features an aluminum unibody housing and glass Multi-Touch trackpad. A notable change is that the battery, which claims up to eight hours of use per charge and a life of 1,000 charges, is now non-removable.

The base model weighs in at 6.6 lbs. and features an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.66GHz dual-core processor, 17" 1920x1200 LED-backlit glossy display (available in matte for $50 more), 4GB PC3-8500 DDR3-1066 RAM, 320GB 5400 rpm Serial ATA hard drive, 8x SuperDrive, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M on-board video and 9600M GT 512MB graphics card, built-in iSight camera, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth, up to 8 hours of battery life, and more.

At Macworld Expo? Restaurant.com slashes 50% off any gift certificate via coupon code "DEAL".

This discount cuts $25 dining certificates to $5 and $50 gift certificates to $10. (We mentioned a similar code yesterday, but it's since expired.)

Enter ZIP code "94103" to find 52 restaurants within a one mile walk of Moscone. You'll find Thai food, bar food, French, sushi, and lots of fusion. Note that most gift certificates have restrictions, like dinner-only or a $40 minimum, and you usually can't use them on alcohol. (Well, dang!) Many restaurants list their individual restrictions.

Expo special. MacMall.com cuts up to 75% off select Macs, iPods, software, accessories, and more as part of its Macworld Expo Sale. It's one of the best sales we've seen on these items from MacMall. Plus, orders over $99 receive free shipping via this mail-in rebate; otherwise, shipping starts around $6.
Sale ends January 12.

A best bet is the Apple MacBook Air Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8GHz 13.3" Notebook, model no. MB450LL/A, together with Parallels Desktop 4.0 for $1,729.98. (Add each to your cart separately.)

Mail-in rebates of $200, $20, and $60 cut it to $1,449.99. With $0 shipping via this mail-in rebate, that's $300 under our November mention and the lowest total price we could find for a new, factory-sealed unit. (Without the rebate, shipping starts at around $15.)

newegg.com slashed its price on the Sceptre 23" 720p Widescreen LCD HD Television, model no. X23BV-Naga, to $199. With $9.99 for shipping, that's $41 under our November mention and the lowest total price we've seen for a 23" HDTV. It features a native resolution of 1360x768 (720p), 8ms response time, 700:1 contrast ratio, 500 cd/m² brightness, ATSC (HD), QAM, and NTSC tuners, one HDMI input, and VGA, component, and other video inputs.

With activation of new voice and data plans, AT&T Wireless once again has several refurbished models of the iPhone 3G on sale, with prices starting at $149 with free shipping via 2-day delivery. Although each is $50 more than last month's mention, since expired, they're still $50 under the cost of a new unit and the lowest total price we could find. Sales tax is added where applicable. These iPhones feature compatibility with AT&T's 3G network, built-in GPS navigation with Google Maps, enhanced enterprise support, a 3.5" touch screen, at least 5 hours of talk time, and more. Note that a $36 activation fee applies. The deals:

• Apple iPhone 3G 8GB in Black for $149
• Apple iPhone 3G 16GB in Black for $249
• Apple iPhone 3G 16GB in White for $249

As part of its latest 2-Day Sale, Lenovo offers stackable discounts of up to 20% off computers and accessories via coupon code "USP48HOURSALE". Plus, get free shipping on all orders.

A best bet is an extra 15% off Lenovo ThinkPad R, T, X, Tablet, W, Y, U110, and U330 series notebooks, which are already up to 30% off.

Sales tax is added where applicable. Sale ends January 7. Notable discounts:

• extra 5% off IdeaCentre desktops
• extra 15% off ThinkCentre and ThinkStation desktops
• extra 10% off ThinkPad SL series notebooks
• extra 10% off Lenovo monitors
• extra 10% off non-Lenovo-brand accessories
• extra 20% off Lenovo-brand accessories