Tool to track storage prices

[Handruin]

Summary -
I've had a need to watch storage prices (typically on newegg). I usually look through the drives I'm interested in and put them into a spreadsheet to work out a ratio of dollar per gigabyte of storage. I'd like to automate this process and was wondering if any of you share a similar need or interest? I don't by hard drives that frequently, but when I do, I like to have all the data in front of me.

Progress -
I'm working on this tool on my own time as a fun learning project. I've already created a basic CLI tool written in C# that goes out to newegg via the internet and pulls through all the hard drives they offer and collects:

Name
Price
Shipping Cost
Capacity
Capacity type (unit of measurement for GB or TB)
Detail information that is line itemized in their web page.
Price per gigabyte conversion

Ideas -
Now that I have the basic data capture built and know that it's possible, I'm searching for ideas to further the project into something more meaningful. There are several ways this tool can go, and here are my ideas:

1. Personal GUI application that runs in the system tray as-needed.
   Adjustable polling period
   Drive data retention period (for price trending).
   Price alerts management by initial price
   Price alerts management by price per gigabyte
   
   
2. Public web API
   Allow people to write their own presentation tools on a common API
   
   
3. Public web presentation of data
   Drive data retention period (for price trending)
   Custom user accounts
   Price alerts management by initial price
   Price alerts management by price per gigabyte
   Alerts management by email
   RSS feed
   Simple drive rating feature and feedback
   Pricing trends in graphs

Feedback -
Any and all is welcome. If anyone shares an interest in helping with the project, I'd be glad to share.

 

[Mercutio]

I look at that stuff so often I just know how much stuff costs regardless.

Newegg and Amazon are places I go to look a pricing. If Newegg wants $5 to ship a drive, Amazon's price is usually $3 cheaper by the time free shipping is factored in.

Spitting that data out into an RSS feed might be a nifty way to handle presentation, and as a bonus it might get someone to actually use RSS for something.

 

[Handruin]

The way the tool currently works, it'll also get you the latest arrivals of new drive listings from newegg. You'd otherwise have to scan manually multiple times a day. Not that new drives show up all so often, but during those times when you're waiting for something, it could be useful, no?

OK, so RSS might be worthy of consideration which means a web based environment would be required.

 

[udaman]

If they don't already have an app for that @Apple store, make 1 for the iPhone and maybe you can make a little $$$ on the side

 

[Handruin]

It's too much of a pain in the ass to setup a VM with Mac OS to even get to the point of setting up the dev environment to be able to learn Objective-C. If you have a decent solution for obtaining a dev-worthy mac on the cheap, let me know.

There is a Mono package for developing C# on an iPhone. That might be a good way to get something working to port the code I have now.

 

[ddrueding]

A simple web presentation would be useful for me. A graph that displayed $/GB of the different capacities for different mfgrs would be great. Excuse my photoshoped bogus data...

 

[Handruin]

I can consider the web based graph idea, but also a CSV export might also be useful for you to quickly dump into excel (or some other spreadsheet) and that might also be as useful or more useful because then you can draw graphs any way you want and not be limited to whatever I create. Both are still feasible ideas to consider. Thanks for the mockup idea.

 

[LunarMist]

Cost/GB is far less meaningful to me than seeing actual prices for specific capacity and model drives. I might think differntly if I were building a huge server.

 

[Handruin]

The other information you need will also be available. You will see:

Name
Price
Shipping Cost
Capacity
Capacity type (unit of measurement for GB or TB)
Detail information that is line itemized in their web page.
Price per gigabyte conversion

 

[ddrueding]

Cost/GB is far less meaningful to me than seeing actual prices for specific capacity and model drives. I might think differntly if I were building a huge server.

The graph above breaks it out by capacity. What else would you be looking for?

 

[LunarMist]

The graph above breaks it out by capacity. What else would you be looking for?

The Y axis should be $ or there should be two Y axes.

 

[ddrueding]

If you are looking at one specific capacity of drives (say, 2TB) whether it is a unit price or a price/GB doesn't change the leader in any way.

 

[sdbardwick]

Not the same functionality as discussed here, but camelegg.com and associated sites might be a useful adjunct. The Camelizer plugin for Chrome and Firefox looks interesting.