Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.
Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.
Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.
Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.
HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.
HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.
HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.
GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.
Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.
Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.
Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Abby said 5:39PM on 3-25-2009
My dad was using my i-pod to go run on a rainy day and he got it wet but did not drop it completely in the water. There was some water in it to begin with but i just let it sit and didn't turn it back on. I tried to turn it on but it didnt work but I put it on my wall charger and it worked perfectly and it my ihome but when i take it off it instantly goes blank and wont turn back on. it also won't work if i try and plug it into the computer. idk what to do....help??!!
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Fran Omeara said 7:21AM on 11-11-2007
I got a new TV about 3 weeks ago. New problem I am having is when the TV is on for about an hour the screen starts to flash. It is like a strobe light flashing. TV brand is INITIAL.
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Cowboy Jerry said 7:12PM on 11-18-2007
Lightning hit my building and killed my external hard drive where all my songs were stored. How can I copy the songs from my iPod to to a new hard drive to save them. I'm afraid to use my iPod until I get this resolved. Help please!
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David Farberow said 2:27AM on 5-18-2008
Pay $20 for a program called Copy Trans available @ http://www.copytrans.net/
Only for pc users. Better yet, get there suite which includes copy trans doctor. This fixed my ipod hard drive problem. Very impressive company and products.
Regards,
David Farberow
entocn said 3:55AM on 6-07-2009
The most convenient and secure way is to use an iPod-to-computer transfer program to help you, like this handy one called Tansee iPod Transfer
http://www.gutensoft.com/Utilities/Tansee-iPod-Transfer.htm
Many of my friends are using it for its easy and safe transfer. The whole process goes as follows:
Firstly install this program on your computer. When you plug your iPod to the computer, this program will instantly display all songs and videos on the iPod.You simply select what you wish to transfer and click "Copy" button. Done. All your selected files will be copied to your computer safely. Now you can easily add those songs and videos to your iTunes library. See detailed guide.
More importantly, this won't overwrite any original files on your iPod. And all song names are preserved.
Here is step-by-step guide on the whole process:
http://gutensoft.com/Guide/How-to-transfer-songs-and-videos-from-ipod-to-computer.htm
Best luck!
branford said 6:14PM on 11-12-2007
How about satellite radio receivers that keep braking down .I just had number 3 die on me and I finally cancelled my subscription.
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Margaret Tweel said 8:20PM on 11-12-2007
My iPod won't download from my computer. have cleared and resynced. took it to the apple Store .Waited 45 minutesThat was with an appointment!) They passed me over (because they were running behind on their scheduled appts!) to a teenager who had just started working there. anyway while trying to download it makes faint "whirring" noiseand just keeps on and on working at the download but never gets in. There is a very slight dent on the silver side @ 11o'clock to the "i" inthe "iPod" logo. Could the hard drive be permanently damaged by this?? Thanks!
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