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)
chelseabeangirl said 10:36AM on 8-13-2008
hey, they're not that bad!!!!!!!! but that is a little over decorating. Tone it down
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blah blah blah said 11:30AM on 8-13-2008
that gold tv is PHAT yo i could roll with that
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No Phones? said 3:18PM on 8-13-2008
Why they're calling old products ugly, is just that... they are old - but weren't ugly back then. And why was the first generation of portable phones left out. Those are very ugly next to the new cell phones.
I wish our bodies were like gadgets. More beautiful and sleek as time passes. lol
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David said 1:24AM on 10-21-2008
I would of bought some of those things for Girl, I guess.
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jeffery said 4:54PM on 10-29-2008
okay the phone looks stupid but the chick is hot.....
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Baller said 8:52PM on 5-24-2007
Um...Xbox controllers are amazing. The gold plated plasma is sick. The boombox is awesome and the jeweled side kicks and stuff are to appeal to female senses. I dont want to bother commenting ont he rest. But i agree with the some things
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silverado said 12:36PM on 8-13-2008
WOW i guess i missed all this growing up as a hippy GOOD OR BAD?? I like the T.V , I think it;s kind of cool
carl Ivan Denis said 9:02PM on 5-24-2007
It is evident that the author of this article had nothing better to do. And I, less for reading it...completely.
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Vilchen von shlogen de bogen nogen said 10:01PM on 5-24-2007
WOW! the Xbox controller i TRULY disagree with. And, DUH! the old computor and Palm Pad are OLD! theyre from 80's-90's! Much of this stuff is very incorrect, but i dont care because i just dont care!
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Angela said 9:59AM on 5-25-2007
Ewwww why would anyone want crystals on their phone? This chick prefers simplicity!!!
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Joy said 10:26PM on 5-24-2007
They are ugly but not as ugly as her fingernails.
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david alexander von nordheim said 10:33PM on 5-24-2007
everything on this list was ugly. the only people who can defend x-box controllers are the videogame obsessed candyasses that think bill gates is the second coming and that halo is a lost gospel of the bible. congratulations on finding a humongous pile of @#$%, article writer. that isnt sarcasm, nice reporting.
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ElementFear said 1:09AM on 5-25-2007
ok, first of all, the Xbox was one of the coolest systems ever (ps3 looks better). But, the controller was slightly large, but not THAT large. give it a break, the xbox 360 sold over 10 million systems already. And that "instant bling bling" what the hell IS bling bling? sounds like something from the 1890s or something. Anyways, most of these gadgets were not given a chance, and of COURSE the older stuff is going to look ugly, and most of the newer stuff is going to look cool because this is a different era.
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Payday said 1:28AM on 5-25-2007
Yes bling has gone to far and her nails are bogus.
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4nobrainers said 1:24AM on 5-25-2007
Just plain stupid. They don't look cool or nice. It's just another stupid gimmick that some dork wraps around their $400 cell phone. Then they cry because it interferes with the camera and mp3 player. Do you pay $35 to have a beaded phone cord at home too?????
And its not just chicks buying them. Yet another reason why I support the death penalty. LOL
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Amy said 2:44PM on 7-03-2007
the rhinestones can actually look nice...if you don't over do it..less is more...oh yeah and they totally forgot to put cars on here! have you seen the nasty ugly looking cars that have been coming out recently??
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asalamalickem said 6:02AM on 5-25-2007
This was truly fun. But the ugliest thing was the girls' nails. Most of the "ugly" gadgets were beutifully functional in their time. It takes a while for gadgets to gain aesthetic appeal. Functionality should preceed bling.
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joanne said 3:56PM on 5-27-2007
i gues everything here was ugly. but of course they are....they are really old! its just dum to put old stuff....obviously its ugly! and how can technoology be ugly?!? so the writeer was just bored.
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James Miles said 10:47PM on 5-29-2007
What about The Atari 5200 as reviewed in this link by The Angry Video Game Nerd?
http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=17031&type=mov
Talk about your ugly gadgets?
I'm surprised you left this out!
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