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 2)
eileen said 4:55PM on 3-10-2008
the only sadness here is that a life was lost. material things can always be replaced. but this young life is gone. everybody makes mistakes. it is only human. but this young man paid the ultimate price for a mistake. it can happen to anyone. his family is the one to feel the pain. pray for the family to stay strong.
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tiffany said 10:51PM on 3-19-2008
sometimes it's not just the phone people are worried about losing, it's all the data that is on it! Think of all the phone numbers you can lose. My blackberry didn't make it through a dip in the ocean but I did manage to save the SIM card. It's not worth your life though.
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rob said 2:03PM on 12-18-2008
its alrite put em in some dry rice n wait 24 hour
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Jordan said 12:34PM on 12-16-2008
insurancerelease.com, way to be a prick, and good job losing customers on that well thought out comment. How insensitive can you be? I hope something similar happens to someone close to you and you get to read comments like that about them. Go to h*ll.
RIP Allen.
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Me said 5:24PM on 7-17-2007
That few bucks a month doesn't cover your own negligence. Insurance only works if the phone malfunctions.
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Scott Fisher said 2:53PM on 2-20-2009
My insurance covers pretty much everything. It has been covered everytime I have lost it.
Deborah said 8:01PM on 7-17-2007
This is sooooo sad. I work for ATT and people call on a regular basis because they dropped their phone in the lake. As soon as it fell in the water, it was useless anyway. If you must bring your phone to the lake, try putting it in a zip lock bag so it won't be damaged if you drop it in the water.
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Deborah said 8:01PM on 7-17-2007
Also, insurance covers lost or stolen equipment or accidental physical or liquid damage. The cost varries based on your company, but is usually 4 to 6 bucks. There is usually an insurance deductable when you make a claim of about $50.00. If your phone malfunctions within the first year, the warranty covers that free of charge.
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rich said 7:03AM on 8-05-2007
Survival of the fittest
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Suzanne said 8:45PM on 8-21-2007
I knew Eddie because he attended the school I teach at from 6th to 8th grade. He was a sunny, fun-loving student with a great sense of humor. I feel sorry for people like "Rich" who have to make stupid comments about things they know nothing about. We'll miss you, Eddie.
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Fran said 1:01AM on 8-23-2007
4th if July, the SeaDo I was on rolled over and into the Willamette River I went with my purse, cell phone inside. My phone no longer worked. I called my ins. company and during the time I waited to send my dead phone back to them, it revived! It now works, good as new!
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paul said 6:54PM on 8-28-2007
I buy phones on ebay that are matched to my carrier, and keep them as spares. We have 6 lines on our account, using them for free phone to phone, and it is winds up much cheaper than the insurance even on 2 phones. Plus you can deactivate the old one with a phone call, and have the new one ready to go in a few hours. If the old one shows up, you still have your spare. I always keep one on hand to cover myself.
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kimk said 12:56PM on 10-09-2007
That few bucks a month does in fact cover loss, theft, damage etc. I get the insurance on my husband's phone because he goes through them as if they were disposable and he always has to have the latest, most expensive phone sold. It's a good investment but not if like myself, you just want a standard, inexpensive phone.
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Dennis Carr said 7:27AM on 11-24-2007
"That few bucks a month doesn't cover your own negligence. Insurance only works if the phone malfunctions."
Since the world was built on rumors, let's correct one mistake!
My son lost one phone and dropped the replacement in the toilet a few months later.
The insurance paid for BOTH! Of course they sent a letter saying that further problems are HIS/mine!
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jess said 3:05AM on 11-25-2007
My cell (motorola razr) went through a whole washing machine cycle... still works fine. Make sure the inside of your phone is completely dry(could take a few days) before even attempting to turn on. It will short circuit if the inside is wet. thank you to my cousin to my cousin for sharing this information!!
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http://www.insurancerelease.com said 1:50PM on 11-26-2007
Its a bit sad but I suppose the fella must be a bit thick
http://www.insurancerelease.com
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Helena Molnar said 9:04PM on 11-29-2007
I not only have insurance on my phone, but my boyfriend got a long chain and attached it where the strap would go. On the other end there is a clip to clip it to my pants, skirt or belt. Several times I have bent over and had the phone come off the holder. If it wasn't for the chain causing the phone to hit my leg and dangle, I probably would have lost it. Not a bad idea.
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div24 said 9:12AM on 12-01-2007
You can often still use a cell after if falls completely in water or even a lake, you just need to completely dry out every part of it. Then it should work fine. Of course it is never a good idea to risk your life to save your cell phone though.
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Jackie said 9:20PM on 1-04-2008
i am an avid scuba diver and my friend and i bought wetsuits with a watertight sealed pocket to keep things like cell phones, money and other important things like that in it. my friend forgot to close the pocket properly and everything, including $100 and her new $200 blackberry got totally ruined. the blackberry was insured and she got it back. i feel so bad for this kid. its a good lesson though, dont jump into or onto anything that would risk your life to save anything (except another person or a puppy)
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margie said 12:15AM on 1-05-2008
so sad,
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