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.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
trixieloowho said 1:20PM on 11-07-2008
If the MCI prison phone system wasnt so corrupt and rediculously EXPENSIVE for inmates to call home...to strengthen and maintain family bonds, perhaps the phones that gaurds smuggle in would have less value and allure. The paranoid believe the phones are being used for conspiracy, but the families know different. They are simply used just like you and I use them...for the majority of inmates....to chat. The gaurds pick and choose who to sell them to and for a very high price...They dont choose high powered gang members and the like, they are cops, corrupt cops, not fools. MCI charges 25.00 for a 15 minute call that is constantly inturupted by recordings and is listened in on by gaurds...there is no privacy and NO RESPECT...for an obscene amount of money....no wonder the inmates are drawn to the sweet alternative that the GAURDS And COPS provide for high fees!
Reply
Robert said 4:44PM on 7-02-2007
Hard to beleive this is happening ,I mean if you can't keep the criminals in jail from smuggling something this large how can we keep our borders secure and defend against terrorists ?? Just a wee thought !
Reply
wellduh said 4:42AM on 7-03-2007
Crygenic storage. Simply pass laws that say felons implicitly volunteered by committing crimes. If prisoners are convicted for violent crimes or ambitious enough to get 7 years or more - freeze them. I suspect there is a lot less chance of riots and other prison problems when no prisoner faces more than 7 years and none of that for violence.
Give the prisoner the option of when to attempt thaw - at sentence end or wait until a given success criteria is achieved. While we can't guarantee to thaw them yet, we will learn eventually. The early thaws will actually be serving society rather than collecting free room and board.
On volume basis it will save the public money. Prisons will need a lot less space per prisoner. Prison staff will mainly be maintenance. Vastly reduced security can focus almost exclusively only preventing break-ins. Electricity etc fo cryo storage will tend to balance out against no cost for food, medicine, etc. for breathing prisoners.
Reply
wellduh said 4:44AM on 7-03-2007
Imprisonment is the modern replacement for the ancient practice of enslaving criminals and reducing their status to that of animals. All races practiced it with in the last 1000 years - some within the last 200 years. Overall imprisonment is merely an economic siphon to the prison suppliers and staff and even the prisoners.
The early inventors of imprisonment never thought it would change minds. Originally it was used only when the normal punishments (beheading, chopping off hand, etc) on a VIP would cause more trouble. By imprisoning them, the government negated a person's influence until it made no difference to the government's plans. Often that was a lifetime.
Reply
ANNE PEARIGEN said 3:39PM on 7-23-2007
WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT, LEAVE IT TO A CRIMINAL OR HIS MULE TO THINK OF SUCH A THING. I WORKED IN A PRISON FOR MANY YEARS AND BELIEVE ME YOU DON'T WNAT TO KNOW WHAT GOES ON IN THOSE PLACES.
Reply
trixieloowho said 1:11PM on 11-07-2008
How do you all think that the phones GET IN in the first place!?? Its the damn over paid prison gaurds. They are also responsible for trading, smuggling and selling drugs. NOt only that but they purposely create a hostile enviornment so that when the inmates snap , they can say that more man hours are needed, more funds are needed...etc... It IS THE most corrupt union of workers in the world! Inmates are NEVER offered a chance to learn, improve themselves or REHABILITATE! They are purposely kept down and treated like animals to falsely create jobs and job security to folks who are controling slave drivers. animals themselves, really. As a family member of an imate , I too am purposely treated like a criminal, an animal. So that the guards can feel superior, and inflate thier growing egos. They must be tiny little people inside. And while were at it, if you give the man a sentance of 15 years, and he counts every day of those years, and is a model inmate in a hellish situation, have the decency to honor the parole date. Let him out and keep your word....Dont let him hang forever...its cruel and inhumane. its also obscenely UNCONSTITUTIONAL and INDECENT!!
healnghanz said 12:19AM on 8-14-2007
it is very easy to jam cell phones. why doesnt the prison system do it?
Reply