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)
jfdsoifjfd said 12:51AM on 2-25-2008
people... it's a joke. you have better things to be offended by.
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Angela said 1:32PM on 7-19-2007
The title of Tim Stevens' article, "The Jesus Robot Cometh," is sacrilegious, and offensive to me as a Christian. His citing of the 'lizard's ability to imitate JC,' and his fervent wish for a robot that can turn 'water into wine' are poor excuses of writing, period. I suggest he stick to writing in technical terms about gadgets, tech and digital stuff. I hope the BRAINS at work at CMU have enough SENSE to give their new robo-toy a secular name.
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cleocry619 said 7:08PM on 7-23-2007
i agree wit angela they shouldnt be comparing a robot to jesus its wrong to do.plus why do we need this....i guess maybe as a lifeguard?!wow but still a robot compared to jesus...bad idea
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billm9 said 1:48PM on 7-20-2007
Jesus is the easter bunny for adults, and no bunny can walk on water. when this robot can heal the lame the i'll be impressed
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lwreastsidenyc said 3:06PM on 7-19-2007
"The title of Tim Stevens' article, "The Jesus Robot Cometh," is sacrilegious, and offensive to me as a Christian."
Oh whatever. The wind changes direction and you xtians get offended. Im offended that you have done nothing about the pedophile problem in your church.
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KB said 3:10PM on 7-19-2007
This design does not seem likely to improve travel.... what purpose is in mind here?
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dabe said 4:37PM on 7-19-2007
Why the hell are Christians always getting offended? All people of the world don't believe what you believe. Get over it. We can make fun of Jesus if we want to.
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deb said 5:09PM on 7-19-2007
If belief is not there, then why refer to Jesus? If belief is not there, why does dabe question "why the hell" CHRISTians are offended? I do not have to believe as a Muslim does, to respect their right to their belief, and not poke fun or demean it.
I too am offended by the glib and irreverent references to my Savior in the article, as well as incensed by LOWEReastsidenyc's innacuracy and slight dubbing CHRISTians as "xtians." I am NOT an "xtian," I am a CHRISTian. If references in a product review were made in a similar fashion casually about Scientologists, homosexuals or Muslims,there would be much ado. (possibly referring to Muhammed as "the big M" perhaps?) So why are CHRISTians not afforded the same rights of reverence? And since LOWEReastsidenyc immediately jumped on the abuse bandwagon, which however horrific, is no more prevalent among religious leaders than any other segment of the general population, perhaps LOWEReastsidenyc might explain just how he/she knows Angela is a catholic...or are all CHRISTians responsible? By his/her "logic" all musicians should be held responsible for Michael Jackson's pedophilia, all football players assumed to be cruel and inhumane pervayers of dog fighting, or all wrestlers held accountable for Benoit's crime? Political correctness must be a two way street, otherwise it is discrimination and stereotyping!
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mike said 5:46PM on 7-19-2007
for all the 'offended' christians out there. let me give you all a quote i want you to think about. in this day and age, it certainly holds true:
if jesus came back today, the last thing he would be is a christian
shocking!! isnt it? but it holds true. you offended christians are too worried about what a writer wrote than worrying about your own lives. you call it sacrilegious but who here is without sins or faults?
btw, im a christian myself, but i dont focus on pitiful things like 'jesus' robots when there are more pressing matter to concern christians today. one being the bad rap christians have been given because of those who use the religion as a platform for their own personal agendas. these types of people have overwhelmed the christian religion and is bringing forth its own destruction.
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Tim said 9:40AM on 7-20-2007
Man, all of you really need to get a life.
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Daniel said 10:34AM on 7-21-2007
I am a christian and don't find this at all offensive. Any so-called christian that does is simply being a hypocrite and banging their chests in public to self-aggrandise. You need to get a life and stop looking to be offended. Personally, I would love a water to wine robot and hope that they can develop that next. Much more usefule than a robot that walks on water.
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Wayne said 8:13AM on 8-27-2007
A Christian knows what God say's about using His name in vane. So, naturally, a Christian would be uncomfortable using the name of Christ in vane.
A Christian who wasn't offended, I would think, was being hypocritical because, on one hand, he'd be preaching "Do not use the Lord's name in vane," while on the other, he'd be accepting a blatant breach of the Ten Commandments.
Wouldn't that be a typical "Do as I say, not as I do" moment?
A "Jesus Christ Lizard" is an entirely different animal than a "jesus christ Lizard," just as a "Christian" is not the same thing as a "christian."
Interestingly, even my spell checker recognizes the difference.
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