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)
dr mitchel w eisenstein, said 1:26PM on 4-05-2008
we might as well presume several things:
1) every one is under constant 24 hour video surveillance, if not now, then soon.
2) every one of us is a sinner who when truth be told, we do things that we dont want others to know about, or are ashamed of.
3) this makes us all innocent in a sense both from the forgiveness of Christ to those who believe in Him, and that we are none of us fit to be in judgement of others.
4) This is the equivalent of god watching over us.
5) we must forgive ourselves for our sins because only then when god forgives us, will we able to put to use this grace.
6) we have to stop sitting in judgement of others and look to our own sins, correct them, forgive ourselves as we have been forgiven, and then forgive others. then surveillance is not surveillance any more. it becomes observance without judgement.
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Morgan Stinson said 9:58PM on 1-12-2009
Dear Dr. Eisenstein,
As a fellow Christian, I felt that I had to respond to your post. I have to agree with practically everything you wrote, except for the final sentences:
"then surveillance is not surveillance any more. it becomes observance without judgement."
It all depends on who is watching you. If a surveillance device is placed in my home without my consent or knowledge, then I consider that to be an invasion of my privacy - which, by the way, is one of my God-given rights. As far as I'm concerned, it is far more than just "observance without judgement" - it is in fact a gross violation of my rights. People have a right to be left alone. If you work hard, play by the rules and respect the laws of this nation, then you have a right to enjoy the opportunities and freedoms that go with living in this country. The government has no right to violate our most basic God-given rights - end of discussion.
Randy said 5:08PM on 7-31-2007
Might as well live our lives with the curtains pulled back. There is no more privacy. It's the New World Order in miniature.
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