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 $15.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
George said 7:59AM on 5-15-2008
Not mentioned is the Bose in-your-ear headset. For a hundred bucks, in my opinion, this headphone provides the truest, clearest, life like sound imaginable. If the bass on the original recording is loud, it comes out loud in the headphones. If it's weak...ditto, it comes out weak. For my money, Bose has always furnished the ultimate, and simplest sound reproduction devices available.
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JMT said 6:25AM on 5-18-2008
Try Skull Candy Ear Buds--for 10 bucks! Fit any size (3 sizes to choose from in the package) ear like a glove. Great sound.. I run with mine and I have no problems.
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lizzymonster2000 said 6:23AM on 5-20-2008
i like the idea
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Matt said 1:53PM on 5-20-2008
I use V- Moda and theya re fantastic!!!!! My wife uses Shure and while better than her original buds is no where near as good sounding as the
V-Moda. Shure is surely overrated. V-Moda is the real deal!
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Willy said 4:30PM on 5-24-2008
My ipod ear buds have broken from running in them and i have to get a new pair...
Thx!!
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Patrick M said 1:45AM on 10-08-2007
I took the parts from 2 pair of Koss ur-19s and the parts and fraim work from a pair of Koss ur-15c head phones and put it all together in the headsets to have three 1.25 inch large headphone speakers in each side. I also took a amplifiar from a Presidian " generic i-sound " and used the amplifiar mounted in the left side, along with a lithium ion rechargable on the other side for powered subwoofer like bass. its a pretty decent set up for about 120$ woth of parts. My constructed headphones can run 6 watts of power clearly and have enough bass to make a dish of water ripple when its set on the head phone output area. I love sound, I love making it better. I also enjoy workign with light and sound integration and I am currently working on new ideas.
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matt said 11:07AM on 5-13-2008
It should be noted that the Shures don't have weak bass. They actually produce more accurate bass. Most headphone manufacturers emphasize bass more because it appeals to a lot of people.
The Shures are actually very good for people that want something more than ear-pounding bass. But that is personal preference. I have 2 pair or Shure's and love them--a lot more than others I have tried.