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)
John Claborne said 6:43AM on 5-30-2009
Great article! Alert systems are also good for extracurricular activity cancellations and even alumni announcements. Our school uses a parent alert and notification service from http://www.orangepoint.net/schoolalerts.html. We receive alerts whenever there is a school closing due to inclement weather and emergencies. This new technology not only saves schools time – it money.
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Kristin Campbell said 10:22AM on 8-30-2007
This article makes a strong point. Text messaging alerting systems should be viewed as only one component of a larger alerting system, not relied on as the entire method for emergency notification. A few problems with using only a SMS alerting system: when text messages/emails are sent in bulk there is always a delay, students/faculty have to sign up for the services and not everyone does, cell phones are silenced during class. Not to bash text message alerting entirely, it can be an effective component to alert off-campus students and faculty, it just won't be the instantaneous alert that it is glamorized to be. A better solution: Indoor and outdoor sirens and strobes which have the ability to send the message out immediately to the entire campus without delays, in sync with a text message alerting system.
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Bob Bentz said 11:05AM on 8-30-2007
It seems like the biggest failure in the system was not the text messaging but the long delay in actually sending the emergency text message out to the students and staff.
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Anthony Wayne said 12:28AM on 9-05-2007
Many universities have signed up for emergency text message alerts since the Virginia Tech tragedy. Text messaging is clearly a superior way to reach students than email was.
Anthony Wayne
Text Message blog
http://www.textmessageblog.mobi
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Donna Mosher said 3:46PM on 10-17-2007
There is a technology that can send secure emergency alerts to all phones in an affected area, regardless of the wireless carrier - and deliver the message in under two minutes. That technology is cell broadcast. Your phone is already able to receive such an alert. All that is needed is for you to activate the function in your handset. And for your wireless network to implement it.
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