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)
MR.BOSS STATUS said 7:30PM on 9-06-2007
BOUT TIME THEY BEEN KNEW CELL PHONES NEVER AFFECTED THE HOSPITAL OR AIRPLANES!! PLUS THE MYTHBUSTERS BEEN PUT THAT MYTH TO BED!!
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marilyn g said 8:02PM on 9-05-2007
I have worked in a hospital for many years now and the use of cellphones has increased dramatically both for patients and for family members. We use a in-hospital wireless phone system and the use of private cellphones on work-time is forbidden by the staff. This was mainly due to staff getting phonecalls when they were in the patient rooms.
However I do not support the use of cellphones in certain areas of the hospital such as the ICU and this gets family members upset when we ask them to make sure their phones are turned off before entering these areas. The cell phones have the habit of turning off ventilators. Yep, breathing machines or life support whichever you call them. Personally I have had 2 instances where a family member received a call in a room and the ventilator of the patient I was taking care of turned OFF at the same time they received the call. And the second time was with a doctor receiving a phone call and the machine turned itself off at the time of the call.this is not the first time, not even the only 2 instances that has happened. When we take care of the situation and change out the machines, the machines are thoroughly looked over and examined by the repair personnel and there hasnt been a time where they found anything wrong mechanically or with software in the machine that would have caused it to turn off. Once may have been coincidence, 2x personally and 3 other times that i know of for sure make me to tell everyone DO NOT COME INTO THE ICU WITH THE CELLPHONE TURNED ON!
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Denm said 6:18AM on 9-06-2007
cell phones in hospitals --- a very bad and inconsiderate thing to do
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jenn said 11:57AM on 9-06-2007
I am currently doing a documentary on cell phones and their possible link to diseases such as brain tumors. I need people to talk to on camera however. If anyone out there has a tumor and thinks it's related to their cell phone I'd love to speak with you. Or anything related to this subject matter. If you have a way I can contact you that would be great. Thanks.
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