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 5)
gutter said 3:00AM on 9-25-2007
sema, sema, sema, already seen this but auto makers wont make it optional for many many years...
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Mike Glen said 1:38PM on 9-24-2007
Technology is constantly changing everything. But it takes time to establish itself, no one can constantly upgrade thier systems each time a new toy comes on the market. CD's and MP3 disks will be around for another decade at least. During that time who knows what new technology will be developed.
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Fran said 2:10PM on 9-24-2007
Bah. I'm not even ready for a CD player in my car yet; I can always listen to those at home. But what am I going to do with all my great old cassettes if I can't get a player in my next car? And who has time to learn a whole new technology just for downloading songs, & then spend all that time searching for & downloading them? Kids, maybe, but not a single Mom with 2 jobs...
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doc said 2:34PM on 9-24-2007
-yawn- i'm sorry, but i just dont care...
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Don P said 3:04PM on 9-24-2007
I was waiting for this technology. Now I can remove my tremendous CD cases from under my seats and free up my armrest compartment!
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Legend2rx said 3:20PM on 9-24-2007
Long live the radio . . . Ba-wa-hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!! (My evil scientist laugh) Tee-Hee
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funny said 3:08PM on 9-24-2007
I Love people Like "DOC" they come on here read and even both to make a comment by saying Quote "BUT I JUST DON"T CARE" If that was really true they wouldn't make a comment keep on telling that to yourself maybe you believe it, WE don't
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Rex E. Babcock II said 3:17PM on 9-24-2007
Seems to me everything is going mobile digital, satellites are the endeavor of choice for all media and/ or relations. So those money grabbing radio services are going to have to pick up where typical radio channels are leaving. As for these custom music players go, I've got to feel there going smaller. Indeed, watch size, sun-glasses, two which are available. And that blue tooth, wow, can anyone think "stay at home library" for your media sorts, for everyone of course. Ok, my conclusion is that even though;We're "SELF-INDULGED", money is root...., some people dont like change (8-track to cassette,to cd,to mp3/wma,to some "opened-source" (remember smaller is better,so music/media files any larger is bad (gigabytes,terabytes,petabytes,exabytes-are all resource hungry), companies bring upon innovations for everyday people (people them-selves of course), robots are gaining a real A.I. for...., and space and time are becoming more defined in our language. We indeed are capitalizing on a bigger and better tomorrow (included are 3 hugs (lol)) hpoe to see ya ALL there. IN GOD WE TRUST .....
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Mike said 3:29PM on 9-24-2007
When you got Sirius satelite radio, you don't need the cd player anyway! I never play cd's in my truck now, but rather just use my favorite artist stored in my satelite, and then ''fm'' frequency it over to my pioneer as it is.
I initally thought, that my clarity would be less with my audio system (amp & subwoofers), but found it sounds just fine! With 198 channels, and the ability to rock out to just about anything under the sun at anytime and mood change, the Sirius is the way to go anyways for me!
On a side note, cd players will hot for years to come! You might have the new stuff on digital media, but I betcha don't have that good old cd of the 80's , too hard to find online, in mp3 format!
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oldlady said 3:44PM on 9-24-2007
I will always like having an actual, physical disc -- not just invisible digits -- to represent and encompass an album. And, I like having album-sized collections; ten or so songs at a time is plenty.
Some of us, too, have vision or other physical problems that really make the typical new screens and buttons annoying to use.
I like CDs, and listening to one in my car on my car player is one of the day's nicer things. It's easier to do than it is at home, where there are often many interruptions (...I don't like wearing portable headphones all around the house).
I especially like CDs that have companion booklets with them, these days. Though, I won't read while I drive!
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Mark said 3:49PM on 9-24-2007
I am still working with compact discs. Since I haven't changed the radio in my Chevy express I will wait a little longer. Do I dub my records/CD/tapes onto sd cards,or do put it on a memory strip?
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jess said 3:57PM on 9-24-2007
I bought my hubby satellite radio because he travels so much and it is a hassel to find radio staions wherever you go, but since I stay in the area of my favorite stations, why pay $150.00 for what I get for free? Not only that, it is a pain to try to switch the satellite stations while driving because you have to be able to read the display and I would rather not end up in someones trunk because I wanted to hear something else on the radio! I do miss cassetes though, they could be put through anything and still work, just breathe on a CD and the stupid thing is scratched!!!!
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mexgyver said 4:07PM on 9-24-2007
Great easier to get jacked, stick w/ my good old cd
and cd changer, keep it in old world.
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nancy mcgrew said 5:12PM on 9-26-2007
People talk about progress when they want to sell you something. Boys and girls, this is just to make more money. The tape deck to make one buy it instead of the 8-track, the CD to make your tapes useless to make more money, and so it goes. One cannot even GET a tape player anymore in ones car! I do not use or want to buy an I-phone, I-Pod, etc. much less download music. I just hope my little car and CD player lasts a long, long time. Bah hum-bug!
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KENNETH said 6:32PM on 9-24-2007
WOW THEY THOUGHT OF THIS WELL IM HAVE THE SONY WITH THE BUILD IN HARD DRIVE THAT RECORDS THE CD AND PLAYS THEM FROM MEMORY SO ONE IN THE CAR TO RECORD AND THEN ITS BACK IN THE HOUSE IT PLAYS MEMORY STICKS I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEM AND CAN NOT SEEM TO FILL IT UP , NOW WITH THIS WHATS THE DATA TRANSFER RATE OF READING MEMORY SO IT WILL PLAY OR WILL IT DRAG AND STUDDER
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don pelf said 4:31PM on 9-24-2007
i have to agree with "Doc": "yawn, i'm sorry, but i just don't care!" why should we, it will just change again in a couple of month's and then what, run out and start over?? NOT! today's music isn't worth all that.
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duh! said 4:35PM on 9-24-2007
You would still be able to listen to CDs or cassettes with one of these players by connecting any portable player from it's headphone jack to the line in on the car amp, or by bluetoothing...
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Kathie said 4:43PM on 9-24-2007
Think I'll just wait for the voice activated, "say what you want to hear" radio before I junk my CD's and XM radio
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Sabrina Hill said 4:47PM on 9-24-2007
CD's are fine with me. I'll call what is out there now "music" when a group can sell out a major football stadium in less than a day like the "supergroups" did in the late sixties, and early seventies, (instilling riots when the tickets ran out).
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tommy said 4:54PM on 9-24-2007
never happen, cd-s are here to stay.
tommy
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