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.
Earlier this week we reported on speculation that Comcast was blocking or at least seriously crippling certain types of Internet traffic. The content in question was peer-to-peer, or P2P, network traffic, the bandwidth-hogging type of data (read: movies, TV shows, and songs). 
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Alan Lantzer said 12:44PM on 10-24-2007
Declaring the Internets (sic) the work of "international terrists," President George W. Bush announced plans for an immediate invasion of Thailand. "Fish and human beings can peacefully coexist," the President said early today.
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jwbecotte said 2:16PM on 10-24-2007
I pay for my bandwith they promised me and should be able to use all of it if I so choose. Comcast should invest in its own infrastructure and stop deciding how I should use it.
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Lizzychan said 4:00PM on 10-24-2007
What they say is true to a certain extent...
instead of reducing the bandwidth to all p2p users, they "cap" the ones who are using the most bandwidth using p2p because they assume that all consumers using that much bandwidth for p2p must be doing something illegal. And if you get "capped" your internet speed will be reduced by 75%.
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jamesreb said 4:06AM on 10-25-2007
It's just another way that Comcast is controlling its area monopolies in its cable foot print. If it wasn't for them the only one having HSI in my area (in a populous area but still too far for AT&T) I wouldn't have them. Still don't get my speed or reliability because it has taken them over 8 months to fix a neighborhood line problem.
I miss the simpler days when we had Jones Intercable.
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Mr. William J. Rountry said 2:39PM on 10-25-2007
Who Knows the Questions are not really pertinent?.
There where many thing that can be done? .. not up on my digital ""LING_GO?
THERE WAS DELAY
THERE WAS BUFFERS
THERE WAS "STORAGE?
THEN THERE WAS MUX AT TIME DIVISION!
THE CURRENT LAND LINE PRIMARY USE WAS FOR "VOICE" IN THE 4Hz to 20{KiloHERTZ} OR VOICE FREQUENCY RANGE![strapable for data use]{DIGITAL TO THOSE OF THE MODERN SET}!
Which in some cases you pick up DC-hum at 60hz
WHICH MODULATES?.
Who Knows If they can get a higher price they will?.
For the archaic equipment that they already have in the ground or hanging on poles all over here and there!
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jef69la said 8:59AM on 11-16-2007
This is just a one example of corporate guru's ruining this country and all it stands for!How bad do things have to get before the masses wake up and acknowledge the damage that big corporation's inflict on this nation. How long do we accept the lies that are churned out of Washington by are so called leaders! I call them traitors to this land, all of them, the ceo's the senators the congress, all of them with the exception of very few are out for there power there money there own self interest's and we let them.....no longer is this the land of the free, no longer is this the nation that so many died for to create! I fear the country has begun it's downfall and unless we wake up and retake this country it is doomed!
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