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 3)
robert said 12:53PM on 10-31-2007
i didnt thank there was a atmosfear on mars so how could there be air to do that??
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Matt Abrahamsen said 1:32PM on 10-31-2007
If people are going to add a comment, make sure they know the basic grammar of the English language.
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Jim said 1:41PM on 10-31-2007
Its Bushs Fault !
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doc said 1:43PM on 10-31-2007
Matt Abrahamsen says:
If people are going to add a comment, make sure they know the basic grammar of the English language.
10/31/07 1:32 PM
*sigh* matt, shove your grammar, ok? the dust devil was cool though, too bad its black and white
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elizabeth ann said 2:20PM on 10-31-2007
... OKAY Matt... I guess someone did not give you any candy today...lol..excuse me laugh outloud... I guess you are just trying to be mean like all the other comment natzi's...
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lizzie said 2:00PM on 10-31-2007
hhmmnn
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Nate Merit said 1:58PM on 10-31-2007
More evidence that the Martian atmosphere is not as thin as NASA falsely claims. There's a huge cover-up about Mars.
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rich said 2:00PM on 10-31-2007
I didn't know there were trailer parks on Mars!!
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BearsFan99 said 2:12PM on 10-31-2007
Robert, Mars does have an atmosphere but has very thin air on its surface which would not be enough to support human, animal or even plant life. If Earth's atmosphere was like "grandma's quilt", then Mars' atmosphere would be like a very thin sheet of newspaper which is why the temparature on Mars can drop from 10 F in the daytime to -105 F at night as soon as the Sun sets! This is why we should take great care of the Earth we live on now because if we ruin our planet to the point where it becomes inhabitable to humans, where would we live? It's not like we can hop onto a rocketship and move to another planet.
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tom.scanlan said 2:14PM on 10-31-2007
a familiar sight to anyone living in the southwest. Some clouds would be nice. keep it up, rover!
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Sharp Black Metal said 2:15PM on 10-31-2007
More evidence that the Martian atmosphere is not as thin as NASA falsely claims. There's a huge cover-up about Mars.
Nate, I definitely agree with you. If any life forms have been discovered on Mars ( and I believe that they have) NASA and the government will not reveal that information to the public. If something of major significance had not already been discovered there, NASA would not still be "exploring" the planet.
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michael said 2:21PM on 10-31-2007
man thats neat, but after tremendous technological and societal advances and the ability to broadcast animate images from Mars are we still only able to co ensign this phenomena with "dust devil." i hit myself.
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D. B. Cooper said 2:38PM on 10-31-2007
Sharp Black Metal says "If something of major significance had not already been discovered there, NASA would not still be "exploring" the planet."
I agree. A friend of mine who knows someone who's cousin met a guy who drove past a pizza place where a NASA janitor orders his pizzas, says that NASA has photos of footprints on Mars, and that the footprints have only three toes! Straight from the source! Now you know that hasn't made the news, so there's some kind of coverup. And since the toeprints are visable that means that he (or she, not discriminating against gender) is walking around on Mars with NO SHOES!
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Buzzin said 2:46PM on 10-31-2007
Lovely view of Utah. - buzzin
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Mr. Wm J Rountry said 2:51PM on 10-31-2007
**** damn i do have an agency to share with*****
I have been so rude all a long??
must be the cruel and mean spirited one that have been following and tormenting nearly my entire life??
HEY NASA AND YOU MARS AND MOON ROVER BOY'S AND GIRLS?...
HOW ABOUT A GET TOGETHER, (B.Y.O.B) POSSIBLE.
I HAVE MINE OF MARS THE MOON AND MANY OTHER PLANET'S IN FULL COLOR MOTION, WITH THE BEST SOUNDS IN THE HEAVENS??
I'LL HAVE TOO {TOOTE [blow] MY OWN HORN} LITTLE L OR A LOT,
NO ONE WANTS TOO KNOW THAT I EVEN EXIST>>
ISN'T THAT JUST SO HOORRID AND TERRIBLE.
DO HAVE SOME OF THE BEST PICTURES AVAILABLE!
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KP said 3:04PM on 10-31-2007
Hey Matt, your a jackazz is that enough grammer?
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Stoney said 3:12PM on 10-31-2007
I don't know why everyone cares so much about grammar on an internet news comment.
Interesting news though, would definately like to hear more.
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wxcasterphx said 3:20PM on 10-31-2007
Basically this is old hat. The JPL website dealing with both Rovers continously updates all photos on a daily basis. http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/gallery/press/
Enjoy......
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LaMotta77 said 3:47PM on 10-31-2007
DB Cooper, Hahahahhaa! That was hilarious!
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elizabeth ann said 3:57PM on 10-31-2007
lol... the first martian dust bunny on film xoxo lol DB Cooper and the 3 toes....
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