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)
Frank Rizzo said 5:54PM on 11-26-2007
they had at least two hits. rememeber talking in your sleep.
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Maurice said 4:02AM on 11-27-2007
http://evolutionfacts.blogspot.com
Oh no, I love that game.
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ascatal said 11:36AM on 11-27-2007
ummm its supposed to sound like the real song, what did they expect it to sound like? a 50 year drunk singing it at a kareoke bar? geez
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Larry said 11:09AM on 11-29-2007
... they should absolutely pay them ,, artists need to safeguard their property,,,if you are going to use a "COVER VERSION" of a song soley for the reason that that version almost exactly emulates the original then you are doing so to cut corners and maximize your profit... profit that would have been given to the Romantics.. i say shame on activision,,, they are going to make millions on this game ... i have a feeling they pulled the same skullduggery with Deep Purple's "highway Star" in the commercial ,,, i thought it was a"remix " a first but i noticed there was a slight difference in the vocal... they won't get away with this...
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ravine62 said 7:45PM on 11-27-2007
They should be thankful.Thay might actually make a buck from this.Maybe some kids may actually like the song enough to buy the cd.NOT!!!!!!!!!!!
These guys sucked then and they still suck now!
They should be happy that their song is being played somewhere else than a Knotts Berry Farm commercial!!!
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Michael Sussman said 8:03PM on 11-27-2007
I think they expect some royalties, fair enough?
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Dani said 2:35PM on 11-28-2007
They charge enough for the game that they should pay the artist they cover. Come on the game cost like $90
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eydielou said 5:03PM on 12-06-2007
I actually remember them for "Talking In Your Sleep," a much better (and much more '80s-epitomizing) tune than "What I Like About You." But the latter is prolly the band's biggest licensing revenue stream. It's unclear though if the band was paid licensing fees by Guitar Hero's makers--if so, then they should be glad that the cover isn't so lame as to dilute the worth of the original.
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Meagan said 2:44PM on 11-28-2007
The deal is, the makers of GH actively try to get artists to allow them to use their own songs, that's why some say the song is BY an artist, while others say it was MADE FAMOUS BY the artist. Chances are, the Romantics wouldn't allow GH the rights to the actual song, so they made a "covered" version. Maybe that's a little crappy, but seriously, even Metallica is on GH3 and we all know what a pain in the ass they can be about using their name.
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