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 $15.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
lee said 11:32PM on 6-20-2008
Ah, the UN showing concern for non-lethel weapons. The same group that didn't have the B@!!$ to stop genocide in any "peace keeping action" they were/are involved in.
Tasers and stun guns (or zappers) work. They can save lives in more than what most think.
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Rob A said 8:24PM on 11-26-2007
You are confused. You keep using Taser and Stun Gun interchangeably when they are two entirely different things. Stun Guns use a high voltage arc bridging to the skin to stun the person. Taser actually shoot a dart into them with a cord that conducts electricity directly into them. Which item are you talking about in this article?
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Rob A said 8:52PM on 11-26-2007
You are confused. You keep using Taser and Stun Gun interchangeably when they are two entirely different things. Stun Guns use a high voltage arc bridging to the skin to stun the person. Taser actually shoot a dart into them with a cord that conducts electricity directly into them. Which item are you talking about in this article?
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Young at Heart said 8:51PM on 11-26-2007
Every time law enforcement agencies find a way to effectively apprehend the "bad guy," all the bleeding hearts in the world rise up and cry "undue cruelty" or now, "turture." They are also the first to holler that the police didn't do enough to make them/their families/their communities/their countries safe. I guess it's okay if the cops get hurt, but God forbid that the perps do. What hypocrisy.
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Mike said 6:20AM on 11-27-2007
Okay, As an officer I have seen the tasers used in situations where the only other option is to a firearm. The taser works, they stop the person . The death rate for most shootings is 100 percent. Maybe we should only be armed with bad jokes and entertain the person into compliance.
I would love to carry something that doesnt hurt or otherwise but as long as the bad guys shoot us, its not going to happen. I dont even pull my weapon unless its a very bad time, not because some guy looked at me wrong. Give me a choice, I'm going home alive at the end of my shift.
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lenny said 7:04AM on 11-27-2007
There are many useful items that can be used in harmful ways. I don't think tasers themselves are the problem; it's their misuse or abuse sometimes by some of the people who use them. They are sometimes used unnecessarily or overused in ways not intended by the manufacturer. There have been situations where someone who has already been subdued by police & is not resisting, or someone who is not dangerous, but merely upset, has been tased several times. Such uses of the taser, by people who misuse their authority as an excuse to be professional bullies, give it a lot of bad press.
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SimonD said 9:20AM on 11-27-2007
To the cop (Are you really one?): if you are faced with someone in possession of a firearm, you are trained to pull your weapon and use lethal force - we understand and agree with this; going back to the car and getting the Taser out isn't part of the procedure: please don't kid us that Tasers are an alternative to guns in these situations. It's the case where you simply can't be bothered to be patient in subduing a person that the Tasers are being abused by the people in power - the cops. Tasers have no place in a decent civil society: when medicines are shown to cause unintended death even when used in the manner they were designed for, we pull these dangerous products from the shelves. We should do the same with dangerous weapons even though they are the policeman's current favorite toy.
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charles r. mckinney said 10:19AM on 11-27-2007
ANY prouncement is almost anti-U.S. & freedom!
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