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.
Over the past few years online social networks -- sites like MySpace and Facebook -- have grown exponentially to the point that that they've caught the eyes of the more "traditional" media types. MySpace was purchased by Fox who launched MySpace TV to bring bit-sized entertainment to its users. Now, Nokia is predicting that within five years social networks like MySpace will out-pace even traditional television networks and record labels, something the company calls "Circular Entertainment."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ascatal said 5:43PM on 12-03-2007
i seriously doubt that sites like myspace willever replace tv networks
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Rev. Ed Hubbard said 10:51AM on 12-11-2007
Actually, this makes a lot of sense. I see it already happening with my own company Witch School International, Inc., with the development of a school, blog sites, video sites, etc. that feed into each other.
The thing that is likely not seen is that the Networks themselves will be bought out by a handful of older players and a handful of newer players, just as Radio, Television, cable, and the Internet were when they matured.
Entertainment as we choose when we choose, or so we will believe.
Blessings, Ed
Magick.tv
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Arthur Bacon said 11:23AM on 1-15-2008
This is very disturbing; we all might as well stay in our houses and extend virtual hugs to our friends and family. Come on, folks, grow up.
I hope that the social networks will not take over as a form of mass communications. I'd rather get my "news" from people who know what they're talking about, not just from people I know.
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