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 6)
JOMACNY said 2:16PM on 12-05-2007
I THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA,NO ONLY THING THEY HALF TO DO IS SOMETHING ABOUT DELAYS ON THE TARMAC AND THE PROBLEM WITH LOST LUGGAGE.....SAFE FLYING IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON
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Peter W. said 2:24PM on 12-05-2007
Imagine that! Now I can have a bar-code sent to a cell-phone. My question is how does one control handing that cell-phone to someone else who now boards in my place? At least with a paper pass, a Jill Jones is (hopefully) unlikely to be mistaken for a Bill Smith - not so with a bar-code on a tiny screen. Futhermore simply the handling of the paper requires a bit of time, possibly that amount of time it might take an alert airline employee to spot something not-quite-right.
Airport Security in the US is already almost an international joke. This is one more potential avenue for abuse or error.
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Tiffiny said 2:26PM on 12-05-2007
Bad idea. What if you lose your cell phone at the airport, or leave it at the house, but you do have your boarding pass? Or, say you're one of the very few people out there that DON'T have one. Or if you're a kid without a cell phone, but you need a boarding pass?
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nordic911 said 2:31PM on 12-05-2007
GENIUS! but what happens when your phone dies? And how does security sign your phone, so the person on the other side of the scanner can verify that you have already had your I.D. checked.
Still sounds like a lot of problems.
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jeb said 2:31PM on 12-05-2007
I agree TOTALLY...forget about all this fancy hi-tech SHI* and worry about flights being ON TIME without LOST LUGGAGE!!!!!!!!
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kikin68 said 2:52PM on 12-05-2007
What if your phone doesn't work in the area where you will be traveling to? How do you get back home without a back up plan (i.e. paper ticket)? Will the employees at the check point also have scanners to make sure your ID matches your cell phone's bar code info? Great for the environment, great for time's sake, but not sure about security...
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John Holdren said 2:43PM on 12-05-2007
What if your phone goes dead? Airports allow vendors to make you pay to plug your phone charger in. They need to provide more electrical sockets so that we can stay charged up without charging us to use them!!!
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Vprice5612 said 2:50PM on 12-05-2007
Nordic has a great question. Maybe the scanners somehow imprint a signature, so the next official/agent can confirm it has been signed. Of course, theyll always check your id, as they do now. And if you lose your cell phone (to Tiffiny) you can still print out a pass at the airport (like you can do now). Its just another option (like we have now - paper ticket vs. e-ticket).
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Berry said 7:27PM on 12-05-2007
There are MANY foreign travelers as well as Americans traveling OUTSIDE the US that do not always carry their cell phone with them.
Wake up- the entire flying population does not travel between NY and Miami or Chicago and LA.
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JBJG24 said 3:01PM on 12-05-2007
BAD IDEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Thom said 3:11PM on 12-05-2007
what about the strip on our license or I.D.
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Ami said 3:13PM on 12-05-2007
what about people who don't have the hi-tech phones that are able to receive barcodes? it's a ridiculous idea-talk about the unnecessary mis-use of technology...if only people would use their technological abilities for better innovations!
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Ami said 3:16PM on 12-05-2007
Most people have to pay to receive messages! So while we save the Airlines some money by not printing a boarding pass at the airport, we would be adding to our cell phone bills! This is not at all a fool-proof or a secured idea!!!
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SATAN said 3:18PM on 12-05-2007
This just allows more access to personal information and abuse- and maybe there wouldn't be so many delays if there wasn't so much BS about security. Seriously, NOTHING the TSA does really helps or makes travelers safer. How many harrassment and theft charges have there been? And does anybody remember the annual reports which show the TSA is not only a detriment to travel, but lowers the esteem of our country in the eyes of other nations? Every year the reports get worse, not better.
Is it me, or don't you feel that the security works against us rather than actually helps keep us safe? Let's face it, the focus of the TSA is on turning Travelers into cattle, not people. If they were really doing their job, they'd be screening the airport and related companies and the people they hire, as well as the equipment being used.
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Rita said 3:31PM on 12-05-2007
I think it is a ridiculous idea. Much of our population is turning 70 or over years of age. Many do no use cell phones, including myself. What happens to them?
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Me said 3:31PM on 12-05-2007
Just what we need! Another way to put employees out of work. Good work, Continental! Way to help the economy
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drake said 3:32PM on 12-05-2007
Why it does sound like a good idea, we have to consider the cell phone itself right? I can see it done with high powered phones like the blackberry, ect, what about one of the free phones you recieve that aren't powerful and equiped. I agree with the comments about cell bills, losing the phone, ect and messages don't come through easily especially at the airport when my phone loses a signal. They make you turn them off on the plane and some people forget to turn them back on. Boading lines can be slower if people have to turn them on and load the pass. I think we are still need more technology to make this a sucess. I am sticking to paper passes and paper ballots!
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Nathan said 3:39PM on 12-05-2007
To all the people that think this is such a bad idea, why don't you give it a chance? It's not like the airline is saying that they are completely doing away with paper tickets and if you don't have a cell phone you can't travel on their airline. They are experimenting with a new technology that I guarantee you many business travellers (including myself) would love, not to mention it would be better for our environment. If your cell phone dies or you lose it, you can always print out a new paper boarding pass at the airport. I promise it wouldn't be the end of the world. Stop being so afraid of technology.
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stew said 3:46PM on 12-05-2007
i agree with nathan. give it a try!!!
how many people were uncomfortable with no actual ticket to get on a plane?
now, you wouldn't think of having a paper ticket.
give it a chance to see how and if it works.
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O. BinLadin said 3:52PM on 12-05-2007
Will pay top dollar$ for phones.......
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