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.
The Recording Industry Association of America really, really wants to stop people from downloading illegal music. Over the years it has supported crippling copy protection that would leave your music files unplayable should you get a new computer, has stated that ripping your own CDs to your own MP3 player is illegal, and showed its commitment by hitting a single mother for a $220,000 fine for sharing two-dozen songs online. Now the RIAA wants unfettered access to the contents of your computer as part of a virus scan.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Marcia Neil said 11:06AM on 2-08-2008
Has anyone evaluated the Bearshare.com music-sharing website? It is possible that it is an entrapment effort, in the manner of the 'McGruff, take a bite out of crime' canine detective ploy.
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Lynn said 11:44AM on 2-08-2008
Where does Limewire fit in this? I pay to have access thinking this made it legal. Is this right or is it still considered illegal? What about emusic? If anyone knows, please let me know ASAP!
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Phil Space said 9:29PM on 2-09-2008
It's another dumb idea from the even dumber music biz. Within a week of this shit hitting our computers someone will have produced downloadable countermeasures. These music biz idiots are suckers for every corrupt software company that comes up with something to sell to them, usually for $millions.
Something else that happened recently - my buddy recorded his own song with his own guitar and his own voice and Windows Media Player insists on telling him it's a song by some third-rate c&w singer. Now y'all know what to expect.
I wouldn't mind if these music biz arseholes could come up with some decent music but all we get is Metallicrap and Bratney. Real musicians don't get a look in but there are some real talented studio engineers whoring themselves to the studio owners.
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chamorrogirl6999 said 2:27PM on 2-09-2008
i think everyone uses lime wire so i think legal due to you are paying for downloads
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Dean said 5:31PM on 2-09-2008
I actually by a lot of cd's.If they do that nonsense,I will no longer buy their product.Additionally,no one likes being told what they can,and cannot do with a the music they buy.They are grasping at straws,and are continuing to piss of the consumers.
I don't think illegal downloads is the record companies biggest problem.The problem is overpriced cd's,and signing way too many untalented acts,and a poor product.Cd's that only have one or two good songs on them.If they priced the cd's right with good product,I think illegal downloading would be greatly reduced while the sales go up.
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Mike Hughey said 12:04PM on 2-10-2008
I am 45 years old, like to listen to music, and since the RIAA bribed our congressman, Howard Coble of NC by paying him to fly to France for "Speaking Engagements" (since he sat on the committee they needed to enact their unconstitutuinal law allowing access to our private computers without seach warrants or probable cause), I have only purchased about 2 CD's. I do not download music, because I don't have time and would rather pop a CD in and listen to it. I would load the song I have purchased and now own into another form of media if I want to listen on a different type of device. I can buy all the music in a store if I want to, but will no longer or rarely buy any music. If more people would take this attitude, the RIAA and idiots it represents will cease to exist. There are some artists I really enjoy, all of whom make a lot more money than I do. I simply refuse to support their greed. Music is nice, but do these people actually do any real good in the world? Do they make anything that actually helps people? It's just music, not food.
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Marcia Lynn Neil said 6:34PM on 2-10-2008
The truth may seem unbelievable -- that local governments and National Guard memberships have been trying to draft paperwork that will guarantee immediate seizure rights and accessible locations so as to use sonar equipment in a timely and expedient manner; instead, paperwork is routinely written up so as to seize and market all original soundworks using 'freedom of the press' as the rationale.
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Marcia Lynn Neil said 1:39PM on 2-11-2008
Apparently the attitude described dates to the time period of the Korean conflict, when academic populations consciously opted to be 'Chorian' (as in Chorus) rather than 'Korean' or 'chorean' as a personal orientation.
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James Burton said 6:03PM on 2-11-2008
yet another step closer to the government and big corporations wiping our asses for us.
I don't subscribe to think that recorded music should be free, however, the law states that if i buy a copy of music i can duplicate that for my own personal means in anyway i see fit, being as the cd format is digital, i can make digital backups and copies if i wish. Anti viral software should be about detecting viruses and malicious software that can harm or damage the files on my computer, not spying and gathering information for purposes not intended. I see this as a breach of the data protection laws.
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Marcia Lynn Neil said 12:39PM on 2-12-2008
Actually, you can only buy a record -- or a desktop computer terminal -- to hear music. A person can buy blank CDs to record his/her own music and duplicate it. The harm lies in thinking that 'bands' perform their own original compositions.
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mage0213 said 1:39PM on 2-14-2008
I disagree with the RIAAA I buy CD's, I have traded CD's I have copied MY cd's to my computer, that is for MY use, I do NOT share them with anyone. Same with the software on my computer I pay for it, I think it is a slap in my face that the RIAAA and the software industry want access to MY pc.. I paid for my PC I do NOT share my software o0r sernos with anyone. I have certain programs and ideas I have on my computer and I will sue anyone who tries to access my pc just because the law allows them too.. I am totally against the BIG BROTHER scenario here in america.. I resent that the government now has the authority to monitor my personal conversation s which have nothing to do with terrorism.. but I resent MORE than anything the fact that I cannot do anything that the government can without getting pout in jail.. eavesdropping is illegal If I do It.. I am not even permitted to RECORD conversations without getting permission, yet the government can just willy nilly throw a tap on my phone line.. now the RIAA wants to throw a tap into my personal computer. they will have the ability to download anything they want to if they are allowed to check for software and music files this could easily be changed to monitor everything you do on your pc. What happened to the United States of America? it has changed to the Socialist States of AMERICA.
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charles said 3:47AM on 2-18-2008
1984 1984 1984 What the Hell happened to PRIVACY? MY PRIVACY? Do they believe that we (citizens) are going to stand by and watch our GOD GIVEN Rights flushed down the government/corporate toilet much longer? It really is getting to be sickening!
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dan said 12:23PM on 5-04-2008
This is just control and censorship theres no difference between the Recording Industry Association of America and the PMRC. just another way to control what people listen to and how. and it has nothing to do with low album sales. lets look at some album sales shall we and see how bad the bands are doing. (Rascal Flatts- album Feels Like Today-released in 9/28/2004 - sold 5 Times Platinum thats 5 million copies )looks like illegal downloads didnt bother them much. or how bout (Guns'n Roses- released 3/23/2004- album greatest hits-sold 4 times platinum thats 4 million copies ).wow aint bothering them much eather... more u say ok (Fergie -release date 9/19/2006- album The Dutchess -albums sold 3 million ! ) and Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts album released on 11/15/2005 has sold 7 million copies...see its all crap . Recording Industry Association aint loseing alotta money..there just doing what the gasoliene companys are doing pooling the whool over peopels eyes everybody knows there aint no gas shortage if there are how come then been syaing theres a shortage for the last 2 or 3 years yet the gas stations always have the gas ! Its simple money the gasolene companys are exactly like the Recording Industry Association they want to make money and they dont care who the burn, hurt or step on on there way to making that money. to them your not a person or a human being your a wad of cash plain and simple. any body remember the great bear share lite ? anybody remember the bearshare site where under questions it says bearshare may offer paid subscription versions but no matter what there will always be a free bearshare to the public. then bearshare sells out to the Recording Industry Association of America . how much are we as people gonna take by the powers that be pushing us around. are we waiting till they invade our homes and burn them down. before people march to washington with some picket signs and say enough is enough man
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