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 3)
Craig said 7:13PM on 2-14-2008
Joe Stalin and the KGB would be proud of Bush and his continuing assault on our rights.
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Greg said 4:07AM on 2-23-2008
After trampling on the Constitution with the Patriot Act and eavesdropping on our phone converstions with the assistance of 2 major phone companies what do people expect. Yet He's still hasn't been impeached and neither has his sidekick!
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James said 8:17PM on 2-14-2008
This is a complete load of bs, they just keep finding ways to invade peoples privacy. I don't have anything to hide but what could they possibly need to point spy satellites at us for. Bush seems to be trying to meet a quota of mess ups before he leaves office.
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Angela said 8:50PM on 2-14-2008
Muah-haa-ha!!! Like this isn't already happening.
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Danny said 9:16PM on 2-14-2008
I think you all are stupid
How can you be mad at a man for helping keep your @$$'s safe????
If he and the congress hadnt done these things there would have been at least 10 more 9/11's
You all should be ashamed of yourselves for being mad a at a guy that is attempting to save your lives and our country
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th3collapse89 said 9:41PM on 2-14-2008
So danny u believe taking away ur rights to keep us safe is the right thing to do? i guess ull be a "great" tyrant. and as for the 10 911's the reason y nothing has happen is because nothing has hsppened 911 was an obvious setup people are just to stupid to understand that so i guess jet fuel could "knock down" a steel building but cant burn the "hijackers passport" come on u must be the must ignorant person on earth to believe that bs plz grow a brain
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Dale said 10:43PM on 2-14-2008
th3collapse89 You ARE brain dead
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ssantoresr said 11:00PM on 2-14-2008
TH3COOLAPSE ARE YOU THERE???? HELLO ARE YOU HOME???? STOP DRINKING YOUR COOL AID AND PUT YOUR BONG DOWN. YOU REALLY NEED TO JUST GO TO BED AND WAKE UP WITH SOUND MIND AND JUDGEMENT. I JUST KNOW YOUR MUST BE TALKING OUT YOUR ASS BECAUSE YOUR MOUTH KNOWS BETTER.
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ShellieR. said 11:29PM on 2-14-2008
Impeachment??? NAH!! Our government is way to busy getting the real threat to Homeland Security behind bars like Roger Clemens.
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Time4change said 11:40PM on 2-14-2008
This BULLSHIT has got to stop! Wake the f*%k up people before it is too late.... If we all would just do some intelligent research on our own and stop believing everything that Bush and his Corporate owned Media are trying to hypnotize us into believing--- Perhaps then our brains would begin working again! We need to stop being sheep and start DEMANDING that our personal Freedoms are restored and The Bill Of Rights be REINSTATED ! (In case you were wondering The Military Commissions Act -pretty much decimated the Bill of rights-Look it up and READ IT)
It's called the Internet people.....Use it to learn before the government takes that away from us too.If you do not think it can happen just read the articles right here on AOL. Once you finishing reading what AOL reports - I would suggest you then search the Net to get a more in depth and insightful view.
If "We the people" do not stop burying our heads in the sand and dont start getting angry- then it is no ones fault but our own!
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robert said 12:21AM on 2-15-2008
when we lose our rights the terrorists win !America is supposed to be the land of the free that's why we and our fathers and grand fathers went to war and died for , freedom !
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Joanne Murphy said 12:29AM on 2-15-2008
Why in the world are we crying "foul"? The government doesn't need spy satellites, we yell out our "personal" conversations in public on our cell phones every day, we put the most intimate aspects of our lives on Face Book or You Tube or My Space or a blog every day. And, frankly, mose people's lives are boring, The danger is boring the eavesdroppers so that they fall asleep and miss something that might be important.
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mike said 12:40AM on 2-15-2008
A nation that spies on itself is not a democracy! Liberty can not exist under such circumstances!
I do agree that law enforcement should have access to all technologies available to help bring criminals to justice! However, not at the expense of the principles and core freedoms that define this nation! We all know that government agencies have been highly successful in waiving requirements for "probable cause" in surveillance and apprehension. The use of spy satellites alone is not necessarily frightening, but such use combined with the current disregard of civil liberties and constitutional rights in the name of security and crime prevention is terrifying!
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Julie said 12:45AM on 2-15-2008
Sorry Danny, but destroying the very things that make our country great in order to "save our country" is just plain self defeating. By the time the current administration gets through there won't be anything left to save.
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Cecil Jones said 2:58AM on 2-15-2008
Bush and Putin are Soulmates? 9-11 should have never been a success. The Anthrax came from a domestic source. With the forged documents, no WMD, and endless war somebody needs to be spying on our guys. Removing Bush from the analysis loop has kept us safe all these years. Imagine what impeachment could do to improve this government?
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JS said 5:35AM on 2-15-2008
Thats a load of BS, this isnt america if we don't have the right to our privacy. Whats the Bush Administration going to do next, declare those who hate them terrorists?
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Anti-Illuminati American said 3:09AM on 4-21-2008
JS your sarcastic comment is right anyone who owns guns hates the gov. openly or is a christian is considered a terrorist according to the Fascist Bureau Incorperation. oops I meant FBI.
wlliam wise said 6:35AM on 2-15-2008
wake up america do you not realize this is just
another step towards the new world order
do you want to live under a ditactorship?
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Eric said 6:01AM on 2-15-2008
With our instrument augmented abilities to see and hear outer space, we are "wiretapping" the universe. Sonar helped to chart oceanic movements, much like radar revealed activity in the atmosphere. As Alexander Gramm Bell might have first said on a telephone. "WHAT!?"
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Elliott said 6:23AM on 2-15-2008
How long do you think it will take law enforcement to figure out the spy satellites can be used for issuing traffic tickets? Why not under the new powers granted under these new laws.
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