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)
msud434 said 3:21PM on 3-13-2008
Nintendo shouldn't have many shipped back. Most people that smoke probably can't even play the Wii because you have to actually move instead of sitting on a couch.
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handymf4u said 3:37PM on 3-13-2008
Yea msud 434, because everyone that smokes is lazy. What an idiot you are.
Im a carpenter and I'm on my feet, up and down latters, and I carry heavy materials all day every day, and guess what? YES I smoke and have a Wii, but my guess is that if you are anything like you sound, I could run circles around you any day. How much do you weigh anyhow?
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Seb said 5:44PM on 3-13-2008
seriously, msud434, i'm nineteen and it's not uncommon at all for me to get my friends together and for us to smoke cigarettes and play video games, especially the wii. i smoke, and i run every morning. not lazy, and my lung capacity hasn't even decreased that much. so stop being an ass and shut up before you accidentally say something that's relevant.
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danielle said 6:38PM on 3-13-2008
and marijuana smoke too......
the salesperson told us this when we bought the Wii 6 months ago. CAUTION.
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BULLS**T said 6:38PM on 3-13-2008
What a load of Crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I bet there is more second hand POT smoke than cigarettes. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING!!!!!!!!!!!
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Phil said 10:18PM on 3-13-2008
Whether smokers want to believe it or not, tobacco smoke does foul electronics. They may not notice that it's coating their walls and ceilings and staining their teeth and fingers, but it is dirty.
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msud434 said 8:59AM on 3-14-2008
So, handy and seb. It is better to be a smoker than a non-smoker? I guess it is also better to booze it up while playing a Wii? Seb, I think it's funny how you state that your lung capacity has decreased "that much". So it has decreased some. And how sad it is that you have to resort to name calling because you can make a point. And Handy, just b/c you are a construction worker makes you fit? A job that is so tough, most go to work drunk and drugged all day long.
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Coastal Postal said 12:51AM on 3-27-2008
The idea that some manufacturer would actually take responsibility for contamination to the console caused by smoking amazes me! WTF! It makes as much sense as saying if you piss on your Wii it will damage the laser, but if you send the unit in, we'll fix free... Personally I think the whole idea is bullshit and that smokers should just be warned about damage caused by smoke and the manufacturer not cover subsequent damage caused. ALL electronics ARE subsequently damaged by the coating casued by smoking. That sticky tar coating is corrosive and micro-miniature components will fail over time. But telling smokers to quit is obviously a waste of time, so be sure you take full advantage of this free benefit until Nintendo finally realizes the futile nature of this offer.
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Tad Dow said 3:44AM on 4-17-2008
The smoke had nothing to do with the SSBB/Wii recall. It was crappy, cheap-o lasers Ninty put in the launch Wii's because they never really thought about having to deal with DVD9's or other dual-layer discs, ie, the kind that Smash Bros was the first to use..
They were saving face by blaming smoke AND dust. Of course, it's a factor, but not the huge ones cost and short-sightedness turned out to be. That's why it was free to "clean" them.
Do some research before you use this idiotically non-researched post to go on an anti-smoking, I'm holier than you rampage.
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