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 4)
jenn said 11:11AM on 3-18-2008
GUILTY!!!
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mkemp said 11:16AM on 3-18-2008
Sadly, life itself is a terrible disease for which there is no cure. I've relapsed many times on it. Like alcoholism, drug addiction and computer addiction, however, there IS a solution. All we need to do is stay away from any people, places and things associated with life.
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lk said 11:18AM on 3-18-2008
They want to classify everything these days as an illness.
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Jake Luba said 11:33AM on 3-18-2008
I dont think it should be classified as a mental illness
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Sheera said 11:56AM on 3-18-2008
YES!! I am going through a divorce and one of the reasons was a little game called Worlds of WarCraft.
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bobyo said 12:32PM on 3-18-2008
The more they can get classified as an illness the more they can charge the insurance carriers. What a scam!
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Sam said 11:52AM on 3-18-2008
He's from Oregon!!! What else is
there to do but text and email people who don't live in Oregon?
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Brett said 11:53AM on 3-18-2008
I definitely have an internet addiction and when booking a hotel ALWAYS have to know if there is wifi.
I have used this addiction as a way to make save money and make some as well.
I have started promoting an online shopping mall and it is great
supplemental income and I have been saving between 5-55% on my
purchases at over 1100 stores online including Bare
Necessities, Sephora, Apple, The Gap, Target (great for soo much),
Macy's. I also wait for sales so I get my cash back and the lowest
price
http://www.dailyoink.com The site is ugly, but well worth it.
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calibear said 11:57AM on 3-18-2008
I agree with IK they do want everything to become a illness and i think it is stupid and dumb to say internet u useing it a lot should be classifiled as a mental illness i dont think so stupid . Take ppk at work for examle they infron of the computer all day long and on the net does that make them have a mental illness no. stupid i hape it does not go through as a mentel illness it be dumb and stupid .
calibear
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George said 11:59AM on 3-18-2008
textin and e mailing is just anothe form of communication with out the high cost of long distance for lots of people
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rich said 12:01PM on 3-18-2008
And twenty years ago it was TV addiction. And 50 years ago it was Radio addiction. And 150 years ago it was sitting in the saloon. And then it was watching the massacres in the lions den in Rome. Gimme a break. Did you ever think about this. We have more Psychiatrists, psychotheRAPISTS and so forth than ever before. And, we seem to have more nuts walking the streets than ever before. What does that tell you? Mental health begins at home and seems to be damaged greatly by reading articles such as these and others. Nuff said.
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Pell Blue said 12:07PM on 3-18-2008
HELP!!
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hooversin06 said 7:17AM on 3-25-2008
This just give lazy people a reason to keep being lazy. If you want to know how to get someone off a computer...unplug the damn thing.
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jjride267 said 12:29PM on 3-18-2008
Give me a break!!! No matter what we do lately, someone has to put a label on it. We can't breathe without someone looking over our shoulder these days!!!
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Rder2007 said 12:31PM on 3-18-2008
Nuts!
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Richard said 1:00PM on 3-18-2008
While during each and every college class, I could'nt help but notice many students texting throughout lecture etc... let alone allowing their toy to sit in front of them anxiously awaiting responses etcetera, and I've often wondered whether there's a unhealthy compulsitivity surrounding all that. with that said...let alon the fact that it's truly inconsiderate and disrespectful to not give your undivided attention to those around you...which can be potentially detremental and ultimately a learned behavior, resulting toward addiction.
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sandra weisz said 12:38PM on 3-18-2008
i am horibly addicted to the net. and i am homeless, living in motels. i can't get off my space, craigslist, the news, certain music, looking up long lost people. it's keeping me sick, scared, and i never found anything on craigslist for where to live. it is not a subsitute for real life. it is making my life worse , not better, and people forget how to be human. they become zombie robots. its a giant whore machine anyway .it makes people gain weight too.
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Bozzy said 12:38PM on 3-18-2008
LOL...LIFE ITSELF IS AN ADDICTION CURED BY DEATH.....it begins at birth and you have choices for all the inbetweens...with a bit of luck , the better ones outnumber the bad and hopefully the more evil ones that do abound and take up precious time !!!
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inyocountycaman said 12:41PM on 3-18-2008
Playing the mental illness card is not all that unusual by members of the Culture of Narcissism. With the corporate gifts readily available to the political psychiatrists, if they say the "right" words, extirpation of Aryan Pride is quite vogue (it's really been going on for 4000 years).
Com'n, do it again, quacks. You'll see real mental illness in action.
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Mike Joseph said 12:43PM on 3-18-2008
Wow. Another example of how everything is an "illness", huh? How pathetic can this country get?!?
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