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.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 8)
Deb said 2:11PM on 6-18-2008
Spoken like a man
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Khris said 9:10AM on 6-19-2008
"Spoken like a man" - Give me a break!!
Get your feminist self past the fact it's a woman complaining and realize that this is such a pathetic money grab attempt, it's not even funny!
This woman should be fined for wasting other peoples time!
LeviYakov said 9:44AM on 6-19-2008
Spoken like a moron.
Nails grow back! Just freaking trim them, damn it!
CSINBAD2 said 2:34PM on 6-18-2008
This story is a joke, right? While I have no problem with long fingernails (I was not aware that nail length or lack thereof was something that could go in and out of style, btw), to claim that a device discriminates against those with them is ridiculous. If that's the case then I could make a case against the stylus devices...I get sick of having to keep up with the tiny styluses and prefer to use my fingertips. Are Microsoft and Treo discrminating against people like me? Bogus allegations like this one are why REAL cases of discrmination are often not taken seriously.
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j said 2:43PM on 6-18-2008
Has to be a joke. Do these same women not have knuckles? Get a grip people!
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TERRI said 8:57PM on 6-18-2008
RATHER THEN COMPLAIN, I JUST WON'T BUY THE PRODUCT. IT IS TRUE THOUGH, I HAVE MODERATELY LONG NAILS, NATURAL BY THE WAY, AND IT IS HARD TO USE MY CELL PHONE.
MOST WOMEN HAVE LONG NAILS. WE ARE THE MAJORITY OF THIS NATION. 51% ELECTRONICS DESIGNERS SHOULD TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION.
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Dave said 12:20AM on 7-01-2008
So just what's wrong with US MEN having long nails? And who's to say we DON'T wear OUR nails that way too? Women who think that only WOMEN should have long fingernails (or long hair) are being SEXIST, TOO!
The people making this claim are being sexist when they say that long nails are a "female thing".
BTW, males who adopt "female" styles are NOT gay, either. I'm not!
m e said 9:21AM on 6-19-2008
no we don't!
smarteepantz said 2:25PM on 6-19-2008
Terri,
You don't speak for me or for ANY of the women I work with (and I work in a female-dominant industry). Please do not assume that every woman wants to have skanky, dirty, disgusting dead skin hanging off of our fingertips. Ick and ew. I keep mine short (never more than a quarter inch), neat and hygenic, which is a whole lot more attractive and practical. THAT'S the preference for the majority of women. Lee Press On Nails went out of style with ratted hair and Aquanet.
mmwilhelm said 8:20AM on 6-24-2008
What does naturally long nails mean? That made me cry.
Miff said 7:06PM on 8-06-2008
Jeez, I have long nails, and I have NO PROBLEM using MY phone which is a SE M600i with a small qwerty-"keyboard" and touch-screen.
Why in God's name should it be sexist to make a phone that suits those with shorter nails? O_o Gee, then we can start complaining about everything that doesn't suit us. BTW, most women DO NOT have long nails. :-P
Cicily said 12:18AM on 6-19-2008
ali....
what you posted is utterly ridiculous...
seriously.
you need help.
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paige said 5:11PM on 6-18-2008
Don't like it, don't buy it. Plain and simple.
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revolutoin said 5:18PM on 6-18-2008
make an iphone that can deal long finger nails better
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Phil said 11:24AM on 6-19-2008
cut your fingernails or buy a different phone. long fingernails are only good for back scratching and nothing else. the iphone demonstrates a squeezing motion which requires the use of fingertips not nails.
J.E[[2011]] said 5:55PM on 6-18-2008
I seriously don't get why some of you are getting so immature and discriminatory about it. Get some class or get off the computer.
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craig#2 said 7:58AM on 6-24-2008
Get some class or get off the computer. HA! That's rich.
Jennifer said 11:05PM on 6-18-2008
...Wow, people on this thread need to take a chill pill. Histrionic much?
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Warren O'Leary said 6:15AM on 6-19-2008
For all " supposed " dissed women, non-whites, etc. .Invent your own new devices and let white males complain how anti-themselves these products are ; it's easy to be a critic, much harder to please everyone.
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bhig39 said 6:16AM on 6-19-2008
create a warm fake nail and you'll be good, sisterhood of the sisters!
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