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)
Mangog said 1:25PM on 6-30-2008
What is the deal with Vista? I have it on my Inspiron 531 and it is amazing. I have AOL, they are the ones that suck, not Vista. IE7 has a mind of it's own and will take over your computer and fail to respond to anything but a disconnect, that is a fact. Other than that Vista is a FLAWLESS system as far as I can tell. I am a simple carpenter so I am not computer savvy so to speak but I spend an adequate amount of time online and I have had no problems with it. I never used XP but why you would want older technology does not make sense to me. The voice control, the ease of use, I just do not understand all the criticism.
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WED said 3:03PM on 6-30-2008
What happens to all the programs that we have and won't work on Vista?
How do we obtain programs that allow us to maintain what we have?
Dan said 3:53PM on 6-30-2008
I have vista with no issues and I work on a PC all day every day. I run serious software every day that requires heavy ram and CPU usage, browse the internet, get my email and instant message without problems. If you have software that was built for XP, odds are that you can download a patch to make it work for vista (that is even if you have to because most software doesnt need the patch) People need to start learning and stop paying attention to the rumors that are flying about vista not working. You will see, once you use it, that Vista is FAR better than XP.
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clovclbrn said 5:18PM on 6-30-2008
Well, I don't know the big differnce in windows XP & Vista??? But I know I bought this computer from Dell, & at the time I told the (KID) that took my order I wanted one that I wouldn't have to upgrade in the next few years! Well, he sent me the Dell 3,000 demintion! I think it was the last one they sold or made! It's a $300.00 piece of crap! For $900.00! I'll
NEVERT by anything else fom them!!!!!
Clovis Colburn clovclbrn@aol.com
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grindork said 10:08AM on 7-01-2008
Well they have to get rid of all those old dell dimensions somehow
Ron said 7:07PM on 7-02-2008
Your problem was buying a Dell. It isn't the operating system but the computer itself. I have a Compaq Presario and have never had any problems with it. I have even had Vista on it but didn't care much for Vista.
Larry said 6:22AM on 7-02-2008
Vista is akin to Microsoft's attempt to create an smart and reliable OS like Apple OS X, only not nearly as smart, or reliable as Apple OS X. I bought an HP that was preloaded with Vista and had nothing but problems with it until SP1 came out. Now, not so many problems, but I would rather have my old XP box. It at least was a stable platform and didn't constantly ask me for permission to conduct the littlest task. And manage my security permissions...That is a freakin' annoying pain in the butt.
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leslie moss said 12:11PM on 7-02-2008
I have xp and I love it! My sisters both have vista and I hate it!!! it's terrible,cannot get around like I can on xp,plus I hate that first screen ,where you have to have a password,I do not like vista at all.
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Mom1018 said 9:18AM on 7-07-2008
I don't have to enter a password on my Vista machine. However, I agree that XP is much better than Vista. I use XP Pro at work and had XP Home, I love them, I don't like Vista.
Nora said 12:19PM on 7-02-2008
I resent being forced to purchase something I am not interested in when what I have been using is working JUST FINE! It's like the old saw: "If it isn't broken, don't FIX it!" Between this and digital tv, it feels like people are just being shoved around whether they like it or not! Sometimes "progress" stinks!
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MaryBeth said 1:45PM on 7-02-2008
I tried installing Vista, but my Norton Anti-virus kicked in......
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El Taco said 11:19PM on 7-03-2008
Lol
Sandy said 10:15PM on 7-02-2008
Ahhhh time for Mac to nab a few more users. MS never understands that people get tired of being manipulated and forced to do things they don't want to do.
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Jarius said 9:32PM on 7-04-2008
I had XP on an E-machine and I loved it. But, if E-machines are still available - do not get one, I don't care if they're being given away. The power supply is set to burn up between 12 and 24 months after purchase. This is a fact I confirmed with several PC repair shops.
Now we have an HP Pavilion PC that came with Vista. The computer itself is a dream come true. But it has been very difficult getting used to Vista. It is true that you always have to enter a password to even get to your desktop. It's also true that you will be asked for permission repeatedly when downloading ANYTHING. It is annoying, but I see it as a safety net of sorts. You will also be warned over and over if you are downloading something from a source whose identity can't be confirmed. There are a lot of security and safety features built in which, although annoying, just take some getting used to. Otherwise, Vista is very usable and doesn't seem to have any major glitches.
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chris said 7:53AM on 7-05-2008
Plainly put, Vista is horrible. I had my son take it off my new laptop and put on a different operating system. Thank God for brilliant nerdy children :)
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Rodney Dunn said 3:16PM on 7-06-2008
I bought a new Toshiba laptop with Vista installed and I teach. The programs will not open and lock the computer. I gave it away and bought a HP with XP and it works just fine. Why does Microsoft design a program that is so poor and causes so many problems. My son already dumped his Vista computer and bought an Apple. What does it take????
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Monty Python 1975 said 9:01AM on 7-07-2008
Why would they do that BEFORE Windows 7 is out? Vista haters are really in a bind with this decision. Of course Dell owners have a system restore disc for XP but my Vista works fine and there's no need to downgrade now. Anybody need an XP Professional disc by Dell?
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Monty Python 1975 said 9:01AM on 7-07-2008
Why would they do that BEFORE Windows 7 is out? Vista haters are really in a bind with this decision. Of course Dell owners have a system restore disc for XP but my Vista works fine and there's no need to downgrade now. Anybody need an XP Professional disc by Dell?
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