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.
_thumbnail.jpg "Vintage Keyboards")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
pheer6224 said 11:52AM on 8-01-2008
Well, there goes all rationale for me to live in the US.
Reply
McBain said 7:32PM on 9-21-2008
..GOOD, don't want you and your ilk here...stay where you are and keep away
brownpau said 12:03PM on 8-01-2008
Center for American Progress Action Fund has a 'Take Action' site for this, with a petition to CBP to conduct and publish a privacy impact assessment: http://handsoffmylaptop.org/
And of course, write your member of Congress, etc.
Reply
RBaugh said 12:34PM on 8-01-2008
If you don't want it to last, WRITE YOUR REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS! That's what I will be doing. This is a major infringement on our rights. and it can be stopped by an act of congress.
Reply
Peter said 1:03PM on 8-01-2008
Hmmm did I miss the memo about the US being a dictatorship?
You expect this kind of crap in North Korea, China Cuba not the good old US of A.
We are fighting to BS wars to insure others have rights, yet we continue to take rights away from our own people...thansk GW
Reply
pecnj said 8:30PM on 8-01-2008
Looks like I'm going to FedEx myself my laptop disk drives,
cell phone memory, and flash memory before heading home.
Reply
Sin D Fetish said 2:01PM on 8-01-2008
Re: RBaugh...its too late, not enough people give a damn. It's a shame but the US is getting less and less free everyday....the govt wont stop doing thid...until maybe Jan 22 'o8 or so.....vote for change folks!
Reply
Cheryl said 2:38PM on 8-01-2008
Everyone still needs to write those letters demanding it be changed, if we don't, it won't stop. Let them know we are paying attention and it is not acceptable. Thinking it is too late or that there is nothing we can do is apathetic and exactly what they want us to do. Stand up for our rights people, before they take them all away and insert little chips in us!
Reply
bigshot ownage said 3:00PM on 8-01-2008
Before u know it u will not be allowed to leave your home without a govt document stating so.This is one more way to whore out our freedom. If the govt would worry about things that matter like education, housing, food cost
to name a few. They wouldnt be so busy trying to pick a part the soul of freedom. Freedom much like I will parish from this earth in do time.
Reply
drbdes said 2:35AM on 8-02-2008
regarding we cannot leave without a govt document?
we are already deep in that state
we must have an ID
a passport
drivers license
credit card
social security
insurance for car
tags for car
medical insurance card
credit card, in case one gets mugged, and cannot pay with cash
or vice versa
and many other ways
where we cannot live, breathe, walk, talk
move freely
think freeely
write freely
or do anything,
without paying for it
and the govt
keeping a tab
every cell phone call can be and is used
to track one down
trace andreconstruct the movements
bank accounts, and money transactions used to track down activity
every time we flush they can find out
every time we turn on a light
the srteet cameras
can keep millions of photographs, in file
and any combination, used to suspect, arrest, even kill[claim it was purely accidental]
crs record all driving activities
when one flies ,by air
all external and internal organs are checked,
touched, fondled,
x rays[items in search stolen, and never replaced,ask any trveller, what is lost and how it can never be recovered]
all are finger printed
eye scans are common
DNA taken at will or any politically elected judge will force it out of people
always its for our protection
TV was about to be used to watch us 2 ways
medical information to be carried withus,
and checked, copied, distorted, disseminated at will
genes tested to identify and warn people not to insure, so that
the people cannot get insurance,as it maybedeemed too risky.
only insure the young, very healthy
make money
exclude any risk, and it is done legally
we can cut the taxes by refusing to renew
and force some to expire
reduce law enforcement,so that most, if not all laws are renderd redundant
try to enforce laws, from old days
that protect our freedom
the human should have his/her home, car, personal information
as totally private
not to be released
for any purpose
not under any pressure,and not before or during any information gathering[then it is too late,even if it means miscarriage of justice or allow unjust laws , not to be applied]
make a list of unjust laws
force candidates
to agree to enforce
and if they fail after 90 days in power
automatically recall them
and let the lext onetake over
and repeat the process[broken promises, lose the power, lose benefits, gets automatically recalled]
just like service
if its bad
the tip is denied
or payment refused
Michael said 3:01PM on 8-01-2008
My concern with that policy is not only these technologies mentioned in the article. It would include portable teledevices for the deaf. It could include possibly electronic devices that would assist the blind and other handicapped people. I admit that I am deaf. Out of the Bible, "Thou shalt not curse the deaf nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD" --Leviticus 19:14 Originally, it was part of the Law given by God through Moses to the Jews at Mount Sinai. We and God know that the deaf and the blind are part of the diversity of handicaps. There is a principle in terms of treating the handicapped not only the deaf or the blind or deaf and blind, I think. For those who does not know what a TDD is, it is something like a keyboard with a small screen that a deaf person can use a regular telephone with or use the existing telephone lines. Anyway, should an agent seize the electronic device used by handicapped people, it could make their lives more difficult.
Reply
pissed said 4:04PM on 8-01-2008
Watch the first Matrix movie and wake up!
Reply
nic said 5:40PM on 8-02-2008
guess what. the minute everyone decided it was ok to tell other people what to do in the interest of their health/ security/ etc. ie that you do not own your own bodies- then why would you think you own your 'stuff'?
Reply
Erectile Dysfunction said 5:03PM on 8-01-2008
Thats so absurd, I'm outraged that they can confiscate your $1000+ electronic device without explanation.
Reply
charles patterson said 1:24PM on 8-02-2008
wake up bigshot ownage u already have too have govt id ie ( id cards and driver license ) its only going too get worse until we wake up and tell these jerks they work for us ie (we the people)
Reply
Frenchy Adams said 6:13AM on 8-04-2008
since the Patriot Act was passed,the government can confiscate anything and claim it's for the sake of national security.these are the same tactics used by the Communist.isn't America great!
Reply
McBain said 8:16PM on 9-21-2008
...bailed your French butt out of 3 wars now and kept you free from the Soviet tyranny for another 50+....there's gratitude for ya...should have let you stay under the Nazis
..oh btw--camembert sucks as a chesse!
XSemperIdem5 said 5:51PM on 8-19-2008
What the? This is the first I've heard about "indefinitely keeping electronics" I'm pretty sure nothing gets deleted later, there's data stored here and there. The new form of identity theft. Unless someone is specifically a suspect (probable cause) or there is a warrant, I don't agree with electronic files being searched. With technology changing so quickly, rights to privacy should specifically mention electronic data.
Reply
juan said 12:14AM on 9-27-2008
This is outrageous. What if information vital for your business is on the laptop? I have lived abroad and take my laptop with me everywhere I go due to the private nature of the information. I dont think I have to worry about the foreign government hassling me, but now the US Homeland Security Department is playing the role of the computer thief.
I hope that this article is overhyped and the Homeland Security boys just need a draconian ruling to protect themselves when they come along a Al Qaeda computer. I think Al Qaeda and the likes will put their information on a flash drive or, even better, send it along by email to a computer already in the USA. Homeland Security has enough problems without exposing itself to lawsuits by innocent citizens who have been victimized by rogue agents of Homeland Security.
Reply