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 2)
Angiebaby said 1:34PM on 9-16-2008
Hope the airline managers don't see this. Just imagine the cost savings by charging passengers a mandatory fee for updated technical entertainment services, but "neglecting" to have the services started up for the fleet! That is income without expense. Damn. I should charge the airline managers for my financial services!
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Scott Kochman said 2:48PM on 9-16-2008
Boston Intercontinental anyone?
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toni said 3:00PM on 9-16-2008
The upscale hotel I was at was so bad, youcould barely make out any station through the static. Forget HD, I think they had the flat screen hooked up to bunny ears in the lobby.
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ROB said 4:45PM on 9-16-2008
Good grief. Just goes to show how spoiled most Americans have become. What is wrong with a regular tv with HD programming.
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Steve said 7:56PM on 9-16-2008
Uhhh--maybe it's because you can't see expensive HD programming on a non-HD set....?
JL said 11:46PM on 9-16-2008
Mom???....is that you running the hotels???????
My 80 yr old mother has this same tech problem.
She wants a sleek new flat screen with HD....but just can't wrap her mind around the concept that she has to have a "clunky old box" that increases her monthly bill to go with it, that enables the technology.
To her,if the TV says "HDTV"....well....what else could she be watching????? :D
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kat said 11:26AM on 9-18-2008
I LOVE YOUR MOM!! I am in my 30's and feel the same way! :)
Michelle said 5:23PM on 9-16-2008
who goes on vacation just to sit in a hotel room watching TV? -- get a life!
and if it's a business trip, shouldn't your business take precedence over the TV schedule?
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Patrick said 6:03PM on 9-16-2008
Michelle,
I spend about 80 nights a year in hotels for business and yes, I do watch TV in my room, at night. I spend my days doing "business" and my nights are not always spent wining and dining clients or studiously working on my laptop but just vegging out after a long day on the road. If you are a road warrior some of the amenities in a hotel are quite important. I don't watch a ton of TV but after paying $100-$150 a night in a hotel I think it is fair to demand a TV that works properly and actually has some decent reception and a good HD channel selection.
Gerry said 6:27PM on 9-16-2008
I was furious when the beautiful flat screen picture in a lovely motel room, squeezed the picture so that I couldn't see the score of the football game I was watching last Sunday. It also did not show the scores of the other games in progress. I will never stay in a room with a flat screen TV , when I'm trying to watch a sporting event.
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Road-Weary said 6:41PM on 9-16-2008
I don't give a rat's hindquarters if the room has HDTVs, CDs, BVDs, or the Heebie-Jeebies. First, television programming, regardless of pixel power, is for children and morons and, second, all I really want is a good night's sleep on clean sheets. Thank you, and good night.
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Fanfoot said 12:58AM on 9-17-2008
Ummm... you know you're reading a technology blog right?
Beth said 7:51PM on 9-16-2008
Seriously?
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Bear said 8:17PM on 9-16-2008
Roadweary--That is the funniest comment I have read in a long time. I am seriously laughing out loud. I dont really care about the TV either. I usually take a good book with me when i settle in for the night.
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steve said 8:29PM on 9-16-2008
HD is over-rated. There are more important issues in the world than whether or not your tv has HD, as example; should you squeeze the charmin?. Its not important in any way what so ever. If it matters to you, you need to get your head out of your ass and look at what is going on in the whole world. Not what is going on in your hotel room.
I am ashamed of my country when I hear stuff like this. HD was developed as another way to take earned dollars away from you. No other reason. How sad we have become.
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Fanfoot said 1:01AM on 9-17-2008
I feel ashamed of my country when I see comments like this from people online. In other countries people would have more empathy, and wouldn't use their ability to post anonymously to disparage other people and make them feel bad. Sir, you should be ashamed of yourself!
cathy rohrscheib said 8:45PM on 9-17-2008
i was in a hotel once that had only a few channels .believe it or not there is a time you want a chill an for what you pay you should have a selection than one channel thats a hoot.hd is a waste then give me reg model
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Greg said 8:50PM on 9-17-2008
Hogwash...I'm going to the stove to get my corn on the cob!
greg belter
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ryan zyskowski said 9:34PM on 10-10-2008
You idiot, where did any mention of the wynn come from? You dummy. How do you go from thinking that because that room resembles one of any number of hotels that they are talking about one specifically? From there, how do you assume that they are making any sort of implications about said hotel?
Talk about creating something out of nothing. Incidentally, you clearly do not know what constitutes the definition of libal as far as the eyes of the law go. You shouldn't be talking about libal when you have no idea what it is while you agressively defend a hotel that no one is talking about.
You stupid fool.
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ryan zyskowski said 9:22AM on 9-19-2008
Oooooh, Mr. Wynn loves these kind of battles, ooooh, journalists everywhere be SCARED!!! Mr. Wynn LOVES these kind of BATTLES... .....ooooooooh.
So listen up aol, you'd better be careful about what picture that you pick for your articles, because if it resembles ANYTHING at all, than SOMEONE will take issue with it and there will be A BATTLE, possible with the POWERFUL and THREATENING Mr. Wynnn, ooooooooh.
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