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)
lisa French said 3:36PM on 10-07-2008
Facebook is OVERRATED, I know a lot of younger people like it best but I prefur Myspace.com
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lisa French said 3:40PM on 10-07-2008
Facebook is for the younger generation....myspace is a little more for the creative person
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bob said 3:52PM on 10-07-2008
ummm no....many major compaines now use Facebook..."plethora of online apps and widgets overwhelming and distracting" is not true, you dont have to look at them anymore..."reveals a bit too much about you without you knowing it." Wrong again...its your fault if you put too much info on it, and you can have high security so now one can look at it, but your friends. "friends" tag you in any embarrassing photos" Wrong again...untag urself
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FarieFlame said 6:04PM on 10-07-2008
Good Point Bob!! The "too much info" problem comes the info people voluntarily put on there, and then complain when people know too much about them.
Before you put anything about yourself on Facebook or Myspace, you need to ask your self if you would post that info on a billboard by the highway. If the answer is no, then don't post it online where anyone can see it.
And you don't have to add all the applications and widgets if you don't want too. It's optional. You do have a choice.
Finally, there are privacy options you can use for your profile and friends that you can use. It only takes a few short minutes to set them up.
Rcfan0902 said 4:52PM on 10-07-2008
Myspace is definatly not the older generation. Facebook is the hot website for college students. Myspace is the hot spot for 14 year olds who want to tell everyone about who they like. Facebook is a lot more popular and leans towards the older crowd. If you havnt noticed Myspace is even trying to add things that facebook is well known for. Myspace has apps now? Facebook did it. Myspace has status updates? Facebook did it first. If Myspace is better then why is it having to steal all of its ideas from facebook?
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alchemist said 3:36AM on 10-08-2008
yeah this in is true..this facebook is overrated..
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lawana said 5:26AM on 10-08-2008
I'm in college, and more people that I know use Facebook instead of MySpace. I have both, and I prefer Facebook way more, because it's cleaner and easier to use. The new Facebook has now made it an option to view people's app's when you go to their profile. MySpace has not, and you still have to scroll through tons of obnoxious add-ons to get to where you want. Facebook also has more personalization options, and more security settings. You can also be notified by cell phone when you receive messages and comments-and can reply to them via text message. I have had employers, teachers, family members and old friends all add me, and it is a great way to keep in touch. It's also a great way to learn about the people that are in your life, without seeming like you're being nosy by asking. Facebook 'stalking' now even has its own term-creeping. Everybody does it, and if you don't want people to know certain things about you, don't post them. You can untag yourself in any picture, delete any wall-post or add-on that a friend sends you, and contact everybody all at once. It is a great way to spread the word about politics and other issues, and also have fun.
Facebook is not overrated.
MySpace is.
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Royal said 10:40AM on 12-31-2008
Facebook sounds cool. I've only gotten hold of one old friend on myspace. One question though, Is their alot of people seeking to lure you onto a porno website like their is on myspace?
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