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)
Frank Paolino said 4:44PM on 11-06-2008
The attackers wasted no time on this virus flood. The election ended November 4 at 11 PM EST. This "headline spam" attack started on our servers the next day. I am sure a "McCain" attack was also queued up in case he won. The spammers are probably agnostic on the topic of American politics. They only wanted any famous person for the headline.
http://blog.maysoft.org/blog.nsf/d6plinks/FPAO-7L5J9B
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pjb043 said 8:06AM on 11-07-2008
if the president would like the support of all americans the first official act should be to have the fbi investigate the origin of this virus and prosecute to the max. also identifying all concerned so anyone subjected to this virus can take some sort of civil action. this would get my support.
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JOAN C FREDA said 8:38AM on 11-07-2008
FMI.
need some info. i have the norton 360 antivirus package, which i like. however, was told that avg is not compatible with it. this was told to me by norton (of course). i need to know...is it indeed compatible??? i had the avg but deleted it in favor of norton. would the two programs conflict and mess up my pc. no one can give me an answer. perhaps someone with more pc savvy than i can answer ........thanx
CC said 10:20AM on 11-07-2008
Do you realize what it would take to have the FBI investigate one person that sent a computer virus? If you have ever taken Criminal Justice, you would understand that no offense to people that get the viruses (believe me...I have gotten a few myself) it would cost too much to find, the person that started the virus because usually they use a fake or stolen URL and then, they close down when they are done with the virus. Then, to e-mail every person that has an e-mail address to let them know that there is a virus out there would just be insane...they have more important things to worry about than whether or not someone has virus control on their computers.
Please understand, I am not trying to be a witch with a "b" at the beginning or being condescending to you. I am just saying how I know these little things. You have a right to feel how you do. Just because my opinion is different, doesn't necessarily mean mine is correct and yours is wrong or vice versa...just that we are individuals with different ideas.
Take care. :)
porse said 9:48AM on 11-07-2008
the hate, fear in america has no boundarys, they go to any extend to hate and do these things, pathetic. I will NEVER open any e-mail that
comes from any source other than my own friends and i have told them no chain will be accepted, just there own writing.
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Kevin Guthrie said 10:24AM on 11-07-2008
To JOAN C FREDA , you should never run 2 antivirus programs as they could cause problems with each other and potentially crash your PC. And this also goes to running 2 antispyware programs as well.
Pick one program you feel most comfortable with or your PC can handle(AVG is very good.)
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JOAN C FREDA said 1:09PM on 11-08-2008
to kevin....thanx darlin'...that's all i needed to know...you've been very helpful and sweet to reply so quickly............. have a good day!!
Gary said 11:02AM on 11-07-2008
If you own stock or have money in the bank I suggest you take your money now. There is clear evidence that we are about to go into a depression similar to 1929. If you wairt too long and the market crashes you will lose all money that is not actually in your hand. I just sold my stock and will hold the cash for when it is needed. I also cashed in my C D's at the bank.
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KYAnt-ViTech said 11:19AM on 11-07-2008
It can't be said enough: don't download attachments or embedded files claiming to be a certain program. Go to YouTube for videos. Download programs from the manufacturer. TURN OFF OUTLOOK; it donloads files along with the emails it retreives and is the Number 2 method of infection for most home uses (right behind "dirty" websites and music downloads; tied). Stay off of Kazaa, ShareBear (or whatever it's calling itself these days), and Napster - if they charge it's only cause the Feds say they have to. They do not Virus proof the files. Given what it costs to repair to a sick machine it's cheaper to just buy the bloody CD or borrow it from a friend.
You can have multiple anti-malware's loaded, but only have ONE runnig in real time as they will fight. Personally I have AVG Free 8.0, MalwareBytes AntiMalware (up-and-comming competition to McA and Symantec; listed as shareware, but the free version has a nifty scanner), Spybot S+D, AdAware 2008, CCleaner, Advanced Windows Care, and C and registry defrag utilities from Auslogics. XP Home SP 2 IE 7 and the WIN firewall on DSL and I have to yet to get bit (I overrode the SP3 update, it's got too many problems just yet). My AVG is my primary - real-time enabled with auto updates. All the others are manual update and manual scan and the only one that needs AVG off to be thorough is MBAM. Update weekly, scan monthly. Always green ;) If Norton's (or McAfee for that matter) is a paid account then keep it until expiration, but all mine are available as freeware from the manufacturers. You can also find most of them at http://www.majorgeeks.com and usually on the Top 10 list at bottom left margin (the link to AAW2008 tends to be goofy so go to http://www.lavasoft.com to get that).
Note: it is actually recommended to have multiple AV LOADED as they each catch some the others tend to miss, just run only ONE in real-time. Spybot S+D and AWC have innoculators as well and AWC also has system utilities and a registry scrubber. Remember too: there IS a difference between spyware and adware; hence having both Spybot and AAW.
Hope this helps! Good luck!!
Zlob: the Anti-malware agents' Public Enemy #1
Vundo/Virtumonde: Zlob's cousin, Enemy #2
"Leave the FBI out of it; it's the CIA thats charged with stopping the cyber-terrorism known as malware."
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Denise said 1:12PM on 11-07-2008
Simple solution......GET A MAC!
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Chris said 1:48PM on 11-07-2008
Antichrist goes about his business by speaking the lie. II Thessalonians 2 says that he comes "with all deceivableness of unrighteousness." Revelation 13:12 says, "and he spoke as a dragon...." Revelation 17 tells us that he was a false prophet, a prophet being one whose calling it is to speak and to teach. The armies of the world may have guns and tanks and bombs to bring people into submission; but the power of speech and ideas is a mighty power. In his initial attempts to destroy the cause of God, the devil used a serpent to deceive the woman with crooked speech: "You will be like God." Now he uses a "dragon" who speaks crafty, lying words. His speeches will be heard by millions who will hang on his persuasive rhetoric. The content as well as the form of his speech will attract. Like most false prophets, he will even be sincere and passionate. But he is a liar. He adds dashes of truth to the mix, so that his lie tastes like truth. He will use all the right catchwords, using the language of the church, even throwing in a Bible text or two. But he is the ultimate Liar, and will deceive many.
He will use every tool available: school teachers, politicians, news broadcasters, artists, musicians, scientists and doctors, lawyers and businessmen. All will be pressed into the service of Antichrist to deceive men. But especially he will use those whose calling it is to persuade and to teach -- men who claim to be preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What is this message that has such power to deceive? What is it that is preached by the now-apostate churches once rooted in true Christianity, that stirs up mankind to this ecumenical worship? What gospel will attract the hordes of men and women? What good news will knit the souls of such diverse peoples and nations and tongues?
The gospel of Antichrist is humanism -- the happiness of man, the glory of man, the peace and prosperity, the health and wealth of man. The number of the beast, do not forget, is 6-6-6, the number of man.
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Arn Lewis said 2:13PM on 11-07-2008
Speaking of viruses, there is a member here at switched that goes by the sign in name "Brad" who is posting links to a virus on several aol message boards. The links are to videos that request a Activex update to view, that update is really a virus. Never click on any links on aol posted by someone named Brad. And I hope "Switched" catches on to this and deletes his account and prosecutes him for using switched to pass on a virus.
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rbrock4067 said 3:00PM on 11-07-2008
It's difficult to comprehend the level of stupidity that these boards display. And the new leader of the pack is Gary. Are you really so ignorant that you do not understand contemporary economics? No, dim bulb...there will not be a repeat of 1929 and your lame advice to pull all monies out of financial institutions is beyond stupid !! FDIC protection exists to eliminate scare tactic notions from people as dumb as you. I suggest you sell your computer and go crawl under a rock so that your misguided advice will no longer poison the internet.
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henry lide said 1:10PM on 11-08-2008
what is the source of this photo?
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