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.
A thief learned the mistake of trying to steal a law student's laptop last week after after becoming a punching bag for an Arizona State student he tried to rip off. Armed with a baseball bat, the intruder, Gabriel Saucedo, allegedly climbed through an open window into Alex Botsios' apartment, waking the student and threatening to smash his head in. 
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Opinion8ted1 said 5:07PM on 11-14-2008
AMAZING! I think that's awesome. Anybody who's stupid enough that the only way they can make money is to steal hard-earned stuff from honest people -- DESERVES to have the tables turned and get bashed in the head! I am so sick of "rights" for criminals. If we had tougher laws and tougher punishments, instead of coddling the wicked, our country wouldn't be in the state that it's in. Good for the student, way to go!!!
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dan isaacs said 4:14PM on 11-17-2008
Anyone who has the only copy of 4 months worth of work on a laptop hard drive deserves to be robbed.
insaneresurrect said 10:26PM on 11-17-2008
i agree with Opinion8ted1completely. i'm sick of knowing that my response to a burglar must be measured and i can't response with impunity. For Christ's sake, when someone threatens to smash your head with a baseball bat or puts a knife at your throat (READ: will kill you), you have every right to smash him into your wall or stick a knife into wherever's convenient and make him bleed for it. screw these criminals who think they can hide behind the law.
realistic dude said 8:42AM on 11-23-2008
ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!!!! "AMAZING! I think that's awesome. Anybody who's stupid enough that the only way they can make money is to steal hard-earned stuff from honest people -- DESERVES to have the tables turned and get bashed in the head! " is what opinion8ted1 said. now i do find the story funny, but to say the law student is an honest person really makes me laugh. law students are trained to be the biggest liars on the face of the earth. are we really sure that the story is accurate?
Amused Elvira said 5:46PM on 11-14-2008
VERY WELL SAID "OPINION8TED1!" This idiot gabriel saucedo (he doesn't even deserve to have his first initial's in caps,no respect), did not get all that he deserves! He owes this hardworking student a years worth of hardworking service!, and then some! Why does the idiot thief not have a job? Can someone send this case to Judge Judy? I am sick and tired of thieves with NO JOBS thinking they can just come up into some hardworking individuals home/car and thinking they can take, take take and make it theirs! I HOPE THE JUDGE MAKES AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IDIOT AND SHERIFF JOE - I KNOW YOU WILL DO YOUR JOB! YOU ALWAYS DO! IDIOTS LIKE HIM ARE AFRAID TO GO TO YOUR JAILS. I CAN'T WAIT FOR HIM TO MEET OUR SHERIFF JOE IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA! HE MESSED UP IN THE WRONG COUNTY!
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Larry said 5:38PM on 11-14-2008
One word: AWESOME!!!
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basketpam said 7:28PM on 11-14-2008
While I agree with the law student here and support a person defending their home and belongings, he also needs to get a backup system for all his work. I can't imagine 4 months of casework gone. Back in the early 80s, when personal computers were still rarely seen in the home and we had to use computers in a computer lab in the college, I lost major term papers. Once in undergraduate college and once in graduate school. It's a horrifying experience. It's almost like losing a child. Fortunately I had understanding professors that gave me time to recreate the work. So, in this day and age, there's no excuse for him not backing up and storing this important work in another place. But, I hope this creep of a burglar learns his lesson and never tries to break into a place again.
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tlynne said 11:06PM on 12-22-2008
Like losing a child? Do you have children? Probably not or you would never say anything like that. Losing a child is one of the most horrific things you can go through in life. I just think that is a terrible comparison.
ESCEM59 said 9:13AM on 11-15-2008
The sad part of it Amused Elvira is,this low life has probably tasted sheriff Joes' bologna sandwiches and dressed in pink before now.Maybe he needes to be put into the pink cells I read about on here a few days ago.Scum such as he needs to be dealt with without impunity.GET A FN JOB DIRTBAG!!!
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Mat said 4:24PM on 11-15-2008
Oh Gosh! What the hell he thinks? I wish it was at my place that ignoramus came. I would have broken his bones in pieces, and pluck one of his eye balls out before calling police on him. That way anytime he gets out of jail, he will always remember his stupid mistake everytime he looks in the miror, and realizes that he has only one eye to live with. Well done Botsios.
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jon said 3:05PM on 11-15-2008
american civil justice at work! AWESOME!
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sandman said 4:50PM on 11-15-2008
the ironic thing is, when Botsios finishes law school and passes the bar, he will most likely make a living as a defense attorney and fight for the rights of @$$holes like the one who was trying to rob him. since less than 1 in 5,000 new attorneys can find a job as a prosecutor, city attorney or district attorney; there just aren't that many positions available, they're all competitive and a majority of attorneys in civil service positions are appointees. but let's hope he received a lasting impression from his experience...
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Samindalnac said 1:42PM on 11-21-2008
Or maybe he will go to work in a non-criminal practice area?
Ian said 5:29PM on 11-15-2008
sad part is that i bet this guy will sue him for beating the crap out of him..
other wise damn good job to the student.
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Jack said 5:34PM on 11-15-2008
Um Sandman, you do realize that the vast majority of law school graduates don't become defense attorneys or prosecutors, right? For example, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_areas_of_law
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Clown Soup said 8:57PM on 11-15-2008
Truly, there is no honor amongst thieves.
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Siafu said 12:46AM on 11-16-2008
If he would have climbed in my window he would have got a fatal case of lead poisoning.
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Simpson Railly said 7:29PM on 11-15-2008
WOW, Awesome, he should have usedthe bat and caved the lsoers head in! I would have just shot him myself.
jess
www.anonymity.cz.tc
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Tim said 4:30PM on 11-17-2008
And you would have gone to jail.
xiko said 2:32AM on 11-16-2008
If he had a gun he could just shoot the intruder. Simple.
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