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.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jhen said 10:51PM on 11-26-2008
what an idiot
Reply
cmm said 11:27PM on 11-26-2008
OK this was a joke right? Otherwise she's an absolute moron!
Reply
Angiebaby said 9:41AM on 11-28-2008
And she was an adult? This is a good reminder that maturity and wisdom do not arrive with the magic "adult" number 18 or 21.
Reply
F Lee Bailey said 11:12AM on 11-28-2008
He's lucky getting kicked off was all that happened, this geek broke the law and it is a serious law.
Reply
diane said 12:43AM on 11-29-2008
Well, In the united States you are always told that you are not suppose to discuss the case with anyone and usually that's why
Jury's are sequestured...a lot. cause you can cause a mis trial.
I have never been on a jury but i watch a lot of law an order and like
law shows ... boston leagal
My kids have autism so I don't do jury work cause it would be a hardship on my family.
I would never discuss a case online that would be rediclous... but maybe she just didn't know how to make a decision lot's of women
don't so she saught advice women often are diffrent when making one they like the opionion of people they respect and trust.
Reply
Joe said 8:07AM on 11-29-2008
Lets all be honest when they say that people still go home and talk about lt with family and friends, that person was just stupid enough to do lt via facebook. Seriously, l was on a jury and as soon as l got home l was talking about lt with family and friends. And so do a lot more people lf you say you don't your either ignorant or lying
Reply
mike said 12:00AM on 11-30-2008
I hope that you never get on another jury Joe. I have been on 2 jurys and did not discuss it with anyone until after it was over. If you talked about it with all of your friends and family on a daily basis, I'll have to go with you being the ignorant one! Next time do us all a favor and just decline jury duty.
sue said 1:55AM on 11-30-2008
What an idiot. I have been on a jury and didn't discuss it with anyone.Somebody like that must have a problem making a decision in everyday life.One thing that did irritate me on a jury was having to leave the room all the time because the defense was trying to keep information from the jury so they had to argue it. I want to know everything about this person and their past record,everything so I can make an informed decision.Keeping things from the jury is wrong. Otherwise how can you make the right decision.I want to know if they have a past record of drunk driving,rape,murder,child molestation,robbery,carjacking or whatever.The best predictor of future behavior is past behaviour.
Reply
Steven said 5:01AM on 12-01-2008
This has NOTHING to do with maturity people. This was an honest mistake that could have been avoided had she been told that this was actually illegal. She probably didn't know that.
Reply
kate said 5:02PM on 12-01-2008
Steven-
Juries are given specific instructions on this point. Ignorance is not an excuse, in this case. (In my opinion- ignorance isnt an excuse in any situation.) Its my job to educate myself about decisions I intend to make, particularly when that decision is not time sensitive, as was the case here.
Reply