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)
Annee said 2:40PM on 2-08-2009
I serve notice to all those who force me to see their ads by interfering with my ELECTIVE reading - NEVER would I purchase your product.
At the same time, I will say the same thing to those who think it's clever to blast my hearing with TV commercials that are 100 times louder than the programming. My solution is simple - I mute ALL commercials. Cha-ching. That's the sound of the cash drawer slamming on your fingers.
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Jason said 3:18PM on 2-08-2009
Oh, you mean the same kind of invasive advertising that AOL is now using more and more?
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Jason said 3:27PM on 2-08-2009
BTW, use Firefox web browser (always!), visit the Adimpact website, right mouse-click the example popup, and select Block Images From adimpact.com. You will block the ad images that are served from their server. :)
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sfcat said 4:34PM on 2-08-2009
One of those high impact sites is AOL, which is where I get my switched links and most of my news. While I don't mind ads in general very much, what REALLY does annoy me is how many of them make it difficult or impossible to find the close button on these new ads. I saw a Nyquil one yesterday that I swear didn't even have one. I don't like it when the ad covers the story. I also hate how sensitive they can be; clicking close has taken me to the ad website many times because the ad is one huge hotspot and the close button tends to be a very tiny hotspot!
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DarkLight said 8:50PM on 2-08-2009
Simple solution: Switch to Firefox (or Swiftfox).
Then install the Adblock Plus extension.
All ads gone. No matter what technology they use.
If you do find one ad, just add it to Adblock's blacklist and it's gone, forever.
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Shadow08 said 10:32PM on 2-08-2009
Nothing is more annoying than those mouse-over ads that fill up half the screen.
But seriously, how else do you guys think websites stay in existence? They don't pay for themselves you know. People claim "well I shouldn't have to see something I don't want." Well if that's the case, leave the site and don't come back.
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iEagles1536 said 10:28PM on 2-08-2009
On my mac in safari no pop ups show up
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Eddie said 2:58PM on 2-09-2009
It is interesting to see everyone jump on the bandwagon without even understanding what the site is about. Even this blog title has it wrong. Adimpact are NOT "Pop-Up Ads". The Adimpact product is for website owners to announce their own promotions or to collect opt-in email addresses. Just because the word "popup" is used...it does not mean the sky is falling. The word "Ads" is not even used anywhere on the site...nor will you see any advertisements on the site.
Hmm...how many "Annoying" ads are on this page?
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