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.
Alright Christians and Catholics, you know what time it is. It's Lent time!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
CLN said 2:37PM on 2-22-2009
How dumb.
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michelle said 2:58PM on 2-22-2009
Personally, I think it's crazy to put your name, photos, friend's info and personal info on ANY networking site. You have no idea how the most innocent ( seemingly ) things can come back to bite you in the you-know-where. In a world full of crazies ... why would you do this? You are opening your entire life to millions of strangers. Say "no" to Facebook ( who now says it owns all of your info and anything you post, even if you delete your account ) and the rest of these "social sites" ... period.
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R said 3:02PM on 2-22-2009
By the way, Catholics ARE Christians.
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godessathenanike said 6:43PM on 2-22-2009
Fruitcakes.
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Mom_o_Three said 8:33PM on 2-22-2009
Ummmm, Catholics ARE Christians!! Irresponsible journalism is an embarrassment to the profession!!
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Julia said 10:09PM on 2-22-2009
They're right! Catholics ARE Christians! I'm Catholic and it annoys me when people say "Catholics and Christians"...we believe in Jesus too =]
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Monika said 12:13AM on 2-23-2009
There's a huge difference between being a true Christian and Catholicism. Namely the fact that while praying to the Holy Trinity, you just as happily pray to your saints. Have you ever wondered how those saints feel, who died for Christianity and for God, who prayed to Him and His word, to be worshipped themselves? Five bucks says they feel like swine.
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Anthony said 12:26AM on 2-23-2009
Is Lent in the Bible? If so, where? What about surrendering your entire life to Christ? After reading Psalm 50:7-15, Acts 17:22-31, and Hebrews 10:5-10, I think it's clear what God desires for mankind.
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paul said 2:17AM on 2-23-2009
How dumb is right,
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Steve said 4:01AM on 2-23-2009
Really? "Catholics ARE Christians"...really?
Since the word "Christian" distinctly means "A disciple of Christ", and was first used in derision at Antioch, how can someone...anyone...claim to be a "christian" when they are following after a doctrine (namely "Lent") that neither Jesus Christ NOR ANY of His disciples in the Bible EVER mentioned?
There is NO SUCH THING as "lent" even mentioned in the Bible. So, that proves Jesus never taught it and his 12 disciples, nor the 120 people on the day of Pentecost in the upper room (Bible: book of Acts, Chapters 1 and 2) ever practiced it! Don't call it Christian, then. Call it (Lent) "Catholic". That is where it started and that is where it will finish. Even Martin Luther practiced "Lent" because he was a RC priest BEFORE he protested against the evils he saw perpetrated on the common people by their religious leaders...much like Jesus saw the Jewish Religious leaders of His day doing to THEIR people! Sad, though, that Martin Luther didn't separate enough of the teachings of the catholic church from the truth he found in the Bible! It would have made a much different "LUTHERAN" church! Eh? As it stands now, the Lutherans are still very similar to the roman catholics in doctrines and practices.
I'll tell you what...you go ahead and celebrate your "lent"...and I'll keep the words of Jesus, alone. We'll see in just a short time...40 days, did you say?...which one has been most blessed! The idea of lent is to 'sacrifice', but the Word of God says that it is God's Will that we obey...for "to obey is better than sacrifice"! And THAT is in God's Word!
(btw...I'm not yelling...I just use the exclamation points to emphasize the strong points I firmly believe. I hope it doesn't annoy people like all capitals do.) :-)
Lord bless you.
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towens2628 said 4:55AM on 2-23-2009
I am a catholic and I think the whole idea is laughable. Everything in this religion ( and I'm sure most religions) was just created to try to control the masses of people who choose to believe what they are told is the truth. I used to believe all of this until I woke up one day and realized that it's all just a made up story. Lent is for people who need someone to tell them that they are bad and should give up this or that. If you enjoy something why let a bunch of old farts tell you to give it up for 40 days. Just Do It!!!!
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Francois said 11:02AM on 2-23-2009
How about giving up Religious Fairy Tales for Lent instead.
The essence of religion is the belief in the Supernatural without any proof and/or empirical evidence whatsoever; religious people call this “faith”. Those who have reached the age of reason and believe in reality call this delusion.
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