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)
wako said 12:33PM on 2-24-2009
you suck at reviewing... you couldve SHOWN us something rather than just swinging the device around in the air the whole time.
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catherine wienckowski said 7:06PM on 3-05-2009
I have had my kindle 2 for over a week now and i can not begin to describe how wonderful this gadget is. It is easy to use, the
text on it is very easy to read. I love it. It slips into my bag without any bulk or weight. I can read anywhere
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shosho5152 said 11:11AM on 9-13-2009
Sounds nice where did you buy it at?
Noel said 3:19PM on 5-12-2009
This review is definitely lacking. The Kindle is able to play audible audio book files as well as MP3 while you read. It also lets you adjust the font size of any book helping reduce the strain on your eye when reading small text. The Kindle uses the latest in E-Ink which takes no energy to display the text on the screen, the Kindle uses energy to turn the page only, so you can sit on the same page and not worry about draining your battery.
The coolest feature of the Kindle is it's 3G wireless capabilities, it uses Sprints network to wirelessly access Amazon's huge collection of books which you can purchase and download right onto the Kindle without the use of a computer, plus they have an Iphone app that you can also read your Amazon purchases on, then when you return to your Kindle it will automatically be at the same spot you left off on your Iphone. Unlike a cell phone there are no wireless charges or contracts of any kind. You also get web access to Wikipedia and Google right on the Kindle, plus you can subscribe to your favorite blogs and digital versions of popular newspapers and magazines. If you want to save a little more battery you can switch the Kindle's wireless feature off.
Never feel dumb again, the Kindle has a full dictionary built in, just scroll to the word and a definition will automatically be displayed on the bottom of the page, and if that's not enough you can jog down notes on the page for reference later. Each Kindle has its own email address, which allows you to send documents such as word files and PDF to the Kindle wirelessly. Amazon charges you $0.50 per attachment or you can hook it up to your PC. A email account has to be set up on Amazon so that the Kindle can receive the message, this is done to help prevent spam.
The Sony e-book reader has nothing on the Kindle, they tout that you can get a bunch of free public domain books, but guess what so can the Kindle, but unlike the Sony the Kindle can do it completely wirelessly. Check out www.feedbooks.com/mobile right on your Kindle to get access to all kinds of great books. These books are all public domain so expect classic titles like A Christmas Carrol, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Art of War, etc.
To sum up the Kindle will help you free up your book shelves (it stores 1500 books) get you reading faster and also help you discover new books you may have never given a chance before. You can download the first chapter of any book then decide if you like it or not. Plus it can give you a break and read to you, a useful feature when you get in the car and can't put down that thriller. Wireless technology, adjustable font size, built in dictionary, MP3 and audible audio books, you just can't go wrong with the Kindle. Also keep an eye out for the Kindle DX which has basically all the same features but with a bigger screen more aimed for college text books and wireless subscriptions to periodicals.
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lshterry said 1:30PM on 9-13-2009
When the kindle becomes more affortable i will be mre than happy to help the environment and buy one. Right now its just too much $. my guess is that in about 3-5yrs it will be below 200$. I read a lot! but not enought to offset the heafty price. Remember when flat screen tvs came out. look how much they have dropped in price.
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