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)
Denise said 10:31PM on 2-26-2009
Who cares about fat fingers? I want to be able to see those tiny little buttons and screens.
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Matt said 10:51PM on 2-26-2009
Is this guy an idiot? While it is true that some people's laziness have contributed to the obesity problem in the US, do you really have to be clasified as obese to have trouble hitting the ridiculously tiny little buttons on a Blackberry for example?! I'm 6'6" and to be perfectly honest there are a number of items that are too small and could use improvement. Theater seats, backs of cabs, doorways, most cars just to name a few. I guess I must be obese.
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beaselbub said 11:51PM on 2-26-2009
did any of ya'll author haters actualy read the artical...he doesnt single out fat people...he also stats for people born with large hands...lay off the guy....its microsoft who dubbed in "the fat finger problem"
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Spiffy said 12:05AM on 2-27-2009
I understand you tried to cover for yourself by pointing out that some of us are naturally born with larger hands, but I'm highly offended at the use of terms like "ham-fisted" and "sausage-like." I am one of those people with naturally large fingers. I did not choose to be "ham-fisted" as you call it.
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mothmonsterman82 said 12:21AM on 2-27-2009
This is a remarkably stupid article. First of all, the concept of spending hundreds, thousands of dollars to buy gadgets that are "necessary" because they're smaller and shinier than the ones they replaced is a big part of why the planet is in the mess it's in.
And to briefly sink to the level of this article, I'm six feet tall and 180 lbs, not at all fat. But I have big hands. I'm using the keyboard from my old computer (circa 1998) because the new one was made for squirrel hands. Forget cell phones
Furthermore, the "sausage-like digits" crack wasn't funny. Offensive humor can be great, but this was lame.
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Jim said 3:42AM on 2-27-2009
I saw a "child's computer keyboard" recently that has the keys spaced about 3/4th of an inch apart. I may get one, becauise I have large hands (I'm 6-5, 260 lbs) and am forever striking two keys instead of one. As for the keyboards on laptops-forget it. I use older keyboards that resemble old IBM typewriters, with keys that are stacked like auditorium seats, with upper rows higher than lower rows. Also, the keys do not have sloping edges and are square.
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Lorraine said 3:45AM on 2-27-2009
This was a ridiculous article! The fact that the company tried to tie in a story about mini devices and mini buttons to obesity is absurd and speaks poorly of the PR and communications poeple at Microsoft. My fingers aren't fat and I'm not obese, yet I have problems with the small buttons on many of today's devices.
My recommendation to the folks at Microsoft is to understand their customer base before making such ludicrous statements. I know I'll look elsewhere for tiny gadgets I buy in the future.
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hbrush said 1:20PM on 2-27-2009
It's articles like this, kids, that make me a mac, not a pc. Stupid Microsoft. How about they work on virus protection and kinks in their software before they start insulting the large-handed.
and by the way, I don't think that someone can't operate miniscule buttons on miniature devices makes them in any way fat. i think the device is just to friggin' small.
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