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)
Flink said 2:29AM on 3-14-2009
And so ends the saga of second life.
It is so unfortunate that the very things that a person wants from a fantasy world are rapidly becoming extinct.
In the "real world," gambling, unprotected sex with as many strangers as you can manage, enjoying hours in a strip clubs and casinos, spending money like a drunken sailor, all the things that really aren't appropriate to practice in real life. People need and want a way to safely experience their fantasies.
So? What's the alternative? Why, it's Second Life, of course. Second Life's appeal was the very things that are now rapidly becoming illegal there due to unreasoning influence of "real life" prudes and killjoys.
Whose business is it if a happy married man wants to cavort as a hot blonde prostitute, or that slinky little cat person? Sex with an anthromorphic male tiger? Sure. Want virutal sex with pixels that look underage? Well, why not. It's only pixels. Would you rather a person tries it for real or whacks off to pixels? Whips and chains more your thing, but you don't want to deal with the neighbor's questioning stares after a weekend of whipping those five strangers you picked up in a dance club? Second life, my friend.
That was the draw. Second Life was the place to play out all those crazy, extreme fantasies. A place where you could join a band of space mercenaries or live a quiet life with a spouse in land where all your neighbors are animal people? Want red hair? Change it. Want to be taller? Go ahead and make yourself tall. Anything you want.
So now the casinos are gone. And with them many excellent dance clubs, strip clubs, and bordellos. Places where you could go and enjoy the vicarious life of a creation of your mind.
Second Life cracks down on and bans the things that people want to experience in a safe fantasy world where they needn't take any responsibility for things that would earn them scorn and prison time in the real world. Heaven forbid someone should want to act out a fantasy someplace where there are no repercussions, no injuries, no deaths, no damage.
To all of you who enjoyed your time there with me ant the rest being a bunch of crazy thrill seekers, I salute you.
To those who would make thought and fantasy illegal at the pixel level? I hope your insides rot and drip down your leg.
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techspert522 said 3:38PM on 5-13-2009
flink, you're a fool. Did you even bother to read the article. Nowhere in there does it say SL is not going to allow any adult content, they are just going to work toward making it accessible only to *adults.* Or are you upset of the prospect of being unable to behave as a digital pedophile?
Tyler said 2:08PM on 3-14-2009
Flink,
Amen. Nothing more to add.
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