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)
awm said 12:48AM on 4-01-2009
Ok this is an ongoing joke between my kids and I. I have teased them for years that when they are retirement age all kinds of new products will be made to accomodate their generations crippled,arthritic or otherwise damaged thumbs.(yes, their fingers may be damaged as well but I figured between gaming and texting the thumbs would be most effected).I can see the time coming when you will have a steering wheel that has a smaller connected wheel inside the reg wheel so this generation can drive with their index finger and second finfger on the outer wheel and their ring and pinkie finger on the innner wheel since their thumb will be immobile due to gaming,texting etc. Then of course their will be new pot lids designed to be grasped by 4 fingers and no thumb---you get the idea. There will be a whole new division of ergonomics design to enable this generation to continue to functioning independantly as they are older. Hopefully,the gaming industry will help accomodate these future seniors with such devices to enable them to continue gaming. I mean what else would my kids want to do in their old age-LOL LOL
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Angiebaby said 10:01AM on 4-01-2009
Gaming, in and of itself, does not cause problems. But children spending too much time with their hands and fingers in the same position day after day can lead to deformities in digits. Put the blame squarely where it belongs and stop trying to insinuate video gaming is responsible for someone's deformities which they cause themselves. If you want to pass on the blame for this problem, it would have to go to the parents who allow their children to spend hours and hours playing video games day after day.
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Sam said 11:53PM on 4-02-2009
Lets think about this for a second. Children are forced to grip pencils, objects less than 3/8 of an inch thick in their hands for, lets say, 6 hours a day. Writer's cramp anyone? As a video gamer/college student/big brother I can tell you it's just not video games that will deform their ickle little hands. It's being bent over a pile of books, pencil in hand for hours a day.
My youngest brother is 8 years old and has been playing video games since he was at least 4. I can tell you his hands are perfectly fine because of the good stretch they get with a few hours of playing Guitar Hero and some Fable. So Mr. Big-Brained Researcher, get a clue, LOOK FOR OTHER HAND DEFORMING ACTIVITIES IN THE KIDS LIFE!!!
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