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.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Hope said 6:28PM on 4-13-2009
I have one question for all these dimwit, nitwits, nincompoops who continue to yak, text, eat, etc., etc., while driving ????? What in the world is so damn important that you can't wait until you reach your destination or your office or your home to yak and text ??????????? People all over the world think they are so important that they have to do these dangerous things while driving. How many innocent people have to get killed before these nincompoops understand they are dangerous on the roads ?????????????
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Obvious said 6:55PM on 4-13-2009
I agree with Hope, yet not with his/her use of the question mark.
Also, the officer's name is HIGHTOWER. Awesome.
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MP said 8:34PM on 4-13-2009
I have to agree with you Hope. Just hangup, no one want's to talk to you(them) anyway!
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aj121489 said 8:58PM on 4-13-2009
lol dumbass
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rick said 9:12PM on 4-13-2009
There is NO EXCUSE for people to be texting while they're driving a car. It's a safety issue, and drivers caught texting while driving should lose their driver's license - just like people who drive while drunk lose their license.
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OLD SCHOOL said 11:14PM on 4-13-2009
YOU CAN ALWAYS TELL WHEN A DRIVER IS TEXTING- THEY KEEP LOOKING DOWN-THEY BRAKE FOR NO REASON-THEN SPEED UP- THEN SLOW DOWN- YOU GET THE POINT.
IF ONE OF THESE MORONS EVER HITS ME, I'M STEPPING ON THEIR HEAD.
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Mario said 4:46AM on 4-14-2009
Yo Riddle! Do away with the CRUISER cliche! No such thing! It is either a patrol car, vehicle or unit! That is the correct terminology! Police cars do not cruise!
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zboot said 1:23AM on 4-18-2009
texting while driving is just one of the many things that most people do which otherwise takes their attention away from concentrating on the process of driving. Whether it is texting, looking at the scenery, changing radio stations, managing squealing children, it all has the same effect.
Now, if you were arguing banning ALL distractions, children, radios, cell phones, and anything else that could distract a person, I could see some merit in your argument. However, you are just singling out texting. Not only do you just pick one thing (and apparently other distractions are fine with you), your choice example for why texting while driving is bad involves an individual who was intoxicated at the time.
I realize you are not likely a statistician or really concerned with the logic of your argument, so perhaps my comment won't matter. But this story and most of the comments here are just BS. People complaining about one activity they don't like while they likely commit others that would annoy persons elsewhere.
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Owen said 1:04AM on 4-29-2009
Texting has to be one of the dumbest things I've seen in a long time. You can text someone and it's not important enough to actually call them. Women use it as a control feature. "Hey. Yes. What's up? Nothing, what's up with you? Nuttin, you? NM. They're bad enough breathing and putting on makeup. Crashhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
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