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 5)
george9448 said 2:16PM on 4-16-2009
Obviously don't put up anything you'd regret,right?I find Facebook sooo much better than Myspace-I've been able to reconnect with lost cousins,former soldiers I served with in the military more than 20 years ago, and former co-workers from my job.Granted, you cannot decorate it like myspace, but who cares?It's so much better for it's networking aspects.
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Kt said 2:26PM on 4-16-2009
When I did have facebook I had everything blocked, but they forwarded a message to me that I could have lived totally without. So I cancelled the account
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ear2009 said 2:33PM on 4-16-2009
I've noticed lately that aol post a lot of negative artiles about facebook. What gives?
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daisygarden2 said 11:55PM on 4-16-2009
Why the continual push to leave Facebook?
Someone have a grudge against Facebook?
Ok quit the attack
eyedpro said 4:25PM on 5-27-2009
Don't know why facebook is getting the beating - all social networking sites eventually prompt us to question what we are doing here in the first place, who cares about this drivel, etc. Life was more fun before computers IMHO.
dennisfortladedal said 4:34PM on 6-12-2009
It's because AOL is trying to promote their sorry social network, Bebo.
lia said 2:45PM on 4-16-2009
AOL really hates facebook, eh? All i ever see on AOL are articles trashing facebook. Seriously.
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swimtedswim said 2:39PM on 4-16-2009
funny thing is. i bet that chick and every guy she has ever dated has a facebook now :p
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emily said 2:43PM on 4-16-2009
what i want to know is...why are people complaining about just facebook when myspace is doing the same stuff???
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Hubert said 2:45PM on 4-16-2009
See the name Hubert? That's my real name. That's my computer name.
I have about 5 false first and last names. I get phone calls and they ask to speak to so and so, and I say no, he doesn't live here.
I get mail addressed to my false name. I throw it in the trash.
All my real friends know my real name.
My wife has false names. We send notes to one another. We use code words.
When Bush was president you never know what he was going to do.
Didn't trust him. A group of us made up code words and names.
Some time we would misspell a word on purpose. That was a certain code. If you are goingto talk on a cell phone or send e mail be careful.Don't give out any important info.
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Terri said 4:12AM on 5-05-2009
why all the names???????
Bruce Pott said 9:41AM on 5-11-2009
Wow! Paranoia reigns. What makes you think that anything you talk about online or by voice would have any interest at all to our government. Get A Life
Spencer said 2:40PM on 5-27-2009
That's right Hubert, just because your paranoid, doesn't mean their not out to get you!! See you in the shadows :)
gabby321 said 12:30AM on 5-29-2009
bush rocks
amsn12085 said 3:23PM on 4-16-2009
If you stupid enough to accept on the people you know are going to make you look bad the you deserve it. Anyone complaining about this stupid stuff just has no life and needs to shut up. Its not worth complaining about.
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chuck said 3:44PM on 4-16-2009
this is started by people to bring it down...twitter, myspace, ect. they pay millions to have aol write this crap.
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gd said 2:30PM on 5-27-2009
what color is the sky in your world?
Randy said 3:45PM on 4-16-2009
I was in a very happy relationship when my partner discovered facebook. I was not invited as a friend and it was kept secret from me. By the time I found out about that facebook life , two weeks into it, there were 82 friends and still no invite to me.I had felt major changes for that two weeks not having a clue why and upon asking not getting honest answers. I felt that facebook faceslap. On the third week of that new facebook life i was asked to not return. That was an in person 3 year freindship destroyed by a shallow 82 friend facebook discovery. The final breakup was, in good shallow facebook form, communicated to me by text. There is a whole shallow side to text/online friendships and sites like facebook that brings out the shallow side of the best of folks when they are not sharp enough to see through some stuff. Very sad really. I will never allow myself to get close enough to be hurt in person that bad over stuff decided over computer airwaves and the typed word. In person friends and communication is old fashioned and retains some lost ethics of the human race. My friend was asked a quistion of our friendship in 5 years. Seems I was the only not confused one in the frindship having no doubt of enjoying the rest of our lives together. I wonder where folks see facebook in 5 years?
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Chyanne said 8:14AM on 5-28-2009
WELL, I THINK ALL OF YOU, INCLUDING YOU RANDY, NEED TO GET A LIFE AWAY FROM YOUR COMPUTERS. ACTUALLY WHY DO YOU NEED A MACHINE TO MEET PEOPLE IN THE FIRST PLACE? EVER HEARD OF GYM, OR PARKS, STOP SITTING IN FRONT OF YOUR COMPUTER ALL DAY LIKE IT'S YOUR BEST FRIEND. WHEN IT GETS A VIRUS , WHO YA GONNA TALK TO?
NYCgal
chuck said 3:39PM on 4-22-2009
aol wants to bring down facebook, they get paid to by myspace, yahoo, twitter ect.. aol = sellout
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