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)
Bill Mc Gowan said 11:09AM on 4-20-2009
This sounds like "The Man In The White Suit" scenario. The big time limb manufacturerers will not allow it to happen.
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Lauren said 11:26AM on 4-20-2009
I am glad it is being publicized. Congratulations to the students who worked on such a worthwhile project. This could mean so much to so many. I hope it is picked up by someone who can see it manufactured at a low price in quantity. The companies who rip everyone off with the unbelievable amounts they charge for such a necessary piece of equipment should be ashamed of themselves. Wheelchairs and braces are the same way.Go Stanford!
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Keith Hubbard said 2:30PM on 4-20-2009
This article just goes to exemplify how much our current medical system is composed of thieves. It mentions $10K for a prosthetic limb. These students built one for $20. I grew up with a young man who lost his arm in a car accident, along with losing his mother who was driving at the time. We'd often play with his prosthetic arm with modifications, various "attachments", etc. I remember it was quite expensive and he ultimately had paid for three of them. One was the standard "hook", another with a plastic "hand" so it wouldn't be so obvious, and the third was a sort of "pincher" looking thing. The third was our experimental model, we'd modified that so much. It was awesome and he got a lot of use out of it. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention.
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xbplaya1122 said 6:40PM on 4-20-2009
lol pretty soon you will be able to buy prosthetic limbs at wal mart lol
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