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.
Spring Airlines of China has been struggling to accommodate an increase in passengers and flight routes while operating only 13 planes. The company ordered new jets (they're not expected to arrive until next year), so they want to propose a new boarding plan to the Chinese government: make certain areas of the plane standing room only.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
paul34 said 3:37PM on 7-03-2009
lol, I knew something like this was inevitable. For anyone who has ever traveled on mass ground transportation in Asia, you probably thought of this idea.
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Nitesky Star said 5:27PM on 7-03-2009
Fly Sardine Canned Airlines how many jammed in a can?
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hello asca said 5:27PM on 7-03-2009
what the hell are they thinking those people in standing room only wouldn't have a chance in the event of a crash landing
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BRIAN REISS said 10:46PM on 7-03-2009
WELL HECK, IF THEY REMOVE THE SEATS IN A 747 THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET AT LEAST 1500 TO 2000 PEOPLE INSIDE. WHY THINK SO LITTLE? IF THEY CAN GET 50-100 IN A SCOOTER TAXI, WHY NOT? IT'S ONLY PEOPLE, AND MONEY IS MONEY.
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mr whirple said 2:05AM on 7-05-2009
this world is getting really screwed up. another bad idea from china
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Ronnie said 4:36AM on 7-04-2009
What next,towing a glider?
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Craig said 4:21AM on 7-04-2009
Airplanes are more like space shuttles, not BUSES, people. Hello???
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Jim said 7:45AM on 7-04-2009
I really think that the towing of gliders is the answer...that way you could just release the glider and hit stops along the way without landing the airplane...even better we could just have pods with parachutes and jettison them along the route for more local access...tic
I am sure the Chinese can come up with even better ways to utilize space...Do standing passengers get Oxygen masks or barf bags? Why not just have shelving inside the plane and get charged like baggage for weight and cubic inches of space???
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Angela said 11:13AM on 7-04-2009
If we bring back retired military cargo planes, we can all cram into the cargo bay and just parachute out when we get fairly close to our destinations! Hell, can't anybody else read the writin' on the wall?
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5thStFreddie said 11:53AM on 7-04-2009
Considering that they cram 24 people into a two bedroom apartment in Chinatown, why not? It will also give pickpockets new territory to explore, not to mention some drooling ass-grabbers. There's hope for humanity after all.
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thegeeks said 12:16PM on 7-04-2009
Yikes! This is obviously a bad idea. Think about what happens to un-belted passengers when an airliner encounters severe turbulence.
Max Flight
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Scarecrow said 1:45PM on 7-04-2009
Standing up during turbulence = bouncing around the cabin like a pinball
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Scarecrow said 1:46PM on 7-04-2009
This also proves that the human race is getting stupider by the day...
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