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)
Mark said 9:33AM on 8-29-2009
This is the 4th coolest year on record in the United States and these Satanists(democraps) keep pushing so-called global warming. The ones promoting the global warming lie are the ones tho stand to make the most money from it.
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elliiot said 11:24AM on 8-29-2009
You clearly don't understand what global warming is, or that Republicans have ruined the United States recently. Global warming is the warming of Earth's atmosphere. This doesn't mean everywhere gets warmer, but that the average temperature increases. Global warming causes the weather to change sporadically, like sixty degree weather in Chicago on New Years Eve. Global warming is fact. It has been estimated that within forty year the Midwest United States will be all desert. Stop being an ignorant bastard and do something besides hate people based on what you're told. Do some research for yourself.
Ashley said 12:25PM on 8-29-2009
Agreed. Global warming is not a fact, it is a "theory" almost every day this summer in eastern Wisconsin the temperature has only been around 70 with an exception of only a few days where it was in the upper 80's. Definitely a very cool summer indeed. Definitely all hyped up.
jrd said 6:58PM on 8-29-2009
yep, global warming is a demo myth, and the glaciers aren't receding at a rapid rate ..... global warming aint this year or that year being cooler or warmer ... you are foolish indeed to keep dissing global warming in the face of the overwhelming evidence, just to make certain Al Gore is not gioven credit for his bringing notcie to the FACTS of global warming .... keep drinking the repub koolaid ...
alscotti57 said 1:35PM on 8-29-2009
the earths temp. is constantly changing, global warming is a flawed theory at best and most likely a hoax. its a political charade to whip up tree huggers and liberals,make people (al gore) rich ,and tax the middle class. look up younger dryas and medieval warm period. most climate scientists say there will be another ice age, how can that be if theres all this global warming?
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mobeck8 said 2:31PM on 8-29-2009
Look, what does it matter if the thing is a piece of junk and pollutes worse than the things it predicts about? What matters is the good feelings and intentions that take place around all this. Besides, the world will end in 2012 anyway so why not run a multi-million dollar computer so the scientists can have fun until then! Ciao!!!!!
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Thayne said 5:12AM on 8-30-2009
I take it none of you have read a JW Watchtower or perhaps seen the movie THE OMEN, ie The Beast, and he shall rise in the Green Isle...
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Scott A. Mandia said 7:30AM on 8-30-2009
http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/mandias/global_warming/
Historian of science, Naomi Oreskes of UC San Diego, states "Scientific knowledge is the intellectual and social consensus of affiliated experts based on the weight of available empirical evidence, and evaluated according to accepted methodologies. If we feel that a policy question deserves to be informed by scientific knowledge, then we have no choice but to ask, what is the consensus of experts on this matter."
Climate change has been extensively researched and the overwhelming majority of climate scientists agree that the observed modern day global warming is unprecedented and is very likely caused by humans. Although there is little serious debate between climate experts, many in the general public still think that these scientists are unsure about climate change and the role that humans have played in modern day global warming. The Website above summarizes some of the key research that has led scientists to their overwhelming consensus while also addressing some of the unfounded claims by climate change skeptics and denialists.
The only plausible explanation is that today's warming is primarily due to human activities. The increase in greenhouse emissions can easily account for this warming. There is robust evidence for the man-made global warming. There are no other known sources of warming that can explain the observed modern climate change. People that claim there is no warming or that the warming is not caused by humans have offered no credible alternate hypotheses. Yes, these folks make claims but none of the claims has stood up to scientific scrutiny. Because I see/hear much disinformation from well-intentioned folks, I feel it is my duty to try to educate people on this very important matter. Unfortunately, it is an uphill battle because most of the real science is discussed in hard-to-read scientific journals and most of the bad science is easily accessible on Web pages, blogs, and other forms of mass media. Worse, there are political organizations such as The Heartland Institute that present themselves as scientific organizations but these organizations are directly and indirectly funded by the fossil fuel industry and others that stand to lose if greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.
It is fine to be skeptical, but it is never fine to be a denialist. A skeptic is willing to hear both sides and is honest with his assessment of the information. A denialist blindly accepts everything that supports his opinion and immediately discards everything that does not. Carefully read my Global Warming site with an honest, open mind. Then weigh what I am discussing with what you have heard and where/who you have heard it from.
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smokin3000gt said 11:24PM on 8-30-2009
So if the world goes through natural cycles, it MUST be global warming? What brought us out of the ice age? What made it get that cold for that matter? Nobody knows. All we know is we are on a big rock flying around a huge fireball at enormous speeds, and we think that there aren't going to be any fluctuation over thousands of years? Let's get real people.
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Scott A. Mandia said 8:07PM on 8-31-2009
Please view my Website and read the page titled: Natural Causes of Climate Change found at: http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/mandias/global_warming/natural_causes_climate_change.html
Ice ages are caused by climate change due to natural causes (particularly Milankovic Cycles) on the order of THOUSANDS OF YEARS so the recent change in climate which has occurred in DECADES has no relation to those long-term cycles. Furthermore, as my site details, the RATE of global warming since 1880, especially in the last few decades is unprecedented in the climate record.
All of the narural cycles are still there but they are being dwarfed by human greenhouse gas emissions. The evidence is quite robust when one voews the real data from the experts in the field.
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