Black Friday '08: Deals, steals & specials guide

Update, 12/4/08: It’s been brought to my attention by a diligent reader that several of the products listed in this guide were from 2007, and not this year. I compiled this guide as an aggregation of several listings online; clearly, some of the listings were old without my knowing it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t aware of this until now; had I known, I would have alerted you of the error and edited the list as necessary. If you’re still interested in what was offered in 2008, please refer to the circulars I had posted on the last page of the guide, which remain accurate. I regret the error and look forward to bringing you a Black Friday guide for 2009. -Andrew Nusca

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There’s always a lot of madness surrounding consumerist pseudo-holiday Black Friday, but with the economy in a chokehold, this year’s event has been hard to predict. Will there be good deals because of a tanking economy, or did companies sign off on their specials before the worst? (Answer: a bit of both.)

To help you through your inevitable pre-dawn Tryptophan-and-Starbucks haze this Friday, I’ve gathered a guide of the best o’ the best gadget deals, steals, specials and sales from your favorite electronics stores, organized by product type with details on real-world, not retail, savings.

(If you’ve already planned on hitting up Circuit City or Best Buy exclusively for home theater, Home Theater blogger Sean Portnoy has a quick rundown of each’s Black Friday offerings: Circuit City | Best Buy. He’s also got a great guide to wireless networking deals here.)

It’s the gift that keeps on giving…until you pass out.

Editor’s note: The bottom line this year is that you’ll find great deals on HDTVs and GPS navigation devices, but make sure you check reviews before you plan your doorbusting. Digital cameras, on the other hand, are less of a deal and many models on sale can be found online at competitive prices without the 3 a.m. wake-up call. Finally, don’t forget about Apple’s expected Black Friday deals — the discounts will likely be modest but if you’re an Apple fan, it makes it all the easier.

Key: Link on Product Name will take you to product on vendor’s site (some links may change); ZDNet link will take you to relevant or related review or product.

UPDATE 11/24: Looks like some of the big vendors (Best Buy, Circuit City, Radioshack) have been moving things around online, breaking many of the links below. To avoid a wild goose (turkey?) chase leading up to Black Friday, I’ve removed the offending links and offer instead scans of those vendors’ Black Friday circulars from BFAds.net.  These scans include many items not listed here (some are less of a deal). You may find them on the last page of this guide.

HDTVs, 42-in. and up
Best Buy

• LG 42-in. LCD (1080p)
  Price: $1,299 (Approx. savings: $300)
  [ZDNet Product Page]
• Panasonic Viera 50-in. Plasma (720p)
  Price: $899 (Approx. savings: $200)
  [Related ZDNet Review]
• Dynex 42-in. Plasma
  Price: $599
• LG 47-in. 120Hz LCD (1080p)
  Price: $1499
• Samsung 46-in. LCD (1080p)
  Price: $1099
• Mitsubishi 60-in. DLP (1080p)
  Price: $999
• Sony Bravia 42-in. LCD (1080p)
  Price: $1499

Circuit City

• Sharp 42-in. AQUOS LCD (720p)
  Price: $799.99 (Approx. savings: $450; Sam’s Club also has this product for a similar price)
  [Related ZDNet Product]
• Sharp Aquos 46-in. LCD (1080p)
  Price: $1299.99 (Approx. savings: $500)
  [Related ZDNet Product]
• Zenith 50-in. Plasma (720p)
  Price: $999.99 (Approx. savings: $400)

Walmart

• Polaroid 42-in. LCD (1080p)
  Price: $798 (Approx. savings: $300)

SKIP TO: HDTVs less than 42-in.; GPS navigation systems; Hard Drives & Storage; Laptops; Desktops & Peripherals; Cameras & Camcorders; Home Theater; Accessories & Related Links; Ad Scans

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