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ZDNet's Ultimate Black Friday 2009: Deals, steals & specials guide

By | November 11, 2009, 9:02am PST

Summary: Black Friday is almost here. Here is ZDNet’s guide to the best deals, steals and specials of 2009.

Black Friday is almost here.

Yes, it’s that time of the year again — the time when retailers across the U.S. mark down products to bargain levels to kick off the holiday shopping season, move goods off the shelves and move the year’s profit needle from red to black.

And, you know, force Americans to wake up at ungodly hours after the previous day’s Thanksgiving meal to make financial decisions far too early in the morning.

But fear not. ZDNet’s Ultimate Black Friday guide for 2009 will digest all those rumored sales specials for you by gadget category — so you can find the electronics and gadgets you’re looking for in one spot.

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

Tips for Black Friday success:

  • Check our reviews to see if you’re getting your money’s worth before you go doorbusting.
  • Check the Web to make sure you’re getting the best deal Friday morning.
  • You’re likely to find better markdowns on HDTVs and GPS navigation devices.
  • You’re likely to find smaller deals on digital cameras — but more to choose from.
  • Apple fans, don’t forget about that company’s annual Black Friday deals, which are modest discounts but worth it if you’re planning an Apple purchase anyway.

Note: We’ll be updating this guide as more circulars are released, so make sure to come back and check for new listings. We’re striving for accuracy, but if you spot an error, please leave it in the comments.

Without further ado, here’s the guide.

Retailers posted so far: Sears, Sam’s Club, Kmart, Kohl’s, Toys R Us, Staples, Target, Meijer, Best Buy, Walmart, GameStop, Office Depot, HP, Dell, Amazon, BJ’s, J&R, OfficeMax

Retailers expected soon: Apple Store, Buy.com, CompUSA, Fry’s, Micro Center, NewEgg

Important Note: Several retailers are trying out one-day sales leading up to Black Friday this year. Walmart, Amazon, Sears, JC Penney and Kmart all have pre-sales events; many will do so every weekend through Black Friday.

Skip to: Laptops & desktop computers; Televisions & HDTVs; Home theater, music & movies; Digital cameras & camcorders; GPS navigation devices; MP3 players & portable electronics; E-book readers; Printers; Hard drives, flash media & storage; Monitors, peripherals & accessories; Miscellaneous electronics & software; Video game consoles & games; Circular ad scans; Related links & resources

First up: Laptops & Desktops.

Go to the next page »

Andrew J. Nusca is editor of ZDNet and SmartPlanet.

Disclosure

Andrew Nusca

Andrew J. Nusca does not hold any investments in the technology companies he covers.

Biography

Andrew Nusca

Editor

Andrew J. Nusca is an editor for ZDNet and SmartPlanet. As a journalist based in New York City, he has written for Popular Mechanics and Men's Vogue and his byline has appeared in New York magazine, The Huffington Post, New York Daily News, Editor & Publisher, New York Press and many others. He also writes The Editorialiste, a media criticism blog.

He is a New York University graduate and former news editor and columnist of the Washington Square News. He is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He has been named "Howard Kurtz, Jr." by film critic John Lichman despite having no relation to him. He lives in his native Philadelphia with his wife, cat and Boston Terrier.

Follow him on Twitter.

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RE: ZDNet's Ultimate Black Friday 2009: Deals, steals & specials guide
internetexplorer 27th Nov 2009
WHERE ARE THE UPDATES WE WERE PROMISED TO THE ARTICLE ON BLACK FRIDAY DEALS????????????????????????????????
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Office Max (Running, Hiding, or Scam)
sgtevmckay 12th Nov 2009
Is there any legitimacy at all on Office Max offering an Acer One Netbook for $149.99.

apparently there was a leaked add, but office Max is running to all Black Friday web pages and requesting the add be pulled.

Can any one verify that this will happen, or is the leaked add a spoof?
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Real or Memorex ?
babyboomer57 13th Nov 2009
Tiger Direct regularly sells refurbs at big discounts, and the Acer One is one of them. Office Max has been known to sell refurbs too, so may be what they are going to have.

By the way, there are lot's of Acer One refurbs available. Lot's of people took them back because they were too small, especially the 9" screen that came out first.

But it is the number one selling Netbook in the world, so don't sweat it. Just check the warranty given if it is refurbished.
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By the way, there are lot's of Acer One refurbs available.

Just check the warranty given if it is refurbished.



Make sure it doesn't have "stuck button syndrome".

I have an Acer One, and I had to send mine in for repair because the left touchpad button got stuck in the "on" position and the touchpad became unusable.

The Acer One's are notorious for this problem, so just be aware of it.

Mine works fine now though.
Thanks for sharing the information, there are some great deals out there. Dealing with all of the crowds is what I'm not so sure about? I work with Sharp and have taken advantage of many of their deals on LCD TVs both during the holiday season and beyond, you can never go wrong.
That should be "Without further ado..."
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Editor
Thanks!
andrew.nusca 18th Nov 2009
Looks like my brain was on lunch break. Thanks for the catch.
A lot of those "Black Friday" prices look like what the stores are selling things for today. Last year, I saved $1,100 on my 50" Plasma. This year, the deal is more like $100.

Maybe Black Friday's a scam this year just to try and get people into the stores.
I checked Sam's Club and I cannot find the HP G71 notebook w/ bluray for $499. Where did you get that price?
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Ooh, Acer netbooks!
jh7468@... Updated - 19th Nov 2009
I can't wait to stand in line with a bunch of animals just so I can buy an Acer junkbook for 150 bucks.
life. I will now upgrade to the 11.6 inch model
that has a bigger battery and runs much longer on
a charge. I will blow away XP and install Ubuntu
Remix.
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FRY's - Black Friday Weekend Sales
g-man_863 Updated - 20th Nov 2009
Fry's retail store locatios will be having three seperate one day sales each on Black Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Newspapers in Fry's retail markets will have either a 1 or 2 page spread (not a stand-alone flyer) in Thanksgiving's and Black Friday editions for Friday's one day only specials.

On Saturday, either a 4 or 8-page flyer will be in the paper with Saturday only specials.

Sunday, either a 4 or 8-page flyer will be in the paper with Sunday only specials.

Monday will be a 1-page ad with items on sale Mon. - Thurs.

How they will handle things for orders at Frys.com is unsure; however it is likely one day only sale items will NOT be available for online ordering/in-store pickup.

Almost all one-day items will be limited to stock on hand (no rainchecks or substitutions) and printed quantity limits are automatically enforced by the store's cash register system. If you want more than one, bring a friend or relative who has cash or a different credit card.

Exact sale items are still a closely guarded secret.

Don't ask me how I know this - I just do. happy
BF may be a fun contact sport for some, but if you haven't already read it, check out CNN Money's entertaining and instructive piece "Dirty secrets of Black Friday 'doorbusters'."

http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/20/news/economy/black_friday_doorbuster_secrets/
they beat anything you posted..............
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$59.99 PS3 games ARE NOT DEALS
midenginedrift 24th Nov 2009
That's the full retail price for any PS3 game. It's pointless to list them. Probably the same for xbox 360 but I'm not sure.
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Not One Thing Interested Me
itanalyst2@... 25th Nov 2009
Have fun fighting the fat soccer moms at 5 AM, I'll be cutting down the forest under the covers.
Cannot see if PC deals are deals, unless version of W7 is shown e.g. W7-Home vs W7-Premium.
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It is not on the Best Buy circular for black friday deals. can someone confirm where I would find this deal? or if this zdnet list is bogus?
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You too can spend your way to happiness
Jack-Booted EULA 25th Nov 2009
and employed or not, you'll be happier still if you max out your HELOC or credit cards doing it.

(o:
I like that posting...so we must be carefully to buy at Black Friday...?
Oh no that is mitos..if you want and need buy whatever..buy is buy...don't worry be happy.
Good luck.
http://www.top-tv.co.tv/
http://www.top-tv.co.tv/
http://www.top-tv.co.tv/
I found a site that notifies you when hot holiday items and deals are back in stock (or any item on your wish list) at the normal price. It checks Amazons inventory multiple times every minute and sounds an alarm when the product is restocked. It's http://www.hotazalert.com
WHERE ARE THE UPDATES WE WERE PROMISED TO THE ARTICLE ON BLACK FRIDAY DEALS????????????????????????????????

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