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Apple Resellers Ring In Early Black Friday Deals

J.R. Bookwalter — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:13:42 -0600

’Twas the day before Thanksgiving and all across the ‘Net, not an Apple reseller in sight without a deal, you can bet!

Following on the heels of last year’s early Black Friday sales, Apple authorized resellers are again jumping on the bandwagon, offering up to $220 off Mac desktops and $250 off Mac notebooks, according to AppleInsider.

Among the vendors participating are MacMall, ClubMac and OnSale.com, each with their own variation on 72-hour Black Friday sales that began at midnight Wednesday and will run through 11:59 pm PST on Friday.

AppleInsider notes that MacMall and MacConnection have the lowest prices thus far this year, with a white MacBook at $884.99 (a savings of $114) after rebates. New Mac minis also get a price cut at MacMall, with the 2.26GHz model for $549.99 and the 2.53GHz model for $744.98 (both after rebates).

iMacs and MacBook Pros are on mostly equal footing at all of the e-tailers, with the 2.26GHz 13” MacBook Pro and 3.06GHz Dual 21” iMac each for $1068.99 at MacMall (a savings of $130). Even Best Buy is getting into the act, offering the new 3.06GHz 21.5” iMac for $1,099 — a $100 cut and one of the few that don’t require a rebate. Not to be left out, there are also deals to be found on Mac Pro and MacBook Air models, with price cuts ranging from $200 to $220, depending on the retailer.

AppleInsider has a great Mac price guide online offering a side-by-side comparison of holiday pricing for both retail and educational buyers, updated throughout the week.

Finally, come this Friday, Apple itself can be counted on for their own Black Friday deals, both in retail stores and online, although such discounts have historically been modest compared to what authorized resellers offer.

The term “Black Friday” dates back to the 1970s, referring to the day after Thanksgiving that retailers have come to count on in the U.S. for heavy foot traffic to their stores in order to get financially out of the red and into the “black.”

Even iPhone Apps Get in On Black Friday Fun

Matthew Tilmann — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:24:52 -0600

While Black Friday has normally been a day filled with designer jeans at low prices, HDTVs to be had, or the newest digital camera, this year some app developers have decided to join in on the fun as well.

Cult of Mac picked up that some developers have already dropped some prices. App Cubby, the creator of the popular Gas Cubby app is dropping the cost of their apps by 30 percent through the Thanksgiving holidays. Other developers have also joined in temporarily dropping prices including DOOM Resurrection and BeejiveIM.

So once you've caught a breather from getting up at 4 am on Friday, keep an eye on what app developers might have in store for you as well!

Get Black Friday Deals for 2009

Cory Bohon — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:57:02 -0600

Photo Credit: jardenberg

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, has become one of the most popular shopping days over the years. With the economic situation, there’s no doubt that more people will be looking for deals when it comes to holiday shopping this year.

Looking at the Black Friday circulars that have already been released, electronics--including computers, MP3 players and GPS systems-- will be extremely popular gifts this year.

Everyone wants an edge when looking for deals, and for the past few years websites like www.black-friday.net, www.2009blackfridayads.com, www.bfads.net, and www.blackfriday.info have provided a sneak peek look at online deals for major retailers.

We’re all for helping save you money this holiday season. That’s why, we’re going to tell you about all of the good deals both online and offline happening on Black Friday 2009.

Here Are The Deals!

Amazon - Amazon will be offering up over 650 deals according to the deals that have already been leaked.

Apple - The holy grail of Mac shopping will be joining in on the Black Friday holiday by offering up some deals for Mac addicts. We’re not sure exactly what will be offered up, but MacRumors thinks they know what Apple might offer.

BestBuy - BestBuy is a massive brick and mortar electronics store that also . According to a leaked Black Friday circular scan, BestBuy will be giving away a $150 gift card when a $999 white MacBook is purchased. Quite a deal. BestBuy is also offering up a $99 Garmin 205W GPS system as a doorbuster.

Griffin Technology - Griffin has a slew of great Mac and iPod/iPhone accessories and they typically have Black Friday deals.

Microsoft Mac Business Unit - Microsoft’s Mac Business Unit, the creators of Office for Mac, have typically offered deals on their products for Mac users on Black Friday.

NewEgg - NewEgg normally offers Black Friday deals on computer parts, accessories, and more.

Radio Shack (The Shack) - Radio Shack will be offering up a ton of deals like a free Polaroid POGO photo printer with the purchase of a digital camera that costs more than $89.99.

Staples - Staples will be offering over 160 different deals including a $89.98 eMachines 21.5” LCD display. There’s also a $10 off coupon on the back of the sales circular.

Target - This year, Target will be having 266 Black Friday deals with a Westinghouse 32” HDTV for $246 being one of their big door busters.

ThinkGeek.com - ThinkGeek offers many of those cool little geeky gadgets that you just can’t get anywhere else and they normally offer up deals for shoppers on Black Friday.

Walmart - Walmart will be offering a Magnavox Blu-ray player for just $78, Nintendo DS Lites for $98, and an Emerson 32” HDTV for $248.

Other Black Friday Deals and Resources
- Save $20 off orders of $100+ at the HP Home & Home Office Store with code: SVMY478761 at checkout.

- Shop Walgreens.com on Black Friday and receive $10 off your order of $50 or more! Offer valid 11/26 to 11/28. Use coupon code BFRIDAY.

If you know of other coupon codes, deals, or other Black Friday goodness, be sure to tell us about it in the comments!

Apple’s Black Friday Announced

J.R. Bookwalter — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:46:11 -0600

In keeping with tradition for the past several years, Apple has announced today that they’ll be holding their traditional Black Friday shopping event yet again.

The day after Thanksgiving has been christened “Black Friday” in the U.S., cited as one of the busiest shopping days of the year and one that retailers count on to get their bottom line out of the red. While Apple certainly doesn’t have to worry about that based on their most recent quarterly results, they’ll be joining in the fun at the Apple Online Store.

A teaser posted this morning on Apple’s website announces “the special one-day Apple shopping event” coming this Friday, November 27. “Come back to the Apple Online Store the day after Thanksgiving for a special one-day-only holiday shopping event,” the announcement proclaims. “You’ll find dozens of great iPod, iPhone, and Mac gift ideas — all with free shipping.”

Rumors were swirling last week that Apple would offer the steepest discounts yet on iPods and Macs this year, although in previous years the discounts have been modest at best.

But it beats getting up in the middle of the night to chase down deals at your local retailers, right?

Apple's Black Friday Sales Hints

Brian Proffit — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:34:40 -0600

BoyGeniusReport just posted a graphic purporting to reveal significant discounts Apple will be offering on Black Friday sales. Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S.) is traditionally the hottest shopping day of the year, as people get ready for the holidays.

The ad, which is supposedly about to be emailed to Apple stores, says on that day only Apple will be offering up to 30% off on iPods (excluding iPhone and iPod Shuffle), up to 25% off on all Macs, and up to 15% off on accessories and software. It also says that "select" Apple stores will open at 6 a.m. for shoppers, and in-store gift wrapping will be available.

But i4u warns shoppers not to get their hopes up. "Last year only the 13.3-inch MacBook had a significant discount."

Analysts Concerned with Apple's Black Friday Bargains

Florence Ion — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:01:15 -0600

Analysts are worried that Apple's Black Friday deals offered no bargain at all. Apple's online and retail stores offered discounts of up to 101$ on Macs and 21$ for iPods, which didn’t seem on par with the price-slashing fad that swept other manufacturers and retailers.

UBS and Kaufman Bros. analysts hoped that Apple’s Black Friday sales would be more abundant, following last year’s 15% discounts, but with a failing economy the thought of having major markdowns on productions could have seemed risky.

Kaufman’s Shaw Wu noted that accessory discounts were heavier then last year, like 40 percent on speakers, and that third-party sellers were more aggressive in price-slashing by 11 to 13 percent.

Both analysts noted that Apple can stay ahead of the game this holiday if it continues to offer price matching.

Apple Brings Back Price-Matching

Florence Ion — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:53:42 -0600

In an effort to eradicate competition with other retailers, Apple is quietly reinstating its long forgotten price-matching procedures. The company is reminding its store employees that they have the authority to match the prices of other computer retailers.

The policy is an efficient way to ensure that no other retailer offer discounts on Apple products. There is no word on whether or not Apple plans on promoting the policy considering the economy, but they usually don’t publicize their discounts, anyway.

If you happen to come across a flyer advertising Apple products for a lower price, bring it in to the nearest Apple store for price matching. Now, try doing this on Black Friday, and let us know what happens in the comments.

Black Friday iPhone Survival Guide

Michael Simon — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:53:30 -0600

iPhone just might help you find the last Wii console or Tickle Me Elmo Live in your neighborhood.

Bargain-hunters rising out of bed before the sun. Register lines snaking around bends and down aisles. Police directing traffic in parking lots. It can only mean one thing: Black Friday.

The unofficial start of the holiday shopping season, and arguably the biggest shopping day of the year is not for the faint of heart. But there’s no reason you can’t get through it unscathed--with a little help from your iPhone or iPod touch--and without spending a penny of your holiday budget.

Make a List, Tap it Twice

No one wants to see disappointed faces on Christmas morning, so hit up your gift recipients for all of their must-haves and input them into GiftIdea for easy cataloging and referencing on the big day. Not sure of where to go to get what? Use TheFind to locate the best prices at stores in your area, and keep everything neat and organized with a few Zenbe lists.

Ready... Set... ManGo

A day like Black Friday calls for nothing less than an airtight shopping strategy--a regimented schedule of stores and sales, restaurants, gas stations, shortcuts, and anything else you might need throughout the day. So look no further than ManGo to devise the most efficient plan to attack your neighborhood’s retailers and OnTheGo for the cheapest fill-ups along the way. (And in case you have to go, download SitOrSquat for the quickest route to that, too.)

Up and At 'Em

While a traditional alarm clock is a most unwelcome sound at 3 am, the soothing melodies of Tranquil Alarm Light will cajole you out of bed in time for Kohl's 4am doorbuster specials with Birds in the City or Wind in the Trees. Of course, it’ll still be dark at that ungodly hour, so don’t forget to install Flashlight, a handy app that turns your iPhone into a ball of luminescence. And like a true early bird, you can catch a few games of Silkworm3D while you’re waiting for the doors to open.

Divide and Conquer

Since you can only hit up one sale at a time, it pays to have an entourage at your beck and call. With iPhones in hand and Zenbe lists synced, you can all stay on the same page with Loopt, Fliq and Twitteriffic, swapping war stories, pics, and pick-ups from store to store. Of course, you could actually call or text each other, but where’s the fun in that?

Put the ‘Me’ in ‘Team’

There’s nothing wrong with a little self indulgence, so if you find a gem that absolutely needs to be on your wish list, use MiChristmas to snap a pic, jot down all the pertinent info and drop a not-so-subtle hint in Santa’s Inbox.

Holiday Spirit (or not)

If all that Christmas music and holiday cheer doesn’t get you in the mood, a few classics might do the trick--like beaming “A Christmas Carol” and “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to your iPhone while you’re waiting to pay. (And if you absolutely despise silver bells and fa-la-las, the aptly named I Hate Christmas Music will drown it all out with the palliative sounds of a vacuum cleaner or jackhammer. It’s the only app here that’ll dip into your budget, but it’ll be $1.99 well spent.)

Recoup

After it’s all over, tend to the blisters on your feet and identify any other ailments with WebMD Mobile. After that, hit up Last Call for those crucial after-shopping refreshments--and a cab ride, should the need arise.