Ask Slashdot: Top Black Friday Tech Picks? 189
theodp writes "Take a gander at the 2013 Black Friday ads and your head will be spinning with deals that seem too good to be true. And while the WSJ will try to slap you back to reality with a story on The Dirty Secret of Black Friday 'Discounts', it's still hard not to get jazzed over the prospect of picking up an iPad Mini w/$100 gift card for $299 (Walmart), a 16GB Nexus 7 for $199 (Staples), or a 32GB Microsoft Surface for $199.99 (Best Buy). So, if you're playing the game this year — either online or in-person (hey, what could go wrong?), — what are your top tech picks for Black Friday? Any strategy for improving your odds of getting them?"
Friday is Buy Nothing Day (Score:1)
"Black Friday" is ridiculous, refuse to buy anything on Friday.
Saw lines Thursday night :-( (Score:2)
Spent Thursday with friends. We had a US-style turkey dinner (well, veggies for me) at church at lunchtime, hung out for the afternoon, went to Korean BBQ for dinner, and on the way there we saw people waiting in line at Best Buy.
Ok, going to restaurants technically counts as "buying things", but we didn't actually do that Friday.
Don't! (Score:5, Informative)
Don't stress out, don't skip spending time with your family and friends, don't become part of a violent mob.
You don't have to. You aren't defined by your possessions.
Re:Don't! (Score:5, Insightful)
Don't stress out, don't skip spending time with your family and friends, don't become part of a violent mob.
. . . spending time with my family and friends is becoming a part of a violent mob . . .
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...you insensitive clod!
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I was going to write up a sound and reasonable comment on why you shouldn't bother, but hell, I'm not American and I can hardly wait for this seasons Youtube videos of rabid American black friday consumer addicts. As the protesters like to say "the rest of the world is watching" but this time they are just laughing at the lemmings.
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“I see in the fight club the strongest and smartest men who've ever lived. I see all this potential and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables, slaves with white collars, advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of the history man, no purpose or place, we have no Great war, no Great depression, our great war is a spiritual war, our great depression is our lives, we've been all
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Our Black Friday will be driving out to the middle of nowhere for the long weekend, looking out at the night sky, and freezing our keisters off.
Comet-watching? (Score:2)
I really do need to pay enough attention to this comet, figure out if it's worth a trip to the middle of nowhere to watch.
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Are you trying to suggest that after the first Thanksgiving that the pilgrims and native Americans didn't jump in the car to go stand in line at the local Wal-Mart, where people work for sub-poverty level wages and all the products are made for people who make less than 1/4 of that?
I don't think that's right. I'm pretty sure those pilgrims were big fans of the door-busters. That's what the big hats were for, so you could butt aside all the smelly fat people grasping with their greasy hands for cheaply-mad
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How are you going to have fun without being part of a violent mob? :P
boooooring
Buy buy buy! (Score:5, Insightful)
Consume, you fucking motherfucker, consume! Buy that shit, we don't care if you don't need it, buy buy buy!
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I'm sorry I can't remember where I read this, probably imgur, but I saw a funny remark:
It's positively American to celebrate one day giving thanks for what we have, and then follow it up with trampling your neighbours to get more things.
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It really depends. Stuff like electronics like to be cleared out before the end of the year because CES brings new shinys that retailres will get the rest of the year (there's a reason why CES is
Stop deluding yourself (Score:1)
There's a reason shops price at, say, $299.99... people tend to feel that's closer to $200 than to $300.
So make it a habit to tell yourself "that is practically $300", then deal with it as if it was $300. Which it is. You can save up the last cent for your retirement, see if you'll retire rich.
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Who is *that* dumb?
Alas, most people.
Sales and marketing types have spent a lot of money on studies into what motivates buyers. Yes, most people react (more at an emotional level than a cognitive level) to that first significant digit. They don't "think" of $299.99 as closer to $200 than to $300, but they react that way.
Otherwise stores wouldn't price stuff like that.
(NB, /. readers are a self-selected atypical sample. You and I may not see $299.99 as $2xx.xx rather than $3xx.xx, but enough people do tha
My strategy... (Score:1)
is to not share my strategy on Slashdot.
Nothing (Score:1)
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undoing moderation
Seems like (Score:2)
Black Friday is for Amateurs. (Score:5, Insightful)
Pro shoppers do not shop on Black Friday. It's crowded, noisy, simply annoying...wait and shop when it's less busy. Yes you miss out on some loss-leaders, but don't give into the hype, you will enjoy your Christmas better.
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Some of us don't even aspire to be a "pro shopper." Black Friday and Every Other Friday, I've usually got something more interesting to work on than honing my shopping skills to the professional level. I can't be the best at everything in life --- I'm fine with being just a reasonably competent shopper, and making up for it by being a bit more "pro" in other areas.
Don't buy on Friday (Score:2)
I do all of my shopping online, so I'm not buying anything on Friday regardless of how cheap it is or how badly I want it. I'm going to wait for Cyber Monday!
Best Buy campers (Score:1)
So yeah, I bought a 3TB drive from Best Buy today for archival purposes, not caring less if they put it on sale Friday, and I noticed a tent — a god damned tent — just outside the entrance. Some fuckwit is actually camping outside a Best Buy to be first in line.
There will be a reckoning. Keep printing Ben; lets make this implosion every inch of whatever it is they mean by `American Exceptionalism.'
Happy Holidays.
Obligatory Autotune The News... (Score:2)
let's hear it for American Exceptionalism...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eooXNd0heM [youtube.com]
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Righties have been making the same prediction since the very first administration when Alexander Hamilton assumed the states' war debts, and started the United States Bank. And yet grandkids have always had a higher standard of living than their grandparents. Maybe it's time to challenge your faith in your feudal economic theories?
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I really REALLY doubt that my nephews are ever gonna have the standard of living that my father has. Then again, he started working at IBM in 1956.... And they're now college graduates who can't find jobs.
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My grandfather dropped out of high school to work his entire adult life in a phosphorus mine while farming on the side to make ends meet. He never traveled more than 1,000 miles from the place he was born, and died before 60 due to lung disease.
I work in a climate controlled office. My wife and I are taking our kids on vacation next week, we thought it would be fun for them to ride on an airplane for the first time, and Disneyland seemed like a good place.
I feel like a lazy shit whenever I think about how
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The obvious solution: give people money to enjoy leisure time. Productivity increases, automation for example, mean that less human labor is needed to produce the goods that society demands. So fewer people need to work. Create a basic income, so that everyone has the choice of working on what they want to do, instead of what a boss tells them to do. Stimulate innovation by holding challenges.
Fight Terrorism! (Score:4, Funny)
Black Friday represents everything about America that the Terrorists hate, so help fight Terrorism by fighting your neighbors over a $300 TV. And remember to report any suspiciously non-American activity to the proper authorities, such as Fox News.
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$300?!?!? Pffft... try $98 bucks! [walmart.com] Them's fighting' words!
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I guess that tells you how long it's been since I bought a TV...
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CHAPEL HILL, NC -- Area resident asmkm22 does not own a television, a fact he repeatedly points out to friends, family, and coworkers -- as well as to his mailman, neighborhood convenience-store clerks, and the man who cleans the hallways in his apartment building.
asmkm22, who tells as many people as possible that he is "fully weaned off the glass teat."
"I, personally, would rather spend my time doing something useful than watch television," asmkm22 told a random woman Monday at the Suds 'N' Duds Laundr
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You should at least attribute your sources, rather than try and pass them off as your own. In this case, http://www.theonion.com/articles/area-man-constantly-mentioning-he-doesnt-own-a-tel,429/ [theonion.com]
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Wow! Such doge! Very google! So pro! Clap!
The article is over 13 years old and pretty much well known by any one who cares.
It's called a sense of humor... try one on!
Black friday? (Score:5, Funny)
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Moderation
50% Flamebait
50% Funny
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Yeah, it's almost as bad as "white papers!" [atlantapro...venews.com]
I guess I'm just a bad consumer (Score:5, Insightful)
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Bad consumer, I hope you are at least eating all the tempting foods and letting your health go so you can prop up the medical industry?
Re:I guess I'm just a bad consumer (Score:4, Insightful)
That's called "privilege." *Most*people would be "happy with what [we] have"if we had the kind of money needed to have 6 computers, 'decent' (read: likely quite pricy) flat-screen TV, a presumably-'nice' car, a boat, and funds to travel around the world to tropical paradises. Most folks aren't anywhere near that lucky, even if they're careful with their spending.
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I have a good stereo set, a decent flat screen TV, about 6 computers or so, a car I'm happy with, a boat that I'm happy with and I'm pretty much satisfied with my life. Now and then I take a trip to the local "technology store" (Fry's) and I take a look at newegg and tigerdirect to see if I'm missing out on anything. I'm not. I'm a bad consumer. I'm happy with what I have.
Actually, you are quite a good consumer by most reasonable standards. Not to start a flame-war, but the "must-have-latest-iThing" mentality is in the minority of the people I've met. You have made a lot of purchases, many of them with long lifetimes, so it isn't surprising that you don't get more now.
On the other hand, do you rent/buy movies? Or music? Or games? The first three things you mentioned are largely dead-end devices in themselves. A stereo without music is like a really expensive paperweight.
The
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Intetresting. I was raised (rightly or wrongly) that you exchange gifts with family and friends, not buy stuff for yourself. I was also taught that it's the thought that was important not how much you wanted what was given. Overall you sound rather self-absorbed.
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Same here even though I have very old stuff like my 19.5" Sharp CRT TV, VCR (not for recording, but interfacing between my desktop PCs, DTV Pal DVR, TV, etc.), Casio Data Bank (DB) 150 calculator watch, Windows XP Pro. SP3, KVM from Y2K, analog 2.1 speakers, etc. I don't have cable and satellite TV services, but do use Internet and over the air (OTA). I don't even own a mobile phone. I am simple and old school. I will upgrade/replace when it is time. :)
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"Spend your money on experiences, not things." A wise man once told me.
buy online (Score:3)
i don't get all the haters here that say to avoid the day. if you NEED something, buy it if you can find a good deal, and if you want to avoid people then buy online. that's it.
sometimes Americans just try to find a cat's fifth paw .
How about this? (Score:5, Insightful)
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I'm not a USian but I just don't get it... People cramming into planes flying halfway across the country to watch TV with their family and then cramming into planes again to go back to work...
Just ignore it and get WOW at 75 off (Score:1)
Why not just ignore the whole thing.
if you want a deal, you can download World of Warcraft for 75% off on Black Friday, but you'd be better off doing the Friends and Family thing instead - during the month when you get 2x experience you could get up to at least level 70.
If you want tech, Cyber Monday is usually better.
How much would you be willing to pay... (Score:5, Insightful)
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Not to mention the old marketing trick (I recall a study of same being a /. article a few years ago) of raising the price the week before, then lowering it to slightly *above* what it was originally, so they can advertise this great bargain for Black Friday... knowing that a lot of people only see the "price reduced" part, and have no idea what it was before.
Not only that, but tech stuff commonly has a price drop in January...
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Want to give tech stuff to a loved one for Christmas? Russian Orthodox Christians have got this thing figured out [wikipedia.org].
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Heh heh, a good use for an 'outdated' calendar! :D
A pizza or some Indian food (Score:2)
It's not on "special", but with all the yahoos at the stores, I should get *great* service at my local restaurants, whichever one I choose to go to lunch at.
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LOL.
With everyone out making a day of shopping for themselves -- er I mean, their families, lots of folks eat lunch out since they're in a shopping area already at that time of day. Restaurants are normally packed, too. And packed with tired kids that got dragged along by their parents and people with shopping bags they aren't keeping out of walkways.
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I'm downtown well away from the "big box" stores that draw the crowds to the edge of the city. The only "competition" I expect at the restaurants is from anyone who's working downtown. (It's not Thanksgiving here in Canada -- we had ours a while back. It was verra nize.)
GTA V (Score:1)
I've never gone to the stores on black Friday and I don't intend to start this year... But I did notice Amazon and Best Buy have Grand Theft Auto V on sale for $33.99 so I might go ahead and grab it since I was planning on buying it soon anyway. They also have some pretty slick deals on the Breaking Bad blu-rays.
Nexus 7 (Score:3)
I picked up the Asus Nexus 7 16GB (2013 edition) for $151.12 off Amazon Prime just two weeks ago... How is $199.99 a deal in comparison?
TL;DR: Nothing is appealing this Black Friday.
Lenovo black friday "sale" (Score:4, Informative)
I'm in the process of customizing/buying a Lenovo X230 for a family member, despite their BIOS whitelist shenanigans.
The Lenovo store always has a super special e-coupon discount, they are kind enough to give you the code right there in the checkout process.
A few days ago the laptop in my cart, with the coupon, was $1,037.
Now, after applying the new black friday e-coupon (10% discount), the price is $1,061.10
Perhaps I should buy it now, before they have an even better Christmas "sale".
The only way ... (Score:2)
Doorbusters aren't worth it (Score:2)
So they lure a gazillion people in with 25 different doorbusters, that they have, like, 12 of, each. The rest of the shit in the store is marked down barely, if at all, from the "normal" price. No thanks. Now Walmart is doing the doorbusters in phases... No thanks, I don't need a 32" Funai TV that bad, even if it is $98...
Meh (Score:2)
Oh, so THAT's what Black Friday is (Score:3)
I wondered what amazon.co.uk were going on about.
Re:Ammo (Score:5, Interesting)
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Lol, I doubt that. .22 ammunition is actually getting traded around here like money. The gunshops are generally not marking it up because they know the current shortages wont last, but all the local stores like Walmart sell out their ammo before the store even opens and then the employees sell it themselves for double or triple. I know guys that have traded guns, deer, for boxes of ammo. I think the manufacturers are right though. If they stepped up production to meet demand right now I think the market wou
Re:Ammo (Score:5, Interesting)
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You're very good at this.
The "lava' beans touch was nice, as well. Just off enough to seem plausible.
Re:Ammo (Score:5, Funny)
What is it with people like you who assume that posting as AC means someone is "afraid" ?
Did you miss the part where the AC acronym is for Anonymous Coward??
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What is it with people like you who assume that posting as AC means someone is "afraid" ?
Did you miss the part where the AC acronym is for Anonymous Coward??
I'd wager you're not a real wolf either.
Re:Ammo (Score:4)
I suspect the poster you responded to was kidding. Yes, like thousands of others, I am a NRA Life Member and I saw it as kidding.
We all know that any kind of criminal usage, particularly he type mentioned are the rare, and extremely rare, firearms usages. Further, mass shooters have not done their mis-deeds with 38 specials (yes, there is probably an exception out there). Gasoline still hold the title for the tool of most killers in America.
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Well if you don't consider horrible economic policies that don't feed every citizen and don't provide state sponsored healthcare as a tool I guess.
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Do you support the NRA in backing a man's right to own guns after he brandished one and threatened his ex-wife with it?
Only if he promises to work on his aim.
How about all those responsible owners that forget they are carrying a weapon until they get to the scanner at the airport?
Shall not be infringed. Gun-free-zones are unconstitutional. Those that carry anyway are patriots.
Personally, I'm all for people owning guns, but fuck-ups like the above should definitely get you banned from any future ownership.
Sure, as soon as we start banning rapists from ever having sex again.
The NRA has time and time again supported these kinds of people owning them, so how can you justify membership?
Because mixing the first amendment with the second feels oh so good.
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What kind of asinine comment is this: " Those that carry anyway are patriots." To equate carrying a gun as being patriotic is beyond stupid. I know many gun owners who are big flag wavers and claim to be patriots, but in reality are self-centered redneck morons. I also know several gun owners who are actual patriots and demonstrate the same by trying to make their country better.
I have always voted for very "conservative" candidates, was in the military, and presently work as a civilian for the US Army.
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You know, you sound like the kind of high strung nut that should make to choice to not own a gun.
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Five will get you ten that there's an outline of a hoodie on those targets.
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Once prices drop after Christmas, my son will get a PS4.
What, a Slashdot geek who actually wants one who didn't get one at the Midnight Launch?
I do doubt there will be a PS4 price drop before 2015. And yeah, seeing stores prepare for Christmas even before Halloween (the local wal-mart had some Christmas things out, before)...annoys me.
Re:Nothing! (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:Nothing! (Score:5, Interesting)
So you plan on supporting a company that deliberately put malware onto shiny disks with music on them?
After the rootkit fiasco, Sony will NEVER get another dollar of mine.
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We all have our lines in the sand. I won't deny that I don't trust Sony PC software for the same reason. If it was just me, I would not own a PS4. My kid is a different story, and to have friends over to game he would have either a Xbox or PS3/4. I choose the lesser of the two evils, and yes the Xbox is way more evil than Playstation.
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I owned an Apple IIGS. The line in the sand between me and Apple is 20+ years old and hasn't been crossed since the day I sold my IIGS.
Re:Nothing! (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: Nothing! (Score:2)
Enjoy your betamax, disclaser, minidisc, and whatever they use now for their cameras that is not SD card.
every dumb anonymous coward who buy Sony need to be screwed by proprietary media lockin. It's a service to society.
Also, blueray. Suckers.
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I call the PS3 - oops, sorry, no more 3rd party OS for you, fiasco my final straw with them.
Also, the fact that I have to update software constantly just to use the console has seriously de-valued it for me.
Re:Nothing! (Score:4, Interesting)
We boycott any store that puts up "Christmas Sale" signs before Thanksgiving. Yeah, that's right! FU Wallzmart, I don't spend a penny at your stores!
I find it odd that *that* is what got you to stop going to Walmart
I refuse to support a system that makes everything possible as commercial as possible to the detriment of society as a whole.
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There are many reasons not to buy from Wal-Mart. In our case, it's the fact that Wal-Mart supports business-backed, for-profit Charter schools which take money away from public schools.
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I'll probably be masturbating, drinking, eating turkey, and enjoying my family.
God damnit, grandpa.
Re:Actually, a tv? A samsung "32" inch class led (Score:5, Funny)
That's a very weird way to spend time with your family.
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Otherwise. I'll probably be masturbating, drinking, eating turkey, and enjoying my family.
Enjoy!
Did you realize how wrong this sounded (on so many levels) when you posted it and were going for the lolz? Or did you surprise yourself too?
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1995 called. They want their web site design back.
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amazon.co.uk seems to think we should.
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Then just sell it at $68 for the minimum period - if any suckers buy it then, you've made more profit. Then you mark it down, people think they're getting a bargain, and you still make the profit you wanted.