Slashdot Mirror
Ask Slashdot: Top Black Friday Tech Picks?
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?"
"Black Friday" is ridiculous, refuse to buy anything on Friday.
Perhaps you need bigger guns if the people around here have scared you into posting anonymously.
You don't have to buy anything!
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.
Consume, you fucking motherfucker, consume! Buy that shit, we don't care if you don't need it, buy buy buy!
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.
What did I say that implies my stance on guns? Just making fun of you because people on a website have scared you into anonymity.
is to not share my strategy on Slashdot.
Invariably, the shit that is on sale on "Black Friday" is also shit that nobody really needs. I ain't buying anything on "Black Friday".
I don't respond to AC's.
Poor people problems. I'll get my mini giraffes online and not have to deal with that mob.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
People said the same thing about the PS3 when it came out. My kid said "you are stupid to buy it now dad, let's wait till January" and we ended up with the higher end model for 100 bucks less than the cheap model before Christmas.
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
I'll probably be masturbating, drinking, eating turkey, and enjoying my family.
God damnit, grandpa.
That's a very weird way to spend time with your family.
Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
Yipes! Just don't do all four at the same time!
I'm white, you godamn racist holiday!
Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
You're very good at this.
The "lava' beans touch was nice, as well. Just off enough to seem plausible.
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.
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
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.
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
I'm with you on the rootkit fiasco. Sony has not gotten a dime from me since then. They probably didn't notice it, but I feel great about boycotting them nonetheless..
Frankly, I can't think of anything I want to buy at this stage of my life. 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. Oh yes, I have a good life partner, place to live and health (so far). 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 seem to spend most of my discretionary funds on travel lately (mostly tropical places). If there was some trinket I needed to buy, I would have already bought it. I guess I'm just in the "enjoy life" stage and really don't want to buy any crap at this time. I already have enough of it. I'm a bad consumer. I'm happy with what I have.
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 .
Open Source Java Web Forum with LDAP authentication
let's hear it for American Exceptionalism...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eooXNd0heM
Sent from my ENIAC
We all spend our Thanksgiving with family and friends, giving thanks, watching football, etc. and not playing into the infinitely cynical hands of the retailers. I don't give a flying fuck about what killer deal Wal-Mart is offering to 20 "lucky customers" tomorrow. I really don't. Why do you?
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?
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.
...
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.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
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??
"Somebody has to do something. It's just incredibly pathetic it has to be us."
--- Jerry Garcia
not to have to stand in the cold for hours, fight a mob, get cussed at by numerous irrational drones, guarantee that you'll come home miserable and exhausted, force a retail employee to skip Thanksgiving, and then stand in interminable check out line before going to do it again at another store? If this amount is greater than the $75 you'll save on that TV, then you should just stay home and do something you'll actually enjoy. How much is it worth to you to have a day off, to be able to read an extra book to your kids or, if you don't have any, to yourself?
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.
I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
1995 called. They want their web site design back.
"Somebody has to do something. It's just incredibly pathetic it has to be us."
--- Jerry Garcia
You are welcome on my lawn.
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.
I won't buy one until they officially add media server software. Sony's excuse for not including it is... okay, but I don't believe them until it is officially in the software.
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.
You can't spell "oneiromancy" without "roman".
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.
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 would crash pretty quickly as everyones gun safes got full. Ammo last a long time...
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.
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.
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.
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?
Only I can judge you.
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. Despite this overwhelming right wing background I consider a true patriot someone who actually tries to do good for their country rather than some flag waving blowhard. Give me a committed CNDer (for you UK folks) or a Snowden any day over a lot of the NRA morons. I work with several of the latter and know what I'm talking about. Never, ever equate a gun ownership stance with patriotism.
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".
... to win, is not to play.
You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.
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...
We boycott any store that puts up "Christmas Sale" signs before Thanksgiving.
And I don't go Christmas shopping in stores that are open on Thanksgiving.
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.
You know, you sound like the kind of high strung nut that should make to choice to not own a gun.
we dont have no black friday in europe!
what? You dont like turkey?
I'm not really impressed by these sale prices since I can usually find deals that are just as good any other day of the year. A couple of weeks ago I bought a 32" 1080p HDTV, which I am using as a monitor, for $130. I don't see any deals that good in these ads.
I wondered what amazon.co.uk were going on about.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
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.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
Not buying anything, why fight the crowds? I tried it once and there was just nothing I really wanted to buy, but it was an experience I won't forget. In fact, I'll do the same thing as last year: Absolutely nothing. I saw no one, and bought nothing. It might be the best Thanksgiving I've ever had. No running around, no madness, just me, myself and I.
I can't decide if the fact that I'm neither going shopping nor spending any time with family is a good thing or not. Please, internet, tell me what to think!
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No, just a collage image of skittles, tea, and Robitussin.
I've been wondering for awhile if anybody has been brave enough to walk in one of those parades, you know, the ones with a picture of the dead thug when he was 12 years old, carrying a Robitussin banner or sign, or waving a bottle of it.
Otherwise. I'll probably be masturbating, drinking, eating turkey, and enjoying my family.
Enjoy!
So you are just having a regulard nerd day? Nice.
I didn't replace my CRT TV until last year : )
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.
Despite how my post looks, that is absolutely not the "only" reason I boycott Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart just happened to be the first store that came to mind as putting up Christmas items in October.
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
The Best Buy deal on the original Surface pales next to the deal at Micro Center: $179.95 INCLUDING the black Touch Cover.
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.
My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
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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just use the standard one: imtheNSAletmein
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.
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.
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
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.
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
I've posted as AC because I was too lazy to log in.
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 my grandfather (or even my father, who was 6 when they got indoor plumbing in their home in the 1950s) worked to provide for their families.
The fact that your nephews are college graduates with 3 square meals a day counts for something towards "standard of living", I think.