Be prepared for Black Friday tech deals

Although Cyber Monday--a big online-shopping day on the Monday following Thanksgiving--has caused some of Black Friday's appeal to slip, it's still a big day for deal-seekers.

But with the shopping day three weeks away, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm talking about it already. Well, the ads are already starting to emerge. And it's time to start figuring out where you want go and what you want to get. Use these resources to help you do just that.

Track Black Friday

Black Friday Ads Black Friday Ads features all the latest updates on Black Friday deals. The site also features buying guides and shopping lists for those who want a little more than deal-seeking.

So far, Black Friday Ads doesn't have many ads to look at. That said, you can check out details on becoming a Best Buy VIP or see what kind of deals Sears plans to offer on Black Friday. Where Black Friday Ads shines is with all the extras. You can discuss hot deals with others in its message boards, find discounts the site might have missed, and more. Keep this site on your radar when you get ready to buy on Black Friday.

Black Friday Ads updates you on all the latest ads.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Black Friday Black Friday features one of the most user-friendly designs of any site in this roundup. It makes it quick and easy to find what you're looking for.

Black Friday lists all the best deals from several well-known retailers. Simply click on one of the stores' names in the right sidebar and you can see its respective Black Friday ad. When you find an ad you want to search though, I think you'll like what you find. The site lists all the deals by department. Simply scroll to the category you're looking for to find the deals you care about. Next to those items, you'll see a "plus" icon. When you click that, you can add it to your shopping list on the site. I found that it's a great way to keep track of items. I really liked Black Friday. Try it out.

Add the product you want to your shopping list.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Black Friday.fm If you're looking for Black Friday ads, you'll find them on Black Friday.fm. But I've found that the site's best value comes from its news section.

Black Friday.fm features some of the most up-to-date news of any site in this roundup. It provides stories on topics ranging from ads that popped up on the Web and were later taken down to Black Friday predictions. I found that many of the stories also had comments, which included even more detailed information. BlackFriday.fm also has ads, but its news is what adds the most value to the site..

Black Friday.fm features some great news for Black Friday

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

BlackFriday.info BlackFriday.info is another site with a great design, making it quite easy to find whatever you might be looking for.

When you get to BlackFriday.info, you'll find that it features some of the most up-to-date information on Black Friday deals of any site in this roundup. The site has several deals, but you'll also find some news on Black Friday-related items. BlackFriday.info even has a Facebook Fan page, so you can check out some of the latest updates on the popular social network. I really liked BlackFriday.info. It doesn't have all the extras like some of the other sites in this roundup, but the information it does provide is top-notch.

BlackFriday.info has a great design to find deals.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

DealTaker DealTaker has one of the best Black Friday pages in this roundup. It makes it easy to find all the current ads. The site also provides coupons and information on special deals for you to check out while you're waiting for Black Friday.

I was really impressed by DealTaker. The site is designed well. So far, it has more ads than the majority of the services in this roundup. When you click on one of those ads, the service usually links to the item that's going to be offered for sale. It's a nice feature that many of the other services don't offer. I was also quite happy to see that DealTaker features coupons. It might seem like an ancillary feature, but it adds a lot of value to the site.

DealTaker shows off all the best deals in different ads.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

GottaDeal GottaDeal's Black Friday page won't provide the most information in this roundup, but like Black Friday.fm, it's a great place to find news content about Black Friday and all the relevant events.

When I got to GottaDeal's Black Friday page, I was happy to see all the different product categories displayed to the left of the content. When you click on the department you care about, all the deals related to that category are displayed. The site lists everything from desktops to video games. If you want to find some other deals that the site's owners might have missed, you might want to check out its message boards. There's a lot of great content there. Check it out.

Gotta Deal's Black Friday page shows deals by category.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

My top 3

1. Black Friday: With so many nice features, Black Friday should top your list this holiday season.

2. BlackFriday.info: Featuring some of the best content in this roundup, BlackFriday.info is a close second to Black Friday.

3. DealTaker: I was really happy with DealTaker's features. It makes finding deals quick and easy.

[cbscowards]

A few years ago I got up at 3:30AM to get to Best Buy @ 4:00 for their 6:00 opening. The parking lot was mostly dark when I arrived and I could see a short line of people near the door and a security light. As I walked to the end of the line, I realized the the line continued into the dark. I followed it to the end, and then started to estimate the number of people in front of me. After some rough counting, I guessed it was at least 500.

So you guys can have my spot in the line. I'm sleeping in. It's just not worth it for a hundred bucks or two.

[BigGuns149]

Obviously the length of lines vary depending upon the weather and the degree of interest in the ad items, but you are right that generally speaking that most black friday ads aren't worth the wait.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Black...Taco ! At Taco Bell.

[Mr_fleabite]

You could hand those out to everyone in front of you so they all get IBS, 15 minutes and you are at the front of the line.

[oracle2b]

I need A media center this thanksgiving. I hope the deals are good because last years sucked compared to 2007. I'll be doing all my shopping online for black friday e-retailers and cyber monday. I saw a guy die last year at walmart, I almost got trampled to death. It was by far the closest I've been to death so I guess the most tramatic moment in my life.

[jaguar717]

If the most "tramatic" moment in your life, and the closest you've been to death, was a holiday shopping experience, you must live a very sheltered life.

[oracle2b]

Hundreds of people pushing from behind, broken glass from dismantled doors under your feet making it difficult not to slip and fall under the waiting footsteps of crazed shoppers isn't a joke. It was utter chaos, after I got in safely I couldn't wait to get the hell out. I felt a sensation in my chest that I find difficult to describe, I could barely breath when I made it outside. The store was closed for other shoppers, police were everywhere because it was now a murder scene I think. I will never forget the screams of those middle aged women crying out that they couldn't breath because of the sheer amount of people pressed up against one another. By your standards I may lead a sheltered life because I've been able to keep all my blood inside my body and have never broken a bone. I've seen faces of death videos but nothing can compare to actually being in a dangerous environment.

[BigGuns149]

If you thought that Black Friday 2007 was great, you would have been blown away by 2006. I found 2007 honestly pretty underwhelming.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Frys 1TB SATA 300 HDD 32MB buffer...$59.99 right now !

[BigGuns149]

They were running an ad for 1.5TB drive for $79. There are plenty of deals to be had without waiting outside for 5-12 hours in a parking lot.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Windows 7 Home Premium OEM...Full version...no previous Windows needed $109

[HelpWanted-]

Where and when? Really want Windows 7, hoping they changed more than just the looked.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Right now...this is an everyday price.

[quixy]

I am considering heading down from Canada for these sales (it's slightly after my 21st birthday, too) and of course won'e be able to get the deals online. The amount of ppl sounds rather unnerving, but at least I can check the deals out at those sites before going.

Canadian Boxing Day is always a fun sale time, and they just started posting it online Xmas Eve the past year or so.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Isn`t Canadian Dollar almost equal with US Dollar now ?

Canadian Boxing Day is a fun experience (I'm from Canada), compared to what you guys say about American Black Friday, Canadian Boxing Day sounds like a tea party. Everything is under control at the stores. At the big box stores like Future Shop(Best Buy of Canada) and Best Buy, there is only a limited amount of people allowed inside at a time. There are lines, but they are not as long as you say there are in the US. If your there at 4am, you'll probably get what you want. However, I find the deals in Black Friday in the US much better than the ones in Canadian Boxing Day.

[lazycat202]

wish item: slim digital camera, 12MP and up. online deal. i hate to stay in the cold wit longgg line.

[alexacker]

Anyone who waits in line is a complete loser. I'd rather spend time 1-2-3-4 hours with my family instead. After all, isn't that what really matters? All gifts can be purchased online and delivered within 2 days (thank goodness for Amazon prime!).

Also, Don, thanks for reminding us that the holidays is about lining for 4 hours to save $50 on usually POS items. Don't you have anything else to write about? Guess not...

[Mr_fleabite]

The author is writing about a topic that obviously many people are interested in. When you improve your grammar and become his editor you can reject his writing.

[linpont]

Well I resent that comment as this is a family tradition. My family is made up of very successful business owners. I think you r a loser to even say such a thing.

[alexacker]

linpoint:

Granted, 'losers' may be a harsh word. If the deal is great, I guess it's worth the hassle. It just irritates me that writers "ring the bell" so early that we all need to be out shopping like freaks for what, really?

[Dan7637]

how can you call these people losers, for some this is a family thing

besides i bet you are the same people that say "in this economy" then you say something f***ing stupid like that

[alexacker]

Dan, I don't know what your point is.

Granted, 'losers' may be a harsh word. If the deal is great, I guess it's worth the hassle. It just irritates me that writers "ring the bell" so early that we all need to be out shopping like freaks for what, really?

[alexacker]

mr. fleabite: Obviously you're one of those people with nothing better to do in life but correct people and wait in line. I bet you're life of the party!

How's my grammar now?

[Proud_Geek]

Waiting 4-5 hours in line is totally not worth the "savings" for me, especially since I don't "need" yet another gadget. Also, my hourly rate for software development is MUCH more than whatever savings I'd get. Like someone else said, I'd rather spend that time in bed with my wife, baby, or at the gym pumping iron. Last but not least, is it REALLY worth putting your life at risk, just to get into the damn store?

I like a good deal like anyone else, but let's put things in perspective, people... there's a recession going on, and excessive materialism is what got us in trouble the first time.

[theusblues]

In addition to the sites mentioned above, I also like using price alert sites to find deals. I've already made a list of the gifts i'm buying for my family at ZingSale.com, and now i get an email when any of them go on sale.

http://www.zingsale.com

[douggdangger]

I went to a black friday sale at Fry's 3 years ago. Worst mistake. The line looped around the store. You couldn't move since there were people everywhere.

Most people didn't even bother to shower or use mouth wash. You'd be lucky if you didn't pass out from the stench of people's breathes. If you want a big item, you better hope you can carry it because there is no room to push a cart.

Alot of their employees also gave inside information to their relatives on where certain items in the store were. I bought a car stereo for $80 on black friday only to find the same model on sale a week later for $70!

It's not worth it.

[Senrabe]

I worked in Sears Brand Central Electronics for 3 years. It was a madhouse. Loved the paycheck though! However, the better deals come the closer it gets to Christmas, especially if sales are slumping.

[apuesto1]

Ooooh Ooh! Hurry up and stand in lines, pushy, stinky, obnoxious people that are maxxing out their plastic for substandard 'deals'. NOT
You all have fun like the cattle they groom you to be - I'll buy what i NEED when I get the urge and i'll do it at my convenience

[easytolove23]

BEST BUY

PEOPLE BECARFULL FROM BEST BUY IF YOU DONT HAVE CASH DONT BUY FROM THEM.IF THE PC OR CAMERA IS WORTH 1000 YOU WILL END UP PAYING 4000
AGAIN BECAR FULL OF BEST BUY

[elsie72377]

I waited overnight for a laptop one time, because I was a student and could not afford an expensive computer. I got a really nice Toshiba laptop for $250. The original price was like $1200. That was 5 years ago. It is still working just fine. The overnight wait was worth every minute.

[ofanoyi]

just be prepared.


There is a war coming....

[jaywire123]

The history of black friday is commonly known as the busiest shopping day of the year. But alot of people do not know the true origin and history of balck friday. It's commonly known as an accounting term, "going into the black". The busy shopping day would make up for the entire loss of a retailer, taking them out of the red and into the black. It can also be known as black friday by retail employees because the day is not looked forward to by employees. For more information, check out

http://www.blackfridayhistory.com

[jetiste]

I find the rampant consumerism displayed during these "holiday" sales, quite disgusting. People pushing and running like cattle in order to spend money on items that likely will be forgotten after the holiday season. I have never and will never participate in these Black Friday or any other day lineups. I guess I was brought up with better values than these bargain hogs.

Enjoy your sweaty, cramped and potentially dangerous time sinks, for the rest of us who have decorum and class we will be sitting back watching the mayhem on the 6 o'clock news. Hopefully this year no one dies.