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November 26, 2009 4:55 PM PST

Revealing Apple's 2009 Black Friday deals

by Dan Ackerman
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Update: Even though it's not quite Black Friday in the US yet, it's past midnight in some other parts of the globe. Notably, Australia and the UK have both seen their respective Apple Web sites updated to reveal Apple's one-day sale. While we can't say yet that the deals in the US will be exactly the same, there's no reason think they won't be.

On apple.com/uk, we saw a 13-inch MacBook Pro, originally £1,149, marked down to £1,078. On apple.com/au, the same unit was A$1,868, marked down from A$1,999.

Similarly, a 32GB iPod Touch is £208, marked down from £229 on the UK site, while while in Australia, it's A$358, down from A$399.

We've also examined some Black Friday deals from other retailers, click here for that. Our original post continues below:

According to purportedly leaked documents on the tech rumor site Boy Genius Report, Apple is gearing up to offer a series of post-Thanksgiving bargains on products from iPods to MacBooks.

The deal, allegedly good only on November 27, lists "up to" discounts of 30 percent on iPods (excluding the Shuffle and iPhone), 25 percent on Mac laptops and desktops, and 15-percent on accessories, software, and other hardware.

The Boy Genius Report Web site says: "One of our connects just hit us up with some intriguing Apple information. According to them, what you see detailed above is a shot of Apple's yearly Black Friday deals. It's reported to be something Apple will email out shortly."

Of course, with the vague use of "up to" and no specific products listed, we can't be sure if these will be good deals or not. But if you're interested in being the first in line to check them out, the leaked doc also says that select Apple stores will be opening at 6 a.m. on November 27.

(Credit: Boy Genius Report)

New York native Dan Ackerman, a former radio DJ turned journalist, has written about technology and music for publications including Spin, Blender, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. He hosts the weekly Digital City podcast and the New York edition of Editors' Office Hours. Dan's new album, Tales Out of Night School, is available now. E-mail Dan.
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Add a Comment (Log in or register) Showing 1 of 2 pages (47 Comments)
by karpenterskids November 17, 2009 10:49 AM PST
I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Reply to this comment
by slickuser November 17, 2009 11:26 AM PST
keyword is "upto"
by SegWayne November 18, 2009 8:11 AM PST
I'm betting that's "up to 25% off" of MSRP, which always 25% or more above real world prices...

If it's true however and there are actual good deals on machines I *will* be buying myself a new machine come Black Friday.

Wayne Hunt
SegWayne.com
by Dani210 November 18, 2009 9:20 PM PST
lol it would be funny if apple did post that pic anyways cuz they were too lazy to change it, and so those would be the deals
by applekid199521 November 26, 2009 9:40 PM PST
hey so guys i just back from the apple store in nyc.....basically any rumors you heard are not true. The mac mini is not discounted and the discounts on computers are nowhere near up to 20 percent off.....i think the most taken off was 100 buck
by SactoGuy018 November 17, 2009 10:53 AM PST
If it's 30% off on the 6.5G iPod classic 160 GB, I'm all in! :-)
Reply to this comment
by darkebinary November 17, 2009 11:01 AM PST
I love these advertising people....

Big Print: 30% of all iPods
Small Print: except these ones.......

Maybe someone needs to look "all" up in the dictionary.

It isn't just Apple either; I see stuff like this all over the place around the holidays.
Reply to this comment
by kaibelf November 17, 2009 11:20 AM PST
They are just protecting themselves from people claiming that the iPhone and Shuffle are true iPods, which they really aren't.
by ejhayes76 November 17, 2009 11:24 AM PST
Isn't the iPod Shuffle and iPod.

Its freaking name is 'IPOD Shuffle"

Apple is being sneaking once again.
by Perry_Clease November 17, 2009 11:28 AM PST
"It isn't just Apple either; I see stuff like this all over the place around the holidays."

This isn't Apple's ad, at least not yet.
by Ray180 November 17, 2009 11:30 AM PST
I agree. They shouldn't say "all iPods" unless they mean "all", regardless of any footnotes or asterisks. They could have easily said "select iPods" and been done with it. But they'd rather go for the flashy wording even though it's shady.... Booo Apple!

To the other reply.... how is the shuffle not a true iPod? It's called the "iPod shuffle" on Apple's website. However, I don't consider the iPhone to be part of the iPod line.

I'm sure the iPod Touches won't be in the 30% off category. Heck, this is probably a fake anyway so all of this is moot.
by shycelticwitch November 17, 2009 11:02 AM PST
25% off all Macs would put them almost in the same price range as competitors. I see a lot of people making that switch this holiday season. Which will convince Apple that a modest pricing adjustment will net them more market share, especially in the business sector. I just convinced a very large mortgage company to replace 152 of 160 PCs with iMacs and MacPro desktops. How did I do it? I invited them to see my smaller network (32 Macs/2PCs), and spent 2 hours showing them how easy it was to manage. Why were they even looking to change? Their Windows based server dumped 68 GB of sensitive files with no warning, and no reason. Only 7 GB was recovered. Diagnosis? Operating system error. Imagine that. Oh... and their specially developed software they used on the Windows network... was recoded for the Mac in less than 72 hours, and in such a way that it is compatible with files created in the Windows version. They are now considering switching their other 21 offices around the country, a few at a time.

Apple... sit up and take notice here... it IS a tough thing convincing people to spend all that money on something they think isn't any better than what they have now. Stop with the MS bashing commercials for a while, and SHOW these people WHY we stick by you so vehemently. And cut those prices back a little... ON EVERYTHING. But not too much... 35% of the market share should do it. We don't want to steal away EVERYTHING from MS... (especially the hackers).

Time machine is a beautiful thing.
Reply to this comment
by Vegaman_Dan November 17, 2009 11:24 AM PST
@ShyCelticWitch:

Dropping the price of a $999 entry level notebook to $750 would be about right to compete with other models on the market. The rest of the notebook and desktop line would have to drop probably a good 40% to really make price concious shoppers make that sort of leap though.

I'm curious how your accomplishment to replace your company's systems with all Macs will affect their performance. Since Apple doesn't let you service them yourself, and there are no field techs who Apple will certify for repairing the equipment, any and all hardware repairs such as HDD replacements require sending the entire unit in to the nearest service center, which means you personally have to take downtime to do it, or ship it in. In any case, you're looking at a week typically fo downtime for that unit.

With HP, Dell, Toshiba, Lenovo, etc- all those running Windows or Linux, you can get a replacement part by the next morning.

Compare those downtimes. 1 week versus 24 hours. THAT is a very strong reason why Apple isn't in the enterprise market. Will your company be happy with the increased downtime and production loss as a result? Only time will tell. That's just a hard drive replacement, which all computers face issues with. You can't get around that by just slapping an Apple label on it and hope it lives longer.

You're right that Apple would benefit from advertising what their product CAN do as opposed to attacking the competitor. Even Verizon / Droid picked up on that and just promotes what their phone OS can do that the iPhone cannot.

You have stated in the past you weren't biased in any way and didn't promote Apple in particular. Your comments here would suggest otherwise.

Time Machine is pretty neat. Time Capsule, on the hand, is a Time Bomb. :/
by KillersDad November 17, 2009 11:46 AM PST
@Vegaman_Dan

Not sure about your assertions.

I can name 3 Apple Authorized Service Centers within 8 miles of my home that can get Apple Parts overnight for repairs to my machines. One of these centers has a tech who immediately benches my MacBook when I walk in and gets the parts needed ordered within 1 hour of my arrival. I'm never down 24 hours.

I've not had an issue with my last 3 PowerBooks and MacBooks, but they still offer GREAT SERVICE around the corner.
by Renegade Knight November 17, 2009 12:44 PM PST
MS does seem to have an amazing ablity to scramble data files at random. I've lost months of work (and though a dumb mistake on my part killed my back up) thanks to OS errors. Unfortunatly the Mac solution takes more time to get going and then it's less workable for my needs because of incompatabilites.
by Renegade Knight November 17, 2009 12:45 PM PST
MS does seem to have an amazing ablity to scramble data files at random. I've lost months of work (and though a dumb mistake on my part killed my back up) thanks to OS errors. Unfortunatly the Mac solution takes more time to get going and then it's less workable for my needs because of incompatabilites.

I agree 25% puts them in striking distance of the Windows computers that have the same quality as Apple. The Mac tax exists but it's not like 1987 anymore.
by shycelticwitch November 17, 2009 1:30 PM PST
@ VegemiteSandwichDan.... I defer to KillersDad... it is just as easy to get "parts" for the Mac as it is any other PC. If you "think" otherwise, then you're misinformed. As for servicing them, I gotta chuckle at your comments. Considering that they might have one or two systems out of 152 that need service in a year's time, I hardly think it will put a dent in the 35% productivity increase they've enjoyed since the switch. Your insistence that Macs are slower and more problematic tells me that you haven't spent anywhere near as much time using them as you claim.

There is a difference between bias and "preference". I use what works best for me, and like many others I have found a way to make Macs just as productive in the workplace. If that bothers you, I am sorry, but I will continue to educate others in this matter. With this mortgage company as a model, I expect it will get easier as time goes on.

AND NO DAN... the mortgage company belongs to a client, I still own my design co-op, as it says in my profile, which I updated JUST FOR YOU since you can't seem to remember facts. LOL
by lazycat202 November 17, 2009 2:37 PM PST
if my video card goes dead:
30 mins to MicroCenter
30 mins get back home
30 mins to replace video card.

happy life!
by lazycat202 November 17, 2009 5:07 PM PST
shycelticwitch

very impressive! i can't imagine whole enterprise is switching from Win to MacOS without any issues at all. Moreover, IT departments don't need any kind of trainings. Very impressive!
I'm thinking to recode all of my networking tools to Mac compatible and hire above IT guys to run my hospitality (hotels chain) networks. Psttt!
If you lost files, It's YOUR FAULT and YOUR FAULT only. Don't blame on other things: OS, hardware, software stuffs. It's not going to work.
by shycelticwitch November 18, 2009 6:58 AM PST
LOL @ LazyCat. Don't knock it til you've actually done it. I never said "no issues." I never said IT wasn't necessary. On my network, no. I can manage the small issues that do arise myself. On their network, with that many machines, YES. But they only need ONE Mac IT person, and that person has spent most of his time so far upgrading to new printers and adding them on their network. His actual time spent troubleshooting systems or network is about 20%. The business in question is NOT my business, it belongs to one of my design clients. THEY are the ones who lost files, and THEY had the MS IT guys (9 of them for 160 PCs ***?). Those are the MS wonderboys who claim that that the OS lost their data.

Every comment you make further reserves your place in the Hall of Flame.
by shycelticwitch November 18, 2009 7:01 AM PST
PS... Video card goes out (has never happened to me yet)

1. Go to Best Buy
2. Buy new card
3. Install and continue working.

You got me beat on time, it's a 40 minute round trip to Best Buy.

Any other monumental claims you want to make?
by stickfu November 19, 2009 5:24 AM PST
@shy
Don`t mind lazycat he`s just trolling for attention thats all
See more comment replies
by Dust_Puppy November 17, 2009 11:11 AM PST
Oh kay fanboi, down there. Find another laptop with a P7550 processor and a cheaper price and buy it. I know, I've been trying to.

It's phony. Whether wishful thinking or malicious joke, this is BS. The mainstream and fringe media already picked this up and debunked it:
1) Poor photochop --- most of the ad is polished and the banner at the left looks like, well, I did it.
2) Last year's BF ads were abysmal with apple
3) This year's BF ads are really sparse from most vendors
4) iPods are *NEVER* 30% off

I'm with *EVERYONE* for wishing it's true (so much so I'm not going to pull the trigger on a laptop until black friday) . . . but when T6600 laptops aren't dipping much under $600, I don't see a P7550 going for $750 in a non-Apple brand, let alone Apple.
Reply to this comment
by Chapmaniac November 17, 2009 12:48 PM PST
LOL! An Apple discount! You guys are killing me!
Reply to this comment
by lovembbw November 17, 2009 12:57 PM PST
DON?T YOU SEE?!

Apple is selling the store in prep for The Tablet!

Makes sense, right? There will no longer be any laptops or desktops because The Tablet will do it all.

It will also be your phone, your TV, your game console, your secret lover. ?Oh, that?s it. Lift your browser. Show me your apps. It?s okay, I wont hurt you. Me big American man.?

Who is the numbskull putting this out? Here, try faking this (it?ll be an easier sell): French government confirms: ?We have decided to be pro-active and are bravely surrendering preemptively to Iran and anyone else with a sharpened stick.?
Reply to this comment
by joodi3k November 17, 2009 1:19 PM PST
The "In-Store Gift Wrapping" is the tell.
Reply to this comment
by jfalsken November 17, 2009 3:02 PM PST
Even with those discounts They are over rated and over priced!
Reply to this comment
by TechnoMan475392 November 26, 2009 7:30 PM PST
Actually, the iMacs are a great deal. Not even a fanboy!
Find a computer with equal specs and comes with a 27 inch 2560x1440 monitor or 21.5 inch 1080p monitor with a wireless keyboard and mouse.
by kevinchen22 November 17, 2009 6:15 PM PST
Easily faked. And I think it could be, because the ribbon is not straight, and Apple would want it to be straight. Just look at their latest e-mail promo for the MBP. Plus, the font smoothing isn?t quite right. Not the same algorithm Apple uses.
Reply to this comment
by kevinchen22 November 17, 2009 6:21 PM PST
Easily faked. And I think it could be, because the ribbon is not straight, and Apple would want it to be straight. Just look at their latest e-mail promo for the MBP. Plus, the font smoothing isn?t quite right. Not the same algorithm Apple uses.

To add to the insult:
And the asterisk at the bottom right has a space after it, and the AM in 6 AM should not be superscripted, and ?In-store gift-wrapping available!? doesn?t sound very Apple-like, and there is no tagline.
Reply to this comment
by alnuwaysir November 18, 2009 3:41 AM PST
What about mac book pro, Also what about education price
Reply to this comment
by pricef November 18, 2009 4:27 AM PST
Tell me about Apples AirPort Express and all the other Wi Fi bits for home net-works, Thanks, pricefw
Reply to this comment
by Alegoo92 November 18, 2009 6:03 AM PST
This isn't a real Apple ad, I've seen that swirling apple logo as a desktop background before. :-/

Apple's Black Friday deals are never impressive anyway.
Reply to this comment
by RealityOncall November 18, 2009 7:16 AM PST
This looks rather fishy to me, not designed like most other Apple ads.
Reply to this comment
by Mr.Whippy November 18, 2009 3:19 PM PST
25% off an iMac???? Do they ship overseas.
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by Mr.Whippy November 18, 2009 3:27 PM PST
lovmbbw... Blind people still need keyboards. Yes they do use computers too. I remember a Stevie Wonder interview (probably on the Tube somewhere) and he was saying yes the iPhone might be great but there is no way a blind person can enjoy it. I'm not saying the tablet isn't coming (just a bigger ipod/phone) but keyboards will still be around for a while, at least until they can workout tactile feedback or whatever on the touch screens.
Reply to this comment
by SkateNY November 18, 2009 11:07 PM PST
Take a reality check.

With or without the discount, Apple has demonstrated such a strong brand recognition, that they have nothing to worry about regarding their holiday sales.

If nothing else, the possibility will bring even more people to the hugely successful Apple stores.
Reply to this comment
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by dakim211 November 22, 2009 4:20 PM PST
This ad is not correct because it says "select stores open at 6am" I have recently called my local Apple store to inquire about Black Friday. They told me that they actually open at 7 AM. So I just wanted to point that out!
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