Looking for a netbook deal on Black Friday? There aren’t many going around this year, and only one of them is what I’d call decent.

Before you get up early (or stay up late) to get a low-price netbook, know which deals are worth the effort.

I’ve combed the Black Friday deals to find the best and worst. But before the big day comes, be sure to search the web to see if the netbook you want can’t be found at or close to these “deal” prices already.

Also, be sure to check out our Black Friday Notebook Deals as well.

Acer Aspire One (AOD255E)

$157 @ Target | $199 Fred Meyer

This is a basic 10.1-inc netbook from Acer. It’s pretty solid, but with a single-core Atom CPU, it’s not going to be a work horse. This deal is decent since it’s $279 new. It would make a good laptop for a kid or someone who wants a secondary laptop for basic tasks.

Gateway LT2802U

$149 @ BestBuy

Don’t bother getting up early for this one. Though the price is low, you can get this netbook online for just a bit more right now.

Samsung Series 3

$499 @ Staples

This 11.6 affordable ultraportable is a decent laptop, but you can get this for less on Amazon right now.

Sylvania 7-inch Netbook / Android Netbook / Smartbook

$74 @ Toys R Us | $79 @ Kmart | $79 @ Sears | $99 @ Hastings

Just as with tablets, you should seriously run away when you see a Sylvania netbook/smartbook in every incarnation you find it. Yes, it’s very inexpensive, but it’s also cheap and crap and it will likely break after a short time. It’s not worth even the small amount you pay for it.

Black Friday Netbook Deals is a post by K. T. Bradford from Notebooks.com.

To celebrate Black Friday we’re giving several hot Black Friday items. One of the hottest games of the holiday season is Call of Duty: Black Ops and we’re giving away a copy for you to play on your XBOX 360, PS3, Nintendo Wii or PC. A free copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops sure beats any other Black Friday price on this first person shooter.

Call of Duty: Black Ops has an MSRP of $59.99.

If you’re not familiar with the Call of Duty: Black Ops, please take a look at this trailer before buying it for your younger loved ones. It’s rated M for mature for a reason. The game is extremely violent, foul language is scattered in just about every scene and your character’s tasked to kill people in just about every corner of the world. While you might want young kids playing Call of Duty: Black Ops because of this kind of content, this is exactly what draws teens and adults to this game.

Call of Duty: Black Ops follows the story of a special forces fighter as he conducts covert missons during the Vietnam War era. The campaign mode is a bit more strategic than previous installations of the Call of Duty franchise. Rather than simply blasting everything that moves, Call of Duty: Black Ops requires you to sneak around and get crafty.

Many gamers couldn’t care less about Call of Duty: Black Op’s campaign mode. Instead, they simply want to jump online and play in multi-player mode. The game has multi-player maps of all sizes and something for everyone. Gamers can customize their characters like never before. You can spend a good amount of time changing out uniforms and customizing your weapons.

How to Win Call of Duty Black Ops

If you’ve read this far that probably means you’d like to win a copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops for yourself or a loved one. Entering to win is easy, just answer the below questions in the comments section below. You must answer all three questions in the comments if you want to be entered to win a copy Call of Duty: Black Ops.

1. Which gaming system would you play Call of Duty: Black Ops on if you won this giveaway?

(we need to know so we can send you the right version)

2. Why do you prefer gaming on the PS3/XBOX 360/Wii/PC?

3.  Besides Call of Duty: Black Ops, which game  is the BEST game out there that’s on your Christmas wish list? What makes it so great?

Only one entry per person is allowed. This giveaway is only open to U.S. residents aged 18 and over, where allowed by local regulations. Multiple entries will be disqualified. We’ll pick a random winner via Random.org next Friday, December 3, 2010.

Visit Notebooks.com’s Black Friday page to learn more about shopping for gadgets on Black Friday and throughout the holiday season.

Good luck!

Giveaway: Call of Duty Black Ops is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

Black Friday is in full swing and we want to hear about your experience- good, bad and ugly. One lucky reader will win a brand new 32GB iPod Touch. Read on for details!

The new Appel iPod Touch is one of the most wished for item this holiday season. Many call the iPod Touch the ‘iPhone without the phone,’ which is largely an accurate statement. The iPod Touch comes loaded with iOS4.2, the same software that runs the iPhone 4. The iPod Touch can run virtually all of the same apps as the iPhone and now features Facetime, allowing for free video calling to others with iOS4 devices or Macs with Facetime Beta installed.

If you’ve read this far, you probably know what the iPod Touch is and you probably want one for yourself or a loved one. The 8GB iPod Touch starts at $229, but is on sale for a few bucks less on Black Friday.  But we want you to be able to stretch out a bit and record and download a bunch of HD video. That’s why we’re offering up a 32GB iPod Touch, which retails for $299.

Here’s how to win the 32GB iPod Touch Black Friday Giveaway:

To be honest, we’d rather keep the iPod Touch for ourselves. But since we’re pretty lucky and have a ton of gadgets at our disposal, we figured we might as well get in the holiday spirit and give it to one of you.

All you have to do to win this deal is leave a comment and/or tell your friends about the giveaway on Twitter and Facebook.

Each legit entry will be assigned a number and we’ll choose one via Random.org.

Each participant has three chances to enter and will receive one entry number for each section they complete below:

1) Simply leave a comment in the comments section below and tell us about your Black Friday shopping experience.

-Did you buy any gadgets on Black Friday? Which ones and from where?

-Few people have enough cash these days to buy all the gadgets they want. What are the top three items Black Friday deals you wish you could’ve taken advantage of? Be specific and include a link to the Black Friday deal description on Notebooks.com or the retailer’s site. If you need ideas, visit our Black Friday page or hover over the green Black Friday tab at the top-left of this page.

-Did you buy online or go shopping at a retail store? Which store(s) or site(s)?

2) Tell your friends about this giveaway on Twitter. Simply click on the Twiitter logo on the upper-left hand side of this page, visit Twitter.com or use your favorite twitter app. Send out the following message and we’ll see it automatically:

“I just entered to win an iPod Touch from @notebookscom at http://notebooks.com/winipodbf to celebrate Black Friday #nbbfipod”

We’d love to have you follow us at @notebookscom on Twitter.

3) For a third entry, Like Notebooks.com on Facebook. If you already follow Notebooks.com you’ll automatically be entered to win the iPod touch.

We’ll pick a winner on Friday, Dec. 3 and notify the winner by email and/or via the method of entry, so keep an eye on your DM’s, Facebook inbox and the below comments section. You must be 18 or older to enter and we will not accept entries from where it’s prohibited by law. This giveaway is only open to U.S. residents.

Update: Thank you for entering. The winner has been notified via email.

Giveaway: Win an Apple iPod Touch from Notebooks.com! is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

Best Buy has some great deals for Black Friday, but they’ll be impossible to get if you’re not already in line. Best Buy’s doors open at 5am local time, but people have been lining up all day long, and in some cases well before then. One family began camping out for Best Buy’s Black Friday deals nine days ago.

All of Best Buy’s doorbuster deals are limited to the quantities on hand. In many cases, Best Buy guarantees a minimum quantity of each Black Friday deal units at each store. Busier stores are often allocated more than the minimum quoted in the Best Buy Black Friday advertisements, but that’s still not enough to satisfy more than the first several dozen customers in line. Many Best Buy stores, such as the main San Francisco Best Buy, already have several hundred shoppers lined up around the block. Unfortunately, that means several hundred people are out in the cold for both the night and the best deals.

Best Buy stores and their attached warehouses are stuffed to the brim with inventory, packing literally hundreds of some popular items into the store aisles. Those items will be relatively easy to buy with modest Black Friday discounts. There’s genereally no need to camp out in a freezing Best Buy parking lot to get those deals however. In many cases, these deals are readily available on BestBuy.com, Amazon.com and other online retailers.

We’ve heard countless stories of Black Friday shoppers being frustrated at not getting the advertised deals. In some cases, even those towards the head of the lines miss out. Some shoppers have accused Best Buy stores of not actually having the minimum advertised quantities of the Black Friday doorbuster deals. In a few cases, Best Buy employees have violated store policies to hoard the deals for themselves, friends and relatives.

For a full list of Black Friday Best Buy deals visit this page. Or you can visit our Black Friday deals and guides page.

Best Buy Black Friday: If You’re Not in Line Already You Can Forget About the Doorbusters is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

Best Buy will be having a quite a few doorbusters tomorrow morning at 5AM for Black Friday. We have covered some of the larger items such as the Nintendo Wii, but we have also taken the time to compile a complete list of all of Best Buy’s doorbusters.

Most of the deals are limited to one per customer with no rainchecks. Also, every item except for the video games, movies, and tv series are only available with a ticket obtained at the door. So if you are looking to score some of these deals, you may want to head out early. On second thought, you may already be too late.

Televisions/Accessories

• Samsung 32″ Class LCD HDTV and Nintendo Wii Console Bundle – $399.99
• Panasonic – VIERA / 50″ Class / 1080p / 600Hz / Plasma HDTV – $699.99
• Toshiba – Blu-ray Disc Player – $59.99

Laptops

• Toshiba – Satellite Laptop / AMD V-Series Processor / 15.6″ Display / 3GB Memory / 320GB Hard Drive – Black – $189.99
• Sony VAIO Laptop with 3GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive and Intel Pentium Dual-Core Processor – $399.99
• Sony VAIO Laptop with Built-In Blu-Ray Player , “The Karate Kid” Blu-ray Disc, Laptop Bag & Antivirus Software Package – $499.99

Other Electronics

• NOOK Wi-Fi eReader by Barnes & Noble – $99.99
• Samsung Fascinate Mobile Phone – Black or White (Verizon Wireless) – Free
• Insignia™ – 10.0-Megapixel Digital Camera – $59.99

Video Games/Game Consoles

• Nintendo Wii Console (Black or White) with Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort and Wii Remote Plus – $169.99
• Madden NFL 11 – Xbox 360/PS3 – $34.99
• NHL 11 – Xbox 360/PS3 – $34.99
• NCAA Football 11 – Xbox 360/PS3 – $34.99
• FIFA Soccer 11 – Xbox 360/PS3 – $34.99
• Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Limited Edition – Xbox 360/PS3 – $34.99
• The Sims 3 – Xbox 360/PS3 – $34.99
• Medal Of Honor – Xbox 360/PS3 – $34.99
• EA SPORTS MMA – Xbox 360/PS3 – $34.99

Movies/TV Shows

• Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – Blu-ray Disc – $9.99
• Predators – Blu-ray Disc Plus Digital Copy – $9.99
• Predators – DVD – $9.99
• Saving Private Ryan – Blu-ray Disc – $9.99
• Smallville Seasons 1-9 – $9.99 each season

Appliances

• LG Laundry Pair – $999.98

Looking to get ahold of doorbusters at other retailers tomorrow morning? Check out our guide to when stores will be opening their doors.

Best Buy Black Friday Doorbusters (Black Friday 2010) is a post by Carter Sprunger from Notebooks.com.

Black Friday iPod deals are finally available for purchase online at Best Buy. These deals are some of the best we have seen during Black Friday and best of all you can buy these Black Friday iPod deals online without spending all day in line.

These iPod deals are for sale at normal price, except the iPod Nano which is $10 off, but they come with a Best Buy gift card to sweeten the deal up to $50. You can score these Black Friday/ThanksGiving Day iPod deals online right now.

iPod Nano 8GB – $10 OFF – $139.95 at Best Buy plus Free Shipping: This new iPod Nano 8GB is the best deal we have seen for an online Black Friday deal. You can pick up the same size iPod Nano from Radio Shack in store with a $15 Radio Shack gift card, but the time you have to spend in store won’t be worth the extra $5. This deal is valid until November 27th.

iPod Nano Video Demo:

iPod Touch 8GB – $30 Gift Card – $229 at Best Buy plus Free Shipping: This entry level iPod Touch is the new iPod Touch 4th Gen, which provides access to all types of apps, including over 200 which are on sale during Black Friday. If you need to find an iPod Touch before Christmas, this is the deal you need to get right now.

iPod Touch 32GB – $40 Gift Card – $299 at Best Buy plus Free Shipping: For users with more storage needs, check out the 32GB iPod Touch which comes with a $40 Best Buy Gift card. Other stores are offering the iPod Touch with a $50 gift card, but you’ll have to wait in line. Again, your time is likely worth more than the extra $10 in savings. If you can afford the upgrade, jump up to this Black Friday iPod deal instead of the 32GB iPod Touch.

iPod Touch 64GB – $50 Gift Card – $399 at Best Buy plus Free Shipping: The most expensive 64GB iPod Touch is available form Best Buy with a $50 gift card online right now. This is a great deal and one of the few Black Friday iPod deals we have seen on the 64GB model which is well suited for users with huge music or video collections.

iPod Touch Video Demo:

Online Black Friday iPod Deals: $30, $40 or $50 Gift Card with iPod Touch, Nano Purchases at Best Buy is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Apple has finally listed some of its Black Friday deals over at Apple.com. The company is taking $101 off many of their Macs including the new MacBook Air.

The MacBook Air cited on the teaser page at Apple is the 13.3″ MacBook Air with 128GB of SSD storage and 2GB of RAM. This is a good deal, probably one of the best prices you will see on this new laptop on Black Friday. The MacBook Air has been reviewed both here at Notebooks.com and our sister site Gottabemobile, receiving high praise. Below is our video review:

The MacBook Air has an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, which may seem like a real speed bottleneck. However, the fast 128GB SSD more than makes up for it. Below is a demo of just how fast this computer boots:

The excellent display and keyboard make this a delight to type on, view video, and use for general tasks.

The MacBook Air is not perfect. The limitations of storage and lack of an optical drive will be a hindrance for some. However, the excellent battery life makes the MacBook Air the perfect travel companion.

Apple has a series of videos that include the TV ads, info about the MacBook Air and other related content.

Be sure to check out our excellent MacBook buyers guide to be sure if this is the Apple Notebook for you. If you do go with this one then we think you will enjoy your purchase or if it is a gift, the recipient will be excited about your choice.

Black Friday Deal: Apple MacBook Air $101 Off is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

Apple has finally listed some of its Black Friday deals at Apple.com. Apple is taking $101 off many Macs for Black Friday, including the 13″ MacBook Pro.

The entry-level 13″ MacBook Pro, which has a glossy screen, 4GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, a backlit keyboard, a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and a DVD burner. The MacBook Pro has a whopping 10 hours of battery life. Unlike other laptop manufacturers, Apple’s battery life estimates are often quite accurate.

If you are having a difficult time deciding between the MacBook Pro and the entry-level 13″ MacBook Air, you should understand the trade-offs of each.  The MacBook Air is much lighter and portable. The MacBook Air has a much faster drive, but it only has a 128GB capacity, about half the capacity. Also the battery life is a little bit longer on the MacBook Pro. The MacBook Air has less ports and doesn’t come with a DVD drive.

We have a full MacBook Black Friday buyers guide ready to help you make your choice. And here is a video review from MacMall:

For other Apple Black Friday deals, check out our roundup. There are deals listed from other stores as well.

Black Friday: Apple MacBook Pro $101 Off is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

Earlier we wrote a brief article about why you might want to avoid buying the Apple iPad on Black Friday. In this article we’ll take a look at five reasons you should buy an iPad on Black Friday. The Apple iPad is selling faster than any other new gadget in history. If you’re thinking about buying an iPad, it may be time to pull the trigger.

Apple will be discounting the Apple iPad by about $50 starting on Black Friday.

Before you head out to buy the iPad or any other Apple product on Black Friday you should check out our Apple Black Friday resource center.

1. Apple’s iOS 4.2 Mobile Operating System

Apple just released iOS4.2, its latest version of the mobile operating system (the software that serves as the foundation for the iPad’s functionality and apps). iOS4.2 has a host of new features that brings the somewhat stale iOS3 iPad experience back on par with the iPhone’s experience. The new interface allows for folders, Airplay and over 100 other new features.

2. Great for Travelling

In the previous article, we recommended waiting for the second generation iPad if possible. But that doesn’t you much good if you’re hoping to take the iPad on a long trip to the in-law’s. The iPad’s 10 hour battery makes it one of the best devices to travel with. You can watch five or six movies on a single battery charge, which is simply incredible. Doing even half that is impossible on most laptops. It’s also compact enough to tote anywhere, but powerful enough to serve as a basic computing device for a few days. Many iPad users ditch their laptops at home for cross-country flights.

3. KIds Love It

According to a recent survey, about a third of all children are wishing for an iPad in the next few months. Whether you give the iPad to a kid or their parents for Christmas, you’ll be their favorite uncle for years to come. Even if you buy the iPad for yourself on Black Friday, you’ll be mister popular as your nieces and nephews will get to play with it when they come visit you. There are some excellent entertainment and education apps and games for kids. You can of course also rent recent movies, cartoons and TV shows.

4. Pairs Well with the Apple TV

If you have a new Apple TV, or are planning on buying one, you’ll be able to use AirPlay on the iPad to send movies, photos and music to your HDTV. You could do the same with an iPhone, but the iPad has a far superior battery life and you don’t have to shuffle between phone calls and enjoying your multimedia content. You can also just leave the iPad in the living room, while people usually bring their iPhones wherever they go. With the iPad, your family can finish a movie, even if you need to run to the store for candy and popcorn.

5. Great Resale Value

We’re pretty certain that we’ll see a new and improved Apple iPad within the next couple of months, making the first generation iPad obsolete. While the smart thing to do, at least financially, would be to just wait for the new iPad there is an alternative. You can sell it to a friend, family member or stranger on a site like eBay or Craigslist. You can also sell it to a reputable gadget buying service like Gazelle.com, which is currently offering $289 for a 16GB iPad. That means someone who bought an iPad when it originally launched would get almost 60% money back after using it for most of the year. Apple products typically have very good used resale value. This is a rarity in the world of nearly disposable gadgets, many of which are nearly worthless after less than a year.

If you’re not on a tight budget, reselling an iPad after using it for a few months is a viable option.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Apple?v=FJWfReUwMSg

Here’s an overview of the iPad from Apple

Black Friday Advice: 5 Reasons to Buy the Apple iPad on Black Friday is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

The Apple iPad is one of the most wished for technology gifts this holiday season and you’ll probably be able to get a decent deal on one. But a good deal doesn’t necessarily make the Apple a smart buy. The Apple iPad is a fantastic piece of technology and they’re selling faster than any new gadget ever has. Apple’s $499 tablet may be hard to resist, but here are a few reasons why you should hold off on buying one on Black Friday.

If your loved one wants nothing else than an iPad, go ahead and buy one. But you should be aware of the below concerns. If you are set on buying an iPad on Black Friday, visit our Apple Black Friday page to make sure you get a good deal.

1. First Generation iPad

The Apple iPad is one of our favorite products of the year, but it’s still a first generation device. Apple usually implements significant improvements in second generations of its products. Need proof? Just take a look at the difference between the original iPhone and the iPhone 3G, which was introduced a year later. Take a look at the old Apple TV versus the one that was just launched at half the price. The same goes for the sluggish first generation Apple MacBook Air. The new MacBook Air is arguably the best consumer laptop on the market and it costs half the price of the original.

2. No Front Facing Camera

Every mobile iOS4 device is now capable of making video calls to other Apple devices. That’s every mobile device except for the iPad. With Facetime, you can quickly and easily connect to friends and family. A lot of iPhone, iPod Touch and MacBook users really enjoy this experience. Since the iPad doesn’t have a front-facing camera, or a rear-facing one for that matter, which means Facetime is a no go.

3. A New iPad is Right Around the Corner

Apple will most likely announce its next iPad early next year and start selling it by March or April. It will likely be lighter, faster, thinner and run for a longer period of time on a single charge. Apple may bump the base 16GB of storage capacity up to 32GB and make other improvements.

4. The iPad is an Expensive Gift

As much as we like the iPad, the $499 to $829 price tag exceeds most people’s gift budgets. When compared to other Apple gear, these prices are really up there. A new Apple TV is just $99. The iPhone 4 is only $199 (with an AT&T contract) and the iPod Touch is just $229. If you do have a bunch of cash to spend, the new MacBook Air is arguably a better value, especially if your loved one has an old clunky laptop.

5. The Original iPad is Near its End of Life

The original iPad is nearing its end of life. At the tail end of their life cycles, gadgets can be found on sale and other signs will pop up that it’s time for them to be retired. In the case of the iPad, we’re starting to see stores discount the iPad. We’re even seeing them pop up at unauthorized retailers like TJ Maxx for $399. That’s a far cry from the iPad buying experience just a few months ago.

Black Friday Advice: 5 Reasons to NOT Buy an Apple iPad on Black Friday is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.