I am pretty proud to say that this Black Friday, I picked up a load of brand new toys. As I was growing to be rapidly disenchanted by the amount of sold out items online on Thanksgiving, I realized that I would have to go into guerrilla attack mode if I wanted to get anything the following day. The original plan was to wake up at an ungodly hour to get to Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. to acquire everything I needed. I hit snooze on that idea, and was lucky enough to still pick up mostly everything I wanted.



Here's what I got, with anecdotes.

Gaming

• XBOX 360 Pro w/ Guitar Hero II Bundle {$350}: It was nearly noon, and I was pretty sure these bad boy bundles would be swept up clean from Best Buy. I was unsure if I wanted to stake my birthday gift on the console and decided I would leave it to fate. When I walked in, I instantly checked to see if any were left--there were 2. I put one on hold and as a result, I have now chosen a side in the console wars! The only catch is that I can't open it till my birthday. Guitar Hero III? Ya, I know there is a bundle with the console now, but I just need the game. Santa better have that covered.

• Forza, Top Spin 2, Ninja Gaiden Black, Dead or Alive 3, SSX, Robotech Battlecry {+/-$60}: Gamestop/EB Games was having a "buy 2, get 1" promotion, so I snagged up a bunch of titles that I have played in the past [and are backwards compatible], or got a pretty high rating on Gamespot or IGN. Needless to say, I am psyched to play all these games. I even saw the rare and legendary Marvel vs. Capcom 2 at my local EB, but I think that I'll have to wait until I splurge on that $70 dollar gem.

GPS

• Tom Tom One LE GPS {$120}: Since I get lost often, I really feel that this may be the most time-saving purchase that I made. It's compact, has a nice display screen, and I really enjoy the library of voices [stupid feature to discuss, but I love it.] The big problem that I had with Mr. Tom squared was that when I tried to update the map, I got an internal server error. According to a number of forums, it's a common problem that's been happening in light of the TT folks updating their site. Hopefully, the site will be ready to roll soon so the Tom Tom nation can get on with their travels.

Camera

• Panasonic Palmcorder Mini DV camcorder w/ bag {$150}: This, I admit, was an impulse buy. I was pretty set on getting a Sony, but found none on sale. I figured for $150, you really couldn't go wrong for a traveling camcorder. My parents will be traveling to India soon, and I wanted to get them something that could take decent videos while avoiding complete freak outs if the cam got damaged. Low light is a huge concern in India as the most popular light source is via tube lamp [not the most video-friendly light]. I tested it out in a mock low-light setting at home, and was pretty impressed with the quality. I believe it's a steal--and a keeper.


• Panasonic Lumix 7.2 MP w/ bag {$100}: This technically wasn't acquired on Black Friday, but a few weeks ago from Office Depot. Engadget was right; Black Friday is not the best day to get a digital camera. I found most cameras could not come close to this deal, so I will keep this for my parents' excursion snapper. Last time I went to India, I toted a sweet Minolta from Bombay to Delhi. Three months later, It had irremovable dust particles in my lens, not to mention a busted zoom. These two purchases were meant to be the cheapest cameras I could get with decent quality. I believe I have succeeded!

Memory

• PNY 4GB flash drive {$25}: From Best Buy, for transporting work-related media. They also had a 2GB and 4 GB SDHC for sale, but I found a better price at Circuit City, ergo...


• Sandisk 4GB SDHC card w/card reader {$28}: Found this little bargain at Circuit City. I believe this was originally over $100, so not bad at all. Will go nicely with the Lumix digi cam.

Shoes

• Grey Slouchy Boots, Sz. 8 {$90} : I also got some really kick-ass Steve Madden boots. I know it's not tech related, but I love them, and thought I would share ;)

I figured I fared well this Black Friday, and will be on the lookout for more deals. I still didn't get a pair of over-the-ear headphones, and I missed out on the "Big Daddy" DVD from Best Buy--it was only like $2.49!

What is the coolest thing you snagged after gobbling down loads of Turkey? What's on your Cyber Monday wishlist?