Only 2 items of significance to speak of this year:
1) Because my smart phone is too small and I've come to enjoy being able to check email, visit here, facebook, handle general browsing, I wanted a tablet to serve as a cheap, simple laptop solution so that I don't always have to power on my PC Windows Tower machine. I was also curious about Google's entrance into the Operating System market so I wanted to get familiar with this Android OS for mobile devices. I found this 7" model for $59 + $2 for shipping so I snagged it up.
http://www.nomorerack.com/daily_deals/view/521654-mid_google_android_4_2_1_2ghz_4gb_7__dual_camera_tablet_pc___accessories• Brand: iRola
• Model: DX752
• CPU: Rockchip2926, Cortex-A9, Up to 1.2GHz
• Google Android 4.2 OS
• 512MB DDR3 RAM
• 4GB memory
• External MicroSD card 1GB to 32GB supported; card not included
• Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n
• Built-in speaker (x2)
• Built-in camera: front 0.3MP
• Built-in camera: back 1.3MP
• 7" wide screen with 800 x 480 resolution
• Capacitive touchscreen
• T-flash card (supports up to 32GB)
• Built-in microphone
• 4-dimensional gravity sensor
• Micro-USB port
• Audio: AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-WB, QCP, MP3, WMA, WAV, MIDI, M4A
• Video: WMV, ASF, MP4, 3GP, 3G2M4V, AVI, MJPEG, RV10, DivX, VC-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, h.263, H.264
• Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Flipit, Talking Tom, Temple Run, Solitaire, Skype, Adobe Reader, Facebook, E-Reader, Netflix, Youtube, Twitter, and more
• Google Search, Camcorder/Camera, Gmail, Apk, ES file Explorer, ES Task Manager, Google Talk, E-Reader, Market, NC Manager, PDF Reader, and more
• Rechargeable polymer lithium battery
• 5V
• More than 6.5hrs battery life
• Unit size: 7.6" x 4.75" x 0.375"
• Weighs 12oz
2) I had also been wanting a good HD camcorder to record mod videos and whatever else for quite a while now. First I bought a Sony, but then I took it a back and was willing to pay a little more for this Canon model which seemed like a better deal overall. Best Buy threw in a 32 GB Class 10 SD Memory Card for a total of $170+tax.
http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camcorders/canon-vixia-hf-r400/4505-6500_7-35562084.htmlhttp://www.crutchfield.com/S-39i4hJmUsBZ/p_280HFR400/Canon-VIXIA-HF-R400.htmlCanon HF R400 Camcorder
Storage and Formats:
-records high-definition video and photos onto SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards
-8GB memory cards hold up to 3 hours of AVCHD video at lowest quality setting
-maximum video resolution: 1920 x 1080/60p
Features:
-1/4.85-inch CMOS sensor shoots at a full-HD 1920 x 1080 pixels advanced DIGIC DV IV image processor
-32X optical zoom lens (53X Advanced zoom, 1060X digital)
-3" touch-panel widescreen LCD (230K dots)
-four image stabilization systems optimize image in different shooting situations
-record in 28Mbps AVCHD for best quality, or in no-fuss 35Mbps MP4 for easy compatibility with editing software and web uploads
Well, that's about it for me... I usually don't manage to get anything worthwhile, but I hope both products work out for me. I still haven't received the tablet though... Just checked the tracking # as a matter of fact and because of volume it got sent out by the 2-day USPS method only yesterday... No biggie.
Anyhow, how about anyone else, did you score any good deals this year or just didn't bother with all the craziness that comes along with it ?? Brag/boast away!
I read reports that ~70% of the door buster deals that brick'n'mortar stores offer can actually be found online as well, so you probably didn't have to deal with driving around and facing large crowds if you're comfortable with online shopping and the wait, etc. Good to know in the future.