"Black Friday" Comes Early for Mac Buyers

This just shows how things have changed. In the past we'd be salivating over Dell deals, or HP deals, but now it's Mac deals that grab people's attention. Both MacMall and Best Buy are starting their "Black Friday" sales early.

MacMall combines both instant savings and rebate, and is offering up to $250 off on MacBook Pros and $100 - 150 on other Macs. Best Buy is offering $100 - $150 in instant savings. MacRumors has a nice table (above).

MacRumors has bolded the "best" deals in each category, with instant savings given higher priority over rebates.

Don't forget Amazon.com's generally lower prices (and lack, for most, of sales tax), and also that Apple Stores will be willing to price match authorized dealers' prices. Apple also has a teaser site up advertising a 1-day "Black Friday" event.

Finally, Kaufman Bros. analysts Shawn Wu said in a research note this morning that discounts on Macs, iPods and accessories this year could be up to 15%, compared with discounts of 5%-10% from previous years. Wu initiated coverage of Apple (AAPL) at Kaufman earlier this week with a Buy rating and a price target of $120.

Might be a good Christmas for Apple buyers, despite the recession; perhaps even for Apple stock owners.