After another 12 months of misery, jobless rate at 10% in USA and rising towards that in Euroland, I expect prices to drop.

There have to be some retailers that are on their knees desperate for sales even if they lose money on them. Even just to stay afloat for a few months.

Last year Best Buy also had a cheap laptop, but it was not as cheap as this year's $250 price. I believe the Inq even had an article, sorry I can't be bothered to post a link.

Granted, it was in limited numbers to get people excited and you can't even find it on their site now (I had it bookmarked, gone...) but a $250 laptop in mid-november from a major retailor is a good sign that bargains may abound.

There were two things driving last year's Christmas prices. The impending recession scared manufacturers and retailers into dropping prices, and the VAT reduction enticed consumers further to go and buy stuff, even if that 2.5% drop wasn't a great net saving.

However, this year we're looking at the end of the recession, a rise in inflation and VAT going back up in the new year.

This means that manufacturers and retailers aren't so scared and will therefore keep prices up, and consumers feel pressured to go and by before Christmas so that they don't pay the extra VAT.

We had them over a barrel last year, they have us over one this time. Well done you, if you spent all your money on worthwhile stuff back then so that you don't need to buy it now!