Already! Black Friday predictions

This post comes from Melinda Fulmer at MSN Money.

Sure, the kids are barely back in school, and there's more than two whole months before Black Friday, the traditional holiday shopping kickoff. But the editors at Dealnews.com think you should start thinking about your gift list now.

They've compiled a list of what they predict will be the hottest deals on electronics in the two-week festival of spending that Black Friday has become.

"You can expect some very aggressive deals this Black Friday season across the board," Dealnews CEO Dan de Grandpre said.

Just don't expect bargains on the iPad or soon-to-be-released iPhone 5, two of the most coveted items this holiday season. Sure, Apple surprised everyone by discounting the iPad 8% last year, but Dealnews isn't expecting a repeat.

Instead it predicts a more banal 5% to 10% discount on iPods, iMacs and MacBook computers.

For the best Black Friday deals, Dealnews recommends shopping Apple-authorized resellers such as Amazon.com, MacConnection and MacMall, which have offered discounts double that of Apple for the past two years running. Post continues after video.

And if you're not set on the iPad, you can score some rock-bottom deals on Android tablets, such as the Motorola Xoom for as low as $319 and the 7-inch Galaxy Tab for $239.

Moreover, if you haven't gotten an e-book reader yet, this year could be your year:

• The Kindle 3 Wi-Fi e-book reader should drop to $99, Dealnews predicts. Older models could drop even further with a rumored upgrade in the works.
• And the price of the Nook Color will slide to $179. Most of these readers are likely to be bundled with at least $25 in book credit.

Expect some decent deals on HDTVs, too:

• 32-inch 1080p LCD sets will drop as low as $199.
• Giant 60-inch 1080p LCD HDTVs could be slashed the most, to $699.

Other Black Friday standouts this year will be 16-inch dual-core laptops as low as $189 and Netflix-enabled Blu-ray players selling for $45.

Smart Spending will track the best Black Friday deals as they are leaked and give advice in the weeks ahead on the best way to save money on your holiday shopping this year.

More on MSN Money:

• 8 Black Friday tips and strategies
• Calculator:Is your budget in balance?
• Best things to buy in September
• Financial advice from holiday classics
• 15 worst holiday gift ideas
• Instant savings on holiday shopping