Apple’s traditional “Black Friday” discounts will appear at Apple retail stores and online this Friday (27 November). The annual price reductions fall on the busiest shopping day of the year in the US, the day after Thanksgiving. This Friday, visitors to Apple’s online store will discover a number of marked down items including Macs and iPods. Apple retail stores will also offer discounts to customers on the day. Historically the price cuts haven’t been drastic, like the $101 off iMac models and $21 off iPods in 2008, but rumours this year point toward more impressive savings. We suggest preparing/paying off some of the outstanding balance on your credit card and putting together a wish list for Friday, just in case there are any surprises.

UK Store Link: www.apple.com/uk/store
US Store Link: www.apple.com/store

EDIT: Boy Genius also has potentially leaked discounts for Apple’s one day only sale here

If you head over to the brilliant TheOnion.com you’ll be able to see a new Apple ad highlighting the PC to Mac switcher rate following the launch of Microsoft’s Windows 7. Justin Long and John Hodgman, the Mac and PC characters, stand below a bank of CCTV monitors across the top of the page watching PC users entering a series of Apple Retail Stores. After bemoaning Apple’s success in customer satisfaction surveys and the continued movement of PC users to Mac, Hodgman dashes off to accost the hapless switchers.

While certainly entertaining, the ad continues to promote Apple’s successful retail model with the added bonus that switchers don’t yet appear to be lured by the charms of Windows 7 to remain as PC users. The only drawback we can see, as with previous Get A Mac ads, is that Hodgman is still far too likeable a character while Long’s aloof, bordering on smug persona could begin to grate even the more hardened Mac enthusiast. That said, no amount of advertising is likely to sway a Mac user toward a PC but it may be enough to put off those sitting on the fence.

The ad features on The Onion’s home page and can be seen, while live, here