12 (Hi-Tech) Items That Will Be Cheaper In 2011

I can't be the only person waiting for the price of the iPad to drop. Unfortunately the iPad isn't on this list but is nice to know that something besides our homes and cars are going down in price.

Dealsnews.com put out a chart listing the dozen electronics items that it predicts will drop in price (and by how much) this year. Brad Weiser has always said when it comes to buying hi-tech gear, waiting is the best policy. Dealsnews.com says the same thing.

Here is a list of items that may be cheaper in the near future:

Blu-Ray Player

2009 Lowest: $76

Curtis Mathes Blu-ray Disc Player from Target (NYSE: TGT - News) ($11.83 shipping)

2010 Lowest: $50

Samsung BD-C5500 from HP Home & Office (free shipping)

2011 Prediction: $39

Why?:You'll probably see a lot of Blu-Ray players bundled as extras with TVs, but you'll also see them as doorbusters and priced like crackpots.

Kindle eBook Reader

2009 Lowest: $259

Kindle 2 from Amazon.com(NasdaqGS: AMZN - News) (free shipping)

2010 Lowest: $130

Kindle 3 WiFi from Sobongo.com (free shipping)

2011 Prediction: $99

Why?: Because $99 is a major inflection point for consumer adoption, it was always the inevitable price for the Kindle. You'll pay just slightly more for newer models.

42" HDTV

2009 Lowest: $490

Panasonic VIERA 42" 600Hz 720p Plasma HDTV from Best Buy ($70 shipping)

2010 Lowest: $370

Insignia 42" 600Hz 720p Widescreen Plasma HDTV from Best Buy (free shipping)

2011 Prediction: $299

Why?:Once they hit $299, 42" LCD HDTVs will destroy the waning market for 32" LCD HDTVs.

55" HDTV

2009 Lowest: $1,115

LG 55" 120Hz 1080p Widescreen LCD HDTV from Fry's ($110 shipping)

2010 Lowest: $699

Element 55" 120Hz 1080p Widescreen LCD HDTV from Walmart (NYSE: WMT - News) (free shipping)

2011 Prediction: $599

Why?:55" LCD HDTV prices are now where 46" LCD HDTVs were in 2008. So, for 2011, we're predicting what we saw for 46" in 2009.

Wii System Bundles (this one is really depresing for me)

2009 Lowest: $170

Console Bundle from Conn's (free shipping)

2010 Lowest: $150

Console Bundle from Best Buy (NYSE: BBY - News) ($10 shipping)

2011 Prediction: $99

Why?: Expect more price drops as new models come out and competition drives down prices.

16GB SD Card

2009 Lowest: $20

Lexar 16GB Platinum II SDHC Class 4 Card from Adorama.com (free shipping)

2010 Lowest: $17

Centon 16GB SDHC Secure Digital Class 4 Card from TigerDirect.com ($2 shipping)

2011 Prediction: $12

Why?: Yes, it'll be cheap to pick up a 16MB SD card, but that's because you'll be needing a bigger card before too long for your new, cheap SLR camera.

Full-Size Digital SLR Camera

2009 Lowest: $346

Pentax K2000 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm lens from Meijer ($8 shipping)

2010 Lowest: $319

Canon EOS Rebel XS 10MP Digital SLR Camera w/ lens from Barnes & Noble ($5.49 shipping)

2011 Prediction: $299

Why?:In 2011, these high-powered cameras will start to cost what point-and-shoots cost a few years ago. Why go for ridiculously high megapixel counts in a digital camera, when you can get a great SLR instead?

15" - 16" Dual-Core Laptop

2009 Lowest: $299

Dell Inspiron 15n Celeron 2.16GHz 16" Widescreen Laptop from Dell ($29 shipping)

2010 Lowest: $218

HP G56-127NR AMD 2.3GHz 16" Widescreen Laptop from Fry's ($8 shipping)

2011 Prediction: $199

Why?:Last year's $300 laptop is today's cheap grab for those who still want Computing power but want to pay what they would for a netbook or a cheap Android tablet.

17" Dual-Core Laptop

2009 Lowest: $450

Acer Aspire Intel Dual Core 2.1GHz 4GB 17" Widescreen Laptop from Staples (NasdaqGS: SPLS - News) (free shipping)

2010 Lowest: $450

HP G71 Intel Dual Core 2.2GHz 4GB 17" Widescreen Laptop from Office Depot (NYSE: ODP - News) (in store)

2011 Prediction: $399

Why?: This basic desktop replacement, with a dual-core processor and at least 4GB of RAM, will drop even further in price.

Portable GPS

2009 Lowest: $42

Magellan Roadmate 1200 at Toys 'R' Us ($8 shipping)

2010 Lowest: $45

Motorola MOTONAV 3.5" Portable GPS Navigator w/ TTS from Woot ($5 shipping)

2011 Prediction: $40

Why?:$40 appears to be the floor in GPS prices. As people have turned to their smartphones and in-car models, portable GPS manufacturers are desperately adding features, driving up prices for new models.

External 2TB USB Drives

2009 Lowest: $140

Fantom G-Force 2TB eSATA/USB Drive from NewEgg.com (free shipping)

2010 Lowest: $90

Fantom Green Drive Pro 2TB eSATA/USB from Buy.com ($7 shipping)

2011 Prediction: $50

Why?: 2TB is the new 1TB. Upgrade to one of these and you'll never have to delete a file just to clear up room.

iPhone 3GS

2009 Lowest: $199

iPhone 3GS from Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL - News) (free shipping)

2010 Lowest: $97

iPhone 3GS from Walmart (in store)