By AppleInsider Staff

Published: 08:35 PM EST (05:35 PM PST)

As was the case last year, several Apple authorized resellers are getting a jump-start on the 2009 holiday shopping season by launching early Black Friday sales that offer up to $220 off Mac desktops and $250 off Mac notebooks. [Updated Nov 26th with steep MacConnection price cuts.]

Update: As of Thursday morning, MacConnection has undercut all resellers on MacBook, MacBook Pro and iMac prices. Please see the price matrix, below.

For example, MacMall (sale), ClubMac (sale), and OnSale.com (sale) each kicked-off 72-hour Black Friday sales at midnight that are scheduled to run through 11:59 p.m. pacific time on Friday. Meanwhile, others like MacConnection and Best Buy have similarly put into effect their lowest prices on Macs this calendar year.

For those unaware, Black Friday is the day immediately following the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, marking the beginning of the traditional holiday shopping season. The term "Black Friday" dates back to the 1970s, when it was coined as such by retailers who saw heavy foot traffic on that day as a means of getting out of the red and returning to the black (or turning a profit).

MacBooks and Mac minis

Thus far, MacMall and MacConnection are offering the lowest price we've seen this year on Apple's white MacBook at 884.99, a savings of $114 after rebates. And for its part, MacMall is extending the deepest discounts on new Mac minis, selling the 2.26GHz model for $549.99 and the 2.53GHz model for $744.98, also after rebates.

MacBook Pros and iMacs

For MacBook Pros and iMacs, MacMall, ClubMac, OnSale, and MacConnection all offer fairly competitive pricing. Some noteworthy standouts include the 2.26GHz 13" MacBook Pro and 3.06GHz Dual 21" iMac, each for $1,068.99 at MacMall -- a $130 savings. The reseller is also offering the 2.66GHz 15" MacBook Pro for $1,798.97 ($200 savings) and the 3.06GHz Dual 27" iMac for $1,584.99 ($130 savings). The best price on the 2.80GHz 17" MacBook Pro is $2,248.99, a savings of $250.

Meanwhile, Best Buy is also offering the new 3.06GHz 21.5-inch iMac for $1,099 -- a $100 savings without a rebate, unlike many reseller deals.

MacBook Airs and Mac Pros

Finally, MacMall is extending the lowest prices on MacBook Airs at $1,398.98 for the 1.86GHz model and $1,689.98 for the 2.13GHz configuration. Discounts on Mac Pros span $200 to $220 from the vast majority of the resellers.




Apple's Black Friday Sale

Apple on Friday will also launch its annual Black Friday sales through its online and brick-and-mortar retail stores, however the Mac maker's discounts have historically (2008, 2007, 2006, 2005) been more modest than those of its authorized resellers. For instance, last year's most compelling deals amounted to $50 off white MacBooks and $101 off aluminum MacBooks and iMacs.

Mac Price Guide

AppleInsider's Mac Price Guide (also embedded above) offers a side-by-side comparison of Apple's retail and educational pricing with those of its most popular resellers. It'll be updated constantly throughout the week. Lowest prices are in bold typeface.