The tech buyer's guide to savvy sale shopping

Forget being an 'early adopter' – it's way too dangerous, especially in these financially shaky times. So let's look at satisfying our gadget-lust another way... Perhaps the trick isn't to be first in the queue, it's to paddle behind the technology wave and be a 'late adopter' instead.

All you need to do is twiddle your thumbs for six to eight months and, as manufacturers roll out their new product lines, you can watch the prices of older models tumble. Come 2009, you should be able to pick up the hottest technology that mid-2008 had to offer without spending a fortune.

Take the Sharp Aquos LC-32X20E, for example, a 32-inch 1080p that was reviewed in mid-2008. Originally sold for £650, you can now find it online for under £500. Go larger with the Sharp Aquos LC-37B20E (RRP £850) and you'll find that the price of this fantastic TV has dropped by almost a quarter. There's no need to compromise with a 720p HDTV when full HD sets with three HDMI ports are so affordable.

There's an argument that HDTVs have now reached a level of technological maturity where the differences between them are almost imperceptible to the naked eye. It's why you'll find manufacturers trumpeting the extras – the styling, the colour, memory card slots, 1080p/24 modes and network-connectivity. The forthcoming Bravia EX1, which boasts wireless HDMI and a choice of frame, is a case in point.

One of the biggest computing trends of 2008 was the netbook. It's more than likely that our top-rated mini-notebooks – the Advent 4211, the Acer Aspire One and the MSI Wind – will have fallen in price by as 2009 gets into its stride. MSI, for example, plans to refresh its netbook product line at CES with new MSI Wind models that incorporate a new Z530 Atom processor and a touchscreen LCD. Expect the original MSI Wind to get a lot cheaper as a result.

If you've been talking yourself out of buying a PlayStation 3, 2009 might be the year to give in. Sony's games console is not just a cutting edge games machine, it's a digital hub (with downloadable movies, an Internet browser and a Freeview PVR add-on). And, thanks to its ever-upgradeable software, it's still the best Blu-ray player money can buy. Rumours suggest there might be another hardware price cut in March. But treat these with a pinch of salt. Sony's not making any money on PS3 sales as it is.

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