Just because Apple aficionados have historically been willing to pay a modest premium for the world's best computers, music players and cellphones, that doesn't mean they don't enjoy the occasional bargain as much as their Windows-using, Zune-toting, Blackberry-typing brethren. In the spirit of healthy holiday consumerism, here's our list (far from comprehensive) of a few select deals for the Black Friday sales. You can get full-on shop-till-you-drop coverage at dealmac.com, and quick overviews from Gizmodo and dealNN.

Naturally, Amazon and Newegg both have big discounts on most gear for today -- not all of it is good for Macheads but there are plenty of treats on the hard drive, headphone and camera front. Amazon is selling SwissGear backpacks for $24, which is tempting, and shows the iPod touch 8GB at $209; that's likely to be matched by the Apple Store's one-day discount as it rolls around the globe. Newegg has the usual excellent pricing on hard drives and flash memory, although not much on the 'secret deals page' is overly Apple-oriented; $19 for an 8 GB flash drive might raise some eyebrows and liberate some funds, though.

The heat on hardware is also clearly set to 'high' with the discounts from Best Buy, MacMall and MacConnection. Right now MacConnection is showing the best deal on my benchmark machine (the midrange MacBook unibody), with a selling price of $1149 -- keep an eye on the other sites too, as MacMall is right behind at $1179.

If you love to watch TV on your shiny Mac screen, there's a deal for you too. Elgato is offering $50 off of the $149 EyeTV Hybrid HDTV tuner and DVR software bundle today. This is a particularly good item for anyone who has an older analog TV in a spot where they don't have cable or satellite but they do have a computer -- it's a great way to get through the digital transition in February of 2009, as domestic US television drops its analog signals for good.

Nobody can live by hardware alone, though, and there are plenty of software and accessory vendors who want to grab their fair share of your gift budget. A few of note below...

Marketcircle, the company behind Billings (which I mentioned in some depth recently), knows that a freelancer (or small business) needs every advantage they can get to survive in this economy. Sympathetic to the plight of the individuals on "Main Street," they're offering Billings 3 for $20 off the usual price, and upgrades for $10 off until November 30th. If you'd benefit from time tracking and high-quality invoices but weren't ready to drop $59.95 to get there, see if $39.95USD sounds a little better.

If you've already purchased or upgraded to Billings 3, you're not excluded from the party. Emailing a proof of purchase to Marketcircle will get you a voucher for the difference, redeemable for anything else in their store. See AJ's blog post for directions. Prices have also been reduced in the U.K., Canada, Europe and Australia with slightly modified numbers based on exchange rates. Stop by the Marketcircle store for details.

On the heels of T-Mobile's discounting of the 8GB iPhone, the UK carrier O2 is also cutting prices on the lower-capacity model by a full £100, dropping the base price of the handheld (with plan) to 169 pounds -- deal good through June 1.

More portents of 3G iPhones on the way? Or just a clearing of slow-moving stock on the entry level phone? Either way, if you're a Brit with a yearning for an iPhone, the cost of entry just got lowered.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

Happy Cyber Monday! Lots of online retailers are offering up discounts today and tomorrow, but if you use PayPal, you have the opportunity to save even more. At select merchants (see the entire list and details here), you can get 20% cash back if you pay with PayPal (the ceiling is at $50 for cash back per PayPal account, so maximum purchase price of $250 for the full discount), starting today. Some merchants are running the sale longer than others, so check the individual sites for details.

What does this have to do with Apple and Mac users? Well, although the Apple Store is not a selected merchant (it doesn't take PayPal, but it is offering free shipping today), lots of stores that sell Mac products or accessories are on the list. NewEgg.com carries Macs, iPods, software, RAM and accessories; 20% off on a $200 iPod Nano, with free shipping and a free holster, is an unbeatable discount. eBags.com has a great selection of laptop bags (the 20% PayPal cash back is enough for me to bite the bullet and order the Tumi messenger I've been eying for ages). BarnesandNoble.com has lots of great books about Apple and Apple products and Overstock.com often has great deals on older Apple products and on iPod accessories.

If you use PayPal and have been waiting for some deals for gifts for yourself or others, right now might just be the time to start shopping.

Ars Technica reports that Apple TV has begun to show up at Target and Costco stores. Apple TVs have been sighted at the Lincoln Park, Chicago Costco retailing for $289.99, saving you a cool ten bucks off the normal price. Jacqui Cheng writes that the normal Costco return policies seem to apply to Apple TV.

Speaking of Costco, we last covered discounted iTunes gift cards during the Christmas season. Now that Mother's Day is nearly here, don't forget about this great Costco iTunes gift card deal. Pick up a $50 gift card for just $44.99 plust $0.50 shipipng and handling. That's a nice 10% savings. You can use the savings to pick up a rose or a chocolate or two. Mom will thank you as she rocks down to Nirvana or Barry Manilow or whatever.