Flat panel prices in free-fall

We already sort of expect electronics prices to just keep falling and falling, but PC World has the goods on just how much prices on flat panel displays have plummeted this year. In case you haven't been paying close attention, it turns out that prices have dropped a ridiculous amount over the past 12 months, mainly because of firece competition from budget labels like Syntax and Westinghouse. According to Displaysearch, the price of a 32-inch LCD TV will hit almost $1500 this quarter, down from $3000 a year ago, with the price of a 42-inch plasma sliding from just north of $4000 down to about $2500 over the same time period. Prices will continue to go down next year, but not quite as quickly as they did in 2005. Translation: if you've been holding out on buying a new flat panel, it's finally a good time to buy.