Apple is keeping up with the Joneses again, as the company seems to have a special plan even for the heftiest economic crisis. It appears that Apple resellers are already advertising price cuts of up to $100 on MacBooks, price cuts not usually allowed by the company. In addition, Apple store managers have reportedly been told to match the discounts being offered on ‘Black Friday’, the day after the Thanksgiving holiday.

However the company hasn't revealed its plans for Black Friday yet, the day after Thanksgiving that launches the holiday shopping season, but has posted a teaser on its Web site for a "special one-day-only holiday shopping event." According to AppleInsider, Apple has told store management to match discounts from authorized resellers. In addition, the news site on Wednesday said investment firm Kaufman Bros. is predicting Apple on Black Friday could offer as much as a 15% discount on Macs, iPods, and accessories.

On the other hand, Best Buy and MacMall are trying to entice buyers now. MacMall on Wednesday launched a three-day Black Friday sale that runs through 11:59 p.m. November 28. Discounts on new systems are as much as $250, with even bigger price cuts on older models.

Capital Analyst Ben Reitzes says we can expect the company to be more aggressive than usual in its one-day sale. Reitzes estimates $100 off a few Mac models and discounts on several iPods, which is similar to what Best Buy is offering now. So Apple will be matching the prices of retailers, meaning you’ll get the same price at Apple stores that you would at Best Buy.

It appears that Apple has begun to let the guard down at least for a while. Until recently, as everyone knows, Apple kept very tight control over the prices of its hardware and software. The only discounts are a few dollars off on Amazon, or education or maybe corporate discounts.