patrick0brien
Aug 6, 02:49 PM
I would normally not consider purchasing a GM vehicle, but the Volt looks really good.
The U.S. can build cars just as good as the best of the rest of the world, but only when we want to - which is a shame, because we historically haven't wanted to.
The U.S. can build cars just as good as the best of the rest of the world, but only when we want to - which is a shame, because we historically haven't wanted to.
Mac'nCheese
Apr 15, 02:49 PM
People who have made history have just been people and gay or straight have never come into it. What does it matter? A stand alone class in college on "gay studies" I would have no problem with. The requirement in public schools to teach gay history is bit absurd.
Those who are gay and feel as if they've been wronged, I feel for them and effort to make it right, but the level of suffering by gay is nothing compared to what black people or women have endured over the centuries. It bothers me a little when gay suffrage is pitted against something like slavery. Just not the same, IMO.
That answer is very similar to the posts in the thread about the video apple just did in support of the IT GETS BETTER campaign. Nobody is pitting the gay community against slavery. Nobody is saying lets stop teaching about women's rights and start instead with gay rights. They are just adding it. Why do people always have to make this weird connection?
Those who are gay and feel as if they've been wronged, I feel for them and effort to make it right, but the level of suffering by gay is nothing compared to what black people or women have endured over the centuries. It bothers me a little when gay suffrage is pitted against something like slavery. Just not the same, IMO.
That answer is very similar to the posts in the thread about the video apple just did in support of the IT GETS BETTER campaign. Nobody is pitting the gay community against slavery. Nobody is saying lets stop teaching about women's rights and start instead with gay rights. They are just adding it. Why do people always have to make this weird connection?
clintob
Oct 3, 03:45 PM
At the risk of having a Captain Obvious moment here, I think it's safe to say that the "we want Merom" posts are getting a tad old at best. That horse has been beaten far beyond anything resembling a humane death.
The fact is that while there are a select few of us (don't kid yourselves, the people who post on this forum represent a tiny fraction of Apple's customer base, albeit a loud fraction) that know the difference between Core Duo and Core 2 Duo, the VAST majority of users and customers neither know nor care. And to be perfectly honest, the speed difference in 99% of the things people use their computers for are unnoticeable. Try it for yourself. Web pages load at the same speed, email is sent at the same speed, and IM's come and go with the same frequency.
The truth is, Apple doesn't really care all that much about who is or isn't shipping C2D. They know that once they come out with the next big thing, all us Photoshop users and media producers will skamper to the website and order ours just as we would have if it came out a month ago. They have stock of MB and MBP to clear out, and there's no reason for them to rush into selling a processor that most people don't even know much about when their sales are still high. Their business is great, and more importantly, their big push right now is obviously iPods for the holiday season. This is a much more popular gift item, and the holiday shopping season is barely gearing up.
C2D (or whatever is next) will come when Apple sees novelty sales for the iPod starting to die down. Not before.
The fact is that while there are a select few of us (don't kid yourselves, the people who post on this forum represent a tiny fraction of Apple's customer base, albeit a loud fraction) that know the difference between Core Duo and Core 2 Duo, the VAST majority of users and customers neither know nor care. And to be perfectly honest, the speed difference in 99% of the things people use their computers for are unnoticeable. Try it for yourself. Web pages load at the same speed, email is sent at the same speed, and IM's come and go with the same frequency.
The truth is, Apple doesn't really care all that much about who is or isn't shipping C2D. They know that once they come out with the next big thing, all us Photoshop users and media producers will skamper to the website and order ours just as we would have if it came out a month ago. They have stock of MB and MBP to clear out, and there's no reason for them to rush into selling a processor that most people don't even know much about when their sales are still high. Their business is great, and more importantly, their big push right now is obviously iPods for the holiday season. This is a much more popular gift item, and the holiday shopping season is barely gearing up.
C2D (or whatever is next) will come when Apple sees novelty sales for the iPod starting to die down. Not before.
Pared
Apr 22, 11:52 AM
Excuse me if this was already suggested:
Perhaps allow a post that receives a certain number of dislikes to be "hidden" from a general view unless someone decides to view it by clicking on a link.
Similar to how a moderator can you a deleted post, but for the general public.
Perhaps allow a post that receives a certain number of dislikes to be "hidden" from a general view unless someone decides to view it by clicking on a link.
Similar to how a moderator can you a deleted post, but for the general public.
more...
psycoswimmer
Nov 23, 05:01 PM
Does anyone know if you have to go to a store to get the discounts? Can you order from the online Apple store? There's no way I'll be able to get to an Apple Store tomorrow.
DiamondMac
Mar 25, 11:33 AM
The ability to know that my computer will load, not break down, etc...has been price-less for me with Mac OS's
Love it and will continue using it
Love it and will continue using it
more...
storage
Oct 10, 06:09 PM
Wireless YouTubePod! ;)
Claerion
Mar 17, 10:57 AM
What's up with all the [morality] in this thread?
It's the employees responsibility to know how to use a register and collect the full payment. If the employee is too stupid to actually count the money handed to him then he should be fired. Dumb ass kid.
I'd be ****ing thrilled if my iPad cost about half price!
This^
And cpucrash0 what do you think this is a movie? 21? Haha they don't have the resources to watch every single person that walks into the door all the time...
Gratz on the iPad and enjoy it!
It's the employees responsibility to know how to use a register and collect the full payment. If the employee is too stupid to actually count the money handed to him then he should be fired. Dumb ass kid.
I'd be ****ing thrilled if my iPad cost about half price!
This^
And cpucrash0 what do you think this is a movie? 21? Haha they don't have the resources to watch every single person that walks into the door all the time...
Gratz on the iPad and enjoy it!
more...
Avatar74
Jan 16, 10:31 AM
Well, then try to run Aperture on your PB. Good luck.
No money from me until MBP is state of the art. I'm not going to pay nearly $ 3.000 in January 2008 for a notebook without SSE4 and Blue-Ray.
I just sold my shares.
John:
My point was to ask the guy what exactly he does that demands that kind of firepower. Computers these days are overpowered for what 90% of the population does. However, Aperture is a perfect example of an application that needs more firepower... Thanks for pointing that out. It is a professional application that is useful, almost necessary, to professional photographers but a complete luxury for anyone else.
If you can justify the purchase of Aperture to manage images from your $10,000 mega-res SLR, then you can probably afford a desktop workstation to handle it... and write it off as a business expense.
But otherwise, I'm asking why does the poster in particular to whom I responded need more than that in a MacBook Air? Not because I want him to buy one. Clearly he could buy a MacBook or a MacBook Pro that better suits him. But you have to understand I see way too many people complaining every year that Apple hasn't produced the gadget to snatch up the money burning a hole in their pockets since... oh, a year ago when they bought that year's latest and greatest.
People say "I'm ready for a new computer" six months to a year after they just bought one... and I find that patently absurd when 90% of the time, the person speaking uses said computer for: internet, email, word processing, music and consumer photo/video.
No money from me until MBP is state of the art. I'm not going to pay nearly $ 3.000 in January 2008 for a notebook without SSE4 and Blue-Ray.
I just sold my shares.
John:
My point was to ask the guy what exactly he does that demands that kind of firepower. Computers these days are overpowered for what 90% of the population does. However, Aperture is a perfect example of an application that needs more firepower... Thanks for pointing that out. It is a professional application that is useful, almost necessary, to professional photographers but a complete luxury for anyone else.
If you can justify the purchase of Aperture to manage images from your $10,000 mega-res SLR, then you can probably afford a desktop workstation to handle it... and write it off as a business expense.
But otherwise, I'm asking why does the poster in particular to whom I responded need more than that in a MacBook Air? Not because I want him to buy one. Clearly he could buy a MacBook or a MacBook Pro that better suits him. But you have to understand I see way too many people complaining every year that Apple hasn't produced the gadget to snatch up the money burning a hole in their pockets since... oh, a year ago when they bought that year's latest and greatest.
People say "I'm ready for a new computer" six months to a year after they just bought one... and I find that patently absurd when 90% of the time, the person speaking uses said computer for: internet, email, word processing, music and consumer photo/video.
Some_Big_Spoon
Oct 11, 12:50 AM
I'm sure I'll get snarkey comments, but here goes: If I can't check my email on it, I'm not interested.
I've got a couple iPods and a shuffle. They play music, and that's great, but I want something that gets MY information to me. When that happens, they've got me sold.
I've got a couple iPods and a shuffle. They play music, and that's great, but I want something that gets MY information to me. When that happens, they've got me sold.
more...
Nekbeth
Apr 27, 10:25 AM
I see where you going wlh99, and don't worry.. my full intention is to learn, not to get code from all of you. Many people in this thread underestimate my knowledge of objective C (and I understand why, I got lost with the pointers). I have 2 1/2 months since I started development and had 0 idea of the language or programming (I was a Pastry Chef actually :D, which is the name of my first app).
Believe me when I tell you that I know what's going on with my code. I'm aware that If you release an object that it doesn't exist you'll get an exception every time.
Making it work is a lot less important than knowing how to do it, for future work.
Back to the Code, let me go give it try.. b-back
UPDATE**
Ok, it doesn't crash now but timer still won't restart. I'm going to create another timer object (not pointer, I'll use the same pointer). I get this idea that I can't reuse or reset the same timer over again (invalidating and releasing it only pauses the timer). Wish me luck :)
Believe me when I tell you that I know what's going on with my code. I'm aware that If you release an object that it doesn't exist you'll get an exception every time.
Making it work is a lot less important than knowing how to do it, for future work.
Back to the Code, let me go give it try.. b-back
UPDATE**
Ok, it doesn't crash now but timer still won't restart. I'm going to create another timer object (not pointer, I'll use the same pointer). I get this idea that I can't reuse or reset the same timer over again (invalidating and releasing it only pauses the timer). Wish me luck :)
FelixGV
Oct 3, 12:30 AM
Wouldn't it be ironic if the once closed iPod+iTunes ecosystem suddenly became open to every music store except the Zune Marketplace? Fairplay would effectively replace PlaysForSure, the only closed DRM would be the Zune's, and every other music player manufacturer would be left with no music store compatibility at all until they slowly die... And the mythic Apple vs Micro$oft war would rage once again.
As others have mentionned, I see 2 negative things with this:
more...
dianna agron hot ikini.
dianna agron hot ikini.
more...
Dianna Agron cuts her hair off
as seen on Dianna Agron
more...
dianna agron quotes. alert
Dianna Agron#39;s New Haircut
dianna agron Learns that
As others have mentionned, I see 2 negative things with this:
more...
hayesk
Mar 26, 08:06 PM
Have they thought about including a USB stick in the box as well, for the Macbook Air? I sure would hate to have to buy an external CD drive just to get the new OS on my computer. Will they allow it to be downloaded over the internet?
I'll bet they allow it to be downloaded from the App Store, and boxed copies will only come on USB stick.
I'll bet they allow it to be downloaded from the App Store, and boxed copies will only come on USB stick.
MrTwinkles
Sep 28, 12:31 PM
If I touch it on the southwest corner will it not work? ;)
Many other houses lose their primary function when held in a certain way. Jobs will have to issue free tarps to cover each side of the house to cover up the problem. :p
Many other houses lose their primary function when held in a certain way. Jobs will have to issue free tarps to cover each side of the house to cover up the problem. :p
more...
englishman
Apr 26, 04:50 AM
Be useful to have the title tag set if no-one else has mentioned it.
BLUELION
May 3, 09:26 PM
Oh ya. Lets see where they go.
more...
lordonuthin
Apr 20, 07:36 PM
thanks. things aren't quite working out right at the moment. i think i might have messed up the motherboard somehow. my homebuilt i7 just isn't working right. i'm away for work during the week, but i think this coming weekend will spent on this computer again. i might have to buy another motherboard i'm thinking though
Ouch, I know how that is, I've had to replace things that I've broken trying to fix them; not that I would actually admit to breaking anything of course :p
It would drive me nuts being away from my computers knowing they need worked on. I guess I'm addicted - maybe... oh, I put -advmethods in the linux machines and they took off with new wu's so all is well for now. I did lose a bigadv unit on the 17th, or 14th I can't remember, when they had a glitch in one of the servers :(
Ouch, I know how that is, I've had to replace things that I've broken trying to fix them; not that I would actually admit to breaking anything of course :p
It would drive me nuts being away from my computers knowing they need worked on. I guess I'm addicted - maybe... oh, I put -advmethods in the linux machines and they took off with new wu's so all is well for now. I did lose a bigadv unit on the 17th, or 14th I can't remember, when they had a glitch in one of the servers :(
firestarter
Apr 22, 02:06 PM
So we need moderators for this? I thought the complaint was that there aren't enough of them. Plus I would find it difficult yo determine a legitimate -1, to one that was added for malicious reasons.
No, moderation becomes distributed amongst all members. Have a look at Slashdot - they developed the system there to manage their large number of comments.
If you gain a lot of positive ratings on your own posts, you get 'kudos' points.
Kudos score means you're invited to 'meta moderate' that is, to judge whether others are rating comments fairly or not. This removes the problem of people unfairly trying to bury or promote based on personal reasons, since meta-moderation helps reduce the weighting of trollish raters.
It seems to work well, producing a self-moderating environment where you can easily filter thread comments to quickly read the best posts.
The problem with the system MR appears to be building is that all ratings appear to have the same weight, whether coming from a respected forum member or a troll.
Possible ways to fix this might be:
- meta moderation
- preventing the frequency that you can vote up/down a certain individual
- weight votes based on some other measure of goodness
- reduce weighting based on warnings/time-outs etc.
No, moderation becomes distributed amongst all members. Have a look at Slashdot - they developed the system there to manage their large number of comments.
If you gain a lot of positive ratings on your own posts, you get 'kudos' points.
Kudos score means you're invited to 'meta moderate' that is, to judge whether others are rating comments fairly or not. This removes the problem of people unfairly trying to bury or promote based on personal reasons, since meta-moderation helps reduce the weighting of trollish raters.
It seems to work well, producing a self-moderating environment where you can easily filter thread comments to quickly read the best posts.
The problem with the system MR appears to be building is that all ratings appear to have the same weight, whether coming from a respected forum member or a troll.
Possible ways to fix this might be:
- meta moderation
- preventing the frequency that you can vote up/down a certain individual
- weight votes based on some other measure of goodness
- reduce weighting based on warnings/time-outs etc.
Axemantitan
Apr 5, 03:12 PM
The McRib is back!
(Just kidding, I hate McDonalds.)
(Just kidding, I hate McDonalds.)
Tomorrow
May 4, 03:04 PM
Not sure what's medically relevant about owning or not owning a gun, but still, why penalize a doctor for asking and not, say, a teacher, clergyman, mechanic, dry cleaner, etc.? It doesn't make any sense.
miles01110
Sep 12, 08:23 AM
Is there going ot be an IRC feed like WWDC? If so what is the channel/port? Sorry to ask here, but I couldn't find the info on the main page...
BBEmployee
Apr 8, 02:42 PM
I'm a current employee at Best Buy and thought I'd offer my two cents on a few issues.
First, I don't really like Best Buy. I got a job there to work for around 4 hours a week to get the generous discount. It's particularly generous when dealing with open-box items. Even so, I am miserable leading up to heading in and I do not enjoy the time that I spend there. Thankfully, I have a good full-time job plus a lot of side work and I'm planning on quitting in the next month or so as the thrill of the discount has long worn off.
That said, I have no problem being very open and honest about Best Buy and my experiences there.
In regards to the iPad situation, I haven't been in since this issue came up and won't be in for awhile, so I don't really know what the buzz is on this matter exactly. I do know that they wouldn't put a freeze on selling new iPad 2 stock if they regularly had it for a random promotion, if only for the very reason that many think caused the initial problem: quota.
I'm betting 1 of 2 things happened:
1) They did indeed get in trouble with Apple for something. Sure, it's possible, and it's the easiest reasonable conclusion. I don't know why this would be though, and I'm skeptical about the whole hording thing. And again, this is coming from someone who has access to the inventory systems and all the places that would hide "horded" iPads. Plus, I have a good enough relationship with multiple managers (ones who know the score about Best Buy in an objective world...) who would be honest about this with me.
Generally speaking, when they say there are no iPads for sale, there are no iPads for sale. It's really that simple. Demand is real, and supply is lacking. When we have them for sale, they're in the cages, and this would occur after passing through the pre-order system. White Verizon iPads tend to be the ones most often available, usually just a couple, and they're gone almost immediately all the same.
Another factor in the equation though is processing shipments. I saw someone noted that after an open-box controversy between two customers, the manager was able to procure a new iPad 2 for a disappointed customer when apparently there were none for sale. Well, there probably weren't. He either bumped someone back on the pre-order list to be nice to the pissed off customer in the store or perhaps a shipment came in on the truck that had yet to be processed and he worked it out with the ops team to get them to process one so he could get it out. Oftentimes the managers do actually try to make the customer happy, even if it's somewhat unreasonable. The ops guys have their procedures, and it's rarely slimy in intent so much as rooted in overall efficiency, so sometimes a shipment won't go to the floor for sales until the next day because the processing takes time. If the manager pushes to work something out in that situation, the manager is doing you a favor and pissing off some ops guys to do so.
Anyways, on to the 2nd scenario...
2) This is what I'd really venture to bet is the problem: the pre-order system is a huge mess. It was a rush job authorized by corporate at the last minute and handled by less-than-informed employees who were also in a rush. From day 1 it was clear that problems were going to creep up, and they absolutely have. Nobody in store is happy about it. The employees don't like telling customers that they have to wait on a pre-order list, they don't like the 48 hour pickup window, they don't like having to deal with customers pissing and moaning and crying about conspiracy theories when only a 64 GB white Verizon iPad 2 is available once in a blue moon when a pre-order turns it down. It's not fun, for anyone, and unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about it.
So what I'm guessing is really happening is that Best Buy is just digging out of this pre-order mess as fast as possible and skipping anything else until they get past the ramifications of a stupid decision. Considering there's little to skip seeing as supply is so low and we rarely have the most in-demand models available anyways, it's easier for them to just bow out of this for a couple of weeks and in a sense re-launch the normal sales when supplies are less constrained and they don't have a stupid pre-order process hanging over their heads. It's a cut and dry move that will allow them to gear up again in a more normal, focused way. Considering how things have gone there in the last month in dealing with anything iPad related, this might be the best decision for them.
All in all, Best Buy is Best Buy: a brick and mortar retailer lost in an internet-connected world. Best Buy isn't nearly as evil as they are lost and longing for the 20th century. Sure, there's a lot of margin on accessories, but it's because there's more often than not no margin on anything else. They don't make much money at all on TV's and Computers anymore. If they're on sale, and at Best Buy, almost everything is always "On Sale," it's likely at cost or within a few dollars of cost. There's little margin in the shrinking physical media world either. The only departments with major products that have margin still are appliances and for certain stores, musical instruments. This is why Best Buy will likely be dead in 5 years if they don't drastically change their business model. They did a better job at adapting to the new world than other electronics chains, but they haven't done nearly enough. It's not an easy business at this point though as it has as much to do with dealing with suppliers suffering the same pinch and customers who want to have it all but don't want to pay for it.
Also, in regards to stupid employees and sleazy mangers, yeah, they do exist. But more employees know their stuff than you might think. And there are quite a few managers who actually do care about trying to do a good job and help the customer.
As far as the employees, the biggest shock to me after working at Best Buy was realizing that so much of the supposed employee ignorance has more to do with incessantly having to dumb things down to the most absurd of levels with customers. 90% of the people who come in are nice people who just don't know much of anything about what they're buying. You have to learn to communicate on their level and not over-complicate things for them. It's easy to get stuck in that default mode and you have to actively snap yourself out of it on the rare occasion when you get customers who can actually hold their own in a conversation about the technology. And make no mistake, it's a huge relief for most of us when that happens because most of us that work there actually are pretty excited about the technology.
Now on the other hand, sleazy managers and supervisors can screw so much of this up. While most of the employees aren't making a career out of working at Best Buy, the sups and managers typically are on some level at least, and it takes a certain, umm, level of person to get, err, stuck, yes, at that level if you know what I mean. There's a lot of inconsistency in these types of people. If you get good ones though, they tend to hire good employees and foster a good environment for customers. My store has good management. It's the only thing that makes it remotely tolerable to me. The employees actually know their stuff and are honest with the customers. They also work as a team because the management pushes it and thankfully we don't have commission to muck things up. And customers do love us for it. You'd be shocked by how often a selling relationship turns into a friendship practically at our particular store. We get invited out after work all the time. Honesty goes a long ways, and when you're helping people save money by making sure they make a smart decision for their needs, it goes a long ways. And our managers are objective enough (and not locked into Best Buy corporate brainwash mode) to know that the only thing Best Buy has to offer over Amazon is the possibility of a good customer service experience. They do all they reasonably can to ensure that it happens.
But again, this simply isn't the case everywhere at all, and it so often boils down to the luck of the draw on management. Good managers hire good people leading to good teams leading to generally happy customers and good sales. Bad managers hire their dumb friends, play games with customers, lie, cheat, and usually they don't put up good numbers.
At the end of the day though, the good stores and the bad stores are equally screwed because the industry is a mess, the world is changing, and Best Buy corporate utterly and completely lacks the talent and leadership to be innovative in the 21st century. They refuse to reasonably acknowledge change, they're too scared to piss off manufacturers who have lines all across the store that vary dramatically when it comes to success and quality, and they're wildly inconsistent and disorganized with their processes and as they put it, "solutions." As said, if things don't drastically change, and I don't believe they will without a major shift in leadership, they'll be dead in 5 years. It's a sinking ship. I'll be happy to be out of there.
Again, I don't think they're near as evil and corrupt as they are just lost. When you're lost, things can get confusing real fast. Bear in mind that oftentimes when employees appear aloof, they're probably confused because corporate changes things all the time and does little to help keep us informed of these changes. Also, don't mistake conspiracy theories for sheer stupidity. Like we saw in this whole conversation, people will say some wild things. It's easy to think it from the outside. I can assure you from the inside, that oftentimes what looks like scheming and maneuvering is really just disorganization, stupidity and/or confusion due to the muddled processes and the ever-foggy way in which corporate outlines these processes.
I don't blame people for not liking Best Buy. I don't like them either. Just go easy on the guys on the floor and in the back. Unless they're the total goof-off employees which do exist, what you're pissed about is probably not their fault at all.
First, I don't really like Best Buy. I got a job there to work for around 4 hours a week to get the generous discount. It's particularly generous when dealing with open-box items. Even so, I am miserable leading up to heading in and I do not enjoy the time that I spend there. Thankfully, I have a good full-time job plus a lot of side work and I'm planning on quitting in the next month or so as the thrill of the discount has long worn off.
That said, I have no problem being very open and honest about Best Buy and my experiences there.
In regards to the iPad situation, I haven't been in since this issue came up and won't be in for awhile, so I don't really know what the buzz is on this matter exactly. I do know that they wouldn't put a freeze on selling new iPad 2 stock if they regularly had it for a random promotion, if only for the very reason that many think caused the initial problem: quota.
I'm betting 1 of 2 things happened:
1) They did indeed get in trouble with Apple for something. Sure, it's possible, and it's the easiest reasonable conclusion. I don't know why this would be though, and I'm skeptical about the whole hording thing. And again, this is coming from someone who has access to the inventory systems and all the places that would hide "horded" iPads. Plus, I have a good enough relationship with multiple managers (ones who know the score about Best Buy in an objective world...) who would be honest about this with me.
Generally speaking, when they say there are no iPads for sale, there are no iPads for sale. It's really that simple. Demand is real, and supply is lacking. When we have them for sale, they're in the cages, and this would occur after passing through the pre-order system. White Verizon iPads tend to be the ones most often available, usually just a couple, and they're gone almost immediately all the same.
Another factor in the equation though is processing shipments. I saw someone noted that after an open-box controversy between two customers, the manager was able to procure a new iPad 2 for a disappointed customer when apparently there were none for sale. Well, there probably weren't. He either bumped someone back on the pre-order list to be nice to the pissed off customer in the store or perhaps a shipment came in on the truck that had yet to be processed and he worked it out with the ops team to get them to process one so he could get it out. Oftentimes the managers do actually try to make the customer happy, even if it's somewhat unreasonable. The ops guys have their procedures, and it's rarely slimy in intent so much as rooted in overall efficiency, so sometimes a shipment won't go to the floor for sales until the next day because the processing takes time. If the manager pushes to work something out in that situation, the manager is doing you a favor and pissing off some ops guys to do so.
Anyways, on to the 2nd scenario...
2) This is what I'd really venture to bet is the problem: the pre-order system is a huge mess. It was a rush job authorized by corporate at the last minute and handled by less-than-informed employees who were also in a rush. From day 1 it was clear that problems were going to creep up, and they absolutely have. Nobody in store is happy about it. The employees don't like telling customers that they have to wait on a pre-order list, they don't like the 48 hour pickup window, they don't like having to deal with customers pissing and moaning and crying about conspiracy theories when only a 64 GB white Verizon iPad 2 is available once in a blue moon when a pre-order turns it down. It's not fun, for anyone, and unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about it.
So what I'm guessing is really happening is that Best Buy is just digging out of this pre-order mess as fast as possible and skipping anything else until they get past the ramifications of a stupid decision. Considering there's little to skip seeing as supply is so low and we rarely have the most in-demand models available anyways, it's easier for them to just bow out of this for a couple of weeks and in a sense re-launch the normal sales when supplies are less constrained and they don't have a stupid pre-order process hanging over their heads. It's a cut and dry move that will allow them to gear up again in a more normal, focused way. Considering how things have gone there in the last month in dealing with anything iPad related, this might be the best decision for them.
All in all, Best Buy is Best Buy: a brick and mortar retailer lost in an internet-connected world. Best Buy isn't nearly as evil as they are lost and longing for the 20th century. Sure, there's a lot of margin on accessories, but it's because there's more often than not no margin on anything else. They don't make much money at all on TV's and Computers anymore. If they're on sale, and at Best Buy, almost everything is always "On Sale," it's likely at cost or within a few dollars of cost. There's little margin in the shrinking physical media world either. The only departments with major products that have margin still are appliances and for certain stores, musical instruments. This is why Best Buy will likely be dead in 5 years if they don't drastically change their business model. They did a better job at adapting to the new world than other electronics chains, but they haven't done nearly enough. It's not an easy business at this point though as it has as much to do with dealing with suppliers suffering the same pinch and customers who want to have it all but don't want to pay for it.
Also, in regards to stupid employees and sleazy mangers, yeah, they do exist. But more employees know their stuff than you might think. And there are quite a few managers who actually do care about trying to do a good job and help the customer.
As far as the employees, the biggest shock to me after working at Best Buy was realizing that so much of the supposed employee ignorance has more to do with incessantly having to dumb things down to the most absurd of levels with customers. 90% of the people who come in are nice people who just don't know much of anything about what they're buying. You have to learn to communicate on their level and not over-complicate things for them. It's easy to get stuck in that default mode and you have to actively snap yourself out of it on the rare occasion when you get customers who can actually hold their own in a conversation about the technology. And make no mistake, it's a huge relief for most of us when that happens because most of us that work there actually are pretty excited about the technology.
Now on the other hand, sleazy managers and supervisors can screw so much of this up. While most of the employees aren't making a career out of working at Best Buy, the sups and managers typically are on some level at least, and it takes a certain, umm, level of person to get, err, stuck, yes, at that level if you know what I mean. There's a lot of inconsistency in these types of people. If you get good ones though, they tend to hire good employees and foster a good environment for customers. My store has good management. It's the only thing that makes it remotely tolerable to me. The employees actually know their stuff and are honest with the customers. They also work as a team because the management pushes it and thankfully we don't have commission to muck things up. And customers do love us for it. You'd be shocked by how often a selling relationship turns into a friendship practically at our particular store. We get invited out after work all the time. Honesty goes a long ways, and when you're helping people save money by making sure they make a smart decision for their needs, it goes a long ways. And our managers are objective enough (and not locked into Best Buy corporate brainwash mode) to know that the only thing Best Buy has to offer over Amazon is the possibility of a good customer service experience. They do all they reasonably can to ensure that it happens.
But again, this simply isn't the case everywhere at all, and it so often boils down to the luck of the draw on management. Good managers hire good people leading to good teams leading to generally happy customers and good sales. Bad managers hire their dumb friends, play games with customers, lie, cheat, and usually they don't put up good numbers.
At the end of the day though, the good stores and the bad stores are equally screwed because the industry is a mess, the world is changing, and Best Buy corporate utterly and completely lacks the talent and leadership to be innovative in the 21st century. They refuse to reasonably acknowledge change, they're too scared to piss off manufacturers who have lines all across the store that vary dramatically when it comes to success and quality, and they're wildly inconsistent and disorganized with their processes and as they put it, "solutions." As said, if things don't drastically change, and I don't believe they will without a major shift in leadership, they'll be dead in 5 years. It's a sinking ship. I'll be happy to be out of there.
Again, I don't think they're near as evil and corrupt as they are just lost. When you're lost, things can get confusing real fast. Bear in mind that oftentimes when employees appear aloof, they're probably confused because corporate changes things all the time and does little to help keep us informed of these changes. Also, don't mistake conspiracy theories for sheer stupidity. Like we saw in this whole conversation, people will say some wild things. It's easy to think it from the outside. I can assure you from the inside, that oftentimes what looks like scheming and maneuvering is really just disorganization, stupidity and/or confusion due to the muddled processes and the ever-foggy way in which corporate outlines these processes.
I don't blame people for not liking Best Buy. I don't like them either. Just go easy on the guys on the floor and in the back. Unless they're the total goof-off employees which do exist, what you're pissed about is probably not their fault at all.
HecubusPro
Sep 12, 09:03 AM
How you gonna burn it to DVD if it's Hi-Def?
Perhaps they'll include HD-DVD burners in the new MBP's. :) Hey, I can dream can't I? :D
I can't? Darn.
Perhaps they'll include HD-DVD burners in the new MBP's. :) Hey, I can dream can't I? :D
I can't? Darn.
snberk103
Apr 12, 11:10 PM
Without context .... who knows? The story has been updated to state that the TSA does not do drug tests.... which makes sense. If there is another test, then it's possible that it's an explosive test.
She (the little girl) may have the chemical signature for explosives on her. There are lots of innocent ways this could happen, from borrowing the sweater of her friend, whose father works in a mine, to using a fabric softener that uses a chemical that is similar to one of the many chemicals that can combined with others to make a bomb.
If the TSA has a chemical sniffer at that security station, and that sniffer is indicating the presence of a possible explosive.... do you really want a TSA staffer making judgement calls on who needs to be double-checked and who gets a bye?
We don't know what happened.... there is no context.... who knows....
She (the little girl) may have the chemical signature for explosives on her. There are lots of innocent ways this could happen, from borrowing the sweater of her friend, whose father works in a mine, to using a fabric softener that uses a chemical that is similar to one of the many chemicals that can combined with others to make a bomb.
If the TSA has a chemical sniffer at that security station, and that sniffer is indicating the presence of a possible explosive.... do you really want a TSA staffer making judgement calls on who needs to be double-checked and who gets a bye?
We don't know what happened.... there is no context.... who knows....
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