Ugg
Apr 18, 12:35 AM
We should add left handed history ahead of gay history, before you bash me, let me explain..........
Because of these horrible things perpetuated on left handed people I request that left handed people are mentioned in history.
How was that?
Any basic history textbook will include basic information about a person. Left handedness often is mentioned, so is deafness, blindness and other physical differences. Homosexuality isn't in the same league, now is it?
Why do so many people have a difficult time acknowledging the unique contributions of gay people?
Have you heard of Wounded Knee? This country has a horrible problem in dealing with minorities an those on the right seem most interested in suppressing anyone who doesn't fit into their narrow and erroneous interpretation of American demographics.
It's very, very sad.
Because of these horrible things perpetuated on left handed people I request that left handed people are mentioned in history.
How was that?
Any basic history textbook will include basic information about a person. Left handedness often is mentioned, so is deafness, blindness and other physical differences. Homosexuality isn't in the same league, now is it?
Why do so many people have a difficult time acknowledging the unique contributions of gay people?
Have you heard of Wounded Knee? This country has a horrible problem in dealing with minorities an those on the right seem most interested in suppressing anyone who doesn't fit into their narrow and erroneous interpretation of American demographics.
It's very, very sad.
artifex
Oct 3, 05:32 PM
I'll be the iPhone also has the ability to act as a FrontRow/iTV remote.
That really would be the complete experience. Well, that, and also roll out something like the ancient X10 interface, so you can turn your house lights off and on. OMG, imagine being able to use voice control. And a little iPhone acting as a local mic when at home!
That really would be the complete experience. Well, that, and also roll out something like the ancient X10 interface, so you can turn your house lights off and on. OMG, imagine being able to use voice control. And a little iPhone acting as a local mic when at home!
mcmadhatter
Oct 17, 08:53 AM
As soon as someone creates a dual format drive all this fuss will die down. It was the same with DVD +/- . Give it a year and NEC will have a dual format drives for both computers and players and no-one will have to decide.
Patrick J
Apr 15, 04:03 PM
In the second picture, it seems like whoever was doing the editing couldn't quite get the text in the right position. It looks completely off, kinda in a downward slant to the right.
http://www.cheeplinux.com/images/bugfeaturemug.jpe
http://www.cheeplinux.com/images/bugfeaturemug.jpe
jellybean
Mar 18, 06:59 PM
What gives anyone the right to put down another person's passion or something they're enthusiastic about? If a friend of mine buys an expensive new car and it didn't suit my own personal taste, I would at least try and be polite about it and not belittle them by saying "what a pile of crap! you spent all that money on that piece of junk?" It's damn rude!
A friend of a friend of mine who once visited my apartment made a snide comment about my iMac. I immediately replied "your t-shirt makes you look fat and ugly", which was met by a very awkward moment of silence. I followed up by saying "don't be rude about my personal taste and I won't be rude about yours."
Needless to say he probably left thinking I'm some nutter who has an unhealthy relationship with my computer, but I'm glad I made the point.
But I do agree that a lot of it is just jealousy. I've known many people who were once very vocal about their hate for Apple and the iPhone, who have since become iPhone owners themselves and now love it.
And perhaps you could remind those who smirk that you've spent �500 on your phone that they too will likely be paying a similar amount for their smartphone over the course of their contract, but with an unlocked iPhone you also have the added benefit of being able to take advantage of much cheaper "sim only" tariffs which you're not locked in to.
A friend of a friend of mine who once visited my apartment made a snide comment about my iMac. I immediately replied "your t-shirt makes you look fat and ugly", which was met by a very awkward moment of silence. I followed up by saying "don't be rude about my personal taste and I won't be rude about yours."
Needless to say he probably left thinking I'm some nutter who has an unhealthy relationship with my computer, but I'm glad I made the point.
But I do agree that a lot of it is just jealousy. I've known many people who were once very vocal about their hate for Apple and the iPhone, who have since become iPhone owners themselves and now love it.
And perhaps you could remind those who smirk that you've spent �500 on your phone that they too will likely be paying a similar amount for their smartphone over the course of their contract, but with an unlocked iPhone you also have the added benefit of being able to take advantage of much cheaper "sim only" tariffs which you're not locked in to.
JoeG4
Mar 18, 07:49 PM
Hrm where do I go with this one.
The iPhone is a nice phone! It turned out that if I had the $285 necessary to buy an iPhone ($200 + $50 tax + 35 activation), I could get it on a monthly plan similar to what I just got my free G2 for.
I don't work, I'm a student.. and while that means I could probably live without a smartphone it was a $15/mo difference. I'm using a G5 I bought for $50, and my internet service costs me $15 a month (it's DSL too!).. heck even my tv service is rather cheap.
If I could've gotten an iPhone at the time, I would've. Right now? If Steve Jobs offered me a free iPhone in exchange for my G2? Hahah sure :D
I do have my beefs, I think iOS is kinda boring and iTunes is clunky as all get out, but i love the docks and the hardware is really nice.
That said, I really never thought I'd like having a hardware keyboard so much until I had one o_O Oh well. Everyone I know has an iPhone, bar 2 or 3 people. Most of them also have MacBook Pros :P
Yea so at the end of the day it sucks but I'll live with it. When I become an engineer I'll be able to afford all the shiny Apple stuff I want :D AND I don't feel like I'm having to "live with it".. shoot I've got like the 3rd nicest smartphone on the market and it didn't cost me a dime. Woot! (Well, it did cost $15 more a month!.. actually the iPhone would've also cost about $15-20 more a month, and that $285)
It's been an awesome phone though, no lag anywhere, it plays angry birds great, works great with music and internet, and I get 2 days of battery life solid. :)
The iPhone is a nice phone! It turned out that if I had the $285 necessary to buy an iPhone ($200 + $50 tax + 35 activation), I could get it on a monthly plan similar to what I just got my free G2 for.
I don't work, I'm a student.. and while that means I could probably live without a smartphone it was a $15/mo difference. I'm using a G5 I bought for $50, and my internet service costs me $15 a month (it's DSL too!).. heck even my tv service is rather cheap.
If I could've gotten an iPhone at the time, I would've. Right now? If Steve Jobs offered me a free iPhone in exchange for my G2? Hahah sure :D
I do have my beefs, I think iOS is kinda boring and iTunes is clunky as all get out, but i love the docks and the hardware is really nice.
That said, I really never thought I'd like having a hardware keyboard so much until I had one o_O Oh well. Everyone I know has an iPhone, bar 2 or 3 people. Most of them also have MacBook Pros :P
Yea so at the end of the day it sucks but I'll live with it. When I become an engineer I'll be able to afford all the shiny Apple stuff I want :D AND I don't feel like I'm having to "live with it".. shoot I've got like the 3rd nicest smartphone on the market and it didn't cost me a dime. Woot! (Well, it did cost $15 more a month!.. actually the iPhone would've also cost about $15-20 more a month, and that $285)
It's been an awesome phone though, no lag anywhere, it plays angry birds great, works great with music and internet, and I get 2 days of battery life solid. :)
ChrisTX
Apr 25, 07:06 PM
I seriously doubt Apple is going to change the screen size so slightly because it may require a lot of software re-writes (unless the apps are truly resolution independent).
Perhaps, the screen only appears bigger because the borders will relatively shrink in the next generation????
Notice the size the iPhone apps scale to on the iPad is significantly larger than the actual 3.5" of the iPhone and they scale just fine. I didn't read all of the comments, but I've never seen anyone ever point this out before.
Perhaps, the screen only appears bigger because the borders will relatively shrink in the next generation????
Notice the size the iPhone apps scale to on the iPad is significantly larger than the actual 3.5" of the iPhone and they scale just fine. I didn't read all of the comments, but I've never seen anyone ever point this out before.
zombitronic
Oct 6, 04:47 PM
I think your arugument would be valid if phones were not subsudized and you have to buy them at full price. Because AT&T in this case is paying Apple $400 per phone you should choose a network first.
If ISP were footing the bill for desktop then Verizon add still would work but for cell phones most of the cost of the phone is paid by the networks. Not the other way around.
My original iPhone was not subsidized and I had to buy it at full price. I chose the device with no qualms about what network I was required to use.
While the iPhone is now subsidized, so are many other phones on many other networks. If only certain networks were doing this to add value to choosing their contracts, I could understand your point of choosing the network before the device. Maybe I'm missing something but I don't understand how this changes my argument that the service is just a commodity while the device is the consumer's primary choice.
If ISP were footing the bill for desktop then Verizon add still would work but for cell phones most of the cost of the phone is paid by the networks. Not the other way around.
My original iPhone was not subsidized and I had to buy it at full price. I chose the device with no qualms about what network I was required to use.
While the iPhone is now subsidized, so are many other phones on many other networks. If only certain networks were doing this to add value to choosing their contracts, I could understand your point of choosing the network before the device. Maybe I'm missing something but I don't understand how this changes my argument that the service is just a commodity while the device is the consumer's primary choice.
saving107
Mar 17, 12:55 AM
Funny thing is the kid looked like he was having a crappy day to begin with and probably had it with the madness in the store and looked like he didn't know how to take 2 different forms of payment.
Whats even funnier is that if you thought he was having a bad day on that day, can you image how he felt the next day when he was probably fired. Oh what a laugh.
You think you are getting payback from Best Buy, but in the end, Best Buy is doing just fine and that guy is probably unemployed (and I am not saying that he wasn't wrong, but your logic and justification that you got payback from Best Buy is comical).
Whats even funnier is that if you thought he was having a bad day on that day, can you image how he felt the next day when he was probably fired. Oh what a laugh.
You think you are getting payback from Best Buy, but in the end, Best Buy is doing just fine and that guy is probably unemployed (and I am not saying that he wasn't wrong, but your logic and justification that you got payback from Best Buy is comical).
Slix
Mar 24, 03:58 PM
Happy Birthday OS X! I still love you. :D
BRLawyer
Sep 12, 04:41 AM
So, let me see...for those of us NOT living in the US, what do we have?
Movie Store - NOT available (downloading movies is not my cup of tea anyway);
Streaming device for movies bought in the iTMS - NOT available as well
New Nanos with SAME capacity?? - No, thanks...
I was going to receive a (female) friend tonight, but she postponed for tomorrow...so this means I will have instead a big "yawning" session tonight at Apple news/rumor sites, with few things applicable to people outside of the US...move along, citizens... :(
Movie Store - NOT available (downloading movies is not my cup of tea anyway);
Streaming device for movies bought in the iTMS - NOT available as well
New Nanos with SAME capacity?? - No, thanks...
I was going to receive a (female) friend tonight, but she postponed for tomorrow...so this means I will have instead a big "yawning" session tonight at Apple news/rumor sites, with few things applicable to people outside of the US...move along, citizens... :(
LastLine
Nov 23, 06:45 PM
Anyone willing to get me a $69 .mac code? ;) Much cheaper than our �69 lol. (Yeah I'm marketplace eligable before anyone panics :))
JulianNeef
Apr 5, 04:23 PM
Would be LOL when this was a paid app :P
takao
Nov 28, 06:27 PM
Make a Custom Class with Ghost, problem solved. Hell, equip that same class with the Strela, and not only will the various Choppers not shoot you, but you can then bring it down so it stops killing your team as well.
well you mean ghost pro ... the normal one is useless against that (i already have that layout ;) )
but seriously getting some of the perks to pro is ridiculously difficult while some others can be pro before hitting level 15
.. i have been trying to get ghost to pro for a while now and ironically i'm stuck on destroying an enemy turrent.. which somehow aren't popular at all jsut liek the tomahawk .. while i killed perhaps 30 guys with it i haven't been killed by a single tomahawk yet despite it being perfect for those "we are losing charlie" moments
another point of advice: don't bother with the top MP: it has only a 20 shot clip (opposed to some other MPs) and annoyingly ejects empty rounds right out of the top
having the mp just one slot below but with increased firerate add on (IMHO the best for taking down assault rifle users on short range) and silencer is the way better gun
in general with this being my first call of duty i have to say that my opinion of killing streaks hasn't changed at all ... it still is an invitation for camping in many, many game situations... and some of the attacks are simply ridiculous if you look at the size of some of the maps or their designs: yay for houses with no roofs/glass roofs
well you mean ghost pro ... the normal one is useless against that (i already have that layout ;) )
but seriously getting some of the perks to pro is ridiculously difficult while some others can be pro before hitting level 15
.. i have been trying to get ghost to pro for a while now and ironically i'm stuck on destroying an enemy turrent.. which somehow aren't popular at all jsut liek the tomahawk .. while i killed perhaps 30 guys with it i haven't been killed by a single tomahawk yet despite it being perfect for those "we are losing charlie" moments
another point of advice: don't bother with the top MP: it has only a 20 shot clip (opposed to some other MPs) and annoyingly ejects empty rounds right out of the top
having the mp just one slot below but with increased firerate add on (IMHO the best for taking down assault rifle users on short range) and silencer is the way better gun
in general with this being my first call of duty i have to say that my opinion of killing streaks hasn't changed at all ... it still is an invitation for camping in many, many game situations... and some of the attacks are simply ridiculous if you look at the size of some of the maps or their designs: yay for houses with no roofs/glass roofs
just.in.time
Mar 25, 02:42 AM
Geeze time flies!!! HB OS X!
Started with a used PowerBook 5300cs running 7.6.1, and quickly (about 2 years) walked it up through all the versions to 9.1 as I could afford to upgrade the ram. Got my first experience of OS X on a PowerBook G3 Pismo 500mhz, with 10.0.4. I'd have to say 10.2.8 really marked OS X becoming a mature system, it was by far more stable than all versions of X prior to it. Used every release since, and they just get better, now with Snow Leopard on the main machine, a MacBook Pro 13"
Still rocking 9.1 on a PowerBook 2400c hooked up to a Bose SoundDock and using iTunes 2 to stream internet radio (running as I type this).
Started with a used PowerBook 5300cs running 7.6.1, and quickly (about 2 years) walked it up through all the versions to 9.1 as I could afford to upgrade the ram. Got my first experience of OS X on a PowerBook G3 Pismo 500mhz, with 10.0.4. I'd have to say 10.2.8 really marked OS X becoming a mature system, it was by far more stable than all versions of X prior to it. Used every release since, and they just get better, now with Snow Leopard on the main machine, a MacBook Pro 13"
Still rocking 9.1 on a PowerBook 2400c hooked up to a Bose SoundDock and using iTunes 2 to stream internet radio (running as I type this).
Tarzanman
Mar 18, 12:52 AM
Blame Apple for the rivalry in the mobile arena.
They spend a lot of money brainwashing their customers into feeling like their choice in consumer products makes them better than people who use other products.
In a normal world, no one should give a rat's @ss what kind of phone you're making a phone call on but us non-iphone users had to put up with 2 years of iphone-users' fawining and bull---- about how awesome their phone was.
Its not surprising to me that there is now blowback as a result of Apple's marketing push.
They still do it today... look at the recent ipad2 press conference. Didn't the last slide say "2011: year of the copycat?" Which is ridiculous. Every product in the world has multiple manufacturers. TVs, bicycles, cars, toothbrushes, etc.... why should tablets be any different?
So, the next time someone gives you lip for using an Apple product remember that the money you give to Steve Jobs is helping fund the ill will.
You don't see Google going around bashing apple for no reason... but maybe because their CEO isn't a complete jerk like Jobs.
They spend a lot of money brainwashing their customers into feeling like their choice in consumer products makes them better than people who use other products.
In a normal world, no one should give a rat's @ss what kind of phone you're making a phone call on but us non-iphone users had to put up with 2 years of iphone-users' fawining and bull---- about how awesome their phone was.
Its not surprising to me that there is now blowback as a result of Apple's marketing push.
They still do it today... look at the recent ipad2 press conference. Didn't the last slide say "2011: year of the copycat?" Which is ridiculous. Every product in the world has multiple manufacturers. TVs, bicycles, cars, toothbrushes, etc.... why should tablets be any different?
So, the next time someone gives you lip for using an Apple product remember that the money you give to Steve Jobs is helping fund the ill will.
You don't see Google going around bashing apple for no reason... but maybe because their CEO isn't a complete jerk like Jobs.
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.
rhett7660
Apr 21, 12:09 PM
Could have been worse guys, they could have put in a Facebook "Like" button. :D
They actually one upped Facebook. We also have a dislike button!
They actually one upped Facebook. We also have a dislike button!
Jpog
Apr 16, 04:35 PM
Hello everybody :),
I'm the autor of these pictures. I've made this with 3dsmax and Vray render. Photoshop has been just use to create the noise and resize the pictures.
For the perspective problem on the third pics, it's just a lens distortion of my camera.
Stop search, it's just a 3D render exercise.
I'm happy to see that my work unleashed passions but it's A FAKE.
To have more information, see : http://iphone4fake.over-blog.com
Now we have just to wait June to see the real truth.
(Sorry for my english, i'm french ^^ )
I'm the autor of these pictures. I've made this with 3dsmax and Vray render. Photoshop has been just use to create the noise and resize the pictures.
For the perspective problem on the third pics, it's just a lens distortion of my camera.
Stop search, it's just a 3D render exercise.
I'm happy to see that my work unleashed passions but it's A FAKE.
To have more information, see : http://iphone4fake.over-blog.com
Now we have just to wait June to see the real truth.
(Sorry for my english, i'm french ^^ )
slffl
Oct 3, 12:23 PM
I guess the 'Year of the laptop' was for that year only.
T-Will
Apr 5, 04:07 PM
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Apr 10, 10:05 AM
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Screen protector, looks nice and dosen't ruin the display quality
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abhimat.gautam
Apr 29, 02:54 PM
Did distracting iCal go away?
Dr.Gargoyle
Aug 2, 06:53 AM
Loosing Denmark, or Norway or both, doesn't matter one bit. It is a courtesy that Apple even allowed these small and meaningless countries to join in on the fun.
Since you claim you work in Denmark, you should know Denmark, as well as Sweden, is a part of European Union (EU). If you had done your homework, you should also know that EU implies that all non-nation specific laws should be idential for all countries in EU (very much the same as in US). That is, if the French and the scandinavians find that Apples DRM violates consumer rights, it has a very good chance to become accepted all over EU. Furthermore, since EU has about 460 million people whereas US only have 296 milion people, it should according to your argumentation about minor markets imply that Apple rather should dump the US market than the european market. :rolleyes:
You should know by now that a company sole purpose is to make money for the shareholders, and nothing else. I very much doubt that board of Apple or its partners even would consider dumping a close to half a billion potential customers.
Since you claim you work in Denmark, you should know Denmark, as well as Sweden, is a part of European Union (EU). If you had done your homework, you should also know that EU implies that all non-nation specific laws should be idential for all countries in EU (very much the same as in US). That is, if the French and the scandinavians find that Apples DRM violates consumer rights, it has a very good chance to become accepted all over EU. Furthermore, since EU has about 460 million people whereas US only have 296 milion people, it should according to your argumentation about minor markets imply that Apple rather should dump the US market than the european market. :rolleyes:
You should know by now that a company sole purpose is to make money for the shareholders, and nothing else. I very much doubt that board of Apple or its partners even would consider dumping a close to half a billion potential customers.
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