ciTiger
Apr 15, 06:13 PM
I love Apple but these are bad news.
The more competition there is the better products get for the end user! :mad:
The more competition there is the better products get for the end user! :mad:
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. :)
dalvin200
Jan 12, 03:53 AM
Damn... that pretty much sucked for the Moto presentation..
made the company look like a fool.. :eek:
wonder what the outcome of this will be....
and such a small apology on the giz article...
as for banning from macworld - well, the guy who actually pulled the trigger on the tv remote thingy should get banned for real!
made the company look like a fool.. :eek:
wonder what the outcome of this will be....
and such a small apology on the giz article...
as for banning from macworld - well, the guy who actually pulled the trigger on the tv remote thingy should get banned for real!
Multimedia
Oct 4, 12:21 PM
I'm afraid the new Intel Apple is going to be the same as the old PPC Apple.
Apple, (in the past), always blamed slow implementation of new processors and long shipping wait times on low Motorola or IBM processor yields.
Now Apple doesn't have the same excuse with Intel but I bet we don't see a Merom MBP or an Octo-MacPro until MacWorld SF or later.
Anyone taking bets!I'm not betting. But I think the C2D MB & MBPs will come out before Thanksgiving November 23. I can see them holding out on the Dual Clovertown Mac Pro for dramatic purposes in the January 9 SteveNote. But they will be a full two months behind the shipping date if they do, which would confirm your fear which I can fully understand.
Seems like they have not figured out how to turn on a dime or have make a conscious decision to not try and keep up with the latest ASAP and just poke along to the beat of their own weird drum. I feel a little bit hostage to their slow release pace. But perhaps we can't really understand what goes on behind the curtain and should cut them more slack. :)
After all, they were spot on with the rapid release of the C2D iMacs a month ago. Maybe we're all being irrationally and prematurely impatient.
Apple, (in the past), always blamed slow implementation of new processors and long shipping wait times on low Motorola or IBM processor yields.
Now Apple doesn't have the same excuse with Intel but I bet we don't see a Merom MBP or an Octo-MacPro until MacWorld SF or later.
Anyone taking bets!I'm not betting. But I think the C2D MB & MBPs will come out before Thanksgiving November 23. I can see them holding out on the Dual Clovertown Mac Pro for dramatic purposes in the January 9 SteveNote. But they will be a full two months behind the shipping date if they do, which would confirm your fear which I can fully understand.
Seems like they have not figured out how to turn on a dime or have make a conscious decision to not try and keep up with the latest ASAP and just poke along to the beat of their own weird drum. I feel a little bit hostage to their slow release pace. But perhaps we can't really understand what goes on behind the curtain and should cut them more slack. :)
After all, they were spot on with the rapid release of the C2D iMacs a month ago. Maybe we're all being irrationally and prematurely impatient.
more...
MacAddict1978
Apr 16, 04:03 PM
why do music companies make it so difficult to distribute their music? weird.
It's because they wan't to make it more enticing for people to steal music instead of making it easier for them to buy it. They can sue 80 year old ladies for a $million for 1 Incubus song... (no, seriously, they did.) That's a much better haul than 99 cents right? :D
Sounds like the Record companies are being their typical stupid selves. Only reason Apple is really able to get away with it is because they are Apple. It is not the closed system part but because they are Apple. I bet if the record company could they would say F you to Apple and pull out. I also would not be surpised if they regreat now making a deal with them when iTunes first launched.
This stinks over all. It is not closed or open argument. This is a record company being record companies.
iTunes made legally downloading relevant. We'd still not have a model like this if Apple hadn't done it (no one thought apple would grow to such a behmoth back at the time iTunes Store was born). We'd having something, but I doubt we'd have the flexibility of individual tracks at that price if individual tracks at all. Really, even though there is still piracy, iTunes probably saved the music industry more than it killed it IMO. And if the record labels don't like people cherry picking the 2 good songs of an ablbum, start putting out artists that have albums without filler (like that kesha creature)
It's because they wan't to make it more enticing for people to steal music instead of making it easier for them to buy it. They can sue 80 year old ladies for a $million for 1 Incubus song... (no, seriously, they did.) That's a much better haul than 99 cents right? :D
Sounds like the Record companies are being their typical stupid selves. Only reason Apple is really able to get away with it is because they are Apple. It is not the closed system part but because they are Apple. I bet if the record company could they would say F you to Apple and pull out. I also would not be surpised if they regreat now making a deal with them when iTunes first launched.
This stinks over all. It is not closed or open argument. This is a record company being record companies.
iTunes made legally downloading relevant. We'd still not have a model like this if Apple hadn't done it (no one thought apple would grow to such a behmoth back at the time iTunes Store was born). We'd having something, but I doubt we'd have the flexibility of individual tracks at that price if individual tracks at all. Really, even though there is still piracy, iTunes probably saved the music industry more than it killed it IMO. And if the record labels don't like people cherry picking the 2 good songs of an ablbum, start putting out artists that have albums without filler (like that kesha creature)
GoKyu
Apr 29, 07:05 PM
When I read the subject, I got a little hopeful...when I saw the screenshot showing Spaces/Expos�, I really thought the "UI tweak" was that they'd let us use the old Spaces if we wanted to.
Guess not, it's still that b******ized Mission Control...
Guess not, it's still that b******ized Mission Control...
more...
rowlands
Oct 24, 11:17 PM
If I recall correctly they did formally apologize. I do genuinely like the guys at Gizmodo and I enjoying their blog, its a personal thing. Some of friends can't stand it and prefer Engadget.
I personally hope that they're given a chance to prove that they can make tech journalism fun without going over the top. If they blow it this time, I fully support punishment.
I personally hope that they're given a chance to prove that they can make tech journalism fun without going over the top. If they blow it this time, I fully support punishment.
miles01110
Apr 13, 06:37 AM
Don't know what is more ridiculous, the pat down of the little girl or the mother asking for a re-scan. I op out every single time I travel. It is not evident (and the TSA flunkies don't really know) whether a given device is a backscatter scanner or a an active or passive terahertz wave scanner. There is currently no long term evidence that backscatter or active terahertz wave scanners do not have side effects, especially for frequent travelers. Unless they switch all scanners to passive terahertz wave scanners, I will continue to opt out and if they ever make these scans mandatory without the opt out option, I will refuse to fly.
The radiation dosage from any properly maintained active scanner is still orders of magnitude less than what you get from a 4-hour flight at 10 km. Go ahead and opt out of your full-body scans... if you're doing it for the "health" reason you're tilting at a very small windmill.
The radiation dosage from any properly maintained active scanner is still orders of magnitude less than what you get from a 4-hour flight at 10 km. Go ahead and opt out of your full-body scans... if you're doing it for the "health" reason you're tilting at a very small windmill.
more...
HMFIC03
Apr 5, 03:59 PM
:eek: Looks like the beginnings of NASCAR styled advertising that is blasted everywhere.
App Dev's and Apple should stick to the minimalist apple principles - clean interfaces, w/o out the commercial crapola.
App Dev's and Apple should stick to the minimalist apple principles - clean interfaces, w/o out the commercial crapola.
*LTD*
Mar 6, 11:14 AM
It's Apple's philosophy. It comes down to building priorities around it and executing on them.
Listen to this guy in the video below. Does he sound like someone who doesn't treat tech as a craft, as an art? This is someone who sounds like he's prepared to make some heavy sacrifices for the sake of perfecting a product. Someone who is prepared to say no to a thousand things, and yes to that one special idea. You wouldn't even believe he's talking about tech but something entirely different.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY85UiPBAo0
It's not marketing-speak or hyperbole for the camera. It's an artist speaking about his work. Can you identify with this?
Apple operates from a completely different place and mindset from everyone else.
Why?
Simple. They actually give a damn about the User Experience. They understand that tech is used by PEOPLE, and people have lives to get on with. So . . . simplify, simplify, simplify; cut, cut cut; and then work to perfect what's left over.
That's the beauty of it. It's very Zen. Perfection - or rather, sublimity - is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to take away.
Why doesn't the competition do this or think this way?
1) Their priority is to make as much money in as little time as possible and to do it as cheaply as possible.
2) They're stupid.
Most of the time, #1 happens because of #2.
And there is no cure for #2.
Listen to this guy in the video below. Does he sound like someone who doesn't treat tech as a craft, as an art? This is someone who sounds like he's prepared to make some heavy sacrifices for the sake of perfecting a product. Someone who is prepared to say no to a thousand things, and yes to that one special idea. You wouldn't even believe he's talking about tech but something entirely different.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY85UiPBAo0
It's not marketing-speak or hyperbole for the camera. It's an artist speaking about his work. Can you identify with this?
Apple operates from a completely different place and mindset from everyone else.
Why?
Simple. They actually give a damn about the User Experience. They understand that tech is used by PEOPLE, and people have lives to get on with. So . . . simplify, simplify, simplify; cut, cut cut; and then work to perfect what's left over.
That's the beauty of it. It's very Zen. Perfection - or rather, sublimity - is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to take away.
Why doesn't the competition do this or think this way?
1) Their priority is to make as much money in as little time as possible and to do it as cheaply as possible.
2) They're stupid.
Most of the time, #1 happens because of #2.
And there is no cure for #2.
more...
GeekLawyer
May 3, 10:40 PM
So is this meant to be an ad for the iPad 2 or the future generations? All it does is make me more excited for upcoming models, not the iPad 2 itself. I don't doubt that it will be effective though.I think it's an ad for iPad. iPad 1, iPad 2, iPad that comes next. All of them. As a platform. "It's just getting started."
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.
more...
ezekielrage_99
Jan 14, 11:26 PM
I think they'll be barred after this....
http://gizmodo.com/344673/do-you-really-think-the-macworld-keynotes-leaked-on-wikipedia
http://gizmodo.com/344673/do-you-really-think-the-macworld-keynotes-leaked-on-wikipedia
PeterQVenkman
Apr 5, 03:02 PM
Is it too late for April Fool's?
Edit - I kinda want a McRib now...
Edit - I kinda want a McRib now...
more...
Coolerking
Sep 12, 08:37 AM
Yes, you can dream. Dream it you ********** dreamers.
LOL! Nice
LOL! Nice
smokingtrout
Sep 12, 01:37 AM
Apple already did that design. It's called the Apple G4 Cube.
http://www.apple-history.com/?page=gallery&model=g4cube
Arn,
Yes, Apple did "do" that design, and it was a thing of beauty. But my stupid idea would be a projector in the same form factor. Add in the latest and greatest I/O, Superdrive, and HiFi speakers tastefully added to either side (or maybe the bottom) and you have a truly portable, hi-def media sharing device.
After lugging around an older Hitachi projector and my PowerBook to share slideshows and the like, I'd use something like this!
http://www.apple-history.com/?page=gallery&model=g4cube
Arn,
Yes, Apple did "do" that design, and it was a thing of beauty. But my stupid idea would be a projector in the same form factor. Add in the latest and greatest I/O, Superdrive, and HiFi speakers tastefully added to either side (or maybe the bottom) and you have a truly portable, hi-def media sharing device.
After lugging around an older Hitachi projector and my PowerBook to share slideshows and the like, I'd use something like this!
more...
0815
May 3, 05:18 PM
Ok, I'm taking down the names of all the carrier defenders here.
The next time you people bitch about the cable companies or magazine publishers charging you twice for the "one" thing you paid for I'm gonna be all over you.
I will defend magazine publisher that track down people that steal their magazines from the news stand or anywhere and prevent them from stealing so that I don't have to pay a higher subscription fee caused by their crimes.
The next time you people bitch about the cable companies or magazine publishers charging you twice for the "one" thing you paid for I'm gonna be all over you.
I will defend magazine publisher that track down people that steal their magazines from the news stand or anywhere and prevent them from stealing so that I don't have to pay a higher subscription fee caused by their crimes.
Benjy91
Apr 20, 12:34 PM
The problem was that all that MS publicly announced for "Longhorn" never really made it into "vista" So while everyone knew what MS was working on, MS was unable to deliver.
This time around they're (trying) to prevent leaks of the build surfacing. So the only people who could potentially be disappointed are geeks like me who actively search for leaked Alpha & Beta features.
Theres a lot that could change though, it's still only at Milestone 3.
This time around they're (trying) to prevent leaks of the build surfacing. So the only people who could potentially be disappointed are geeks like me who actively search for leaked Alpha & Beta features.
Theres a lot that could change though, it's still only at Milestone 3.
mstrze
May 4, 09:39 AM
thx god not every one has this attitude ... people were bitching about paying extra for tethering here and NO ONE even argued "but its in the contract BS" and boom, few months later it got changed. just bc something is in a obvs greedy network contract doesnt mean it shouldnt be changed or makes it right.
this "i won't complain cuz i as one can't do anything about it anyway" approach makes me sick
But by not signing you ARE doing something about it: Hitting the provider's bottom line and that, possibly more than anything else, will lead them to make changes.
this "i won't complain cuz i as one can't do anything about it anyway" approach makes me sick
But by not signing you ARE doing something about it: Hitting the provider's bottom line and that, possibly more than anything else, will lead them to make changes.
citizenzen
Apr 17, 10:14 PM
We should add left handed history ahead of gay history ...
Last night I was watching a program called The Real King's Speech, a documentary on Prince Albert's/King George VI's struggle to deal with his speech impediment.
At least twice it was mentioned that he was born left-handed and forced by his father (with regression therapy perhaps?) to use his right hand.
Last night I was watching a program called The Real King's Speech, a documentary on Prince Albert's/King George VI's struggle to deal with his speech impediment.
At least twice it was mentioned that he was born left-handed and forced by his father (with regression therapy perhaps?) to use his right hand.
Sdashiki
Sep 8, 12:51 PM
It was the french.
hate the french.
hate the french.
voicegy
Jan 11, 07:03 PM
I think people should just get over it. Although doing it while he was doing the talk was a little :mad:
Well, eventually people WILL get over it, but for the moment, it's a hot topic.
Over at Gizmodo's own site, the comment list on the story has reached 674 comments, 2 of which are my own. It's just about the most comments I remember seeing on a Giz story:
http://tinyurl.com/3eyy4c
I am once again feeling proud to be a MacRumors member - the comments HERE have been interesting, civil, and quite readable - even comments that I would disagree with. It's a madhouse over at Giz.:eek:
Well, eventually people WILL get over it, but for the moment, it's a hot topic.
Over at Gizmodo's own site, the comment list on the story has reached 674 comments, 2 of which are my own. It's just about the most comments I remember seeing on a Giz story:
http://tinyurl.com/3eyy4c
I am once again feeling proud to be a MacRumors member - the comments HERE have been interesting, civil, and quite readable - even comments that I would disagree with. It's a madhouse over at Giz.:eek:
Russell L
Sep 27, 02:22 AM
For those of you running Aperture on a Mac Pro, did you notice the new RAM requirement on http://www.apple.com/aperture/specs/? It says "2GB of RAM required for Mac Pro." I've been running Aperture just fine on my new Mac Pro with the standard 1GB of RAM. Like many new Mac Pro owners, I've been holding off on upgrading the RAM until it gets a little cheaper. The 1.5 update installer better not refuse to install on my Mac because of insufficient RAM; I'll be pretty upset if it does. :(
Russell
Russell
*LTD*
Mar 7, 07:21 AM
Yes, it's Apples highly erratic priorities that are puzzling.
Their extreme hypocrisy and superiority complex that causes them to go into denial in so many cases.
They stonewall and refuse to operate in a candid & open way with customers. Instead they practice silently hiding as many of their issues as possible.
Apples one true area of brilliance is their masterful art of marketing. In the finest example of typical American deceptive advertising, Apple describes their products as "magical & revolutionary".
What a crock.
They can't or won't even build a cool running MBP, after years on the market.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1105643
I'm sorry the market and the industry hasn't responded the way you would have liked.
Their extreme hypocrisy and superiority complex that causes them to go into denial in so many cases.
They stonewall and refuse to operate in a candid & open way with customers. Instead they practice silently hiding as many of their issues as possible.
Apples one true area of brilliance is their masterful art of marketing. In the finest example of typical American deceptive advertising, Apple describes their products as "magical & revolutionary".
What a crock.
They can't or won't even build a cool running MBP, after years on the market.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1105643
I'm sorry the market and the industry hasn't responded the way you would have liked.
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