Ger Teunis
Apr 29, 03:15 PM
nevermind
ssk2
Apr 16, 07:19 AM
I don't know why Google is bothering. The Amazon cloud system *should be*/is great and competition enough for iTunes - both in terms of pricing (certainly) and usability (more debatable).
The fact that Android doesn't need an iTunes-esque system to compete with Apple means that they should probably give it up now.
Note: For the fanboys out there, please don't get too excited by this. Amazon's cloud is going to present new and interesting challenges for Apple, I don't think Google's failure to negotiate with the jumped up music industry is necessarily a bad thing, all things considered!
The fact that Android doesn't need an iTunes-esque system to compete with Apple means that they should probably give it up now.
Note: For the fanboys out there, please don't get too excited by this. Amazon's cloud is going to present new and interesting challenges for Apple, I don't think Google's failure to negotiate with the jumped up music industry is necessarily a bad thing, all things considered!
fivepoint
May 5, 01:48 PM
That would be neat, rat- if any of the examples you gave were health hazards. They aren't. Guns can be. And your health is your doctor's business. My doctor asks me about all kinds of things I do and activities I engage in to give me advice regarding them. Health is your doctor's business.
I don't know, being a farmer/rancher is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Certainly living on a farm makes you considerably more likely to sustain injury or death during every day interaction on the farm. Kids get run over by tractors, wound up in PTO shafts, etc. all the time. As with anything in life, reward often brings risk. I'd say asking about living on a farm is very similar to asking about guns in the house. Both should be perfectly legal for the physician to ask about, but common sense and general courtesy would suggest that the physician should stick to more physiology related questioning.
I don't know, being a farmer/rancher is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Certainly living on a farm makes you considerably more likely to sustain injury or death during every day interaction on the farm. Kids get run over by tractors, wound up in PTO shafts, etc. all the time. As with anything in life, reward often brings risk. I'd say asking about living on a farm is very similar to asking about guns in the house. Both should be perfectly legal for the physician to ask about, but common sense and general courtesy would suggest that the physician should stick to more physiology related questioning.
grmatt
Apr 6, 07:39 AM
This is possibly the dumbest thing Apple has ever done.
I can't WAIT to go browsing though this list of stupid banner ads! I wonder if I can collect them all???!!! I LOVE pop up windows in my browser and I've always wanted to be able to view them at anytime, without having to go to annoying websites just to get each one to load. Now I can have a crap ton of banner ads right at my fingertips!!! THANKS APPLE!!!
I hope they release a pro version of this app for the Mac OS!! Maybe they will incorporate a version inside the mail program that allows me to see ads for VIAGRA and STOCK OPPORTUNITIES IN AFRICA in cover flow!!!
Hmmm... I must've missed the part where you are forced to download the app...
I can't WAIT to go browsing though this list of stupid banner ads! I wonder if I can collect them all???!!! I LOVE pop up windows in my browser and I've always wanted to be able to view them at anytime, without having to go to annoying websites just to get each one to load. Now I can have a crap ton of banner ads right at my fingertips!!! THANKS APPLE!!!
I hope they release a pro version of this app for the Mac OS!! Maybe they will incorporate a version inside the mail program that allows me to see ads for VIAGRA and STOCK OPPORTUNITIES IN AFRICA in cover flow!!!
Hmmm... I must've missed the part where you are forced to download the app...
more...
wpotere
Apr 13, 08:48 AM
I don't get how you see nothing wrong with it. In addition to it being completely pointless and ineffective, if you moved this situation from the security line of an airport to anywhere else, the TSA agent would be thrown in jail for touching a little girl like that and the mother probably would as well for allowing it to happen.
OMG!!! She patted down a little girl using the back of her hands! Send her to jail now for molesting that little girl! :rolleyes:
What if that little girl had a gun strapped to her leg because her mother or father wanted to go on a shooting spree and they were using her as a mule to get the weapon in?
The poster above is right, they won't win either way. Like I said, take a different form of transportation if you don't like the rules.
OMG!!! She patted down a little girl using the back of her hands! Send her to jail now for molesting that little girl! :rolleyes:
What if that little girl had a gun strapped to her leg because her mother or father wanted to go on a shooting spree and they were using her as a mule to get the weapon in?
The poster above is right, they won't win either way. Like I said, take a different form of transportation if you don't like the rules.
thejadedmonkey
Aug 10, 08:54 AM
I wonder if all of you people who are proposing a diesel/diesel hybrid are Europeans, because in America, diesel is looked at as smelly and messy - it's what the trucks with black smoke use.
Furthermore, George Bush, arguably in the pockets of the oil co.'s, said "America is addicted to oil", and then went on to say how we should get rid of oil use. Not switch to more efficient fuels like diesel, but other tech. I'm sorry, but I just don't see America ever becoming a diesel nation again.
As far as the Chevy Volt goes, I just don't like the name... but the price is right assuming they can get it into the high $20,000's rather quickly.
Furthermore, George Bush, arguably in the pockets of the oil co.'s, said "America is addicted to oil", and then went on to say how we should get rid of oil use. Not switch to more efficient fuels like diesel, but other tech. I'm sorry, but I just don't see America ever becoming a diesel nation again.
As far as the Chevy Volt goes, I just don't like the name... but the price is right assuming they can get it into the high $20,000's rather quickly.
more...
tim916
Sep 28, 07:40 PM
Oh i'm sure there will be LOTS of technology in the house.
I bet he'll be able to control everything via an app on his iPhone.
The house itself doesn't need to be HUGE. He can still apply a lot of technology into the house making it worth millions!
I'd wager that Jobs will avoid putting superfluous technology into the house. We know he loves simple and existing home control systems are usually anything but.
Filling a home wilth complex technology can actually have a negative effect on a home's value because it requires expensive servicing and, of course, becomes obsolete very quickly.
I bet he'll be able to control everything via an app on his iPhone.
The house itself doesn't need to be HUGE. He can still apply a lot of technology into the house making it worth millions!
I'd wager that Jobs will avoid putting superfluous technology into the house. We know he loves simple and existing home control systems are usually anything but.
Filling a home wilth complex technology can actually have a negative effect on a home's value because it requires expensive servicing and, of course, becomes obsolete very quickly.
Glideslope
May 2, 02:20 PM
I should hope that this update will allay any of the concerns and fears that some panic-stricken people have had lately.
Old news. Already moved to the White iPhone's Thickness. :apple:
Old news. Already moved to the White iPhone's Thickness. :apple:
more...
raymondkerr
Apr 9, 01:26 PM
Fully aware of the fakes around, my beats are the early solo version (not HD). I have heard all the stories about them being fragile. I'm careful with my gear so I'm hoping I don't have a problem.
Mines are from a legit UK distributor - so I don't have to worry about fakes. I much prefer the matt finish to the Glossy HD ones.
:)
Mines are from a legit UK distributor - so I don't have to worry about fakes. I much prefer the matt finish to the Glossy HD ones.
:)
MagnusVonMagnum
May 3, 04:38 PM
By 2020, mouse usage will be the minority.
I'm hoping by 2020 there's something out better than a trackpad, though.... I don't like them for long term usage (not comfortable, IMO). I'm thinking if Microsoft can do body tracking for XBox, it should be possible to do hand tracking for computers (e.g. put it on the webcam on a notebook. You could then do gestures and such in mid-air (e.g. touchscreen without getting fingerprints all over the screen. You could have templates for joysticks simulations, gun simulations, etc. Imagine just making a 'trigger' finger and playing a shooter game with no stick required.) I'd be thrilled if they could get voice interfaces and speech recognition/comprehension to work accurately so you could just talk to the computer for many things (ala Star Trek). Many things could be vastly improved over time.
I'm hoping by 2020 there's something out better than a trackpad, though.... I don't like them for long term usage (not comfortable, IMO). I'm thinking if Microsoft can do body tracking for XBox, it should be possible to do hand tracking for computers (e.g. put it on the webcam on a notebook. You could then do gestures and such in mid-air (e.g. touchscreen without getting fingerprints all over the screen. You could have templates for joysticks simulations, gun simulations, etc. Imagine just making a 'trigger' finger and playing a shooter game with no stick required.) I'd be thrilled if they could get voice interfaces and speech recognition/comprehension to work accurately so you could just talk to the computer for many things (ala Star Trek). Many things could be vastly improved over time.
more...
BWhaler
Apr 12, 11:56 AM
Some people will never understand the power of Apple and the fundamental insight that makes Apple's products so powerful.
It's not a feature list. It's not a slick vaneer.
It's a deep understanding of design. How to make a product work naturally that empowers us to achieve what we want with the tool.
It's rarely more. It's rarely new pretty pictures.
Great art is knowing when to stop.
It's not a feature list. It's not a slick vaneer.
It's a deep understanding of design. How to make a product work naturally that empowers us to achieve what we want with the tool.
It's rarely more. It's rarely new pretty pictures.
Great art is knowing when to stop.
Jaro65
Aug 6, 01:30 PM
True on the economies of scale bit - although the batteries are always going to be pricey.
I keep hammering the same point here, but the Volt would see a quite significant fuel economy boost by switching to a diesel engine to charge the batteries and run the motors. Sort it out, US car companies...it's not like we don't sell diesel here.
I find this situation so frustrating. When I went to Europe this summer, I felt like an idiot after trying to put a gasoline into my rental car. I didn't even know it was a diesel. The smell and clunking sounds that we used to associate with diesels are long gone with the modern diesel engines.
I'm looking to replace at least one of our cars (or maybe both) and I like Nissan Murano. Here in the US it only comes with a gasoline engine and gets about 19 mpg. In Europe it is also available with a diesel engine and gets 35 mpg.
Anyway, I would normally not consider purchasing a GM vehicle, but the Volt looks really good.
I keep hammering the same point here, but the Volt would see a quite significant fuel economy boost by switching to a diesel engine to charge the batteries and run the motors. Sort it out, US car companies...it's not like we don't sell diesel here.
I find this situation so frustrating. When I went to Europe this summer, I felt like an idiot after trying to put a gasoline into my rental car. I didn't even know it was a diesel. The smell and clunking sounds that we used to associate with diesels are long gone with the modern diesel engines.
I'm looking to replace at least one of our cars (or maybe both) and I like Nissan Murano. Here in the US it only comes with a gasoline engine and gets about 19 mpg. In Europe it is also available with a diesel engine and gets 35 mpg.
Anyway, I would normally not consider purchasing a GM vehicle, but the Volt looks really good.
more...
dsnort
Aug 1, 01:57 PM
Problem is Demark, Norway and Sweden are just the first countries to really crack down on DRM like this but they will not be the last. Pulling iTMS away from them might work right now but think long term. The 3 counties will not be the last to do it. Other will follow suit with the DRM. France will at some point get the laws passed since they are pretty close to DRM set up like that with ones that went though so it would not be much of a surpise to see France force DRM to open up there as well. I could see most of the EU at some point forcing the issue.
Should apple pull iTMS away from every country that does that. No it will catch up to them and they will just open up to all. Problem is any country the pulled out of they burned those bridges and will have a very hard time getting back in and will more than likely lose a lot of market share long term by pulling that stunt.
Long term the wises action is for apple to give in and just open it up because those countries are just the first and they most certanily will not be the last.
I have always thought Apple would eventually open up it's DRM of their own free will. At this time, there is no serious competitor to the iPod/iTunes combo. Should serious competition arise, perhaps sometime Zune, the iPods inability to play music from other sources will be a competitive disadvantage.
However, as a philosophical issue, I have a problem with any government interfering like this in a free market! Sometimes such interference is necessary to prevent harm to the public, but I don't see where this is the case with the iPod. It doesn't cause injury to the user, ( if you heed the volume warnings ), and there are alternatives. Those who don't like iPod/iTunes locking them in to one player are fully free to use the alternatives!
Should apple pull iTMS away from every country that does that. No it will catch up to them and they will just open up to all. Problem is any country the pulled out of they burned those bridges and will have a very hard time getting back in and will more than likely lose a lot of market share long term by pulling that stunt.
Long term the wises action is for apple to give in and just open it up because those countries are just the first and they most certanily will not be the last.
I have always thought Apple would eventually open up it's DRM of their own free will. At this time, there is no serious competitor to the iPod/iTunes combo. Should serious competition arise, perhaps sometime Zune, the iPods inability to play music from other sources will be a competitive disadvantage.
However, as a philosophical issue, I have a problem with any government interfering like this in a free market! Sometimes such interference is necessary to prevent harm to the public, but I don't see where this is the case with the iPod. It doesn't cause injury to the user, ( if you heed the volume warnings ), and there are alternatives. Those who don't like iPod/iTunes locking them in to one player are fully free to use the alternatives!
Mac-Mariachi
Apr 16, 12:45 AM
Everyone keeps saying that aluminum will mess with the signal. But what I'm wondering about is how will the iPad 3G will deal with that? Is 3G iPad going to look different than Wifi model thats currently out?
Notice the black bar in the Wi-Fi + 3G image
http://www.marcelacanales.com/wifi.jpg
Notice the black bar in the Wi-Fi + 3G image
http://www.marcelacanales.com/wifi.jpg
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fsudaft
Apr 3, 08:41 PM
http://digg.com/gaming_news/Stolen_Xbox_360_Microsoft_refuses_to_assist_police
daneoni
Apr 29, 09:15 PM
1.17GB. Chunky
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err404
May 2, 09:47 AM
I kinda liked the fact i could look at where I've been with my phone.
Sorta. Since the db wasn't meant to track you, it was not very good for this task. Any tracking info had to be inferred from the cell location data.
This would be like trying to use the Google Maps caching in Android for location tracking.
Sorta. Since the db wasn't meant to track you, it was not very good for this task. Any tracking info had to be inferred from the cell location data.
This would be like trying to use the Google Maps caching in Android for location tracking.
Hellhammer
Apr 2, 11:50 AM
There is no beta of Windows 8 yet so it is hard to say. MS can add million new features to make it sound good on paper and then fail it like they did with Vista. In the end, the most important thing is stability. Windows 7 is great and I really hope W8 will take it even further.
kdarling
Apr 16, 06:36 PM
Ahhhh.... dude... the only Apps that don't really get approved are ones that do things that can cause security risks or just plain trying to steal your information.
First off, Apple does not have the time or ways to check for security risks. They don't have the source code, and we've already seen apps with banned talents appear. Moreover, security research shows that many iOS apps can access personal information (and many do send that off to remote servers without Apple making a peep).
As for approvals, apps that "duplicate" Apple functionality are banned. That alone means a lot of cool stuff is not available from their store.
You also cannot write a homebrew app for your friends and give it to them to use, unless you want to pay $100 a year to keep a dev license going. That's another reason why there's so much crud in the app store.
Unfortunately, we've also seen apps approved that should never have been, such as the baby shaker one.
Don't confuse approval control with a guarantee of either security or quality.
First off, Apple does not have the time or ways to check for security risks. They don't have the source code, and we've already seen apps with banned talents appear. Moreover, security research shows that many iOS apps can access personal information (and many do send that off to remote servers without Apple making a peep).
As for approvals, apps that "duplicate" Apple functionality are banned. That alone means a lot of cool stuff is not available from their store.
You also cannot write a homebrew app for your friends and give it to them to use, unless you want to pay $100 a year to keep a dev license going. That's another reason why there's so much crud in the app store.
Unfortunately, we've also seen apps approved that should never have been, such as the baby shaker one.
Don't confuse approval control with a guarantee of either security or quality.
Huntn
May 5, 06:20 PM
Guns are within my scope of practice (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/rchoi/detail?entry_id=88328)
Couple this with the fact that the NRA has prevented any studies on guns and their impact on American society and I think we can all rest assured that we're heading towards a society ruled by the American Taliban. Heavy sarcasm intended.
If guns are so important to society, why is it taboo to have an adult conversation about their impact on that society?
Why? In the mind of the NRA:
Step 1: Talk about guns.
Step 10: Ban and confiscate guns.
Therefore they resist even common sense initiatives supported by police such as gun fingerprinting.
Couple this with the fact that the NRA has prevented any studies on guns and their impact on American society and I think we can all rest assured that we're heading towards a society ruled by the American Taliban. Heavy sarcasm intended.
If guns are so important to society, why is it taboo to have an adult conversation about their impact on that society?
Why? In the mind of the NRA:
Step 1: Talk about guns.
Step 10: Ban and confiscate guns.
Therefore they resist even common sense initiatives supported by police such as gun fingerprinting.
Hephaestus
Mar 17, 05:42 PM
I bought mine outright for �500 and have a �18 contract that I can cancel an any time. I bought it sim free because I didn't want to get tied in to a long contract with a high monthly bill. Funny thing is, these guys seem more obsessed with the thing than it's actual owners are.
Typed from my iPhone
Typed from my iPhone
nosen
Sep 28, 12:45 PM
what sucks is that academic ve4rsions are not allowed this free update.
what bs. considering i just bought the freakin app not more than 3 weeks ago.
where did you see that? :confused:
what bs. considering i just bought the freakin app not more than 3 weeks ago.
where did you see that? :confused:
NAG
Jan 11, 10:42 PM
Before they posted the video they basically had a big post explaining why CES sucks and should go away. So I can believe it completely.
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.
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