curmi
Nov 24, 04:09 AM
Huge saving on airport express. New Airport Ultra Express (802.11n) at Macworld!
Confirmed! :)
Confirmed! :)
Music-Man
Sep 12, 08:12 AM
what time is the event on in Australian ESTD ?????
3am :(
I was just getting ready to go to bed for a couple of hours before 3 but I'm a little hyped now.
Bloody Apple
3am :(
I was just getting ready to go to bed for a couple of hours before 3 but I'm a little hyped now.
Bloody Apple
geenosr
Sep 28, 02:52 PM
Did anybody see an ATT cell tower on his property so SJ can use his iPhone with enough signal strength?
The windows joke was a good one!
The windows joke was a good one!
Abstract
Jan 12, 08:10 AM
If it's an iPod first then why's it got such ****** capacity? Why's it called the iPhone? Seriously, are you a genuine music producer that's happy to walk around with just 8 gigs worth of music?
I don't carry around a 400 gig seagate hard drive - I carry around a 60 gig iPod because it does a great job.
And I have an iPod Nano 4 GB because it does a great job, while remaining small and thin. If you were expecting an HDD based phone from Apple, you're crazy. They wouldn't want to make such a fat phone, and I wouldn't want one. Fact is that an mp3 player with 8 GB capacity is on the high end in todays market.
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I don't carry around a 400 gig seagate hard drive - I carry around a 60 gig iPod because it does a great job.
And I have an iPod Nano 4 GB because it does a great job, while remaining small and thin. If you were expecting an HDD based phone from Apple, you're crazy. They wouldn't want to make such a fat phone, and I wouldn't want one. Fact is that an mp3 player with 8 GB capacity is on the high end in todays market.
tribalogical
Nov 23, 05:03 PM
Would a US .Mac code bought now work in the UK in February? ;-)
This is a "yes"...
I subscribed to .mac while living in Japan, then moved back to the U.S.... there was no difference in the service, I just changed my address in the main account profile. As long as you pay, I think they don't care where you live... :P
peace,
tribalogical
This is a "yes"...
I subscribed to .mac while living in Japan, then moved back to the U.S.... there was no difference in the service, I just changed my address in the main account profile. As long as you pay, I think they don't care where you live... :P
peace,
tribalogical
Angelus520
Sep 7, 10:34 PM
I thought it was brilliant. Kanye West released "Late Registration" last week and sold around 860,000 copies to debut at #1 on Billboard so it was perfect timing on both sides to have him perform. He's hot and he's hip, which sounds like a certain computer company we know and love.
Kanye West's Late Registration Tops Albums Chart � By A Mile
09.07.2005 11:21 AM EDT
Rapper's second album sells more than 860,000 its first week out.
First, Kanye West wowed the Miami audience assembled at the MTV Video Music Awards two weekends ago with his performance of "Gold Digger." He even walked away with the Best Male Video Moonman. Then, a handful of television talk shows later, West generated national headlines thanks to his appearance on NBC's "A Concert for Hurricane Relief" this past Friday, where he delivered a scathing assessment of President Bush for his response to the devastation and ruin wrought by Hurricane Katrina.
The last week's been quite a doozy for Kanye (see "T.I., David Banner Get Behind Kanye's Bush Comments"), but one that'll be capped off by a crowning achievement: West's sophomore album, Late Registration, opens at #1 on next week's Billboard albums chart, having sold more than 860,000 copies during its first week on shelves. Kanye's debut LP, The College Dropout, entered the chart at #2 the week after it was released in early with first-week scans of close to 441,000.
(For more on Kanye and his album Late Registration, check out the feature "All Eyes on Kanye West.")
West ran away with the week's top honors, outselling the second-place debut from G-Unit member Tony Yayo, Thoughts of a Predicate Felon, by more than 600,000 copies. Late Registration slaughtered Hillbilly Deluxe, the new one from country duo Brooks & Dunn, which claims the chart's #3 slot with more than 111,000 units scanned.
Kanye's Dropout, meanwhile, climbs more than 50 chart positions this week to #57, thanks to a 69 percent boost in sales that yielded scans of more than 9,50
Kanye West's Late Registration Tops Albums Chart � By A Mile
09.07.2005 11:21 AM EDT
Rapper's second album sells more than 860,000 its first week out.
First, Kanye West wowed the Miami audience assembled at the MTV Video Music Awards two weekends ago with his performance of "Gold Digger." He even walked away with the Best Male Video Moonman. Then, a handful of television talk shows later, West generated national headlines thanks to his appearance on NBC's "A Concert for Hurricane Relief" this past Friday, where he delivered a scathing assessment of President Bush for his response to the devastation and ruin wrought by Hurricane Katrina.
The last week's been quite a doozy for Kanye (see "T.I., David Banner Get Behind Kanye's Bush Comments"), but one that'll be capped off by a crowning achievement: West's sophomore album, Late Registration, opens at #1 on next week's Billboard albums chart, having sold more than 860,000 copies during its first week on shelves. Kanye's debut LP, The College Dropout, entered the chart at #2 the week after it was released in early with first-week scans of close to 441,000.
(For more on Kanye and his album Late Registration, check out the feature "All Eyes on Kanye West.")
West ran away with the week's top honors, outselling the second-place debut from G-Unit member Tony Yayo, Thoughts of a Predicate Felon, by more than 600,000 copies. Late Registration slaughtered Hillbilly Deluxe, the new one from country duo Brooks & Dunn, which claims the chart's #3 slot with more than 111,000 units scanned.
Kanye's Dropout, meanwhile, climbs more than 50 chart positions this week to #57, thanks to a 69 percent boost in sales that yielded scans of more than 9,50
arn
Apr 5, 03:41 PM
why does macrumors link to the appshopper description of the app instead of the actual apple link?
Seems like a useless middle step
The practice was started when straight itunes linking was awkward, as iTunes had to be installed, and people browsing from work would get dead-ended into an "Install iTunes please". It's perhaps less useful these days since Apple now does offer a web preview without itunes installed, so it may be just as easy to link using normal links again.
arn
Seems like a useless middle step
The practice was started when straight itunes linking was awkward, as iTunes had to be installed, and people browsing from work would get dead-ended into an "Install iTunes please". It's perhaps less useful these days since Apple now does offer a web preview without itunes installed, so it may be just as easy to link using normal links again.
arn
3N16MA
Mar 24, 07:21 PM
Happy Birthday (yes I'm saying that to an OS). Wish I would have been part of OS X a lot earlier but I spent years, yes years contemplating which Mac to get and playing the waiting game.
Mad Mac Maniac
Apr 21, 02:39 PM
Yes, you'll get a great idea by the votes. :D
haha. Well yeah you will get a highly biased perspective of course. That's a given. But the tendency will be for things that are good for Apple as a company. As long as you understand the bias you can base your own opinions off of the biased opinion. :p
haha. Well yeah you will get a highly biased perspective of course. That's a given. But the tendency will be for things that are good for Apple as a company. As long as you understand the bias you can base your own opinions off of the biased opinion. :p
*LTD*
Mar 13, 08:07 AM
No. A new market has been opened by Apple. That is as far as it goes. An iPad is not for everyone. Tablets will never kill off Laptops or Desktops or Servers.
Wait a while.
Wait a while.
Lacero
Sep 8, 12:34 PM
Why does everyone REFUSE to Blame this ignorant Mayor?Hmm... that's a toughie. Let me see. Because everyone REALIZES he isn't responsible!!
gorkonapple
Sep 12, 08:20 AM
Note that it doesn't say "The iTunes Music Store is being updated." That's a pretty clear sign to me that not only are they going to add movies, it's also now just going to be the iTunes Store.
It really looks like movies may be hitting the iTunes Store. I also am wondering....could they also be integrating the Apple Store into iTunes?? It would be cool to buy a new iPod right from within iTunes and maybe....possibly have it shipped with all of your iTunes purchases on the device.....that would of course require a firmware/iTunes update? Anyway I am sure we will probably all be disappointed.
It really looks like movies may be hitting the iTunes Store. I also am wondering....could they also be integrating the Apple Store into iTunes?? It would be cool to buy a new iPod right from within iTunes and maybe....possibly have it shipped with all of your iTunes purchases on the device.....that would of course require a firmware/iTunes update? Anyway I am sure we will probably all be disappointed.
Piggie
May 4, 01:24 AM
Ummmm incorrect. I have a major surgery coming up and the only way me and my doctor could sit down together and review the CT Scan was with my iPad 2 since all CT Scans are done on digital now instead of film. I simply stopped by the hospital and snagged the cd the night before my appointment and loaded it before I left the next day.
My doctor said this was on his wish list, but he couldn't find anywhere in stock.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d5/audiogodz1/dc1cacec.jpg
The "Only way" ?
What, you could not use a laptop?
And how would an iPad only owner read the CD in the 1st place?
Yes the iPad made a nice easy to use picture viewer once you had put the images on it from your real computer at home is what you are saying.
You could just of easy taken a laptop which read the CD images off directly onto the screen and no needed this new device whatsoever.
My doctor said this was on his wish list, but he couldn't find anywhere in stock.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d5/audiogodz1/dc1cacec.jpg
The "Only way" ?
What, you could not use a laptop?
And how would an iPad only owner read the CD in the 1st place?
Yes the iPad made a nice easy to use picture viewer once you had put the images on it from your real computer at home is what you are saying.
You could just of easy taken a laptop which read the CD images off directly onto the screen and no needed this new device whatsoever.
CQd44
Apr 16, 06:41 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.
Yeah, I know... there are also Apps that break the rules and get axed, but for the most part, my first point is true. Any legitimate application can get approved.
If you keep up with Android apps, security is one of the their problems. Open? Yes... risky? Yes.
Didn't that lady's iAd gallery app get rejected?
also, the Google Voice had problems getting out. And different browsers didn't appear for a long while I thought.
Yeah, I know... there are also Apps that break the rules and get axed, but for the most part, my first point is true. Any legitimate application can get approved.
If you keep up with Android apps, security is one of the their problems. Open? Yes... risky? Yes.
Didn't that lady's iAd gallery app get rejected?
also, the Google Voice had problems getting out. And different browsers didn't appear for a long while I thought.
Dr.Gargoyle
Aug 1, 02:37 PM
See he gets it!!!!
He is one of the few people who (if he lives in Scandinavia, needs to be granted amnesty, and sent to a happier place!) actually understands how it is there...
He is telling the truth, but I didn't want to bring up the suicidal rates in those countries and how the youth is just rotting away... But hey, now that he did...
I am sure they don't spend their money on iPods or iTunes, but rather crack and weed... After all their lives suck... so...
OOOOkkkeeyyyy...
First of all, I do live in Sweden. (born and bred). Secondly, my comment shouldn't be taken too seriously.
I don't know where are from, but my guess is that you never been close to scandinavia. If you had done some traveling you would know that all countries have to live with their own moronic politicians for better or worse.
He is one of the few people who (if he lives in Scandinavia, needs to be granted amnesty, and sent to a happier place!) actually understands how it is there...
He is telling the truth, but I didn't want to bring up the suicidal rates in those countries and how the youth is just rotting away... But hey, now that he did...
I am sure they don't spend their money on iPods or iTunes, but rather crack and weed... After all their lives suck... so...
OOOOkkkeeyyyy...
First of all, I do live in Sweden. (born and bred). Secondly, my comment shouldn't be taken too seriously.
I don't know where are from, but my guess is that you never been close to scandinavia. If you had done some traveling you would know that all countries have to live with their own moronic politicians for better or worse.
Analog Kid
Sep 12, 03:03 AM
I'm waiting to be disappointed. I realized that the anonymously submitted schedule of events could very well turn out to be true, in which case I'm not too miffed that I'll be missing live coverage of the event.
Here're my reservations:
- iTunes should be strictly music. iTube or iFilm or iMovies or iVideo or Apple Movie Store should be a separate application; or else name it iMedia and completely rethink the interface. I find that since the addition of video podcasts and TV shows, iTunes is getting really difficult to keep tidy and organized, even with features like smart playlists and a 20" screen. It looks like a big, sloppy mass of text.
- The price should be $11.99 - 9.99 for new movies, $9.99 - 7.99 for older ones, and an iPod version should be thrown in with the full-quality feature. Any more than that and I'll just buy and rip the DVD or, more likely, just download it elsewhere. This pricing structure is not going to happen, I know, and so I'm already less than thrilled.
- The wireless Mac-to-TV bridge has to be really cool and effortlessly simple (and PC compatible too). This proposed "TubePort" USB dongle sounds like the most likely solution for a cross-platform device, but I'm hoping that the AirPort in all its various incarnations (Express, Extreme) will get a revamp and allow for video streaming somehow.
- A true video iPod needs to come soon. As in, before Christmas. And I really don't think we're going to see it today.
We'll see how it goes, of course, but I don't know if the event will live up to the hype. That seems to be Apple's nagging problem lately.
Glad to hear someone else bring up the iTunes interface. I've never understood why the Videos group has a different organizing structure than everything else, or why it's so rigid. I also hate having Podcasts mixed in with my music.
Apple's been trying to integrate the various media pieces it's been developing, but the "branding" guys got control of the decisions. They're trying to leverage the iPod and iTunes too much because they're recognizable. Why do my photos get sync'd to my iPod through iTunes?
I probably won't even throw down $10 for a downloaded movie with those kinds of restrictions. I think the industry is holding out for HD discs to reassert their DRM power, and they're too intent on locking everything down. Not useful and no fun. Digital is beautiful because it's flexible-- take the flexibility away and it's just another bunch of fragile, valuable data on my hard drive. I'll take the disc, and continue spreading my money among all the middlemen...
If Apple does set up the video store this way, it's going to flop. There's no incentive to consumers... No price break, and bandwidth limits the ease of use. If playing the file, or adjusting attributes messes with the meta-data then it's going to choke Time Machine. My biggest concern is that a failing movie store will kill Apple's momentum and the music store and iPod will suffer as well.
Apple could make this all worthwhile by offering foreign films everywhere. I'd buy foreign films for download if they weren't released in the US any other way. Maybe by distributing independent films they could convince the music industry to follow suit.
Why a USB dongle unless they're hoping to open up to the low end Windows folks? USB is the *worst* interface for streaming video-- it's a peripheral interface, not a streaming interface... It hides its inefficiency with bandwidth for now, but once people start using it for hard drives, and iPods, and video streaming and TV hookups and everything else it's going to fall over. A FireWire dongle would do the job much more cleanly.
I covet a new full screen iPod, even though my 5G is only a year or so old. Something about full screen just seems right. If they go that way, I'd hope they boost capacity too-- 60GB isn't enough to hold everything I've got and more video to boot.
I'm a little suspicious of the idea that we'll be seeing a run of new consumer products. Apple doesn't work that way-- they don't have the resources to develop a bunch of new, great stuff in parallel. We haven't seen much lately because they've been focused on new, redesigned iPods. Maybe they'll throw out a video streaming peripheral. Then there'll be another wait and possibly something else.
Here're my reservations:
- iTunes should be strictly music. iTube or iFilm or iMovies or iVideo or Apple Movie Store should be a separate application; or else name it iMedia and completely rethink the interface. I find that since the addition of video podcasts and TV shows, iTunes is getting really difficult to keep tidy and organized, even with features like smart playlists and a 20" screen. It looks like a big, sloppy mass of text.
- The price should be $11.99 - 9.99 for new movies, $9.99 - 7.99 for older ones, and an iPod version should be thrown in with the full-quality feature. Any more than that and I'll just buy and rip the DVD or, more likely, just download it elsewhere. This pricing structure is not going to happen, I know, and so I'm already less than thrilled.
- The wireless Mac-to-TV bridge has to be really cool and effortlessly simple (and PC compatible too). This proposed "TubePort" USB dongle sounds like the most likely solution for a cross-platform device, but I'm hoping that the AirPort in all its various incarnations (Express, Extreme) will get a revamp and allow for video streaming somehow.
- A true video iPod needs to come soon. As in, before Christmas. And I really don't think we're going to see it today.
We'll see how it goes, of course, but I don't know if the event will live up to the hype. That seems to be Apple's nagging problem lately.
Glad to hear someone else bring up the iTunes interface. I've never understood why the Videos group has a different organizing structure than everything else, or why it's so rigid. I also hate having Podcasts mixed in with my music.
Apple's been trying to integrate the various media pieces it's been developing, but the "branding" guys got control of the decisions. They're trying to leverage the iPod and iTunes too much because they're recognizable. Why do my photos get sync'd to my iPod through iTunes?
I probably won't even throw down $10 for a downloaded movie with those kinds of restrictions. I think the industry is holding out for HD discs to reassert their DRM power, and they're too intent on locking everything down. Not useful and no fun. Digital is beautiful because it's flexible-- take the flexibility away and it's just another bunch of fragile, valuable data on my hard drive. I'll take the disc, and continue spreading my money among all the middlemen...
If Apple does set up the video store this way, it's going to flop. There's no incentive to consumers... No price break, and bandwidth limits the ease of use. If playing the file, or adjusting attributes messes with the meta-data then it's going to choke Time Machine. My biggest concern is that a failing movie store will kill Apple's momentum and the music store and iPod will suffer as well.
Apple could make this all worthwhile by offering foreign films everywhere. I'd buy foreign films for download if they weren't released in the US any other way. Maybe by distributing independent films they could convince the music industry to follow suit.
Why a USB dongle unless they're hoping to open up to the low end Windows folks? USB is the *worst* interface for streaming video-- it's a peripheral interface, not a streaming interface... It hides its inefficiency with bandwidth for now, but once people start using it for hard drives, and iPods, and video streaming and TV hookups and everything else it's going to fall over. A FireWire dongle would do the job much more cleanly.
I covet a new full screen iPod, even though my 5G is only a year or so old. Something about full screen just seems right. If they go that way, I'd hope they boost capacity too-- 60GB isn't enough to hold everything I've got and more video to boot.
I'm a little suspicious of the idea that we'll be seeing a run of new consumer products. Apple doesn't work that way-- they don't have the resources to develop a bunch of new, great stuff in parallel. We haven't seen much lately because they've been focused on new, redesigned iPods. Maybe they'll throw out a video streaming peripheral. Then there'll be another wait and possibly something else.
dscuber9000
Apr 5, 04:34 PM
I'm going to start a TV channel that only shows commercials.
They already have it and it's actually quite popular. :D
They already have it and it's actually quite popular. :D
wovel
Mar 28, 04:00 PM
So..What great App you all feel is going to be excluded by this change? I did not see anything from last years winners that could not be in the app store if the developer wanted.
quagmire
Aug 3, 08:44 PM
Never going to happen car dealer have bribe our politcal leaders to the point that nothing will ever be passes against the
As it stands manufactures can not legally open and run there own dealership and the laws make it very difficult for a manufacture to remove an agreement to sell to one dealler ship
I know that and it sucks because all the blame for one bad dealer experience goes to the manufactures.
Dealerships have way too much power. You can thank them for the Pontiac G3 and G5.
As it stands manufactures can not legally open and run there own dealership and the laws make it very difficult for a manufacture to remove an agreement to sell to one dealler ship
I know that and it sucks because all the blame for one bad dealer experience goes to the manufactures.
Dealerships have way too much power. You can thank them for the Pontiac G3 and G5.
zenio
Mar 7, 01:32 AM
It's Apple's philosophy. It comes down to building priorities around it and executing on them.
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
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
mr.steevo
Oct 3, 03:08 PM
Hi,
Your Widget.
http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/status/macworldexpo2007countdown.html
s.
Your Widget.
http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/status/macworldexpo2007countdown.html
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Mattie Num Nums
Apr 8, 02:49 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.
As a former BBY employee I can tell you a few things that are flawed.
#1 no former or current Best Buy employee would call themselves BBemployee, BBYEmployee would seem more likely. I know its stupid but it is the culture of Best Buy to shorten it to BBY.
#2 You would have no clue if Best Buy was in trouble. As a simple Blue Shirt or even a Black Shirt you would not have this information passed down to you.
#3 Your rant show that you either hate Best Buy for personal reasons or possibly a former employee who has a huge vendetta against the company.
#4 Your rant does nothing to support this discussion.
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.
As a former BBY employee I can tell you a few things that are flawed.
#1 no former or current Best Buy employee would call themselves BBemployee, BBYEmployee would seem more likely. I know its stupid but it is the culture of Best Buy to shorten it to BBY.
#2 You would have no clue if Best Buy was in trouble. As a simple Blue Shirt or even a Black Shirt you would not have this information passed down to you.
#3 Your rant show that you either hate Best Buy for personal reasons or possibly a former employee who has a huge vendetta against the company.
#4 Your rant does nothing to support this discussion.
zap2
Apr 16, 02:01 PM
But that's nothing new, to either Microsoft or Apple.
I can't imagine how different things would be today if "Cairo" and "Copland" had materialized with all the technologies they promised over 15 years ago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copland_(operating_system)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo_(operating_system)
Since then, I just wait to see what sticks, and even then, features can get deprecated in subsequent releases. I think Windows Home Server 1's Drive Extender technology was awesome, but they've pulled it from the next major release.
B
Apple doesn't have much in common with the company that promised that updates. MS might have changed since their Longhorn days, but they are still much closer times wise for MS. We'll see in Vista a screw up for MS after resting on XP's success for so long, or if 7 was a fluke and MS has lost it.
I'm seeing 8 as a good OS X, but not the upgrade 7 was. Which is in part due to the mess that was Vista and the age of XP at the time of 7's launch.
I can't imagine how different things would be today if "Cairo" and "Copland" had materialized with all the technologies they promised over 15 years ago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copland_(operating_system)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo_(operating_system)
Since then, I just wait to see what sticks, and even then, features can get deprecated in subsequent releases. I think Windows Home Server 1's Drive Extender technology was awesome, but they've pulled it from the next major release.
B
Apple doesn't have much in common with the company that promised that updates. MS might have changed since their Longhorn days, but they are still much closer times wise for MS. We'll see in Vista a screw up for MS after resting on XP's success for so long, or if 7 was a fluke and MS has lost it.
I'm seeing 8 as a good OS X, but not the upgrade 7 was. Which is in part due to the mess that was Vista and the age of XP at the time of 7's launch.
Evoken
Apr 6, 11:30 PM
Considering that we haven't had any substantial update since Leopard (as Snow Leopard was more an under the hood thing), which launched 4 years ago, the same year the original iPhone launched; the list of features that are being shown for Lion are downright underwhelming.
- The Mac App Store
This is not a part of the OS itself and I can use it right now. This is also hardly an innovation.
- Launchpad
This is just a slightly different take on the stacks concept, borrowing from the way it is handled in the iPad.
- Full-screen apps
Hmmm....ok...how is this a big deal again?
- Mission Control
Just a tweak on the present expose concept. I find it looks a bit cumbersome/clunky.
- Auto save
Hmmm....ok...how is this a big deal again?
- Versions
Hmmm....ok, useful.
- Resume
This one is good.
- Mail 5
Now with conversations, something Gmail has had for a long while already.
- AirDrop
Interesting but I think not all that different from using Bonjour to transfer files.
And...that's very much it...
Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of Apple as much as the next guy but this feature set is hardly impressive. I remember back when Apple released 10.4, I was actually excited about the new features and couldn't wait to update my computer. But now? I feel very much indifferent about Lion, don't see anything innovative or exciting at all, specially when one considers that the last update to include additional features as opposed to under the hood improvements (10.5) was released four years ago.
- The Mac App Store
This is not a part of the OS itself and I can use it right now. This is also hardly an innovation.
- Launchpad
This is just a slightly different take on the stacks concept, borrowing from the way it is handled in the iPad.
- Full-screen apps
Hmmm....ok...how is this a big deal again?
- Mission Control
Just a tweak on the present expose concept. I find it looks a bit cumbersome/clunky.
- Auto save
Hmmm....ok...how is this a big deal again?
- Versions
Hmmm....ok, useful.
- Resume
This one is good.
- Mail 5
Now with conversations, something Gmail has had for a long while already.
- AirDrop
Interesting but I think not all that different from using Bonjour to transfer files.
And...that's very much it...
Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of Apple as much as the next guy but this feature set is hardly impressive. I remember back when Apple released 10.4, I was actually excited about the new features and couldn't wait to update my computer. But now? I feel very much indifferent about Lion, don't see anything innovative or exciting at all, specially when one considers that the last update to include additional features as opposed to under the hood improvements (10.5) was released four years ago.
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