KnightWRX
Mar 7, 04:42 AM
Also, because of the tight competition, companies are afraid to take risks. Remember when the USB por had just been introduced? This was a real chicken and egg situation for PC makers. No PC maker wants to be the first to switch to all USB ports because (a) it will cost more money to put the new ports into the board, and (b) they know it will annoy customers who will have to buy all peripherals. Customers will simply buy the competing brand because it's cheaper. Now, someone eventually sells a PC with both USB and PS/2 ports so you can slowly start the upgrade trend, but it's slow for all the above reasons.
Same for the floppy drive: nobody wants to be the first to ship without one. It would be seen as being "too different" and cause lost sales to the competition.
Preserving backwards compatibility has nothing to do with taking risks. It's just plain nice and doesn't hurt forward compatibility. Motherboards, to this day, still have PS/2 ports. Does it hurt anybody ? No. But that guy with his keyboard from 1995 he just loves and takes care of is pretty happy.
Same with the floppy drive. Apple removed it from the iMac because it would "hurt" the design. PCs didn't remove it because frankly, what are you going to do with those 3 1/2" holes in the case anyhow ? And while manufacturers did finally stop shipping them, guess what is on motherboards these days ? FDD connector headers. Yep, still there and ready to read all those little Sony invented disks, or even those big ass 5 1/4" really floppies. Does it hurt anyone ? No, it's a 0.01$ part.
Windows 98 did more for USB adoption than the limited run Apple had with its original iMac. Common sense removed floppy drives a lot more than Apple forced it with the iMac, and a lot later too.
Some of you need to open up your boundaries a little beyond what Apple does.
Same for the floppy drive: nobody wants to be the first to ship without one. It would be seen as being "too different" and cause lost sales to the competition.
Preserving backwards compatibility has nothing to do with taking risks. It's just plain nice and doesn't hurt forward compatibility. Motherboards, to this day, still have PS/2 ports. Does it hurt anybody ? No. But that guy with his keyboard from 1995 he just loves and takes care of is pretty happy.
Same with the floppy drive. Apple removed it from the iMac because it would "hurt" the design. PCs didn't remove it because frankly, what are you going to do with those 3 1/2" holes in the case anyhow ? And while manufacturers did finally stop shipping them, guess what is on motherboards these days ? FDD connector headers. Yep, still there and ready to read all those little Sony invented disks, or even those big ass 5 1/4" really floppies. Does it hurt anyone ? No, it's a 0.01$ part.
Windows 98 did more for USB adoption than the limited run Apple had with its original iMac. Common sense removed floppy drives a lot more than Apple forced it with the iMac, and a lot later too.
Some of you need to open up your boundaries a little beyond what Apple does.
Clive At Five
Jan 5, 02:38 PM
Yes, please spare me the agony of finding out about Apple's products the moment they are announced!
Honestly, I don't think I'd be able to last a minute beyond the keynote without knowing what was new from Apple. Props to you for will power.
-Clive
Honestly, I don't think I'd be able to last a minute beyond the keynote without knowing what was new from Apple. Props to you for will power.
-Clive
NoSmokingBandit
Nov 17, 02:48 PM
I could try it but i dont know how to enable it :/ I have a pair of glasses somewhere around here.
I hated W@W and MW2, but Black Ops is much better. Its not near as awesome as COD4 (few games will ever be that good, imo), but its the best since then.
I hated W@W and MW2, but Black Ops is much better. Its not near as awesome as COD4 (few games will ever be that good, imo), but its the best since then.
varcos
Jan 9, 04:22 PM
Actually, if you haven't had any spoilers yet, don't go to the any other page on the Apple site (there's a spoiler in the navigation bar), only do the straight to the mwsf07 link.
Tsunami911
Apr 8, 01:02 PM
I wonder what the special promotion is.
I bet it is simply..."We have the iPad 2 in stock and no one else does. Come get one."
I bet it is simply..."We have the iPad 2 in stock and no one else does. Come get one."
wPod
Nov 16, 04:57 PM
come on, old news, ive been using a 15" with AMD for a few months now!
http://static.flickr.com/45/136507991_97ab1e6d66_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/99787587@N00/136507991/ )
http://static.flickr.com/45/136507991_97ab1e6d66_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/99787587@N00/136507991/ )
aftk2
Sep 25, 03:14 PM
I would ALSO have a lot of trouble with a G4 Quad.
Nevetheless, you can't say anything without actual thoughts, and not RANDOM ones. The G5 Quad you were using must have been misused by kids mucking around with it, not responsible users who take care of their machine.
I'm sure Aperture will run great on my Intel 1,66 Mini, with 2GB RAM
Heh, or insufficient RAM. I believe the display machines at the apple stores have gotten better about this, but for the longest time, they were hamstrung with the stock RAM that came with Apple machines (e.g.: the leading-edge Quad G5s living with the semi-anemic video card and - much worse - 512 megs of RAM.)
Nevetheless, you can't say anything without actual thoughts, and not RANDOM ones. The G5 Quad you were using must have been misused by kids mucking around with it, not responsible users who take care of their machine.
I'm sure Aperture will run great on my Intel 1,66 Mini, with 2GB RAM
Heh, or insufficient RAM. I believe the display machines at the apple stores have gotten better about this, but for the longest time, they were hamstrung with the stock RAM that came with Apple machines (e.g.: the leading-edge Quad G5s living with the semi-anemic video card and - much worse - 512 megs of RAM.)
Sedrick
Mar 19, 05:46 AM
iPhone is a great target because of the "holier than thou" culture that Steve Jobs helped create. And now they come out with a phone with a shatter-prone back, flat/square as a brick, still retains the small 3.5" screen and the antenna problems. This is all excellent fuel for the haters.
Even with all that it's still the best phone out there, but the 4 is an even easier target and it's starting to wobble on it's pedestal. Now, when you pull out an iPhone 4, you can expect "oh, you got one of those."
You can thank Apple for making this all worse with it's stupid design decisions on the iPhone 4. They have a chance to fix a lot of this come June.
Even with all that it's still the best phone out there, but the 4 is an even easier target and it's starting to wobble on it's pedestal. Now, when you pull out an iPhone 4, you can expect "oh, you got one of those."
You can thank Apple for making this all worse with it's stupid design decisions on the iPhone 4. They have a chance to fix a lot of this come June.
nuckinfutz
Oct 18, 02:30 PM
HD DVD is the superior platform. After perusing their specs a bit closer I find that:
1. There are more mandatory features in HD DVD players. Ethernet, secondary Audio and Video decoders, persistent storage that must play a certain amount of 1080p content at a given bitrate, Dolby TrueHD support is mandatory. Sure Blu-Ray can add these but they don't mandate them so as of today only one BD player(The pioneer) will come with ethernet.
2. Less DRM- HD DVD has AACS 128-bit encryption. Blu-Ray has the same but tosses in BD+ and ROM Mark. BD+ could prove to be problematic and gives too much power to studios.
3. Legacy support- Most people don't know but the current "flipper" Combo discs (DVD on one side HD on the other) are giving way to Twin Format discs which contain a DVD layer and HD DVD layer on the same side. This means disc art comes back but you still have the legacy support. Currently right now it's two layer so you can do 15GB/4.7GB discs. Three Layer discs are being tested by the DVD Forum for inclusion to the spec. This would allow for 30/4.7 or 15/9.4 discs. Sure legacy support sounds stupid but how many minivans and cars have DVD players as standard or optional equipment? It'll be a long time before you get HD in the car. Twin Format HD DVD will ensure you can view your movie on millions upon millions of players.
The networking features of HD DVD will impress people. HDi interactivity allows you to tap into the net for updates to trailers and bios. Or you can create a "playlist" of favorite scenes and send this to friends who own the same disc for playback. Voice annotations of scenes is possible as well. The key here is that the annotations or playlists contain syncing information for the disc. You never have to copy the actual movie content. The ethernet port on the HD DVD players can access your network using industry standard protocol.
We're all computer people and we should all be asking why we have to spend $1500 on a pioneer BD player to get network connectivity that is available on a $400 HD DVD player. Things that make you say hmmmmmmmm
1. There are more mandatory features in HD DVD players. Ethernet, secondary Audio and Video decoders, persistent storage that must play a certain amount of 1080p content at a given bitrate, Dolby TrueHD support is mandatory. Sure Blu-Ray can add these but they don't mandate them so as of today only one BD player(The pioneer) will come with ethernet.
2. Less DRM- HD DVD has AACS 128-bit encryption. Blu-Ray has the same but tosses in BD+ and ROM Mark. BD+ could prove to be problematic and gives too much power to studios.
3. Legacy support- Most people don't know but the current "flipper" Combo discs (DVD on one side HD on the other) are giving way to Twin Format discs which contain a DVD layer and HD DVD layer on the same side. This means disc art comes back but you still have the legacy support. Currently right now it's two layer so you can do 15GB/4.7GB discs. Three Layer discs are being tested by the DVD Forum for inclusion to the spec. This would allow for 30/4.7 or 15/9.4 discs. Sure legacy support sounds stupid but how many minivans and cars have DVD players as standard or optional equipment? It'll be a long time before you get HD in the car. Twin Format HD DVD will ensure you can view your movie on millions upon millions of players.
The networking features of HD DVD will impress people. HDi interactivity allows you to tap into the net for updates to trailers and bios. Or you can create a "playlist" of favorite scenes and send this to friends who own the same disc for playback. Voice annotations of scenes is possible as well. The key here is that the annotations or playlists contain syncing information for the disc. You never have to copy the actual movie content. The ethernet port on the HD DVD players can access your network using industry standard protocol.
We're all computer people and we should all be asking why we have to spend $1500 on a pioneer BD player to get network connectivity that is available on a $400 HD DVD player. Things that make you say hmmmmmmmm
Music_Producer
Jan 12, 02:27 AM
Arrogant? Are you blind? He looked proud, almost as though the iPhone was his child or something. He was proud that they came up with a beautiful phone, with amazing features. Photo management on a phone.. have you ever tried photo features on all the phones that are out in the market? Sheesh.. and at the end he thanked everybody who worked on the phone, and all the families. Does that strike you as someone who is arrogant or someone who is truly appreciative of what all the employees do?
I can't quite understand what it is with everyone out here. Throwing a fit because no mac product was released? Um, they just launched a new product line.. get it? A new product.. a phone which runs OS X, looks fantastic and has the best features and user interface I have ever seen. Yeah, sure, it could have more features.. but I'm sure they put the best possible in it while keeping it at a reasonable price. This macworld was all about the new consumer electronics line of products. This doesn't mean they will slow down any mac-computer developments.. on the contrary. More revenue from ipod, iphone, etc. will allow them to make better computers. It just strikes me that everyone here is a whining baby with no clue about how a company can carry out business. "I'm gonna kill myself because they made a phone.. i want my 16 core mac pro right now or else i'll kill somebody!"
People here complain when Apple doesn't come out with a phone.. and they complain more when they do come out with it. And they actually psycho-analyze Steve Jobs, who the hell cares if you thought he was arrogant? If I were him, I would probably be an evil dictator. Knowing that I own a highly innovative company that has taken the world by storm with a line of fantastic products... please, I find Trump, Tyra Banks (my wife watches her show all the time) etc. much much more arrogant. If you really want to see arrogance.. you should see those 'My sweet 16' shows. :rolleyes:
I can't quite understand what it is with everyone out here. Throwing a fit because no mac product was released? Um, they just launched a new product line.. get it? A new product.. a phone which runs OS X, looks fantastic and has the best features and user interface I have ever seen. Yeah, sure, it could have more features.. but I'm sure they put the best possible in it while keeping it at a reasonable price. This macworld was all about the new consumer electronics line of products. This doesn't mean they will slow down any mac-computer developments.. on the contrary. More revenue from ipod, iphone, etc. will allow them to make better computers. It just strikes me that everyone here is a whining baby with no clue about how a company can carry out business. "I'm gonna kill myself because they made a phone.. i want my 16 core mac pro right now or else i'll kill somebody!"
People here complain when Apple doesn't come out with a phone.. and they complain more when they do come out with it. And they actually psycho-analyze Steve Jobs, who the hell cares if you thought he was arrogant? If I were him, I would probably be an evil dictator. Knowing that I own a highly innovative company that has taken the world by storm with a line of fantastic products... please, I find Trump, Tyra Banks (my wife watches her show all the time) etc. much much more arrogant. If you really want to see arrogance.. you should see those 'My sweet 16' shows. :rolleyes:
wlh99
Apr 27, 01:46 PM
Thanks, here is the echoIt method :
- (void) echoIt:(NSTimer *)timer // SECONDS METHOD
{
dawsons creek crying. smile
dawsons creek crying.
guy from Dawson#39;s Creek:
dawsons creek crying. Dawsonleery dawsons creek; Dawsonleery dawsons creek. Andy-V. Mar 31, 11:08 AM. My goodness, beveled and embossed buttons.
She was in Dawsons Creek for
Jen - Dawson#39;s Creek Photo
since his Dawson#39;s Creek
created Dawson#39;s Creek and
- (void) echoIt:(NSTimer *)timer // SECONDS METHOD
{
linknprk
Apr 5, 03:26 PM
why does macrumors link to the appshopper description of the app instead of the actual apple link?
Seems like a useless middle step
Seems like a useless middle step
arkitect
Apr 21, 11:19 AM
Was this really a much requested feature? :confused:
*blah*
*blah*
Menge
Apr 21, 10:43 AM
Good feature! The look doesn't match much of the rest of the forum theme, though.
Quick edit: what now? Can we filter a thread for only positive posts? Only posts above N points? Can we search for posts above a certain rating?
Quick edit: what now? Can we filter a thread for only positive posts? Only posts above N points? Can we search for posts above a certain rating?
mrgreen4242
Jan 11, 02:42 PM
New AppleTV with a more powerful CPU/GPU combo to handle 1080i60 @ 15+mbps (alternatively, they'll add a dedicated media decoder chip capable of that level of video decoding), bigger drives (120gb and 200gb), lower price ($249/$299), out of the box support for USB TV tuners.
12" MBP, super thin, no optical drive, optional flash harddrive.
USB BluRay drive for $199. Works with all existing Macs, but specially designed for use with the new sub-portable, optical drive-less laptop and the new AppleTV (which was why they upped the power).
iTunes/AppleTV/iPod will support the Blu Ray Managed Copy system, allowing you to "check out" copies of Blu Ray movies you own onto your iPod and/or AppleTV. Resolution will be limited to 640x480@1.5mbps h264 (max iPod quality). (This will work because if Apple is going to have timed movie rentals, they're going to have to have a system to time out DRM's protected file in iTunes/on iPods, which is essentially how managed copies work).
Also, some DVDs with pre-encoded, DRM'd iPod versions of the movie on them.
1.1.3 firmware for iPod touch and iPhone released - will have the required framework to run apps written with the new SDK. SDK details discussed, sample software demoed.
iTMS movie rentals. It'll suck, in terms of pricing, availability, and selection. No fault of Apple's, but the studios will tank it by being greedy. I'm guessing at least $3.99 for 24 hours, but you'll get a discount of $1.99 if you buy the movie through iTMS within 14 days of renting it (and still have it stored locally on your computer or iPod, so no redownloading required).
Displays revamped. Prices changed, integrated iSights. The 20" will get really cheap, but the panel will get replaced by the "crappy" 20" iMac LCD. The 23 and 30" will stay expensive and aimed at "creative professionals".
And some standard bumps to the other lines of computers, here and there. Bigger HDDs, more RAM, faster CPUs, price chamges, etc.
12" MBP, super thin, no optical drive, optional flash harddrive.
USB BluRay drive for $199. Works with all existing Macs, but specially designed for use with the new sub-portable, optical drive-less laptop and the new AppleTV (which was why they upped the power).
iTunes/AppleTV/iPod will support the Blu Ray Managed Copy system, allowing you to "check out" copies of Blu Ray movies you own onto your iPod and/or AppleTV. Resolution will be limited to 640x480@1.5mbps h264 (max iPod quality). (This will work because if Apple is going to have timed movie rentals, they're going to have to have a system to time out DRM's protected file in iTunes/on iPods, which is essentially how managed copies work).
Also, some DVDs with pre-encoded, DRM'd iPod versions of the movie on them.
1.1.3 firmware for iPod touch and iPhone released - will have the required framework to run apps written with the new SDK. SDK details discussed, sample software demoed.
iTMS movie rentals. It'll suck, in terms of pricing, availability, and selection. No fault of Apple's, but the studios will tank it by being greedy. I'm guessing at least $3.99 for 24 hours, but you'll get a discount of $1.99 if you buy the movie through iTMS within 14 days of renting it (and still have it stored locally on your computer or iPod, so no redownloading required).
Displays revamped. Prices changed, integrated iSights. The 20" will get really cheap, but the panel will get replaced by the "crappy" 20" iMac LCD. The 23 and 30" will stay expensive and aimed at "creative professionals".
And some standard bumps to the other lines of computers, here and there. Bigger HDDs, more RAM, faster CPUs, price chamges, etc.
MorphingDragon
Apr 29, 07:29 PM
I personally find that the "translucent plastic" in Windows 7 looks like it was ripped off from the 90s and a bad Linux window manager. Seriously, it screams "look at me, I'm trying too hard!".
And it's a complete rip-off of KDE 4.x.
So KDE4 is a bad 90s Linux Window Manager?
And it's a complete rip-off of KDE 4.x.
So KDE4 is a bad 90s Linux Window Manager?
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.
mkrishnan
Sep 7, 09:37 PM
Yeah I've got a copy. Actually, I downloaded it, but I was under the impression that the album itself wasn't out yet.
You mean from iTMS? Did you get it pre-order? Wasn't there some promise of some freebie remix or something with the pre-order? I probably should've. :(
Ahhhh, *sigh* I think I will listen to Family Business from Dropout while I wait. :)
You mean from iTMS? Did you get it pre-order? Wasn't there some promise of some freebie remix or something with the pre-order? I probably should've. :(
Ahhhh, *sigh* I think I will listen to Family Business from Dropout while I wait. :)
roadbloc
Apr 6, 06:09 PM
How can we compare a Dev Preview to something that doesn't even exist yet? :rolleyes:
zachlegomaniac
Apr 8, 09:33 PM
Roasted.
Glad to see not everyones an Apple sheep..
Yeah, I've gotta agree on this one too.
Glad to see not everyones an Apple sheep..
Yeah, I've gotta agree on this one too.
GorillaPaws
Mar 28, 03:16 PM
I don't think people realize that there are many technical limitations on what can/can't be submitted to the app store. There are some incredible apps, that by their very nature, really can't be submitted to the app store because of how they work and the kinds of things they do.
The Apple Design Awards have been the equivalent of the Academy Awards for Mac developers. This announcement radically reduces the significance of these awards. Hopefully new awards will be created that recognize the absolute best apps available on OSX, regardless of which distribution model(s) the use. Perhaps Macrumors will step up to the plate?
The Apple Design Awards have been the equivalent of the Academy Awards for Mac developers. This announcement radically reduces the significance of these awards. Hopefully new awards will be created that recognize the absolute best apps available on OSX, regardless of which distribution model(s) the use. Perhaps Macrumors will step up to the plate?
puuukeey
Jan 9, 02:02 PM
Oh the irony. I sit and refresh this idiotic mac fanatic fan site 4 times a day so I can see what apple is going to release. Then I insist on being the last guy on the planet to know when they actually do something.
SHOOT ME
SHOOT ME
hayesk
Mar 26, 08:06 PM
Have they thought about including a USB stick in the box as well, for the Macbook Air? I sure would hate to have to buy an external CD drive just to get the new OS on my computer. Will they allow it to be downloaded over the internet?
I'll bet they allow it to be downloaded from the App Store, and boxed copies will only come on USB stick.
I'll bet they allow it to be downloaded from the App Store, and boxed copies will only come on USB stick.
DTphonehome
Oct 17, 09:52 AM
I do , I have 140Gb of Photos from my DSLR (and previous digital cameras) putting this on 3 discs rather than 40 discs would be great
I also have 28Gb of music, backing up form itunes to 1 disc rather than 8 would also be useful
So why not just use an external HD?
I also have 28Gb of music, backing up form itunes to 1 disc rather than 8 would also be useful
So why not just use an external HD?