andyblac
Aug 7, 04:04 PM
the specs for the UK model has NOT been updated UK Specs (http://www.apple.com/uk/displays/specs.html) compared to the US model US Specs (http://www.apple.com/displays/specs.html)
KnoxHarrington
Mar 25, 01:33 PM
*rolls eyes*
I'm gonna say this again: not happening. Lion may very well be the end of OS X in the sense that they give it a new version number and use new naming conventions but iOS and OS X are not merging in the sense that OS X will be locked down like iOS.
General purpose computers versus what are still treated consumer electronics (phones, tablets, etc.) have different needs and their OSes are different. Are there rumors about Windows 7 being superseded by Windows Mobile? How about doing away with Ubuntu in favor of Android?
There are a lot of components that the two OSes share. They will continue to share components and will continue to, more or less shape one another. It doesn't make any sense to lock down a computer. Developers are what make a platform. Locking down a computer like the iPhone and making it hostile to developers will KILL Apple.
Take your tinfoil hats off people. If you think we're heading toward a day when I can only install Apple approved AppStore apps on my laptop, you're just being paranoid. It doesn't help Apple AT ALL to do that.
I really *like* the fact that the OS X and iOS groups seem to be talking to each other and sharing ideas with each other, rather than being in squabbling little camps that snipe at each other like you see at Microsoft.
I'm gonna say this again: not happening. Lion may very well be the end of OS X in the sense that they give it a new version number and use new naming conventions but iOS and OS X are not merging in the sense that OS X will be locked down like iOS.
General purpose computers versus what are still treated consumer electronics (phones, tablets, etc.) have different needs and their OSes are different. Are there rumors about Windows 7 being superseded by Windows Mobile? How about doing away with Ubuntu in favor of Android?
There are a lot of components that the two OSes share. They will continue to share components and will continue to, more or less shape one another. It doesn't make any sense to lock down a computer. Developers are what make a platform. Locking down a computer like the iPhone and making it hostile to developers will KILL Apple.
Take your tinfoil hats off people. If you think we're heading toward a day when I can only install Apple approved AppStore apps on my laptop, you're just being paranoid. It doesn't help Apple AT ALL to do that.
I really *like* the fact that the OS X and iOS groups seem to be talking to each other and sharing ideas with each other, rather than being in squabbling little camps that snipe at each other like you see at Microsoft.
koruki
Mar 17, 07:16 PM
But your story doesn't surprise especially if you can come from the UK. iPhone did slip out of the TOP 5 in sales last year. I believe the HTC Desire was the most popular one. One of my favorite reviewers from the UK is James Whatley. He reminds me of Brandon Flowers from The Killers. He despises Apple with a passion. He works for Nokia now, so call him one of those diehard Nokians.
Oh come on now, we were talking about affordable Smart phones vs a Premium Smart phone. Let's keep this topic to real smart phones please, we know Nokia isn't in this market lol.
Oh come on now, we were talking about affordable Smart phones vs a Premium Smart phone. Let's keep this topic to real smart phones please, we know Nokia isn't in this market lol.
tsadi
May 3, 09:30 PM
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/8H7)
Anyone know what's the app being used in the "to a CEO" part?
Anyone know what's the app being used in the "to a CEO" part?
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mixgrafix
Oct 19, 12:33 PM
My retail business was closing due to issues in the travel industry, and I decided to purchase Apple stock at that time. I had lost close to 500,000k in my store closing, and I was at the lowest point of my life. I bought the original iPod the day that it came out, and everyone for a year told me how they had loved it. I had always loved Apple, and I put my faith in Steve Jobs little iPod. Everyone was amazed at the size and incredible fidelity that it had. I knew that this would pay off one day. Everyone was laughing at me when I did this, including my broker. He told me that I should have invested in Dell because they were on the way up.
Let's do this math.
Original Investment - $94,070.00 for 11,500 shares
11,500 x 2 after the split last summer = 23,000 shares
23,000 x 78.71 at todays rate = $1,810,330.00
$1,810,330 - $94,070.00 = $1,716,260.00 stock worth.
I have not sold one share. Now who is laughing. Thank you iPod.
Let's do this math.
Original Investment - $94,070.00 for 11,500 shares
11,500 x 2 after the split last summer = 23,000 shares
23,000 x 78.71 at todays rate = $1,810,330.00
$1,810,330 - $94,070.00 = $1,716,260.00 stock worth.
I have not sold one share. Now who is laughing. Thank you iPod.
Cutwolf
Mar 17, 11:37 AM
So either this guy is a troll, which is against the TOS, and he should be banned.
Or he's advocating breaking the law, which is (presumably) against the TOS, and he should be banned.
Go go gadget mods!
bunch of haters. In a society where our own government is the biggest crook of all , you all have the nerve to jump down this guy's throat because of someone else's mistake!?!?
"In a society where the government is the biggest crook of all (and not to mention mind controls us through iPads which are embedded with the latest mind control tech), why would anyone get mad at someone for being a crook?!"
Sensical and logical. I am in love with you.
Plus, if you have ever been to a best buy, employees jump on and off registers all the time without logging off first. They will never know which employee did it.
That makes it ok?
also consider that this was this guy's karma coming back to him. He did good and now he is getting rewarded.
There are no rules to karma, obviously, but I don't think anyone would say that a burglar who breaks into a house and doesn't get caught was being rewarded for something he did previously. This is similar, albeit on a smaller scale.
Plus if this cashier is dumb enough to mistake $230 for $500 plus tax then does Best Buy really want him working register and relying on customer honesty to save his job?
Which is more ethical and legal -- ignoring the mistake because it worked out in your benefit, or correcting his mistake and then simply letting a manager know about the mistake the cashier made?
Or he's advocating breaking the law, which is (presumably) against the TOS, and he should be banned.
Go go gadget mods!
bunch of haters. In a society where our own government is the biggest crook of all , you all have the nerve to jump down this guy's throat because of someone else's mistake!?!?
"In a society where the government is the biggest crook of all (and not to mention mind controls us through iPads which are embedded with the latest mind control tech), why would anyone get mad at someone for being a crook?!"
Sensical and logical. I am in love with you.
Plus, if you have ever been to a best buy, employees jump on and off registers all the time without logging off first. They will never know which employee did it.
That makes it ok?
also consider that this was this guy's karma coming back to him. He did good and now he is getting rewarded.
There are no rules to karma, obviously, but I don't think anyone would say that a burglar who breaks into a house and doesn't get caught was being rewarded for something he did previously. This is similar, albeit on a smaller scale.
Plus if this cashier is dumb enough to mistake $230 for $500 plus tax then does Best Buy really want him working register and relying on customer honesty to save his job?
Which is more ethical and legal -- ignoring the mistake because it worked out in your benefit, or correcting his mistake and then simply letting a manager know about the mistake the cashier made?
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Umbongo
Nov 17, 01:50 PM
yes they could. We are not talking about zillion CPU's here. AMD could satisfy Apple's demands just fine.
The only evidence I've seen for AMD's ability to produce chips is that currently they are struggling to meet the market's needs after the deal with Dell. I think it is a fair assumption that AMD's ability to supply Apple was taken into account when the Intel decision was being looked at.
The only evidence I've seen for AMD's ability to produce chips is that currently they are struggling to meet the market's needs after the deal with Dell. I think it is a fair assumption that AMD's ability to supply Apple was taken into account when the Intel decision was being looked at.
nebulos
May 4, 01:20 AM
my posts are acting weird now. did i get flagged for daring to speak ill of the ipad? jeez. i didn't realize this was our religion.
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rdowns
Apr 21, 12:05 PM
Could have been worse guys, they could have put in a Facebook "Like" button. :D
infidel69
Mar 28, 02:48 PM
What exactly is a 'hater'? Someone that disagrees with the company line? Someone with a dissenting opinion?
Consultant is the opposite of a hater which is just as bad really. Apple can do no wrong in his eyes, I think he's in love with Steve Jobs or something.
Consultant is the opposite of a hater which is just as bad really. Apple can do no wrong in his eyes, I think he's in love with Steve Jobs or something.
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wlh99
Apr 29, 10:52 AM
Ok fellows, thanks for the waiting, my new house is a mess but at least all my furniture is here now. I follow both of your examples ( wlh99's E-mail project and the great explanation that Knight showed here). I first started a new project in order to avoid confusion and made some changes, the result is what I think " a working timer " with start, stop and reset buttons. If I see the code now it seems a bit obvious why the timer never stopped before. I can tell you right now that I never reset the global variables inside any cancel or reset button thus the timer always continued. I think that the first variable (NSInteger seconds = 0 before the first method) gets called only once after that we reset it to 0 using the reset or cancel method (we can do it separately like knight said), in my case I assign reset to be the one to set that to 0 and cancel to invalid the timer.
Knight and wh99, if you like to see the project running and tell me your throughs, just give me your E-mail addresses (I have Warren's already) so I can share it with you. For obvious reasons I'm not posting it and if some of you wonder why, it's for same reasons nobody posted the complete working code despite being able to make a timer in less than 3 minutes. (yes, I know it's because you think it would not help me and I understand)
Special thanks to Knight and wh99 for their patience and instructions.
Thanks also to everyone who gave his opinion on this matter.
* Here is photo of the log and UI
Glad you got it working. Trust me when I say, it is not obvious, and that it now seems so to you is an accomplishment.
Knight and wh99, if you like to see the project running and tell me your throughs, just give me your E-mail addresses (I have Warren's already) so I can share it with you. For obvious reasons I'm not posting it and if some of you wonder why, it's for same reasons nobody posted the complete working code despite being able to make a timer in less than 3 minutes. (yes, I know it's because you think it would not help me and I understand)
Special thanks to Knight and wh99 for their patience and instructions.
Thanks also to everyone who gave his opinion on this matter.
* Here is photo of the log and UI
Glad you got it working. Trust me when I say, it is not obvious, and that it now seems so to you is an accomplishment.
heehee
Apr 25, 06:58 PM
Please, indulge me. Thanks.
McDonald's be held responsible in the beating and the employees on duty at McDonald's be held responsible are 2 different things.
McDonald's be held responsible in the beating and the employees on duty at McDonald's be held responsible are 2 different things.
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NDA74
Jan 12, 09:01 PM
Anyone who leaps to a conclusion over this is foolish and shooting themselves in the foot. Print media is dead in its current form so you'll never see events banning people just because they have an online presence.
No, you will not. But what you will see are event planners being much more selective about who they credential, until the only media you see at events are the same big media companies that have always been there, except now they're online instead of in print. Same monopolies, different medium.
No, you will not. But what you will see are event planners being much more selective about who they credential, until the only media you see at events are the same big media companies that have always been there, except now they're online instead of in print. Same monopolies, different medium.
Patrick J
Apr 15, 03:59 PM
This would be popular with suicides (cut throat sharp edges) and PC users (device has numerous huge holes which may or not have a function).
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Kiwi Jones
Jul 21, 12:07 PM
Count me into the group who is sick and tired of hearing about this crap.
I too love my iPhone 4, it being the best phone I have ever owned, and without a doubt having less dropped calls than my 3GS had. I had a handful of drops on the 3GS fairly often and on the 4 I've only had two since launch day. I'm also in a long distance relationship and we stay on the phone all night every night. I'm not kidding. :o
I can demo this "issue" but realistically it is not a problem for me. This phone is the best and I'm only slightly bummed that some people may miss out on a fantastic device due to this media hoopla.
Amen
I too love my iPhone 4, it being the best phone I have ever owned, and without a doubt having less dropped calls than my 3GS had. I had a handful of drops on the 3GS fairly often and on the 4 I've only had two since launch day. I'm also in a long distance relationship and we stay on the phone all night every night. I'm not kidding. :o
I can demo this "issue" but realistically it is not a problem for me. This phone is the best and I'm only slightly bummed that some people may miss out on a fantastic device due to this media hoopla.
Amen
arn
Apr 21, 10:44 PM
Perhaps a "Relevant" button then.
I guess leaving it as a +1 button is pretty much the same thing without using a word.
*shrug*
I just think it may be more troublesome than helpful to have a -1 button. If someone disagrees with a post, they usually respond with an argument. If they agree, unless they have something to add, hitting the +1 button would work, and it would clear up the "Agreed" and "+1" posts.
Well, some places limit the ability to downvote for higher level accounts. Like those who have been around or gained a certain amount of reputation. While others have no downvote ability at all.
arn
I guess leaving it as a +1 button is pretty much the same thing without using a word.
*shrug*
I just think it may be more troublesome than helpful to have a -1 button. If someone disagrees with a post, they usually respond with an argument. If they agree, unless they have something to add, hitting the +1 button would work, and it would clear up the "Agreed" and "+1" posts.
Well, some places limit the ability to downvote for higher level accounts. Like those who have been around or gained a certain amount of reputation. While others have no downvote ability at all.
arn
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Mord
Apr 26, 09:57 AM
I know it wasn't a skeevy guy. What I also know is that transgendered people have to deal with all sorts of problems, including what restroom to use. A transgendered woman going into a women's room should not be treated like a skeevy guy going into a restroom, but it happens. I've seen it happen. I pointed out the comparison to spark a conversation, not to say it's right, but to say the comparison is often made. Either there is a failure of education and tolerance, or some accomodation needst to be made, or maybe security should be better, or something...
Oh, and there are too many people who make unfounded assumptions. This story is proof of that.
Out of curiosity, do you actually know what gender she was? Was she post-op? Pre-op? Does it matter? I think a woman sitting in a stall might freak out by someone peeing upright next to them.
Yes, I do. She's female. No it doesn't matter, even if she was pre-op she wouldn't nor would any transsexual pee standing up in a female public restroom. I certainly never did before I had surgery. For what it's worth I used female loos for four years before I went under the knife, not one single incident, not one single person expressed any kind of discomfort, not one single eyelid batted.
This obsession with the loos is ridiculous. They're just toilets. We have to piss just like anyone else, is it too much to ask to do it with dignity without undue hassle?
I did have something to add, my opinion, which I am more than entitled to state just as much as you do.
This guy had arms and legs. He could've at least tried to defend himself, but he chose not too, which I dont understand why...
If I were attacked, my first instinct would be to fight back or run.
You're not a skinny girl. Being attacked like that typically puts one into a state of shock especially if one doesn't have the fight/flight response of a typical male.
Oh, and there are too many people who make unfounded assumptions. This story is proof of that.
Out of curiosity, do you actually know what gender she was? Was she post-op? Pre-op? Does it matter? I think a woman sitting in a stall might freak out by someone peeing upright next to them.
Yes, I do. She's female. No it doesn't matter, even if she was pre-op she wouldn't nor would any transsexual pee standing up in a female public restroom. I certainly never did before I had surgery. For what it's worth I used female loos for four years before I went under the knife, not one single incident, not one single person expressed any kind of discomfort, not one single eyelid batted.
This obsession with the loos is ridiculous. They're just toilets. We have to piss just like anyone else, is it too much to ask to do it with dignity without undue hassle?
I did have something to add, my opinion, which I am more than entitled to state just as much as you do.
This guy had arms and legs. He could've at least tried to defend himself, but he chose not too, which I dont understand why...
If I were attacked, my first instinct would be to fight back or run.
You're not a skinny girl. Being attacked like that typically puts one into a state of shock especially if one doesn't have the fight/flight response of a typical male.
quagmire
Jan 12, 09:38 AM
Jobs wasn't smug at all IMHO. He was excited about it. You should of clearly seen that. He made a few jokes( like that prank call to Starbucks), but that was just his normal old humor. The only problem I had was with the order he stated iPod, phone, and internet communicator. The iPod and phone got good responses and then the internet communicator the people went, " ummm.... ok." I would of went internet communicator-> iPod-> phone. Get louder responses step and save the best for last. Other then that the keynote was good, if not one of his best.
For you iPhone haters, you people seem to think hardware makes the product revolutionary. Since you think so, you're right then. The iPhone in terms of hardware is nothing special. Got the standard CPU, standard 2.5G things, etc. But, there is more things that make it revolutionary then hardware. The UI is what makes the iPhone revolutionary. How you navigate the iPhone is revolutionary. How easy it is to use it and navigate through it. Ok, so it uses flash instead of an HD. How do most people treat their cell phones? Most people I see their cell phones are beat up. Scratches galore, etc. I bet the HD would be killed within weeks. Not to mention the extra thickness and power usage. 8 GB is the highest affordable flash you can put in a product right now so Apple didn't skimp out on that. Plus, the iPhone is a phone first and foremost. The iPod part is just a feature on it. I love how someone avoided the question, " What else were you hoping for?" Doesn't answer the question at all. Just continues the BS on how the iPhone isn't revolutionary.
For most part, the iPhone haters simply don't get the point of Apple. Why Apple makes the products the way they do. They have been brainwashed by other companies throwing in technology galore into their products. What is the point of adding even more technology if the current technology in the product isn't easy to use? You're just going to confuse the crap out of your customer base. That is where Apple steps in. Apple takes the technology and makes it easier to use. So Apple doesn't always use the latest and greatest stuff in their products. Look at the original Mac. Nothing really new in there hardware wise. But, it changed how we used a computer. Fast forward to 2001 when the iPod was introduced. It was just another HD based MP3 player. Had nothing the competition. The iPod did what the other MP3 players could do. Yet, what made the iPod revolutionary was the way we navigated through an MP3 player and how we used it overall( the iTunes/iPod integration for example). It was easy to use and put music on it.
PS: If we bought everything Apple made why didn't the Newton and Cube sell well?
For you iPhone haters, you people seem to think hardware makes the product revolutionary. Since you think so, you're right then. The iPhone in terms of hardware is nothing special. Got the standard CPU, standard 2.5G things, etc. But, there is more things that make it revolutionary then hardware. The UI is what makes the iPhone revolutionary. How you navigate the iPhone is revolutionary. How easy it is to use it and navigate through it. Ok, so it uses flash instead of an HD. How do most people treat their cell phones? Most people I see their cell phones are beat up. Scratches galore, etc. I bet the HD would be killed within weeks. Not to mention the extra thickness and power usage. 8 GB is the highest affordable flash you can put in a product right now so Apple didn't skimp out on that. Plus, the iPhone is a phone first and foremost. The iPod part is just a feature on it. I love how someone avoided the question, " What else were you hoping for?" Doesn't answer the question at all. Just continues the BS on how the iPhone isn't revolutionary.
For most part, the iPhone haters simply don't get the point of Apple. Why Apple makes the products the way they do. They have been brainwashed by other companies throwing in technology galore into their products. What is the point of adding even more technology if the current technology in the product isn't easy to use? You're just going to confuse the crap out of your customer base. That is where Apple steps in. Apple takes the technology and makes it easier to use. So Apple doesn't always use the latest and greatest stuff in their products. Look at the original Mac. Nothing really new in there hardware wise. But, it changed how we used a computer. Fast forward to 2001 when the iPod was introduced. It was just another HD based MP3 player. Had nothing the competition. The iPod did what the other MP3 players could do. Yet, what made the iPod revolutionary was the way we navigated through an MP3 player and how we used it overall( the iTunes/iPod integration for example). It was easy to use and put music on it.
PS: If we bought everything Apple made why didn't the Newton and Cube sell well?
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.
hogo
Mar 24, 04:13 PM
so effin cool!
fsudaft
Mar 29, 12:23 AM
New Updates: The 360 is connecting to the internet. This can be seen through certain services. Our local police force have a few tricks up their sleeves, its just a matter of them being around when its connected. Based on the times that the system is on and connected it can be deduced that children are behind it. (Think about when you did bad things as a kid, you prolly did them at night. And by bad i don't mean theivery, i mean other stuff). And if its kids i'm a little miffed that their parents haven't noticed anything new around the house.
leekohler
May 5, 05:13 PM
It's impossible to enforce a gun ban when you just need to drive to the next town to buy them. If we were to implement restrictions it would have to be nation-wide, or else it would be too easily thwarted.
Uh huh- then what? Get our neighboring countries to do the same? We've all seen how well that works. All you'll do is create a huge black market if you attempt to ban guns. Then crime gets even worse. Not the way to go about the problem at all. Not to mention the fact that you would have a huge constitutional issue on your hands.
Uh huh- then what? Get our neighboring countries to do the same? We've all seen how well that works. All you'll do is create a huge black market if you attempt to ban guns. Then crime gets even worse. Not the way to go about the problem at all. Not to mention the fact that you would have a huge constitutional issue on your hands.
Brocktoon
Jan 8, 11:27 PM
Macbook Nano
Carbon fiber "gun metal" enclosure
12" LCD screen
1GB RAM (2GB BTO)
32GB Solid State drive (64GB BTO)
Core 2 Duo Penryn 2.1 GHz (2.4 GHz BTO)
802.11n
8+ hour battery life
Multi-touch trackpad
External Optical drive
Default configuration $1499
Maxed out BTO configuration $1999
Probably no dedicated GPU, but that can't be helped...
That's what MBPs are for :rolleyes:
Carbon fiber "gun metal" enclosure
12" LCD screen
1GB RAM (2GB BTO)
32GB Solid State drive (64GB BTO)
Core 2 Duo Penryn 2.1 GHz (2.4 GHz BTO)
802.11n
8+ hour battery life
Multi-touch trackpad
External Optical drive
Default configuration $1499
Maxed out BTO configuration $1999
Probably no dedicated GPU, but that can't be helped...
That's what MBPs are for :rolleyes:
Ygn
Nov 6, 04:55 PM
I've been using World at War for a bit recently mainly for the zombies so I'm looking forward to the new maps on Black Ops. I've never really been able to get into MW2, but the multiplayer of MW2 is really good so I hope Black ops follows, by trailers and videos I've watched it looks like it will.
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