Digitalclips
Jan 6, 08:43 AM
http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2007/01/20070105150245.shtml
We'll update that page. It's linked to this thread.
arn
Great, thanks, count me one who likes Steve as 'Live' as I can get with nothing spoiling the excitement in advance. I hope one day Steve can get Disney to carry the even really live on one of its TV stations. Doesn't Steve have some pull there?;)
We'll update that page. It's linked to this thread.
arn
Great, thanks, count me one who likes Steve as 'Live' as I can get with nothing spoiling the excitement in advance. I hope one day Steve can get Disney to carry the even really live on one of its TV stations. Doesn't Steve have some pull there?;)
OS X Dude
May 2, 11:37 AM
Yes for the iPod bug fixes - I've been getting a weird one on my 3GS where album art isn't loaded correctly for the track that's playing - sometimes it'll pull the Genius Playlist album cover for the playlist that song is in (when I'm not on Genius anyway) and sometimes entirely different albums by different groups.
JAT
May 4, 04:14 PM
Make sure to post back when you figure out a way to do that lol
Figuring (http://www.jr.com/optoma/pe/OTM_PK201/) it out isn't a question, just whether I'd want to be that obnoxious. And blow a couple hundred for the privilege. :p
Figuring (http://www.jr.com/optoma/pe/OTM_PK201/) it out isn't a question, just whether I'd want to be that obnoxious. And blow a couple hundred for the privilege. :p
brianus
Oct 17, 03:01 PM
Yes, it's appalling.. ;)
Oh, well, every time I hear someone say they can't see the difference between a standard DVD and an HD-DVD/BluRay disc when shown on a proper 1080p display, I cringe. Perhaps they need to just buy the 25" TV for $200 along with a $25 DVD player, take the money they save and get some laser eye surgery. :D
Actually, with my new HD set up, most family and friends that see it in action are usually awed by it. I have several friends and neighbors that continuously invite themselves over for monday night football and other events. Most of them think it's pretty cool, but would never spend that kind of money on their home theatre setup (I don't think I spent that much, the TV accounted for over half of everything and it was $3600). A couple of them in the past few months though didn't balk at the price and they went and bought one too...
But yeah, I'm an "-ophile" when it comes to audio and video. I don't really fit in with the rest of my family. I have an uncle that's only about 10 years older than me and I let him have a left-over 20" TV when I moved. I told him it's a nice set - only about 3 years old. His only concern was "is it color?".
I know I'm the minority around here when I say this, but I don't own an iPod. :eek: Yeah, it's true... I personally don't care for the MP3 format and the lesser quality offerings of iTunes. If it isn't at least CD quality, uncompressed, I don't want it. And yes, I can hear the difference on my sound system which is a separate setup from my home theatre.
My wife tells me that I'm insane... She's probably right, but what do I care. :D
Well, my dad's the same way with audio. He's a professional sound engineer, so it stands to reason -- he's still got a huge stack of DAT tapes next to the computer. No DVD-Audio though; you just can't find it much anymore.
If most folks not only don't have the knowledge or interest, they also don't have the kind of money to invest in these kinds of hi-def technologies in their early, expensive years (for HD that includes, of course, the enormous televisions required to really get anything from the higher definition). By the time this stuff comes down in price and is more readily available, SD downloads will be more common.
I suppose working in the HD formats' favor is the coming of HDTV, which will be the standard whether we like it or not. Sooner or later DVD-9 will *have* to be superceded by something in a high definition format, else the stuff we download or buy will be crappier looking than the stuff we can watch for free. And, of course, in the mean time the discs themselves will be extremely useful for some types of data storage. I eagerly await the day when, in my job, I can archive a TB of files to eight 200GB Blu-Rays instead of 200-odd DVD-Rs, and I'm sure many small/medium businesses do too.
Oh, well, every time I hear someone say they can't see the difference between a standard DVD and an HD-DVD/BluRay disc when shown on a proper 1080p display, I cringe. Perhaps they need to just buy the 25" TV for $200 along with a $25 DVD player, take the money they save and get some laser eye surgery. :D
Actually, with my new HD set up, most family and friends that see it in action are usually awed by it. I have several friends and neighbors that continuously invite themselves over for monday night football and other events. Most of them think it's pretty cool, but would never spend that kind of money on their home theatre setup (I don't think I spent that much, the TV accounted for over half of everything and it was $3600). A couple of them in the past few months though didn't balk at the price and they went and bought one too...
But yeah, I'm an "-ophile" when it comes to audio and video. I don't really fit in with the rest of my family. I have an uncle that's only about 10 years older than me and I let him have a left-over 20" TV when I moved. I told him it's a nice set - only about 3 years old. His only concern was "is it color?".
I know I'm the minority around here when I say this, but I don't own an iPod. :eek: Yeah, it's true... I personally don't care for the MP3 format and the lesser quality offerings of iTunes. If it isn't at least CD quality, uncompressed, I don't want it. And yes, I can hear the difference on my sound system which is a separate setup from my home theatre.
My wife tells me that I'm insane... She's probably right, but what do I care. :D
Well, my dad's the same way with audio. He's a professional sound engineer, so it stands to reason -- he's still got a huge stack of DAT tapes next to the computer. No DVD-Audio though; you just can't find it much anymore.
If most folks not only don't have the knowledge or interest, they also don't have the kind of money to invest in these kinds of hi-def technologies in their early, expensive years (for HD that includes, of course, the enormous televisions required to really get anything from the higher definition). By the time this stuff comes down in price and is more readily available, SD downloads will be more common.
I suppose working in the HD formats' favor is the coming of HDTV, which will be the standard whether we like it or not. Sooner or later DVD-9 will *have* to be superceded by something in a high definition format, else the stuff we download or buy will be crappier looking than the stuff we can watch for free. And, of course, in the mean time the discs themselves will be extremely useful for some types of data storage. I eagerly await the day when, in my job, I can archive a TB of files to eight 200GB Blu-Rays instead of 200-odd DVD-Rs, and I'm sure many small/medium businesses do too.
more...
Amnak
Apr 25, 12:30 PM
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_7 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8E303 Safari/6533.18.5)
I definitly think this is a good idea, The screen the size it is now is fine , however the most important part is the phones physical sizes which is perfect
I definitly think this is a good idea, The screen the size it is now is fine , however the most important part is the phones physical sizes which is perfect
Ugg
May 4, 07:51 PM
Fixed...
If I bring my child in for a checkup, physical, broken arm or runny nose the doctor really has no business asking questions that are not pertinent to the treatment of my child. He certainly has no business asking if I have guns in my house if I bring my kid in there for a physical or runny nose.
Dr Choi made this point, "or if children can't play in their front yard for fear of gun fire, it is my problem too." Maybe his focus is on urban kids who live in high crime areas but given that most of the high profile firearm massacres in the past few years were suburban, it seems silly to split hairs, doesn't it?
Do you feel that it's none of the doctor's business if you use a car seat for your child? What if he asked if you make sure the cleaning supplies and anti-freeze are locked up? Is that irrelevant?
Dr Choi also makes the point that in 30,000 people were killed with guns (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr58/nvsr58_19.pdf).
In 41,059 people were killed in automobile accidents.
What are doctors for?
If I bring my child in for a checkup, physical, broken arm or runny nose the doctor really has no business asking questions that are not pertinent to the treatment of my child. He certainly has no business asking if I have guns in my house if I bring my kid in there for a physical or runny nose.
Dr Choi made this point, "or if children can't play in their front yard for fear of gun fire, it is my problem too." Maybe his focus is on urban kids who live in high crime areas but given that most of the high profile firearm massacres in the past few years were suburban, it seems silly to split hairs, doesn't it?
Do you feel that it's none of the doctor's business if you use a car seat for your child? What if he asked if you make sure the cleaning supplies and anti-freeze are locked up? Is that irrelevant?
Dr Choi also makes the point that in 30,000 people were killed with guns (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr58/nvsr58_19.pdf).
In 41,059 people were killed in automobile accidents.
What are doctors for?
more...
Abstract
Apr 11, 08:41 AM
Phiaton Moderna MS-400 headphones. :)
Review. (http://www.digitaltrends.com/headphone-reviews/phiaton-ms-400-second-generation-review/)
Another review from Head-fi (http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/495667/review-phiaton-ms-400).
I got them because the hardshell case will be very useful, and it's easy to drive, un-amped, with an iPhone. :) I could have bought them in all-black, but these are less boring!! I was also considering the Denon D510r (includes iPhone remote), Klipsch Image One (supposedly has overwhelming bass and only average sound quality), Shure SRH-750 and 840 (both are too big), or even Beyerdynamics t50p (was in serious consideration). I still think I made a good choice though!
http://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/cache/2009/07/ms-400-3.jpg/430_310_resize.jpg
I also bought a pair of Denon C560r in-ears. I bought the same pair 6 months ago, but I lost them. :( They're fantastic, and the remote control is sooooo useful!! I have also owned Klipsch S4i, and I think these are better.
http://www.gayakuman.com/uploads/2010/05/denon-ah-c560r-and-ah-c260r-ear-buds-ipod-control.jpg
Review. (http://www.digitaltrends.com/headphone-reviews/phiaton-ms-400-second-generation-review/)
Another review from Head-fi (http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/495667/review-phiaton-ms-400).
I got them because the hardshell case will be very useful, and it's easy to drive, un-amped, with an iPhone. :) I could have bought them in all-black, but these are less boring!! I was also considering the Denon D510r (includes iPhone remote), Klipsch Image One (supposedly has overwhelming bass and only average sound quality), Shure SRH-750 and 840 (both are too big), or even Beyerdynamics t50p (was in serious consideration). I still think I made a good choice though!
http://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/cache/2009/07/ms-400-3.jpg/430_310_resize.jpg
I also bought a pair of Denon C560r in-ears. I bought the same pair 6 months ago, but I lost them. :( They're fantastic, and the remote control is sooooo useful!! I have also owned Klipsch S4i, and I think these are better.
http://www.gayakuman.com/uploads/2010/05/denon-ah-c560r-and-ah-c260r-ear-buds-ipod-control.jpg
jessica.
Apr 22, 07:04 AM
On IE7 whenever I click either the "up" or "down" arrow I get taken back to the forum index.
That is because those who oppose will find themselves without the right to vote. :p :D
That is because those who oppose will find themselves without the right to vote. :p :D
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lewis82
Apr 13, 01:27 PM
Why not get a mini displayport straight to DVI cable? I never understood the use of an adapter. Maybe someone can shed some light?
There's a use for Apple (they can sell you both the adapter and the DVI cable, at 40$ each) ;)
There's a use for Apple (they can sell you both the adapter and the DVI cable, at 40$ each) ;)
ilpap
Apr 29, 03:39 PM
been using Lion since DP1 as my main OS without problems
me too
me too
more...
MattZani
Apr 6, 05:36 PM
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE6A9GqzvmQCsbsZCAkjHR5GDDM20wPftlK3Gzk20NBnhtr_GXzcvkRyAFQkLDABwXL3pLGKTooPdabXJdpwRLIEB7jPnfTxpt0Yh9e9UFWX3EqT1bYq35mzkehCbPHStglRPichoh2oA/s1600/Source-Code-Movie-Poster.jpg
2 tickets to see Source Code, brilliant.
2 tickets to see Source Code, brilliant.
Fearless Leader
Aug 8, 12:36 AM
Anyone Here Think We Should Buy Dell 30" Displays Instead? They are still a lot less money with more inputs. :)
umm dell's 30" is 200 more...
umm dell's 30" is 200 more...
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Mexbearpig
Apr 8, 10:56 PM
Portenzo case finally came in as did my beats that I got for $80. <snip>
http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/3117/p4080881.jpg
How did you get beats for $80?
http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/3117/p4080881.jpg
How did you get beats for $80?
charlituna
Jan 5, 08:32 AM
And why does no iPhone on Jan 4th mean nothing for the rest of 2011??
Indeed. THe rumors were everything from Dec 27, 2010 to when pigs fly. It is not like Apple said they would tell us something by today.
That said, I don't see it happening. Frankly I don't see Apple building a CDMA phone series. Just makes things messy. Now when LTE is mature enough that 90+% folks never have to use a CDMA fallback and the rest rarely do, maybe. When someone comes up with a GSM/CDMA/LTE tri chip that doesn't cost a small fortune, eat up battery by lunch time etc, maybe. But I really think that in terms of 2011 all this CDMA jobs etc is about the ipad, not the iphone.
Indeed. THe rumors were everything from Dec 27, 2010 to when pigs fly. It is not like Apple said they would tell us something by today.
That said, I don't see it happening. Frankly I don't see Apple building a CDMA phone series. Just makes things messy. Now when LTE is mature enough that 90+% folks never have to use a CDMA fallback and the rest rarely do, maybe. When someone comes up with a GSM/CDMA/LTE tri chip that doesn't cost a small fortune, eat up battery by lunch time etc, maybe. But I really think that in terms of 2011 all this CDMA jobs etc is about the ipad, not the iphone.
more...
DDustiNN
Mar 19, 03:25 AM
I can't believe how much smugness is in this thread. It almost makes me ashamed to call myself an iPhone owner.
Sure, it is the best-looking phone on the market, but come on people... it's still just a phone. It costs the same amount as any other new high-end phone with contract ($199, which is what I paid for my RAZR 2 when it came out). The OP perceiving other people's difference in taste (they chose Android) hardly equates to "envy". All phones have their pros and cons, and people choose what they want accordingly. The fact that you even came to that conclusion of "they envy me" just contributes to how smug you are.
It's great that you love your phone. I love mine too. But don't be so full of yourself... that's what gives iPhone owners a bad name, hence the stereotype.
So again, it's a freaking phone... It's not a status symbol.
Sure, it is the best-looking phone on the market, but come on people... it's still just a phone. It costs the same amount as any other new high-end phone with contract ($199, which is what I paid for my RAZR 2 when it came out). The OP perceiving other people's difference in taste (they chose Android) hardly equates to "envy". All phones have their pros and cons, and people choose what they want accordingly. The fact that you even came to that conclusion of "they envy me" just contributes to how smug you are.
It's great that you love your phone. I love mine too. But don't be so full of yourself... that's what gives iPhone owners a bad name, hence the stereotype.
So again, it's a freaking phone... It's not a status symbol.
kdarling
Apr 18, 08:56 AM
Plus Android devices seem loaded with uninstallable Google services.
I think we're all confused as to what you're talking about. Can you elaborate? Are you talking about:
Google Maps? Google Sync? Google Search? Heck, those are "uninstallable" on the iPhone.
Android phones often add Google Navigation and Google Voice Input, both of which are excellent and very useful.
Of course, in either iOS or Android's case, you can simply not use them.
I think we're all confused as to what you're talking about. Can you elaborate? Are you talking about:
Google Maps? Google Sync? Google Search? Heck, those are "uninstallable" on the iPhone.
Android phones often add Google Navigation and Google Voice Input, both of which are excellent and very useful.
Of course, in either iOS or Android's case, you can simply not use them.
more...
edifyingGerbil
Apr 18, 10:05 PM
Don't forget al-Andalus being the epitome of civilization and tolerance in Europe
oh my stars and garters, please don't get me started...
it's nice that the word is getting out tho, and people are waking up. took me long enough!
oh my stars and garters, please don't get me started...
it's nice that the word is getting out tho, and people are waking up. took me long enough!
tvguru
Sep 12, 03:03 AM
I believe that an airport extreme, or 802.11g is plenty fast to stream High-def Video, and shouldn't apple change the name of itunes at this point, since it is now a multimedia piece of software?
Would you prefer OS X Media Player?:eek:
Would you prefer OS X Media Player?:eek:
conradzoo
Sep 12, 07:27 AM
The Netherlands store is down too. :o
Just a broken link though. No Black screen.
Just a broken link though. No Black screen.
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.
yellow
Apr 11, 10:43 AM
Finally bit the bullet and abandoned my BlackBerry Tour in favor of an iPhone 4. See you in hell, BlackBerry!
SRSound
Oct 3, 11:11 PM
Two things I would love:
1: Smartphone/mini computer (blackberry style or even as advanced as the Sony UX180P (http://www.mobiletechreview.com/sony_ux180/Sony-Vaio-UX180P.htm)) that operates on a lite version of OS X.
2: Octo-core Mac Pros BEFORE this happens! Like, you know, late october, early novemberish...
I'm a dreamer :)
1: Smartphone/mini computer (blackberry style or even as advanced as the Sony UX180P (http://www.mobiletechreview.com/sony_ux180/Sony-Vaio-UX180P.htm)) that operates on a lite version of OS X.
2: Octo-core Mac Pros BEFORE this happens! Like, you know, late october, early novemberish...
I'm a dreamer :)
TequilaBoobs
Nov 24, 08:56 PM
LOL! Santa Rosa introduced on Tuesday... :D (just kidding!)
my merom is now obsolete!! grr
my merom is now obsolete!! grr
smugDrew
Apr 12, 03:48 AM
Windows 8?!! :rolleyes: it's not even at Beta stage. More useless transparencies and now with extra fat Ribbon UI boobery. How exciting.
OS X Lion - if you're a Dev you shouldn't be talking about it...
OS X Lion - if you're a Dev you shouldn't be talking about it...
