ezekielrage_99
Jan 15, 06:06 PM
Dude this is insane if its real. Yah think???
I wasn't saying if it's real or not it's the fact that Gizmodo just did a huge prank and they listed a Keynote supposedly from Apple. Real or not Apple is very protective about information about themselves.
I wasn't saying if it's real or not it's the fact that Gizmodo just did a huge prank and they listed a Keynote supposedly from Apple. Real or not Apple is very protective about information about themselves.
lordonuthin
Apr 10, 11:39 PM
yeah that's true, but now what's the excuse? the processors are out now!
I know!! Last year they had the Mac Pro out before the cpu's were even announced by Intel!
I know!! Last year they had the Mac Pro out before the cpu's were even announced by Intel!
nmrrjw66
May 6, 10:15 AM
This is a little ridiculous. Is it really a big deal to answer simple questions about firearms? Gun owners should be happy to answer questions about their safety practices. It should also be perfectly reasonable to simply decline to answer those questions.
Epsilon88
Oct 24, 12:39 AM
iPhone of Houses? Title seems a little misplaced. :confused:
more...
z4n3
Mar 24, 04:46 PM
I think that's Audion.
http://www.panic.com/audion/
Thanks... :D
I wish it was still around.
Found this link (https://www.panic.com/extras/audionstory) that is quite interesting regarding iTunes beginnings
http://www.panic.com/audion/
Thanks... :D
I wish it was still around.
Found this link (https://www.panic.com/extras/audionstory) that is quite interesting regarding iTunes beginnings
kernkraft
Sep 29, 09:20 PM
Nice one, Steve ... he's worked for it.
We're here for a good time, not for a long time.
Actually, it was just at least a decade of intentional neglect. Also, most of the work was done by lawyers and architectural consultants.
I'm not fond of Spanish Revival, but this is not the way of doing things...
We're here for a good time, not for a long time.
Actually, it was just at least a decade of intentional neglect. Also, most of the work was done by lawyers and architectural consultants.
I'm not fond of Spanish Revival, but this is not the way of doing things...
more...
gauchogolfer
Sep 25, 11:39 AM
I'm pretty happy that my 15" Powerbook is officially supported to run Aperture now. They must have reduced the system requirements, which might bode well for those of you with faster machines in terms of program performance and speed.
Cheers
Cheers
LightSpeed1
Apr 11, 01:25 AM
Similar tastes...I have the 23" and M10's as well. But where did you find black Swans?...unless it's painted after the fact
Lockware Systems (http://www.lockwaresystems.com/swanm10b-179.html)
Have you posted your setup before?
Mac Setup: Past & Present (Part 14) (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1098165)
If you have a picture of your setup and don't mind sharing it, I would love to see the two together.
Lockware Systems (http://www.lockwaresystems.com/swanm10b-179.html)
Have you posted your setup before?
Mac Setup: Past & Present (Part 14) (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1098165)
If you have a picture of your setup and don't mind sharing it, I would love to see the two together.
more...
MattSepeta
Apr 27, 04:32 PM
missed that one. fully agree.
why? men and women can't share a basin to wash their hands? many places already have unisex restrooms. As long as it is known, there shouldn't be any problem.
I really don't see any reasons, other than people being stuck in their old conventions. it would surely simplify my life when I am around town with my kids.
In a dreamland, sure, it works out great.
Reality: Guy and a woman in adjacent stalls. Man drops his phone on the ground. Picks it up. woman assumes he is taking photos of her under the stall. Etc.
why? men and women can't share a basin to wash their hands? many places already have unisex restrooms. As long as it is known, there shouldn't be any problem.
I really don't see any reasons, other than people being stuck in their old conventions. it would surely simplify my life when I am around town with my kids.
In a dreamland, sure, it works out great.
Reality: Guy and a woman in adjacent stalls. Man drops his phone on the ground. Picks it up. woman assumes he is taking photos of her under the stall. Etc.
lordonuthin
Apr 10, 11:39 PM
yeah that's true, but now what's the excuse? the processors are out now!
I know!! Last year they had the Mac Pro out before the cpu's were even announced by Intel!
I know!! Last year they had the Mac Pro out before the cpu's were even announced by Intel!
more...
DTphonehome
Mar 24, 03:06 PM
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)
Amazing longevity. A truly robust platform that brought Apple into the 21st century. Especially when you consider the competition at the time! I seem to remember Mac OS X was touted as Apple's platform "for the next 20 years" when it was introduced. So it's only halfway finished!
Amazing longevity. A truly robust platform that brought Apple into the 21st century. Especially when you consider the competition at the time! I seem to remember Mac OS X was touted as Apple's platform "for the next 20 years" when it was introduced. So it's only halfway finished!
KnightWRX
Mar 26, 09:18 PM
I don't know, that would be one big download. With people still using dial-up, I'm just not seeing it. As for the USB stick, that would be neat and the best way to go, because of the AIR.
Yeah, installing an OS straight from the Internet ? Never heard of that before. :rolleyes:
Not everyone is stuck on dial-up, and it would be nice for Apple to finally provide an option that has been the norm in many other OS installers for the last 15 years.
However, I doubt we won't see optical discs. For one, they are much cheaper and faster to duplicate than Flash memory devices. It would make no sense for Apple to go the costly route of Flash only distribution just yet since most of their line-up still have DVD drives.
Yeah, installing an OS straight from the Internet ? Never heard of that before. :rolleyes:
Not everyone is stuck on dial-up, and it would be nice for Apple to finally provide an option that has been the norm in many other OS installers for the last 15 years.
However, I doubt we won't see optical discs. For one, they are much cheaper and faster to duplicate than Flash memory devices. It would make no sense for Apple to go the costly route of Flash only distribution just yet since most of their line-up still have DVD drives.
more...
Much Ado
Jan 9, 01:39 PM
You think I'd be that harsh?! I'm almost offended :P
Forgive me, i'm getting paranoid :)
Forgive me, i'm getting paranoid :)
Dane D.
Mar 4, 07:47 PM
http://www2.hernandotoday.com/content/2010/oct/17/ha-fdrs-warning-public-employee-unions-a-no-no/
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the patron saint of the American labor movement, was a man of strong character. One has to look no further than the heroic way he coped with his crippling polio. This dreadful disease undoubtedly made him the consummate realist.
For example, although he had a lock on labor's vote, he expressed caution about public sector unions. In a little-known letter he wrote to the president of the National Federation of Federal Employees in 1937, Roosevelt reasoned:
"... Meticulous attention should be paid to the special relationships and obligations of public servants to the public itself and to the government. All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations ... The very nature and purposes of Government make it impossible for ... officials ... to bind the employer ... The employer is the whole people, who speak by means of laws enacted by their representatives ...
"Particularly, I want to emphasize my conviction that militant tactics have no place in the functions of any organization of government employees. Upon employees in the federal service rests the obligation to serve the whole people ... This obligation is paramount ... A strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an intent ... to prevent or obstruct ... Government ... Such action, looking toward the paralysis of Government ... is unthinkable and intolerable."
Even he had enough sense to know what will happen over time.
To quote Margaret Thatcher, http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Talk:Margaret_Thatcher
Update: Margaret Thatcher, in a TV interview for Thames TV This Week [[1]]on Feb. 5, 1976, Prime Minister Thatcher said, "...and Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They [socialists] always run out of other people's money. It's quite a characteristic of them."
Basically public unions are legal money laundering operations. Follow the money: I pay taxes which go to pay the public employees who pay union dues, which the union bosses take and contribute to Democratic candidates who get elected who pass favorable legislation to benefit the public unions. Lovely system that have going. Has anybody noticed that these people could care less about where the money comes from, these protesters are whining because the cookie jar is threaten to be closed. Just love watching all these cry babies on T.V., real classy people. The runaway Wisconsin Senators are demostrating just who they really are, spoiled children.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the patron saint of the American labor movement, was a man of strong character. One has to look no further than the heroic way he coped with his crippling polio. This dreadful disease undoubtedly made him the consummate realist.
For example, although he had a lock on labor's vote, he expressed caution about public sector unions. In a little-known letter he wrote to the president of the National Federation of Federal Employees in 1937, Roosevelt reasoned:
"... Meticulous attention should be paid to the special relationships and obligations of public servants to the public itself and to the government. All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations ... The very nature and purposes of Government make it impossible for ... officials ... to bind the employer ... The employer is the whole people, who speak by means of laws enacted by their representatives ...
"Particularly, I want to emphasize my conviction that militant tactics have no place in the functions of any organization of government employees. Upon employees in the federal service rests the obligation to serve the whole people ... This obligation is paramount ... A strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an intent ... to prevent or obstruct ... Government ... Such action, looking toward the paralysis of Government ... is unthinkable and intolerable."
Even he had enough sense to know what will happen over time.
To quote Margaret Thatcher, http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Talk:Margaret_Thatcher
Update: Margaret Thatcher, in a TV interview for Thames TV This Week [[1]]on Feb. 5, 1976, Prime Minister Thatcher said, "...and Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They [socialists] always run out of other people's money. It's quite a characteristic of them."
Basically public unions are legal money laundering operations. Follow the money: I pay taxes which go to pay the public employees who pay union dues, which the union bosses take and contribute to Democratic candidates who get elected who pass favorable legislation to benefit the public unions. Lovely system that have going. Has anybody noticed that these people could care less about where the money comes from, these protesters are whining because the cookie jar is threaten to be closed. Just love watching all these cry babies on T.V., real classy people. The runaway Wisconsin Senators are demostrating just who they really are, spoiled children.
more...
wtmcgee
Oct 20, 12:00 PM
when CS3 ships, watch the marketshare explode.
illegalprelude
Jan 13, 04:02 AM
I cant believe this is a topic that is being discussed. Who cares. If you like the products, sweet, if not, oh well. But to say he is arrogant? isnt that arrogence itself? (sp lol)
more...
zombitronic
Oct 6, 04:47 PM
I think your arugument would be valid if phones were not subsudized and you have to buy them at full price. Because AT&T in this case is paying Apple $400 per phone you should choose a network first.
If ISP were footing the bill for desktop then Verizon add still would work but for cell phones most of the cost of the phone is paid by the networks. Not the other way around.
My original iPhone was not subsidized and I had to buy it at full price. I chose the device with no qualms about what network I was required to use.
While the iPhone is now subsidized, so are many other phones on many other networks. If only certain networks were doing this to add value to choosing their contracts, I could understand your point of choosing the network before the device. Maybe I'm missing something but I don't understand how this changes my argument that the service is just a commodity while the device is the consumer's primary choice.
If ISP were footing the bill for desktop then Verizon add still would work but for cell phones most of the cost of the phone is paid by the networks. Not the other way around.
My original iPhone was not subsidized and I had to buy it at full price. I chose the device with no qualms about what network I was required to use.
While the iPhone is now subsidized, so are many other phones on many other networks. If only certain networks were doing this to add value to choosing their contracts, I could understand your point of choosing the network before the device. Maybe I'm missing something but I don't understand how this changes my argument that the service is just a commodity while the device is the consumer's primary choice.
whatever
Oct 11, 12:06 PM
It may kill the first iteration of the Zune, but MS has stated it�s a multiple years effort � they acknowledge it�s going to be hard to beat the iPod bastion, and if at all possible it will take time. But, I suspect Apple have plenty of different prototypes in their labs, ready to be launched to complement new market demands.
For starters I think it's odd for MS to state publicly that they expect the Zune to have poor sales. Talk about lack of faith in their marketing department. The product is half bad, they should have been pushing this product's launch in commercials and made prototypes available to retail chains in preparation for it's launch. But for some reason, MS has lost confidence in it's marketing team. I bet if the co-branded it with the X-Box product line it would sell quite well. What do you buy the spoil brat with all of the latest X-Box toys, an X-Box Zune. But that's just me.
Microsoft is know for killing a product (see: BOB) after a lackluster launch. Don't be surprised if the Zune fades away.
For starters I think it's odd for MS to state publicly that they expect the Zune to have poor sales. Talk about lack of faith in their marketing department. The product is half bad, they should have been pushing this product's launch in commercials and made prototypes available to retail chains in preparation for it's launch. But for some reason, MS has lost confidence in it's marketing team. I bet if the co-branded it with the X-Box product line it would sell quite well. What do you buy the spoil brat with all of the latest X-Box toys, an X-Box Zune. But that's just me.
Microsoft is know for killing a product (see: BOB) after a lackluster launch. Don't be surprised if the Zune fades away.
blahblah100
Oct 7, 06:34 PM
Except Verizon does that too!!!!
About 2 months ago I paid an early termination fee and gave up my iPhone because of the dropped calls. I have a Blackberry on Verizon, and consume about 800 minutes a month (peak times, not nights and weekends) and close to 200MB of bandwidth.
I have not had a single dropped call. I can also finally browse the web without Safari crashing all the time.
About 2 months ago I paid an early termination fee and gave up my iPhone because of the dropped calls. I have a Blackberry on Verizon, and consume about 800 minutes a month (peak times, not nights and weekends) and close to 200MB of bandwidth.
I have not had a single dropped call. I can also finally browse the web without Safari crashing all the time.
blaqink
Apr 15, 12:27 PM
looks like a rendering
JML42691
Apr 23, 07:34 PM
If I'm honest I don't really like it, it's an interesting idea certainly but as long as downvoted posts aren't hidden or collapsed eventually once they reach a certain amount of downvotes I think it will be okay, because it won't change the way threads are displayed or how/if people speak their mind.
Very much agreed.
And not sure if it has been suggested/discussed yet, but I think a "+" should be included for the positively rated posts as well, not really sure why but I think it would look nicer and more balanced.
This setup on a post by post basis works really well, much better than an overall reputation system like other forums use where one bad post/thread can kill your reputation.
Very much agreed.
And not sure if it has been suggested/discussed yet, but I think a "+" should be included for the positively rated posts as well, not really sure why but I think it would look nicer and more balanced.
This setup on a post by post basis works really well, much better than an overall reputation system like other forums use where one bad post/thread can kill your reputation.
sheepopo39
Apr 29, 06:53 PM
I agree. I am using scroll reverser on Snow Leopard right now and enjoy it a lot. After about a day or two it becomes more natural.
I booted into snow leopard on another partition after using Lion for a while and I had trouble not scrolling inversely. I've gotten quite used to it.
I booted into snow leopard on another partition after using Lion for a while and I had trouble not scrolling inversely. I've gotten quite used to it.
Joshuarocks
Apr 8, 07:36 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.
The only "Worst Buy" I am against is the one in Owings Mills, MD where they discriminated against me just because of a small disability. Pending a court case with corporate on this matter.. and I used to work for them back in 2005 and left them on a great note. Eligible for re-hire.. then tried to go back to them(Owings Mills) and the manager was very disrespectful and also discriminatory.
I plan to have that store shut down permanently.
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.
The only "Worst Buy" I am against is the one in Owings Mills, MD where they discriminated against me just because of a small disability. Pending a court case with corporate on this matter.. and I used to work for them back in 2005 and left them on a great note. Eligible for re-hire.. then tried to go back to them(Owings Mills) and the manager was very disrespectful and also discriminatory.
I plan to have that store shut down permanently.
drewc1138
Apr 5, 03:12 PM
Some people are actually interested in marketing, and would love to have a centralized place to view how large companies are advertising on one of the largest mobile spaces in the world.
By all means, go back to playing Doodle Jump.
By all means, go back to playing Doodle Jump.
