funkypepper
May 1, 05:56 AM
Can anyone confirm is there a Turkish localization in this build?
neiltc13
Apr 23, 07:24 AM
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)
RP:
All you have shown is a deep-seated fear of advertising. And it's been stated that Apple doesn't actually collect this data, so it isn't even being used for iAds.
How exactly, specifically, will this cell phone tower tracking info compromise your personal safety? What exactly is there to fear? There must be something more than targeted advertising, which is at best an annoyance you have to live with anyway.
This really isn't related to Windows 8, but...
iPhone tracking and storing users' locations isn't really a surprise, nor is it worrying. What is an eye opener is that when Google was asked about the same thing, they gave an immediate response and explained how their phones work. Why hasn't Apple done this?
RP:
All you have shown is a deep-seated fear of advertising. And it's been stated that Apple doesn't actually collect this data, so it isn't even being used for iAds.
How exactly, specifically, will this cell phone tower tracking info compromise your personal safety? What exactly is there to fear? There must be something more than targeted advertising, which is at best an annoyance you have to live with anyway.
This really isn't related to Windows 8, but...
iPhone tracking and storing users' locations isn't really a surprise, nor is it worrying. What is an eye opener is that when Google was asked about the same thing, they gave an immediate response and explained how their phones work. Why hasn't Apple done this?
nuckinfutz
Oct 17, 05:58 PM
Apple supports both formats. They've made this clear last April when they announced HD DVD support (rudimentary) in DVD Studio Pro 4. At NAB 2007 I fully expect them to announce authoring support for HD DVD and Blu-Ray. They may make them modules that you add on if you need to for licensing/cost reasons.
HD DVD vs Blu-Ray- forget the specs. You can't win that argument since both platforms use the SAME codecs. Both will look identical with the same encode. Thus it comes down to price and content.
HD DVD has the price - players can be had for $399
Blu-Ray has the content- 7 of 8 large studios
The storage is inconsequential. HD DVD already has 3 hr movies in Troy and King Kong (nov 14) which look phenomenal. These new codecs AVC and VC-1 can kick out a phenomenal picture at DVD bitrates.
Don't wait...by the most affordable player you can and start enjoying the best HD you will see on your HDTV.
Do it now!
HD DVD vs Blu-Ray- forget the specs. You can't win that argument since both platforms use the SAME codecs. Both will look identical with the same encode. Thus it comes down to price and content.
HD DVD has the price - players can be had for $399
Blu-Ray has the content- 7 of 8 large studios
The storage is inconsequential. HD DVD already has 3 hr movies in Troy and King Kong (nov 14) which look phenomenal. These new codecs AVC and VC-1 can kick out a phenomenal picture at DVD bitrates.
Don't wait...by the most affordable player you can and start enjoying the best HD you will see on your HDTV.
Do it now!
wrldwzrd89
Apr 10, 08:28 AM
Believe it or not, neither Mac OS X nor Windows suits my needs best right now - hence why I've migrated to something altogether different: Ubuntu Linux.
That said, I will continue to use Mac OS X and Windows for development/testing purposes, so I am very much looking forward to both Lion and Windows 8.
That said, I will continue to use Mac OS X and Windows for development/testing purposes, so I am very much looking forward to both Lion and Windows 8.
more...
peapody
Apr 10, 07:51 AM
installing the HD into your macbook pro? i'd like to know how that goes. i've seen some issues with the 1tb drives not fitting just right. (too thick)
highest I've ever been able to install is a 750GB.
I was able to fit my 1tb samsung into the harddrive slot just fine. That along with my ssd - awesome combination.
highest I've ever been able to install is a 750GB.
I was able to fit my 1tb samsung into the harddrive slot just fine. That along with my ssd - awesome combination.
Jony Mac
Apr 13, 08:42 AM
What are you doing with a camera shot of my servant's quarters? :confused:
Ha ha. I've never stayed here, I'm thinking my wife will like to stay in a castle.
Ha ha. I've never stayed here, I'm thinking my wife will like to stay in a castle.
more...
holmesf
Mar 24, 06:20 PM
I have been using Mac OS X since the first public beta. I still have screenshots around from the public beta, 10.0, 10.1, and 10.2.
I feel like this one best exemplifies the time during which Mac OS X originated: the Matrix was incredibly popular, as was Quake III. But most popular of all were PC and Mac users trolling each other about which operating system was best, the so called MHz myth, etc. I was 14 years old when I took this screenshot, and oh boy was I an Apple evangelist reaching absurd proportions.
Really I think most of us were still very worried that Apple would go under, and despite being "really cool", OS X had serious problems that wouldn't necessarily make you optimistic. It was slow. Window resizing was really painful, and 3D games tended to run much slower in OS X than in OS9. There was a dearth of software and even much of Apple's own software was not yet compatible.
On the other hand it was really stable, right from the start. Running OS 9, the expectation was that it wasn't "if" your computer froze, but rather "when" it froze. Without protected memory (applications could corrupt eachother) and without pre-emptive multitasking (applications could go into infinite loops refusing to give back control to the OS) the operating system was just really unstable, and frankly it was getting archaic compared to Windows. OS X and its unix underpinnings with a modern pre-emptive multitasking scheduler and protected memory not only brought stability, but also finally allowed Apple's dual processor systems to actually take advantage of the 2nd processor without requiring special application support.
Here's to you, Mac OS X!
http://futrellsoftware.com/pbeta.jpg
I feel like this one best exemplifies the time during which Mac OS X originated: the Matrix was incredibly popular, as was Quake III. But most popular of all were PC and Mac users trolling each other about which operating system was best, the so called MHz myth, etc. I was 14 years old when I took this screenshot, and oh boy was I an Apple evangelist reaching absurd proportions.
Really I think most of us were still very worried that Apple would go under, and despite being "really cool", OS X had serious problems that wouldn't necessarily make you optimistic. It was slow. Window resizing was really painful, and 3D games tended to run much slower in OS X than in OS9. There was a dearth of software and even much of Apple's own software was not yet compatible.
On the other hand it was really stable, right from the start. Running OS 9, the expectation was that it wasn't "if" your computer froze, but rather "when" it froze. Without protected memory (applications could corrupt eachother) and without pre-emptive multitasking (applications could go into infinite loops refusing to give back control to the OS) the operating system was just really unstable, and frankly it was getting archaic compared to Windows. OS X and its unix underpinnings with a modern pre-emptive multitasking scheduler and protected memory not only brought stability, but also finally allowed Apple's dual processor systems to actually take advantage of the 2nd processor without requiring special application support.
Here's to you, Mac OS X!
http://futrellsoftware.com/pbeta.jpg
The Scotsman
Jan 12, 06:36 PM
Look, people--
There is nothing amazingly new or innovative technology-wise in the iPhone. Everything in it has been done before, and it does not even employ some of the latest (3G) features that its competition does.
Niether did the original iPod. Grasshopper, go and learn from Thread #500. People thought that product was "crippled" by high price and no new technology ("An overpriced HDD-based mp3 player with a B&W LCD display? Who cares?").
I predict that Apple will have 20% of the entire cell phone market and 50+% of the high-end communication device within three years of its June release. That will mean 150-200 million units.
In the intervening six months before formal release, or shortly thereafter, some of the smaller issues will be attended to (like the ability to at least open and review MS files, sync'ing issues, interfacing w/iTunes Store, what have you). The rest won't matter.
Apple does not sell products, people. They sell personal productivity, great user experiences, wow and chic. This phone phone meets all of those criteria. For consumer devices like these, a streamlined and intuitive user experience is like money in the bank. The only thing innovative about the iPod is the stupid click-wheel, and yet 75% of the ENTIRE aac/mp3 player market is controlled by ONE COMPANY. The one with the click-wheel.
So it is with this product. If the final build quality of the unit proves durable, reliable, and cosmetically superior, and the unit functions as billed, it will not only make a huge forray into that giant market, but essentially create a new one.
Right now, the "smartphone" is really a piece of business equipment. Apple just invented the quintessential "consumer" version of the same product. It doesn't matter that it is expensive or lacks some high-end features. If is actually works as effortlessly and seamlessly as billed, it will become another cultural icon. Apple marketing will see to it that everyone on the planet is aware of how "cool" this device is.
I'm glad to be on record here. I hope that when this thread is reviewed three years from now, everyone is talking about the foolish naysayers of Thread #3245138 (or whatever this one is).
I agree with your predictions but I do not think it will be got with the 1st gen iPhone. iPod was not good until a range started and I think the phone will be the same.
There is nothing amazingly new or innovative technology-wise in the iPhone. Everything in it has been done before, and it does not even employ some of the latest (3G) features that its competition does.
Niether did the original iPod. Grasshopper, go and learn from Thread #500. People thought that product was "crippled" by high price and no new technology ("An overpriced HDD-based mp3 player with a B&W LCD display? Who cares?").
I predict that Apple will have 20% of the entire cell phone market and 50+% of the high-end communication device within three years of its June release. That will mean 150-200 million units.
In the intervening six months before formal release, or shortly thereafter, some of the smaller issues will be attended to (like the ability to at least open and review MS files, sync'ing issues, interfacing w/iTunes Store, what have you). The rest won't matter.
Apple does not sell products, people. They sell personal productivity, great user experiences, wow and chic. This phone phone meets all of those criteria. For consumer devices like these, a streamlined and intuitive user experience is like money in the bank. The only thing innovative about the iPod is the stupid click-wheel, and yet 75% of the ENTIRE aac/mp3 player market is controlled by ONE COMPANY. The one with the click-wheel.
So it is with this product. If the final build quality of the unit proves durable, reliable, and cosmetically superior, and the unit functions as billed, it will not only make a huge forray into that giant market, but essentially create a new one.
Right now, the "smartphone" is really a piece of business equipment. Apple just invented the quintessential "consumer" version of the same product. It doesn't matter that it is expensive or lacks some high-end features. If is actually works as effortlessly and seamlessly as billed, it will become another cultural icon. Apple marketing will see to it that everyone on the planet is aware of how "cool" this device is.
I'm glad to be on record here. I hope that when this thread is reviewed three years from now, everyone is talking about the foolish naysayers of Thread #3245138 (or whatever this one is).
I agree with your predictions but I do not think it will be got with the 1st gen iPhone. iPod was not good until a range started and I think the phone will be the same.
more...
Spanna
Nov 25, 06:20 AM
Could someone please tell me what is thanksgiving, I have seen it being celebrated on many american television programs and I know it's got something to do with turkeys but they never seem to mention its origins. Also is it a national public holiday ?
Music_Producer
Jan 12, 02:27 AM
Arrogant? Are you blind? He looked proud, almost as though the iPhone was his child or something. He was proud that they came up with a beautiful phone, with amazing features. Photo management on a phone.. have you ever tried photo features on all the phones that are out in the market? Sheesh.. and at the end he thanked everybody who worked on the phone, and all the families. Does that strike you as someone who is arrogant or someone who is truly appreciative of what all the employees do?
I can't quite understand what it is with everyone out here. Throwing a fit because no mac product was released? Um, they just launched a new product line.. get it? A new product.. a phone which runs OS X, looks fantastic and has the best features and user interface I have ever seen. Yeah, sure, it could have more features.. but I'm sure they put the best possible in it while keeping it at a reasonable price. This macworld was all about the new consumer electronics line of products. This doesn't mean they will slow down any mac-computer developments.. on the contrary. More revenue from ipod, iphone, etc. will allow them to make better computers. It just strikes me that everyone here is a whining baby with no clue about how a company can carry out business. "I'm gonna kill myself because they made a phone.. i want my 16 core mac pro right now or else i'll kill somebody!"
People here complain when Apple doesn't come out with a phone.. and they complain more when they do come out with it. And they actually psycho-analyze Steve Jobs, who the hell cares if you thought he was arrogant? If I were him, I would probably be an evil dictator. Knowing that I own a highly innovative company that has taken the world by storm with a line of fantastic products... please, I find Trump, Tyra Banks (my wife watches her show all the time) etc. much much more arrogant. If you really want to see arrogance.. you should see those 'My sweet 16' shows. :rolleyes:
I can't quite understand what it is with everyone out here. Throwing a fit because no mac product was released? Um, they just launched a new product line.. get it? A new product.. a phone which runs OS X, looks fantastic and has the best features and user interface I have ever seen. Yeah, sure, it could have more features.. but I'm sure they put the best possible in it while keeping it at a reasonable price. This macworld was all about the new consumer electronics line of products. This doesn't mean they will slow down any mac-computer developments.. on the contrary. More revenue from ipod, iphone, etc. will allow them to make better computers. It just strikes me that everyone here is a whining baby with no clue about how a company can carry out business. "I'm gonna kill myself because they made a phone.. i want my 16 core mac pro right now or else i'll kill somebody!"
People here complain when Apple doesn't come out with a phone.. and they complain more when they do come out with it. And they actually psycho-analyze Steve Jobs, who the hell cares if you thought he was arrogant? If I were him, I would probably be an evil dictator. Knowing that I own a highly innovative company that has taken the world by storm with a line of fantastic products... please, I find Trump, Tyra Banks (my wife watches her show all the time) etc. much much more arrogant. If you really want to see arrogance.. you should see those 'My sweet 16' shows. :rolleyes:
more...
Coolerking
Sep 12, 08:34 AM
I can hear it now "By the way, Macbooks and Macbook Pro's now come with Core 2 Duo Processors...Now on with the show!"
Eh well, A guy can dream can't he?
Eh well, A guy can dream can't he?
macintel4me
Oct 28, 03:34 PM
You have no idea what "free" means, do you? Free software has absolutely nothing to do with the money you pay to obtain it. Commercial software that you would pay thousands of dollars for can be a perfectly good example of "free" software.
huh??
huh??
more...
sailnavy
Jan 15, 02:12 PM
I miss having a smaller portable laptop. I know they're exceeding specs with the 13" screen, but I'd really like to have an 8.5 x 11 sized laptop again. 13" is nice, but on a train or a plane it's always too big to work comfortably.
I don't use my laptop as my primary machine, if I have a lot of writing to do, I use my iMac. No ethernet could be an issue for business travelers, as not all hotels have wireless. I guess the answer to that is airport express, but is a smaller, not necessarily thinner, macbook THAT much to ask for?
I don't use my laptop as my primary machine, if I have a lot of writing to do, I use my iMac. No ethernet could be an issue for business travelers, as not all hotels have wireless. I guess the answer to that is airport express, but is a smaller, not necessarily thinner, macbook THAT much to ask for?
ChrisBrightwell
Sep 28, 12:50 PM
what sucks is that academic ve4rsions are not allowed this free update.Where did you read that?
Academic versions aren't eligible for the next upgrade, but this isn't an upgrade. This is an update.
Academic versions aren't eligible for the next upgrade, but this isn't an upgrade. This is an update.
more...
BBEmployee
Apr 8, 02:42 PM
I'm a current employee at Best Buy and thought I'd offer my two cents on a few issues.
First, I don't really like Best Buy. I got a job there to work for around 4 hours a week to get the generous discount. It's particularly generous when dealing with open-box items. Even so, I am miserable leading up to heading in and I do not enjoy the time that I spend there. Thankfully, I have a good full-time job plus a lot of side work and I'm planning on quitting in the next month or so as the thrill of the discount has long worn off.
That said, I have no problem being very open and honest about Best Buy and my experiences there.
In regards to the iPad situation, I haven't been in since this issue came up and won't be in for awhile, so I don't really know what the buzz is on this matter exactly. I do know that they wouldn't put a freeze on selling new iPad 2 stock if they regularly had it for a random promotion, if only for the very reason that many think caused the initial problem: quota.
I'm betting 1 of 2 things happened:
1) They did indeed get in trouble with Apple for something. Sure, it's possible, and it's the easiest reasonable conclusion. I don't know why this would be though, and I'm skeptical about the whole hording thing. And again, this is coming from someone who has access to the inventory systems and all the places that would hide "horded" iPads. Plus, I have a good enough relationship with multiple managers (ones who know the score about Best Buy in an objective world...) who would be honest about this with me.
Generally speaking, when they say there are no iPads for sale, there are no iPads for sale. It's really that simple. Demand is real, and supply is lacking. When we have them for sale, they're in the cages, and this would occur after passing through the pre-order system. White Verizon iPads tend to be the ones most often available, usually just a couple, and they're gone almost immediately all the same.
Another factor in the equation though is processing shipments. I saw someone noted that after an open-box controversy between two customers, the manager was able to procure a new iPad 2 for a disappointed customer when apparently there were none for sale. Well, there probably weren't. He either bumped someone back on the pre-order list to be nice to the pissed off customer in the store or perhaps a shipment came in on the truck that had yet to be processed and he worked it out with the ops team to get them to process one so he could get it out. Oftentimes the managers do actually try to make the customer happy, even if it's somewhat unreasonable. The ops guys have their procedures, and it's rarely slimy in intent so much as rooted in overall efficiency, so sometimes a shipment won't go to the floor for sales until the next day because the processing takes time. If the manager pushes to work something out in that situation, the manager is doing you a favor and pissing off some ops guys to do so.
Anyways, on to the 2nd scenario...
2) This is what I'd really venture to bet is the problem: the pre-order system is a huge mess. It was a rush job authorized by corporate at the last minute and handled by less-than-informed employees who were also in a rush. From day 1 it was clear that problems were going to creep up, and they absolutely have. Nobody in store is happy about it. The employees don't like telling customers that they have to wait on a pre-order list, they don't like the 48 hour pickup window, they don't like having to deal with customers pissing and moaning and crying about conspiracy theories when only a 64 GB white Verizon iPad 2 is available once in a blue moon when a pre-order turns it down. It's not fun, for anyone, and unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about it.
So what I'm guessing is really happening is that Best Buy is just digging out of this pre-order mess as fast as possible and skipping anything else until they get past the ramifications of a stupid decision. Considering there's little to skip seeing as supply is so low and we rarely have the most in-demand models available anyways, it's easier for them to just bow out of this for a couple of weeks and in a sense re-launch the normal sales when supplies are less constrained and they don't have a stupid pre-order process hanging over their heads. It's a cut and dry move that will allow them to gear up again in a more normal, focused way. Considering how things have gone there in the last month in dealing with anything iPad related, this might be the best decision for them.
All in all, Best Buy is Best Buy: a brick and mortar retailer lost in an internet-connected world. Best Buy isn't nearly as evil as they are lost and longing for the 20th century. Sure, there's a lot of margin on accessories, but it's because there's more often than not no margin on anything else. They don't make much money at all on TV's and Computers anymore. If they're on sale, and at Best Buy, almost everything is always "On Sale," it's likely at cost or within a few dollars of cost. There's little margin in the shrinking physical media world either. The only departments with major products that have margin still are appliances and for certain stores, musical instruments. This is why Best Buy will likely be dead in 5 years if they don't drastically change their business model. They did a better job at adapting to the new world than other electronics chains, but they haven't done nearly enough. It's not an easy business at this point though as it has as much to do with dealing with suppliers suffering the same pinch and customers who want to have it all but don't want to pay for it.
Also, in regards to stupid employees and sleazy mangers, yeah, they do exist. But more employees know their stuff than you might think. And there are quite a few managers who actually do care about trying to do a good job and help the customer.
As far as the employees, the biggest shock to me after working at Best Buy was realizing that so much of the supposed employee ignorance has more to do with incessantly having to dumb things down to the most absurd of levels with customers. 90% of the people who come in are nice people who just don't know much of anything about what they're buying. You have to learn to communicate on their level and not over-complicate things for them. It's easy to get stuck in that default mode and you have to actively snap yourself out of it on the rare occasion when you get customers who can actually hold their own in a conversation about the technology. And make no mistake, it's a huge relief for most of us when that happens because most of us that work there actually are pretty excited about the technology.
Now on the other hand, sleazy managers and supervisors can screw so much of this up. While most of the employees aren't making a career out of working at Best Buy, the sups and managers typically are on some level at least, and it takes a certain, umm, level of person to get, err, stuck, yes, at that level if you know what I mean. There's a lot of inconsistency in these types of people. If you get good ones though, they tend to hire good employees and foster a good environment for customers. My store has good management. It's the only thing that makes it remotely tolerable to me. The employees actually know their stuff and are honest with the customers. They also work as a team because the management pushes it and thankfully we don't have commission to muck things up. And customers do love us for it. You'd be shocked by how often a selling relationship turns into a friendship practically at our particular store. We get invited out after work all the time. Honesty goes a long ways, and when you're helping people save money by making sure they make a smart decision for their needs, it goes a long ways. And our managers are objective enough (and not locked into Best Buy corporate brainwash mode) to know that the only thing Best Buy has to offer over Amazon is the possibility of a good customer service experience. They do all they reasonably can to ensure that it happens.
But again, this simply isn't the case everywhere at all, and it so often boils down to the luck of the draw on management. Good managers hire good people leading to good teams leading to generally happy customers and good sales. Bad managers hire their dumb friends, play games with customers, lie, cheat, and usually they don't put up good numbers.
At the end of the day though, the good stores and the bad stores are equally screwed because the industry is a mess, the world is changing, and Best Buy corporate utterly and completely lacks the talent and leadership to be innovative in the 21st century. They refuse to reasonably acknowledge change, they're too scared to piss off manufacturers who have lines all across the store that vary dramatically when it comes to success and quality, and they're wildly inconsistent and disorganized with their processes and as they put it, "solutions." As said, if things don't drastically change, and I don't believe they will without a major shift in leadership, they'll be dead in 5 years. It's a sinking ship. I'll be happy to be out of there.
Again, I don't think they're near as evil and corrupt as they are just lost. When you're lost, things can get confusing real fast. Bear in mind that oftentimes when employees appear aloof, they're probably confused because corporate changes things all the time and does little to help keep us informed of these changes. Also, don't mistake conspiracy theories for sheer stupidity. Like we saw in this whole conversation, people will say some wild things. It's easy to think it from the outside. I can assure you from the inside, that oftentimes what looks like scheming and maneuvering is really just disorganization, stupidity and/or confusion due to the muddled processes and the ever-foggy way in which corporate outlines these processes.
I don't blame people for not liking Best Buy. I don't like them either. Just go easy on the guys on the floor and in the back. Unless they're the total goof-off employees which do exist, what you're pissed about is probably not their fault at all.
First, I don't really like Best Buy. I got a job there to work for around 4 hours a week to get the generous discount. It's particularly generous when dealing with open-box items. Even so, I am miserable leading up to heading in and I do not enjoy the time that I spend there. Thankfully, I have a good full-time job plus a lot of side work and I'm planning on quitting in the next month or so as the thrill of the discount has long worn off.
That said, I have no problem being very open and honest about Best Buy and my experiences there.
In regards to the iPad situation, I haven't been in since this issue came up and won't be in for awhile, so I don't really know what the buzz is on this matter exactly. I do know that they wouldn't put a freeze on selling new iPad 2 stock if they regularly had it for a random promotion, if only for the very reason that many think caused the initial problem: quota.
I'm betting 1 of 2 things happened:
1) They did indeed get in trouble with Apple for something. Sure, it's possible, and it's the easiest reasonable conclusion. I don't know why this would be though, and I'm skeptical about the whole hording thing. And again, this is coming from someone who has access to the inventory systems and all the places that would hide "horded" iPads. Plus, I have a good enough relationship with multiple managers (ones who know the score about Best Buy in an objective world...) who would be honest about this with me.
Generally speaking, when they say there are no iPads for sale, there are no iPads for sale. It's really that simple. Demand is real, and supply is lacking. When we have them for sale, they're in the cages, and this would occur after passing through the pre-order system. White Verizon iPads tend to be the ones most often available, usually just a couple, and they're gone almost immediately all the same.
Another factor in the equation though is processing shipments. I saw someone noted that after an open-box controversy between two customers, the manager was able to procure a new iPad 2 for a disappointed customer when apparently there were none for sale. Well, there probably weren't. He either bumped someone back on the pre-order list to be nice to the pissed off customer in the store or perhaps a shipment came in on the truck that had yet to be processed and he worked it out with the ops team to get them to process one so he could get it out. Oftentimes the managers do actually try to make the customer happy, even if it's somewhat unreasonable. The ops guys have their procedures, and it's rarely slimy in intent so much as rooted in overall efficiency, so sometimes a shipment won't go to the floor for sales until the next day because the processing takes time. If the manager pushes to work something out in that situation, the manager is doing you a favor and pissing off some ops guys to do so.
Anyways, on to the 2nd scenario...
2) This is what I'd really venture to bet is the problem: the pre-order system is a huge mess. It was a rush job authorized by corporate at the last minute and handled by less-than-informed employees who were also in a rush. From day 1 it was clear that problems were going to creep up, and they absolutely have. Nobody in store is happy about it. The employees don't like telling customers that they have to wait on a pre-order list, they don't like the 48 hour pickup window, they don't like having to deal with customers pissing and moaning and crying about conspiracy theories when only a 64 GB white Verizon iPad 2 is available once in a blue moon when a pre-order turns it down. It's not fun, for anyone, and unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about it.
So what I'm guessing is really happening is that Best Buy is just digging out of this pre-order mess as fast as possible and skipping anything else until they get past the ramifications of a stupid decision. Considering there's little to skip seeing as supply is so low and we rarely have the most in-demand models available anyways, it's easier for them to just bow out of this for a couple of weeks and in a sense re-launch the normal sales when supplies are less constrained and they don't have a stupid pre-order process hanging over their heads. It's a cut and dry move that will allow them to gear up again in a more normal, focused way. Considering how things have gone there in the last month in dealing with anything iPad related, this might be the best decision for them.
All in all, Best Buy is Best Buy: a brick and mortar retailer lost in an internet-connected world. Best Buy isn't nearly as evil as they are lost and longing for the 20th century. Sure, there's a lot of margin on accessories, but it's because there's more often than not no margin on anything else. They don't make much money at all on TV's and Computers anymore. If they're on sale, and at Best Buy, almost everything is always "On Sale," it's likely at cost or within a few dollars of cost. There's little margin in the shrinking physical media world either. The only departments with major products that have margin still are appliances and for certain stores, musical instruments. This is why Best Buy will likely be dead in 5 years if they don't drastically change their business model. They did a better job at adapting to the new world than other electronics chains, but they haven't done nearly enough. It's not an easy business at this point though as it has as much to do with dealing with suppliers suffering the same pinch and customers who want to have it all but don't want to pay for it.
Also, in regards to stupid employees and sleazy mangers, yeah, they do exist. But more employees know their stuff than you might think. And there are quite a few managers who actually do care about trying to do a good job and help the customer.
As far as the employees, the biggest shock to me after working at Best Buy was realizing that so much of the supposed employee ignorance has more to do with incessantly having to dumb things down to the most absurd of levels with customers. 90% of the people who come in are nice people who just don't know much of anything about what they're buying. You have to learn to communicate on their level and not over-complicate things for them. It's easy to get stuck in that default mode and you have to actively snap yourself out of it on the rare occasion when you get customers who can actually hold their own in a conversation about the technology. And make no mistake, it's a huge relief for most of us when that happens because most of us that work there actually are pretty excited about the technology.
Now on the other hand, sleazy managers and supervisors can screw so much of this up. While most of the employees aren't making a career out of working at Best Buy, the sups and managers typically are on some level at least, and it takes a certain, umm, level of person to get, err, stuck, yes, at that level if you know what I mean. There's a lot of inconsistency in these types of people. If you get good ones though, they tend to hire good employees and foster a good environment for customers. My store has good management. It's the only thing that makes it remotely tolerable to me. The employees actually know their stuff and are honest with the customers. They also work as a team because the management pushes it and thankfully we don't have commission to muck things up. And customers do love us for it. You'd be shocked by how often a selling relationship turns into a friendship practically at our particular store. We get invited out after work all the time. Honesty goes a long ways, and when you're helping people save money by making sure they make a smart decision for their needs, it goes a long ways. And our managers are objective enough (and not locked into Best Buy corporate brainwash mode) to know that the only thing Best Buy has to offer over Amazon is the possibility of a good customer service experience. They do all they reasonably can to ensure that it happens.
But again, this simply isn't the case everywhere at all, and it so often boils down to the luck of the draw on management. Good managers hire good people leading to good teams leading to generally happy customers and good sales. Bad managers hire their dumb friends, play games with customers, lie, cheat, and usually they don't put up good numbers.
At the end of the day though, the good stores and the bad stores are equally screwed because the industry is a mess, the world is changing, and Best Buy corporate utterly and completely lacks the talent and leadership to be innovative in the 21st century. They refuse to reasonably acknowledge change, they're too scared to piss off manufacturers who have lines all across the store that vary dramatically when it comes to success and quality, and they're wildly inconsistent and disorganized with their processes and as they put it, "solutions." As said, if things don't drastically change, and I don't believe they will without a major shift in leadership, they'll be dead in 5 years. It's a sinking ship. I'll be happy to be out of there.
Again, I don't think they're near as evil and corrupt as they are just lost. When you're lost, things can get confusing real fast. Bear in mind that oftentimes when employees appear aloof, they're probably confused because corporate changes things all the time and does little to help keep us informed of these changes. Also, don't mistake conspiracy theories for sheer stupidity. Like we saw in this whole conversation, people will say some wild things. It's easy to think it from the outside. I can assure you from the inside, that oftentimes what looks like scheming and maneuvering is really just disorganization, stupidity and/or confusion due to the muddled processes and the ever-foggy way in which corporate outlines these processes.
I don't blame people for not liking Best Buy. I don't like them either. Just go easy on the guys on the floor and in the back. Unless they're the total goof-off employees which do exist, what you're pissed about is probably not their fault at all.
peharri
Oct 3, 07:49 AM
You'd expect Jobs would have some sympathy for the guy, what with his phreaking days before Apple.
Yeah, right.
When Real Networks did something similar, they were accused by Apple of "using the same tactics of a hacker", and that wasn't intended as a complement. When I read that, my first thought was "Where is Woz when you need him?"
Yeah, right.
When Real Networks did something similar, they were accused by Apple of "using the same tactics of a hacker", and that wasn't intended as a complement. When I read that, my first thought was "Where is Woz when you need him?"
more...
liketom
Sep 12, 07:21 AM
can we confim the what countrys itunes stores are down ?
usa/uk ...
usa/uk ...
anjinha
Apr 27, 05:47 PM
Oh no.
talking to a friend at the shared open area locker room.
at some point I said something to the affect, she started really working it and it eventually got hard.
Nice trip to HR.
Subject matter; an expoy based resin.
I can't imagine the accusations that would take place with a unisex bathroom in the united states. Lawyers would take up residence out side of the bathrooms along with a whole new array of tv commercials
But couldn't sexual harassment issues also potentially happen with lesbians in the women's bathroom or gay men in the men's bathroom? How come that is not issue?
talking to a friend at the shared open area locker room.
at some point I said something to the affect, she started really working it and it eventually got hard.
Nice trip to HR.
Subject matter; an expoy based resin.
I can't imagine the accusations that would take place with a unisex bathroom in the united states. Lawyers would take up residence out side of the bathrooms along with a whole new array of tv commercials
But couldn't sexual harassment issues also potentially happen with lesbians in the women's bathroom or gay men in the men's bathroom? How come that is not issue?
zin
Apr 5, 04:05 PM
I wanted to download this but it's not available from my country's App Store.
Chundles
Sep 12, 04:10 AM
What will it be where you are Chundles? :D
About 2 hours prior to sparrow-fart.
3am... can't wait to spend yet another late night in front of the computer waiting for Apple to release yet another product I can't afford.
About 2 hours prior to sparrow-fart.
3am... can't wait to spend yet another late night in front of the computer waiting for Apple to release yet another product I can't afford.
daijones
Nov 23, 10:35 PM
dont be pissed off, many years ago you had the pleasure of persecuting the pilgrams for their religion, for which they left the uk to establish black friday in america. now i guess u wish you werent so intolerant, cuz now we get the discounts!
Um. There's 17th C history, and there's 21st C reality. Intolerance? I'm sure it's a gag, but perhaps it's worthwhile to look at the influence of the religious right on American politics today.
D
Um. There's 17th C history, and there's 21st C reality. Intolerance? I'm sure it's a gag, but perhaps it's worthwhile to look at the influence of the religious right on American politics today.
D
yg17
Sep 12, 10:36 AM
...I know the media invite says "It's Showtime" and we know what the connotation is for that. But I find it interesting that the theater where the event is being held is done up with huge silhouette iPod ads, which doesn't really fit the "It's Showtime" theme, unless the new true video iPod is also going to be announced in conjunction with the movie download service. :confused: :confused: :confused:
I think the true video iPod is pretty much guaranteed to be released today.
I think the true video iPod is pretty much guaranteed to be released today.
MattSepeta
Apr 27, 04:19 PM
am I the only one to think that separate restroom from men and women are an obsolete relic of the past?
put stalls in. that should be enough for privacy. full separate facility don't make any sense logically, technically and economically.
Interesting take, but I can see in 1080p the impending sexual harassment lawsuits.
put stalls in. that should be enough for privacy. full separate facility don't make any sense logically, technically and economically.
Interesting take, but I can see in 1080p the impending sexual harassment lawsuits.
puckhead193
Nov 23, 06:48 PM
iPod Nano (except Reds): $138-$228
The "red" iPod nanos and the new ipod shuffle remain at the same prices...
that sucks! i was thinking of selling my 2gb and getting a red 4gb :mad:
The "red" iPod nanos and the new ipod shuffle remain at the same prices...
that sucks! i was thinking of selling my 2gb and getting a red 4gb :mad:
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