skye12
Oct 6, 10:39 AM
The 30% figure was for users in the NYC METRO area. People just don't read anything anymore except snippets and headlines.
Also, very recently another frequency spectrum was rolled out in certain markets, Including NYC which should improve
performance.
Verizon has its own problems too. And iphone users actually surf the net lol.
Also, very recently another frequency spectrum was rolled out in certain markets, Including NYC which should improve
performance.
Verizon has its own problems too. And iphone users actually surf the net lol.
bikertwin
Sep 25, 04:22 PM
Aperture's development also is going slow. Apple pulling out the software?
Huh? 1.5 is a huge update. It's interesting that most of the new features in the version 1.x's of Aperture deal with core functionality (raw conversion in 1.1, and file location with 1.5). This is core stuff that Aperture has to have nailed down before it does fancier stuff like layered editing.
Apple is absolutely going in the right direction with this. And at a very rapid pace. It's not even a year old!
Perhaps all the developers are spending too much time on Leopard and Logic 8 at the moment.
Uh, I doubt the Aperture development team has anything to do with Leopard or Logic at all. Not sure what hat you pulled that out of. :confused:
Huh? 1.5 is a huge update. It's interesting that most of the new features in the version 1.x's of Aperture deal with core functionality (raw conversion in 1.1, and file location with 1.5). This is core stuff that Aperture has to have nailed down before it does fancier stuff like layered editing.
Apple is absolutely going in the right direction with this. And at a very rapid pace. It's not even a year old!
Perhaps all the developers are spending too much time on Leopard and Logic 8 at the moment.
Uh, I doubt the Aperture development team has anything to do with Leopard or Logic at all. Not sure what hat you pulled that out of. :confused:
bjdku
Oct 3, 03:50 PM
...I'd like The Steve to walk on stage and announce that they absolutely will not release certain products, so the ones that keep coming up as rumours over and over again that stand no chance of ever seeing the light of day (Apple phone, I'm looking at you) stop getting taken seriously, and the rumour sites that have promoted the idea finally get egg on their faces.
That's the thing at the moment.
<trimmed...>
I understand what you are saying, but man, it was a tough read. Did anyone else have a hard time?
Oh, and I don't agree with your assertions.
That's the thing at the moment.
<trimmed...>
I understand what you are saying, but man, it was a tough read. Did anyone else have a hard time?
Oh, and I don't agree with your assertions.
jarednt1
Sep 9, 04:45 PM
This is unbelievable. A hurricane comes through, wipes out a city built in a bowl with thousands of people that were poor and black left stranded and that equates into Bush hating black people. We were unprepared at all levels to deal with this. Shame on us. If Tim Mcgraw had used his speaking moment to shout "those people should also help themselves" he would be crucified. I'm not ashasmed that our country was unprepared to deal with this, I'm ashamed that our country has shown the world that it is easier to call names and and blame our president. Never mind the millions of Americans that have stepped up to offer help and support. It must be easier to stand up on television and use your status to make bold statements that simply are not true. Also, if that mayor was white and sent thousands of people to the superdome with no supplies and no plan....there would be no need to blame the president....blame would go no further than right there....He should be taking the heat too.
But wait. What I'm saying is not politically correct.....BS
Thank You Sir, you are correct.
But wait. What I'm saying is not politically correct.....BS
Thank You Sir, you are correct.
*LTD*
Apr 22, 06:56 PM
Whereas I agree with your post entirely, I get the feeling that you wouldn't be saying this if Apple were the only ones not to collect such data. You have bashed Google many times for the amount of data it collects, but as soon as Apple is to be seen to be doing it, it's all cool. A "non-issue.":rolleyes:
Don't worry, I usually slag on the competition for entirely different reasons.
And quite frankly, if I ever bashed Google for the data they collect, I shouldn't have. Because in practice, it's completely harmless.
I *did* bash them for Google Buzz. Mostly because it was just annoying and there was no way to turn it off (not easily, at least.)
Don't worry, I usually slag on the competition for entirely different reasons.
And quite frankly, if I ever bashed Google for the data they collect, I shouldn't have. Because in practice, it's completely harmless.
I *did* bash them for Google Buzz. Mostly because it was just annoying and there was no way to turn it off (not easily, at least.)
KnightWRX
Mar 9, 05:43 AM
Take this for example
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/03/asuset2700aio2.jpg
You do realise that's a Touch screen on that Asus all-in-one right ? You also realise HP's all in one has had a touch screen for a while. Yet the day Apple ships a touch screen iMac, you can bet a lot of people here will think they were the first to do it.
Or uh.. hrm..
all those HP laptops coming out right now? XD
Yeah, not to mention Sony's use of chicklet keyboa... err.. wait, Apple took that idea from them and not the other way around. ;)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/03/asuset2700aio2.jpg
You do realise that's a Touch screen on that Asus all-in-one right ? You also realise HP's all in one has had a touch screen for a while. Yet the day Apple ships a touch screen iMac, you can bet a lot of people here will think they were the first to do it.
Or uh.. hrm..
all those HP laptops coming out right now? XD
Yeah, not to mention Sony's use of chicklet keyboa... err.. wait, Apple took that idea from them and not the other way around. ;)
georgethomas
Apr 16, 11:56 AM
i guess everyone wants a piece of the pie
wouldn't be surprised to see competitors are going after it
the law of big number suggests that a small fraction of the number can lead to a big sales. that is my opinion
wouldn't be surprised to see competitors are going after it
the law of big number suggests that a small fraction of the number can lead to a big sales. that is my opinion
Tsunami911
Apr 8, 01:02 PM
I wonder what the special promotion is.
I bet it is simply..."We have the iPad 2 in stock and no one else does. Come get one."
I bet it is simply..."We have the iPad 2 in stock and no one else does. Come get one."
dalvin200
Sep 12, 07:25 AM
why would they take the uk store down if there were not going to add movies for us here!! woohoo..
balamw
Oct 4, 05:11 PM
The decryption key is top secret, not the encryption key.
Methinks you don't have a good grasp of public key encryption. (Or at least how it's supposed to work).
The encryption key is the one that is top secret because it's the one you keep private, and is the one which would allow DoubleTwist (or anyone else) to masquerade as iTS. The decryption key, by it's very nature, is vulnerable and in effect "public" (since it must be on the client machine, so it can be discovered). There is a flaw in the FairPlay system that Jon has exploited before (as I mentioned earlier in the thread) which has to do with the fact that the files are personalized locally on the client machine, so if they can fool iTunes into personalizing third party files, they're in like Flynn. (This also has the effect of making a private key or equivalent available on the system which may be the chink in FairPlay's armor).
Essentially, the FairPlay system is one that implies a certain amount of trust. Once you authorize a machine all of the purchased tracks from that account on the machines can be decrypted. Even if they are not on the machine at the time of the authorization and the machine is not on the network at the time (I have played back encrypted videos on DVD-R on my iBook while it was not on the 'net.)
I don't know how often it needs to "phone home" so you can't just load up 5 machines with protected content, detach them from the network and deactivate all of your machines at iTMS... Then spend the next year working on 5 more systems...
B
Methinks you don't have a good grasp of public key encryption. (Or at least how it's supposed to work).
The encryption key is the one that is top secret because it's the one you keep private, and is the one which would allow DoubleTwist (or anyone else) to masquerade as iTS. The decryption key, by it's very nature, is vulnerable and in effect "public" (since it must be on the client machine, so it can be discovered). There is a flaw in the FairPlay system that Jon has exploited before (as I mentioned earlier in the thread) which has to do with the fact that the files are personalized locally on the client machine, so if they can fool iTunes into personalizing third party files, they're in like Flynn. (This also has the effect of making a private key or equivalent available on the system which may be the chink in FairPlay's armor).
Essentially, the FairPlay system is one that implies a certain amount of trust. Once you authorize a machine all of the purchased tracks from that account on the machines can be decrypted. Even if they are not on the machine at the time of the authorization and the machine is not on the network at the time (I have played back encrypted videos on DVD-R on my iBook while it was not on the 'net.)
I don't know how often it needs to "phone home" so you can't just load up 5 machines with protected content, detach them from the network and deactivate all of your machines at iTMS... Then spend the next year working on 5 more systems...
B
JaSuS
Sep 29, 11:08 AM
So THAT'S what this house is! No wonder why there were no windows diagrammed in the blueprints!
In that case, the only thing a robber needs to do to get into the iHouse is jailbreak the security system :D
LOL........I love this thread!
:D Jailbreak the iHouse:cool:
In that case, the only thing a robber needs to do to get into the iHouse is jailbreak the security system :D
LOL........I love this thread!
:D Jailbreak the iHouse:cool:
GadgetGav
May 2, 11:47 AM
Not quite. The data collection dialog was separate from the EULA agreement and was a voluntary opt-in. Whether you chose to opt-in or not did not affect how your device operated.
Personally, I opted-in. I have no problem helping Apple to maintain their location database.
Are you sure it was separate? Regardless, my point was that most people blindly click through those things (me included) and then get all mock-outraged when something comes up that was in the small print. It's taking a lot on trust to just click 'Accept' and most of the time it's OK... But check out the South Park episode for how it could go wrong..! :)
I didn't say that opting in to the crowd sourced database affected your device, I'm saying that now that the tin-foil hat brigade have an option to completely disable this cached database file, _that_ could affect performance for things like Maps because it will have to calculate position from new data every time.
Personally, I opted-in. I have no problem helping Apple to maintain their location database.
Are you sure it was separate? Regardless, my point was that most people blindly click through those things (me included) and then get all mock-outraged when something comes up that was in the small print. It's taking a lot on trust to just click 'Accept' and most of the time it's OK... But check out the South Park episode for how it could go wrong..! :)
I didn't say that opting in to the crowd sourced database affected your device, I'm saying that now that the tin-foil hat brigade have an option to completely disable this cached database file, _that_ could affect performance for things like Maps because it will have to calculate position from new data every time.
geiger167
Sep 12, 04:45 AM
I think you'll find movie distrubution rights outside of USA have the same problems as TV SHOW downloads outside of USA. In other words we wont get any lol, in much the same way as we cant download from the new Amazon movie download servers in the UK. I dont know who actually runs the european side of Apple but they want sacking lol, over a year and no new content outside of USA lol. I'll still follow the feeds though lol cos I'm sad like that :)
japanime
Mar 25, 10:35 AM
My Nerdar has gone off.
Sad to be you.
Sad to be you.
elctropro
Jan 1, 01:26 AM
My understanding is that AT&T is pretty far along in its upgrade from HPSA (3G) network to HPSA+ (faster 3G). They're doing this to maximize their existing investment in their infrastructure, and they should be able to employ LTE a little faster than Verizon has been, since LTE is a more streamlined upgrade from HPSA+. They claim that this is best for customers long-term, because when LTE (4G) coverage gives out, users can fall back on widespread HPSA+ coverage with similar performance. Whereas with Verizon, when you move out of an area with 4G coverage, you notice a HUGE drop in speed going to their ancient EV-DO technology.
Music-Man
Jan 9, 03:33 PM
Arrrrrhhhhh!
Mum just rang me to see if I'd seen the new Apple *****!
She TOLD ME!
But at least I haven't seen it yet.
Come on. Where is this video? 5 more mins.
Mum just rang me to see if I'd seen the new Apple *****!
She TOLD ME!
But at least I haven't seen it yet.
Come on. Where is this video? 5 more mins.
Corndog5595
Nov 14, 07:31 PM
I like the game a lot. I am too lazy at the moment to make a list of the things I like and dislike, but just let me say that I like the game more than MW2.
One thing I really like is Wager Matches, but my television is living on borrowed time thanks to them :(.
One thing I really like is Wager Matches, but my television is living on borrowed time thanks to them :(.
ciTiger
May 3, 10:16 PM
Love the ad and love apple but the magic thing is starting to feel old... Because they use it too much..
bruinsrme
Oct 6, 12:07 PM
The iPhone to Verizon won't happen, especially with the announcement today that Verizon is teaming up with Google and their Android phone. I at first thought the commercial was just a leverage ploy on Verizons part, working on Apple and their negotiations. Now I think it's just the first shot over the bow.
Time to look at unlocking and bailing to T-Mo again and get out of this crap-shoot called AT$T.
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091006-709550.html
i have been waiting for that announcement.
The iphone is great but the jailbreaking thing and the efforts made by apple to prevent jailbreaking is wearing.
It will be interesting to see if the jailbreaking community starts to move over to a more open platform (if its more open of course)
Time to look at unlocking and bailing to T-Mo again and get out of this crap-shoot called AT$T.
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091006-709550.html
i have been waiting for that announcement.
The iphone is great but the jailbreaking thing and the efforts made by apple to prevent jailbreaking is wearing.
It will be interesting to see if the jailbreaking community starts to move over to a more open platform (if its more open of course)
rtdgoldfish
Mar 28, 11:27 PM
Wait, so is it showing up again in your Connect360? Try and call the cops the minute is shows up.
That or,
If parents live there with the teenager(s), just ask them if their kid just got a 360 and if they would mind if you compared serial numbers to your receipt, since its showed up in range of your wireless network.
Don't blame the kid, but be like, well maybe another kid sold it to him or something.
I don't know about them, but at least my parents would have my ass up there in an instant with my 360 even if I had it for over a year lol. I don't even want to think what would have happened to me if it was yours.
Actually, third idea. Just guess which house it is. And just go there and be like, I know you stole my 360 and games, I can tell from it trying to connect to my router since the house is so close. So, I'll tell you what, I'll let all this go if you just hand it over. If he denies it, just be like, okay, well, I'm taking this (log sheet) to the cops, and I can peg the IP address to you. Are you sure you don't want to do just give it back?
And when he gives it back call the cops.
I have it narrowed down to two houses. Every time the 360 shows up on my network, I take a walk around the neighborhood and see who is home, who has a glow from a TV in their window, etc. The cops are working on background info on both houses to try and get a warrant. It seems there have been other break-ins in the area and they are hoping to catch the guy (or girl) who has been doing it. Right now, my 360 showing up on my network has been the biggest lead they have gotten because it narrows down the area by quite a bit. They don't want me to go knocking on doors because they are afraid they will either ditch all their stolen stuff if they know the cops are on to them or just lay low until it all blows over and then start again.
Its been really hard knowing that my 360 is within 500 feet of my house and having a damn good idea of who did it and not being able to do anything about it. The cops hope they will be able to do something soon but every day that goes by, I fear I will not be getting my XBox back just a little more. :(
That or,
If parents live there with the teenager(s), just ask them if their kid just got a 360 and if they would mind if you compared serial numbers to your receipt, since its showed up in range of your wireless network.
Don't blame the kid, but be like, well maybe another kid sold it to him or something.
I don't know about them, but at least my parents would have my ass up there in an instant with my 360 even if I had it for over a year lol. I don't even want to think what would have happened to me if it was yours.
Actually, third idea. Just guess which house it is. And just go there and be like, I know you stole my 360 and games, I can tell from it trying to connect to my router since the house is so close. So, I'll tell you what, I'll let all this go if you just hand it over. If he denies it, just be like, okay, well, I'm taking this (log sheet) to the cops, and I can peg the IP address to you. Are you sure you don't want to do just give it back?
And when he gives it back call the cops.
I have it narrowed down to two houses. Every time the 360 shows up on my network, I take a walk around the neighborhood and see who is home, who has a glow from a TV in their window, etc. The cops are working on background info on both houses to try and get a warrant. It seems there have been other break-ins in the area and they are hoping to catch the guy (or girl) who has been doing it. Right now, my 360 showing up on my network has been the biggest lead they have gotten because it narrows down the area by quite a bit. They don't want me to go knocking on doors because they are afraid they will either ditch all their stolen stuff if they know the cops are on to them or just lay low until it all blows over and then start again.
Its been really hard knowing that my 360 is within 500 feet of my house and having a damn good idea of who did it and not being able to do anything about it. The cops hope they will be able to do something soon but every day that goes by, I fear I will not be getting my XBox back just a little more. :(
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!
Rm.237
Apr 8, 01:01 PM
Perhaps! New Hardware is coming out (iMacs???) and the promo will be a buy a Mac get an iPad for $X.
Sure. Uh huh. Yeah right. :rolleyes:
Sure. Uh huh. Yeah right. :rolleyes:
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.
CaoCao
Apr 15, 07:27 PM
From the article ...
After passage in the Democratic-controlled Assembly and singing by Gov. Jerry Brown, both of which seem likely, California would become the first state to make curricula include notable gay Americans along with the contributions of women and various ethnic groups.
Shaun Travers, a San Diego activist, told San Diego 6: "It's very important that we represent all of California and that includes the LGBT community. Our people and our history."
But opponents said the move would add non-essential material to already-short instruction time.
Hmmm ... they don't seem to share that same concern when it comes to teaching Creationism in science class. :rolleyes:
Honestly, there isn't enough time, we are rushing through WWII to know it before the CST. I also don't remember people pushing creationism in California
After passage in the Democratic-controlled Assembly and singing by Gov. Jerry Brown, both of which seem likely, California would become the first state to make curricula include notable gay Americans along with the contributions of women and various ethnic groups.
Shaun Travers, a San Diego activist, told San Diego 6: "It's very important that we represent all of California and that includes the LGBT community. Our people and our history."
But opponents said the move would add non-essential material to already-short instruction time.
Hmmm ... they don't seem to share that same concern when it comes to teaching Creationism in science class. :rolleyes:
Honestly, there isn't enough time, we are rushing through WWII to know it before the CST. I also don't remember people pushing creationism in California