MattSepeta
May 4, 03:55 PM
Exactly. Physicians can't be sitting there going through every single life hazard.
"Do you walk across the street?"
"Yes"
"You should look both ways."
"No ****!"
"Do you go to the mall?"
"Yes"
"You should keep children under the age of 5 close at your side at all times."
"No ****!"
Which brings me back to my initial reply. A "Firearm" has ZERO possibility of injuring your child, until someone behaves irresponsibly. I am fine with a doctor providing a pamphlet of common household hazards and steps to prevent them, but I get the feeling this is not the case. I can too easily imagine the doctor going off on a tangent about firearms deaths statistics, etc...
But again, the most important part: If you dont want your doctor "politicing" you, GO TO A NEW DOCTOR. There should NEVER be laws against what you can or can not say.
"Do you walk across the street?"
"Yes"
"You should look both ways."
"No ****!"
"Do you go to the mall?"
"Yes"
"You should keep children under the age of 5 close at your side at all times."
"No ****!"
Which brings me back to my initial reply. A "Firearm" has ZERO possibility of injuring your child, until someone behaves irresponsibly. I am fine with a doctor providing a pamphlet of common household hazards and steps to prevent them, but I get the feeling this is not the case. I can too easily imagine the doctor going off on a tangent about firearms deaths statistics, etc...
But again, the most important part: If you dont want your doctor "politicing" you, GO TO A NEW DOCTOR. There should NEVER be laws against what you can or can not say.
maflynn
Apr 17, 06:08 AM
That's a pretty sick OS. I haven't ever run Fedora on a computer of mine, but my uncle swears by it. That video has convinced me to run it on my next box.
I like fedora over ubuntu. I haven't run fedora for a while, I think I'll take second look when the new version comes out.
I like fedora over ubuntu. I haven't run fedora for a while, I think I'll take second look when the new version comes out.
marco114
Oct 17, 08:57 AM
It's VHS vs. BETAMAX all over again. Hopefully this time, the superior technology will prevail.
What will hurt the adoption of these is that there are too many standards. DVD came out and it was great. One format and it was easy. All these new emerging technologies will make consumers confused and market availability go down, so people will resort to iTunes. Yea! Better go buy more AAPL stock today. It's goin up after earnings tomorrow.
What will hurt the adoption of these is that there are too many standards. DVD came out and it was great. One format and it was easy. All these new emerging technologies will make consumers confused and market availability go down, so people will resort to iTunes. Yea! Better go buy more AAPL stock today. It's goin up after earnings tomorrow.
conditionals
Sep 12, 03:11 AM
I just tried to imagine an Apple event night without the omnipresence of Chundles and my brain broke.
more...
miles01110
Sep 12, 08:23 AM
Is there going ot be an IRC feed like WWDC? If so what is the channel/port? Sorry to ask here, but I couldn't find the info on the main page...
MacBoy108
Jan 15, 09:04 AM
:apple::apple:Apple Iz The Best!!111!!!!!1!1!!1:apple::apple:
:D
:D
more...
Much Ado
Oct 29, 07:45 AM
Just as same, just as ridiculous, as saying that running Apple software on other hardware makes it "more difficult to use."
Perhaps, (but I still maintain that it's 'easier' to run 'non-Apple' software on a Mac than it is to run OS X on 'non Apple' hardware. But it's true to say that calling Apple exclusively a 'hardware' or 'software' company is a little short sighted, so we're in agreement there.)
It is the hardware sales that keep them afloat, and it's the software that makes the hardware more attractive.
Which is what a lot of people have been saying already :)
To clarify:
Apple is not a normal company. It's a one-off, niche company that do things differently from the rest of the industry. If OS X is licenced to other PC makers then part of the Mac eco-system is lost, and that will kill Apple.
Perhaps, (but I still maintain that it's 'easier' to run 'non-Apple' software on a Mac than it is to run OS X on 'non Apple' hardware. But it's true to say that calling Apple exclusively a 'hardware' or 'software' company is a little short sighted, so we're in agreement there.)
It is the hardware sales that keep them afloat, and it's the software that makes the hardware more attractive.
Which is what a lot of people have been saying already :)
To clarify:
Apple is not a normal company. It's a one-off, niche company that do things differently from the rest of the industry. If OS X is licenced to other PC makers then part of the Mac eco-system is lost, and that will kill Apple.
Evangelion
Aug 8, 04:03 AM
The Cinema Displays aren't for general consumers like most of you posting in this thread. They're for professionals who need even backlighting, excellent color accuracy, and a large viewing angle. That's why Apple charges a premium for them. If you don't care about these things get a Dell.
What makes you think that you can't get those features in a Dell? Do you have any facts?
What makes you think that you can't get those features in a Dell? Do you have any facts?
more...
citizenzen
Apr 23, 12:44 PM
Cite?
Thanks CM.
I'd gotten tired of asking bassfingers to back up his assertions with evidence.
His posts are often short-cited.
Thanks CM.
I'd gotten tired of asking bassfingers to back up his assertions with evidence.
His posts are often short-cited.
fsck-y dingo
Nov 8, 02:26 PM
I'm worried about getting banned for getting it (a few hours) early.
No need to worry. If you have a retail copy of the game you can play before the official release date without any issues.
Just out of curiosity, where did the games that have already been delivered come from? I ordered through Amazon with the delivery date shipping option so I won't have mine until tomorrow. If there's a place that tends to ship early I may use them next time.
No need to worry. If you have a retail copy of the game you can play before the official release date without any issues.
Just out of curiosity, where did the games that have already been delivered come from? I ordered through Amazon with the delivery date shipping option so I won't have mine until tomorrow. If there's a place that tends to ship early I may use them next time.
more...
geoffism
Jan 9, 10:59 AM
My needs are basic and selfish:
iPhone - 3G and 16g
MacBook Pro - bump (highly unlikely) and only cause I'm in the market.
Mac Pro - nothing. It sounds perfect and has only complicated my purchase consideration. Mac Pro vs MacBook Pro. Hmmmm....
iPhone - 3G and 16g
MacBook Pro - bump (highly unlikely) and only cause I'm in the market.
Mac Pro - nothing. It sounds perfect and has only complicated my purchase consideration. Mac Pro vs MacBook Pro. Hmmmm....
Micjose
Apr 25, 01:43 PM
It doesn't look that bad. I would definitely buy it. :)
more...
janstett
Oct 18, 11:37 AM
NEC has developed a chip that can decode both, as you have hinted at. The optical technology is coming along (I saw something on Digg a little bit ago that noted some progress in that arena), but still not there yet.
I'm curious to see how that plays out. Samsung at first wanted to put out a hybrid player, as well as another company whose identity I forget; but apparently Sony's Blu-Ray licensing explicitly forbids combo players. So I don't understand, is NEC's chip a clean-room solution or did they find some other solution?
I'm curious to see how that plays out. Samsung at first wanted to put out a hybrid player, as well as another company whose identity I forget; but apparently Sony's Blu-Ray licensing explicitly forbids combo players. So I don't understand, is NEC's chip a clean-room solution or did they find some other solution?
cult hero
Mar 24, 04:51 PM
Technically I started with Panther, but I bought a Mac Mini like the day after Tiger was released so it came with an upgrade disc. I figured I could try out a Mini and see if I could use a Mac full time and well...
2005 Mac Mini -> 12" PowerBook G4 (last generation) -> 2nd Generation MacBook (black) -> 15" MacBook Pro (2008 Unibody) -> 13" MacBook Pro (last generation).
I ran Tiger through most of that span. I never felt like dropping the money on Leopard and finally got it with the MBP. I did, however, upgrade to Snow Leopard on day 1. I've been pleased with every upgrade and look forward to Lion.
(Ha! And this post just made me a 6502!)
2005 Mac Mini -> 12" PowerBook G4 (last generation) -> 2nd Generation MacBook (black) -> 15" MacBook Pro (2008 Unibody) -> 13" MacBook Pro (last generation).
I ran Tiger through most of that span. I never felt like dropping the money on Leopard and finally got it with the MBP. I did, however, upgrade to Snow Leopard on day 1. I've been pleased with every upgrade and look forward to Lion.
(Ha! And this post just made me a 6502!)
more...
anjinha
Apr 27, 05:19 PM
What if??
Because if they used the men's washroom they would be swamped by men trying to 'make' her a real woman.
Better she stays in the woman's loo. Far safer.
I meant that supposedly the issue is that women don't feel comfortable having men in the bathrooms because they'll look and stuff. What if instead of men there's a lesbian there? Isn't that the same thing?
Because if they used the men's washroom they would be swamped by men trying to 'make' her a real woman.
Better she stays in the woman's loo. Far safer.
I meant that supposedly the issue is that women don't feel comfortable having men in the bathrooms because they'll look and stuff. What if instead of men there's a lesbian there? Isn't that the same thing?
iphone3gs16gb
Apr 26, 10:19 AM
You're not a skinny girl. Being attacked like that typically puts one into a state of shock especially if one doesn't have the fight/flight response of a typical male.
He is a male, just like me, I can't believe you don't understand that...
He thinks he is female which is a whole other thing
That's nice. IMO, your opinions are worthless. You're just looking to stir **** up. As I said, your act is wearing thin.
I bolded a key word in your quote. IMO
I'm not looking to stir anything up, so stop insinuating.
Just because I have a different opinion from you doesn't justify your annoying statement, "your act is wearing thin"
Really guy? I could care less about what you think so stop -__-
He is a male, just like me, I can't believe you don't understand that...
He thinks he is female which is a whole other thing
That's nice. IMO, your opinions are worthless. You're just looking to stir **** up. As I said, your act is wearing thin.
I bolded a key word in your quote. IMO
I'm not looking to stir anything up, so stop insinuating.
Just because I have a different opinion from you doesn't justify your annoying statement, "your act is wearing thin"
Really guy? I could care less about what you think so stop -__-
more...
TPFolair
Sep 12, 07:54 AM
hate to ask a stupid, perhaps already answered a gagillion times, question but
is there a live feed of today's proceedings?
is there a live feed of today's proceedings?
noodlelegs
Jan 4, 12:29 PM
It's January 4th and no sign of the Verizon iPhone. Oh well, there's always next year.
nightcap965
Jul 22, 07:58 AM
What I want to know is, has Steve Jobs stopped beating his wife yet? :)
There's a reason the print press used to call mid-summer the Silly Season. People are on holiday. Washington, Ottawa, and the European capitols are deserted. Nothing much is going on, so the news has to be invented.
I would take this story seriously if I, or my wife, or my friends and work-mates experienced problems using our iPhone 4s. My iPhone is my exclusive phone for both home and work - if there were a problem with making or holding telephone calls, I'd be seriously affected. The only difference I've seen is that the calls are clearer and I'm now able to make and receive calls in places where I used to get no signal.
I'm just a little tired of hearing from people with no qualifications in engineering or public relations telling me what Apple did wrong and why Steve Jobs should commit ritual seppuku in disgrace.
But what do I know? I'm just a poor deluded fanboi lighting my apple-scented votive candles. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to make a call.
There's a reason the print press used to call mid-summer the Silly Season. People are on holiday. Washington, Ottawa, and the European capitols are deserted. Nothing much is going on, so the news has to be invented.
I would take this story seriously if I, or my wife, or my friends and work-mates experienced problems using our iPhone 4s. My iPhone is my exclusive phone for both home and work - if there were a problem with making or holding telephone calls, I'd be seriously affected. The only difference I've seen is that the calls are clearer and I'm now able to make and receive calls in places where I used to get no signal.
I'm just a little tired of hearing from people with no qualifications in engineering or public relations telling me what Apple did wrong and why Steve Jobs should commit ritual seppuku in disgrace.
But what do I know? I'm just a poor deluded fanboi lighting my apple-scented votive candles. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to make a call.
iAlan
Oct 10, 10:29 PM
yes, I hope it's true...<snip>
As for ThinkSecret, who cares what they say...they go back and forth because they just have no clue and if this indeed happen or not they will say they were right. What a joke.
Right now the most reliable site is Appleinsider.
Actually right now the most reliable site is Apple -- once they announce and update their webpage :D :D :D
As for ThinkSecret, who cares what they say...they go back and forth because they just have no clue and if this indeed happen or not they will say they were right. What a joke.
Right now the most reliable site is Appleinsider.
Actually right now the most reliable site is Apple -- once they announce and update their webpage :D :D :D
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.
kdarling
Oct 22, 07:06 AM
For all of you touting one carrier over another check these maps out.
Thanks. However, that site doesn't seem to update its information. Some of it dates back at least five years.
For example, I looked around my area, and most of the well known dead zones marked on the map were resolved a few years ago with new towers.
Thanks. However, that site doesn't seem to update its information. Some of it dates back at least five years.
For example, I looked around my area, and most of the well known dead zones marked on the map were resolved a few years ago with new towers.
tech4all
Nov 24, 01:44 AM
I was hoping for a little more of a discount on some of those items. I'd figure with the Nano at least $20 off from $149. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. Only about 15 minutes to go for 12:00am PST! :)
*LTD*
Mar 28, 03:48 PM
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/8G4)
Very, very smart move. Good for Apple, good for devs.
Very, very smart move. Good for Apple, good for devs.