xUKHCx
Jan 5, 11:55 AM
Cool i prefer to see the introduction gives it the wow factor rather than the mild excitment of reading the keynote.
Eidorian
Mar 24, 11:47 PM
Couldn't that be said of your original post???
How much thought and research went into "Downhill since Tiger."?
At least an elaboration on a point or two why you think that might have ward off the other poster's comment. Not arguing against your opinion. Everyone has one. But your lack of specificity certainly opened you up... Just say'n. :cool:
/
/
/
/It is a rather long quagmire of posts. Frankly, I see little value in back quoting myself. If you really want to have fun the Snow Leopard launch is solid gold with Spotlight database problems, endless Safari crashes, and the still persistant GMA X3100 oddities. Even after I have had everything short of the display replaced...
You get old and jaded. It is even more tiresome when every one hit wonder decides that Steve and me are always right. Hit the independent thought alarm. Hunt for the astroturfer. You are either with us or against us...
I am using OS X just like many others here. It does not mean that I love every minute of it or feel the need to be a sycophant for any corporation.
Everyone loses when you use car analogies.
No, I'd say Snow Leopard is about 80% better than Tiger and 20% worse. I mostly skipped over Leopard, and went from 10.4 on a G5 to 10.6 on a Mac Pro. There are quite a number of improvements all over the place that show it's clearly the result of taking a look at earlier versions and saying "wouldn't it be better if...", and then acting on it. There are a few steps backwards though, the biggest one for me being the incomprehensible mutilating of Expos�. Fortunately there's a nice hack which restores the correct behavior (and makes the dock look better), but it's a little annoying to have to re-apply that after every update.
--EricExpos�, Spotlight, and Finder have taken the most hits since Tiger. Though it is nice to be able to scroll in windows that are not in focus or to be able to support certain applications from lazy developers.
Otherwise I would rather have the older and much more productive behaviors for non-linear interfacing and searching. I should not be required to make work arounds or simply give up on trying to replicate Tiger.
I have given up on Spotlight ever working like it once did and I do not want to replicate the hours rebuilding all my metadata. I have just regarded it as something that is no longer of value to me. My MacBook is sadly not much more than a glorified address book and music server for the foreseeable future. It really kills the motivation to replace it and an annoyance to maintain a OS X based machine in my inventory once it is no longer useable.
How much thought and research went into "Downhill since Tiger."?
At least an elaboration on a point or two why you think that might have ward off the other poster's comment. Not arguing against your opinion. Everyone has one. But your lack of specificity certainly opened you up... Just say'n. :cool:
/
/
/
/It is a rather long quagmire of posts. Frankly, I see little value in back quoting myself. If you really want to have fun the Snow Leopard launch is solid gold with Spotlight database problems, endless Safari crashes, and the still persistant GMA X3100 oddities. Even after I have had everything short of the display replaced...
You get old and jaded. It is even more tiresome when every one hit wonder decides that Steve and me are always right. Hit the independent thought alarm. Hunt for the astroturfer. You are either with us or against us...
I am using OS X just like many others here. It does not mean that I love every minute of it or feel the need to be a sycophant for any corporation.
Everyone loses when you use car analogies.
No, I'd say Snow Leopard is about 80% better than Tiger and 20% worse. I mostly skipped over Leopard, and went from 10.4 on a G5 to 10.6 on a Mac Pro. There are quite a number of improvements all over the place that show it's clearly the result of taking a look at earlier versions and saying "wouldn't it be better if...", and then acting on it. There are a few steps backwards though, the biggest one for me being the incomprehensible mutilating of Expos�. Fortunately there's a nice hack which restores the correct behavior (and makes the dock look better), but it's a little annoying to have to re-apply that after every update.
--EricExpos�, Spotlight, and Finder have taken the most hits since Tiger. Though it is nice to be able to scroll in windows that are not in focus or to be able to support certain applications from lazy developers.
Otherwise I would rather have the older and much more productive behaviors for non-linear interfacing and searching. I should not be required to make work arounds or simply give up on trying to replicate Tiger.
I have given up on Spotlight ever working like it once did and I do not want to replicate the hours rebuilding all my metadata. I have just regarded it as something that is no longer of value to me. My MacBook is sadly not much more than a glorified address book and music server for the foreseeable future. It really kills the motivation to replace it and an annoyance to maintain a OS X based machine in my inventory once it is no longer useable.
bloodycape
Nov 16, 02:06 PM
gamers that want to switch to mac but wont because of intel, which is stupid. AMD fanboys hate intel also(there is a signifigant amount of these people). They still haven't realised that intel has taken the lead again.
I am an AMD fanboy who thinks intel makes great chips, so not every amd fanboy hates intel. Just look at my sig.
I am an AMD fanboy who thinks intel makes great chips, so not every amd fanboy hates intel. Just look at my sig.
3soteric
Mar 17, 06:42 AM
Not to condone OP's actions in any way, but karma isn't real.
People should conduct themselves according to their moral code, not out of fear that the universe will somehow reward or punish them. This is the 21st century, it's time mankind grew up and took some personal responsibility. There is no "higher power" judging our actions.
But thats so sad....to be all alone...Is there really no higher power? Not even the Flying Spaghetti Monster?
People should conduct themselves according to their moral code, not out of fear that the universe will somehow reward or punish them. This is the 21st century, it's time mankind grew up and took some personal responsibility. There is no "higher power" judging our actions.
But thats so sad....to be all alone...Is there really no higher power? Not even the Flying Spaghetti Monster?
more...
balamw
Oct 2, 04:11 PM
Think of the iPod with hundreds of licensed content providers out there trying to outdo each other. I can't imagine why Apple hasn't done it yet.
I can't believe that people are disgruntled that we are forced to use iTunes with iPod.
iTunes is brilliant.
It's not as if we are forced to use something really crummy like WMP with the worlds favourite MP3 player.
That's the problem.
ITunes+iPod succeeds because of its inherent simplicity. Unfortunately choice isn't that simple. Opening up Fairplay isn't enough, since it opens up the iPod, but not iTunes.
EDIT: This was the biggest problem with Real's Harmony. You could add songs to your 'Pod, but as soon as you synced with iTunes, you'd lose the Real songs. Not simple. You'd end up chosing iTunes vs. Real.
B
I can't believe that people are disgruntled that we are forced to use iTunes with iPod.
iTunes is brilliant.
It's not as if we are forced to use something really crummy like WMP with the worlds favourite MP3 player.
That's the problem.
ITunes+iPod succeeds because of its inherent simplicity. Unfortunately choice isn't that simple. Opening up Fairplay isn't enough, since it opens up the iPod, but not iTunes.
EDIT: This was the biggest problem with Real's Harmony. You could add songs to your 'Pod, but as soon as you synced with iTunes, you'd lose the Real songs. Not simple. You'd end up chosing iTunes vs. Real.
B
Shasterball
Oct 6, 10:20 AM
Hey. Good for them.
An even BETTER commercial would focus on the fact that AT&T service is slow and drops out even where there IS coverage.
Maybe that'll be their next ad.
Except Verizon does that too!!!!
An even BETTER commercial would focus on the fact that AT&T service is slow and drops out even where there IS coverage.
Maybe that'll be their next ad.
Except Verizon does that too!!!!
more...
balamw
Apr 27, 05:32 PM
One favor, I'm not answering more quiz questions, I get your point.. I still need to learn more fundamentals.. I get it, just please contribute with the thread to find solutions or not.. (there are many Professional Forums).
You clearly have not read the two articles I linked back in post #20 http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=12467980&postcount=20.
You don't "get it".
The "quiz questions" are necessary because we don't know what it is you know or think you know. We can't read your mind. This is how information is exchanged and we can come to the appropriate level or explanation to be able to help you. It can also help you find the answer yourself by talking through it.
Helping you help yourself is the best way we know how to contribute to the thread.
We've all been there, even the hard-core pros. Sometimes you just can't see the answer that is right in front of your eyes until you try explaining it so someone else.
Please answer this question which I posed earlier in the thread. What books, sites, videos, etc... have you been using to get you to this point and what additional resources are you looking to delve into next.
Given the things it is clear you don't understand, picking the right resources to use to learn the fundamentals you are missing is quite important.
EDIT: Finally, just a comment, PhoneyDeveloper pointed out that you had a parallel thread on the Apple Discussion forums. JMHO, but that's poor netiquette and is a waste of both your time and ours. At least link the two conversations, so folks don't end up repeating what someone else said on the other forum. Even just to say "someone over at the Apple Discussion Fourms (link) suggested ..."
B
You clearly have not read the two articles I linked back in post #20 http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=12467980&postcount=20.
You don't "get it".
The "quiz questions" are necessary because we don't know what it is you know or think you know. We can't read your mind. This is how information is exchanged and we can come to the appropriate level or explanation to be able to help you. It can also help you find the answer yourself by talking through it.
Helping you help yourself is the best way we know how to contribute to the thread.
We've all been there, even the hard-core pros. Sometimes you just can't see the answer that is right in front of your eyes until you try explaining it so someone else.
Please answer this question which I posed earlier in the thread. What books, sites, videos, etc... have you been using to get you to this point and what additional resources are you looking to delve into next.
Given the things it is clear you don't understand, picking the right resources to use to learn the fundamentals you are missing is quite important.
EDIT: Finally, just a comment, PhoneyDeveloper pointed out that you had a parallel thread on the Apple Discussion forums. JMHO, but that's poor netiquette and is a waste of both your time and ours. At least link the two conversations, so folks don't end up repeating what someone else said on the other forum. Even just to say "someone over at the Apple Discussion Fourms (link) suggested ..."
B
RobertD63
Apr 27, 05:54 PM
So it's like Reddit now. Cooleo
Edit: To fix the boxes around the images in IE just use a little CSS
tagName img{
border: none;
}
That should solve your woes there. IE likes to default the CSS border on images to visitable.
Edit: To fix the boxes around the images in IE just use a little CSS
tagName img{
border: none;
}
That should solve your woes there. IE likes to default the CSS border on images to visitable.
more...
YoNeX
Sep 12, 12:24 AM
Welcoming of Media Members
i love you friend images. love
more...
i love you friendship. i love
I Love You Friend
more...
i love you friend images. love
i love you friend. i love you
Aniej
Jan 5, 03:21 PM
it would be nice if we could also post a countdown ticker as well don't you think? Like the widget for macworld or jsw's madejew post counter?
more...
Eidorian
May 3, 11:33 PM
With regards to this particular ad, should we presume from your comment that you are not an engineer, a doctor, a business person, a teacher, a student, a parent or a child? All these folks love their iPads.None of the above.
The commercials are cringe worthy when the potential you have is limited to web browsing.
The commercials are cringe worthy when the potential you have is limited to web browsing.
dmr727
Aug 9, 05:33 PM
I completely agree with your position that we should have access to the efficient and modern diesels in this country.
I hear this comment all the time. I was in Europe a few months back, and diesels were all over the place too. I don't know squat about the automotive industry, but given what you guys are saying about diesel's efficiency and so on - it seems to me that offering a modern diesel would be a slam dunk for an automaker in the States.
So it begs the questions - why isn't it happening?
I hear this comment all the time. I was in Europe a few months back, and diesels were all over the place too. I don't know squat about the automotive industry, but given what you guys are saying about diesel's efficiency and so on - it seems to me that offering a modern diesel would be a slam dunk for an automaker in the States.
So it begs the questions - why isn't it happening?
more...
one1
May 3, 10:48 PM
IMO, until the ipad gets this, which is entirely possible, it will remain more of a toy than a tool, and all these commercials will be nothing but fodder for the haters.
there's nothing wrong with toys, and this is a nice one, but these lines about doctors, CEOs, etc., are just plain ridiculous.
Ummmm incorrect. I have a major surgery coming up and the only way me and my doctor could sit down together and review the CT Scan was with my iPad 2 since all CT Scans are done on digital now instead of film. I simply stopped by the hospital and snagged the cd the night before my appointment and loaded it before I left the next day.
My doctor said this was on his wish list, but he couldn't find anywhere in stock.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d5/audiogodz1/dc1cacec.jpg
there's nothing wrong with toys, and this is a nice one, but these lines about doctors, CEOs, etc., are just plain ridiculous.
Ummmm incorrect. I have a major surgery coming up and the only way me and my doctor could sit down together and review the CT Scan was with my iPad 2 since all CT Scans are done on digital now instead of film. I simply stopped by the hospital and snagged the cd the night before my appointment and loaded it before I left the next day.
My doctor said this was on his wish list, but he couldn't find anywhere in stock.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d5/audiogodz1/dc1cacec.jpg
KnightWRX
Apr 26, 08:43 PM
I want to tell one timer to start and if I press cancel, invalidate it. Then If I press start again, call the second timer. (I do this because I read that you can't reuse a timer after you invalidate it).
You don't need to do this. You can use the same NSTimer * pointer multiple times, you will just need to assign a new NSTimer object to it after you invalidated your first NSTimer object (or 2nd, or 3rd, etc..).
Basically, you only need 1 NSTimer object pointer, setup as an instance variable and your various IBActions :
(now, sorry for any syntax/compile error, I'm not opening Xcode here, just typing it out)
@interface ATimerViewController: UIViewController {
more...
i love you friend pictures.
Now i#39;m bak home..Thank you
more...
i love you friend images. love
love you friend quotes. i love
love you friend. i love you
You don't need to do this. You can use the same NSTimer * pointer multiple times, you will just need to assign a new NSTimer object to it after you invalidated your first NSTimer object (or 2nd, or 3rd, etc..).
Basically, you only need 1 NSTimer object pointer, setup as an instance variable and your various IBActions :
(now, sorry for any syntax/compile error, I'm not opening Xcode here, just typing it out)
@interface ATimerViewController: UIViewController {
more...
Eric374
Mar 19, 05:35 PM
you Americans have some ridiculous proverbs/figure of speeches that no other Anglophones around the world can even attempt to understand.
And the English language's inception was here in England so why do Americans spell rumours 'rumors'? And there are an abundance of similar examples.
Try being an American and writing words like "tyre", "colour", "aluminium" etc. I always try to use the correct "English" spelling of words and people give me crap about it. I just tell 'em that's the CORRECT way to do it, and the sun never sets on the British Empire. They usually leave me alone after that. :p
And the English language's inception was here in England so why do Americans spell rumours 'rumors'? And there are an abundance of similar examples.
Try being an American and writing words like "tyre", "colour", "aluminium" etc. I always try to use the correct "English" spelling of words and people give me crap about it. I just tell 'em that's the CORRECT way to do it, and the sun never sets on the British Empire. They usually leave me alone after that. :p
AHDuke99
Apr 15, 04:07 PM
The only thing that makes me call BS is the fact that it looks to be completely metal. Apple would need it to be plastic or rubber, otherwise signal issues will be even worse than it is with the current 3G and 3GS.
more...
Bubba Satori
Apr 6, 05:49 PM
Who likes looking at ads?
iEnthusiasts?
http://media1.break.com/dnet/media/2008/1/34jan29-fanboy.jpg
iEnthusiasts?
http://media1.break.com/dnet/media/2008/1/34jan29-fanboy.jpg
Joshuarocks
Apr 8, 07:36 PM
I'm a current employee at Best Buy and thought I'd offer my two cents on a few issues.
First, I don't really like Best Buy. I got a job there to work for around 4 hours a week to get the generous discount. It's particularly generous when dealing with open-box items. Even so, I am miserable leading up to heading in and I do not enjoy the time that I spend there. Thankfully, I have a good full-time job plus a lot of side work and I'm planning on quitting in the next month or so as the thrill of the discount has long worn off.
That said, I have no problem being very open and honest about Best Buy and my experiences there.
In regards to the iPad situation, I haven't been in since this issue came up and won't be in for awhile, so I don't really know what the buzz is on this matter exactly. I do know that they wouldn't put a freeze on selling new iPad 2 stock if they regularly had it for a random promotion, if only for the very reason that many think caused the initial problem: quota.
I'm betting 1 of 2 things happened:
1) They did indeed get in trouble with Apple for something. Sure, it's possible, and it's the easiest reasonable conclusion. I don't know why this would be though, and I'm skeptical about the whole hording thing. And again, this is coming from someone who has access to the inventory systems and all the places that would hide "horded" iPads. Plus, I have a good enough relationship with multiple managers (ones who know the score about Best Buy in an objective world...) who would be honest about this with me.
Generally speaking, when they say there are no iPads for sale, there are no iPads for sale. It's really that simple. Demand is real, and supply is lacking. When we have them for sale, they're in the cages, and this would occur after passing through the pre-order system. White Verizon iPads tend to be the ones most often available, usually just a couple, and they're gone almost immediately all the same.
Another factor in the equation though is processing shipments. I saw someone noted that after an open-box controversy between two customers, the manager was able to procure a new iPad 2 for a disappointed customer when apparently there were none for sale. Well, there probably weren't. He either bumped someone back on the pre-order list to be nice to the pissed off customer in the store or perhaps a shipment came in on the truck that had yet to be processed and he worked it out with the ops team to get them to process one so he could get it out. Oftentimes the managers do actually try to make the customer happy, even if it's somewhat unreasonable. The ops guys have their procedures, and it's rarely slimy in intent so much as rooted in overall efficiency, so sometimes a shipment won't go to the floor for sales until the next day because the processing takes time. If the manager pushes to work something out in that situation, the manager is doing you a favor and pissing off some ops guys to do so.
Anyways, on to the 2nd scenario...
2) This is what I'd really venture to bet is the problem: the pre-order system is a huge mess. It was a rush job authorized by corporate at the last minute and handled by less-than-informed employees who were also in a rush. From day 1 it was clear that problems were going to creep up, and they absolutely have. Nobody in store is happy about it. The employees don't like telling customers that they have to wait on a pre-order list, they don't like the 48 hour pickup window, they don't like having to deal with customers pissing and moaning and crying about conspiracy theories when only a 64 GB white Verizon iPad 2 is available once in a blue moon when a pre-order turns it down. It's not fun, for anyone, and unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about it.
So what I'm guessing is really happening is that Best Buy is just digging out of this pre-order mess as fast as possible and skipping anything else until they get past the ramifications of a stupid decision. Considering there's little to skip seeing as supply is so low and we rarely have the most in-demand models available anyways, it's easier for them to just bow out of this for a couple of weeks and in a sense re-launch the normal sales when supplies are less constrained and they don't have a stupid pre-order process hanging over their heads. It's a cut and dry move that will allow them to gear up again in a more normal, focused way. Considering how things have gone there in the last month in dealing with anything iPad related, this might be the best decision for them.
All in all, Best Buy is Best Buy: a brick and mortar retailer lost in an internet-connected world. Best Buy isn't nearly as evil as they are lost and longing for the 20th century. Sure, there's a lot of margin on accessories, but it's because there's more often than not no margin on anything else. They don't make much money at all on TV's and Computers anymore. If they're on sale, and at Best Buy, almost everything is always "On Sale," it's likely at cost or within a few dollars of cost. There's little margin in the shrinking physical media world either. The only departments with major products that have margin still are appliances and for certain stores, musical instruments. This is why Best Buy will likely be dead in 5 years if they don't drastically change their business model. They did a better job at adapting to the new world than other electronics chains, but they haven't done nearly enough. It's not an easy business at this point though as it has as much to do with dealing with suppliers suffering the same pinch and customers who want to have it all but don't want to pay for it.
Also, in regards to stupid employees and sleazy mangers, yeah, they do exist. But more employees know their stuff than you might think. And there are quite a few managers who actually do care about trying to do a good job and help the customer.
As far as the employees, the biggest shock to me after working at Best Buy was realizing that so much of the supposed employee ignorance has more to do with incessantly having to dumb things down to the most absurd of levels with customers. 90% of the people who come in are nice people who just don't know much of anything about what they're buying. You have to learn to communicate on their level and not over-complicate things for them. It's easy to get stuck in that default mode and you have to actively snap yourself out of it on the rare occasion when you get customers who can actually hold their own in a conversation about the technology. And make no mistake, it's a huge relief for most of us when that happens because most of us that work there actually are pretty excited about the technology.
Now on the other hand, sleazy managers and supervisors can screw so much of this up. While most of the employees aren't making a career out of working at Best Buy, the sups and managers typically are on some level at least, and it takes a certain, umm, level of person to get, err, stuck, yes, at that level if you know what I mean. There's a lot of inconsistency in these types of people. If you get good ones though, they tend to hire good employees and foster a good environment for customers. My store has good management. It's the only thing that makes it remotely tolerable to me. The employees actually know their stuff and are honest with the customers. They also work as a team because the management pushes it and thankfully we don't have commission to muck things up. And customers do love us for it. You'd be shocked by how often a selling relationship turns into a friendship practically at our particular store. We get invited out after work all the time. Honesty goes a long ways, and when you're helping people save money by making sure they make a smart decision for their needs, it goes a long ways. And our managers are objective enough (and not locked into Best Buy corporate brainwash mode) to know that the only thing Best Buy has to offer over Amazon is the possibility of a good customer service experience. They do all they reasonably can to ensure that it happens.
But again, this simply isn't the case everywhere at all, and it so often boils down to the luck of the draw on management. Good managers hire good people leading to good teams leading to generally happy customers and good sales. Bad managers hire their dumb friends, play games with customers, lie, cheat, and usually they don't put up good numbers.
At the end of the day though, the good stores and the bad stores are equally screwed because the industry is a mess, the world is changing, and Best Buy corporate utterly and completely lacks the talent and leadership to be innovative in the 21st century. They refuse to reasonably acknowledge change, they're too scared to piss off manufacturers who have lines all across the store that vary dramatically when it comes to success and quality, and they're wildly inconsistent and disorganized with their processes and as they put it, "solutions." As said, if things don't drastically change, and I don't believe they will without a major shift in leadership, they'll be dead in 5 years. It's a sinking ship. I'll be happy to be out of there.
Again, I don't think they're near as evil and corrupt as they are just lost. When you're lost, things can get confusing real fast. Bear in mind that oftentimes when employees appear aloof, they're probably confused because corporate changes things all the time and does little to help keep us informed of these changes. Also, don't mistake conspiracy theories for sheer stupidity. Like we saw in this whole conversation, people will say some wild things. It's easy to think it from the outside. I can assure you from the inside, that oftentimes what looks like scheming and maneuvering is really just disorganization, stupidity and/or confusion due to the muddled processes and the ever-foggy way in which corporate outlines these processes.
I don't blame people for not liking Best Buy. I don't like them either. Just go easy on the guys on the floor and in the back. Unless they're the total goof-off employees which do exist, what you're pissed about is probably not their fault at all.
The only "Worst Buy" I am against is the one in Owings Mills, MD where they discriminated against me just because of a small disability. Pending a court case with corporate on this matter.. and I used to work for them back in 2005 and left them on a great note. Eligible for re-hire.. then tried to go back to them(Owings Mills) and the manager was very disrespectful and also discriminatory.
I plan to have that store shut down permanently.
First, I don't really like Best Buy. I got a job there to work for around 4 hours a week to get the generous discount. It's particularly generous when dealing with open-box items. Even so, I am miserable leading up to heading in and I do not enjoy the time that I spend there. Thankfully, I have a good full-time job plus a lot of side work and I'm planning on quitting in the next month or so as the thrill of the discount has long worn off.
That said, I have no problem being very open and honest about Best Buy and my experiences there.
In regards to the iPad situation, I haven't been in since this issue came up and won't be in for awhile, so I don't really know what the buzz is on this matter exactly. I do know that they wouldn't put a freeze on selling new iPad 2 stock if they regularly had it for a random promotion, if only for the very reason that many think caused the initial problem: quota.
I'm betting 1 of 2 things happened:
1) They did indeed get in trouble with Apple for something. Sure, it's possible, and it's the easiest reasonable conclusion. I don't know why this would be though, and I'm skeptical about the whole hording thing. And again, this is coming from someone who has access to the inventory systems and all the places that would hide "horded" iPads. Plus, I have a good enough relationship with multiple managers (ones who know the score about Best Buy in an objective world...) who would be honest about this with me.
Generally speaking, when they say there are no iPads for sale, there are no iPads for sale. It's really that simple. Demand is real, and supply is lacking. When we have them for sale, they're in the cages, and this would occur after passing through the pre-order system. White Verizon iPads tend to be the ones most often available, usually just a couple, and they're gone almost immediately all the same.
Another factor in the equation though is processing shipments. I saw someone noted that after an open-box controversy between two customers, the manager was able to procure a new iPad 2 for a disappointed customer when apparently there were none for sale. Well, there probably weren't. He either bumped someone back on the pre-order list to be nice to the pissed off customer in the store or perhaps a shipment came in on the truck that had yet to be processed and he worked it out with the ops team to get them to process one so he could get it out. Oftentimes the managers do actually try to make the customer happy, even if it's somewhat unreasonable. The ops guys have their procedures, and it's rarely slimy in intent so much as rooted in overall efficiency, so sometimes a shipment won't go to the floor for sales until the next day because the processing takes time. If the manager pushes to work something out in that situation, the manager is doing you a favor and pissing off some ops guys to do so.
Anyways, on to the 2nd scenario...
2) This is what I'd really venture to bet is the problem: the pre-order system is a huge mess. It was a rush job authorized by corporate at the last minute and handled by less-than-informed employees who were also in a rush. From day 1 it was clear that problems were going to creep up, and they absolutely have. Nobody in store is happy about it. The employees don't like telling customers that they have to wait on a pre-order list, they don't like the 48 hour pickup window, they don't like having to deal with customers pissing and moaning and crying about conspiracy theories when only a 64 GB white Verizon iPad 2 is available once in a blue moon when a pre-order turns it down. It's not fun, for anyone, and unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about it.
So what I'm guessing is really happening is that Best Buy is just digging out of this pre-order mess as fast as possible and skipping anything else until they get past the ramifications of a stupid decision. Considering there's little to skip seeing as supply is so low and we rarely have the most in-demand models available anyways, it's easier for them to just bow out of this for a couple of weeks and in a sense re-launch the normal sales when supplies are less constrained and they don't have a stupid pre-order process hanging over their heads. It's a cut and dry move that will allow them to gear up again in a more normal, focused way. Considering how things have gone there in the last month in dealing with anything iPad related, this might be the best decision for them.
All in all, Best Buy is Best Buy: a brick and mortar retailer lost in an internet-connected world. Best Buy isn't nearly as evil as they are lost and longing for the 20th century. Sure, there's a lot of margin on accessories, but it's because there's more often than not no margin on anything else. They don't make much money at all on TV's and Computers anymore. If they're on sale, and at Best Buy, almost everything is always "On Sale," it's likely at cost or within a few dollars of cost. There's little margin in the shrinking physical media world either. The only departments with major products that have margin still are appliances and for certain stores, musical instruments. This is why Best Buy will likely be dead in 5 years if they don't drastically change their business model. They did a better job at adapting to the new world than other electronics chains, but they haven't done nearly enough. It's not an easy business at this point though as it has as much to do with dealing with suppliers suffering the same pinch and customers who want to have it all but don't want to pay for it.
Also, in regards to stupid employees and sleazy mangers, yeah, they do exist. But more employees know their stuff than you might think. And there are quite a few managers who actually do care about trying to do a good job and help the customer.
As far as the employees, the biggest shock to me after working at Best Buy was realizing that so much of the supposed employee ignorance has more to do with incessantly having to dumb things down to the most absurd of levels with customers. 90% of the people who come in are nice people who just don't know much of anything about what they're buying. You have to learn to communicate on their level and not over-complicate things for them. It's easy to get stuck in that default mode and you have to actively snap yourself out of it on the rare occasion when you get customers who can actually hold their own in a conversation about the technology. And make no mistake, it's a huge relief for most of us when that happens because most of us that work there actually are pretty excited about the technology.
Now on the other hand, sleazy managers and supervisors can screw so much of this up. While most of the employees aren't making a career out of working at Best Buy, the sups and managers typically are on some level at least, and it takes a certain, umm, level of person to get, err, stuck, yes, at that level if you know what I mean. There's a lot of inconsistency in these types of people. If you get good ones though, they tend to hire good employees and foster a good environment for customers. My store has good management. It's the only thing that makes it remotely tolerable to me. The employees actually know their stuff and are honest with the customers. They also work as a team because the management pushes it and thankfully we don't have commission to muck things up. And customers do love us for it. You'd be shocked by how often a selling relationship turns into a friendship practically at our particular store. We get invited out after work all the time. Honesty goes a long ways, and when you're helping people save money by making sure they make a smart decision for their needs, it goes a long ways. And our managers are objective enough (and not locked into Best Buy corporate brainwash mode) to know that the only thing Best Buy has to offer over Amazon is the possibility of a good customer service experience. They do all they reasonably can to ensure that it happens.
But again, this simply isn't the case everywhere at all, and it so often boils down to the luck of the draw on management. Good managers hire good people leading to good teams leading to generally happy customers and good sales. Bad managers hire their dumb friends, play games with customers, lie, cheat, and usually they don't put up good numbers.
At the end of the day though, the good stores and the bad stores are equally screwed because the industry is a mess, the world is changing, and Best Buy corporate utterly and completely lacks the talent and leadership to be innovative in the 21st century. They refuse to reasonably acknowledge change, they're too scared to piss off manufacturers who have lines all across the store that vary dramatically when it comes to success and quality, and they're wildly inconsistent and disorganized with their processes and as they put it, "solutions." As said, if things don't drastically change, and I don't believe they will without a major shift in leadership, they'll be dead in 5 years. It's a sinking ship. I'll be happy to be out of there.
Again, I don't think they're near as evil and corrupt as they are just lost. When you're lost, things can get confusing real fast. Bear in mind that oftentimes when employees appear aloof, they're probably confused because corporate changes things all the time and does little to help keep us informed of these changes. Also, don't mistake conspiracy theories for sheer stupidity. Like we saw in this whole conversation, people will say some wild things. It's easy to think it from the outside. I can assure you from the inside, that oftentimes what looks like scheming and maneuvering is really just disorganization, stupidity and/or confusion due to the muddled processes and the ever-foggy way in which corporate outlines these processes.
I don't blame people for not liking Best Buy. I don't like them either. Just go easy on the guys on the floor and in the back. Unless they're the total goof-off employees which do exist, what you're pissed about is probably not their fault at all.
The only "Worst Buy" I am against is the one in Owings Mills, MD where they discriminated against me just because of a small disability. Pending a court case with corporate on this matter.. and I used to work for them back in 2005 and left them on a great note. Eligible for re-hire.. then tried to go back to them(Owings Mills) and the manager was very disrespectful and also discriminatory.
I plan to have that store shut down permanently.
vixapphire
Jan 15, 03:29 PM
While I thought the movie rental idea is a good one, the pricing is way off-base.
Why should I have to pay $4 to rent a new-release movie I can only watch within a 24 hour window, when I can go to Blockbuster, pay the same $4, and watch the film over several days if I want to (grace period included)?
For my $4 at Blockbuster, I pay for the real estate, the electricity, and all the employees working there, not to mention use of the little plastic disc, and the company gets some profit to boot. If Apple wants to convince me that they need the same amount of money just to park the compressed file on a server somewhere, they'll have to try a little harder. This pricing scheme reeks...
I see an iPhone-like price reduction in the near future, when the rental idea stalls out of the gate. People aren't that stupid, Stevo.
Why should I have to pay $4 to rent a new-release movie I can only watch within a 24 hour window, when I can go to Blockbuster, pay the same $4, and watch the film over several days if I want to (grace period included)?
For my $4 at Blockbuster, I pay for the real estate, the electricity, and all the employees working there, not to mention use of the little plastic disc, and the company gets some profit to boot. If Apple wants to convince me that they need the same amount of money just to park the compressed file on a server somewhere, they'll have to try a little harder. This pricing scheme reeks...
I see an iPhone-like price reduction in the near future, when the rental idea stalls out of the gate. People aren't that stupid, Stevo.
leekohler
Mar 3, 09:14 PM
I knew we would see crap like this, after some of the biggest extremists in the party got elected, but I had no idea it would be this bad. Have fun while you can Republicans, it will be short-lived.
Ugg
May 4, 03:04 PM
The bill and its proposed draconian penalties is just ridiculous.
On the other hand, Dr. Choi should tend to the physical and mental well-being of his patients, and stop trying to play safety nanny. Sorry, but I find his arguments unconvincing, and if a busybody doctor starting quizzing me about safety practices around my home, I'd tell him to F off.
You do understand that Dr Choi is a pediatrician, don't you?
Not asking about a child's physical environment, seems almost criminal in my mind. We put plugs in the outlets, child proof caps on medicines, child proof latches on cupboards, get rid of sharp edged furniture, require child safety seats in vehicles... I honestly don't see why a pediatrician should not concern himself with all aspects of a child's safety.
Are you an NRA member?
On the other hand, Dr. Choi should tend to the physical and mental well-being of his patients, and stop trying to play safety nanny. Sorry, but I find his arguments unconvincing, and if a busybody doctor starting quizzing me about safety practices around my home, I'd tell him to F off.
You do understand that Dr Choi is a pediatrician, don't you?
Not asking about a child's physical environment, seems almost criminal in my mind. We put plugs in the outlets, child proof caps on medicines, child proof latches on cupboards, get rid of sharp edged furniture, require child safety seats in vehicles... I honestly don't see why a pediatrician should not concern himself with all aspects of a child's safety.
Are you an NRA member?
Mitthrawnuruodo
Aug 2, 05:21 AM
Oh I don't know, just about everything? It is this insecurity thing again isn't it? Insecurity...? The only thing I'm insecure about at the moment is whether you are for real or just trolling... :confused:
The fewer the people in a nation, the easier it is to say they are the best or the worst in certain things. Get it?Who says we're best at anything. It's not a contest... :rolleyes:
Up here in the Nordic countries we're a small, fairly uniform, very rich, well-educated (to a degree - pun intended), technological advanced population. The marked might be small, but it's still a nice little marked.
Do you honestly see Apple pull out of a similar marked, let say New Your city, just because an unresolved quarrel with the local government...?
The fewer the people in a nation, the easier it is to say they are the best or the worst in certain things. Get it?Who says we're best at anything. It's not a contest... :rolleyes:
Up here in the Nordic countries we're a small, fairly uniform, very rich, well-educated (to a degree - pun intended), technological advanced population. The marked might be small, but it's still a nice little marked.
Do you honestly see Apple pull out of a similar marked, let say New Your city, just because an unresolved quarrel with the local government...?
roadbloc
Apr 29, 04:54 PM
I liked it how it was before, with the sliders... :(
leekohler
Mar 4, 02:11 PM
What truly amazing rhetoric. :rolleyes:
Oh- incredible, isn't it? Because as we've seen in the past, big business will indeed do the opposite of what he claims. If permitted, they will indeed take wealth at the expense of their workers. The evidence is all over the world.
Oh- incredible, isn't it? Because as we've seen in the past, big business will indeed do the opposite of what he claims. If permitted, they will indeed take wealth at the expense of their workers. The evidence is all over the world.
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