Monday, May 30, 2011

demonstrations we came as romans

demonstrations we came as romans. And we came up with Related by
  • And we came up with Related by



  • BBEmployee
    Apr 8, 02:42 PM
    I'm a current employee at Best Buy and thought I'd offer my two cents on a few issues.

    First, I don't really like Best Buy. I got a job there to work for around 4 hours a week to get the generous discount. It's particularly generous when dealing with open-box items. Even so, I am miserable leading up to heading in and I do not enjoy the time that I spend there. Thankfully, I have a good full-time job plus a lot of side work and I'm planning on quitting in the next month or so as the thrill of the discount has long worn off.

    That said, I have no problem being very open and honest about Best Buy and my experiences there.

    In regards to the iPad situation, I haven't been in since this issue came up and won't be in for awhile, so I don't really know what the buzz is on this matter exactly. I do know that they wouldn't put a freeze on selling new iPad 2 stock if they regularly had it for a random promotion, if only for the very reason that many think caused the initial problem: quota.

    I'm betting 1 of 2 things happened:

    1) They did indeed get in trouble with Apple for something. Sure, it's possible, and it's the easiest reasonable conclusion. I don't know why this would be though, and I'm skeptical about the whole hording thing. And again, this is coming from someone who has access to the inventory systems and all the places that would hide "horded" iPads. Plus, I have a good enough relationship with multiple managers (ones who know the score about Best Buy in an objective world...) who would be honest about this with me.

    Generally speaking, when they say there are no iPads for sale, there are no iPads for sale. It's really that simple. Demand is real, and supply is lacking. When we have them for sale, they're in the cages, and this would occur after passing through the pre-order system. White Verizon iPads tend to be the ones most often available, usually just a couple, and they're gone almost immediately all the same.

    Another factor in the equation though is processing shipments. I saw someone noted that after an open-box controversy between two customers, the manager was able to procure a new iPad 2 for a disappointed customer when apparently there were none for sale. Well, there probably weren't. He either bumped someone back on the pre-order list to be nice to the pissed off customer in the store or perhaps a shipment came in on the truck that had yet to be processed and he worked it out with the ops team to get them to process one so he could get it out. Oftentimes the managers do actually try to make the customer happy, even if it's somewhat unreasonable. The ops guys have their procedures, and it's rarely slimy in intent so much as rooted in overall efficiency, so sometimes a shipment won't go to the floor for sales until the next day because the processing takes time. If the manager pushes to work something out in that situation, the manager is doing you a favor and pissing off some ops guys to do so.

    Anyways, on to the 2nd scenario...

    2) This is what I'd really venture to bet is the problem: the pre-order system is a huge mess. It was a rush job authorized by corporate at the last minute and handled by less-than-informed employees who were also in a rush. From day 1 it was clear that problems were going to creep up, and they absolutely have. Nobody in store is happy about it. The employees don't like telling customers that they have to wait on a pre-order list, they don't like the 48 hour pickup window, they don't like having to deal with customers pissing and moaning and crying about conspiracy theories when only a 64 GB white Verizon iPad 2 is available once in a blue moon when a pre-order turns it down. It's not fun, for anyone, and unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about it.

    So what I'm guessing is really happening is that Best Buy is just digging out of this pre-order mess as fast as possible and skipping anything else until they get past the ramifications of a stupid decision. Considering there's little to skip seeing as supply is so low and we rarely have the most in-demand models available anyways, it's easier for them to just bow out of this for a couple of weeks and in a sense re-launch the normal sales when supplies are less constrained and they don't have a stupid pre-order process hanging over their heads. It's a cut and dry move that will allow them to gear up again in a more normal, focused way. Considering how things have gone there in the last month in dealing with anything iPad related, this might be the best decision for them.

    All in all, Best Buy is Best Buy: a brick and mortar retailer lost in an internet-connected world. Best Buy isn't nearly as evil as they are lost and longing for the 20th century. Sure, there's a lot of margin on accessories, but it's because there's more often than not no margin on anything else. They don't make much money at all on TV's and Computers anymore. If they're on sale, and at Best Buy, almost everything is always "On Sale," it's likely at cost or within a few dollars of cost. There's little margin in the shrinking physical media world either. The only departments with major products that have margin still are appliances and for certain stores, musical instruments. This is why Best Buy will likely be dead in 5 years if they don't drastically change their business model. They did a better job at adapting to the new world than other electronics chains, but they haven't done nearly enough. It's not an easy business at this point though as it has as much to do with dealing with suppliers suffering the same pinch and customers who want to have it all but don't want to pay for it.

    Also, in regards to stupid employees and sleazy mangers, yeah, they do exist. But more employees know their stuff than you might think. And there are quite a few managers who actually do care about trying to do a good job and help the customer.

    As far as the employees, the biggest shock to me after working at Best Buy was realizing that so much of the supposed employee ignorance has more to do with incessantly having to dumb things down to the most absurd of levels with customers. 90% of the people who come in are nice people who just don't know much of anything about what they're buying. You have to learn to communicate on their level and not over-complicate things for them. It's easy to get stuck in that default mode and you have to actively snap yourself out of it on the rare occasion when you get customers who can actually hold their own in a conversation about the technology. And make no mistake, it's a huge relief for most of us when that happens because most of us that work there actually are pretty excited about the technology.

    Now on the other hand, sleazy managers and supervisors can screw so much of this up. While most of the employees aren't making a career out of working at Best Buy, the sups and managers typically are on some level at least, and it takes a certain, umm, level of person to get, err, stuck, yes, at that level if you know what I mean. There's a lot of inconsistency in these types of people. If you get good ones though, they tend to hire good employees and foster a good environment for customers. My store has good management. It's the only thing that makes it remotely tolerable to me. The employees actually know their stuff and are honest with the customers. They also work as a team because the management pushes it and thankfully we don't have commission to muck things up. And customers do love us for it. You'd be shocked by how often a selling relationship turns into a friendship practically at our particular store. We get invited out after work all the time. Honesty goes a long ways, and when you're helping people save money by making sure they make a smart decision for their needs, it goes a long ways. And our managers are objective enough (and not locked into Best Buy corporate brainwash mode) to know that the only thing Best Buy has to offer over Amazon is the possibility of a good customer service experience. They do all they reasonably can to ensure that it happens.

    But again, this simply isn't the case everywhere at all, and it so often boils down to the luck of the draw on management. Good managers hire good people leading to good teams leading to generally happy customers and good sales. Bad managers hire their dumb friends, play games with customers, lie, cheat, and usually they don't put up good numbers.

    At the end of the day though, the good stores and the bad stores are equally screwed because the industry is a mess, the world is changing, and Best Buy corporate utterly and completely lacks the talent and leadership to be innovative in the 21st century. They refuse to reasonably acknowledge change, they're too scared to piss off manufacturers who have lines all across the store that vary dramatically when it comes to success and quality, and they're wildly inconsistent and disorganized with their processes and as they put it, "solutions." As said, if things don't drastically change, and I don't believe they will without a major shift in leadership, they'll be dead in 5 years. It's a sinking ship. I'll be happy to be out of there.

    Again, I don't think they're near as evil and corrupt as they are just lost. When you're lost, things can get confusing real fast. Bear in mind that oftentimes when employees appear aloof, they're probably confused because corporate changes things all the time and does little to help keep us informed of these changes. Also, don't mistake conspiracy theories for sheer stupidity. Like we saw in this whole conversation, people will say some wild things. It's easy to think it from the outside. I can assure you from the inside, that oftentimes what looks like scheming and maneuvering is really just disorganization, stupidity and/or confusion due to the muddled processes and the ever-foggy way in which corporate outlines these processes.

    I don't blame people for not liking Best Buy. I don't like them either. Just go easy on the guys on the floor and in the back. Unless they're the total goof-off employees which do exist, what you're pissed about is probably not their fault at all.





    demonstrations we came as romans. We came all the way to
  • We came all the way to



  • Xenc
    Apr 5, 05:55 PM
    Looks good. Is there an ad-free version?





    demonstrations we came as romans. We marched from Dupont Circle
  • We marched from Dupont Circle



  • Quboid
    Jan 12, 12:41 AM
    Wow, I just watched the keynote and my god this guy is hard to stand. I've watched previous keynotes and he never seemed this bad. The charisma he's displayed in the past has been replaced with smugness. He acted like the iPhone was the second coming of christ and we were so lucky that he existed to bring it upon us.

    When really, this is probably the single worst keynote for Mac users that he has ever given. No hardware updates. No 10.5 preview. Not even iLife and iWork '07! Plus, very people I know are going to be interested in spending $600 + $60 a month or more to use this phone while plenty of us would love to spend $300 or $400 or even more on a full-screen video iPod. God, I wish this keynote was all some nightmare and in the real one Apple actually gave us something we wanted.

    i totally agree with you. "aint that just cool?" "probably the best photo management program in the world".

    he's was pretty hard to stand.





    demonstrations we came as romans. We have
  • We have



  • inket
    Apr 13, 03:06 PM
    CMD+K and entering the SMB sharing name fixed it I presume ?



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    demonstrations we came as romans. came the much billed major
  • came the much billed major



  • Phat_Pat
    Sep 7, 11:06 PM
    Its Music. Music now a days contains some curse words. There were no 5 year olds in that audience. 5 year olds are not going to watch a keynote. Everyone in that audience has heard the word and are mature enough to handle it. Just because he doesn't like Bush doesn't mean he's a bad person. Its his opinion. I have mine too...

    His music is fantastic, and seriously who here doesn't have a song in their music library with the f-bomb in it.

    Just because you don't like rap doesn't mean you should put him down. In his genre he is up there with the best. And of course apple's heard his songs. its the number one song/album on iTms. Not everyone in apple is 50+ years old and listens to nothing but the Beach Boys and Cher.





    demonstrations we came as romans. Apparently when it came to
  • Apparently when it came to



  • likemyorbs
    Apr 15, 03:16 PM
    It bothers me a little when gay suffrage is pitted against something like slavery. Just not the same, IMO.

    Gay suffrage? Wow i never knew gays were denied the right to vote! :eek:



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    demonstrations we came as romans. We came over a hill and the
  • We came over a hill and the



  • 8CoreWhore
    Apr 12, 03:43 AM
    There is the objective and the subjective. Objectively, one might say - hey, W8 is stable, and functional, etc...

    Subjectively, people like what they like...





    demonstrations we came as romans. We came to NYC for four days.
  • We came to NYC for four days.



  • Lancetx
    Jul 21, 10:19 AM
    Apple is doing what they need to do to defend themselves against the smear job put out by the haters in the media and tech sites aligned against them.

    Exactly. Nokia should have kept their mouths shut instead of calling out Apple last week. Now Apple is simply responding back to them in kind. Nokia said they didn't have the issue with any of their phones, but obviously that is not true.

    As for those here that still complaining about the iPhone 4, you can always return your iPhone for a full refund as Apple has stated on several occasions...



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    demonstrations we came as romans. because—well, we forget
  • because—well, we forget



  • Surf Monkey
    Mar 17, 01:27 AM
    JohnnyQuest chill out man you sound worse then my Dad growing up as a kid. Just telling a story, and sorry for my grammar must be that UCF education I paid for. Go to the fridge and bust open a bottle of that hater-aid or better yet, go get laid. Since you obviously seem pretty stressed over the story. Who are you anyway? Judge Jury and Executioner? Please

    So, you do feel bad about it, don't you? Thought so.





    demonstrations we came as romans. We had lunch in Avanos,
  • We had lunch in Avanos,



  • TravisGood
    Jan 5, 04:53 PM
    It's hard to believe that you guys are making this effort to not "spoil".

    Your sensitivity to readers who want an embargo on updates till they can view the QT stream first is unprecedented. I can hardly believe you're doing it! The niche purist audience you attract can't help but appreciate it.

    Me? I'll be logged on to your live site for up-to-the-minute news!

    Keep up the good work. Travis



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    demonstrations we came as romans. 2011 MENA Protests.png
  • 2011 MENA Protests.png



  • SevenInchScrew
    Nov 14, 09:10 PM
    The campaign is great, and you really get attached to the characters.
    I don't know what you're all talking about.
    No, having to replay sections over and over and over and over, just to learn what is killing you is not great. It is crappy 90s game design, that we should not have to deal with in 2010. Crappy checkpoints mixed with crappy enemy and team "AI" (if you can call it that) make for a really crappy game. I'm turning it down to Recruit just to get it over with, so I can flush it from my mind as quick as possible.

    I beat both MW games on Hardened, and about half of the levels of each on Veteran. While the plot in both was ludicrous, they were at least fun. Lots of clear objectives, teammates who would stay out of the way, and very few of those "monster closet" moments (grrrrr, Favela :mad:) Those games were fun from start to finish. Black Ops is just a mess of crazy flashbacks cutscenes, messy game design, and terrible direction.
    Yeah. I liked MW2's campaign better. It may be because I am from the DC area so it was quite weird seeing it war torn.
    How about Fallout 3? I've never been to DC, but I find it really funny how when I see it on TV or in movies now, I recognize so much of it, and where things are, just from my hundreds of hours in that game. :D





    demonstrations we came as romans. demonstration
  • demonstration



  • danny_boy
    Aug 8, 05:46 AM
    the specs for the UK model has NOT been updated UK Specs (http://www.apple.com/uk/displays/specs.html) compared to the US model US Specs (http://www.apple.com/displays/specs.html)

    Will the UK get the updated Apple Cinema Displays specs? As well as the price drops? I'm looking to get either a 20" or 23" display with educational discount before going back to Uni in Sept.

    Danny



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    demonstrations we came as romans. We watch shows to experience
  • We watch shows to experience



  • HiRez
    Aug 7, 04:24 PM
    The 20" is still way over-priced.I agree, I just picked up a pretty nice 19" LG for $299. Would I rather have a 20" Cinema Display? Yes, but for over 2X the price it's not even a consideration. Still way overpriced. Even the Sonys are considerably less expensive.





    demonstrations we came as romans. Neither did we absolutely
  • Neither did we absolutely



  • leekohler
    Mar 4, 02:10 PM
    Minimum wages = unemployment, lower growth
    child labor laws = limits free will and opportunities for youngsters
    max hours per week = limits free will, opportunity for higher personal revenue
    workplace safety = bureaucracy, red tape, lower growth

    Don't be naive. The goals are the same, more wealth, health, prosperity, and safety for all. Conservatives simply disagree with your methods. They realize that a hand-out is NEVER the same as a hand-up, and that wealth earned is not generally earned at the expense of others, but rather to their benefit.

    Nope- these are all lies proven to be so during the industrial revolution. We know what business does when these things are left unchecked. And don't say the free market will take care of them. There is too much evidence from history to show it won't. And the goals are not the same at all. Business will take advantage of it's worker in a heartbeat if they're permitted.


    BTW, the anti-gay segment has no business being in this bill. All politicians should realize that individual bills should be able to stand on their own two feet instead of sneaking them by in such a disgustingly snake-in-the-grass fashion.

    Then prove it and come out against this bill. Or again, does it not matter since you got yours?



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    demonstrations we came as romans. On April 14, 2010 we led the
  • On April 14, 2010 we led the



  • adamfilip
    Sep 12, 08:04 AM
    • Some analysts believe (http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=2032) that this is the first of many consumer electronic announcements from Apple in the coming months.


    Wow those analysts really are going out on a limb with those predictions.

    Hmm a consumer electronics company will introduce comsumer electronics over time.. crazy crazy.. who would have thunk it
    :rolleyes:





    demonstrations we came as romans. of Fez we came across all
  • of Fez we came across all



  • DFDureiko
    Oct 18, 09:10 AM
    Being a die hard Apple/Mac guy, it killed me when Apple went to ATT, as I was Verizon and really liked their service. a week and a half ago, my phone failed, one of our lines was out of contract, so I finally got a 3GS 16gig. it's so amazing (to me, i'm new:) that I guess I'll stick with it, most of the time I'm in the country (rural CT and FL) and have had no dropped calls. From this thread I'm guessing dropped calls are a problem in metropolitan areas?
    If I could have had some clear answer from Verizon, even a "maybe by midsummer" I'd have kept patiently waiting. But all the Verizon reps, both stores and call center, said "I've heard NOTHING of us getting an iPhone"
    Just my luck if it comes out in March, and I'm locked into ATT:)
    One other thing I find strange seeing that ATT and Verizon are the two largest cell company's in the US, is why still, There is no ATT coverage in the western states (ie Montana, Wyoming etc) only Verizon? any idea why ATT is not expanding out there after all these years?
    Dan



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    demonstrations we came as romans. We came across amazing
  • We came across amazing



  • Rt&Dzine
    Mar 4, 01:27 PM
    What does scare me though is Glenn Beck, who is so smooth that he does craft his message to try and include everybody. I would assume Beck's the type of guy that is great at not offending when talking to him in person. There are union members, people taking benefits from liberal government, yet still seem to find common ground with the GOP. They listen too much to Beck. He's a real snake water salesman and can convince somebody of something that is an illusion.

    I'm not sure if this is true. According to investigative reporter Alexander Zaitchik's biography of Beck, he's not a very likable person. He went into the project thinking Beck would be sort of like Limbaugh, who even some liberals like when he's not doing his schtick.





    demonstrations we came as romans. As we walked along Independent
  • As we walked along Independent



  • 7o7munoz7o7
    May 3, 02:11 PM
    And why is this on mac rumors.

    Does it really matter what the competition does.

    why are you on macrumors.....you have something to do with Android to....practice what you...ah you know the rest





    demonstrations we came as romans. The floral diversity we saw in
  • The floral diversity we saw in



  • Chundles
    Sep 12, 07:21 AM
    Can't wait :D

    The Australian store is claiming that the store is busy or to check my connection :confused:

    Can't wait for the Aussie iTMS to come back online with our brand new exclusive Bob Dylan music video - such is the extent of video content on the AU store.





    lordonuthin
    Apr 29, 12:26 AM
    I keep on hearing these sick setups, I need photos now ;) Show me your f@h setup please :)

    Not much to look at but here is most of what I have. the left pic is: 3 AMD athlon x2 4400+ machines and 1 Phenom x4 9600. looks kinda scary huh! all running various versions of Ubuntu

    The right pic is an amd PhenomII x4 965 black with 3 gpu's running win7 (top box) and the lower one is an i7 920 with 3 gpu's running win7, again not much to look at but not quite so scary. only things missing are another x2 4400+ and my 09 Mac Pro octo core 2.66





    MrSEC
    Apr 15, 10:10 PM
    Google, Microsoft and Bush are Devils!

    So original.....





    exspes
    Jan 13, 04:04 PM
    What I'm wondering is.. if Gizmodo never posted that video, would we have heard about it anyway? As in, would there be news stories saying "Pranksters hit CES hard by turning off displays"

    My guess is we wouldn't have heard anything of the sort.





    Simgar988
    Mar 24, 03:05 PM
    Happy birthday!:apple:





    virus1
    Jan 6, 02:29 PM
    the first day the keynote is SOOO slow on the apple server, and nobody has ever seemed to figure out how to download it normally (w/out stream), otherwise it would be all over bittorrent.

    so my plan is to hold off ALL DAY and start the stream at like 1 or two in the morn (yes, it is a school night..) and hopefully it will be less bogged down then.

    NOBODY COPY ME!!!!



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