Details/Opinions on Best Buy selling the Mac mini

[MacBytes]

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Category: Opinion/Interviews
Link: Details/Opinions on Best Buy selling the Mac mini (http://www.macbytes.com/link.php?sid=20050415003523)

Posted on MacBytes.com (http://www.macbytes.com)
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[dornoforpyros]

seems like a good deal that you can get the monitor in a bundle from best buy. I mean the Mac Mini is competing with budget PC's on a level playing field. The only negative aspect I see is ignorant sales ppl passing off "facts" about mac's "ie:doesn't play well with windoze machines, doesn't come with windoze" but I think for parents buying their teen a computer this will work well.

[KREX725]

As an ex-blue shirt employee, I try to avoid BB at all costs so I haven't been in to see the Mini's at any of our local locations. Is there anything in the way of Mac software available at the stores?

My immediate concern goes back to when BB carried Mac in the 90s. The average customer who was remotely interested in a Mac came in, was pointed to the incredibly small selection of software for Macs, and was rather quickly convinced to buy a PC that had access to the numerous aisles of software that will work on Windows.

I know it's been debated on here many times before, but I still have to vote no on giving BB another chance. It may be great visibility for the Mini to be in their stores, but will that visibility do more harm than good?

[SiliconAddict]

My immediate concern goes back to when BB carried Mac in the 90s.

Yah because we all know nothing changes in a 10 year timeframe. :rolleyes:

I wish people would stop being so damn cynical about Best Buy. The setups I’ve seen in the 3 stores I’ve been in have been setup no differently then the other computers in the area. I mean what do you want? BB to hire a masseuse for each store so they can give back rubs while the BB employee demos the mini?

[pablogott]

As a Besty Buy employee, I was curious to see if this would take off. My concern was that the sales floor would mostly say "macs suck." However, I think the image of Apple has changed since the first iMacs. Some of the key sales people (the full timers) have been pushing the mac if they hear customers say budget, or that they want to use the computer for graphics or just for internet. The head of the department likes them, and another manager is over there every day playing with it (I think he is going to buy one). The general manager of the store is planning to buy a powerbook. Generally, I'd say there is a great deal of interest and intrigue in the mini. I have put some apps on the bar and showed the sales floor little things like the expose function. People can now see that microsoft office and IE will work on this computer, and this surprises some people. The only factor here is that the customers haven't been interested. The budget customers want an emachines (with the monitor and printer for under $500) and most people don't even know it's a computer (that's the computer?!). It's displayed with the laptops, so people looking near it wouldn't be interested. I think if there were some more ads for it, people would come in to check it out. All in all, I think it will be a good thing as long as apple keeps pushing it.

[PlaceofDis]

there was a full page ad for the mini/monitor combo in last weeks ad around me, i think the exposure is good, so long as the sales people are knowledgeable about the machines that they are selling and can honestly help people make the right choice, a mac isnt for everyone, but there are definitely more users out there that should be useing em

[nagromme]

Their $700 bundle of Mac Mini + LCD display puts the eMac in perspective--time for an eMac price drop I think. (And/or feature boost like G5 or better GPU.)