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What happened to Best Buy?

S

seabass069

macrumors regular
Original poster
What happened between Apple and Best Buy. Many months ago I bought my MacMini at Best Buy. I went there a couple weeks back and Best Buy is no longer selling and Macs or Mac software. What is the reason that Best Buy stopped selling Mac computers?
 
Wow! There must have been a special best-buy out there. The ones I have been exposed to do not, and never have carried apple anything.
Frys still carries Apple I believe.
 
The mini is on backorder at Best Buy, including their online store. I don't think they ever put other models on the shelves. Poking around, it appears that very few of their stores have any in stock.
 
I read in various places that it was a trial program at select BB locations, but one that did not have much corporate support. They may have continued it at some locations, but none of the stores near me ever had Mac minis.

B
 
All of the Best Buy stores in my area had Mac minis, but I haven't been in lately so I don't know if they still have them. They never did have much of a display.
 
Steve realized that it would be a deal with the devil, and having already done that once, he backed out.
 
Koodauw said:
Steve realized that it would be a deal with the devil, and having already done that once, he backed out.
Click to expand...
Source, or is that just an off-the-cuff sort of thing?
 
I could not tell you why, but when I went into Best buy and asked them where they mac mini was, they told me Best Buy wasn't selling it anymore.
 
Best Buy carried the REV A minis and did a pretty terrible job of selling them.
There were numerous write-ups about the poor sales support, employee training and bad display techniques.

Although I agree about poor product knowledge from BB employees,
I also think this was partly Apple's fault for not insisting on a more complete
Apple kiosk with iMacs and iBooks too.

The minis were displayed in the laptop section using Westinghouse 17" displays and they were hard to locate in the store.
 
My experience is as follows:

- Everytime that I've gone to Best Buy I've noticed that the Mac mini's are not well placed and advertised. In most cases, they are in a location between the laptops and the end caps, not a place for the sales associates to recommend to those who are looking for a desktop.

- I don't see Apple monitors connected to the mini's. I find that a mistake on Apple's part as the monitors are some of the most striking and most beautiful monitors on the market. The "wow" factor of the monitors would draw more eyes to the mini.

All I can hope for is that Apple and Best Buy re-work the relationship in an effort the move more Apple systems. I would also like to see iMacs in Best Buy stores
 
Best Buy is not the place to look for a Mac anyway. The sales staff are clueless high school dropouts who happen to pass by and get hired.
 
Junipero XVII said:
Best Buy is not the place to look for a Mac anyway. The sales staff are clueless high school dropouts who happen to pass by and get hired.
Click to expand...

Ouch! Tell us how you really feel! 😛

I'd have to agree...their knowledge of Macs isn't the greatest, nor is their knowledge of iPods. I'm sure there are some people who work for Best Buy who do know their Mac stuff, but I'd imagine that's the minority.
 
I've only seen a Mac Mini at a Best Buy once. They didn't have it on. 🙁 All Macs are gone from the store.
 
Yeah, I've only seen a single Mac Mini at the local Best Buy, out of plain sight. Not turned on, no display.
 
Yes, mini seems gone at the bestbuy. I bought rev A. Mac mini when bestbuy first sells it for the first time. And at that day, they already had open box and I got it at $399 ($499 at apple store) and I found out that it was almost new.
 
Agent Smith said:
I'd have to agree...their knowledge of Macs isn't the greatest, nor is their knowledge of iPods. I'm sure there are some people who work for Best Buy who do know their Mac stuff, but I'd imagine that's the minority.
Click to expand...

Well I am one of those in the minority. 😛 I do agree that most of the workers at my store know next to nothing about macs. Even today I had one tell a customer they needed anti-virus and anti-spyware programs for the mac because it's just a myth macs have hardly any viruses or spyware. I wanted to scream! Best Buy is very $699 Celeron Compaq notebook centric. Meaning that's about all anyone ever buys. I work at customer service and just want to tell anyone and everyone to drive across the street to the Apple Store. Not to mention Geek Squad is just a bunch of guys who think they know tons about computers and insist Windows is the best. 😱 ...Sorry...just needed to vent my daily work experience frustrations.

As for the Apple-Best Buy thing. That was just a trial in select locations. I just don't think Apple or Best Buy was that interested in implementing it. Besides if Best Buy started selling Macs what would GeekSquad do? Not a whole lot to fix... 😀 Best Buy does still officially sell some mac products, just not in hardly any stores. They can be ordered though.
 
I've seen Apples at Best Buy Before

Circa 2003 I saw several lines of Apple units at the Best Buy at the Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento, California. For sure i remember PowerMacs, PowerBooks, and iMacs.
 
mattster16 said:
Well I am one of those in the minority. 😛 I do agree that most of the workers at my store know next to nothing about macs. Even today I had one tell a customer they needed anti-virus and anti-spyware programs for the mac because it's just a myth macs have hardly any viruses or spyware. I wanted to scream! Best Buy is very $699 Celeron Compaq notebook centric. Meaning that's about all anyone ever buys. I work at customer service and just want to tell anyone and everyone to drive across the street to the Apple Store. Not to mention Geek Squad is just a bunch of guys who think they know tons about computers and insist Windows is the best. 😱 ...Sorry...just needed to vent my daily work experience frustrations.
Click to expand...

If it's any consolation I worked at an Apple store and the people there who weren't Geniuses knew next to nothing, with a few exceptions. Many were also either using windows or recent converts. Working there left me... less than enthused about the company.
 
iMeowbot said:
The mini is on backorder at Best Buy, including their online store. I don't think they ever put other models on the shelves. Poking around, it appears that very few of their stores have any in stock.
Click to expand...

I will have to check and see if this is the case at the Richfield Minnesota location (which is only 3 blocks away from Best Buy Corporate headquarters). I am curious to see what they have in their computer department.
 
840quadra said:
I will have to check and see if this is the case at the Richfield Minnesota location (which is only 3 blocks away from Best Buy Corporate headquarters). I am curious to see what they have in their computer department.
Click to expand...


I'll save you the time, I don't think they have Apple products (computers at least). I work at a store about 10 minutes from the Richfield location in Minneapolis, so I'm pretty familiar with their inventory as well.
 
mattster16 said:
Besides if Best Buy started selling Macs what would GeekSquad do?
Click to expand...

Back in 1999 before Geek Squad was purchased by Best Buy, they had quite a good reputation for supporting Macintosh systems, and networks. Geek Squad's headquarters used to be in Minneapolis Minnesota which is now a field office.

I have hired Geek Squad in the past for Macintosh support for G3 powerbooks, and other such work back in the late 90's. It is a shame that those skills are no longer within that company, and that they now work as a simple PC repair company.

mattster16 said:
I'll save you the time, I don't think they have Apple products (computers at least). I work at a store about 10 minutes from the Richfield location in Minneapolis, so I'm pretty familiar with their inventory as well.
Click to expand...

Ah well, I will still be going to Richfield in the AM on Monday, as I need to pick up a battery for my Digital camera before my trip out east this weekend.

Store 10? The only store 10 minutes away that I can think of is Edina, which I believe is store 5. Maplewood is hardly 10 minutes away from Penn avenue, unless you are driving a Ferrari with Police escort. 😱 😀
 
840quadra said:
Back in 1999 before Geek Squad was purchased by Best Buy, they had quite a good reputation for supporting Macintosh systems, and networks. Geek Squad's headquarters used to be in Minneapolis Minnesota which is now a field office.

I have hired Geek Squad in the past for Macintosh support for G3 powerbooks, and other such work back in the late 90's. It is a shame that those skills are no longer within that company, and that they now work as a simple PC repair company.
Click to expand...



The only problem is that viruses and malware in windows keep them in business. They charge exorbitant fees just to install/run antivirus spyware etc. It's probably not worth it for them to have mac support, stuff doesn't go wrong with them often enough.
 
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