BestBuy.com Selling Macs

[MacRumors]

BestBuy.com (http://www.bestbuy.com) is now selling Macs online. The computers that are currently listed include the 15" PowerBook w/ Combo Drive (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1058188744592&skuId=5812908&type=product&productCategoryId=cat01174), 12" PowerBook w/ Superdrive (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1057490658429&skuId=5735957&type=product&productCategoryId=cat01174) and the 12"]iBook w/ Combo Drive (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1056281930047&skuId=5735939&type=product&productCategoryId=cat01174).

Recent reports (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/07/20030727004224.shtml) revealed that Bestbuy has started selling Apple products at certain regional BestBuy locations. No previous reports had yet indicated whether or not their online store would also be participating.

Note: BestBuy (http://www.bestbuy.com) is offering a $150 Mail-In Rebate on all Laptops, as noted in our LinkShop (http://shop.macrumors.com).

[NavyIntel007]

This is great news. If Best Buy is back to selling apple computers how long will it be before Circuit City sells them again?

[QCassidy352]

well, this can only be a good thing. Is the selection going to expand? Are all retail stores going to get apple products eventually?

If they were only going with three machines, I would have picked the 17" imac, 12" powerbook, and 12" ibook to start, but two out of three aint bad.

[bobindashadows]

I'm just wondering...

Am I the only one who isn't very interested in this? I mean.. I could care less about Best Buy carrying Macs. I guess some people don't have retailers or apple stores nearby, but this doesn't really affect me in any way.

My 164.68 Irani Rials.

[arn]

Originally posted by bobindashadows
I'm just wondering...

Am I the only one who isn't very interested in this? I mean.. I could care less about Best Buy carrying Macs. I guess some people don't have retailers or apple stores nearby, but this doesn't really affect me in any way.


well, I think it's a sign of more exposure for Apple. Apple does only have a certain number of Apple Stores. May more areas have BestBuy's. Selling online is also a nice addition.

It just puts Apple in people's faces where normally they might not think of it.

arn

[Wonder Boy]

Originally posted by bobindashadows
I'm just wondering...

Am I the only one who isn't very interested in this? I mean.. I could care less about Best Buy carrying Macs. I guess some people don't have retailers or apple stores nearby, but this doesn't really affect me in any way.

My 164.68 Irani Rials.

This isn't suppose to interest you in a personal way. It's news that makes normal thinking people look past themselves and say "good for apple". Now more people will see them and hopefully buy one or two. This doesn't effect me either, but its still good to see apple trying to get noticed more.

ps. I didnt copy arn's post. it wasn't up when i was reading all the others. i guess he hit "submit post" before i did.

[e-coli]

I don't think this is very good news for the new 15" PowerBook rumors. Why would Apple ship a very soon to be discontinued product to a store for a debut appearance?

[wowoah]

Why isn't BestBuy selling the 1Ghz 15"? Isn't that version more popular than the 867MHz? Could it mean that Apple's running out of 1GHz's?

And that $150 rebate--everything points to Apple trying to liquidate PowerBook stock. The other question is when new models will replace them...:confused:

[bobindashadows]

Originally posted by arn
well, I think it's a sign of more exposure for Apple. Apple does only have a certain number of Apple Stores. May more areas have BestBuy's. Selling online is also a nice addition.

It just puts Apple in people's faces where normally they might not think of it.

arn

Ah, i see. Good point.

[arn]

Originally posted by wowoah
And that $150 rebate--everything points to Apple trying to liquidate PowerBook stock.

I think the $150 rebate is BestBuy's alone. I don't think Apple is involved with that at all.

Note: All laptops have that rebate... including PC Laptops.

arn

[Mudbug]

I wonder how many times I can click the "positive" rating on this thread before arn gets mad at me... :)

Seriously, this is good stuff... I wonder if the "buy online, return to the store" thing works with macs, if your local store doesn't sell them...

[saint.duo]

Great. No instead of hearing "I can buy x product from a catalog and get free RAM", I get to hear "I can buy x product at best buy and get $150 off".

Manned by Apple staff or not, I don't expect this go to well, except where there is high Apple exec exposure. Most of the CompUSA store w/in a store setups do not work well, due to employee ignorance, badly managed areas, no local technician, and such. Overall, I think this is a BAD thing.

[Angelus520]

The Best Buy here in Davenport, Iowa just started stocking them this weekend. My dad was out there on Friday night and said they have a PowerMac on display for $1299. Some ****head screwed up the CD drive doors, though, so they can't open. That's always nice.

I think it's great that they are going to stock them. I'm less than 3 hours from the Apple Stores in Chicago, but it's so much easier to drive 15 minutes across town to see something up close.

The American TV & Appliance store across the street from our Best Buy carried Macs for a while but their service was horrible and the sales crew never gave a damn about them, always steering people towards PCs. "Oh you don't want one of those. You can't get software for them." Hopefully the Best Buy here has Apple staff soon or it'll be the same way.

[arn]

Originally posted by saint.duo
Great. No instead of hearing "I can buy x product from a catalog and get free RAM", I get to hear "I can buy x product at best buy and get $150 off".


Well, the free ram thing is always dubious as there were always hidden "installation" fees. $150 mail in rebate is a good deal if you were planning on getting one anyhow. Assuming you send it in .... but if you don't, you're no worse off.

arn

[cybertron3]

I work at BestBuy and I can say that Macs SHALL BE SOLD! [as soon as we get 'em]. w00t. Go BestBuy.

[Stelliform]

Originally posted by bobindashadows
I'm just wondering...

Am I the only one who isn't very interested in this? I mean.. I could care less about Best Buy carrying Macs. I guess some people don't have retailers or apple stores nearby, but this doesn't really affect me in any way.

My 164.68 Irani Rials.

Well in my town we have two not so stellar Mac shops. Most Mac people here drive an hour to go to Comp USA in Baton Rouge. The average joe switcher certainly isn't keen on the idea of driving an hour to test drive a Mac. (Nearest Official Apple store is 4 hours in Houston.)

We have a Best buy, I just hope ours starts to carry Macs. I might have to end my official boycott of all Best Buys. (I just don't like how they make you feel like your a criminal when you go in that place. And Customer Service reeks!) But if they have Macs I will go!!

(No offense to all of you Best Buy employees out there... :) I just wish you guys worked in our store. Last time I went I waited in line 45 minutes just to buy a phone. :eek: )

[Billicus]

Does anybody know how I could go about becoming the Apple Employee in my local Best Buy? Granted it's a little over a half hour away, I'd still be selling products I love and I wouldn't have to show off products that sucked either...:rolleyes: Anybody know how I'd do that?

[FriarTuck]

I was in a Best Buy today (Chicago - Ford City). It was like a flashback to the bad old days.

Three notebooks on display -- 12" PB, 15" PB, and 12" iBook. All of them locked into torture-device-like contraints that made it impossible to adjust the screen from its virtually unviewable position. All of them under the label "Sony."

One was running a screensaver, one was opened to an empty folder, and one was just showing a desktop. None of them had demo modes I could find anywhere, unlike the machines I've encountered at CompUSA.

A BB employee asked me if I needed assistance. I asked him if they were going to be getting an Apple rep anytime soon. The guy said, "I hope so. I don't know nothing about those things."

Thoroughly depressed, I didn't even bother looking for the Apple desktops.

The only question is: was it worse than having no Macs at all? I don't know. But without a Mac rep, it surely isn't good.

:(

[nslyax]

I can't tell you how excited I was to see this. I was reading the weekly specials on bestbuy.com at about 12:30 am and decided to search for apple products for the heck of it. All they listed at the time though was the 12" superdrive. Our nearest Apple Store is 200 miles from here, and the nearest authorized reseller about 125. Having macs available at our Best Buy just 3 miles away will be awesome.

[bretm]

Originally posted by bobindashadows
I'm just wondering...

Am I the only one who isn't very interested in this? I mean.. I could care less about Best Buy carrying Macs. I guess some people don't have retailers or apple stores nearby, but this doesn't really affect me in any way.

My 164.68 Irani Rials.

I was just wondering...

Am I the only one that is curious why you read macrumors? I mean... it doesn't affect you in any way.

Just razzing ya!

But since Best Buy is selling Macs cheaper than your Apple store (do you actually purchase stuff in the apple store? Ever heard of MacMall, MacWharehouse, ClubMac, etc.? You know, where they deliver it to your door the next day. Where you don't pay sales tax (don't steal sales tax) Where it's cheaper than Apple. Where they give you double ram and extra goodies?) I guess it does affect you. They also have 12 mo. same as cash loans and that sort of stuff. They also have a more liberal return policy than the apple store and it's restocking fee.

[bretm]

Originally posted by wowoah
Why isn't BestBuy selling the 1Ghz 15"? Isn't that version more popular than the 867MHz? Could it mean that Apple's running out of 1GHz's?

And that $150 rebate--everything points to Apple trying to liquidate PowerBook stock. The other question is when new models will replace them...:confused:

Given the choice, buy the 867. The 1 ghz will dang near burn your legs off, or set your wooden coffee table on fire. And don't bother taking it to bed with you to sit on the covers and overheat.

I know it's slow for games and video, but I'll take my nice cool 400mhz PB any day. Barely gets hot and the fan has only kicked on once or twice in it's lifetime.

[haaz]

This is probably because the program is just starting, but Macs are not advertised at all on the front page of the site or in their computer listings at the moment. I searched "notebooks" for Apple, which came up with the iBook and 12" PBG4, and there the pages had no picture of the machines. As I said, this is probably because the program is just starting. I hope they staff it with knowledgeable people rather than "no don't get a Mac they have no software" idjits!

[nagromme]

With a real Mac rep--good.

Without a rep--bad. If stores are stocking them now without an Apple rep, I don't get that.

I don't hear many recent complaints about CompUSA. I think people may be remembering some early missteps and not realizing how well a store-in-a-store can work. My CompUSA is a great Apple store. I don't even miss not having a real Apple Store.

Hopefully the early issues will be resolved and this can work as well at Best Buy as it does at CompUSA. It's a lot easier where I am to find a Best Buy!

[saint.duo]

Unfortunately, I still hear horror stories about our local CompUSA. I'm sure the same could be said about where I work (though I hope not).

It took them 5 weeks to replace a coworker's iBook keyboard under warranty, something that I could do in under 15 minutes. (he has the compusa warranty instead of applecare, due to a bundle he bought a few years ago)

[JBracy]

It sounds like Apple is using Best Buy as a liquidator. Just look at the items they have for sale - everything that is due for an update that Apple wants to clear out of the channel. No iMacs, only 1 iBook, no PowerMacs.

Just my 2¢

[ejb190]

I was at a Best Buy in Hobert, IN this weekend.

They had iMac's (15" & 17"), eMac's, one size of iBook (don't remember which one), 12" PB, 15" (1 Ghz) PB, PowerMac G4 (again, don't remember the speed, but it was single processor), 17" displays, Both types of Airport Cards and hubs, Keynote, Final Cut Express, Apple Works, and notebook batteries.

Didn't find the iPods, but than again I didn't find the MP3 Players.

I also didn't find any non-Apple software or anyone who knew anything about the Macs. I asked one guy if they had Microsoft Office X. I got a totally blank stare. I said, "You know. Office for Mac." He goes off on how Microsoft has never made anything for Mac. :rolleyes: We have a long way to go...

[BenRoethig]

Originally posted by Angelus520
The Best Buy here in Davenport, Iowa just started stocking them this weekend. My dad was out there on Friday night and said they have a PowerMac on display for $1299. Some ****head screwed up the CD drive doors, though, so they can't open. That's always nice.

I think it's great that they are going to stock them. I'm less than 3 hours from the Apple Stores in Chicago, but it's so much easier to drive 15 minutes across town to see something up close.

The American TV & Appliance store across the street from our Best Buy carried Macs for a while but their service was horrible and the sales crew never gave a damn about them, always steering people towards PCs. "Oh you don't want one of those. You can't get software for them." Hopefully the Best Buy here has Apple staff soon or it'll be the same way.
Do they have the 12" PBs in stock? I think about driving down there this week.

[trunksfujita]

when you click on them it says that they r no longer available. does anyone have an idea why?