Office Depot and Apple

[MacBytes]

Category: Apple Hardware
Link: Apple products now available at Office Depot
Posted on MacBytes.com

Approved by Mudbug

[yamabushi]

Great news. I hope Office Depot encourages their use for business tasks.

[macridah]

Cool. Office depot always has comes out with online coupons. But the real news is that Apple is starting to have more partners.

[Frozone]

Is this an online only deal or are they going to be put into stores? Hopefully they'll be put into stores so I don't have to drive about 35 miles to Tallahassee for Apple stuff.

[nagromme]

Looks like the full Apple lineup, not just the low-end stuff.

If it's in-store as well, I hope it works out as well as CompUSA became. My CompUSA is an great and knowledgeable Apple source. Store-within-a-store seems to work well there.

[Frozone]

Originally Posted by nagromme

Looks like the full Apple lineup, not just the low-end stuff.

If it's in-store as well, I hope it works out as well as CompUSA became. My CompUSA is an great and knowledgeable Apple source. Store-within-a-store seems to work well there.

Except they don't have the new Displays.

[Mudbug]

well, actually looking at the offered products, most are a revision behind:
Power Macs 1.6, 1.8 & dual 2.0, still offering the iMacs, although the powerbooks are up to speed.

I see this as a key move for Apple in the business sector, especially with small businesses. Office Depot is pretty much a small business one-stop-shop, and if they're offering Apple machines offered with the ease of purchase with an Office Depot low-apr credit line, this is a really good thing.

[mainstreetmark]

Yeah, if this is true, it'd make it the only place to look at a Mac for sale within 50 miles of me.

Look at that old fashioned looking half-dome with display iMac. How archaic. How out of date.

[scottwat]

If you really want to move in the business sector it would be great to move revision behind or refurb merchendise at lower prices. Also would be a great place to sell the eMac. You could use your business line of credit and see the difference at the store.
Also a key to partnered retail sucess is keeping the pipple faced jerk off selling the apples from bashing them while they sell them. Sure they like window's they have just downloaded every piece of software they need illegally. Not really an option in business.

[sinisterdesign]

Originally Posted by Mudbug

I see this as a key move for Apple in the business sector, especially with small businesses...

yes, thank god. i work at another not-so-small business that has the word "Depot" in the name and Office Depot is our office products supplier. up until now it's been a HUGE pain in the butt to order ANYTHING for my Macs b/c our purchasing dept only stocks PC stuff (you wouldn't believe the uphill battle i fought to order 3 G5's and associated software).

maybe, just maybe i can now order such exotic items as Mac software and RAM w/o getting permission from 3 dept heads, signoff from a VP and a written letter from my mom.

[bousozoku]

Originally Posted by nagromme

Looks like the full Apple lineup, not just the low-end stuff.

If it's in-store as well, I hope it works out as well as CompUSA became. My CompUSA is an great and knowledgeable Apple source. Store-within-a-store seems to work well there.

I missed them when i was in an Office Depot store yesterday. It does take them time to do things but it would be nice to see something other than HP machines offered.

[OhEsTen]

I really hope not, but I can't help but think how this all could turn into another Be$t Buy/Circuit City fiasco.

Remember going into those stores to check out Macs and having some pencil necked butthole try to talk you out of buying one. On a couple of occasions, I had gone into those stores to try and "test" out the salesman knowledge of their offered products - and guess what "Apple isn't going to be around much longer, Macs are slower, and they don't make any software for them."

This is the kind of crap that hurts Apple. As long as there are KNOWLEDGEABLE sales staff to actually ENCOURAGE people to buy their products this won't work. Apple eventually stopped selling through the BB/CC chains. I'm not clear who's fault that was, but it didn't help sales all that much.

I am faithful though. I do hope this works.

[scottwat]

Originally Posted by OhEsTen

I really hope not, but I can't help but think how this all could turn into another Be$t Buy/Circuit City fiasco.

Remember going into those stores to check out Macs and having some pencil necked butthole try to talk you out of buying one. On a couple of occasions, I had gone into those stores to try and "test" out the salesman knowledge of their offered products - and guess what "Apple isn't going to be around much longer, Macs are slower, and they don't make any software for them."

This is the kind of crap that hurts Apple. As long as there are KNOWLEDGEABLE sales staff to actually ENCOURAGE people to buy their products this won't work. Apple eventually stopped selling through the BB/CC chains. I'm not clear who's fault that was, but it didn't help sales all that much.

I am faithful though. I do hope this works.

Maybe it is up to us loyal mac users to keep this kind of thing from happening. What I propose is regularly stopping in and "shopping" for a new mac. If the twit that is helping you bad mouths the mac's let the store manager know. Maybe even try to find an apple contact to alert. I really doubt either the manager or Apple would take kindly to this. I know it's kind of harsh, but it isn't really the twits place to bash apple, especially when they are partnered with Apple.

[bousozoku]

Originally Posted by OhEsTen

I really hope not, but I can't help but think how this all could turn into another Be$t Buy/Circuit City fiasco.

Remember going into those stores to check out Macs and having some pencil necked butthole try to talk you out of buying one. On a couple of occasions, I had gone into those stores to try and "test" out the salesman knowledge of their offered products - and guess what "Apple isn't going to be around much longer, Macs are slower, and they don't make any software for them."

This is the kind of crap that hurts Apple. As long as there are KNOWLEDGEABLE sales staff to actually ENCOURAGE people to buy their products this won't work. Apple eventually stopped selling through the BB/CC chains. I'm not clear who's fault that was, but it didn't help sales all that much.

I am faithful though. I do hope this works.

It almost sounds as if they saw the narrow-minded Mac user coming and decided to have some fun with him.

Playing games doesn't help. Why not calm down and let them do what they're supposed to do? Besides, Office Depot stores don't have that many people working for them--knowledgeable or otherwise.

[shamino]

Originally Posted by OhEsTen

I really hope not, but I can't help but think how this all could turn into another Be$t Buy/Circuit City fiasco.

Remember going into those stores to check out Macs and having some pencil necked butthole try to talk you out of buying one. On a couple of occasions, I had gone into those stores to try and "test" out the salesman knowledge of their offered products - and guess what "Apple isn't going to be around much longer, Macs are slower, and they don't make any software for them."

Whenever I go into an Office Depot, there usually isn't any staff around to say anything in the first place. So unless you think the shelf tags will say "go buy a PC", this shouldn't be a problem.

[ClimbingTheLog]

Originally Posted by OhEsTen

As long as there are KNOWLEDGEABLE sales staff to actually ENCOURAGE people to buy their products this won't work.

You do realize what they pay those people, right?

[eric_n_dfw]

Interestingly, the site says they have 15" iMac's in stock.

[GFLPraxis]

Whoo! The nearest Apple Reseller to me is CompUSA, halfway across town. Office Depot is MUCH nearer, and the only PC's they sell are cheap crappy Wintels for $400.

Though they do have some nice business card paper.

[brooklyn]

Will they offer educational discounts at Office-Depot? I had a BestBuy Two blocks away from me but I would always drive 4 miles to the Apple store to take advantage of the discount.

[itsa]

Originally Posted by MacBytes

Category: Apple Hardware
Link: Apple products now available at Office Depot
Posted on MacBytes.com

Approved by Mudbug

One more strike!! My local Home Depot said they wont be carring the apple line. BOOOOO
Still internet only here!

[Frozone]

Originally Posted by itsa

One more strike!! My local Home Depot said they wont be carring the apple line. BOOOOO
Still internet only here!

Why would Home Depot carry Apple products? Or was it just an error and meant to be Office instead of Home?

[peharri]

Originally Posted by itsa

One more strike!! My local Home Depot said they wont be carring the apple line. BOOOOO
Still internet only here!

(my emphasis - peharri)

You think that's bad, down here the Apple Store doesn't sell screwdrivers and two-by-fours!

[datafatmunger]

Anybody see this on slashdot today:

http://slashdot.org/articles/04/07/1....shtml?tid=137

Combined with:

http://www.businessweek.com/technolo...9932_tc056.htm

It would be nice to trade in my G4 powerbook for G5 powerbook (whenever that happens). . .heh

[JJTiger1]

Originally Posted by peharri

(my emphasis - peharri)

You think that's bad, down here the Apple Store doesn't sell screwdrivers and two-by-fours!

All of you got it right:
The Apple Store does not sell produce: fruits and vegetables.
Office Depot does not sell offices: a cube in the corner with windows.
Home Depot does not sell homes: a ranch in a cove, close to shopping.
=-=
It's up to the operator to put the top up and keep the rain out. Guess who got caught in a thunderstorm without the side panel-curtains?
=-=
JJ

[paulypants]

According to Apple there are NO plans in place at this time to carry Apple CPUs in Office Depot stores -- only on the web.

Listen to the Q3 Webcast...