Apple Enterprise in Australia

[lloydgrey]

Incidentally, what's wrong with retail?
Retail is where it's at when it comes to increasing the number of Mac users out there.

Pro-focus is good and all, but these sales are sporadic, and difficult to achieve in the number of Mac 'seats' deployed.

Did you know? Patrick Steveadores (the chaps that load and unload containers at Australia's major docks and ports) automate everything with Macs. Large scale unloading of cargo ships is difficult and dangerous, so Patrick uses Macs to automate the processes, all housed and managed from their control towers.
And we're not talking beige G3s, either, but Power Mac G4s with dual 23" Cinema Displays.
Lucky bastards.

 

[hasapi]

Originally posted by lloydgrey
Incidentally, what's wrong with retail?
Retail is where it's at when it comes to increasing the number of Mac users out there.

Seriously, your posts are going from dumb to dumber!

Firstly, there is nothing wrong with retail, but i would be happy to repeat myself s l o w l y for you. Nextbyte business was at the time and still is RETAIL - at the time of Buzzle, Nextbyte's profitability was very poor, Apple's words not mine. The auditor also found this and due to its lack of penetration into anything value add, its valuation was assessed accordingly. GM Computer, Designwyse and to a lessor extent Choice had strong Value Add (Service, Major Accounts, Publishing, Film, Television, Audio and Photography) businesses with strong profitability that the share market would appreciate.

Secondly, Nextbyte rightly objected to the valuation process only after it found that Macs Place was indeed insolvent, hardly an endorsement for the auditor (which just happened to be Arthur Anderson - remember them!).

But because at that time they (Nextbyte) were in charge of the operations level of Buzzle, their egos did not reconcile with reality, so they attempted to hijack the entire company, by arbitrarily proposing a new structure, much to the dismay of the rest of the directors.

And lastly, when you have over 300 staff across 4 states, revenues in excess of $12m per month, and you have a situation whereby the system from day one, did not process securely transactions, and even much worse there was no visibility into its financial position, meant the directors could not reduce its cost base in accordance with the decline in revenues brought about by an industry wide phenomena.

And by the way, just because Scott Thompson is a poor businessman does not mean he isnt a good salesman, Macs Place was profitable (the money went to Scotts elitist lifestyle), If Tim Kleeman is a sales god then why has he been the PURCHASING officer for Nextbyte for over 5 years now. Get a grip and stop smoking that stuff, its likely to have long term effects on you.

Anyway, im now finding you boring, enjoy the white powder, moron!

 

[lloydgrey]

Gosh, master hasapi, you seem like quite an authority.
I take it all back.

Now, master, do share with us how you came across such wisdom!

(incidentally, don't you think name-calling and allegating drug use is a little below your level? not the actions of someone so wise as yourself...)

 

[Telomar]

Re: canberra experience

Originally posted by ipman
I don't know if the people behind the AppleCentre at ANUTech in Canberra (AppleCentre Canberra City) are Mac1, but they are absolutely awful at service.

I took my iPod remote in, the sheath had broken after two weeks of normal use. They first made a big fuss over whether they could do anything. Finally they said they'd take a photo, send it to Apple and see what happened. I called two weeks later, they said "Oh yeah, come in and get it, it's been done for ages": gee, thanks for telling me!

They'd essentially super-glued it back on, and there was a note on the service form that said "Don't pull out by cord, hold the plug to remove from socket!!" How frickin' rude! So I called Apple and they said take it to another mac shop.

Regarding Apple Australia in general, they seem to be pretty bloody apathetic, though I did get my pod pretty quickly =)

Interestingly enough I've had that same problem with mine. Took around a month then the coverings came loose. I've been wondering if it'd be covered by warranty because it certainly appears to be poorly manufactured (just that part) but haven't had time to check so thanks for letting me know they do cover that.

Apple Australia is just generally poorly managed from what I've seen. Whether that goes all the way to the top I don't know but certainly some of their lower level management are quite poor and that's normally a sign the senior management aren't doing their jobs properly either.

 

[hasapi]

Originally posted by lloydgrey
Gosh, master hasapi, you seem like quite an authority.
I take it all back.

Now, master, do share with us how you came across such wisdom!

(incidentally, don't you think name-calling and allegating drug use is a little below your level? not the actions of someone so wise as yourself...)

I apologise for accusing you of being under some external influence, I mastakingly assumed you had some intelligence, to you I might be a master, to others that inspire me im just an ant, you my friend are a single cell organism! evolve!

 

[edStar]

Hi LloydGrey I read Macworld Australia religiously. Its the only magazine I feel is worth buying and I have been following the reseller columns with some interest. I remember reading an issue where 'paper shredding' allegations were made... or rather that fact was alluded to?? Then the next issue those comments were withdrawn. I think Matthew may have your head if he sees your posts, but who cares! I found them all quite informative :>

I'll admit, I'm new to the mac; made the switch just over two months ago so I was ignorant to what was going on. But its quite fascinating and I wish Apple products would get more exposure in highly visible areas. I shop at a local shopping mall and the Apple Centre is small but its fantastic. The service is great, and the saleslady got me absolutely hooked on the idea of owning a mac. They have an imac outside and everyone looks and admires. You even here people going "is that a computer??" and other interesting comments.

Well, I don't have much more to add - except I wish they would do some more advertising too. Billboards... mebe a bit usless but TV ads definately would be a good way to entice the windows dissatisfied. Also with Apple's ads, as much I love them I really wish they would show off the ease of OS X, the ease of setting up a mac. I think that's what hooks most people, its how intutive everything is.

 

[MyLeftNut]

I agree Edstar. Perhaps though it is more the mothership operations in Cupertino that should be doing this (and Im sure there is a thread regarding this somewhere). Apple OZ doesnt have the resources to do that sort of a campaign I would presume.

Pricing here is still the main issue...and the stigma of a lack of software titles (games mainly) which hold apple back...it'll happen (I hope it will)..

 

[bystem]

Just as an aside, unfortunately the AppleCentre in Albury (on the NSW/Vic border) has closed. True, Albury is a relatively small market for Apple and the centre's closure not as damaging as the Buzzle affair. Yet there are many schools and small businesses that depend on this physical link with Apple.

Apple needs to better coordinate it's marketing network. Perhaps opening their own stores is the appropriate path. This gives them control of the marketing network. Perhaps a better, more integrative partnership with its resellers.

Any opinions?

 

[ozziemac]

I too enjoy the reseller column. I also like the help pages and the digital hub stuff.

Seems that hasapi is one bitter little boy who has decided he doesn't get enough attention.