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Best Buy Mac Mini Followup

Eryan said:
I work on the Geek Squad at Best Buy and they sent us a packet that included a Putty Knife and Sandpaper.
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I'll file that under "PHRASES YOU LEAST EXPECTED TO EVER APPEAR IN MAC NEWS" :D
 
nagromme said:
I've had good experiences at CompUSA
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pardon? what?

i didn't think those two words belonged in the same sentence!

that's why i shop exclusively online when i'm in the states.... CompUSA = me :mad:
 
Superdrive said:
The articles attached say they started appearing this weekend. Other posters have said they wont get them in their stores til later in the week. I guess Apple must be shafting the less important places. :rolleyes:
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heh,

I guess we don't rate.. Too bad the Corporate Headquarters are only blocks away from this store, and I highly doubt that management at that location would understand what software will work with this Mini.

So.. for the stores that have Mini Macs, do they also have extra apple supported software? or do you have to go next door to Comp USA for your software needs??
 
plazmyd said:
What is it with Best Buy and ignorant computer 'experts'. I don't mean that as derogatory, but whenever Apple tries to sell computers from BB, the sales force is generally uninformed. I remember Performa (ugh) days and early iMac days (I think, maybe I am thinking of Sears). Anyhow, has anyone ever experienced 'knowledgable' service folk at a BB when it comes to Apple computers?
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Let's be realistic here. BB and most retailers have ignorant, apathetic and uncaring "sales" people. What do you expect? We demand the lowest prices and with that, comes low levels of service. With margins so tight in consumer electronics, so too are wages for sales help. Most BB salespeople are college kids that are there because they need money for Friday's beer bash. It's no better at Circuit City or the others.

These stores are not into service, they are into volume. They don't want their employees spending a half hour educating someone on what to buy. That would mean lost sales with customers coming in and being unable to get help. When I was a reseller in the 90's, our margins were 30-40%, we were happy to spend an hour with a customer as the return on our investment was substantial. Margins today are 10% or less, what do you expect?

That being said, I find it sad. I call it the Wal-Martization of America. Uneducated consumers (the vast majority of them) can only shop based on price, they don't know the right questions to ask. They don't research and end up buying wrong. Cheap is expensive in the long run.
 
rdowns said:
Let's be realistic here. BB and most retailers have ignorant, apathetic and uncaring "sales" people. What do you expect? We demand the lowest prices and with that, comes low levels of service. With margins so tight in consumer electronics, so too are wages for sales help. Most BB salespeople are college kids that are there because they need money for Friday's beer bash. It's no better at Circuit City or the others.

These stores are not into service, they are into volume. They don't want their employees spending a half hour educating someone on what to buy. That would mean lost sales with customers coming in and being unable to get help. When I was a reseller in the 90's, our margins were 30-40%, we were happy to spend an hour with a customer as the return on our investment was substantial. Margins today are 10% or less, what do you expect?

That being said, I find it sad. I call it the Wal-Martization of America. Uneducated consumers (the vast majority of them) can only shop based on price, they don't know the right questions to ask. They don't research and end up buying wrong. Cheap is expensive in the long run.
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I agree with you. I, too, find this trend saddening - too many people are buying products that aren't well suited to their needs, at least when it comes to computers.
 
Hey there, watch the BBY bashing, we don't all suck. Hell, most of the guys I work with recommend Apple anyway, and most of our techs are going to be first on the list to pick up the mini's. We may be in the minority, but in my department, we know our ****, be it PC or Mac. Besides, given the demand and the interest I've seen from people coming through, combined with the economics of the package and the slick design, I don't think there's going to be a problem selling the Mini's, even without our generous intervention...

Seriously though - I'm sorry if you've had a bad experience at your store, but we're not all beer-guzzling f*cktards, and if you don't think we're going to sell the **** out of the mini's, look at how many people have eMachines. :rolleyes:
 
How is it really working in the tech department at Best Buy? I'm thinking about getting a job at a location.
I'd like to get back into the world of retail. I miss the variety of people you meet in the day; the people you can help. Of course the hot women. And of course the ******s as well.
 
I'm not actually in the tech area, I'm sales. The biggest problem, like any retail environment, is the customers (though I am in southern CA - the epicenter of pretentious self-image). The job itself isn't bad, the pay is decent (don't settle for any less than $10/hr for sales, $11-12 for tech), the benefits are pretty damn good, and usually the crew is pretty good too. The only wild card is the managers in whichever store you chose, and the only drawback until now was the lack of Apple products. The discount is badass though - I'll never pay $25 for a USB cable again...

It's also a GREAT place to make connections and network - 95% of my side work has come from customers at Best Buy...

(Store 101, fwiw)
 
Best Buy Soho NY...

....is opening on April 8th. I'll scout out their Apple dept. which is only two blocks from Apple Soho! I'm hoping they have a liberal retun policy so I can try out lots of high tech goodies before ordering them with my Amazon Prime account! hehe
 
Not Bashing Best Buy.. I have been a customer of store #1 since I was 12, and like the company as much as the other MN based Target corporation.

It is the attitudes of some (not all) of the sales associates that I dont agree with. I often avoid them, go in and buy what I need, and get out as quickly as possible.

Living near the corporate HQ, I also have lots of friends with "employee" discounts available, for my not too often large item buy.
 
Software?

It's been mentioned once before on this thread, but what about the software? If I go in to buy a Mac Mini, it "might" occur to me that I'm going to have replace Quicken, and Office (if I have that and an urge to continue purchasing Microsoft software) and maybe a game title or two. And suddenly, I can't find anything.

I like that folks will be exposed to Mac Minis, but the reason the iPod does so well at Best Buy is that it is fully integrated into anything else Best Buy offers (the PCs they sell and the CDs they offer can all be used with your newly purchased iPod). But a Mac Mini? Well, the peripherals will by and large work just fine (printer, keyboard, etc.) provided you mind the connector. But software? Macs come with a lot of excellent software by default, but if I want specific titles... well, I'm SOL.
 
The mac minis will be in the April 10th ad, best buy is going to be dumping some money into the mac minis, they have released several training docs and will also be selling the bluetooth boards and airport extreme cards for them, install will be in store at the Geek Squad, and yes as already posted they did send a putty knife and sand paper. Our store here in the Tampa Bay area has had the mini on display for almost a week now (only one they sent so far was the 1.4 80g) we will be selling software with them as well as memory and hard drive upgrades. Personally I have converted a few folks just by using expose' and talking to them about the major lack of spyware and viruses (which makes up about 90% of our Geek Squads work load).

I cannot speak for other Best Buy stores but personally the one I work at most of the tech and sales dept gets together every sunday for a local linux users group with some war driving and the few mac nuts in our store usually do something crazy, last week we dropped a seagate 100g hd into my 12" powerbook and this sunday ones going in my iBook :-D I know there are stores out there with more than lack luster sales and service staff but dont judge all of us just because we wear a blue shirt.
 
Superdrive said:
Yeah right. Best Buy sucks exactly for those reasons? Get real. The local Best Buy has a Mac Mini with Apple Keyboard and Mouse. Running OS 10.3.8 and a variety of sample iLife projects.

Why should Apple not sell at Best Buy? Having their own people there would cost more than a blue shirt, which Apple doesn't pay for. Why would someone interested in a $499 Mac mini need to get literature about a $2k Mac? I don't think you understand the purpose of the retail world and the Mac mini.
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The only reason I said that is because of past experiences and of what ppl have already said. I myself am from the Anoka area, but am up in Duluth for school. I'm very very glad to hear what you have said. Did they have an apple Cinema HD LCD by any chance? that would just put the icing on the cake. Also which one in near minneapolis is it in? I guess i'm used to my run down Northtown BB or Coon Rapids one where they are jerks sometimes. But still.. i dont think it would be dumb to have literature. I was just afraid without proper representation that mini wouldn't sell and i am still afraid of the biased BB computer ppl.

P.S. to the guy wondering about BB selling iBooks, they have been selling them on their website for quite some time now.. year+ safely to say. You can't find it unless you type "Apple" in the search box.
 
They're in Toronto's BB's

Saw a mini in Best Buy on the weekend here in Toronto. And in classic Best Buy salesmanship, it's just sitting on a shelf with a Sony monitor and PC keyboard/mouse. You can barely see the mini stuck behind the price sign stand. It's not with the other apple gear they sell (which is a pretty pathetic collection of sales price cards with almost no hardware on display).

Unfortunately I can't see a prospective buyer even noticing it there and certainly the reps at BB have no knowledge whatsoever to sell them.

And retailers complain about Apple opening their own stores... :confused:
 
GDBone said:
The mac minis will be in the April 10th ad, best buy is going to be dumping some money into the mac minis, they have released several training docs and will also be selling the bluetooth boards and airport extreme cards for them, install will be in store at the Geek Squad, and yes as already posted they did send a putty knife and sand paper. Our store here in the Tampa Bay area has had the mini on display for almost a week now (only one they sent so far was the 1.4 80g) we will be selling software with them as well as memory and hard drive upgrades. Personally I have converted a few folks just by using expose' and talking to them about the major lack of spyware and viruses (which makes up about 90% of our Geek Squads work load).

I cannot speak for other Best Buy stores but personally the one I work at most of the tech and sales dept gets together every sunday for a local linux users group with some war driving and the few mac nuts in our store usually do something crazy, last week we dropped a seagate 100g hd into my 12" powerbook and this sunday ones going in my iBook :-D I know there are stores out there with more than lack luster sales and service staff but dont judge all of us just because we wear a blue shirt.
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Not sure about the nation wide Geek squad, but I have worked with the Ur Geek squad (original) based off of Broadway AVE in Minnneapolis (from 1998). They assisted the company I once worked for with supporting one of my client's macintosh networks, and systems.

At the time (Before the Best Buy buyout) they were great with Macintosh Hardware and software. I recommended the Geek Squad to our other Macintosh customers upto my last day with that company. Now that they are national, I hope, that they have retained the same level of understanding.

If the same level of understanding that the original geeks had washed into the Best buy sales staff, I would easily be comfortable buying new apple computers at Best Buy.
 
cxny said:
....is opening on April 8th. I'll scout out their Apple dept. which is only two blocks from Apple Soho! I'm hoping they have a liberal retun policy so I can try out lots of high tech goodies before ordering them with my Amazon Prime account! hehe
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Just what we need, more jerks trying to beat the system and raising prices for us all.
 
Mac mini at Best Buy online

Yes, it is on the Best Buy site, and looks as good as ever. But if you click on the link "Three Software Titles for $49.98 Offer" that sits next to the listing, you will be directed to a list of about 20 software titles in three categories, 19 of which are Windows-only, and one of which is Windows/Mac. If they do the same in the retail stores, who's going to buy? Anybody who is already up to speed on the Mac will probably buy at a more Mac-friendly place (if they have one in the area), so this is really for the potential switchers, "halo" or otherwise. Those people will look at the mini, see that one of the stereotypes (too expensive) is no longer true, and start to consider making the leap. Then they'll look for some software, see a couple of cross-platform titles buried in the hundreds of Windows titles, and that will reinforce their other stereotype (no software). They'll go back to looking at the $400 cheapo PC boxes thinking "I knew there was a reason I won't buy a Mac. If Best Buy doesn't increase their Mac software selection, it'll be worse than just not stocking any Macs, because these people will feel that they gave Apple a chance to prove them wrong, and now feel that they know the state of the Mac platform. They'll not think about switching for several more years.
 
Off topic, but since there seemed to be a couple of BB employees in here...

I've been thinking of getting a job at Best Buy this summer and was wondering what sort of requirements there are for both computer sales and for tech. I have an MCP (working on MCSE) and could take A+ easily enough, would that get me a tech job? Also, with this latest news could my Mac knowledge (no certs though...) help me get a sales or tech job?
 
I decided to check this rumor out and ordered one for pick ut my local Salt Lake City Utah store and sure enough I am picking one up this afternoon. Usually I order from applestore online since we don't have any local Apple Store's yet. I will see how the display is set up at the one near me. :)
 
barnett25 said:
Off topic, but since there seemed to be a couple of BB employees in here...

I've been thinking of getting a job at Best Buy this summer and was wondering what sort of requirements there are for both computer sales and for tech. I have an MCP (working on MCSE) and could take A+ easily enough, would that get me a tech job? Also, with this latest news could my Mac knowledge (no certs though...) help me get a sales or tech job?
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While certs are nice, they are not needed, you have to remember this is basically a typical retail part time/full time job, sales usually start at $9 an hr (depending on area) with service usually starting at $12. the only real requirement is 18 years or older. That being said its not a bad job for summer or school (Im still in college and this affords me more time for that then when I was a BSA with only a 10k a year pay cut and alot less stress) plus the discount certainly is nice on most things, I really cant pay retail prices for usb cables again
 
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