Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Fun Mac Prank at Best Buy

SuperCompu2

SuperCompu2

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 23, 2006
852
1
MA
So.

Another MR user and I (Plymouthbreezer) were looking for a mini-DVI to VGA adapter at best buy, to learn they "stopped carrying them 2 months ago". So, we figured lets get a mini-DVI to DVI and a DVI to VGA instead.

Wrong. Doesn't fit.

In our dissapointed mood, we decided to lighten our spirits with some good old Apple fun. The new display of Macs was nice and tidy, but the staff knew surprisingly little about the machines, and while shopping we usually help out people with advanced questions. One staff member, however, decided he was the "Mac specialist" and knew everything about them. He is usually seen buzzing around, and constantly asks us if we need any help, because apparently Macs are harder to understand than Wintel boxes.

The fun begins.

We decided to test the knowledge of said Mac specialist, by going around the display and inverting the color of the screens with the CTRL+OPT+CMD+8 combination, and seeing how the staff handled it. Well, at this point we were just leaving with the mini DVI and VGA adapters that would end up not working, so PlymouthBreezer went back to return them. He walked in to find the entire computer dept. staff huddled around toying with system prefs not knowing how to correct it. Worth a good laugh indeed. PlymouthBreezer was in a rush, so he decided against giving them a hand, and also agaist potentially implicating himself in the prank.

One can only wonder how they will end up fixing them. (restart most likely)

tee hee, tee hee.
 
Eh, wasn't that great of a prank. I wouldn't know of known that shortcut. I knew it was possible through something in preferences though.
 
Well, I just get annoyed when the mac specialist brags about how he knows everything about them.

I'm sure they just restarted them and went on their merry ways. Not enough to divert any prospective buyers. Besides, the display is nearly always deserted anyhow.
 
VoodooDaddy said:
What exactly does CTRL+OPT+CMD+8 do and how do you reverse it?
Click to expand...

It inverts the screen colors (it's an accessibility tool). You reverse it by pressing the same command sequence again. You can see more in the Universal Access Sys Prefs pane.

I don't see anything particularly 1337 about this. One, everyone already knows the adapter trick you tried wouldn't work. Why did you expect it to? There are dozens of threads on the web about this already. Second, I agree with CanadaRAM regarding the bad taste in which I find the "prank."
 
I hate best buy with a passion, everything is overpriced, disorganized, dark, and its not laid out logically. There listed prices also differ from the prices that come up when scanned at the register- I've had it happen to me a couple times.

One time I went to buy the $40 apple in ear headphones. The price on them was $40 at the apple store, and $50 in the best buy store. I go up the service desk and show them the online price and they are like we don't match online prices. I was like, well you do match prices of stores in the surrounding area. She said the apple store was not in the area, but the apple store is right across the street in the mall. Finally I got my way and was able to rid myself of the $40 gift certificate I had.

Was this the Greendale Mall in Worcester. I will be somewhat ignorant and call it Wuster, not Wostahh or what ever you guys say.
 
CanadaRAM said:
$@^# people, grow up.
Click to expand...
It seems to me everyone has grown up a little too much to appreciate the lesser forms of humor.

C'mon. Best Buy's self proclaimed Mac guru, along with half the present staff, gets stumped by one of the oldest tricks in the book.

I guess I can maybe understand not finding it hilarious, but to those who said it was in bad taste... get real. Bad taste would be changing the desktop wallpaper to a nude man and then locking system preferences with some obscure password. Bad taste would be renaming the Home folder and forcing the staff to do a bunch of otherwise unnecessary work. Inverting the display colors and watching the staff scratch their heads like a bunch of confused apes... that's just funny! :D
 
A friends iMac wasn't ejecting a CD. It'd cause the system to lock up when booting too. So. We asked the staff at the Apple Store and nobody knew how to eject a CD on bootup :D
If memory serves it turns out you just hold the left mous button, and ping. It ejects the CD.
 
someguy said:
It seems to me everyone has grown up a little too much to appreciate the lesser forms of humor.

C'mon. Best Buy's self proclaimed Mac guru, along with half the present staff, gets stumped by one of the oldest tricks in the book.

I guess I can maybe understand not finding it hilarious, but to those who said it was in bad taste... get real. Bad taste would be changing the desktop wallpaper to a nude man and then locking system preferences with some obscure password. Bad taste would be renaming the Home folder and forcing the staff to do a bunch of otherwise unnecessary work. Inverting the display colors and watching the staff scratch their heads like a bunch of confused apes... that's just funny! :D
Click to expand...

I'm glad to see someone found even a slight bit of humor in it. If you were to ask anyone I know they would most definitely not classify me as immature in any way, but some things are just worth the reaction.

Did I lower Apple's marketshare in one fell swoop? not likely. It's likely I didn't affect anyone's decision to purchase an Apple computer from Best Buy, because frankly that's not the first place I'd look to buy one. I think it's time we all got off our high horses and opened our minds to humor. This stuck-up MR BS is getting old. Relax.

I'll applaud Best Buy, and even consider a future Apple purchase if they were clever enough to reverse the effects of my demonstration. It was, if anything, a test to see the competancy of the "knowledgable Apple guru" in the building, not a blatant attempt to raise the "Pee Cee" marketshare. It isn't far fetched to think I may have enlightened a few staff members to the world of Mac in the process. They would have had to explore system preferences, and utilize the interface to fix the problem.

If laughter is the best medicine, I think some people here are in need of a prescription.
 
someguy said:
It seems to me everyone has grown up a little too much to appreciate the lesser forms of humor.

C'mon. Best Buy's self proclaimed Mac guru, along with half the present staff, gets stumped by one of the oldest tricks in the book.
Click to expand...

Oldest trick in the book? I've been using Macs for 22 years, and I've never heard of that trick.
 
best buy is a fun place to mess around at. once i went with my brother, and he stayed at the front (behind where you can see the guy at the front that monitors all of the security cameras) and i went into the store and proceeded to act suspiciously. moments later my brother could see them zooming in on me being all suspicious. then we switch places. pretty fun game. just make sure the guy with the security camera doesn't see you when you're peepin his screen
 
SuperCompu2 said:
If laughter is the best medicine, I think some people here are in need of a prescription.
Click to expand...
At the risk of alienating myself, f*ck everyone else if they don't at least see (as opposed to agree with) the humor posed in this thread.

Considering it was at no ones expense and I think there was a hint of irony in there somewhere, I don't see how one could not find it funny, but we all have different senses of humor.

But to go one step further and say it was in bad taste, or even b*tch and moan that it may cause someone to buy a PC as opposed to a Mac (heaven f*cking forbid), is just plain moronic.

Learn to see the humor in things, as opposed to the negative (perceived or otherwise), and maybe fewer fun and carefree threads ads will turn into controversial and heated arguments. I can only imagine what life must be like for some of you people.

*prepares for yet more b*tching and complaing to further prove my point*

MovieCutter said:
Oldest trick in the book? I've been using Macs for 22 years, and I've never heard of that trick.
Click to expand...
That surprises me, especially considering how long you've been at MR. It's been mentioned once or twice... or like a hundred times.
 
Haha, I almost did that at a Fry's one time just for the hell of it, but then I changed them back because I'm too nice to leave 'em like that for no reason. :eek:

Nice prank! :D
 
Actually I "conned" my way into a discount with the same trick. (different store) I was buying a mouse and it was cheaper somewhere else. I was too lazy to drive over to that other place so I asked if they'd match the price. They refused. I walked over and hit the key command. The guy saw what I did. I said "I'll fix it if you give me the price that you should for this." He fiddled with the poor inverted G5 to no avail and finally agreed. After I paid I walked back over and "fixed" it. Twunts.


So it has some use ;) Also I use this command when browsing webpages with black backgrounds and white text. Bastids, that's just not on.
 
mkrishnan said:
It inverts the screen colors (it's an accessibility tool). You reverse it by pressing the same command sequence again. You can see more in the Universal Access Sys Prefs pane.
"
Click to expand...


Thats pretty cool. I didnt want to be pressing the sequence without knowing for sure how to undo it :) I should do that to my wifes macbook and watch her freak out :eek:
 
iBlue said:
Actually I "conned" my way into a discount with the same trick. (different store) I was buying a mouse and it was cheaper somewhere else. I was too lazy to drive over to that other place so I asked if they'd match the price. They refused. I walked over and hit the key command. The guy saw what I did. I said "I'll fix it if you give me the price that you should for this." He fiddled with the poor inverted G5 to no avail and finally agreed. After I paid I walked back over and "fixed" it. Twunts.


So it has some use ;) Also I use this command when browsing webpages with black backgrounds and white text. Bastids, that's just not on.
Click to expand...

How very cruel of you iBlue! :eek:







I approve of your method. :D :cool: :)
 
iBlue said:
Actually I "conned" my way into a discount with the same trick. (different store) I was buying a mouse and it was cheaper somewhere else. I was too lazy to drive over to that other place so I asked if they'd match the price. They refused. I walked over and hit the key command. The guy saw what I did. I said "I'll fix it if you give me the price that you should for this." He fiddled with the poor inverted G5 to no avail and finally agreed. After I paid I walked back over and "fixed" it. Twunts.


So it has some use ;) Also I use this command when browsing webpages with black backgrounds and white text. Bastids, that's just not on.
Click to expand...

THAT IS PRICELESS! I love it!

I probably won't be doing it again at this best buy though, I am a frequent visiter and they'd most likely associate me with trouble.
 
SuperCompu2 said:
THAT IS PRICELESS! I love it!

I probably won't be doing it again at this best buy though, I am a frequent visiter and they'd most likely associate me with trouble.
Click to expand...
I try to keep a low key at my local Best Buy. They already threw me out once because I almost got in a fight with this kid.

It actually wasn't my fault though. I was with my buddy and his little brother (14) and this guy was one of those wannabe "thugs". He had to be at least 20. He starts tryin' to pick a fight with the kid because apparently there was some eye contact or something...

Anyways we were face to face about 3 inches apart and I told him to take the first swing if he had it in him. Of course, he was all talk, so after 30 seconds or so, a small crowd started to gather and then we got thrown out.

My buddy bought me lunch for sticking up for his little bro', though, so it wasn't all bad! :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back