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Wal-Mart Selling iPod Minis
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iPod at Costco too
I'm not sure if you posted a story about this already but I just saw the HP iPod at Costco this past Sunday, everyone seems to be jumping on the bandwagon.
I'm not sure if you posted a story about this already but I just saw the HP iPod at Costco this past Sunday, everyone seems to be jumping on the bandwagon.
One of the best things I can see about buying an Apple product at Wal-Mart, either an iPod or Mac Mini, is their return policy. Wal-Mart will take ANYTHING back, usually without a reciept. So if you have a problem with it, take it back and get a new one on the spot. No waiting for repairs, shipping to Apple or driving to Apple store. Just take it to the customer service desk, tell them you just bought it a week ago and that it it broken. If they ask for a receipt, you left it at home. I can see this being a good thing from this aspect. 
Toe said:
Yes they still sell Macs and in fact they sold 26% more Macs then they did in the same quarter last year and in fact last quarter was one of the highest unit volume Mac quarters in a long time. Mac sales had been hovering at lower level not showing much of an up trend at all be fore last quarter.
That quarter was before the Mac mini existed.
gekko513 said:happy and not broke, don't care about famous or unknown
I'll bet you that 560 billionaires in the world are not any happier than people earning the bottom 20% of income. Actually, its not a bet, but fundamental human nature. Also well-known celebrities are never happy, as Belushi, Prestley, or even Marilyn Monroe or Cobain can attest to.
I dissagree. I think they have a reputation for selling stuff we need every day at the lowest price in town. You don't see any of the Movie studios pulling their DVDs & Videos because they don't want to have their movies "tarnished" by association. As someone said in an early WM thread, if you have an ipod, nobody knows (nor cares) where you got it. They just know it's cool and that you have one.Paul O'Keefe said:
Now if Apple started selling WalMart-branded ipods, THEN I'd have a problem.
It's "fundamental human nature" that billions of dollars and fame makes a person unhappy? I'm not saying that money buys happiness -- contentment comes from within. But I've known plenty of unhappy, suicidal broke mother-f'ers in my time, too.Lacero said:
swingerofbirch
macrumors 68040
Lacero said:
Aristotle and many other philosophers have stated everything people do is to the end of being happy, even acts that appear selfless. I think people want more money to feel safer and more secure and to be able to surround themselves with security. And I think people want to feel secure to feel happy.
But then the question is, when people attain riches, are they really happier? And the answers are mixed. For me personally I still FEEL like being rich would allow me to relax. But I am not sure. Perhaps it's an illusion that I believe I am not rich. I live in a house. I eat. i have accesss to a computer. So what is missing? On first glance a lot more material posessions. On second glance I am missing love from my family. I miss security from my family. So perhaps people llike me would never be happier with more money because we would still lack what we reallly want. Or perhaps we have subconscious illusions that IF ONLY i had money I could solve those other problems and make my family love me.
What were we talking about again?
when i told my girlfriend about this (shes a mac convert thanks to me) she replied "wow, if thats true, i just lost a lot of respect for apple."
i would have to agree
i would have to agree
swissmann said:
Actually, if I was about to drop 3 grand on a computer, I would have done enough research on the computer before walking into the store to not need a sales rep. Before I bought a new car last year I did the same thing, because we all know how truthful salesman can be when selling expensive items
I'm laughing right now, because I was in WalMart last week where a lady, looking like Mrs. Roper from "Three's Company" was in front of me at the customer service desk...she was returning an electric griddle...no box, no receipt, heavily used, in fact, the drip catcher on the underside looked as though it was still full of Bacon fat. She received a new one on the spot.rtdgoldfish said:One of the best things I can see about buying an Apple product at Wal-Mart, either an iPod or Mac Mini, is their return policy. Wal-Mart will take ANYTHING back, usually without a reciept. So if you have a problem with it, take it back and get a new one on the spot. No waiting for repairs, shipping to Apple or driving to Apple store. Just take it to the customer service desk, tell them you just bought it a week ago and that it it broken. If they ask for a receipt, you left it at home. I can see this being a good thing from this aspect.
Good point "g"fish, although I would think that they might have to be a bit more rigid with their return policy for an item costing 15x an electric griddle.
happiness
nobel prize winner Daniel Kahnemann has done much research regarding the relationship betweein income and happinness. I heard him speak a couple years ago, from what I remember (don't quote me on this)...
Turns out your happiness depends on how you view money. If you value money highly and you make very little money, then you tend to be less happy compared to someone who values money less and makes that same amount. Furthermore, if you make a relatively high income, your happiness will be higher regardless of how you view money. However, that happiness does indeed level off once you reach a certain income, so the saying "money doesn't buy happiness" is only half the story.
nobel prize winner Daniel Kahnemann has done much research regarding the relationship betweein income and happinness. I heard him speak a couple years ago, from what I remember (don't quote me on this)...
Turns out your happiness depends on how you view money. If you value money highly and you make very little money, then you tend to be less happy compared to someone who values money less and makes that same amount. Furthermore, if you make a relatively high income, your happiness will be higher regardless of how you view money. However, that happiness does indeed level off once you reach a certain income, so the saying "money doesn't buy happiness" is only half the story.
revjay said:
Yeah, I think Apple would make them alter their return policy a bit. Because AFAIK, the way it is with Wal-Mart, at least at Target where I work is anything that's returned gets sent back to the manufacturer and Target gets their money back for it so they don't care what they take back since the store will get reimbursed by the manufacturer. But if Apple starts getting a ton of "broken" mini's back, especially right after Apple upgrades them to a larger capacity, I think they'll be telling Wal-Mart to be a bit more strict
I just mean that to listen to Apple's ads and promotions, the Mac exists simply as an overpriced iPod accessory.shawnce said:
I HOPE that this intrusion into Wal-Mart is just a foot in the door, and that they plan to get the Mac mini in there next.
All this iPod stuff is great for Apple, but they seem to be forgetting that they sell the best computer systems on the market. Wouldn't it be nice if they told the Superbowl audience that the Mac is a good computer? Or are they just going to have writhing iPod-bodies? Or nothing?
Sigh.
I can remember Apple annpuncing 'Computers for the rest of us'. I must have somehow missed the time they ran the campaign 'Elitist products for the chosen few'
Walmart sell millions of computers and music players.
Is it better that their customers have the opportunity to buy Apple, or would it be better if they spent their money on rival brands ?
Walmart sell millions of computers and music players.
Is it better that their customers have the opportunity to buy Apple, or would it be better if they spent their money on rival brands ?
hmm its another location to pickup apple based products dont see a problem with it u cant convert everyone into buying apple based stuff....
Some people claim that this is a bad thing some claim it to be a good thing ill just claim its one more spot were i can go buy somthing that i as a fan a user and regular abuser of apples hardware can go and get the gear that i need mind u asda walmart is a bit of a drive from me at the moment lmao
Some people claim that this is a bad thing some claim it to be a good thing ill just claim its one more spot were i can go buy somthing that i as a fan a user and regular abuser of apples hardware can go and get the gear that i need mind u asda walmart is a bit of a drive from me at the moment lmao
Toe said:
You are missing the whole point of the iPod...
Apple for years attempted to get folks to buy their Mac systems by advertising how good and simple a computer that a Mac is (even Superbowl ads), it didn't have a hell of a lot of effect in the long run out side of Apple's existing customer base.
The iPod is about not just making money but getting whole new customers used to the Apple brand and see for themselves that it stands for quality, easy of use, and refinement. The iPod, iTMS, and iTunes are a good example of this and they have been very successful in grabbing new customers and a huge mind share (and the appear to have much momentum left in them as well).
For one consider that Apple is now the #1 recognized brand in the whole world.
As a result more people then likely ever before in Apple's history known of their current computer line and far number of those are actually considering switching to use a Mac as their computer. In fact based on some surveys (before Mac mini) the iPod halo effect could increase Mac unit sales by 10-20% per quarter without a huge stretch of market factors.
The Mac mini is the next step in bringing new customer into the mix by lower one of the most talked about barriers by customers the have been coming into the Apple story to buy an iPod. The whole price point and BYODKM concept it targeted at folks that want an inexpensive aka low risk way to try out a Mac. The iPod mind share has allowed this to be a viable avenue for Apple and no amount of traditional marketing of their computer line would have set the stage as things are now set.
So if you think Apple sees the Mac only as an iPod accessory you are missing what Apple is really trying to do.
Anyway I expect the Mac mini to show up in Walmart once Walmart detects the trend, which I expect to not be that far down the road. Note Walmart demands huge concessions from it suppliers so don't expect Apple to have much of a margin on items sold via the Walmart channel but they could have large unit volumes. It really comes down to Walmart bean counters and computers thinking they see volume sales... the iPod obviously has that already, lets hope the Mac mini does as well or looks like it will from the POV of Walmart.
What I would like to see is ONE model of laptop be in Wal-Mart.
Perhaps the mid-range iBook or Powerbook WITH the double memory upgrade and the best available optical disc.
Viral marketing
Rocketman
Perhaps the mid-range iBook or Powerbook WITH the double memory upgrade and the best available optical disc.
Viral marketing
Rocketman