WalMart To Sell iPod Shuffle?

[hulugu]

...
I would go on, but this is likely falling on deaf ears, though I am glad to see at least some people on this forum who seem that they would understand what I am getting at.

I think this is astroturf, the first post by a newbie on MacRumors is a post defending Walmart. Second, using a PR website as a reference is—let's just say—not impressive.
Third, you arguments are similar to those echoed by Walmart's CEO as referenced in this article from Slate.
And if this indeed astroturf, placing prices to increase traffic to the Walmart website is deceitful at best. This is a public forum, if you want advertising, buy some.

 

[wdlove]

Having more opportunities to sell and iPod, sounds like a good thing. Most important is that Apple can keep up with supplies.

 

[Munimula]

rebuttal

I think this is astroturf, the first post by a newbie on MacRumors is a post defending Walmart. Second, using a PR website as a reference is—let's just say—not impressive.
Third, you arguments are similar to those echoed by Walmart's CEO as referenced in this article from Slate.
And if this indeed astroturf, placing prices to increase traffic to the Walmart website is deceitful at best. This is a public forum, if you want advertising, buy some.

I don't know who 'astroturf' is. This is my first post to this forum, though. Not because I am a 'newbie' by any means. I have been a regular visitor to this site for qute a while, I have only now seen a thread that I felt warranted another opinion, so I registered simply to post my comment. If this is how people are generally treated on this forum (with blatant disrespect, skewed familiarity, and lowered credibility) simply because my opinions are contrary to popular belief, and of a corrective nature, suggestive of looking to both sides of the coin in order to gain a clearer picture of the situation, then I will simply leave you to your ignorance, insulted.
Second, using the 'PR' website I suggested was to illustrate the fallicy of looking to one source, or type thereof. All information given in the thread thus far was hearsay and propeganda, spread by those firmly against Wal-Mart, usually for their own motives, rather than the common good. Think about it for a moment. Wal-Mart is the largest employeer in the world. 1.2 Million associates in the states, alone, and it is non-union. That's 1.2 Mill. people not paying union dues. Does it not stand to reason that this could be part of the motivation behind union, and union supported, critisism of Wal-Mart?
Third, if my comments are reflective of beliefs also held by Lee Scott, CEO of the largest, most powerful, and most influential corporation in the world (which, by the way, began as a Mom & Pop discount store, once adored and praised for the same policies and practices that it still largely follows, but is now hated for) then I consider my opinion to be in good company.
Finally, to my knowledge, neither the iPod shuffle, nor the mini, are currently anywhere to be found on Wal-Mart's website, nor do I have any reason to believe that their debut in the stores will coincide with an introduction on Wal-Mart's web presence (unless issues involving conflict of interest in the online music arena can be resolved) and my previous post did not in any way direct the reader to draw these conclusions, I fail to see how there was any attempt to increase traffic to Wal-Mart's website, or to advertise in their favor. I simply made an informed comment on the current discussion. To that end, my pricing information is still rumor, the purpose of this site, as since the devices have not hit the shelves at Wal-Mart yet, all of that info is subject to change.

This is a public forum, and it should be kept in mind that the 'public' is a very large entity. Attacking someone's ideas based on the thought that you may know them under a different name is very nieve. My apologies for the long, and slightly off-topic rant. Good day to you.

 

[Doctor Q]

I have been a regular visitor to this site for quite a while...

If this is how people are generally treated on this forum...

Your first sentence implies that you are familiar with these forums, yet your second sentence paints a negative view of them. Members are naturally likely to give more weight to posts by members they know, but I don't think we should jump to conclusions that a new poster is a shill, and neither do I think it's appropriate to paint all members based on one member's reaction.

To all: the guidelines about posts in the Political forum, such as "fact-based debate", apply to controversial issues in all forums.

 

[IndyGopher]

You don't get to have it both ways. Either you have very little marketshare, or you sell to people you don't necessarily want to be associated with. Personally I would like to see Apple stuff sold everywhere. This whole notion of elitism is just kind of revolting.

It all stinks of the "not in my back yard" and "there goes the neighborhood" kind of snobbery that has caused me on several occasions to say that while I love Apple products, I have a growing discomfort with "Apple people."

If you wanna sell products, you sell them to the wrestling fans, and the NASCAR fans, and the hip-hop fans, and the country fans, and anyone else that will pony up the cash. Does your iPod sound different because the guy on the bus next to your Beemer at the stop light has one, too? Does yours sound worse because the guy at the trailer park bought one from Target or Wal*Mart instead of the Apple Store or Sharper Image?

Get over yourselves.

 

[Kagetenshi]

My problem isn't who is buying them, it's who is selling— I can't stand the thought of Wal*Mart making money off of this.

~J

 

[alandail]

My problem isn't who is buying them, it's who is selling— I can't stand the thought of Wal*Mart making money off of this.

~J

You'd rather they make money selling the microsoft knockoff and cut into apple's market share instead of expanding it?

 

[Guy L]

The major irk that I have with Wal*Mart is the way they use their buying power to undercut the smaller stores. It would be like the Apple Store selling the ipod cheaper than their other resellers. Apple has been the "little guy" with better product and service than the pc clone super discounters. Hopefully, Apple will sell their product to resellers, including Wal*Mart at the same wholesale price to keep the playing field level.

 

[Lacero]

Have you shopped at WalMart before? I have, so I am not allowed to be irked, for I have sinned like the other hundreds of millions of Americans.

 

[chillywilly]

My problem isn't who is buying them, it's who is selling— I can't stand the thought of Wal*Mart making money off of this.

~J

I agree. I would rather buy a Shuffle from another store. Circuit City sells them here, just saw my first one (a 512K shuffle) up and close yesterday.

 

[Kagetenshi]

Have you shopped at WalMart before?

Nope.

Hm. Now that I think about it, I do remember shopping in a giant store when I was 12 or so and getting a bunch of ramen and a microwave-safe bowl. It's possible that that was Wal*Mart. I hope not. I certainly haven't bought anything from them since I became aware of brands other than Apple.

You'd rather they make money selling the microsoft knockoff and cut into apple's market share instead of expanding it?

Nah, I'd rather they didn't make money period. I guess the question comes down to how much you think having the items at Wal*Mart is going to increase sales, and take sales away from competitors. Besides, even if I do eventually decide that this is the correct choice to take, I still won't like it. The alternative can still be worse.

~J