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Who's Up For A Movie? (11/14/99)
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You thought inept salesmanship and apathy killed it back in '97, but it crawled back from the grave. When it was once again found dead earlier this year, the coroner determined the cause of death to be pig-headed mismanagement and a phobia of multiple colors. But sequels are profitable, no matter how awful they turn out, so prepare yourself for... Best Buy III: Retail Vengeance!
Yes, it's the dysfunctional retail relationship that just won't stay dead. We'd heard the rumors before and were skeptical, but more evidence is coming to light suggesting that Apple is really going to give Best Buy one more chance. The first hint was Apple's decision to ship the "low-end" Kihei iMac in Blueberry only; remember Best Buy's hissy fit over stocking multiple colors? That was what caused the last split-up, so there's been plenty of speculation that Best Buy will sell only that model and keep the iMac DV out of its warehouses. It was only speculation-- but now it's crystallized into rumor. According to a MacWEEK article, "display materials for Apple hardware" have been making their way into at least a few Best Buy stores, possibly in California only, and Best Buy salespeople have been confirming that "the chain will start stocking iMacs as soon as legal issues with Apple are worked out." Reportedly Best Buy wants at least a little piece of the holiday iMac-buying action-- though, if you remember the debacle last year (when Best Buy panicked after incompetent salespeople were unable to move enough iMacs for the holidays, and then slashed the price to well under Apple's minimum), you might be wondering why Apple is bothering to give them yet another chance.
So this holiday season, witness the horror first hand-- if you dare! Poor product displays... Venomously anti-Mac salespeople... A buying experience tantamount to a Bataan death march. It's Best Buy III: Retail Vengeance, and it's coming soon to a retail outlet near you. In Retail, No One Can Hear You Suck!
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SceneLink (1909)
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 11/14/99 episode: November 14, 1999: How many times do we have to watch the same sad story? The Apple-Best Buy relationship struggles back from the grave. Meanwhile, soon a poor retail experience may be a thing of the past, as Apple considers opening its own stores, and the AtAT staff snags an excellent deal on an iBook by braving the savings-crazed rabble at Micro Center...
Other scenes from that episode: 1910: Simple And Direct (11/14/99) AtAT's official descriptive phrase for Apple's overall retail presence is this: "less than compelling." That's mostly just us being polite. Judging by what we witness ourselves and what others write in to tell us, the harsh reality is that Apple's retail presence would be better described by a phrase such as "Kill me, kill me now."... 1911: But We WORKED For It (11/14/99) Oooh, we can tell that some of you are just going to hate us after this. Guess who just scored a particularly sweet deal on a brand-spankin'-new Blueberry iBook? That's right-- none other than your friendly neighborhood AtAT staff...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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