Unfortunately, the pdf format is now so ingrained in the sciences it's going to be really hard to replace it, at least in my life. Most journals have spent 5+ years digitizing their archives, some of them going back 100+ years, and they've put them direclty into pdf format because everyone used it.

 

The hard work of digitizing them was already done, meaning they can be mass converted with scripts and other various easy to do methods without much of an issue.

Every time I look up there's another Adobe Reader update or Flash update. I actually stopped using Adobe Reader and use a different program to read PDFs. It's so bloated as well.

 

There are updates so often because there are that many backdoors/security issues with their software that they have to constantly update.

Forbes Magazine on "Why Best Buy is slowly going out of business"

Got my kids XBOX 360 Live with Kinnect for Christmas. My wife told me they were video chatting with their cousin on this...is that possible?

Got my kids XBOX 360 Live with Kinnect for Christmas. My wife told me they were video chatting with their cousin on this...is that possible?

Why wouldn't it be?

Forbes Magazine on "Why Best Buy is slowly going out of business"

 

Best Buy is totally outdated.

bestbuy is an awful experience nowadays.

That's pretty much exactly what the article argued.

The in-store service sales pitches are by the far the most annoying. Menards had that one time, I left and went to home depot instead.

The issue is the business model no longer works. We can buy online for cheaper.

 

Most of Best Buy's profits come from extended warranties, which no one buys anymore because new technology is always out to replace what you have when it breaks.

The issue is the business model no longer works. We can buy online for cheaper.

 

Most of Best Buy's profits come from extended warranties, which no one buys anymore because new technology is always out to replace what you have when it breaks.

 

That and the $100 monster cable that's exactly the same quality as the $5 dollar one you can buy online.

 

I lived at Best Buy for the better part of my high school and freshman year of college (1996-2001). I bought everything there. Then I found Ebay and Amazon and other various online stores. The only thing I've purchased at Best Buy since are video games and consoles that are the same price anywhere you go.

That and the $100 monster cable that's exactly the same quality as the $5 dollar one you can buy online.

 

I lived at Best Buy for the better part of my high school and freshman year of college (1996-2001). I bought everything there. Then I found Ebay and Amazon and other various online stores. The only thing I've purchased at Best Buy since are video games and consoles that are the same price anywhere you go.

Seriously! It's not even Monster cables, it's any a/v cable. I made my girlfriend buy a Blu Ray player recently and when I went to grab an HDMI cable for her, the 6' basic cable was $25! You can get 12' cables online for $5! What a joke.

 

I refuse to go there unless there is absolutely no price difference or I simply want something NOW as opposed to waiting for the shipping and all that.

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't one of Best Buy's biggest expenses theft? I know plenty of employees when I was in high school stealing stuff.

I actually like Best Buy if only because they are the only place I know of that still offers 0% financing. I use that on nearly all my big-ticket purchases. As far as I know, that's not something I can get from Amazon.

 

The company doesn’t report, of course, on customer satisfaction. But there’s a postscript to my personal story. In part because he was distracted by the “expert” sales staff prying into his personal finances instead of actually providing assistance, my friend mistakenly purchased the wrong DVD of a NASA documentary—he accidentally got one he already had. We returned the next day to exchange it for the correct one. Sorry, said the customer service staff, DVDs are “software” and can’t be returned or exchanged once sold. No exceptions.

 

True enough, the return “policy”—several hundred words printed on the back of the sales receipt—says that software cannot be returned. Why not? It’s our policy.

 

But I already have this one, my friend said. “We can’t help you.”

 

This doesn't sound right. I just returned a DVD to Best Buy last week with no problems at all.

Edited January 6, 201214 yr by Iwritecode

I actually like Best Buy if only because they are the only place I know of that still offers 0% financing. I use that on nearly all my big-ticket purchases. As far as I know, that's not something I can get from Amazon.

 

 

 

This doesn't sound right. I just returned a DVD to Best Buy last week with no problems at all.

That quote was talking about software, not unopened dvds. I'd be hard pressed to find a place that happily lets customers return open software. That's been the norm for ages.

 

That article about the fall of Best Buy was just b****ing about bad customer service. Next article that guy writes should be about the demise of Wal-Mart then. What an asshat.

 

And I agree about the 0%. Also, is Amazon going to be able to show me the picture quality of HD televisions? There's no way I'd buy a tv online without seeing it vs at Best Buy who will pricematch anyway.

 

That article was s***.

That quote was talking about software, not unopened dvds. I'd be hard pressed to find a place that happily lets customers return open software. That's been the norm for ages.

 

That article about the fall of Best Buy was just b****ing about bad customer service. Next article that guy writes should be about the demise of Wal-Mart then. What an asshat.

 

And I agree about the 0%. Also, is Amazon going to be able to show me the picture quality of HD televisions? There's no way I'd buy a tv online without seeing it vs at Best Buy who will pricematch anyway.

 

That article was s***.

They told him DVDs qualified as software, thus, they could not accept the return.

 

How about you go into Best Buy and see the tv in person, then buy it online? I've done that with my last 3 tvs.

TV settings are all sorts of screwed up at big-box stores like Best Buy anyway and don't represent what you'll really see at home.

That quote was talking about software, not unopened dvds. I'd be hard pressed to find a place that happily lets customers return open software. That's been the norm for ages.

 

That article about the fall of Best Buy was just b****ing about bad customer service. Next article that guy writes should be about the demise of Wal-Mart then. What an asshat.

 

And I agree about the 0%. Also, is Amazon going to be able to show me the picture quality of HD televisions? There's no way I'd buy a tv online without seeing it vs at Best Buy who will pricematch anyway.

 

That article was s***.

 

Walmart can justify bad customer service with keeping employee costs low and thus their prices low. Best buy can't. You notice when a place is thriving or on the verge of death. Even when crowded, walking into a best buy now you can just tell that it's dying. The fact that I had a hard time finding a cheap keyboard for a mac that wasn't a hello kitty keyboard, when i could go to target and get one easily is a testament to this fact. They just don't provide anything easily. I don't have time for their bulls***, mostly.

That quote was talking about software, not unopened dvds. I'd be hard pressed to find a place that happily lets customers return open software. That's been the norm for ages.

 

That article about the fall of Best Buy was just b****ing about bad customer service. Next article that guy writes should be about the demise of Wal-Mart then. What an asshat.

 

And I agree about the 0%. Also, is Amazon going to be able to show me the picture quality of HD televisions? There's no way I'd buy a tv online without seeing it vs at Best Buy who will pricematch anyway.

 

That article was s***.

 

You could always go to the store, find the model you like and then buy it on Amazon. But really the checking it out in the store is kind of worthless. They jack up the picture settings so much that it's totally different once you get it home.

You could always go to the store, find the model you like and then buy it on Amazon. But really the checking it out in the store is kind of worthless. They jack up the picture settings so much that it's totally different once you get it home.

All you need is cnet.com

Or a dedicated home a/v store, but it'd be a pretty dick move to use them for their expertise and then buy elsewhere.

Best Buy won't even pricematch Fry's or Frys.com, at least the one near me in the NW burbs.

 

I've bought one thing from them in the past 7 years, and that was a tv stand that was on clearance at the store and actually was a decent price.

Best Buy won't even pricematch Fry's or Frys.com, at least the one near me in the NW burbs.

 

I've bought one thing from them in the past 7 years, and that was a tv stand that was on clearance at the store and actually was a decent price.

 

They had a ton of video games on clearance this past holiday. I bought a bunch of games and accessories from them.

 

And they even gave me a gift card for a game I placed an order for that was out of stock when I ordered it.

 

I also purchased my TouchPad there. I've got no complaints.

Also, looks like the nexus will be coming to sprint with actual lte and a slightly bigger processor. Can't wait. My evo should hold me over til then.

Best Buy won't even pricematch Fry's or Frys.com, at least the one near me in the NW burbs.

 

I've bought one thing from them in the past 7 years, and that was a tv stand that was on clearance at the store and actually was a decent price.

Tried to buy a digital camera at Fry's in Vegas after mine stopped working. Might have been the worst shopping experience of my life. Couldn't get them to ring up the camera correctly. When they finally rang up my order after about a dozen tries and two managers, they wound up giving me the speakers that the person next to me was ordering (price was disturbingly similar so I didn't notice until they tried to give me the speakers). I then had to cancel the speakers, which took another 30 minutes and 4 managers. That of course set my credit card alarms off, so I had to call and tell them I was actually using the card.

 

I wound up driving to a best buy the next day.