Best Buy Launches Own Computer Line

Whatever, I use mac so it doesn't bother me what Best Buy sells or makes. I'm biased to this thread I guess.

This is a great idea. They already have brand recognition and an assload (technical term) of outlets to push their product.
And the specs on that thing kick ass.

The <a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/ComputersPeripherals/specials/vprSplash1_27.asp" target="_blank">link</a>.

I can see people being convinced by a Best Buy salesperson in store, but it's still an uphill battle against Dell, HP, Compaq, Gateway, IBM, etc.

Best Buy has name recognition, but not in PCs. I think they're in for trouble as they'll have to expand on tech support, training, etc.

I wonder what motherboard they're using? I wonder, too, how two machines with the same model number differ. Some companies (eMachines) are horrible about that while some in the corporate space (IBM) are great and keeping things the same across the board.

--Mike

With all of the PC makers deciding to stop selling consumer PCs, Best Buy realized that within a year, they will only be selling HP-Compaq machines (after they merge), and they would have to rely entirely on that company to produce good machines with good service that people would want to buy. If the public decides that HP-Compaq machines are nothing but junk, then they're screwed in terms of selling PCs. Therefore, they make their own. Looks like a POS with cheap components, though.

Yes I saw of what you speak on. They have been advertising it in their Sunday ads for a couple weeks now I believe. I just assumed it was some other generic brand, not some Best Buy thing. Yes those are good specs. Why do you hate Best Buy? I think that store kicks ass, tons of electronics goods. Also they sell stuff pretty cheap and have good deals. If you ask me that would be the perfect place to display the new iMac. Employees aside you know how many people I see in that store when I'm there? Quite a few and if they placed it somewhere viewable where everyone could see people would start to take notice. I say put Furiously Fast G4 with Velocity Engine instead of what the MHz is (or just put the MHz rating in smaller print) and list all the other cool stuff you get with it. Then people use it say "Damn this is fast!".

The best source of information on this is the ArsTechnica <a href="http://arstechnica.infopop.net/OpenTopic/page?a=tpc&s=50009562&f=174096756&m=4940966463&r=4 940966463" target="_blank">thread</a> tied to the news posting.

Looks like they're using good components. Intel motherboards, WD HDs, Lite-On CD-RW/DVD drives & logitech mouse/kb. All standards. (Sound is onboard in the low-ends, SBLive5.1 on the top-ends).

Coolest thing I noticed, not pre-loaded with shitty software like you get on Dells and such. Every national ISP pre-loaded and all kinds of moron-apps starting up when Windows launches... *shudder*
It's a good idea to not dirty the damn thing up before the customer gets it.

[ 02-03-2002: Message edited by: groverat ]</p>

wow, there must have been some serious shit that went down between Best Buy, Compaq and HP. you have to realzie that Compaq relies almost 100% on retail sales of their computers, and Best Buy is a huge outlet for them.

for best buy to turn around and start selling their product right alongside the HP's and Compaq's had to ruffle a few feathers.

also, having macs in the stores along with these other machines would be horrible. i worked as an Apple rep. when they introduced the iMac, and were in Best Buy stores, and it was 100 times worse than CompUSA has ever been. i have never seen such dedication to talking someone out of buying a product.

they resorted to flat out lies to keep people from buying a Mac, stuff that they knew for a fact wasn't true. it was bad, i almost got banned from the store when i started calling the Best Buy employees on the lies they were telling.

guess management didn't like that.

oh well, the world keeps on turning.

wonder how long it will take until Dell decides to slit Best Buy's throat.....

[quote]Why do you hate Best Buy?<hr></blockquote>

When you see salespeople actually grab something from a customer and say, "Oh, you don't want this, it's junk, buy this instead", you just can't help but feel angry at them.

Plus, even when they have 'good' deals, they always involve sending rebate forms in. I have sent in about 7 of these 'rebate forms' and have yet to get any money back or any response, for that matter.

For the most part, they don't know what they are talking about. When they sold Macs, I couldn't believe the effort they went through to not sell them. I saw an elderly couple ask to buy one. The guy said he would need help in getting one for them, and went a few aisles over, and started snickering about the customers to some other Best Buy guys hanging around. Then he went on break. The elderly couple, in the meantime, got the machine by themselves, and got it over to the registers, only for two completely different Best Buy employees to come over, and offer to help. But instead of helping, they said that they didn't want to buy that computer, and started trying to sell them a cheap PC while carrying the machine back over to the shelf where it had been sitting. They ended up going to CompUSA instead.

Personally, when I go in there actually looking for something, either they don't have it, or it's overpriced. I usually have better luck at Circuit City or CompUSA if I really need to find something. Plus, the only time I ordered something online to pick up in the store, when I went to pick it up, they had sold it, even though it was already paid for!

I could go on, but you get the general idea of what I am saying. It's been my experience that Best Buy is generally a poor store. I've never had much luck with them and try and steer clear of it now. I'm sure their leap into the consumer PC market will be just about as successful as CompUSA's PCs; not at all.

I like Best Buy for my occassionaly oooh ahhh when I'm in the Mall. They have a lot of neat stuff to play with. I would never buy something in there that I wasn't sure about. I wouldn't want to be talked into an inferior product.

However, if I was looking for a DVD that another store didn't have and I didn't feel like waiting for it to be shipped (i.e.: last minute present) then I'd go there. They have a nice selection of DVDs.

They must be making $1 on each of those PCs that they sell. I wonder if employees get commission on them. Those prices are pretty cheap.

For Computers, TVs, and stuff like that, they suck. For CDs, DVDs, and that stuff they're great. The prices are very low. For that stuff I love Best Buy.

No wonder Best Buy decided to buy Futile Shop. They ain't up here in Canada yet, but it sounds like exactly the same store. ::Shudder::

<img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" /> &lt;-- Not a 'No' there, just shaking head in disgust.

[ 02-04-2002: Message edited by: Matsu ]</p>

[quote]Originally posted by Eugene:
<strong>I can see people being convinced by a Best Buy salesperson in store, but it's still an uphill battle against Dell, HP, Compaq, Gateway, IBM, etc.

Best Buy has name recognition, but not in PCs. I think they're in for trouble as they'll have to expand on tech support, training, etc.</strong><hr></blockquote>

IBM doesn't build consumer desktop pcs anymore

only time i shop at bestbuy is when i have a gift certificate, which has happened twice... both times i had to ruffle around all the overpriced crap to fine the one or two things in the store that were pretty good deals...

also the lines are disgusting, and the tech people are poorly trained and generally rude YMMV

[ 02-04-2002: Message edited by: janitor ]</p>

[quote]Originally posted by janitor:
<strong>

IBM doesn't build consumer desktop pcs anymore</strong><hr></blockquote>

<a href="http://commerce.www.ibm.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce/" target="_blank">http://commerce.www.ibm.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce/</a>
ProductDisplay?cntrfnbr=1&prmenbr=1&prnbr=682322U&
cntry=840&lang=en_US&c=homeoffice&n=spottwo&t=ad

[edit: Broke up overlong URL. Recombind to visit. -Amorph]

[ 02-04-2002: Message edited by: Amorph ]</p>

okokok they still do now, but they're pulling out of the market

Technically, IBM does not make consumer PCs. They have a line of consumer PCs that are outsourced for someone else to build.

IBM designs the PCs and then they are built by another company.

They are looking to fully exit the consumer PC market in the short term.

Well, if by geeky teenage you mean Bill Gates, I don't think it's Bill Gates driving IBM out of the consumer PC business. Could it be some other manufacturer of PCs, like oh I don't know...

(and no, not Apple sillies)

CompUSA is doing the same thing. <img src="graemlins/surprised.gif" border="0" alt="[Surprised]" />

There isn't very much surprising about this, to me. It seems like the ultimate consequence of the PC becoming a commodity. National brands of every other kind of commodity are sold beside store brands, so why not PCs as well?

I'm not surprised that they're using decent components, because after all it's their techs who'll get swamped and their warrantees that'll get soaked if they don't.

I also find it funny that their PCs might well be better choices just because they won't come burdened with all those mysterious little programs that infest Compaqs and HPs and make everything even less stable, more baffling and slower to boot.

[quote]Originally posted by ThinkingDifferent:
<strong>CompUSA is doing the same thing. <img src="graemlins/surprised.gif" border="0" alt="[Surprised]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>

Way back when Charlotte got their first CompUSA, they made their own computers called Compudyne. I guess it was around 1992 or 93. You configured it right in the store and picked it up later that week. It was a pretty good concept at the time. Now, I don't know how they'll compete with Dell. It's really the juggernaut of BTO computers. (They still suck, but...)

Amorph, I don't know. Generic products work for things like medicine, food, drinks, and other consumables, but an entire PC? I don't think Best Buy is going to keep selling its own computers for too long...

[quote]Originally posted by Eugene:
<strong>Amorph, I don't know. Generic products work for things like medicine, food, drinks, and other consumables, but an entire PC? I don't think Best Buy is going to keep selling its own computers for too long...</strong><hr></blockquote>

It's a nominal distinction, considering that Best Buy is only doing what most of the boxmakers have been doing for years anyway. They're just eliminating the middleman (and a lot of ill-conceived cruft).

If Best Buy were engineering their own motherboards, I'd be worried. But they aren't. All the real work that goes into building a PC is done for them; they just do final assembly. It's not something you can do blind, but it's the next closest thing. They have a vested interest in doing it at least competently, because it's their techs and their warrantees that'll get overwhelmed if they don't.

The Best Buy machines might not be quite as slick, but then store brand products usually aren't. They might not be totally reliable, but it's not like the big brands are. PC owners already have defeated expectations about how well a computer should perform.

[ 02-05-2002: Message edited by: Amorph ]</p>

Can you imagine if the only way to get a PC was to get one from BestBuy or CompUSA?

If the only ones doing any "innovation" were Microsoft and Intel.

Wow, what a dismal thought.

Ok, throw in Dell as a third, non retail option, still doesn't change much.

I wish more computer making companies had more to do with what their computers actually do.

[quote]Originally posted by MacAddict:
<strong>

Don't forget about nVidia, ATi, AMD, Asus, Abit, Shuttle, MSI, Via, ALi, EPoX, Lian-Li, Antec, CoolerMaster, etc.</strong><hr></blockquote>

ATi, nVidia, VIA, AMD, yes. The rest of the parts maker just gussy up other people's components without really changing too much from reference designs. Antec's cases are just very slightly modified Uneec cases. Lian-Li and CoolerMaster cases are pretty, but not innovative.

[quote]Originally posted by MacAddict:
<strong>2GHz Williamatte,</strong><hr></blockquote>

By the way, I'm bored, so I'm going to pick on this.


It is spelled Willamette, after the Willamette Valley and the Willamette River in Oregon.

Just thought I'd let you know.

Haha. Personally, I can only see this really hurting them in the long run. Look at Dell, Emachines, HP, all companies that are struggling. (Oh, did I mention Compaq or the now dead Packard Bell?) I think that the more competition that is introduced in the Wintel market, the worse each company will do. The smart thing for best buy at least would be to release the computers with a price tag of over 3-400 dollars over competitors' machjines with matching specs. Best Buy can say they are quality machines, people will buy them, and they will still make a profit. Dell and everyone else has pushed their prices down so much, that people have gotten used to paying such low prices.. I can only see this move adding to the confusion, and send more flak against the Wintel side.

Packard Bell is not dead. Packard Bell was absorbed by NEC and exited the North American market. They still make computers for every other market though.

Dell may have extremely low profit-margins on its computers, but it's not struggling. It's the healthiest PC manufacturer out there.

I wonder ... if any DOJ rulings start to give Compaq and friends more leeway in adding stuff and modifying the Windows experience...Microsoft might start giving preferencial treatment and prices to the generics of the the world like Best Buy or other outlets who will just put Microsoft first. If Sony starts to value add to their PC's so much that people think of the computer as a Sony, not a Wintel, then that isn't good for MS and MS may have to start making boxes or getting K-Mart to make and sell them. This may begin a new phase in PC marketing.

That I think is part of the hi-tech slow-down, the lack of competition and innovation (aside from Apple). At some point a new company will emerge with a better business model and invigorate things .... or maybe Apple will finally take off again ... but right now we are in a wait and see time.

Note: Also in the word "Willamette" the second syllible is stressed.... wi LA met, like pi JA maz.