I just want to point out that you did state it as your needs, which is a legitimate reason, and that you are not stating a netbook can do everything a MacBook can do.
Correct, the MacBook with its dual core processor is faster and more suitable than a netbook for those who use a portable as their only computer.
Not intending to get off topic, I couldn't help responding to the notion that "netbooks are crap." Obviously, some are better than others, and for some people they are not powerful enough. Comparing a netbook with a real keyboard and 10" screen to an iPhone is like comparing a car to a motorcycle, or something like that.
Quote:
They run from about $250 to over $1000. I would imagine an Apple netbook would be around $800, maybe $500-$600 if subsidized with a $60/month data plan.
If Apple ever offers something similar to current 10" netbooks, I agree with you, it'll probably be priced around $800 and I'd hope it'll be sold at Wal-Mart. It'll probably be comparable to Windows netbooks that cost around $500 and will probably look a little prettier.
FYI: I'm a Mac user since 1989. My Samsung netbook is my first ever Windows computer and I now use it more than I use my Macs. When it comes to casual surfing and email, it's the device I go to first; not my desktop Mac, not my MacBook and certainly not my iPod touch.
Well, yeah I mean look at the past month if apple ads, windows bashing, palm pre, "Apple don't do cheap" "crap" statements coming from all the Jobs can do no wrong crowd, I mean, wow, talk about a major meltdown.
Of course maybe Apple can make cheap cool. Or, they're getting ready for subsidized netbooks ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by harmsway
Soon as I saw the headline Wal-Mart may carry Apple computers, I was waiting for all the condescending comments about Wal-Mart and its customers. This is so arrogant, frustrating and unnecessary. As long as Apple?s quality remains high, it should not matter if their products are sold at Wal-Mart. Apple should not try to only cater to snobs, but gain as much market share as possible. I?ve been an Apple fan for years and feel this type of junior high discussion alienates a lot of potential new Apple customers.
Well everyone needs a job so try not to bash the employees.
That said it's about service and mac so called specialists don't make that much so it wouldn't hurt them to have employees from Apple thing is, have you ever been in a Walmart? They can be dead in there. I can picture it now, the iMac will be looping the mac vs pc commercial while the retro music from the progressive car commercial plays in the background, meanwhile, price check on isle 18 please, comes over the loud speaker and the iMac display, not über lined up like in the Apple store like some OCD, lies all crooked and cracked. No customers near it. That's a sad sight but almost certain to be true. All the prices will be in English/Spanish/Korean. Almost instantly, the branding could be tarnished. All depends in service and if a new product comes out.
Whoa. Dude. Words. In order. Punctuation. Something.
Aww man, the irony is I went online to delete this post - who cares where the mac's are sold.
Stupid iPhone though, that last post was on the iPhone. Everytime you post something on a forum, the keyboard takes up half the bottom, I type "fir" more often than "for" and the auto correct replaces some of my words that I don't catch until I read the post much later.
Unlike some, if I post a reply, I will go back to the where I left off, whereas now I may have a few windows open (24" display). Anyway, should be interesting to see what happens, I just wonder if there will be decent customer service or will it be a ghost town with retro music playing in the background.
Wow. Best statement I've read here in a long time.
You know, if you have a good background with PCs I'd Macs, you can go over the head if most mac specialists. Most of them do not know much more than the scope if their products. Most could not tell you what FSB does or how DDR 2 differs from DDR3.
If Apple played their cards right, there's no reason that they can't hire all computer gurus. All towns have them and most would match if not exceed the, the so called "specialist" at Apple.
I'm an artist/composer. I have made big money to eating top ramin so you're welcome in my book any day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aquatic
I shop at Wal-Mart. I am an environmentalist and an independent in terms of politics but with a socialist-leaning philosophy 80% of the time. But I shop at Wal-Mart. Why? Because I am poor. OK lower middle class. After federal taxes, I am close to the poverty line. I am fine with that.
Nevertheless, what do I buy at Wal-Mart? Frequently, brand name stuff. High end or middle of the road stuff. Nobody messes with Wal-Mart. It negotiates the best prices, and usually but not always passes them on to consumers at least in part. Of course you have to be smart, it is fascinating how not everything on any given day will be cheaper at Wal-Mart, but again, many times it is. Thus, I would not be surprised if they chipped 10 or 20 bucks off some Mac or iPod models. Apple would probably only have to sell them for a few bucks less, but Wal-Mart's economy of scale would do the rest. Why do people shop at Wal-Mart? To save that 10 bucks. Because when you are poor or middle-class, 10 bucks is, well, 10 bucks. It's something.
Will Wal-Mart diminish Apple's "brand", which certainly helps it charge what it does and have high and industry-leading profit margins? Perhaps. Maybe that is why Apple won't sell Macs at Wal-Mart. But if it does, that's probably where I'll get my next Mac. Probably a lot of other folks, too. Either way, I'm sure AAPL is on its way up and up.
Dude. Didn't you read what the other poster said about apple genius bar? It's true. I have a friend who works there now and most if what they do know is "scripted" and their technical knowledge is limited at best. The send out for most of the repairs. Ironically, I also have an undercover narc detective friend and when he pointed it out, I was amazed. Most Apple employees smoke pot, some do meth, and one time he told me about two seperate incidents at the same Apple store, credit card and check fraud by the employees. Sort of puts things in perspective.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zoetmb
I think you're missing the point. When you buy Apple, you're not just buying the box. You're buying the knowledge and service (Apple experts, etc.) with it. One of the reasons why Apple opened its own stores is because they were unhappy with the way that Macs were sold within other retail environments and the stores they were unhappy with do a far better job than WalMart does.
People who shop in WalMart are looking for the lowest possible prices on relatively low-end merchandise (even if low prices are not actually the reality of WalMart, just the perception.) Personally, I don't think Mac belongs in there at all, but if it is going to be there, it should only be done via a "store within a store" concept with Apple, not Wal-Mart employees, selling and supporting the products. But again, I'd prefer not to see the products there at all because I think it will damage Apple's reputation in the long run.
While some of this may be true, take what yet another poster said, take 80% of those ion Apple stores and place in walm'art. Perceived as poor. Half probaby fall into lower tax brackets but that does make them less of a person. We all have dreams. Every single one of us.
Quote:
Originally Posted by addabox
And I think this speaks to the point being made that Walmart (without having to go into any demographic name calling) may not be a great fit for what Apple is selling, as it stands now (which is not to say that Apple hasn't negotiated some kind of advantageous exception, although that goes against everything I know about Walmart).
That is to say, the "hand over the box" model is great if you're selling commodity goods for as little as possible. As even Walmart's defenders acknowledge, that's pretty much the point. You don't go to Walmart for the "experience", you go there to buy stuff you need, cheaply as possible. In fact, that's why I generally don't go there-- the grim vibe of necessity is just depressing to me. Even the (only slightly more expensive) Target seems like some kind of luxury boutique, in comparison.
But Apple very much is selling "an experience." You can take potshots at them all you like if that strikes you as "elitist" or "shallow" or whatever, but that's the deal and it seems to be working pretty well. The entire reason Apple launched their own retail outlets was because mass marketers where failing to "tell the story" of the "Apple experience."
And it's important that that story get told, because if it's simply a matter of buying the cheapest available example of the genre, Apple always loses. They need a chance to make their case for why you might want to spend a bit more, but Walmart, by design, seriously mitigates against that case, with every fiber of its being.
As I say, maybe they'll work something out so that an "Apple zone" manages to seem more Apple than Walmart, but the "cheap is better" force field is simply part of the place's DNA, so it doesn't seem promising.
Unlike some, if I post a reply, I will go back to the where I left off, whereas now I may have a few windows open (24" display).
I do the same thing, which is why if I go away for a couple of days, I don't usually come back to the thread, because so many post are up that I don't have the time to read them.
It's annoying when people proudly state that they won't read older posts, and then proceed to make comments that have long before been dealt with.
Wow. Best statement I've read here in a long time.
You know, if you have a good background with PCs I'd Macs, you can go over the head if most mac specialists. Most of them do not know much more than the scope if their products. Most could not tell you what FSB does or how DDR 2 differs from DDR3.
If Apple played their cards right, there's no reason that they can't hire all computer gurus. All towns have them and most would match if not exceed the, the so called "specialist" at Apple.
I find that to be true of many Pc "experts" as well. Particularly at PC stores, even specialty shops.
I actually had the service guy of a PC shop ask me why I was buying back-up tapes when my machines had CD PLAYERS!
Believe me, the level of both PC users and their advisory personnel are no more technically knowledgeable that those in the Mac end.
And it's important that that story get told, because if it's simply a matter of buying the cheapest available example of the genre, Apple always loses. They need a chance to make their case for why you might want to spend a bit more, but Walmart, by design, seriously mitigates against that case, with every fiber of its being.
As I say, maybe they'll work something out so that an "Apple zone" manages to seem more Apple than Walmart, but the "cheap is better" force field is simply part of the place's DNA, so it doesn't seem promising.
Very well stated, and not just because I agree, but because you said it better than I did.
The plan at Wal-Mart seems to be to go after the consumer electronics market vacancy opened up by the Circuit City bankruptcy. What has not been said yet is that duplicating a Circuit City-like shopping experience is an awfully low bar. This happens to be another retailer that displayed Apple products very poorly when they carried them. Another point that I think deserves to be repeated is that Wal-Mart has developed an extremely successful retail formula. It certainly remains to be seen whether they're open to altering it one iota to suit Apple's very different approach.
I went into my Wal-mart yesterday evening. No Apple products can be physically touched--not even iPod accessories. Right by Griffin, Belkin, and other items is a photo/card of the Apple version with instructions to take it to the electronics counter to purchase. iPods could never be touched, and the iPhone is now behind a thick piece of plastic too. If Macs do end up in Wal-mart, it appears that Apple has learned from past transgressions.
You can't touch them at Costco either. Unfortunately the world is full of thieves and since the boxes are so small, they cannot be left out for anyone to pick up. Best Buy has them out on display, locked to a podium like the digital cameras. Most Apple Stores have them locked up too and an associate needs to get one for you.
You can't touch them at Costco either. Unfortunately the world is full of thieves and since the boxes are so small, they cannot be left out for anyone to pick up. Best Buy has them out on display, locked to a podium like the digital cameras. Most Apple Stores have them locked up too and an associate needs to get one for you.
That's true of most places. Staples and a lot of other retailers, keep numerous items in locked cabinets.
Since you're not aware, you should know that not all netbooks are the same. You seem to think they're all crap after having seen two.
Apparently you didn't read. The one they had on display was the #1, highest rated Netbook sold and reviewed. It was the Asus Eee PC, and it was a cheap piece of shit. So if the number 1 rated Netbook was made with cheap plastics and a lousy keyboard, then yes, I don't need to see any others.
Indeed. I'm actually inspired. This was truly a really good post.
Thank you. When most of these selfish little brats concerned with nothing more than "image" lose their jobs (and you won't know you are getting laid off until the deed is done!), Wal Mart (and Target) will become their most favorite store in the world. It has kept me alive during unemployment and I am no longer doing regular shopping at a supermarket because I am done paying high prices and getting ripped off. Now if only their BluRay titles were discounted like their other products. That waiting list is on hold until I get a new job.
I think you're missing the point. When you buy Apple, you're not just buying the box. You're buying the knowledge and service (Apple experts, etc.) with it. One of the reasons why Apple opened its own stores is because they were unhappy with the way that Macs were sold within other retail environments and the stores they were unhappy with do a far better job than WalMart does.
People who shop in WalMart are looking for the lowest possible prices on relatively low-end merchandise (even if low prices are not actually the reality of WalMart, just the perception.) Personally, I don't think Mac belongs in there at all, but if it is going to be there, it should only be done via a "store within a store" concept with Apple, not Wal-Mart employees, selling and supporting the products. But again, I'd prefer not to see the products there at all because I think it will damage Apple's reputation in the long run.
Now that is funny. The Apple Experience. Have you ever talked to an Apple Genius? They are complete idiots. One tried to push AppleCare on a Nano telling the customer the hard drive inside could fail.
A friend of mine took his iBook G4 (2005 model, still supported by Apple Service) in for repair because it would not receive power from AC or charge. The Genius, clueless about known issues with the iBook, told him it was not repairable and he should buy a MacBook for $1200. He wouldn't even diagnose the iBook. I googled "iBook no power" and found plenty of articles regarding the iBook and failed solder joints on the DC Board. The DC Board is a $49 part, and it is the actual Apple part. I repaired his iBook in about an hour.
Since you have never stepped foot in a WalMart, you have no idea what you are talking about. They don't carry low-end merchandise. They sell the same electronics that Best Buy does. Wii, XBox 360, PS3, plenty of digital cameras, camcorders, HDTV's, etc. They are not branded "WalMart." So you are honestly going to spend more money at Best Buy when you can save a few bucks at WalMart?
I bet most of you don't buy a Mac from Apple or an Apple Store. Are you so concerned about image that you will pay top dollar with sales tax just so you can claim how cool you are because you bought it from Apple? I bet most of you buy your Macs from Amazon.com (or other online retailer) to save a few bucks on the purchase price and save a few hundred more on sales tax.
Comments
I just want to point out that you did state it as your needs, which is a legitimate reason, and that you are not stating a netbook can do everything a MacBook can do.
Correct, the MacBook with its dual core processor is faster and more suitable than a netbook for those who use a portable as their only computer.
Not intending to get off topic, I couldn't help responding to the notion that "netbooks are crap." Obviously, some are better than others, and for some people they are not powerful enough. Comparing a netbook with a real keyboard and 10" screen to an iPhone is like comparing a car to a motorcycle, or something like that.
They run from about $250 to over $1000. I would imagine an Apple netbook would be around $800, maybe $500-$600 if subsidized with a $60/month data plan.
If Apple ever offers something similar to current 10" netbooks, I agree with you, it'll probably be priced around $800 and I'd hope it'll be sold at Wal-Mart. It'll probably be comparable to Windows netbooks that cost around $500 and will probably look a little prettier.
FYI: I'm a Mac user since 1989. My Samsung netbook is my first ever Windows computer and I now use it more than I use my Macs. When it comes to casual surfing and email, it's the device I go to first; not my desktop Mac, not my MacBook and certainly not my iPod touch.
LOL. Well that about blows any "cheap" or ""apples above" that fanboy 10% is the bestest place you can be theory out if the water now. LOL.
But they can move boxes.
And who know what Apple's product landscape is going to be even in a couple of years with mobile devices taking off.
Of course maybe Apple can make cheap cool. Or, they're getting ready for subsidized netbooks ?
Soon as I saw the headline Wal-Mart may carry Apple computers, I was waiting for all the condescending comments about Wal-Mart and its customers. This is so arrogant, frustrating and unnecessary. As long as Apple?s quality remains high, it should not matter if their products are sold at Wal-Mart. Apple should not try to only cater to snobs, but gain as much market share as possible. I?ve been an Apple fan for years and feel this type of junior high discussion alienates a lot of potential new Apple customers.
Amen to that, brother.
Well everyone needs a job so try not to bash the employees.
That said it's about service and mac so called specialists don't make that much so it wouldn't hurt them to have employees from Apple thing is, have you ever been in a Walmart? They can be dead in there. I can picture it now, the iMac will be looping the mac vs pc commercial while the retro music from the progressive car commercial plays in the background, meanwhile, price check on isle 18 please, comes over the loud speaker and the iMac display, not über lined up like in the Apple store like some OCD, lies all crooked and cracked. No customers near it. That's a sad sight but almost certain to be true. All the prices will be in English/Spanish/Korean. Almost instantly, the branding could be tarnished. All depends in service and if a new product comes out.
LOL. Well that about blows any "cheap" or ""apples above" that fanboy 10% is the bestest place you can be theory out if the water now. LOL.
Whoa. Dude. Words. In order. Punctuation. Something.
Whoa. Dude. Words. In order. Punctuation. Something.
Aww man, the irony is I went online to delete this post - who cares where the mac's are sold.
Stupid iPhone though, that last post was on the iPhone. Everytime you post something on a forum, the keyboard takes up half the bottom, I type "fir" more often than "for" and the auto correct replaces some of my words that I don't catch until I read the post much later.
Unlike some, if I post a reply, I will go back to the where I left off, whereas now I may have a few windows open (24" display). Anyway, should be interesting to see what happens, I just wonder if there will be decent customer service or will it be a ghost town with retro music playing in the background.
Progressive music, price check isle 18, crooked display, missing buttons, hee he he. ..
It's so sad it's funny, not that they are selling at Wally World but watching everyone's reaction to this news. ..
Time for bed.
Peace all...
EDIT: Actually, the sentence, without the punctuation, sounds and reads as intended. ..
lol:
[B]
Amen!
Love The MAC, Hate The Fanboy.
Wow. Best statement I've read here in a long time.
You know, if you have a good background with PCs I'd Macs, you can go over the head if most mac specialists. Most of them do not know much more than the scope if their products. Most could not tell you what FSB does or how DDR 2 differs from DDR3.
If Apple played their cards right, there's no reason that they can't hire all computer gurus. All towns have them and most would match if not exceed the, the so called "specialist" at Apple.
I shop at Wal-Mart. I am an environmentalist and an independent in terms of politics but with a socialist-leaning philosophy 80% of the time. But I shop at Wal-Mart. Why? Because I am poor. OK lower middle class. After federal taxes, I am close to the poverty line. I am fine with that.
Nevertheless, what do I buy at Wal-Mart? Frequently, brand name stuff. High end or middle of the road stuff. Nobody messes with Wal-Mart. It negotiates the best prices, and usually but not always passes them on to consumers at least in part. Of course you have to be smart, it is fascinating how not everything on any given day will be cheaper at Wal-Mart, but again, many times it is. Thus, I would not be surprised if they chipped 10 or 20 bucks off some Mac or iPod models. Apple would probably only have to sell them for a few bucks less, but Wal-Mart's economy of scale would do the rest. Why do people shop at Wal-Mart? To save that 10 bucks. Because when you are poor or middle-class, 10 bucks is, well, 10 bucks. It's something.
Will Wal-Mart diminish Apple's "brand", which certainly helps it charge what it does and have high and industry-leading profit margins? Perhaps. Maybe that is why Apple won't sell Macs at Wal-Mart. But if it does, that's probably where I'll get my next Mac. Probably a lot of other folks, too. Either way, I'm sure AAPL is on its way up and up.
*golf clap*
Bill Murray? Rodney Dangerfield? Caddyshack?
LOL
Bravo!
Those are very good points!
Indeed. I'm actually inspired. This was truly a really good post.
I think you're missing the point. When you buy Apple, you're not just buying the box. You're buying the knowledge and service (Apple experts, etc.) with it. One of the reasons why Apple opened its own stores is because they were unhappy with the way that Macs were sold within other retail environments and the stores they were unhappy with do a far better job than WalMart does.
People who shop in WalMart are looking for the lowest possible prices on relatively low-end merchandise (even if low prices are not actually the reality of WalMart, just the perception.) Personally, I don't think Mac belongs in there at all, but if it is going to be there, it should only be done via a "store within a store" concept with Apple, not Wal-Mart employees, selling and supporting the products. But again, I'd prefer not to see the products there at all because I think it will damage Apple's reputation in the long run.
And I think this speaks to the point being made that Walmart (without having to go into any demographic name calling) may not be a great fit for what Apple is selling, as it stands now (which is not to say that Apple hasn't negotiated some kind of advantageous exception, although that goes against everything I know about Walmart).
That is to say, the "hand over the box" model is great if you're selling commodity goods for as little as possible. As even Walmart's defenders acknowledge, that's pretty much the point. You don't go to Walmart for the "experience", you go there to buy stuff you need, cheaply as possible. In fact, that's why I generally don't go there-- the grim vibe of necessity is just depressing to me. Even the (only slightly more expensive) Target seems like some kind of luxury boutique, in comparison.
But Apple very much is selling "an experience." You can take potshots at them all you like if that strikes you as "elitist" or "shallow" or whatever, but that's the deal and it seems to be working pretty well. The entire reason Apple launched their own retail outlets was because mass marketers where failing to "tell the story" of the "Apple experience."
And it's important that that story get told, because if it's simply a matter of buying the cheapest available example of the genre, Apple always loses. They need a chance to make their case for why you might want to spend a bit more, but Walmart, by design, seriously mitigates against that case, with every fiber of its being.
As I say, maybe they'll work something out so that an "Apple zone" manages to seem more Apple than Walmart, but the "cheap is better" force field is simply part of the place's DNA, so it doesn't seem promising.
Unlike some, if I post a reply, I will go back to the where I left off, whereas now I may have a few windows open (24" display).
I do the same thing, which is why if I go away for a couple of days, I don't usually come back to the thread, because so many post are up that I don't have the time to read them.
It's annoying when people proudly state that they won't read older posts, and then proceed to make comments that have long before been dealt with.
Wow. Best statement I've read here in a long time.
You know, if you have a good background with PCs I'd Macs, you can go over the head if most mac specialists. Most of them do not know much more than the scope if their products. Most could not tell you what FSB does or how DDR 2 differs from DDR3.
If Apple played their cards right, there's no reason that they can't hire all computer gurus. All towns have them and most would match if not exceed the, the so called "specialist" at Apple.
I find that to be true of many Pc "experts" as well. Particularly at PC stores, even specialty shops.
I actually had the service guy of a PC shop ask me why I was buying back-up tapes when my machines had CD PLAYERS!
Believe me, the level of both PC users and their advisory personnel are no more technically knowledgeable that those in the Mac end.
And it's important that that story get told, because if it's simply a matter of buying the cheapest available example of the genre, Apple always loses. They need a chance to make their case for why you might want to spend a bit more, but Walmart, by design, seriously mitigates against that case, with every fiber of its being.
As I say, maybe they'll work something out so that an "Apple zone" manages to seem more Apple than Walmart, but the "cheap is better" force field is simply part of the place's DNA, so it doesn't seem promising.
Very well stated, and not just because I agree, but because you said it better than I did.
The plan at Wal-Mart seems to be to go after the consumer electronics market vacancy opened up by the Circuit City bankruptcy. What has not been said yet is that duplicating a Circuit City-like shopping experience is an awfully low bar. This happens to be another retailer that displayed Apple products very poorly when they carried them. Another point that I think deserves to be repeated is that Wal-Mart has developed an extremely successful retail formula. It certainly remains to be seen whether they're open to altering it one iota to suit Apple's very different approach.
I went into my Wal-mart yesterday evening. No Apple products can be physically touched--not even iPod accessories. Right by Griffin, Belkin, and other items is a photo/card of the Apple version with instructions to take it to the electronics counter to purchase. iPods could never be touched, and the iPhone is now behind a thick piece of plastic too. If Macs do end up in Wal-mart, it appears that Apple has learned from past transgressions.
You can't touch them at Costco either. Unfortunately the world is full of thieves and since the boxes are so small, they cannot be left out for anyone to pick up. Best Buy has them out on display, locked to a podium like the digital cameras. Most Apple Stores have them locked up too and an associate needs to get one for you.
You can't touch them at Costco either. Unfortunately the world is full of thieves and since the boxes are so small, they cannot be left out for anyone to pick up. Best Buy has them out on display, locked to a podium like the digital cameras. Most Apple Stores have them locked up too and an associate needs to get one for you.
That's true of most places. Staples and a lot of other retailers, keep numerous items in locked cabinets.
Since you're not aware, you should know that not all netbooks are the same. You seem to think they're all crap after having seen two.
Apparently you didn't read. The one they had on display was the #1, highest rated Netbook sold and reviewed. It was the Asus Eee PC, and it was a cheap piece of shit. So if the number 1 rated Netbook was made with cheap plastics and a lousy keyboard, then yes, I don't need to see any others.
Indeed. I'm actually inspired. This was truly a really good post.
Thank you. When most of these selfish little brats concerned with nothing more than "image" lose their jobs (and you won't know you are getting laid off until the deed is done!), Wal Mart (and Target) will become their most favorite store in the world. It has kept me alive during unemployment and I am no longer doing regular shopping at a supermarket because I am done paying high prices and getting ripped off. Now if only their BluRay titles were discounted like their other products. That waiting list is on hold until I get a new job.
I think you're missing the point. When you buy Apple, you're not just buying the box. You're buying the knowledge and service (Apple experts, etc.) with it. One of the reasons why Apple opened its own stores is because they were unhappy with the way that Macs were sold within other retail environments and the stores they were unhappy with do a far better job than WalMart does.
People who shop in WalMart are looking for the lowest possible prices on relatively low-end merchandise (even if low prices are not actually the reality of WalMart, just the perception.) Personally, I don't think Mac belongs in there at all, but if it is going to be there, it should only be done via a "store within a store" concept with Apple, not Wal-Mart employees, selling and supporting the products. But again, I'd prefer not to see the products there at all because I think it will damage Apple's reputation in the long run.
Now that is funny. The Apple Experience. Have you ever talked to an Apple Genius? They are complete idiots. One tried to push AppleCare on a Nano telling the customer the hard drive inside could fail.
A friend of mine took his iBook G4 (2005 model, still supported by Apple Service) in for repair because it would not receive power from AC or charge. The Genius, clueless about known issues with the iBook, told him it was not repairable and he should buy a MacBook for $1200. He wouldn't even diagnose the iBook. I googled "iBook no power" and found plenty of articles regarding the iBook and failed solder joints on the DC Board. The DC Board is a $49 part, and it is the actual Apple part. I repaired his iBook in about an hour.
Since you have never stepped foot in a WalMart, you have no idea what you are talking about. They don't carry low-end merchandise. They sell the same electronics that Best Buy does. Wii, XBox 360, PS3, plenty of digital cameras, camcorders, HDTV's, etc. They are not branded "WalMart." So you are honestly going to spend more money at Best Buy when you can save a few bucks at WalMart?
I bet most of you don't buy a Mac from Apple or an Apple Store. Are you so concerned about image that you will pay top dollar with sales tax just so you can claim how cool you are because you bought it from Apple? I bet most of you buy your Macs from Amazon.com (or other online retailer) to save a few bucks on the purchase price and save a few hundred more on sales tax.