[NTLUG:Discuss] Fry's and Linux

[Jeff Miller]

>
>Retail is supposed to be about service, otherwise you can always mail-order
>for a few bucks less.  I find that their prices - except for a few
>loss-leader items - aren't really that good.  From the size, you would
>expect Fry's to have depth, but even there they don't.  Try finding, say, a
>10/100 NIC.  They have a whole aisle of WiFi stuff and buried in there are
>two or three marginal and one very expensive (Intel Pro/1000) choices.
>
>For me, Fry's serves three purposes -
>   one is that you can put your hands on the physical box and read it.  I
>know, that's precisely the behavior that kills local retail.  But it's the
>money...
>
>   two is for a few heavy or large items where s/h is usually a killer
>(cases, cheap UPSes for the TiVO, etc.) (and not always - I just got an APC
>350 from Staples for $20 w/ $0 s/h)
>
>   three is (perverse) amusement (especially if you like watching
>salesdroids commit suicide as you tell some poor user he really doesn't need
>a $500 Radeon 9800 card just to surf the web at 800x600).
>
>But we're perilously close to topic drift ... so I'll resume LURK mode.
>
>-----Burton
>
>
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>https://ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>  
>
On a slightely different note, on the amusementline.  Anyone ever been 
kicked out of a retail establishment for correcting a salesdroid?

I was kicked out of Microcenter once because a guy asked how he could 
network 2 systems together, made it very clear that 2 was all he wanted 
to do.  The salesdroid started in with he needed a switch cables, 2 
nics... This was back in the mid 90's when a switch was going to be $100 
or better.  I was right behind them listening to the entire convo and 
told the guy he could save that trouble with a crossover cable.  The 
salesdroid complained to his manager and I was asked to leave.  That's 
what made me pretty sure that Microcenter works on commision.

J