[geeks] So I went to Best Buy today...

[Lionel Peterson]

...to buy a new laptop (for Ubuntu Linux), and I was attracted to a $500 laptop[0] that looked pretty reasonable. It is a Dell Inspiron 1525, a model Dell offers with Ubuntu Linux pre-installed[1], so I figure I'm in for a pretty easy install.

Well, I haven't done the install yet, but I was amazed at how BestBuy/Geek Squad want you to actually buy a laptop. After I went to a salesman and showed him a page from their web site I simply said "I want this laptop". After he confirmed they had it, I pointed out that the price should be $499, not $549 in the weekly circular. He checked the web site and confirmed the lower price, then went to the back to get one for me.

He handed me a piece of paper, and asked me to fill in my name/address. He put the laptop and my piece of paper behind the counter at the "Geek Squad" booth and told me to get in line, they'd ring me up.

I didn't wait too long (10 minutes?), but while I waited, they ran down a list of "services" they could provide for me. They would burn "recovery CDs" and install all updates for only $49. They would give me a form of "Apple Care" protection for about $300/3 years, and they could install anti-virus/spyware software for another $49 (they said that would make my computer run faster, boot faster and be protected). They told the fellow ahead of me that they happen to have a laptop just like the one in the sealed box that they could give him right now that already had the recovery CDs burned, all updates applied, and anti-virus/spyware software installed so you won't have to wait.

<church lady>Isn't that just so special</church lady>

When it was my turn, the fellow didn't even try the high-pressure sales tactics (maybe it was the serious look on my face), but I could see how an "average" buyer would get sucked in and pay for these services... The woman and the hispanic male before me each decided to get the recovery discs burned and spyware/anti-virus software installed, adding $100 to their laptop purchases...

I could never do that to a customer, but I guess they think it is being "helpful". They also had a lot of "Geeks" on-site, nearly a dozen on a Sunday afternoon...

Lionel

[0] http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8760879&type=product&id=1202650401237

[1] http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2008/02/18/46379.aspx