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A few years ago I visited a large electronics retailer to buy a Windows laptop to put Linux on. I’d been a Linux user for years. But the service was so dire at
by Veen 8y ago
A few years ago I visited a large electronics retailer to buy a Windows laptop to put Linux on. I’d been a Linux user for years. But the service was so dire at the store I became irritated. No one knew what they were talking about. I waited twenty minutes to talk to a member of staff, who went to find another member of staff, and left me waiting an additional twenty minutes. I thought fuck this, left, and walked by an Apple store on the same street. I was curious and popped in to have a look. The experience was such a contrast that I bought a MacBook Air on the spot. Five years later and I’ve bought another MacBook, two iPhones, two iPads, and god knows how much software.
- pdimitar 8y agoYes. I feel many people really look at the price in a very black-and-white sort of way. Truth is, if people really want the device in question, they do find a way -- and they do buy it. I observed many times how even below-middle-class people around here in Eastern Europe could muster the money for a MacBook or a high-end iPhone with help from relatives or local short-term money lenders. (Sometimes from their boss as well -- many employers are happy to deduct 10-20% of your salary for 4-8 months until you repay the device.) Also what you said about service is something that much of the tech crowd here in HN seems to severely underestimate. Even I as a programmer and a few other hardware guys I know appreciate a semi-informed employee who comes to us and answers intelligently any questions we ask them. Those that don't try and swindle us usually get our money.
- paultopia 8y agoSeriously, this, but from the opposite direction. I've been an Apple user since forever, and I keep thinking about switching to Linux. But then I try to find some hardware, and it's either Thinkpad (the same price as Apple, plus I have to install an operating system?), Dell XPS (everyone here seems to hate it), or hunt through an endless forest of confusing bits of hardware with machines named things like EnterpriseCo D8305xr and BigCorporate fx9301.818 and through those terrible websites, and, fuckit, Tim Cook gets some more of my money.
- perishabledave 8y agoCan’t speak from actually purchasing from them, but System76 laptops seems like a great option for getting a Linux computer. The website is in stark contrast to the maze that the Dell website is.
- diegoperini 8y agoToday I spent like 30 minutes fantasizing about what to buy and played with all kind of customization settings in their site. Hurray for my new procrastination tool!
- yread 8y agoon the other hand looking to buy an ipad I have a choice between 6 "iPad" models, 4 "iPad mini", 2 "iPad Air" models and 4 "iPad Pro" models. Confusing and difficult to research anything.