9800 pro is not slow... but unfriendly in 3D gaming wise. i installed CounterStrike 1 year ago with it, the GPU was way over the recommended, but for some obnoxious reason it delivered nothing but corrupted interlacing on my non-interlaced LCD monitor. it wasnt the monitor's fault for certain. then i checked, it was the memory on it, wasnt even callibrated for me! i kinda expect all ATI cards are like this, thats why i kinda opt for NVIDIA more cos their cards are much more reliable and quality
well what do u expect? these are stereotypical "fat-deals" american superstores... i wouldn't feel scared or annoyed, but enjoy them expressing some rubbish, wasting their time, vicariously see their shares drop... and laugh confidently to their bankruptcy.. sorry just gettin excited to playing the good'ol Transport Tycoon agen...
I used to work for Fry's and CompUSA...pressuring customer for service plans is the last thing I want to do to a customer but then again...I made most of my money there...that's why I don't want to work retail no more...especially for those dumb idiots at retail corporates. Do you know how much profit they make out of those service plans? Do you how how much I make? Next to nothing! And you guys wonder why those sales people on those stores are so stupid? Because those retailers never took care of the good ones!!
9800Pro slow? I use that card to play D3 and granted it stutters a bit when you first enter certain areas but once it gets cached it runs just fine for me. Usually in the 40ish range.
It is a mistake to think BB has no restocking fee. I purchased a laptop there before last XMAS but could not get the wireless to function, which was the only reason I got it so I could be on the internet while taking a dump, (haha). Then found the performance lacking( guess I was too used to desktop systems). So I go to take it back and notice the 15% restocking fee. They never mentioned the restocking fee when I purchased. So it cost me $187 to return the thing. I emailed CS and just got a blow off. So I don't buy anything large there anymore.
I bought a $15.00 headset and the guy told me that if I get a $100.00 service plan, I could get a newer model should the old one breaks down or if the wires cut open.
Seriously, do these people really think consumers are that stupid? I guess some people are, but I hate it when they continue to push the service plan when I have already said "No" firmly. I bet BB employees have a hard time understanding English. :)
I haven't shopped at BB more than a few times. The customer service is ridiculous. The first time I went, employees walked right past me when I was trying to get one of them to get me a CD-RW drive in a glass cabinet. The second time I went, I stood around for at least 20 minutes for an employee to finally stop and help me get a stick of RAM.
Me: "Do you have any more of this type of RAM?" (I was pointing)
BB: "Yup."
Me: "..............Can I have one?"
He then knodded at the ceiling making no eye contact, grabbed a stick, and walked away with it to the checkout counter up front (I hate that).
The reason there's such a big push for the service plans is that they're the one product stores can sell with huge margins - most of the time, people buy the service plan and then don't do anything with it, leaving Best Buy or wherever with a bunch of free money. The management isn't going to tell the salespeople to lead customers toward something that's been marked down repeatedly to compete with the store across the street, they're going to tell them to suck as much of that free money from people as they can. Furthermore, since ALL the stores are playing the same game and most people aren't willing to drop the purchase and leave as soon as the salesperson starts the service plan pitch, it isn't really hurting the stores at this point to do that.
OOOO...NVDA meeting! What kind of new spin are they going to dictate you spew now? Some of your benches in that "DIII: GPU Battle" are in need of review!
I wholeheartly agree on the BB post. I haven't shopped there in years because they have the worst service and their on-floor salesman are horrible with knowledge of the products. I don't need help when shopping, but it's always fun asking questions to see if you get an answer that you already know. :)
Also, I have a Pentium 4 3.2Ghz, 1GB RAM, and a Radeon 9800 Pro 128Mb and I can't even run Doom 3 on HQ @ 1024 x 768 without it being choppy. Maybe these new Doom 3 Beta drivers will help, but for now I'm very UNSATISFIED with the performance of the Radeon 9800 running Doom 3.
Well, Working at Circuit City, I can definetly say it's the same thing there. Not necisarilly high pressure for volume sales, but, Service plans are severely pushed in TVs and PCs. It's not a bad deal most of the time, but, once someone says no, I wish it could just be left at that, like we do on phones, game consoles, etc.
Right on with your comments about Best Buy. I worked there from 2000-2003 and it went from being a good environment to a sales pressure environment. It's truly gotten out of hand and they've lost sight of making customers happy and providing a good shopping experience. I no longer shop there because of it and encourage others to do the same.
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21 Comments
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Dark Ninja - Tuesday, August 17, 2004 - link
9800 pro is not slow... but unfriendly in 3D gaming wise. i installed CounterStrike 1 year ago with it, the GPU was way over the recommended, but for some obnoxious reason it delivered nothing but corrupted interlacing on my non-interlaced LCD monitor. it wasnt the monitor's fault for certain. then i checked, it was the memory on it, wasnt even callibrated for me! i kinda expect all ATI cards are like this, thats why i kinda opt for NVIDIA more cos their cards are much more reliable and qualityDark Ninja - Tuesday, August 17, 2004 - link
well what do u expect? these are stereotypical "fat-deals" american superstores... i wouldn't feel scared or annoyed, but enjoy them expressing some rubbish, wasting their time, vicariously see their shares drop... and laugh confidently to their bankruptcy.. sorry just gettin excited to playing the good'ol Transport Tycoon agen...r35553h - Thursday, August 12, 2004 - link
I used to work for Fry's and CompUSA...pressuring customer for service plans is the last thing I want to do to a customer but then again...I made most of my money there...that's why I don't want to work retail no more...especially for those dumb idiots at retail corporates. Do you know how much profit they make out of those service plans? Do you how how much I make? Next to nothing! And you guys wonder why those sales people on those stores are so stupid? Because those retailers never took care of the good ones!!bbomb - Sunday, August 8, 2004 - link
9800Pro slow? I use that card to play D3 and granted it stutters a bit when you first enter certain areas but once it gets cached it runs just fine for me. Usually in the 40ish range.Phil - Sunday, August 8, 2004 - link
It is a mistake to think BB has no restocking fee. I purchased a laptop there before last XMAS but could not get the wireless to function, which was the only reason I got it so I could be on the internet while taking a dump, (haha). Then found the performance lacking( guess I was too used to desktop systems). So I go to take it back and notice the 15% restocking fee. They never mentioned the restocking fee when I purchased. So it cost me $187 to return the thing. I emailed CS and just got a blow off. So I don't buy anything large there anymore.Anonymous - Friday, August 6, 2004 - link
heh why the heck is anand himself playing on a 9800 pro with a 2.1?Isn't there a few closets full of 6800 ultras and such sitting around?
Anonymous - Thursday, August 5, 2004 - link
I bought a $15.00 headset and the guy told me that if I get a $100.00 service plan, I could get a newer model should the old one breaks down or if the wires cut open.Seriously, do these people really think consumers are that stupid? I guess some people are, but I hate it when they continue to push the service plan when I have already said "No" firmly. I bet BB employees have a hard time understanding English. :)
flexy - Thursday, August 5, 2004 - link
Interesting to know where the founder of AT gets his h/w :) j/k :)flexy - Thursday, August 5, 2004 - link
HAHA..i just read that thread.They wanted me to sell an extended serviceplan for a $29 headset. "In case the leather wears out". :)
I am not kidding :)
Michel Behna - Thursday, August 5, 2004 - link
I love it when they offer me a service plan on a $10-$50 item... :)nowayout99 - Thursday, August 5, 2004 - link
I haven't shopped at BB more than a few times. The customer service is ridiculous. The first time I went, employees walked right past me when I was trying to get one of them to get me a CD-RW drive in a glass cabinet. The second time I went, I stood around for at least 20 minutes for an employee to finally stop and help me get a stick of RAM.Me: "Do you have any more of this type of RAM?" (I was pointing)
BB: "Yup."
Me: "..............Can I have one?"
He then knodded at the ceiling making no eye contact, grabbed a stick, and walked away with it to the checkout counter up front (I hate that).
Greg - Wednesday, August 4, 2004 - link
The reason there's such a big push for the service plans is that they're the one product stores can sell with huge margins - most of the time, people buy the service plan and then don't do anything with it, leaving Best Buy or wherever with a bunch of free money. The management isn't going to tell the salespeople to lead customers toward something that's been marked down repeatedly to compete with the store across the street, they're going to tell them to suck as much of that free money from people as they can. Furthermore, since ALL the stores are playing the same game and most people aren't willing to drop the purchase and leave as soon as the salesperson starts the service plan pitch, it isn't really hurting the stores at this point to do that.Kinda sucks. :(
Anonymous - Wednesday, August 4, 2004 - link
Yeah, the service plans are getting really annoying.Anonymous - Wednesday, August 4, 2004 - link
More details on the Nvidia meeting would be great. :)Anonymous - Wednesday, August 4, 2004 - link
OOOO...NVDA meeting! What kind of new spin are they going to dictate you spew now? Some of your benches in that "DIII: GPU Battle" are in need of review!RyanVM - Wednesday, August 4, 2004 - link
Just tell him you're the founder of Anandtech and see if that get's him to shut up :pOn the other hand, that would be assuming Best Buy techs were actually qualified...
roostercrows - Wednesday, August 4, 2004 - link
Amen! brother. compusa is the worst and it's getting bad everywhere. Safeway will probably start offering me servive plans on my groceries.Alex Behrens - Wednesday, August 4, 2004 - link
I wholeheartly agree on the BB post. I haven't shopped there in years because they have the worst service and their on-floor salesman are horrible with knowledge of the products. I don't need help when shopping, but it's always fun asking questions to see if you get an answer that you already know. :)Also, I have a Pentium 4 3.2Ghz, 1GB RAM, and a Radeon 9800 Pro 128Mb and I can't even run Doom 3 on HQ @ 1024 x 768 without it being choppy. Maybe these new Doom 3 Beta drivers will help, but for now I'm very UNSATISFIED with the performance of the Radeon 9800 running Doom 3.
Crucified Ego - Wednesday, August 4, 2004 - link
Well, Working at Circuit City, I can definetly say it's the same thing there. Not necisarilly high pressure for volume sales, but, Service plans are severely pushed in TVs and PCs. It's not a bad deal most of the time, but, once someone says no, I wish it could just be left at that, like we do on phones, game consoles, etc.GhandiInstinct - Wednesday, August 4, 2004 - link
Not to mention their prices on certain hardware are outrageous. No wonder video cards are always heavily stocked there.David - Wednesday, August 4, 2004 - link
Right on with your comments about Best Buy. I worked there from 2000-2003 and it went from being a good environment to a sales pressure environment. It's truly gotten out of hand and they've lost sight of making customers happy and providing a good shopping experience. I no longer shop there because of it and encourage others to do the same.