LawyerRon, What a Joke Today !!!

[Kubie]

Went to Best Buy at 6:30am to see if I could get the Acer cd-rw for 79.95. When I arrived, there were easily 1000 people standing in a long line. When the doors opened the line broke and every ran to get in. Obviously, the Acers were gone along with just about every other brand.
I'll never do that again. :D
Carl

[kraken]

And I'll bet there were only twenty.

[Kubie]

I take it you read the add too.

[kraken]

No!

Its a common ploy to attract customers to a store. Have a limited number of items for ridiculously cheap prices (usually at well below cost). Once you have your thousands of customers, they will probably purchase something else that has a healthy markup attached, when they are dissapointed at missing out.

The twenty units was just a guess. I don't get adds from best buy here in Australia.

[Kubie]

kraken, The add even mentioned 20 on hand. Other things were 27" Sharp color tv w/remote 179.95, nice microwave oven for 79.95 and on and on. Most of their pc packages included the MSN 3 yr contract if you wanted it.
Oh well, I'll keep my eyes open for a cd-rw. In a way, I'm glad I didn't get the Acer. Hal9000 put some doubts in my mind.
Carl

[kraken]

The sort of advertising that induces large crowds to queue up for that $50 one only fridge has been virtually banned here in my home state (Victoria) due to injuries and brawling that have happened to be the first in. If you get any advertisments for a limited stock special you will probably find the same thing happening. How many TVs and microwave ovens were there at that special price.

Best Buy 3.2/7.0 at resellerratings.com

[Edited by kraken on 11-24-2000 at 02:44 PM]

[LawyerRon]

Hey Carl,
There was about a 1000 in line at my Best Buy store too. The 20 Acers were gone in about 30 seconds. However, I did pick up the Lexmark Z31 color printer for 19.99 after rebate. I'll give it to my son. I had given my son my old HP500 (Black only) and it needed a cartridge. I figured the Lexmark was actually cheaper than a cartridge! Faster too, 8ppm in black. I also picked up the PNY 50 spindle CD-Rs (free after rebate) and a few muisic cds my girls wanted.

I was at the store at 6:30, and the line was around the block so I sat in my car until the doors opened at 7:00. I picked up what I wanted, got in line at 7:30 and got to the register at 10:00!! Wow, 2-1/2 hrs. in line!

Actually, the Burner fiasco may be a blessing in disguise as I now think I want to get a decent "external" model so my son and I can share it.

[Kubie]

I was going to look around for some goodies but people were running their carts up my back. Wanted to get a dvd for my son, but they were gone also.
Good deal on the printer, Ron. Your idea on a decent external writer is a good one. Maybe I'll get with my son and split the cost.

[Edited by Carlgif on 11-24-2000 at 03:16 PM]

[UncaDanno]

My stepson and I got to the BestBuy here at about 6:50. The same crowd, snaking around the building, was waiting for the gates to open.
We got in and I made a bee-line to the 'puter section and snatched one of the Acer CD-R/Ws from the cart as it came into the area. The cart held about 20. Hmmm....
The poor guy at "the case" asked "Who wants memory?" (It has to be "walked to the front"). Somebody in the back stage-whispered "Everybody raise both hands!" So we did.
My stepson, in the meantime, grabbed the stereo system he wanted and the DVDs (all except one) he wanted and we got in line.
We each said "They walked a 128MB stick of memory to the front for me." We got the last two. Same price (after the [non-delivering?] mail-in rebate) as Crucial, but it's in the box frying away right now.

We got in and out in under an hour. Before the fist fights broke out.


The deals? They were OK. Nothing to write home about. But my stepson learned the "Never again!!!" lesson his first trip. Said it reminded him too much of the lines on the base. So it wasn't a complete waste....

[Xayd]

Yeah, you folks complain about that burner, at least ya didn't buy it last weekend for 140 bucks :(.

It's working ok so far, but the first two I got were DOA. First one made a grinding noise after burning one CD, second one wouldn't open, third one worked.

All coasters so far have been my fault, but this thing is kinda flimsy. It seems like...well..a 140 dollar burner, what can I say. Ya pay cheap ya get cheap ;).

Xayd

[Byte 2.0]

avoid the lines...I shop at pricewatch.com I have had good luck there, and i believe the Cd burners are about 100 bucks shipped...

[Edited by byte on 12-07-2000 at 12:33 AM]

[AlwaysUp]

I bought my CD-RW in october of 1999 and I paid about $240 for it.....Time has a way of thumbin' it's nose at ya! Still works like a champ, though. Ricoh MP7040 4x4x12.

[Edited by AlwaysUp on 12-09-2000 at 05:49 AM]