If you have any clients in the PC business, NOW is the time for them to develop an aggressive value-added strategy to retain customers. Signage should factor into their efforts of course...
[ July 30, 2004, 09:36 PM: Message edited by: Jon Aston ]
-------------------- Jon Aston MARKETING PARTNERS "Strategy, Marketing and Business Development" Tel 705-719-9209 Posts: 1724 | From: Barrie, ON, CANADA | Registered: Sep 2000
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In Fremont, they squeeze 150 workers into 110 sq ft of factory, according to that story...............what about the sweat shops in China wonder how happy those workers are about it? but the consumer will mostly go for the cheapest alternative, won't we!
[ July 30, 2004, 10:45 PM: Message edited by: Ian Stewart-Koster ]
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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I say, if you're thinking of buying a laptop, it would be a good idea to get one now, before Wally World runs the price down to the point that everybody starts cuttin back on quality to meet the WM price.
-------------------- Don Hulsey Strokes by DON signs Utica, KY 270-275-9552 sbdsigns@aol.com
I've always been crazy... but it's kept me from going insane. Posts: 2277 | From: Utica, KY U.S.A. | Registered: Jan 1999
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I recently purchased a laptop from Dell with a 3 year warranty. I have seen cheap alternatives such as Averetec and wouldn't bother to buy it or the crap that Walmart is now selling.
Laptops have to many problems and not all are caused by mishandling. Right now I have a nice 2 year old KDS laptop/desk ornament that is a good reminder of how to shop correctly for consumer goods.
The quality is already gone on most of these, too good to be true, deals. Stick with quality.
Now let's not hear any more bitching about our customers shopping for a better price instead of the infinite quality and service that only we can give them.
-------------------- Wright Signs Wyandotte, Michigan Posts: 2785 | From: Wyandotte, MI USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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Like most companies that think walmart is thier answer to wealth and fortune. This laptop company may have had a reputaion for quality but soon they too will have to cut to keep up with Walmart's bullying and price control.
Walmart is just plain bad for business, all around.
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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We're not powerless to turn the tide. If we don't like what certain big billy retailers are doing to the economy, we can vote with our pocketbooks. We can also help "the little guy" compete more effectively, by providing him with signage that attracts.
-------------------- Jon Aston MARKETING PARTNERS "Strategy, Marketing and Business Development" Tel 705-719-9209 Posts: 1724 | From: Barrie, ON, CANADA | Registered: Sep 2000
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Back in 2000, when my dad was first getting sick I needed to buy a laptop so that I could fly back and take care of him for a while. I was living in LA but telecommuting for a company in San Francisco. As long as I had a laptop and a fax line I could work from anywhere.
I bought a Compaq middle of the road one that was all I could afford at the time. It's given me nothing but problems. Anything I've tried to do to it has been a hassle. If I suddenly come across some spendable cash, the first thing I would do is get a new one. Either a Dell or a Sony Vaio.
-------------------- Kimberly Zanetti Purcell www.amethystProductivity.com Folsom, CA email: Kimberly@AmethystProductivity.com
“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” AA Milne Posts: 3722 | From: Folsom, CA | Registered: Dec 2001
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Wal Mart didn't even make a dent in desktop PC sales across the industry. Nor did they affect the quality or price of the machines that were available at the time through other companies whether they're a big box or mom and pop.
There's one critical flaw in Wal Mart's plan which will prohibit them from cornering the market and driving it down into the gutter:
They're trying to sell laptops AND desktop computers built on 2-3 year old technology.
2-3 years is an OLD machine, they will BARELY run the new operating systems and software on the shelf today. It's OK if you buy a current machine and 2-3 years down the road it still works for you and the antiquated software does what you need, but a "new" machine built on old tech is absolutely WORTHLESS in today's market.
Shoot, they're probably scabbing those notebooks together with old surplus parts just laying around the warehouse.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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...more maufacturing of products overseas, bought here at an "assumed savings", and the continued policy of Wal-Crap to sucessfully market this dumpster fodder to the average schmuck out to save a short term nickle.
Meanwhile, back at Wally World, the "associates" continue to be overworked, underpaid, poorly trained and bereft of benifits and the higher up have determined that any company that they don't deal with should be summrily destroyed. No better way to do that than sign them up, force them to lower thier prices and quality, force production to overseas sweat shops.
Welcome to the new face of slave labor... and the mentality of "underpricing" that has spread to so many other retail markets.
I bought my HP Pavillion at Wal-Mart, am happy with it and probably would have gone back for another one next year. But not if they are going to introduce this new machine and force HP out of business intentionally through this deal. Read up on what they've done to Vlasic and Levi Strauss and see how "underpricing" can turn into "overlording".
You get what you pay for...and sometimes workers in this country pay for it with their livelyhoods as well.
So what are we REALLY saving?
I hearby swear to never set foot in Wal-Mart ever again. Rapid
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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That was very well put - and is exactly the reason I made the same decision the second I figured it out. Make it a family mission!
[ July 31, 2004, 03:57 PM: Message edited by: Jon Aston ]
-------------------- Jon Aston MARKETING PARTNERS "Strategy, Marketing and Business Development" Tel 705-719-9209 Posts: 1724 | From: Barrie, ON, CANADA | Registered: Sep 2000
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I made a conscious decision not to shop at Wal-Mart. The only thing I have bought there this year has been filters for the fish tank. Last resort, no other place in town carries them for the small tank that I have. I never got around to looking for them online. Just googled them. Buh-Bye Wal-Mart.
-------------------- Chris Welker Wildfire Signs Indiana, Pa Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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I bet Sam Walton is rolling in his grave. His whole Wal-Mart idea was to keep things Made in the U.S.A. When he died the idiots took over and now half of American companies are following in their footsteps. No wonder America doesn't have any jobs making more than $8/hour.
-------------------- Amy Brown Life Skills 101 Private Address Posts: 3502 | From: Lake Helen, FL, USA | Registered: Feb 2001
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I have lived in Arkansas most of my life. It's a beautiful state, but we gave the world Bill Clinton and WalMart, two things to not be proud of! In the future you will buy from WalMart or do without. They are intent on controlling everything!
-------------------- Frisby Signs, Inc. El Dorado, Arkansas Posts: 902 | From: El Dorado, Arkansas, USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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I haven't bought there yet and I will not be buying there in the future. I don't even step foot in the place! Then again, I am a Mac guy! wod-da-ya expect!
-------------------- Mike Pulskamp Pulskamp Arts Sacramento, CA mpulskamp@earthlink.net Posts: 165 | From: Sacramento, CA | Registered: Dec 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Bob Stephens: Lemon pepper rotisserie chicken! The only thing I buy at Wal-Mart.
I buy whole chickens at the local Food City (one of those cheap no frills kinda stores with the warehouse shelving and such) for $3 each, dump some lemon pepper seasoning on 'em and drop 'em into my rotisserie oven! A hundred times better than the premade ones at the stores!
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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as for wally world and computers....they dont do nothin for me. i have built every computer i own except my laptop. so as far as me spending computer money there...it wont happen. as for buying a laptop....maybe dave can send his desk ornament to me, hehehehehe.......i can make it work.....they are no different then a desktop, only smaller parts!!! the hard drives are replacable in most, ram is upgradeable, most problem is motherboards/modems/CPU's are usually soldered in so not upgradeable. the laptop hard drive make a nice portable storage unit. with a usb connection you can load a laptop hard drive in minutes. these only run at 4500 rpm slower then desktop h/d that run 7200 rpm. but they come in 4-20 gig. cost more then desktops h/d....also.
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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Not likely Joe, the monitor does not display. With laptops, especially older ones, all components are on the motherboard. Maybe a cold solder could be fixed for this just as the power connector went bad on it also and was fixed that way. At any rate building and assembling desktops ( which I have done) is a whole lot different on laptops. Plus with desktops, most fixes are far easier and cheaper.
-------------------- Wright Signs Wyandotte, Michigan Posts: 2785 | From: Wyandotte, MI USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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you right dave, most LCD screens have a "die" rate. from the 1st time you use it, the visual value of the screen is diminshing. i got a IBM thinkpad 433 celeron. its almost not useable in daylight. but then its 4 yrs old also.
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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Kimberly, a few months back, I bought a Sony Viao,about 2000 withall the perifials. I wanted to convert my Home videos to dvd's I love it, but portable it is not(right now) I have a 120 gb external hd, a video capture unit, an external dvd writer, wireless mouse,battery charger,network and modem hooked up to it. I believe there are more wires than computer. but it works extremely well for what I am doing. (I bought it from Best Buy in Fayetteville Arkansas. Walmart country) Bill
-------------------- Bill & Barbara Biggs Art's Sign Service, Inc. Clute, Texas, USA Home of The Great Texas Mosquito Festival Proud 10 year Supporter of the Letterheads Website www.artssigns.com "MrBill-" on the chat page MailTo:biggsbb@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1020 | From: Lake Jackson,Tx | Registered: Nov 1998
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I never got around to looking for them online. Just googled them. Buh-Bye Wal-Mart. 
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