The Annoying World of Notebook Shopping
Posted by Harry McCracken | Monday, July 04, 2005 11:23 PM PT
As I
mentioned recently, I've been in the market for a Tablet PC. I've always found that one of the smartest things you can do when you're contemplating a particular notebook is to lift it--so you get a sense as to just how much of a burden it'll be when you carry it around. Also important: Trying out the keyboard (and, in the case of a tablet, the pen) to see whether the manufacturer's take on input matches yours.
That should argue in favor of doing your buying at a retail store rather than via the Web, no?
Er, no. At least not necessarily. Over the long weekend, I drove around to local outlets of national electronics chains. My goal was pretty simple--I wanted to heft a tablet or two and try out their pens before I plunked down my money. Here's a blow-by-blow account of what I found:
CompUSA: The "Computer Superstore" keeps its notebooks, literally, under lock and key--they are all shackled down in these intimidating padlocked metal guards which makes judging their weight impossible. The Toshiba tablet I want to try isn't powered on, and the pen is missing. All in all, a depressing experience.
Office Depot: Like CompUSA only classier--the notebooks are locked up in tasteful Lucite-like plastic guards.
Circuit City: More shackled laptops, many of them turned off and some of them in disrepair. (What sort of person goes into a store and breaks keys off of notebooks, anyhow?) Mysteriously, a demo-model Averatec Tablet PC is priced at $119 more than a new one costs after rebate.
Best Buy: Okay, this is more like it--most of the notebooks are tethered on cables. A large lock adds to their weight, but it's possible to get some sense of how much they weigh. Some are even on desk-like workstations, although others are on a high shelf that would require some of my friends and relations to stand on tippy-toe.
Only one notebook is mounted directly to the shelving at Best Buy...the lone Tablet PC, a Toshiba. So I leave the store still uncertain about how heavy it feels. At least it's turned on and has the pen, so you can give it a try. You can even flip the screen around and use the system in both tablet and notebook mode. And so I did.
I feel sorry for anyone who walks into this store and buys this tablet, though. If you order it on BestBuy.com, you're alerted to a $100 rebate that I see no mention of in the store's pricing information. You can even buy online and pick it up at a retail location.
The Apple Store: Apple's boutiques bear so little resemblance to the CompUSAs of the world that I hesitate to burden them with the name "computer store." The notebooks here are on long tethers, so you can pick them up. They're set up on desks with plenty of elbow room. They all work, they've got wireless Internet access...some are even equipped with extras like printers, Webcams, and iPods.
The salespeople don't seem fazed by customers settling in and living with the computers for awhile--if the store had chairs and Diet Coke, I could be more productive here than I am in my own office.
Only one problem: Despite
long-standing rumors, there's no such thing as a Mac tablet. (Which I knew when I came in--but I was in the neighborhood, and wanted a point of comparison.)
Maybe I should aim my wrath at the shoplifters and vandals who force retailers to take extreme protective measures. But are you startled that I ended up
buying my Tablet PC online?
i empathize.
a year back I decided to get a notebook (i'd only had a desktop up until then) and thought 'well, the logical thing to do is go out to a lot of store and see how i like the different models.'
the experience was extremely depressing as you've noted, difficult to get a sense of the
"average user experience" as the display computers are pre-loaded with a lot of garbage that doesn't actually let you "test drive" them. and there aren't a wide variety of notebooks at most of the box-stores.
in the end, i crossed my fingers and (based on a PC world review) purchased an ibm thinkpad which they don't -- of course -- sell at stores at all.
i'm happy, but it seems like the experience should be better.
as a point of comparison, i recently bought a new acoustic guitar (that ended up costing about $1000) and found it quite easy to go into different stores, play on different guitars and compare (up into the 10,000 range) with little hassle. if customers can do this with fragile, handmade instruments, why does it seem impossible to have a similar retail experience with mass-produced, sturdier, equivalently priced computers?
as you've suggested, the mac store should be the model.
I have encountered the same problem in my area, Miami, Florida. When looking for a notebook, I want to see the vack and sides to see what ports are coming with it. Some stores like best buy have you restricted to a programmed sales tour so you can't open the System information to see what is actually under the cover. I.E. integrated graphics versus AGP, or PCI express dedicated. Your article covered it all.
This article was perfect! I'm trying to shop for a notebook so I can do my own work on it without disturbing others in my household, and this covered my experience exactly. I really like purchasing items at Best Buy, but when they turn on that annoying tour program that doesn't do much, I can't get a feel for what it's like software wise, like what OS it has. When mounted on things, I can't get a feel for what it will be like when I carry it or see some of the physical features that might persuade me to purchase that particular notebook. As for the thieves that made it hard to purchase a notebook, I have a message for you: The world would be a much better place without you people. With all of the security advancements, couldn't they insert a module into a notebook that would go off when you took it through the sensors, like they do with boxed products?
My only knock on the apple store is this: most of their lower priced machines come with 25kmb standard. The demo machines all have 512. That's a bit misleading. Otherwise, I fully agree.
I did go to COmpusa and asked the manager to let me test the weight of the tablet PC. He politely complied. I had a very good experience buying at Compusa. Best Buy was to busy to help me anf Circuit city did not have what I wanted. I could have bought it online, but the floor help is what sold it to me.
As for no such thing as a Mac tablet, you may want to check the online US Patent Department. I have seen the drawings and the paperwork. They exist, but just not on the market yet. I say within the year. Just my two cents.
Ok. Did a little more research. It was filed March 17, 2004. In order to view the graphics, you may have to install a third party helper to view the images. The link to the filing is http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=2&u=/netahtml/search-bool.html&r=60&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=ptxt&s1='Apple+Computer'&OS="Apple+Computer"&RS="Apple+Computer" and the pattent number is D504,889
I'm shopping for a notebook and want to find out what people's experience has been in terms of the different store's policies (and if they follow through) on screen warranty. In particular, a Best Buy rep told me that if the notebook is accidentally dropped, causing screen damage, it's not covered. However, damaging the screen by, say, poking a pen on the screen would be covered. They would replace the screen. A Circuit City rep told me that they are thinking about adding screen damage warranty. A Compusa rep said that they covered accidental damage from dropping, but am not sure how or if it's actually practiced.
Any comments or experience out there in these? Thanks!
Yes, I just recently purchased a notebook and went through many of the same troubles that you all have. I was just about disgusted with Best Buy (BB), they seem to be such a great store, but I don't think anyone knows what they are doing, and as far as warranties, they will hassle you to death. Our Hp Laptop that was purchased there has crashed twice, losing every bit of info that we had on it, but we had to get really pissed before they would fix it. The "Geek Squad" should be called the "High Rollers Suad" b/c they charge for everything. I bought some software and it was not working on my computer, so I asked them for some help but, and I quote, "I'm not supposed to help anyone with their computer if they simply place it on the counter without charging a fee," which I'm sure would be about $50. My girlfriend bought a computer from Circuit City (CC)which is supposed to come with a peripherals pack, som.e extra software and items that keep the computer in good shape, but one month later, they "don't have any in, they'll be in next wednesday." They have called every Wednesday for a month and still no sign of a package. I didn't want to mess with either store and Office Depot, Office Max and Staples didn't carry what I wanted or were to high, although in my opinion have considerably better service, so I decided to go with Dell. I originally did not like Dell, thinking, what if I have a problem and the laptop needs to be fixed? Trust me, the big boys like Dell and Gateway will get it fixed much faster than BB or CC simply b/c there isn't much of a hassle, just call them (as long as u have the warranty) and everything will be fine. I decided to go with Dell, who got me a great deal (no, really, it was a great deal $1750 total 15.4 wuxga, Pentium M760 1gig ram, 80 gig HD, 128MB Vid.card, with three yr warranty and accidental damage protection, which does cover drops or spills, unlike BB or CC) and no hassle. Their service is very friendly, despite the somewhat lengthy wait times (but not if you call during good hrs. like 2:00PM on Tuesday) and seem to know what they are doing. I don't know why I'm writing this, maybe just to vent and give others a bit of info about my shopping experience, but maybe someone else will benefit from my follies.
Retailers employ a bunch of deadwood that usually hinder the purchase process far more than they help it.
A fine substitute for the in-store "lift-test" is to note the weight and dimension listed. If you're extra picky and detailed, find any household item of the same weight and do a few reps. It sure beats fighting traffic, lines, muzak, and that everpresent deadwood.