The Hopeful Bargain Hunter and The Broken Record

[HawaiianShirts]

Two stories from a relatively slow night yesterday:

The Hopeful Bargain Hunter
-- (Customer enters the computer department. He looks around at the various displays of laptops and desktops for a few minutes. Not seeing exactly what he wanted, he approaches an associate.)
Me: What can I help you with, sir?
HBH: I'm looking for a computer.
Me: Okay. Was there anything in particular you had in mind? Desktop or Laptop? Certain specs?
HBH: Well, show me your best computer for under $200.
Me: (blinks) I don't have any computers in that price range, sir. The least expensive we have is a desktop tower for about $350.
HBH: Oh, come on. You have to have something. I know stores like this have super bargains you just hide until the right person asks for it.
-- (Associate walks Customer toward the back corner of the department and hands him a $39.99 Sharp Pocket Organizer with Spell-Checker and Pedometer, useful for little more than storing names and phone numbers.)
HBH: That's a computer?
Me: Not really. But it's as close as I can get to a computer for under $200.
HBH: Hmph! (turns and marches out of the store)

I would have shown him the Palm Pilots, but we were out of them at the time.

The Broken Record
-- (Customer enters the computer department wearing one of those suits that appears to be designed to look more expensive than it really is. He immediately approaches an associate.)
BR: I need a computer.
Me: All right? What do you need it to do for you?
-- (Customer describes his needs, which are simple, and Associate suggests an appropriate Gateway desktop model. Normal conversation follows as Associate explains specs.)
Me: And it has Windows Vista Home Premium for your operating system.
BR: Oh, it has Veesta?
Me: Yes. All of our computers do now.
BR: I can't have Veesta. It has too many bugs. And I have a program that my IT guy says won't work on Veesta.
Me: I'm sorry, sir, but in that case, I don't have any computers to fit your needs. Every computer I sell has Vista.
BR: Do you have any HPs?
Me: Yes, I do, but they all have Vista on them.
BR: Show me some of your HPs.
-- (Associate walks Customer to HP selection and explains the specs of a few models.)
BR: And are these running XP Home or Pro?
Me: Neither. They have Windows Vista.
BR: These have Veesta, too?
Me: Yes. ALL of our computers come with Vista.
BR: I can't have Veesta. It has too many bugs. And I have a program that my IT guy says won't work on Veesta.
Me: You'll probably have to custom order one, then, if you need XP.
BR: I've been thinking about a laptop, too. Show me some of your laptops.
-- (Customer and Associate repeat the above process looking at Toshiba, Sony, and HP laptops.)
BR: Why can't you show me anything with Windows XP?
Me: Because I don't have anything with Windows XP. The manufacturers are sending us computers with Windows Vista, and that's what we have to sell.
BR: I can't have Veesta. It has too many bugs. And I have a program that my IT guy says won't work on Veesta.
Me: I understand that, sir. That's why I'm suggesting you custom order your computer. If you absolutely have to have XP and cannot use Vista, then I can't help you. I have no computers that will fit your needs.
BR: So where are your XP systems?
Me: I don't have any.
BR: You're out?
Me: Yes. I'm out.
BR: When will you be getting more?
Me: Never.
BR: Okay. I'll come back in a couple of weeks then.

I can't wait.

[EmiOfBrie]

Apparently a lot of PC places are getting customers like that...a LOT of corporate places are refusing to upgrade to Vista, and even the US Government has banned it on Federal systems.

[katie kaboom]

i think my brain just suffered a meltdown.

[ahanix1989]

I suffer a meltdown every time someone refers to it as "Vee-sta". It's friggen Vista. I was the beta tester, I watched the PDC conferences, if you hear me pronounce it "Vista", it's Vista, not Vee-sta.

[CrazedClerk]

If I may ask, WHY are stores forbidden from offering XP anymore? I'd still much rather take XP over Vista. It is microsoft basically mandating that new PCs MUST have Vista??

[bigjimaz]

Remembering Speedy Gonzales.

No Veesta seen yor!

[ahanix1989]

Probably, most large chains (Dell, Gateway, etc) have a contract with Microsoft... and with the contract, they must choose one operating system, and if Dell went exclusively with XP, most people would think of it as old and slow... sort of how a P4 3.0GHz may SEEM faster than an Athlon64 2.4GHz, but there's little things that make the Athlon faster -- most people just see the 3.0 and know "3.0 is better than 2.4"

Most people who don't know specifics about computers know Vista is newer than XP, so they want Vista

Personally, I've had Vista since November, and love it. No application incompatibilities, no driver problems, nothing.

[tonydanza]

If I may ask, WHY are stores forbidden from offering XP anymore? I'd still much rather take XP over Vista. It is microsoft basically mandating that new PCs MUST have Vista??

Computer manafacturers just install vista on all new systems now. It's got not much to do with retailers, but microsoft probably does make deals withe those who create the laptops. If you wanted a new PC with XP, you'd have to buy the PC with vista, then reformat i with XP. Which would cos about an extra 150$ for XP.

[lordlundar]

If I may ask, WHY are stores forbidden from offering XP anymore? I'd still much rather take XP over Vista. It is microsoft basically mandating that new PCs MUST have Vista??

Stores aren't forbidden from selling XP anymore, it's just that they're not being sent XP anymore. It seems that microsoft stopped producing XP. As such, by default, the new machines all have Vista on them.

I get the feeling Vista is going to be a ME repeat.

[Gurndigarn]

I suffer a meltdown every time someone refers to it as "Vee-sta". It's friggen Vista. I was the beta tester, I watched the PDC conferences, if you hear me pronounce it "Vista", it's Vista, not Vee-sta.

If you happen to be around a bunch of spanish speakers, it's going to be "vee-sta" just about every time, whether it gives you a brain meltdown or not.

[Calud]

Vista is doing all right. I'm not installing it, because my system runs way to go atm. Maybe in a few months, if they put out a SP or my PC crashes, I' ll get it, but until then, no Veesta vor me.

And dude... what the hell? You just shouldn't let some people near PCs.

A friend of mine was working for a big company as a trainee. He has some basic knowledge of PCs, how to built them, the specs and so on. He fixed some of the PCs in his department, so the boss came over and asked him, if he could check his home PC, because it was running slowly.

He gets to mans house, big house, nice mercedes and all that nice stuff.

Know why his computer was running slow? He had a Pentium 2 300 somewhat megahertz....

[Andara Bledin]

Gah. Gotta love those selective hearing SCs.

Me, I probably won't ever be getting Vista. I don't have XP. When I finally have to up and stop using 2000Pro, I'm going to also finally be switching to a Mac.

^-.-^

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Frankly Iwish more stores would allow people to buy unloaded computers. I have Windows XP, I just need the computer.

If it weren't for the fact that I'm a computer tech I'd be screwed...at least I have the option of building it myself (and thus knowing exactly what is installed on it)

M

[RebeccaOTool]

A few weeks, eh? Should give you time to find a good hiding place.

[Becks]

BR: When will you be getting more?
Me: Never.
BR: Okay. I'll come back in a couple of weeks then.

Boy, he's optimistic. Or something.



My future MIL has a computer with Vista on it. It's not compatible with her printer. Blah. I haven't had a printer for almost a year now, and I'm able to function quite well.