[FFL]

Sounds crazy... but I heard this from a well-placed source that works at Office Depot's corp. HQ

So, IF it happens, this thread is here for itoldyaso purposes.

[hmurchison]

Sounds like a good idea to me. Office Depots are everywhere.

[InactionMan]

Ooooooh! Low cost iMacs at Office Despot!!! This must mean that the G5 iMacs are ready for Apple's normal retail channels but they had to hold off until September to have enough stock for Office Despot. 5% market share here we come!

[Brad]

Originally Posted by InactionMan 5% market share here we come!

C'mon... don't you think we should have something more realistic in sight like 2% or maybe 2.5%?

[Quagmire]

I say 3% nat most with the imac G5. Then we will reach 5% with the powerbook G5.

[hmurchison]

Originally Posted by Brad C'mon... don't you think we should have something more realistic in sight like 2% or maybe 2.5%?

I'm no statistics major but considering todays sales of computers overall I'm thinking Apple would have to literally double sales along the whole lineup and probably still wouldn't hit %3 marketshare.

Office Depot would help though if Apple can come off the high horse and compete at around $699 even for a strippo.

[FFL]

http://www.officedepot.com/txtSearch...C&id=170101 5

edit: if that link doesn't work try this one
http://www.officedepot.com/ddMain.do...nfo=SG_3_DV_17
or just navigate to the Computers and Monitors section

:smokey:

[psmith2.0]

Wait, is this web only...or will it mean the stores are going to start carrying them too? I'm in a town with no Apple Store, CompUSA or independent Apple retailer (yeah, sucks). BUT, we have about four Office Depots!



Any word?

Short of getting a CompUSA here (the most realistic scenario), I could deal with the Office Depot thing just fine, especially as there is one less than two miles from my house!

[Messiahtosh]

Wow, this would rock! My town does not have an Apple store either, all we have is a few demo units within the Penn State computer center. Yay!

[FFL]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Wait, is this web only...or will it mean the stores are going to start carrying them too? Any word?

I think he said they'd be coming "any day now" to the stores also. I'd had plenty of beers by that time though...

[Quagmire]

It shows the xserve G5 and G4. Will they both be at the store or very similar to apple only have xserve online only?

[Eugene]

Originally Posted by hmurchison I'm no statistics major but considering todays sales of computers overall I'm thinking Apple would have to literally double sales along the whole lineup and probably still wouldn't hit %3 marketshare.

How did you figure that?

If Apple doubled its sales, it would blast right through 3% market share.

[Commodus]

I've never seen any Macs on display in an Office Depot - and this is one of those places where the retail presence is more important than the online store.

[DMBand0026]

Originally Posted by Commodus I've never seen any Macs on display in an Office Depot - and this is one of those places where the retail presence is more important than the online store.

I think that's cause this is a very new thing. I'd look for Macs to start popping up in the stores in a few weeks.

[psmith2.0]

Well, I'm going to place a couple of calls tomorrow to my local Office Depot stores, just to see. I don't know. Too good to be true. I mean, Best Buy carries (or used to carry) them online, but not in stores (as recently as several months ago).

I have a Best Buy here in town and all they carry is iPods and iPod stuff. No Apple computers.

I'll try not to get too torqued up at the notion until I saw them in person.

However, with little marketing muscle behind it, I can only get excited about this from a personal, selfish standpoint. Your average PC-using soccer mom or whatever is NOT going to walk into Best Buy and, on the spot, suddenly plop down money on a machine they know nothing about.

That simply just does not happen. Ever. I, however, would be thrilled at the prospect of seeing actual Apple hardware - other than iPods - in Chattanooga, TN.



A much-welcome sight, and it would signal the end to my schleps down to Atlanta to get my "Apple fix" or purchase Mac products (stands to reason if Office Depot carried the computers, they almost have to carry some accessories and Mac software, right?).

Hmmm...

[Frank777]

This is interesting. (And the first real scoop for Nova!)

In Ontario, Office Depot is getting whacked by Staples, which are sprouting all over the place like Tribbles.

OD also has a pretty useless store-within-a-store concept for Home Electronics (Samsung stuff, I believe.)

Nobody goes to Office Depot to buy a Plasma screen. If OD built in an Apple Store-within-a-store concept, this could be big for both sides. Really Big.

[FFL]

Well, it looks like this is a real live scoop now, on the Think Secret front page even...
http://www.thinksecret.com/news/officedepot.html

thankyaverymuch
</elvis>

[Quagmire]

Now if we could get Macs into staples, circuitcity, and back into Bestbuy we could have a really good chance of building our marketshare.

[FFL]

Yo, Kasper AND his Automated Slave are my beeyotch!!

http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=546

SC00p3D
0wnd
!!!!

:smokey:

[psmith2.0]

I stopped by two local Office Depot stores today (the two locations nearest my house) and asked. One guy said they're expecting the iPod and accessories in by August, with the rest to follow and the guy at the other store was indeed aware of the stuff now being sold on their website, but didn't seem to know much beyond that, as far as stuff coming to the store itself. I asked them both what they've heard and their answers were, more or less, "rumblings from management".

Neither of the guys I talked to seemed to be particularly high up, so who knows. I tried looking around for a higher-up, manager type to ask...but couldn't find any and I really didn't see the need to do the whole "can I see your manager?" thing to ask them such a silly question.

I figure we'll know soon enough.

The first guy seemed somewhat sure of things, even mentioned "iPod docks" and "iPod mini" and "connector cables", unprodded. That's a good sign, I guess.

I hope they go all out and carry the full line and not just iPod stuff. Jeez, I can already get THAT at Best Buy, Circuit City and Target. What this town NEEDS is a place that sells the damn computers themselves!

[hmurchison]

What's scary is "who's gonna train these guys?" Man I'm already cringing at the though of some of the comments that the uniformed OD working may make regarding Macs.

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by hmurchison What's scary is "who's gonna train these guys?" Man I'm already cringing at the though of some of the comments that the uniformed OD working may make regarding Macs.

Yeah, if its going to be anything like CompUSA, it isn't worth Apple's time.

One time, when trying to buy RAM at a CompUSA, the guy asked me what kind of computer I have, and when I said Mac, he just said "we don't sell Mac RAM". There's no friggin difference you idiot.

[psmith2.0]

I was thinking that too. I should try to get a part-time gig there in the evenings. STRICTLY manning the Mac area.

They could do worse...



It's always a bad thing to have people who know NOTHING about Macs (or outright hate Apple, for whatever reason) manning these sections. I've seen it too many times at CompUSA, before those Apple-certified types showed up. Left to the CompUSA red shirts, the Apple stuff got dinged and badmouthed more than its fair share.



Hmmm...I need to keep an eye out over there (that one location is literally about a 7-minute drive from my house) and if they do indeed carry the full line, perhaps I should buddy up to the manager and make my case.



[Col. Jessup]"You NEED me on that floor. You WANT me on the floor! We use words like iPod, G5, RDF...we use these words as the backbone to a life spent promoting something. You use 'em as a punchline."[/Col. Jessup]

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by CubeDude Yeah, if its going to be anything like CompUSA, it isn't worth Apple's time. One time, when trying to buy RAM at a CompUSA, the guy asked me what kind of computer I have, and when I said Mac, he just said "we don't sell Mac RAM". There's no friggin difference you idiot.

No, Mac RAM is translucent blue and has rounded corners. Sometimes it has stripes. Come on...everyone knows that!

[709]

Originally Posted by FFL Yo, Kasper AND his Automated Slave are my beeyotch!! http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=546 SC00p3D 0wnd !!!! :smokey:

[Messiahtosh]

I called my local OD and they knew nothing about it. I'm gonna go down there tomorrow and fill out an application.

Come on, I can be very charming and "normal" in real life.

[psmith2.0]

I'd seriously consider doing it. And the money wouldn't mean as much, really (I do okay in my day gig and steady freelancing). However, I wouldn't want to work there and have to stock inkjet paper or dust the office desks in the back.



If I'm there, all I want to do is stand in the Mac section and help people and answer their questions and dispel some of the harmful, decade-old bullcrap they'll no-doubt be carrying.

That's all. A couple of hours a night, a few bucks over minimum. Just for the experience, the chance to right some wrongs and some silly pocket money for movies or whatever. OR, work out some cool commission thing. I don't care (not gonna be pushy anyway).

I just think it would be cool to get rewarded for standing there talking about - and promoting - Macs and Apple...talk about being in my element. I could put my money where my mouth is and do my part to help make up for Apple's lame-ass marketing efforts! Where do I sign up?



Hell, I've done it "unofficially" for so long now anyway (all my CompUSA "rescues" over the years and all the co-workers and friends/family I've switched). For once, I might as well get something for my efforts and passion, in the form of a paycheck. You know what? I'd do it for minimum wage and 10-15% off anything I want to buy (to make up for me not being a student and getting education discounts).

[Messiahtosh]

That's how I feel. Trouble is, I'm a college freshman, I don't think I'll be taken very seriously. Maybe if they hear me out and give me a chance, it would be so much fun to help sell Macs.

[DMBand0026]

I'd do it too. But I feel the same way you do Paul. I would want to just do Mac stuff, mostly because I know I'd be the only person in the store who would even come close to being qualified.

I might check this out.

[Ryan]

I would definately do it as a summer job next year, but right now I'm not old enough to work there, and I probably won't be next year either.