“Best Buy may begin selling Macs again, which in turn could accelerate the iPod halo affect, according to a report released by Merill Lynch. The analyst firm said that the consumer electronic retailer could begin to sell Macs–specifically the Mac mini-again by the end of February, based on information relayed by a retail manager and indications on Best Buy’s Website that the Mac mini would be available soon at retail stores,” MacNN reports. “The Apple-Best Buy partnership could further accelerate the halo effect of the iPod by providing yet another outlet for Apple to reach out to the larger consumer market, according to Milunovich. Merill reiterated a ‘Buy’ rating on Apple with a price target of $85 per share.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Best Buy and Apple. On again, off again, on again, off again, on again…
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Apple execs now see ‘iPod Halo Effect’ clearly paying off with higher Macintosh sales – January 13, 2005
Holy Halo Effect! Analyst predicts 100 million iPod sales by 2008 – Windows to Mac switchers coming? – November 24, 2004
I don’t think that is such a great idea Best Buy has to be one of the worst companys out there.
Best Buy will never get my business.
They haven’t earned the nickname worst buy for there good service…
Best Buy sucks… it’s the peecee shopper’s paradise.
Just because they have 15 year old dorks passing of their “expert knowledge” on ignorant consumers doesn’t mean they are a bad company… in my area they have the best selection when I want something now, and not order off the web.
But people do go there looking for computers. Without a Mac there the customer will walk out the door with an HP or eMachine.
I’d actually like to see the Mac mini on display using other brands of keyboard, mouse and monitor. The other brands on the shelf wouldn’t like it but I like the idea of having one set up with the KMV (KVM?) switch to show how someone could “add” a Mac to their current setup.
Let’s see, hasn’t Best Buy started selling Macs at least twice before only to drop it? Sounds like a totally unreliable partner.
I pray apple makes sure they hire competent people who know something about the Macintosh, unless it’s just as bad as not having them there!
I hate Best Buy. Whenever I go in, the sales staff (if you can call a bunch of guys standing around in a circle ignoring everyone else in the room a sales staff) never fail to wow and amaze me with their lack of knowledge. But their pricing and selection is good and it beats having to wait for something to be delivered AND they are closer to me than the Apple store…
First time trying this, lets hope I get it right:
Magic Word: Indifferent As in I’m as indifferent to Best Buy selling Macs and their sales staff is of me acually wanting to buy something.
I simply don’t understand the appeal of Best Buy.
I would rather see Costco sell the mini. They have a much better return policy (six months, no questions). Then, maybe they will begin to carry more mac software.
I love best buy. I didn’t have enough money for an apple airport, so I bought some stubid linksys at best buy. Couldn’t get the damn thing to work with my ibook though. So I brought it back, like two weeks later, and said I couldn’t seem to figure out how to get it to work. They said sorry, here’s your money back!! Perfect!
This won’ work because Best Buy will never carry the software needed to help sell the macs. The only ones who will buy are people who use macs already and know about software purchasing channels.
Our IT guy at work, MR. Anti Mac guy, decided to try a Mac Mini. Heck, it’s only $499 he said. 4 days later I had to go back to the apple store with him. He’s looking at a dual G5 now.
He wants a mac for his personal stuff and keep his winblows stuff for work.
Halo effect in full force.
i don’t blame them for picking up and dropping Apple.
It takes guts and a little bit of stupidity to sell a low margin technology product that has little or no price protection, especially when you’re a large company with a potentially large inventory and price drops and replacement models come out unexpectedly.
They will sell Apple if its a product in which it’s not a signifigant risk (ie. high volume). Businesses aren’t built on stupid decisions… especially the technology business. It’s bad enough that electronics becomes obsolete so quickly, but add “low-margin”, “low-volume”, “no price protection” to that mix and you start to see why a lot of places don’t carry apple products.
Too much risk.
Substantial Part of PC Users Would Consider Mac as Second Computer – Poll.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/other/display/20050128065358.html
Now try to guess the numbers before you load the site…
Apple did poorly in Best Buy in the past becasue they got ZERO floor support. No incentive was offered, and the typical Best Buy Computer salesman is a 20 year old pc owning college student with zero impetus to sell anything other that what he knows.
I’d say 40% but that’s just me.
I think we should start selling Mac mini’s at Seven Elevens.
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No, Really!
Think Different People!!
“I think we should start selling Mac mini’s at Seven Elevens.”
Stranger things have happened. My local supermarket at Christmas was selling $2000 plasma TV sets.
I remember Best Buy “selling” Macintosh 20 or so years ago. They had them at the end of a back aisle and no one to help with them. It’s easier (and much more fun) to go across the street to the Apple store.
I think Atomic Flower makes a good point. Apple needs to be good to its retailers: Fry’s, CompUSA, Best Buy. These companies take a big gamble on a company that only has ~2% of the market. CompUSA has carried Apple products for a while even when Apple wasn’t the hot company that seems to be now. Apple also needs to walk a fine line with its own retails stores and not undermine sales for the other guys. Apple can’t grow with just its own retail shops. Not enough of them and too many people don’t like malls.
Personally I love the visitor experience at the Apple stores. It is awesome but their prices are lame. These stores are usually in very expensive malls and carry high overhead. I only buy stuff there when I need it right away and I can’t find anywhere else
I work at best buy and i’m pro apple…I’m probably the most unbiased computer salesmen we have and i regurlarly tell people the benefits of OSX…Now that I have something to work with in the store(i’ve sold plenty of ibooks and powerbooks thru bestbuy.com) I think it’ll be positive….We have a very diverse sales staff and I know of several including myself who want a mac mini…I don’t think you can generalize and say that this won’t work because most true geeks know that unix is more secure than xp and that OSX is based on UNIX….like i tell people all the time the MAC hardware is great but it’s the OS stupid!!!