Chris Pirillo » best-buy http://chris.pirillo.com News and Reviews! Geek, Internet Entrepreneur, Hardware Addict, Software Junkie, Book Author, Once TV Show Host, Technology Enthusiast, Shameless Self-Promoter, Tech Conference Coordinator, Early Adopter, Idea Evangelist, Tech Support Blogger, Bootstrapper, Media Personality, Technology Consultant, Thicker Quicker Picker Upper. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:25:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 © chris@pirillo.com () chris@pirillo.com() Geek, Internet Entrepreneur, Hardware Addict, Software Junkie, Book Author, Once TV Show Host, Technology Enthusiast, Shameless Self-Promoter, Tech Conference Coordinator, Early Adopter, Idea Evangelist, Tech Support Blogger, Bootstrapper, Media Personality, Technology Consultant, Thicker Quicker Picker Upper. chris@pirillo.com No no http://chris.pirillo.com/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpgChris Pirillohttp://chris.pirillo.com 144 144 BestBuy Couponshttp://chris.pirillo.com/bestbuy-coupons/ http://chris.pirillo.com/bestbuy-coupons/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:18:21 +0000 coupons http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=15338 BestBuy Coupons is a post from Chris Pirillo

Find Coupons for over 1100 Stores

]]> BestBuy Coupons is a post from Chris Pirillo

Find Coupons for over 1100 Stores

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/bestbuy-coupons/feed/ 0 Best Buy and Windows 7http://chris.pirillo.com/best-buy-and-windows-7/ http://chris.pirillo.com/best-buy-and-windows-7/#comments Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:55:38 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=15137 Best Buy and Windows 7 is a post from Chris Pirillo


Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

With the advent of Windows 7 going public, I opened the phone lines up. People called in to talk about anything and everything related to Windows 7. Danny Minick is a long-time member of our community, and now apparently has a new job working at his local Best Buy. During this particular call, I asked him what the buzz is around the store.

Danny says that at work the other night, several people were bashing Linux openly. There was a link given to Microsoft, some employee learning site. Apparently, there were slides and everything on there, openly dissing Linux and slagging it. I wondered why no one spoke up, with Microsoft’s claim that IE won’t run on Linux. It’s not true… and I hope all of you know that.

Danny uses OS X primarily, so I wasn’t sure if he used Windows 7. He says that he is, indeed, running Windows 7 under VMWare Fusion on his Macbook.

I reminded Danny that he can pick up my Windows 7 eBook, and any of the others that I’ve done, as well. I also reminded him (and all of you!) to keep an eye on my Coupons page for discounts on the new version of VMWare Fusion when it hits the stores.

More Best Buy Coupons:

Find Coupons for over 1100 Stores

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> Best Buy and Windows 7 is a post from Chris Pirillo


Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

With the advent of Windows 7 going public, I opened the phone lines up. People called in to talk about anything and everything related to Windows 7. Danny Minick is a long-time member of our community, and now apparently has a new job working at his local Best Buy. During this particular call, I asked him what the buzz is around the store.

Danny says that at work the other night, several people were bashing Linux openly. There was a link given to Microsoft, some employee learning site. Apparently, there were slides and everything on there, openly dissing Linux and slagging it. I wondered why no one spoke up, with Microsoft’s claim that IE won’t run on Linux. It’s not true… and I hope all of you know that.

Danny uses OS X primarily, so I wasn’t sure if he used Windows 7. He says that he is, indeed, running Windows 7 under VMWare Fusion on his Macbook.

I reminded Danny that he can pick up my Windows 7 eBook, and any of the others that I’ve done, as well. I also reminded him (and all of you!) to keep an eye on my Coupons page for discounts on the new version of VMWare Fusion when it hits the stores.

More Best Buy Coupons:

Find Coupons for over 1100 Stores

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/best-buy-and-windows-7/feed/ 2 Can a Company Take Social Networking too Far?http://chris.pirillo.com/can-a-company-take-social-networking-too-far/ http://chris.pirillo.com/can-a-company-take-social-networking-too-far/#comments Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:24:49 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=13721 Can a Company Take Social Networking too Far? is a post from Chris Pirillo

Word on the street is that Best Buy is now requiring applicants to not only be on Twitter – but to have at least 250 followers, as well. When I read this, my mouth hit the floor. In effect, the company thinks that hiring people with a large Twitter following will garner more business for them. How ludicrous is this? It’s not up to an employee to send out tweets and bring in business to a company like Best Buy. For one thing, what if a person chooses not to have that many followers? Not everyone is on Twitter to see if they can win the race for having the most followers. Some people actually use it only to follow interesting people and entities themselves, not caring whether others follow them back. Some of those same people never even update their own timeline. They choose, instead, to simply use Twitter to read the latest news, and keep up with what’s hot in the marketplace.

I cannot begin to understand why a company would – or can even be allowed to – require something like this. If a person’s job were going to be something along the lines of “Social Media Director”, I might be able to see the need for the applicant to already have some sort of following, establishing them as “social media savvy”. Beyond that – I’m just lost.

What are your thoughts? Is this going to become an eerie new trend in the job hunting process? Do you feel that this is just totally off the wall? Let’s hear your thoughts!

]]> Can a Company Take Social Networking too Far? is a post from Chris Pirillo

Word on the street is that Best Buy is now requiring applicants to not only be on Twitter – but to have at least 250 followers, as well. When I read this, my mouth hit the floor. In effect, the company thinks that hiring people with a large Twitter following will garner more business for them. How ludicrous is this? It’s not up to an employee to send out tweets and bring in business to a company like Best Buy. For one thing, what if a person chooses not to have that many followers? Not everyone is on Twitter to see if they can win the race for having the most followers. Some people actually use it only to follow interesting people and entities themselves, not caring whether others follow them back. Some of those same people never even update their own timeline. They choose, instead, to simply use Twitter to read the latest news, and keep up with what’s hot in the marketplace.

I cannot begin to understand why a company would – or can even be allowed to – require something like this. If a person’s job were going to be something along the lines of “Social Media Director”, I might be able to see the need for the applicant to already have some sort of following, establishing them as “social media savvy”. Beyond that – I’m just lost.

What are your thoughts? Is this going to become an eerie new trend in the job hunting process? Do you feel that this is just totally off the wall? Let’s hear your thoughts!

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/can-a-company-take-social-networking-too-far/feed/ 24 Best Buy Cyber Monday Salehttp://chris.pirillo.com/best-buy-cyber-monday-sale/ http://chris.pirillo.com/best-buy-cyber-monday-sale/#comments Sun, 25 Nov 2007 09:53:04 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/11/25/best-buy-cyber-monday-sale/ Best Buy Cyber Monday Sale is a post from Chris Pirillo

The Best Buy Cyber Monday Sale will go live on December 1, 2008. Until then here are the current coupons and deals at Best Buy:

]]> Best Buy Cyber Monday Sale is a post from Chris Pirillo

The Best Buy Cyber Monday Sale will go live on December 1, 2008. Until then here are the current coupons and deals at Best Buy:

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/best-buy-cyber-monday-sale/feed/ 7 Best Buy Black Friday 2007 Salehttp://chris.pirillo.com/best-buy-black-friday-sale/ http://chris.pirillo.com/best-buy-black-friday-sale/#comments Thu, 22 Nov 2007 05:00:47 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/11/21/best-buy-black-friday-sale/ Best Buy Black Friday 2007 Sale is a post from Chris Pirillo

The Best Buy Black Friday Sale will go live on November 28, 2008. Until then here are the current coupons and deals at Best Buy:

Find More Coupons

]]> Best Buy Black Friday 2007 Sale is a post from Chris Pirillo

The Best Buy Black Friday Sale will go live on November 28, 2008. Until then here are the current coupons and deals at Best Buy:

Find More Coupons

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/best-buy-black-friday-sale/feed/ 4 Black Friday Coupons: BestBuyhttp://chris.pirillo.com/black-friday-coupons-bestbuy/ http://chris.pirillo.com/black-friday-coupons-bestbuy/#comments Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:03:55 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/11/21/black-friday-coupons-bestbuy/ Black Friday Coupons: BestBuy is a post from Chris Pirillo

Yeah, BestBuy doesn’t have the best reputation among geeks, but the fact remains that they do a great job of getting technology into the average users life. Even if you’re not going to use these links, your father, mother, or friends would probably love these.

Find More Coupons

]]> Black Friday Coupons: BestBuy is a post from Chris Pirillo

Yeah, BestBuy doesn’t have the best reputation among geeks, but the fact remains that they do a great job of getting technology into the average users life. Even if you’re not going to use these links, your father, mother, or friends would probably love these.

Find More Coupons

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/black-friday-coupons-bestbuy/feed/ 2 Geek Squad Problemshttp://chris.pirillo.com/geek-squad-problems/ http://chris.pirillo.com/geek-squad-problems/#comments Fri, 21 Sep 2007 22:52:19 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/09/21/geek-squad-problems/ Geek Squad Problems is a post from Chris Pirillo

I’m going to keep this guy’s name anonymous (for seemingly obvious reasons):

Just saw a video from july where you talk about geek squad. Weird, it was right around that time I began looking for a new job. I currently work at Geek Squad in Baltimore, Maryland and have been there about a year and a month. I do agree with your saying it comes down to the local atmosphere of the specific store that determines what kind of service you get.

I am a bit pro-consumer (and thus a bad employee) and tend to have a “if I can fix it in 15 minutes. it’s on me” attitude. I also work with people, higher up people, who say “if the computer turns on, charge $199.” I also work with people who will sell a $299 service to a customer with a computer over 10 years old. At that point, as I’m sure you’ll agree, that customer is probably better off with a new entry level computer that starts around that same price.

I find Geek Squad to be horrible ONLY due to management. My manager hired a girl based on looks to work in geek squad. Her experience with computers? The Sims and myspace. I have a manager trying to fire people because they don’t do all the paperwork he’s created for us. It’s an atrocious company and do not expect it to last forever. Something else will come along or the services, for the most part, will become obsolete. I try and tell customers how easy it is to install windows with their restore discs. I try to tell them how easy it is to install memory. At that point it’s up to them. It’s not rare that I’ll say, “and if you have any problems just bring it back and I’ll take care of it.” Management would hate that and say that affects the stores closing rate.

Best Buy is a company that only cares about numbers. Managers get bonuses based on the stores performance. Those numbers are shoved down our throats everyday, sometimes hourly, in an effort to increase profit. We get our hours cut when we do not sell enough. Helping customers comes last. Employees come after customers as well. I was guaranteed a raise in August and I’m still waiting. My boss goes to an employee who he suspects to be gay and says “I hope all gay people burn in hell.” I have an HR claim going now and hope something comes of it. Meanwhile, I am going on interviews and keeping my fingers crossed on getting a nice entry-level IT job at a real company. Some might say Geek Squad is entry-level but no. It’s not. It’s a joke. Six foot ethernet cable, $35? $2 for the employees. The company says it’s customer-centric yet the prices are ridiculous (most noticeable on accessories). WD SATA HD? Employee discount it’s $59, just like it is on newegg.

]]> Geek Squad Problems is a post from Chris Pirillo

I’m going to keep this guy’s name anonymous (for seemingly obvious reasons):

Just saw a video from july where you talk about geek squad. Weird, it was right around that time I began looking for a new job. I currently work at Geek Squad in Baltimore, Maryland and have been there about a year and a month. I do agree with your saying it comes down to the local atmosphere of the specific store that determines what kind of service you get.

I am a bit pro-consumer (and thus a bad employee) and tend to have a “if I can fix it in 15 minutes. it’s on me” attitude. I also work with people, higher up people, who say “if the computer turns on, charge $199.” I also work with people who will sell a $299 service to a customer with a computer over 10 years old. At that point, as I’m sure you’ll agree, that customer is probably better off with a new entry level computer that starts around that same price.

I find Geek Squad to be horrible ONLY due to management. My manager hired a girl based on looks to work in geek squad. Her experience with computers? The Sims and myspace. I have a manager trying to fire people because they don’t do all the paperwork he’s created for us. It’s an atrocious company and do not expect it to last forever. Something else will come along or the services, for the most part, will become obsolete. I try and tell customers how easy it is to install windows with their restore discs. I try to tell them how easy it is to install memory. At that point it’s up to them. It’s not rare that I’ll say, “and if you have any problems just bring it back and I’ll take care of it.” Management would hate that and say that affects the stores closing rate.

Best Buy is a company that only cares about numbers. Managers get bonuses based on the stores performance. Those numbers are shoved down our throats everyday, sometimes hourly, in an effort to increase profit. We get our hours cut when we do not sell enough. Helping customers comes last. Employees come after customers as well. I was guaranteed a raise in August and I’m still waiting. My boss goes to an employee who he suspects to be gay and says “I hope all gay people burn in hell.” I have an HR claim going now and hope something comes of it. Meanwhile, I am going on interviews and keeping my fingers crossed on getting a nice entry-level IT job at a real company. Some might say Geek Squad is entry-level but no. It’s not. It’s a joke. Six foot ethernet cable, $35? $2 for the employees. The company says it’s customer-centric yet the prices are ridiculous (most noticeable on accessories). WD SATA HD? Employee discount it’s $59, just like it is on newegg.

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/geek-squad-problems/feed/ 24 How to Handle Remote Tech Support <em>Using <a href="http://www.gotoassist.com/chris">GoToAssist</a> is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party. </em> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMThttp://gotoassist.com/chris/ http://gotoassist.com/chris/ Network Tools for Windows You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. <a href="http://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome">SolarWinds ipMonitor</a>: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. <a href="http://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome">Download your free trial today</a>. Or, try their <a href="http://www.solarwinds.com/products/freetools/">totally free tools</a>! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase <a href="http://store.solarwinds.com/s.nl/sc.16/.f">ipMonitor 9.0</a>. chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMThttp://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome http://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome Get Your Own Web Site Starting at just $3.99/month, web hosting from <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp2">GoDaddy</a> includes 99.9% uptime, 24/7 support and free access to GoDaddy Hosting Connection, THE place to install over 30 FREE applications sure to help you get the most from your hosting plan and Web site. Enter <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp2">code CP2</a> at checkout, and save an additional 10% on any order. <p>Plus, as a friend of Chris Pirillo, enter code <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=chris7">CHRIS7</a>, that's C-H-R-I-S and the number 7, when you check out, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the internet at <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=chris7">GoDaddy.com</a>.</p> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMThttp://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp1 http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp1 VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/13766/rn_a32755/">Parallels</a> or <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/17081/rn_a32755/">VMware</a> (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/17081/rn_a32755/">VMware</a> and/or <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/13766/rn_a32755/">Parallels</a>. chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMThttp://chris.pirillo.com/2008/02/19/parallels-or-vmware/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/02/19/parallels-or-vmware/ Coupons for Online Shopping <p style="color: red">This feed is fueled by Lockergnome <a href="http://www.lockergnome.com/buy/">Online Shopping and Coupon Codes</a></p> <p> Before you shop next time, see if we have <a href="http://coupons.lockergnome.com/">a coupon</a> first. </p> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMThttp://coupons.lockergnome.com/ http://coupons.lockergnome.com/