Solved: Buying Apple products at Best Buy or Staples, etc.

[Wallenberg]

I've decided to take the plunge and buy an Apple Ipod. Unfortunately, the only Apple stores near me are all very inconvenient to access.

Does anyone know the facts about purchasing a new Apple product from a store like Best Buy or Staples?

Are they like more expensive at the Apple store? Or less expensive?

Are there any other factors that could cause problems for me if I bought this IPod at a store like Best Buy or Staples?

 

[valis]

dunno about apple....but I've found that for other tech stuff (I've been with sprint for decades, no reason to leave, but dang they are expensive in store) that stores like Best Buy, Walmart, Target, etc, sell the identical hardware at drasitcally reduced prices. I bought a samsung s4 this year, sprint store wanted 380 USD....Best Buy had it for a dollar. Bought it at best buy, back to the sprint store, added it on free. Ditto for my hotspot.

But again, that's sprint. Apple is a vastly different animal from them, and usually exercise greater control over their products at retail locations.

FYI, the only way I found out about the price diffs was just by calling stores and asking.

 

[Triple6]

I suspect physical Apple Stores would have the same prices as online: http://store.apple.com/ca/buy-ipod/ipod-touch

If that's the case then BestBuy would be cheaper: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchp...t=n&iht=y&usc=All+Categories&ks=960&keys=keys

But prices do changes are sometimes there are sales, best to call at the time of purchase.

There's not reason to buy any Apple product from an Apple Store, as long as you buy it from an authorized and reputable retailer you'll be fine and have warranty.

Alternatively you may just want to get an iPhone.

 

[Wallenberg]

I've been wondering about that. It seems like companys that make MP3 players are going out of business.

Could it be that phones can now do just about everything that MP3 players can do and so ...

Is it true that cell phones are now taking over the functions of MP3 players?

If so, the day may soon be here when people won't know what an MP3 player is because a cell phone will do it all. Is this likely correct?

My problem is that I'm perfectly happy with my inexpensive phone and service and I sure don't want to buy an expensive cell phone and have to subscribe to an expensive phone service - and Apple is the most expensive of them all.

This decision is getting more and more difficult.

I bought an Hipstreet MP3 player but was very disappointed with the quality and the customer service. Just take a look at what these people who alledgedly bought this player had to say:

www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/hip...r-hs-2410-8gb-black-hs-2410-8gb/10265848.aspx

Not very pretty.

I sure wish someone knew a good solution for me.

 

[valis]

truth told, Wallenberg? The best tech purchase I made in 2014 was a tablet, lenovo 5500f tablet. Got it in November for 40 bucks at best buy.

It does not have 3g, which is why it falls into the sub $100 category. But I use it every damn night on the internet (on it now), I have all my kindle books on there, as well as all my movies. I use a hotspot to hit the net, but generally, it's a full on entertainment center that fits in my leather jacket.

You would do well by looking into something like that for portable entertainment, be it mp3, flicks, books, what have you.

 

[Triple6]

My smart phone has nearly replaced everything; I communicate on it, I listen to music on it, I watch videos, I surf the web, I control my ChromeCast from it, I take pictures with it, do email from it, pretty much everything. I still use a computer for certain things where a keyboard is useful. I'd rather use one device and use it wherever I am then have to have multiple devices and switch between them and so do many people. The days of the simple MP3 player have past, at least the new iPod is near iPhone 4 levels and is just missing cellular service.

 

[Tanis]

If you are mainly after MP3 functionality, it may be worth looking at used older model iPhones. You will get all the MP3 functionality + iPhone functionality for the phone. You should be able to put your existing SIM (may need a mini / micro SIM but you can get SIM cutters online for next to nothing, ive done that several times and never had a problem) in it so no number or service change (be aware of data charges if you don't have that on your service, but can easily turn off data on the phone anyway).

That way it doesn't cost as much as the newest iPhones, you get most of the capability (alot of new iPhones don't really provide significant leaps in capability over older ones in my experience) and you shouldn't have to change any of your current phone service.

 

[valis]

My smart phone has nearly replaced everything; I communicate on it, I listen to music on it, I watch videos, I surf the web, I control my ChromeCast from it, I take pictures with it, do email from it, pretty much everything. I still use a computer for certain things where a keyboard is useful. I'd rather use one device and use it wherever I am then have to have multiple devices and switch between them and so do many people. The days of the simple MP3 player have past, at least the new iPod is near iPhone 4 levels and is just missing cellular service.

Triple6, you have any luck with bluetooth keyboards? I've been looking since I got this tablet for something small, maybe a rollup, haven't found squat that I like. That said, however, I am 6'6", and my hand-size reflects that. Doubt I will ever find the 'perfect' keyboard......

 

[Triple6]

Triple6, you have any luck with bluetooth keyboards? I've been looking since I got this tablet for something small, maybe a rollup, haven't found squat that I like. That said, however, I am 6'6", and my hand-size reflects that. Doubt I will ever find the 'perfect' keyboard......

Haven't used any external keyboards, kills the convenience. I just got a bigger phone to make it easier for typing.

 

[Wallenberg]

My smart phone has nearly replaced everything; I communicate on it, I listen to music on it, I watch videos, I surf the web, I control my ChromeCast from it, I take pictures with it, do email from it, pretty much everything. I still use a computer for certain things where a keyboard is useful. I'd rather use one device and use it wherever I am then have to have multiple devices and switch between them and so do many people. The days of the simple MP3 player have past, at least the new iPod is near iPhone 4 levels and is just missing cellular service.

Wow! Wow! Wowser! This is the post I was kind of expecting to see. Amazing trend in technology.

Thank you ever so much for this. It confirms what I was thinking - the smart phone is beginning to replace our need for everything else.

Pretty soon, it will be the smart watch and then maybe even smart rings (for our fingers). I can't imagine what would come after that. It seems kind of scary to even wonder. But thechnology never seems to get larger. It's always getting smaller. So, I wonder what might come after watches and/or rings.

My problem today is that I don't need or want a new phone. I've always been very happy with the phone I had and I don't want to spend any more money on a new phone. Much more importantly ...

Much more importantly ... I don't want to need to subscribe to any service that locks me into buying media from them. That could get very, very expensive. Expansive as well!

It just seems wrong to me to buy a new smart phone for all the other gadgets except for the phone. Sounds kind of whacko to me. Oh dear. What to do?