Show off your latest purchase!

[kikie]

So I thought I needed a new bike, walked into the local local bike shop, and got talked into this.

A Trek Madone 6.5, and she's a beauty

View attachment 92825

Very nice indeed!

But she looks more like a he IMHO.

 

[atomicnmd123]

Got Some new Nike Lunar Flyknit 1's last night.

 

[Sprite]

Bought some Comply T500 Memory Foam ear buds for the B&W IEMs.

 

[Dooblewasur]

found at a secondhand shop, and after opening it I discovered it was new!
now all I have to do is figure out how to run wine on my macbook...

 

[kikie]

found at a secondhand shop, and after opening it I discovered it was new!
now all I have to do is figure out how to run wine on my macbook...

At first glance, I thought you bought dolls.

 

[Dooblewasur]

At first glance, I thought you bought dolls.

that too, they were pretty cheap.

 

[Tornado]

After Christmas savings are intense. How could I not buy a jacket that makes me look like Big Bird when it is so cheap?


I also bought a crapload of LED Christmas lights (50% off at Wal-Mart!), and this:

Because of the savings.



Also, this:

But there weren't really any savings for that. I just needed something to replace my trusty G11.

 

[phillgt2002]

Creative A250

Not a purchase but a Christmas gift from my bother

They sound great for only $30

Just bought this for like $2 off Amazon so I could connect my Xbox 360/Playstation 3 to them.

 

[Solid Lifters]

Bought a game at Gamestop online for the first time. However, I got the confirmation screen, I didn't write down the order number because I usually get an email. No email for the past 12 hours, now.

Just curious. Have any of you purchased something from GameStop online? Don't you get an email confirmation within 12 hours? I am beginning to think the order didn't go through.

Checking the order history page and it's completely blank. No email? Blank history page? This doesn't sound good.

 

[FoolKiller]

Christmas money was tallied and a trip to the nearest Apple Store (Fayette Mall, Lexington, KY) was made.

A 128GB Apple iPad Air was bought.

So, side note: Are the Apple Store employees all emotionless androids? Even the ones that aren't busy are just staring at their iDevices. Then they ring me up on an iPhone? Show off much? Problem is, in non-trendy Kentucky I got confused. It was just tables with displays on them, tons of staff playing on phones, and no product to actually pick up. There wasn't even a register to aim for. Finally, I just walked up to a guy who appeared to be doing nothing and said I wanted to buy an iPad. He then pointed me to another guy who was standing at a table playing with his phone. That guy was helping someone buy an iPhone case. I was tempted to lean in and show them mine, which was similarly designed, but a different color and say mine only cost me $3. I decided messing with the guy who had access to the iPad I wanted wasn't a good idea.

Then I told him what I wanted, he punched it into the phone, then said someone would bring it right out. When it came out (he sold an iPad case to an old guy in the meantime) he rang me up on his phone, swiped my gift card and credit card through his phone. That seemed natural by this point. I didn't even hesitate to sign his phone with my finger (there's a celebrity signature app in there somewhere, or maybe a Kindle edition author signing app), as it was no different than the FedEx guy at work. That's when he freaked me out. He held up his phone, it had all my Apple ID info displayed, and he asked if he could email a digital receipt to that email.

The card is the same one I use for iTunes and the App Store, but I feel that shouldn't be cool. I think my phone betrayed me the moment I walked in. I may as well have just walked in shouting my name out.

Anyway, as a man in a non-trendy place, and who rarely enters a mall, the shopping trip was very surreal.

 

[TB]

@FoolKiller - When I bought my iPad, I walked into the bookstore on campus, told them I wanted an iPad, they handed it to me and I walked to the cash register to pay for it. I'm feeling kind of gypped now since it was so uneventful.

 

[FoolKiller]

@FoolKiller - When I bought my iPad, I walked into the bookstore on campus, told them I wanted an iPad, they handed it to me and I walked to the cash register to pay for it. I'm feeling kind of gypped now since it was so uneventful.

I have the Apple Store App and would have received an uneventful mail delivery, but I had a gift card, which the app doesn't take. I checked the Web site, which can take gift cards, but it kept telling me how my local store had it available now. If they say so.
Then they ring the gift card up on a phone in the store...

But we turned the whole thing into a family trip, my daughter singing in the car, eating dinner at Abuelo's (really nice Mexican place), and my wife replaced the 2012 family ornament my daughter broke (she is why we don't have nice things), while my daughter played in the kids play area until some older boy ran her over. Tears were solved with a giant cookie in the car ride home.

 

[Shaun]

I too feel ripped off with my purchase today after reading that FK.
Local department store, had to hang around a bit to get some attention. Once I told the guy what I wanted and the price I agreed to prior on the phone he simply handed it to me, asked for my name and pointed me to the checkout.

At the checkout I told them my name and handed over the notes. That's it.

 

[6ranTur15m05]

Yesterday, a friend at school gave me my very first iTunes card ever as my New Year's present. It's worth $25. The middle is blurred because I wrote the code there. And sorry for the bad image quality, I shot this on our 6 year old Canon IXUS 70.

 

[AngelsDemon]

Got the last pair in the entire mall.

 

[Crash]

*Apple*

Assuming you were at an Apple Store...

So, side note: Are the Apple Store employees all emotionless androids? Even the ones that aren't busy are just staring at their iDevices.

They are not suppose to be doing this; they are trained to stay attentive to everyone who walks through the door and aren't suppose to be using their iDevice on the floor.

Then they ring me up on an iPhone? Show off much?

No, Apple wanted to and has eliminated cash registers for years. They've been using mobile payment systems for years and years. They used to use giant Windows Mobile 6.5 based machines with unresponsive screens and attachable card readers that don't work half the time. As a device, the iPod Touch is a nice upgrade.

There are lot of reasons for them to have gone the mobile payment route. One, without a cash register, there's more space in each store dedicated to product displays or for technical help/training. Second, they want each of the staff to "own" the entire transaction, from beginning to end, rather than either pointing you to a cashier or having to walk to you to the cashier and ringing you up, they can do it on the spot. They can't really just hand you something and point you to the cashier anyways; people will and do just walk out without paying. I'm sure they found auxiliary benefits and reasons as well.

Problem is, in non-trendy Kentucky I got confused. It was just tables with displays on them, tons of staff playing on phones, and no product to actually pick up. There wasn't even a register to aim for. Finally, I just walked up to a guy who appeared to be doing nothing and said I wanted to buy an iPad. He then pointed me to another guy who was standing at a table playing with his phone. That guy was helping someone buy an iPhone case. I was tempted to lean in and show them mine, which was similarly designed, but a different color and say mine only cost me $3. I decided messing with the guy who had access to the iPad I wanted wasn't a good idea.

There are different "roles" within the store; of the sale staff, most are of course there to sell, but there are some folks whose job is to greet all customers and direct you to the right sales guy or get you the appropriate help, like a telephone operator does. They used to be in different color shirts to help differentiate them, but they are now all the same color, and makes it really confusing. During the really busy times, these "directing" folks are suppose to keep track of who came in in what order, know what each person needs help for (ie. need help making a computing decision vs. just buying an iPod), and possibly pull sales staff to help out of order for some really quick stuff.

Another confusing is that everyone has a "primary" role (sales, directing, technical help, training, etc.), but depending on load, people can be pulled to help out other roles down the ladder (technicians can sell, but salesmen can't fix your computer), so sometimes the same guy will fix your computer and then next day sell you something, but that won't be true for another guy that's just merely a salesman.

That's when he freaked me out. He held up his phone, it had all my Apple ID info displayed, and he asked if he could email a digital receipt to that email.

The card is the same one I use for iTunes and the App Store, but I feel that shouldn't be cool. I think my phone betrayed me the moment I walked in. I may as well have just walked in shouting my name out.

Yeah, all their systems are linked, so if you have iTunes info linked and you use that card, then all your information populates. Unfortunately (or fortunately), all companies are driving towards this unified "profile" of their customer to get as much info about you as possible.

 

[F1GTR]

Apple stores have stopped having designated pay points for years. I like it, I've never had to queue up to make a purchase at an Apple store even at the busiest ones in London. And the staff are usually quite annoyingly cheery instead of emotionless - although that could well be the effect of doing retail during the holiday season!

 

[Lain]

Decided not to go with the Mac Pro, but to build my own PC instead. Here's the components I went with:

CPU: Intel Core i7-4930k
FAN: Noctua NH-U14S
MOBO: Asus Sabertooth X79
RAM: 64 GB Crucial Ballistix Sport XT (8x8GB)
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti (x2 SLI)
CASE: NZXT Phantom 530
PSU: 1200W Silverstone Strider Gold Evolution
HDD: 2TB Seagate Hybrid Drive
OPTICAL: Asus 12x Blu-ray drive
KEYBOARD: Corsair Vengeance K70
MOUSE: Corsair Vengeance M65
DISPLAY: Asus PB298Q 29" 21:9 Monitor
OS: Windows 8.1 64-bit OEM

 

[Solid Lifters]

Bought a game at Gamestop online for the first time. However, I got the confirmation screen, I didn't write down the order number because I usually get an email. No email for the past 12 hours, now.

Just curious. Have any of you purchased something from GameStop online? Don't you get an email confirmation within 12 hours? I am beginning to think the order didn't go through.

Checking the order history page and it's completely blank. No email? Blank history page? This doesn't sound good.

Finally! After over a day of waiting, I got my order confirmation email. Took long enough! Doesn't sound like a fast shipping and processing website to me. Might not order from them again.

Oh, I got this...

I'm a bit nervous it won't be the 15th Aniversary edition like in the pic. If not, I'm going to be upset.

 

[Tornado]

so pretty
much graphics
wow


Figured I might as well get in on that Glorious Master Race thing since I spent all that damn money on the computer. It really is amazing how big the difference is. And the savings!


Probably going to give my old 360 version to my brother.

KEYBOARD: Corsair Vengeance K70

Which one?



And I've got the older Phantom case in black. Pretty nice.

 

[Lain]

Which one?

Silver/w Cherry MX Red switches

 

[F1GTR]

@Lain: I'd definitely chuck a 120/256GB SSD in there for OS+software and use the 2TB for storage. Quite a change from the Mac Pro though!

 

[boiltheocean]

I splurged on a Reverb and a Thomson Collar. Wanted one for so long and I need something to kick my backside back into biking.

 

[TB]

@Lain: I'd definitely chuck a 120/256GB SSD in there for OS+software and use the 2TB for storage.

@Lain - I second this suggestion. You've spent that much on a machine, another ~$200 for the SSD is nothing to have it boot up in under 10 seconds. 👍

 

[Lain]

@Lain - I second this suggestion. You've spent that much on a machine, another ~$200 for the SSD is nothing to have it boot up in under 10 seconds. 👍

Yeah, next payday I'll probably go to Yokohama and pick up an SSD. But right now I'm super broke.

Quite a change from the Mac Pro though!

Indeed. My change of heart was primarily inspired by the graphics cards, since for my intended usage (Blender), a pair of Nvidia cards is so much better than the AMD cards the Mac Pro has thanks to CUDA.

 

[phillgt2002]

Yeah, next payday I'll probably go to Yokohama and pick up an SSD. But right now I'm super broke.



Indeed. My change of heart was primarily inspired by the graphics cards, since for my intended usage (Blender), a pair of Nvidia cards is so much better than the AMD cards the Mac Pro has thanks to CUDA.

Did you save any money by going PC?

 

[Brett]

@Lain - I second this suggestion. You've spent that much on a machine, another ~$200 for the SSD is nothing to have it boot up in under 10 seconds. 👍

I would also suggest picking up a solid state drive. I have been looking to replace the hard drive I have with a larger second solid state. However, I have yet to find a deal that is good enough to pull the trigger.

 

[opelgt1969]

Bought a game at Gamestop online for the first time. However, I got the confirmation screen, I didn't write down the order number because I usually get an email. No email for the past 12 hours, now.

Just curious. Have any of you purchased something from GameStop online? Don't you get an email confirmation within 12 hours? I am beginning to think the order didn't go through.

Checking the order history page and it's completely blank. No email? Blank history page? This doesn't sound good.

Check your card you used and see if you've been billed, I've ordered several things from them and they seem to be fine. Call customer support I'm sure they would help. Yes I do get an email, if you placed your order this weekend it might not show up till Monday.

 

[Solid Lifters]

Check your card you used and see if you've been billed, I've ordered several things from them and they seem to be fine. Call customer support I'm sure they would help. Yes I do get an email, if you placed your order this weekend it might not show up till Monday.

Yeah, I got an email just yesterday. Took them long enough! Then, a few hours later, customer support emailed me the info.

Oh, at the time, no withdrawl on my credit card, either. But, it's all good. Game is hopefully shipping soon.

 

[Lain]

Did you save any money by going PC?

Not really, it came out to approximately the same cost... but it has a lot of things the Mac Pro didn't: Monitor, Mouse, Keyboard, 64 GB RAM instead of 12 (though not ECC), GPUs that are better except in certain OpenGL-heavy workstation use-case scenarios that don't really apply to my needs.

Admittedly there are some things the Mac Pro has that this doesn't: 500 GB of flash storage (I'll be installing an SSD soon enough), Thunderbolt 2 (I've yet to use Thunderbolt on my MBP's...), and it's much smaller.