BestPriceComputers and Electronic Device Reviews

Sony VAIO VGC-RT150Y 25.5-Inch All-in-One Desktop PC (2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 Processor, 8 GB RAM, 1 TB Hard Drive, Blu-ray Drive, Vista Ulti

2009-06-04T00:41:00.000-07:00

Sony VAIO VGC-RT150Y 25.5-Inch All-in-One Desktop PC (2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 Processor, 8 GB RAM, 1 TB Hard Drive, Blu-ray Drive, Vista Ultimate) Black

A videophiles dream, the VAIO® VGC-RT150Y all-in-one HD studio tucks an impressive video editing computer behind a stunning 25.5" HDTV with 1080p support and XBRITE-FullHD™ technology. Powered by Intel® Core™2 Quad processor with 6MB of L2 cache and supported by Dolby® Home Theater technology, this Blu-ray Disc™-enabled PC delivers exceptional performance while undertaking CPU-intensive tasks such as high definition video editing, sound mixing and audio dubbing. Make the most of your HD components with HDMI™ ports. Easily connect your PLAYSTATION®3 system, cable or satellite box via HDMI input or expand your view and connect the RT to a larger, external display by way of HDMI output. With 1 terabyte hard disk drive storage, 8GB of RAM and NVIDIA® GeForce® 9600GT graphics, this VAIO RT has massive amounts of storage and is stacked with HD video authoring muscle. This all-in-one systems comes equipped with Genuine Microsoft® Windows Vista® Ultimate 64-bit edition.

Extreme PC Performance
Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q9400 processor (2.66GHz1) with 6MB of L2 cache and 8GB of pre-installed system memory.

The VAIO® RT All-in-One comes pre-installed with Genuine Microsoft® Windows Vista® Ultimate 64-bit.

Store your digital photos, HD videos, TV programming and important documents on the massive 1TB3 Serial ATA hard disk drive with RAID 0 technology.

Born From Sony® HD Technology
A 25.5"8 widescreen display (1920 x 1200) and stunning XBRITE-FullHD™ LCD technology delivers dazzling colors and stunning picture clarity in full 1080p high definition.

A Blu-ray Disc™ optical drive lets you playback5 HD Blu-ray Disc movies in crystal-clear resolution and store6 25-50GB2 of data to a single recordable Blu-ray Disc media.

An HDMI™ input lets you connect compatible cable/satellite set-top-boxes, Sony® PS3™ systems or other HDMI enabled devices without powering on the PC.

An HDMI™ output allows you to extend your workspace to a compatible external monitor or compatible HDTV so you can view the video you’re editing on its intended display (cable sold separately).

Endless Features
A built-in CompactFlash® media slot lets you quickly transfer files between your compatible digital camera and PC.

An eSATA port lets you attach a compatible external hard disk drive while enjoying ultra-fast read/write times similar to an internal hard disk drive.

Never miss a minute of your favorite programming again. Integrated NTSC / ATSC TV tuners let you watch and record live TV including local and over-the-air HD channels18.

An integrated power supply and wall mountable display provides a clean, space-saving solution (wall mount sold separately).

Product Specifications
License Agreements

End User License Agreements

Weights and Measurements

Dimensions (Approx.) : 26.1"(W) x 17.3"(H) x 9.3"(D)9,10 (CPU and Display only)

Weight (Approx.) : 41.4 lbs.9 (CPU and Display only)

Hard Drive

Capacity : 1TB3 (500GB2x2)

Interface : Serial ATA

Speed : 7200rpm

Technology : RAID 0 Technology

Hardware

Keyboard : QWERTY, 19.05 mm pitch, 2.7 mm stroke

General

Computer Type : Desktop

Type of Use : All-in-one

Power

Input Voltage : 100-240V

Expansion Slots

Multimedia Card Reader : One Memory Stick PRO™ (Standard/Duo) media slot with MagicGate® functionalityOne ExpressCard® /34 slotOne Secure Digital (SD™ memory card) media slotOne CompactFlash® media slot

Service and Warranty Information

Limited Warranty Term : 1 year limited warranty13. See actual warranty for details.

Online and Email Support : Support available from http://www.esupport.sony.com/EN/VAIO

Telephone Support : 1 year toll-free technical telephone assistance, available 24/714.

Audio

Sound System : Intel® High Definition Audio with Dolby® Digital Live

Speakers (Total) : 2.1 Channel Spear (2 x 5 Watt stereo speakers + 11 Watt subwoofer)

Graphics

Chipset : Intel® P43 Express Chipset

Interface : HDMI™ out w/ Smart Display Sensor

Processor : NVIDIA® GeForce® 9600M GT GPU with Total Available Graphics Memory of 2550 MB (max.)12

TV Tuner : Yes - NTSC / ATSC

Video RAM : 512MB dedicated video RAM

Processor

Front Side Bus Speed : 1333MHz

L2 Cache : 6MB

Speed : 2.66GHz1

Type : Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Processor Q9400

Networking/Modem

Bluetooth® Technology : Integrated Stereo A2DP Bluetooth® Technology16

Ethernet Protocol : 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T

Ethernet Speed : Fast Ethernet (RJ-45)

Wireless LAN : Intel® WiFi Link 5100AGN(802.11a/b/g/n)4

Software

Anti-Virus & Recovery Software : Microsoft® Windows Live™ OneCare™ Trial Version19

Internet Services : AOL® 90-Day Risk Free Trial - For new users only

Operating System : Genuine Microsoft® Windows Vista® Ultimate 64-bit6

Supplied Software : Microsoft® Works SE 9.0 w/ 60-Day Trial Version of Microsoft® Office Home and Student 200715Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0Adobe Premiere Elements 4.0

Display

Resolution : 1920 x 1200

Screen Size : 25.5"8

Screen or Display Technology : WUXGA

XBRITE-FullHD™ Technology : Yes

Inputs and Outputs

A/V Inputs : 1

AC Power Input : 1

Audio In : 1 (Line In)

Ethernet Connection(s) : 1

HDMI™ Input : 1

HDMI™ Output : 1

Headphone Output(s) : 1

IR Output(s) : 1

Microphone Input : 1

RF Connection Input(s) : 2

S-Video Input(s) : 1

S/PDIF Output(s) : 1

USB Port(s) : 5 (2.0 compliant)

e-SATA : 1

i.LINK® Connection : 1 (4pin) i.LINK® connector (IEEE 1394)11

Memory

Installed : 8GB PC2-6400 (2GBx4)

Maximum : 8GB

Speed : 800MHz

Type : DDR2

Environmental Information

ROHS® : CompliantFor more information: www.sony.com/vaioeco

Optical Drive

BD-R DL Read : 2x max.

BD-R DL Write : 2x max.

BD-R Read : 4x max.

BD-R Write : 4x max.

BD-RE DL Read : 2x max.

BD-RE DL Write : 2x max.

BD-RE Read : 2x max.

BD-RE Write : 2x max.

BD-ROM Read : 4x max.

Blu-ray Disc™ Support : Yes (read5 / write7) (BD-R/-RE/-ROM/ DVDฑRW/ฑR DL/RAM Drive)

CD Read : 24x max.

CD-R Write : 24x max.

CD-RW Write : 16x max.

DVD Read : 8x max.

DVD+R DL Write : 4x max.

DVD+R Write : 8x max.

DVD+RW Write : 6x max.

DVD-R DL Write : 4x max.

DVD-R Write : 8x max.

DVD-RAM Read : 5x max.

DVD-RAM Write : 5x max.

DVD-RW Write : 6x max.

Accessories Supplied

Power Cord

Remote Control (2 batteries) (RM-MCE30U)

Wireless Keyboard (4 batteries) (VGP-WKB9US)

Wireless Mouse (2 batteries) (VGP-WMS3)

Wall Mount Adaptors

IR Blaster

F-type RF cable

CTL E09XPH 9” 2go classmate PC Laptop (900 MHz Intel Celeron Processor, 512 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) Bone/Grey (BestPriceComputers)

2008-08-17T23:59:00.000-07:00

CTL E09XPH 9” 2go classmate PC Laptop (900 MHz Intel Celeron Processor, 512 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) Bone/Grey
Save up to 22% At BestPriceComputers
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Product Description

Intel-powered 2goPCs by CTL offer affordable new possibilities to take your computer wherever life takes you. These innovative PCs feature enough processing power, memory and storage to run real-world applications. And with built-in wireless connectivity, you can connect to hundreds of web-based applications for learning, work, and play. These ultra-compact, easy-to-carry laptops are child-friendly and stand up to rugged conditions. With durable, drop-proof construction, a sturdy plastic case, and water-resistant keyboard, they can go just about anywhere and be used safely by just about anyone. 2goPCs are a complete, customizable hardware and software solution featuring "real PC" performance and simplified wireless connectivity and can be configured with either the Linux or Windows operating system.

Features:

CPU and Platform: Intel Mobile Processor ULV 900 MHz 400 MHz FSB
Memory: SO DIMM 200-pin socket x 1400 MHz FSB supports DDR2 400/533, SO-DIMM DRAM 512 MB Standard. 1 GB Availablemodule
Video: 9-inch LCD, 800 x 480 Color LCD TFT, LED backlight, digital LVDS interface
Storage: 40 GB 1.8-inch 4200 RPM PATA HDD2-in-1 SD/MMC memory card reader supports boot from card reader and USB. USB 2.0 Interface for external storage
Wireless LAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g with open mesh supportMini-card form factor, single antenna
Audio: Realtek ALC6555--AC ‘97 2.1 Integrated, analog audio, two integrated 1-watt speakers
I/O Ports: 2 USB 2.0 Ports, 1 x RJ-45 10/100 LAN, 1/8-inch external microphone-in jack, 1/8-inch external headphone jack, 2-in-1 SD/MMC memory card reader, Kensington Lock ready
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Home preloaded
Dimensions and Power: 8.7 inches (W) x 7.3 inches (H) x 1.5 inches (D), Weight: less than 3 lbs, 4-cell Li lon Battery, battery life aproximately 3 hrs typical usage time
Other: Integrated camera, 30fps at 640 x 480, 0.3 M Driver/AP support Windows XP/Linux

CTL E09XPH

Garmin US: Garmin nüvi 350 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

2008-06-12T23:37:00.000-07:00

Garmin nüvi 350 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

What if one device could help you navigate anywhere in the U.S. and Canada, while offering travel tips, storing your favorite tunes and photos, providing translation assistance, and more? That device is here, and it's not much bigger than a deck of cards. The Garmin nüvi 350 is set to revolutionize what we expect from a GPS navigation device, or from any device for that matter.

Design

With a total weight of 5.1 ounces and slim measurements of 3.87 x 2.91 x 0.87 inches (WxHxD), the nüvi 350 is just right for the pocket or purse. A bright, 64,000-color display dominates the front of the device and a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels means that there's plenty of room for displaying map data and other elements of the device's interface. An SD memory card slot is provided for expansion software, such as a points of interest database, media files and electronic guides (see below). The flip-up antenna includes an MCX-type connector for connecting the unit to an external GPS antenna. Meanwhile, a powerful built-in speaker resides on the back of device. A built-in lithium ion battery will give you for to eight hours of battery life, depending on use. In addition to an AC charger, the unit also ships with a 12-volt power adapter for vehicle charging, as well as a windshield suction cup mount.

Fortunately, Garmin has made it easy to interface with the nüvi 350's 700 megabytes of onboard memory, thanks to "plug-and-play" USB mass storage support. Just plug the device into your computer's USB port and you've got instantaneous access to all the audio books, music, photos, supplemental maps and other data on the nüvi 350's internal and SD card memory.

Navigation

The nüvi 350 is first and foremost a personal GPS device. Wherever you go -- in your car or on foot-- the device offers extremely accurate position data, thanks to a high-sensitivity integrated GPS receiver by SiRF and WAAS-enabled, 12-satellite reception. Combined with detailed maps of the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico the nüvi 350 provides automatic routing, turn-by-turn voice directions, and touchscreen control-- making it easy to find your way anywhere. Plus, the unique "text-to-speech" feature calls out turns by street name, and you can choose from either 2D or 3D mapping perspectives when you're viewing your route on the display. Additionally, the nüvi 350 is compatible with Garmin's GTM 10 FM TMC traffic receiver*, which allows users to avoid traffic tie-ups by simply pushing a button that will calculate a new route.

As mentioned, the nüvi 350 comes packed with mapping data for North America, but you can can also load up your custom points of interest. Set up proximity alerts for school zones, safety cameras, and more using Garmin's free POI (points of interest) loader program (available from garmin.com).

Important note about map updates: Due to our high volume of sales, almost every Garmin portable GPS navigator sold by Amazon.com will come with the most recent map version. If you ever do need a map update, you can purchase one from Amazon.com at our Garmin Store.

Tools for the Journey

Navigation is just part of the journey, and the nüvi 350 is one of the first devices to recognize that. The built-in "Travel Kit" offers an MP3 player, an audio book player from Audible.com, a jpeg-format picture viewer, a world travel clock with time zones, a currency converter, a measurement converter, and a calculator.

In addition to the included travel tools, additional software add-ons are available, such as the Garmin Language Guide, with data provided by Oxford University Press. This software suite contains a multilingual word bank, phrase bank, and five bilingual dictionaries. The multilingual word bank and phrase bank supports nine languages and dialects, including American English, British English, French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, European Portuguese, European Spanish, and Latin American Spanish. Now you can look up and translate more than 17,000 words or 20,000 phrases per language -- right in the palm of your hand. Through the unit's text-to-speech interface, users can get a spoken pronunciation of each entry in the word bank, along with gender and part of speech information.

Another useful add-on software package, the Garmin Travel Guide, is loaded with information provided by Marco Polo. These guides put in-depth travel information such as reviews and recommendations for restaurants, tourist attractions, and more at your fingertips. The software allows you to navigate to an address or search points of interest-- places like hotels, restaurants, shopping, and tourist attractions. The nüvi 350 automatically calculates the fastest route and provides voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions along the way. The unit also audibly announces the name of upcoming streets-- letting you keep your eyes on the road while navigating through busy traffic and tricky roadways. And if you stray off course, the nüvi 350 automatically calculates the quickest way to get back on track.

*Traffic services available only in select cities where RDS-TMC coverage exists. Requires the GTM 10 FM TMC traffic receiver and subscription fee to enable traffic capability.

What's in the Box

nüvi 350, Preloaded City Navigator NT for North America and Puerto Rico, Vehicle suction cup mount, AC charger, Vehicle power cable, Dashboard disc, USB cable, Carrying case, Quick reference guide

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Best Price Computers: Apple iMac Desktop with 24" Display MB325LL/A (2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD SuperDrive)

2008-05-26T02:36:00.000-07:00

Apple iMac Desktop with 24" Display MB325LL/A (2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD SuperDrive)

Speedier than ever with the latest Intel dual-core processor, the Apple iMac all-in-one desktop PC sports a sleek, professional aluminum enclosure that's joined precisely to a 24-inch glass cover to create a virtually seamless front surface. It's powered by a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, which includess an amazingly fast 1066 MHz front-side bus speed and super-sized 6 MB L2 cache. Part of Intel's 45-nanometer (nm) Penryn series, this processor boosts both speed and efficiency while helping to reduce power consumption. This dual-core processor also provides an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved multitasking, video, and gaming performance.

The iMac also features an ultra-thin aluminum Apple Keyboard--with an extended layout and dedicated keys for Mac features such as brightness, volume, eject, play/pause, and Exposé--as well as the wired Mighty Mouse. It's pre-loaded with Apple's Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard operating system, which enables easy backup of your most important data via Time Machine, a redesigned desktop that helps eliminate clutter. It also comes with the iLife '08 suite of applications--including iPhoto, iMovie, Garageband, and iTunes--and the newest version of the fast-loading Safari web browser.

Hardware features include a 320 GB hard drive, 2 GB of RAM (with a 4 GB maximum capacity), 8x SuperDrive for burning movies to DVD and music mixes to CD, integrated 802.11n wireless LAN, Gigabit Ethernet wired networking, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR connectivity, and ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO video card with 256 MB dedicated memory.

Power on a Pedestal
With its anodized aluminum frame set upon a sleek pedestal, the new iMac instantly transforms your workspace from cluttered desktop to brilliant display podium. Because the iMac's housing is made from a single sheet of aluminum, you won't see any seams or screws except for a single compartment on the bottom that provides easy access to the memory slots. The glossy widescreen 24-inch glass display makes photos and movies come alive with rich color. And the built-in iSight camera and microphone are integrated so neatly you barely notice they're there. Aside from the design details, the iMac is also friendlier to the environment with highly recyclable and durable materials including scratch-resistant glass and professional grade aluminum. The power-efficient iMac also meets the stringent new Energy Star 4.0 requirements.

With its elegant anodized aluminum enclosure, the new Apple Keyboard looks equally at home in your living room or on your desk. Just connect it to the USB port on your iMac and start enjoying the crisp, responsive feel of its low-profile keys. The extended layout has a full complement of keys, including document navigation controls, a numeric keypad, and special function keys for Mac features such as brightness, volume, eject, play/pause, Exposé, and more. Two USB 2.0 ports provide high-speed connectivity for your iPod, Mighty Mouse, digital camera, and other USB-based electronic devices.

Intel Core 2 Duo Processor

Experience faster, more nimble application performance and improved energy efficiency with this 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo processor from Intel's 45nm Penryn lineup. The new hafnium-infused circuitry--which reduces electrical current leakage in transistors--helps to reduce power consumption while delivering. powerful processing speeds. This 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo processor is aided by a 1066 front-side bus speed and a super-sized 6 MB L2 cache--both top-of-the-line for Intel's Penryn processors. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)

The Intel Core 2 Duo's 128-bit SSE3 vector engine handles 128-bit computations in a single clock cycle, accelerating data manipulation by simultaneously applying a single instruction to multiple data. And its two execution cores are designed to share resources and conserve power, helping it to achieve higher levels of performance since it uses fewer watts.
Hard Drive and Memory

The 320 GB Serial-ATA (SATA) hard drive (7200 RPM) quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to FireWire and USB 2.0. The 2 GB of PC6400 DDR2 RAM (two 1 GB SO-DIMMs) has an industry-leading 800 MHz speed, and the RAM capacity can be increased to 4 GB.

Graphics and Video

The 24-inch widescreen TFT active-matrix LCD offers a resolution of 1920 by 1200 pixels. It has a brightness rating of 385 cd/m2 (candela per square meter), a contrast ratio of 750:1, and a viewing angle of 178 degrees (both horizontal and vertical). An ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO graphics processor powers the iMac with 256 MB of dedicated GDDR3 memory. It features some of the most advanced graphics technology available and delivers new levels of visual realism and a huge texture fill rate for smooth surfaces and complex character details. GDDR3 (Graphics Double Data Rate, version 3) is a graphics card-specific memory technology that's better able to deliver fluid frame rates for even the most advanced games and applications.

This iMac also enables you to connect a second display in either extended desktop mode or video mirroring mode. The mini-DVI port connects to DVI displays, VGA monitors and projectors, and S-video and composite devices using the appropriate adapter (sold separately).

Wired and Wireless Connectivity
The iMac gives you plenty of room to grow, accommodating as many as five peripherals at a time thanks to its three USB 2.0 ports and the two USB 2.0 ports on the Apple Keyboard. It also includes two powered FireWire ports--one FireWire 400 and one FireWire 800 (one of the fastest peripheral standards available)--enabling you to quickly transfer content from digital video cameras, hard drives, and other high-speed devices.

Share files around your house with built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet as well as the next-generation high-speed wireless 802.11n technology, which is integrated into the latest Apple Airport Extreme Base Station. The iMac is also Wi-Fi Certified to work with base stations and routers that use industry-standard 802.11a, 802.11b, or 802.11g wireless technologies.

The integrated Bluetooth wireless connectivity--version 2.1 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR)--allows you to use a wireless keyboard or mouse, and synchronize peripherals such as cell phones and PDAs. Enjoy high-quality sound on almost any speaker system with double-duty analog/digital audio. Record digital and analog sources through audio line in, perfect for your latest podcast in GarageBand.

SuperDrive

Integrated neatly into the iMac is a slot-loading SuperDrive that lets you play and burn your own CDs and DVDs--including double-layer DVDs. And there's no disc tray--just slide the disc right in. It offers the following speeds:

Writes DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL discs at up to 4x speed
Writes DVD-R and DVD+R discs at up to 8x speed
Writes DVD-RW at up to 6x speed and DVD+RW discs at up to 8x speed
Reads DVDs at up to 8x speed
Writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed
Writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x speed
Reads CDs at up to 24x speed

Other Features
Two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4 GB of RAM
Built-in stereo speakers with internal 24-watt digital amplifier Support for external display in extended desktop mode: 1920 by 1200 pixels for digital and 2048 by 1536 pixels for analog
Meets ENERGY STAR requirements with maximum continuous power rating of 280 watts
Dimensions: 22.4 x 20.5 x 8.1 inches (WxHxD)

Preloaded with Leopard and iLife '08

The biggest Mac OS X upgrade ever, the Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard operating system features over 300 new features, including:

Time Machine, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac
A redesigned Finder that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs
Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application
Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them
A brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock
Major enhancements to Mail and iChat

Leopard's new desktop includes the redesigned 3D Dock with Stacks, a new way to organize files for quick and easy access with just one click. Leopard automatically places web, email and other downloads in a Downloads stack to maintain a clutter-free desktop, and you can instantly fan the contents of this and other Stacks into an elegant arc right from the Dock. The updated Finder includes Cover Flow and a new sidebar with a dramatically simplified way to search for, browse and copy content from any PC or Mac on a local network.

Time Machine lets you easily back up all of the data on your Mac, find lost files and even restore all of the software on their Mac. With just a one-click setup, Time Machine automatically keeps an up-to-date copy of everything on the Mac. In the event a file is lost, you can search back through time to find deleted files, applications, photos and other digital media and then instantly restore the file.

The iMac also comes with the iLife '08 suite of applications that make it easy to live the digital life. Use iPhoto to share entire high-res photo albums with anyone who's got an email address. Break into indie filmmaking with iMovie and iDVD. Then take all the stuff you made on your iMac and share it on the web in one click with iWeb.

iLife '08 also features iWeb '08, with live web widgets such as Google Maps that let you create even more dynamic websites, and GarageBand '08, with its new Magic GarageBand feature that makes it fun and easy for both musicians and non-musicians to create great sounding songs.

Included Software

Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard (includes Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools); iLife '08 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand)

What's in the Box

iMac, Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse, Apple Remote, cleaning cloth, power cord, install/restore DVDs, printed and electronic documentation.

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2008-02-09T23:32:00.001-08:00

My Life as a "Problem Customer"

2008-02-09T23:27:00.000-08:00

I recall a time a few years ago, when I was freelancing and sitting in a coffee shop trying to write, a man was sitting next to me, dozing, and then snoring. Forgive if you will my graphic depiction of these snores: they were juicy. You could actually hear snot and other mucous throat matter reverberating at the back of his throat. Needless to say, the sound was distracting.
This wasn't the first time I'd heard this guy snore. I'd come to this cafe several times a week for some "quiet" time, and was becoming increasingly upset that my experience was interrupted by this man who wore hospital scrubs and clearly used the velvet Starbucks chairs as an upgrade to a hospital gurney during his nap breaks.
"Get over it," I said to myself. "This is a public place, there's no sign that says 'no sleeping'. He's not willfully trying to upset you."
This rationale lasted about three minutes. I kept stopping my blog in mid-sentence, unable to complete my work. The snores seemed to get louder, and increasingly irregular. I'm not sure what came over me.
"Scuse me sir," I said, tapping the man's knee. "Your snoring is getting really loud. Do you think you could stop?"
There's something about being stopped by strangers who request something--you need to orient yourself and determine whether or not they are crazy. You can see the processing occurring. Even if you might want to do what a stranger asks, their request is an affront. This man reacted badly. He told me to mind my own business. I told him that wasn't possible when he snored like a buzzsaw. He yelled at me some more, and a Starbucks employee told me that it really wasn't my place to tell this guy to shut up.
Still, I thought I had to ask. Sure, there are rules, but do we get the experiences we want if we don't, say, ask for a table closer to the window, ask for fresh water, request that people stop snoring? I know people think I'm being rude. But I'm just trying to improve my experience. People may tell me to go to hell, but they may say, yes, too. Or sorry. And that's all we really want.
This happened again last week, at my gym. There's a sign-up sheet at my gym that I didn't bother with, because no one was there when I arrived. An older man arrived, signed his name in my slot and then told me to get off the treadmill I was using. Rules are rules, so I got off, but I was irritated. Simple human decency would dictate that he ask me when I would be finished with my run, or that I finish within the half hour limit, and that he sign up for the equipment after I was finished.
I told him that I thought he was being inappropriate, but he shooed me away and referred to the sign that requested that people sign up for the equipment.
The employee at the gym offered me a free class for my trouble, but still I seethed from the bicycles. I felt that the spirit of the rules was being violated. I did nothing for a while, but then a friend of mine arrived, feeling a bit blue about how she felt some of the people at the gym were rude to her.
"We just don't stand up for ourselves," she said, referring to some men who had been mean to her.
That was all the ammunition I needed. I approached the man again. I didn't yell; I told him that I thought he should have handled the situation differently, and that I thought he was abusing the rules and taking advantage of me.
Again, you really shouldn't do this, especially to a man in a room of other men. He didn't appreciate my comment; he started yelling at me, then (literally) told on me to the owner of the gym, who wansn't there, but whom he knew personally, and apparently this was supposed to mean something.
"She wants to talk to you," the guy said to me, holding out a phone receiver at the front desk.
"Do you really want to do this?" I asked the guy. He didn't know that I have a legacy of crazies in my family who actually will take things to the point of absurdity. Case in point: once, my father took the microphone from a cashier at Burger King and began to dictate to the kitchen what he needed, since the cashier was too useless to do it right. Dad got kicked out, but he seemed happy about it. I always vowed I would never be like my Dad, confrontational. But if I ever felt that something pertaining to a customer experience was unfair I often couldn't get through my day without at least trying to get some monetary or emotional reimbursement for it. This man had no idea that he had triggered the justice switch in my head that, when activated, would stop at nothing, even being thrown out of a gym, until I felt I'd been heard.
The gym owner, L, was a nice lady. Though she didn't let on, I can't help but think she was grateful she wasn't there in person to have to mediate my dispute with Treadmill Man (TM).
A complicating factor: I hadn't placed my beef with TM in a very timely manner; I had to leave: It was h-band's birthday, and I'd made a reservation at a fat place in the city and really needed to get out of there.
"Hi L, this is Jory Des Jardins. I have to be brief because it's my husband's birthday." This elicited a scoffing "Give me a break!" from TM.
"Hi Jory. I understand there is a problem with you and P---."
So that was his name.
"Yes. I took issue with something, and he's taken issue with the fact that I've taken issue. I'm sorry you had to be called about this."
L did what anyone else with customer service skill, who has to deal with two nutjobs, would do; she appeased us.
"I'm sorry there's been a conflict."
"Thank you."
"I plan to order another treadmill."
"I appreciate that. I just didn't like being kicked off equipment when I was here before he was."
"I understand."
"I know, thank you."
"Can you put P back on?"
"Sure."
It was a pointless exercise. As I told H-band about it later, at his birthday dinner, he was incredulous.
"Why do you let it get to that?" he said.
"I didn't let it get to that," I insisted. He was the one flailing around, insisting on getting the owner on the phone.
"But did you have to approach him?" H-band said.
I wanted to insist again that I was simply standing up for myself. It was my workout that this man was interrupting. He was messing with my time because he thought he could, because he had no respect for the woman who had not signed the sign-up sheet but was clearly there and using the equipment first. Because I would never have done that. Because this guy needed to know that people won't just roll over for him. Because ...
But let's face it, rules are rules.
"Yes," I said to h-band, answering his question, "I did."
Posted by Jory Des Jardins on January 20, 2008 Permalink

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2008-01-23T01:36:00.000-08:00

How to Blogger With Own Domain

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

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to use your own domain name for your blog at blogger.com

Steps

Steps 1 : You must own a domain with DNS :
+ register your domain with DNS ( in my case : howtobegin.info[1] with DNS is : everydns.net )
+ login DNS settings page for the domain
Steps 2: Go to page to edit the domain settings
+ Add a record with
- Fully Qualified Domain Name: www
- Record Type:CNAME
- Record Value: ghs.google.com
( In my case : http://business.info.nguyen.googlepages.com/everyDNS.png )
Steps 3: Login blogger
+ Go to Settings tab
+ Go to Pubblishing
+ Click Switch to: Custom Domain
+ Input the domain and Save Settings
( In my case : http://business.info.nguyen.googlepages.com/DomainBlogger.png )

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