Over-the-Top Advertising of the Day

In today's sensationalized media reports, you have to expect overblown claims in advertising, but I just love the e-mail I just received from Heartland America describing their 72 Hour Off-Lease Computer Blowout!  I have purchased electronics from them in the past, but not computers since their prices always seem quite a bit higher than places like Geeks.com, Micro Center or Intechra (the old Retrobox). Plus they put phrases like "Huge 40 GIG HD" on their ad, which may have been true several years ago, but sure is not true today. They are selling a Dell "Optiflex" (love the typo) with a 2GHz P4, 512MB of RAM and, yes, a "HUGE 40 GIG HD" for $184.99. I also love the "Orig. MSR" of $499.00. Was that perhaps in 2003? In comparion, Geeks has an IBM ThinkCentre M52 with a 3GHz P4, 1GB of RAM and a 40GB drive (they do not claim it is huge) for only $114.99 and that includes free shipping.  Why past $70 more for a slower processor with half the memory? That sure is some blowout all right! I checked our local Micro Center online and found prices more inline with Geeks as well, with a 3GHz P4 based HP EVO DC7100 with 512MB of RAM and a 40GB drive going for $119.99. Their site says there are three of them sitting in the Brentwood store ready to be purchased. That system you could even pick up today and have running on your desk by this evening! So whereas I could see someone deciding between mail ordering from Geeks to save on tax and avoid the retail hassles versus buying at Micro-Center to have it same day and see it in person, I can not understand any reason for buying from Heartland America. Unless you want to be the one person with a genuine Dell "Optiflex" computer! The only place cheaper to buy a computer around here is to buy a surplus computer from the university's own business school the day it gets posted. If only Scott had any good computers for sale right now!




Speaking of local computer stores, I just heard they opened a newly revamped Apple Store at the Saint Louis Galleria. It is supposed to be the largest mall based Apple Store in the country at over 6,000 square feet. I even found some photos somebody took of the opening on flickr. Wow, so now I live about a mile away from the largest mall based Apple Store in the country as well as a mile from the only Micro Center in the state of Missouri. I am truly living in Geek central in the midwest. Hey, if you want to live just a mile from both the Apple Store and Micro Center, there is actually a house for sale on our street you could purchase. Unfortunately, is it a completely rebuilt mega-mansion (definitely not a McMansion) that is more than twice the size and three times the price of anything else in our neighborhood (with the exception on one other recent teardown a block away). I cannot imagine paying that much to live on our street, and I am quite glad I did not!

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