These must be hard times for those selling upmarket products, particularly in Thailand where mediocrity is preferred if it makes for something cheaper. So you would think that the likes of iStudio, who sell Apple gear, would be on their toes and out to grab any customer they can; especially when these potential customers have the option of buying online from the Apple store and have stuff delivered by courier at no extra charge.
Not so.
I am about half way through my marathon polo photo processing session. More than 2,000 images to be perused and processed or, more frequently, discarded. It takes time, and a decent monitor helps to make sure I have the colours reasonably correct. My Samsung piece of crap monitor obliges by changing the whole look of what is on the screen depending on my viewing angle. For example. if I slouch a bit, everything gets darker (I know, don’t slouch). I have been searching for a monitor with a decent panel for a while without success (it’s the “give us mediocrity” syndrome again). In the back of my mind has been the Apple 24" back-lit LCD display. It’s gorgeous, with an IPS panel which means you can hang from the ceiling or lie on the floor and the image still looks the same (I do my best work hanging from the ceiling). But it is glossy which gives reflection problems, and about twice the price of a similarly monitor from other vendors, if they were available, which they aren’t.
After a morning of slouching and bobbing and being generally confused by the Samsung crap, I had a “fuck it” moment and decided to go get the Apple monitor. I had seen them in iStudio in Central, so I went there. And indeed there was a demo model on display and looking lovely.
Hello. I want to buy one of these 24" monitors. Do you have any in stock?
No.
Oh. Well perhaps they have them in stock in one of your other branches and you could bring it down here?
No. No stock.
Oh. Well, how long would it take to get me one?
Three weeks.
Three weeks? You do realise I can order from the Apple store, they will ship it tomorrow and it will arrive by courier in a couple of days?
{sighs wearily} Yeah but, we have to order from our head office, and they have to order from Apple and they have to send it to our head office and then they have to send it to us. Takes three weeks. {brightens up} How about the thirty inch model instead?
Do you have that in stock?
No.
How long to get one?
Three weeks.
Oh.
How about buying the demo 24" model, it’s only been on display for two weeks?
{thinks: that could mean two months, or more. Still, if I can get a reasonable discount} OK, how much discount will you give me?
No discount, full price. For a second hand, demo monitor? Yes.
I gave him one of my special looks and left the shop. Half an hour later I was home and placing an order with the Apple Store. Pathetic.
Comments 🔗
2009-11-18| The Ghost saysI went in there to get a Magic Mouse. Only the display model in stock. How long til it comes? “Next month.”
I order online, get it in 5 days.
WHile its in transit, howeer, I pop by iBeat, the mini iStudio in Tukcom. They have them in stock.
I’m sure if I went back to Central, they’d also have them. “Next month” was really “don’t know, don’t care.”
2009-11-18| Spike saysWhat do you think of the mouse. I will admit there is one in the box with my monitor (which is on the way already), “for evaluation purposes”.
2009-11-18| Pattaya Ghost saysLike it a lot. Stupid price to pay for a mouse – when I got the notebook I bought a 200 baht usb mouse rather than pay 1800 for a wired apple USB mouse – but the MM is cool. Wish it did more of the same gestures as the touchpad on the MBP, though.