After many years in a Windows world, I recently purchased a Mac Pro, and have been very happy with my choice. There were many reasons for this move, but suffice it to say that I think Apple has some great products, and I’m really not impressed with Vista.

So here’s my point: If I were running marketing at Apple, one of my main priorities, if not THE priority, would be to make it as easy as possible for the millions of disgruntled Windows users to migrate to the system that “just works.” As intuitive as Macs and OSX may be, this transition isn’t painless, so I would try to go the extra mile to smooth the way.

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I read through an article on CNET yesterday that got me fired up about something I’ve had on my mind for the last three years - the unfortunate, yet inevitable, demise of Circuit City.

About three summers ago, I worked there part time as a TV/Home Theater salesperson and strange as it might sound, I absolutely loved it. Obviously I enjoyed being around the latest and greatest consumer electronics products, but I also got a lot of satisfaction from sharing what I knew with my customers and helping them pick out something that really rocked.

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I recently heard about Shortcuts.com, a new coupon website where you can add electronic coupons to your customer loyalty card, and I was intrigued. Normally I don’t bother with coupons because I never remember to take them with me, and they tend to expire before I get around to using them. Plus there is something really frustrating about pulling out a coupon, only to find out that it has expired. But Shortcuts.com seemed to get around most of the issues I have with coupon clipping, so I decided to try them out.

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I work for SewellDirect.com, and I definitely get to see a lot of both sides of the phone support dilemma. I’ve worked there over a year and a half doing tech support through phone calls, email, and live chat. Here are my thoughts on the subject:

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I’ve always been into computers, gadgets, and the like, but it wasn’t until I spent a summer selling TVs at Circuit City that I developed an appetite bordering on obsession…or disease. But hey, choosing a TV isn’t really as easy as it might sound. And sifting through a barrage of pixel counts, refresh rates, and contrast ratios can quickly turn what was once an exciting ride into a dark, scary, and confusing place.

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Phone support: it’s all around us. Even with the Internet being last decade’s next big thing, somehow we’re still on the phone when we need help. And how is it? Has there been innovation? Improvement? Hardly.

In my experience, not much has changed with phone support in terms of today versus, say, ten years ago. And I’d say that, on average, I’m on the phone for support almost weekly (at least multiple times a month). Other options are available, of course, like email or chat.

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Are you shopping around for a flat screen TV, a GPS navigator, a DVD player, or any other cool tech gadget? There are good deals out there but often even better deals can come up. A product may not be within your budget today but a coming 30% to 50% price reduction could make it a great deal. Products often go on sale, and now there’s a way to be notified right away.

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Does this sound familiar? You have a cellphone and a landline that together cost you more than $100/month but you hardly get calls on the landline. You have it just so you (or your significant other) don’t run up your wireless bill with long calls during peak hours. But your cellphone is definitely your primary phone.

That was me before I started using VoIP (voice over IP) at home about two years ago. It is easy and inexpensive to setup, will work with your existing telephones, and I’m only paying about $8.50/month for service now. Here’s how:

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