{"id":16495,"date":"2010-01-05T12:32:21","date_gmt":"2010-01-05T19:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/?p=16495"},"modified":"2010-01-05T12:32:21","modified_gmt":"2010-01-05T19:32:21","slug":"sub-optimal-pc-optimization-at-best-buy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2010\/01\/05\/sub-optimal-pc-optimization-at-best-buy.html","title":{"rendered":"Sub-optimal PC optimization at Best Buy"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Consumerist has an excellent analysis and (for the most part) take-down<\/a> of Best Buy’s “optimization” service for PCs.\u00a0 This is essentially where they go in and tweak your computer to make it faster, safer, and less irksome — doing what an un-computer-savvy person might ask their geeky neighbor (or child) to do.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

Best Buy ostensibly offers the $40 service to new computer buyers, but — for the sake of convenience — the “pre-optimize” some systems before they sell them.\u00a0 In theory, you should be able to walk into any Best Buy and pick up their advertised special — that laptop that was in the paper for $650, for example.\u00a0 In reality, some BBs seem to be much more aggressive about pre-optimizing, meaning that it can be very difficult to find one.\u00a0 Instead, you’ll be told that all they have are optimized units, which will therefore set you back $690, unless you are willing to really go to the wall with a manager.<\/p>\n

This is, I will note, what happened to me with my BB laptop purchase<\/a> (we insisted on an unopened box<\/a> with Margie’s desktop).\u00a0 “Oh, all we have left is the optimized ones.”\u00a0 And though you’d think that was actually their problem, it’s yours, because, of course, the $40 is still yours to pay for the service.<\/p>\n

The optimization looks to be in three separate areas:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 Trialware\/bloatware that manufacturers include on their machines (“Try AOL!” “Here’s your Norton Anti-Virus Trial offer!” etc.) is taken off.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 Basic security software is installed, updated, and configured.\u00a0 Windows OS updates are downloaded.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 Various Windows settings are tweaked for convenience and performance.<\/p>\n

Of course, there’s nothing here that you couldn’t just do yourself.\u00a0 Indeed. the Consumerist article has a nice list at the end of utilities that would help you do just that sort of optimization and clean-up.<\/p>\n

And just because Best Buy has “optimized” your PC doesn’t mean it’s faster (at least one test in the article indicated\u00a0 it was actually slower) or that the optimization has been professional.\u00a0 The article notes cases of items missing from boxes; in my own case, my nicely optimized computer was missing its manual CD and restore CDs.\u00a0 And its battery.\u00a0 Plus, of course, a computer name \/ user name had already been selected for me by some faceless Geek Squadder.<\/p>\n

I don’t mind that BB offers this service.\u00a0 Some people might actually find it helpful (though the slew of options — at increased prices — is deeply irksome).\u00a0 My resentment is that it can be like pulling teeth sometimes to get a machine that hasn’t<\/em> been pre-serviced by the Geek Squad.\u00a0 I suspect some stores are more aggressive about this than others, assuming that more people will suck up the $40 cost than go somewhere else.<\/p>\n

Doubtless sooner or later someone will get irked enough to file suit with some state attorney general over the matter (it being false advertising to offer a PC for $650 when all or nearly all the ones you have bothered to stock are the optimized $690 versions).\u00a0 We’ll see.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, do realize that you don’t actually have to get the optimized versions.\u00a0 If you want that, then more power to you.\u00a0 If you don’t — insist on their finding an unoptimized model.\u00a0 Just like with a new car, you don’t really <\/em>have to drive it off the lot that day, even if you’re understandably anxious to do so.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Consumerist has an excellent analysis and (for the most part) take-down of Best Buy’s “optimization” service for PCs.\u00a0 This is essentially where they go in and tweak your computer to make it faster, safer, and less irksome — doing what an un-computer-savvy person might ask their geeky neighbor (or child) to do. Best Buy … Continue reading “Sub-optimal PC optimization at Best Buy”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[35,20,47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-big-business","category-hi-tech","category-my-computer"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15247,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2009\/07\/19\/best-buy-and-the-half-complete-computer.html","url_meta":{"origin":16495,"position":0},"title":"Best Buy and the Half-Complete Computer","author":"***Dave","date":"Sun 19-Jul-09 4:44pm","format":false,"excerpt":"So I've been relatively pleased by Best Buy in years of late, enough so that I was willing to shop there for my new computer. And, it turned out, the model I wanted was at a local store -- the Centennial (Southglenn) store, not too far from Katherine's school. (We'd\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Big Business"","block_context":{"text":"Big Business","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/big-business"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/Best-Buy-check-box.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16332,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2009\/12\/01\/unblogged-bits-for-tuesday-01-december-2009.html","url_meta":{"origin":16495,"position":1},"title":"Unblogged Bits for Tuesday, 01 December 2009","author":"***Dave","date":"Tue 1-Dec-09 5:00pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries .... Microsoft investigating B(lack)SODs after Windows patches - Hmmm ... not sure if this is part of what Margie was suffering over the weekend ... Use The Internet To Subvert Bogus Best Buy Optimization Fees\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Potpourri"","block_context":{"text":"Potpourri","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/potpourri"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":133904,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2017\/07\/19\/this-is-a-1967-philco-ford-short-movie-about-life-in-the-distant-year-of-1999-sadly-no-moonbase-is-mentioned-but-there-is-a-mars-expedition-in-the-working.html","url_meta":{"origin":16495,"position":2},"title":"This is a 1967 Philco-Ford short movie about life in the distant year of 1999 (sadly, no Moonbase is mentioned, but there is a Mars expedition in the working)","author":"***Dave","date":"Wed 19-Jul-17 2:44pm","format":false,"excerpt":"It's a fascinating world of sybartic lotus-eaters who have the House of the Future to keep them comfortable so that they can dabble at work for a few days a week and then come home and enjoy their hobbies.And what does this hexagon-module-expandable house actually have in it to rock\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17835,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2010\/07\/10\/the-asus-the-geek-squad-and-i-part-2-or-southglenn-best-buy-sucks-again.html","url_meta":{"origin":16495,"position":3},"title":"The ASUS, the Geek Squad, and I, Part 2 (or, “Southglenn Best Buy sucks, again”)","author":"***Dave","date":"Sat 10-Jul-10 10:53pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Huzzah!\u00a0 I got a phone call, then an email, from the Geek Squad, saying my machine was ready to go! Your product is complete and ready for pickup at the Geek Squad\u00ae Precinct within your local Best Buy store. Thank you for putting your trust in us. Geek Squad No\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Big Business"","block_context":{"text":"Big Business","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/big-business"},"img":{"alt_text":"motivation","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/motivation-300x240.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":49887,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2015\/03\/19\/so-about-that-computer-and-the-hard-drive-and-the-stuff.html","url_meta":{"origin":16495,"position":4},"title":"So, about that computer and the hard drive and the stuff","author":"***Dave","date":"Thu 19-Mar-15 11:07pm","format":false,"excerpt":"So, yeah, as discussed, my hard drive is toast. Error determined, huzzah!And, as earlier mentioned, I was a dolt and didn't burn a set of recovery disks, like Asus prompted me to do every time I rebooted the computer.So I know I need to buy a new hard drive. I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/main5B15D.pngimgmax%3D660.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6476,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2004\/08\/30\/your_tech_tip_f.html","url_meta":{"origin":16495,"position":5},"title":"Your Tech Tip for Today!","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 30-Aug-04 8:21am","format":false,"excerpt":"Buy more RAM....","rel":"","context":"In "My Computer"","block_context":{"text":"My Computer","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/my-computer"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16495"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16495\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}