The buyer arrived at my apartment, knowing full well what I was asking for the desk, and proceeded to haggle with me over the price. She first claimed that I posted it for less than I was asking for in person. She then proceeded to list off every scratch on the desk (which there were very few of) and why they entitled her to a lower price.

Even when I did capitulate to a price that would make it affordable to even the most broke 20-something, she reached into her wallet and was “stunned” to see she only had cash to pay me $5 less than what we agreed to.

Long story short – I was in a hurry, I didn’t feel like re-listing the damn thing and I accepted what cash she had on her. The experience 1) left me glad I had sold the last item in my apartment and wouldn’t need to return to CL again and 2) realizing that some people tips on haggling:

1) Respect each other’s time.

Buyers, the sellers don’t have patience or the responsibility to explain market economics to you so if you show up at their door, expect to spend no more than 20 minutes there.

2) Damage can entitle you to a price break, but don’t push it.

As my grandfather says, “there are always three distinct prices to something; the price the buyer wants, the price the seller wants and the price that they are going to eventually settle on.” If the seller is kind enough to let you come into their home and view the object, expect to pay at least 80% of the asking price if its within the description you read.

3) Read the bloody description.

Before you e-mail the person, go over the description of the item with a fine-tooth comb. If the description is unclear, ask questions. Sellers are always going to be ready to answer the questions if they really want to sell the item.

4) Beware of “craigslist karma.”

Realize that even in the online marketplace, you reap what you sow. For instance, you may never had thought to ask what the seller kept in the desk drawer before you bought it….{insert evil laugh here}.

Though I am certainly not a wireless industry expert; based on my experiences as a marketing blogger, a self-confessed Mac-head and most importantly a 20-something, I believe that these predictions are fairly solid.

The Launch

The iPhone launch will be as big as expected. Look for Apple to hit or exceed its 10 Million handset goal before the close of 2008. Why? The fact is that the phone is a great piece of technology and probably more importantly, a great fashion accessory. Basic consumers will go insane over the iPhone, giving Apple a foothold with consumers that are willing to pay more for a cooler version of their iPod but who may have been reticent to purchase an actual Mac computer.

The only potential killjoy for the iPhone may be with its integration with PC’s. Look for reports of sporadic but annoying syncing issues forcing some consumers to give up on the phone, and some to break down and buy a Mac. This could be a fantastic thing in the long-term, but it is the one thing that may be a momentum killer for Apple in the first year.

Long-Term

The one segment that Apple many not be able to win over with the iPhone, may just be with their most loyal and active users. These guys don’t play around with technology. Their current smartphones are used for e-mail more than voice calls, most likely, and I just can’t see a blackberry user (for instance) becoming really comfortable with a virtual keyboard.

Keep in mind; the Apple brand was built off of a core following of users that respect the technology for its ability to speed process and help them work better. Graphic Designers, IT Professionals, Internet Gurus – all of these people want a device that is first and foremost a workhorse. Honestly, I see the iPhone as more of a consumer-oriented product than appealing to these guys. Unless Apple steps up with more features or accessories that appeals to this group – it could be in for a bumpy ride.

Once the smoke clears and consumers get their fill, its going to be this core group that makes or breaks the long-term viability for the iPhone.

Will I Buy One?

In the words of my friend who works retail for Apple, “not this version.” In the second iteration, depending on how many bugs Apple has to fight in its first 6-9 months, possibly.

I consider myself to be loosely affiliated with the a-fore mentioned core Apple user group and for that reason, I am not feeling the love quite yet. In 6-9 months though, my Treo contract expires and that is an awful lot of time for another smartphone to emerge that panders to my needs. Till then, it’s a horserace but I will say this; as go the geeks, so goes the business world for they are the tech support.

One thing is for certain, not since the Furby was invented will we have seen the consumer insanity that this product will inspire. All I have to say is let the iPhone games begin!

Four months ago, the audio geek in me just had to have the new Bose Tri-Port in-ear headphones. They are low-profile, the audio quality is astounding and, at $90, I assumed that they would hold together under normal wear and tear.

It appears, however, that the silicone eartips that come with the headphones tend to come off.

That’s why the nice people at bose sent me a shiny new set of eartips that are designed to stay on a bit better. With them, they also sent along documentation about how to use the headphones, how to fit the silicone eartips and how to install the new ones, if the old ones fall off.

Amazingly, I followed these instructions and a product I thought was cool to begin with became even more so because I figured out how to get more sound with a better-fitting earpiece.

It’s not that they didn’t include these instructions when I bought the headphones, it’s just that I was silly enough to think I didn’t need to the read directions in order to work a pair of headphones.

This instance would have been a great opportunity for Bose to play up how these weren’t regular headphones. Instead of hiding the directions and assuming I’ll find them – put it on the box or use part of your website to show me how to optimize the fit of these things!

Don’t dumb it down! 20-somethings take pride in educating themselves, especially about tech toys like this – give us the opportunity and you’ll gain that much more respect and trust from your customers.

I watched intently, yesterday as the local-Washington news covered the Georgetown Hoyas departing on their bus to the final four tournament in Atlanta.

Granted, I was on the treadmill at the time so I was unable to shout random obscenities at the team who beat the Vanderbilt Commodores, who in turn beat my very own George Washington Colonials.

Despite the strange lineage that seems to have connected those three teams, the funnier thing is that as I was contemplating what four-lettered word would describe the outrage I felt, I stopped and realized – I don’t even like basketball!

Around this time of year, it appears that not even I am immune to the pomp, circumstance and down-right insanity that grips 20-somethings and forces them to spend countless hours obsessing over the brackets.

Beyond the obvious school pride associated with rooting your team on (Go ‘Dores!)…let’s hear what you think makes this madness happen, even for us that have no interest whatsoever in the sport?

Despite Chairman Howard Schultz’s promises to keep it “about the coffee”, this move seems to confirm what most of us already know for some time now; Starbucks is trying to leverage its massive 9,400 store network into a media distribution network.

With McCartney on board, look for artists of all shapes and colors to undoubtedly sign on to this new venture, doing to decent music what Starbucks has previously done to decent coffee.

You’ll recall Starbucks’ success with that Ray Charles album emboldened them to tap into an apparently undersold adult yuppie music lover too lazy to go to a music store or download iTunes.

Now, I don’t fear this because McCartney’s music sub-par. In fact, I fear it for the exact opposite reason.

We’ve seen how a massive distribution network like Wal-Mart can force suppliers to tailor their products, including shaping media like CD’s & DVD’s. I fear that this new move by Starbucks will only further mar the cultural diversity in this country and zap its creative personality until we are all a bunch of mindless, caffeine-addicted, soft pop-listening sycophants!

That being said, watch this particular blog posting come back to bite me in the {explicative deleted} when I am just getting out of business school, attempting to get a job with them.

Amanda conducts her first interview with the APPLEGEEKS guys and we discover why anime-fangirls love a certian type of manga.

Referenced Links:

• APPLEGEEKS – Amanda’s Favorite Web Comic
• Vidcast: Behind the Scenes – The Making of This 20SM Episode
• Boys’ Love Books – Check Out Their Interesting Titles (I smell bookclub!!!)

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Jared, Mikey, Mick, Ryan and Logan contemplate what Generations X and Y really want to see next from media marketing and the impact of growing entertainment empires like Apple, Netflix and XM.

Show Notes: - Introducing The Roundtable - Apple vs. The World - What 20-Somethings Really Want From Media Referenced Links: - Mickture Design - MiketyMikey.com - Logan’s MySpace Page – Please Be His Friend!

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