A report in Forbes surfaced last week suggesting Best Buy was going to purchase and hand out 10’s of thousands of iPad 2’s to its sales associates across the country. The goal was to boost Best Buy’s “Connected Store” program whereby potential customers can try out different devices first-hand with knowledgeable employees. Having these employees be experienced with devices like the iPad would be needed, and therefore a good reason for the rumor to be true.
But Best Buy has just shot down the rumor. In a Wall Street Journal article, a Best Buy representative said the company was still thinking about which devices to give to its employees and that there would only be a limited supply of those devices handed out.
“While we plan in the future to supply each store a limited number of handheld devices to use as sales tools when assisting the consumer, we have not many any final decision at this time,”
“We continue to evaluate all handheld devices and platforms, looking for the best solution to aid our employees on the floor,”
The “Connected Store” program is now testing out different tablets like the Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, and Motorola Xoom. Customers will get expert help from staff who are familiar with the devices they’re interested in.
Best Buy is set to sell iPad 2 in their stores this Friday at 5pm local time. Online sales should begin at bestbuy.com some time after Friday. We’ll let you know when. First-generation iPads are on sale now for $100 off their original price.
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