[cecilpl]

The problem is that they don't know that you actually know what you want.

You present identically to the kind of person who is completely non-technical and was mis-advised by a friend of theirs, and who will come back in a week complaining about how Photoshop doesn't run well enough and their hard drive is full.

Apple has decided that they want to ensure that you are happy with your purchase, and part of that process involves the salesperson being convinced that you are buying the right thing.

[robmclarty]

You're right that I would present the same way.

I just get frustrated being told what I want, being upsold, and being made to feel as if I don't know what I'm talking about when in fact I probably know a lot more than the sales person who has probably never used the device in question the way I've described I will be using it.

I understand that the general case is better serviced this way, but for someone who walks in knowing the part numbers they want, the added friction is a turn off.

I personally avoid going to Apple stores because of how hard it is to actually buy stuff there. Even grabbing a simple USB key off the shelf is incredibly hard to pay for when the cashiers are all hiding in a sea of other people.

[shostack]

I'd think "I do web development" should be a sufficient signal that "this person is not non-technical."

[cbd1984]

> I'd think "I do web development" should be a sufficient signal that "this person is not non-technical."

Not to a systems software developer, sonny.

/s

(Besides, "I do web development" could easily mean "I know what Dreamweaver is". (It's that song by Gary Wright which helped inspire Freddy Kreuger, right?))

[wolfgke]

> (Besides, "I do web development" could easily mean "I know what Dreamweaver is".

People who fall into the (negative) category "I know what Dreamweaver is" never describe themselves as web developers, but rather as web designers (and the serious web designers, say, as UX designer).

[cperciva]

I misread that the first time, and thought "I don't understand... someone saying that they do web development should be a perfectly clear sign that they're nontechnical, especially to a systems developer".