The Off Topic Topic

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

Yeah, I've hardly ordered anything off Amazon in the past several years.  I tend to stick to more specialty retails for stuff I can't get locally, where even the ones that have started allowing third-party sellers (like Newegg) let me filter them all out because they still actually sell products.  Amazon is transitioning from an online department store to a marketplace of sellers in the same vein as Ebay and Aliexpress.

Amazon seems to be in an awkward spot with respect to its eCommerce business.  Unfortunately, their filings only separate revenue and earnings for AWS and not-AWS, so we don't know for certain what their eCommerce specifically is generating, but in FY2024 not-AWS was 83% of revenue, but only 42% of net earnings.

[Grey Fox]

I still use Amazon a lot. It's the only way to not have prohibitively expensive shipping options. Not counting that assholes business too cheap to have into Canada shipping from Asia meaning we also have to pay the USA puts on themselves tariffs.

[Valmy]

I use amazon sometimes to find products I want. Then I go to that company's website and just buy it directly from them 

I do buy from Target and Best Buy if they have instore pickup though. That is the only middleman I use generally.

[crazy canuck]

Never have and never will use Amazon to buy products. But I like the shows on Prime so I subscribe to their streaming service.

[celedhring]

I use amazon sometimes to find products I want. Then I go to that company's website and just buy it directly from them 

I do buy from Target and Best Buy if they have instore pickup though. That is the only middleman I use generally.

There's some stuff I have to order out of Amazon because it's not available anywhere else around here (i.e. 3d printer supplies and replacement parts). Other than that, I try to give them the least business possible.

[mongers]

Mongers, look for a custom-building outfit. I used "Palicomp" a couple of times, google them. They do a decent job, for example they came back to me after an order to suggest a better (and not more expensive) setup compatibility-wise.

Don't buy a premade crap.

Thanks Tamas for the suggestion, I'll look into it.

[mongers]

I use a firm called PC Specialist https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/ as does my oldest. I think we have had about 8 PCs and laptops off them over the years without a single dud. No way you should buy off Amazon.

Thanks Tricky, there some nice specked pcs there.