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Old 04-12-2008, 05:53 PM   #1
Talon87
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"Clamshell" Packaging On Death's Doorstep?

http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9912173-54.html
from http://kotaku.com/379073/death-to-clams ... ging-maybe

I don't know that this is the best idea for a thread since threads are meant to generate discussion, not one "YEAH I FUCKING HATE THOSE CASES, TOO!" reply after another. ........... oh well.

I FUCKING HATE THOSE CASES, TOO! :P
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Old 04-12-2008, 06:03 PM   #2
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Re: "Clamshell" Packaging On Death's Doorstep?

I think the toxicity argument is a bit extreme, everything's toxic to some extent these days, we can't avoid it and it's not like plastic packaging (unless one eats it, what) is going to cause poisoning to the touch. That said, I'm ambivalent the stuff will go because while a hassle to open, it's not something I was annoyed or enthusiastic enough about to have an opinion on. I guess the ecological cleanliness is a good thing, but packaging like that can be recycled, it's just that no garbage company offers a service to remelt the plastic.
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Old 04-12-2008, 06:42 PM   #3
Talon87
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Re: "Clamshell" Packaging On Death's Doorstep?

Point 1 - General Inconvenience (three subparts)
1) I do not own a pair of scissors at my apartment, so the rare times I buy electronics up at Purdue require me to use a fucking steak-knife to get through this shit
2) My family has gone through two pairs of sharp shears over the years thanks to this plastic.
3) I have cut myself on the plastic itself (not with a knife, not with scissors, but the jagged sharp plastic itself) on numerous occasions, drawing a stream of blood that wouldn't stop and clot after a couple of seconds at least once.

Point 2 - Ineffective for Stated Purpose
The clamshell doesn't keep people from stealing because all you need is (1) a strong neodymium magnet, (2) the ability to not get caught on camera, and (3) a jacket or baggy clothing to hide it in as you take it out of the store and back to your car. With a strong enough magnet, you can pretty much desensitize any magnetic security strip inside of DVDs, video games, etc. and get it past the sensors. All the clamshell casing does is make for one aggravated shoplifter. For the rest of us who honestly purchase these goods, it's a complete and wholly-undeserved hassle.

Point 3 - Superior Alternatives Exist and Are In Use
Most stores that use clamshell casing do so because you can put the products on those long slender rods of metal used to hold up action figure cases and this allows consumers to "pick up and go" with the product without hassling the store clerks, unlike a glass security case which someone has to open each and every time a customer wants something behind it. But the really ridiculous thing is that Target and Wal-Mart have begun to put clamshell-housed controllers and adapters in the very same shelves (sans glass) as the adjacent ones storing the video games. So the store argument about "wanting to save space" is complete bullshit -- no difference in space occupied will occur whether you do or you don't have a glass barrier in front of the display!

However, these same stores -- as well as specialized game stores like GameStop -- already have a high ratio of electronics clerks : electronics customers (I think I see like 4 employees in the electronics section every time I go, compared with one for the 12+ aisles of groceries), so the solution has been found -- tell one of them to get his lazy ass out from behind the counter and to sit on a stool near the glass containers (which are ALREADY where these controllers are being stored, just with the glass panel removed) and have him open the container each and every time somebody walks by and says they want to buy the product. They don't card you or ask you to show proof of spending power when you ask them to fetch a video game, so they shouldn't feel they have to do the same for when you buy a controller, either.
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Old 04-12-2008, 10:14 PM   #4
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Re: "Clamshell" Packaging On Death's Doorstep?

I dunno about Indiana, but California retail stores are trying to fire as many people as possible, Talon. There's something like only six people on staff duty at any time at a nearby Target, no cashiers/clerks anymore since all the checkout counters are automated. There are security cameras and magnetic detectors all over the place though. The reason there's been downsizing of staff is because, relative to unaccounted for inventory, paying a large staff $7.00 an hour for even a part time shift plus various benefits is going to be less profitable than keeping the staff small and letting some goods slip through. Chances are, if we've got a poor, dumb shoplifter, he'll be caught trying to take something out, and the smart shoplifter who aims for bigger merchandise will have to tangle with more safety measures.

I would also ask, where would someone get a magnet powerful enough to desensitizes the strips? Most people are too dumb or narrow minded to do something like that, unless something like a refrigerator magnet would work.
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Old 04-13-2008, 09:07 AM   #5
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Re: "Clamshell" Packaging On Death's Doorstep?

$29 investment, muchos profit. Theoretically. Let's put it this way -- I wouldn't want a neodymium magnet within 1 foot of my PC tower. Furthermore, notice that Amazon.com considers a neodymium magnet "giant" when it's only 4.5 ounces. In other words, ounce per ounce neodymium magnets are very strong.

To learn more about cheap vs. good neodymium magnets, click here. Scroll down to the photo of three steel balls on the right-hand side and read the caption if you will. These guys are pretty nuts, these little magnets. To quote the text right below that picture:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wikipedia
Neodymium magnets should always be handled carefully. Some that are slightly larger than the size of a penny are powerful enough to lift over 10 kilograms.
That's 22 pounds, folks. 22 pounds lifted easily by a penny-sized magnet. Believe it.
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Old 04-13-2008, 02:46 PM   #6
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Re: "Clamshell" Packaging On Death's Doorstep?

Good riddance! I always end up with a few cuts trying to open stuff packed in that crap!
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