torontokris wrote: ↑you mean spend all xmas eve hitting refresh and waiting for the FS BB sites to come back online...
i've never spent more than an hour. never had interest in any of their 'doorcrashers' though either. so it's been fine to log in well after the start, find what i wanted, and get the heck out.shengli2009fall wrote: ↑the website would go really slow that time...
so probably more than one hour
either way, it's your choice to participate or not. if you don't want to be bothered by online sales on xmas eve, then don't shop.
bought something from FS or BB the last 3yrs for sure. as mentioned above, usually not cheap products that the masses go for. but quality stuff that not every bargain hunter can afford. btw, why are you sitting at your computer watching a virtual line load? anyway, yeah i haven't had reason to go right at open the last year, but even 40mins or so after it starts, things move pretty smoothly. the first year i bought a receiver and external hard drive, one from FS, one from BB, and i was done in about 15mins. that was my turning point, never stood in a physical line on boxing day after that.
even if it does take you 4hrs to go from start to finish, you only need to be 'on the computer' for 20mins max of that.
no matter how you slice it, exaggerate, or worst case scenario, the online shopping is still quicker, easier, and more 'family friendly' than shopping in store. if it takes you 4hrs to buy something online, it would have taken you at least 8hrs to drive to store, stand in line, find product, stand in line to pay, and drive home again. and you could do all of it from home where you could still be with your family while you wait vs. taking your kids to stand in the cold overnight outside bestbuy...