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Best Buy's ConnectedLife One-Ups Geek Squad

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the home-in-a-box dept.

Retail writes "Best Buy is going to sell a packaged solution of Media Center plus home automation. Literally, it's a package — a box. A customer walks into a Best Buy store, delights in the demo, buys the package, and waits for its arrival in a big box about four-foot square. The package costs $15,000. For that you get a Media Center PC, Lifeware automation software from Exceptional Innovation, an Xbox 360, IP surveillance cameras, automated light switches, a thermostat and installation. It's a complicated business model, called ConnectedLife.Home, and it's bound to pit the new group against other Best Buy factions like Geek Squad."

1 of 113 comments (clear)

  1. Survey SAYS... by pla · · Score: 5, Informative

    Before you mod this "redundant", at the time of this posting, no one else has actually done the math, just guessed...


    For that you get a Media Center PC
    Averages around $900, but they use the HP z560 at $1800...

    Lifeware automation software from Exceptional Innovation
    This one took some work. The closest I could get to a price, $5000, includes hardware. But it puts us at an upper limit, at least.

    an Xbox 360
    The easiest to find, at $400

    IP surveillance cameras
    They use a pair of Panasonics (not sure of the model number), around $380 each.

    automated light switches
    FTA: "five dimmers, five switches, two keypads". Home Depot, $80.

    a thermostat
    Again, no model number given, but the standard model goes for $270

    and installation.
    Not really - They want you to have the "hard" parts done yourself, by a privately contracted licensed electrician.



    The package costs $15,000.

    Total so far, $8310 (not counting your own electrician).

    So, not counting needing to hire your own electrician, that puts the cost of their installation at roughly ... $6690.



    I've made some pretty damned good wages doing contract work, but over $6k for less than a day's work? Wow, talk about a dream job...

    Anyone that wants this system - Hunt me down for contact info. I'll do it for a third less (you pay airfair outside the continental US, and though I know how to work safely with home AC systems , you'll probably still need a licensed electrician to do this legally in most places).