that's why he's rich, you have to replace the rotten stuff every few months.

I hate IKEA. No, really I do, but not for the reasons you might think. I remember when it fiirst opened here in Britannia, it was really new and different, the only comparable store was Habitat which was really a middle-class Woolworths and very overpriced, so IKEAs economy prices combined with the utlitarian Scandinavian design was rather ground-breaking in the UK mass market. But it hasn't changed, it's still exactly the same and now everyone has IKEA stuff. I'm not saying I don't have IKEA stuff in my house, but I won't touch the furniture anymore, it's too flimsy. And the beds are a rip-off because as you know if tried to buy one, you can't put standard mattresses with them, you have to put IKEAs mattresses with them and they're very expensive.

Also it portrays itself as a family store, and provides trhe ball-room play area for the tinies. BUT you only get 20minutes and how the f*** can you get round the dam store in 20minutes? You can't even just choose the item and go to the checkout in that time. So the play-area is a lie really, a gimmick to get Mum and Dad into the store when otherwise they might baulk at dragging the little un's about (which they're going to have to do anyway )

To my eyes IKEA looks very dated now and is no better than MFI and appeals to the same visually illiterate upper working class/lower middle class income bracket. I designed a few bits and pieces for IKEA fifteen years ago and they're still selling them; that's no testament to my design skills but speaks volumes about their lack of innovation. One good idea, that's what this guy had, and it hasn't changed.

All the designs are Alvar Aalto and Mies van der Rohe rip-offs anyway. Plagiarists.

Didn't Bill Gates make some large charity donations not so long ago too?

I know what you mean, Taw. I don't trust them.

the gf keeps trying to drag me into ikea at least this gives me the ideal excuse
to avoid it
"sorry dear i wont set foot in the place its a stand against............honest"
might work

Wasn't Bill Gates demoted from head of Microsoft a while ago? That would probably hurt his wallet a bit...

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Bill Gates was "demoted" in that he decided to change his position within the organization. No one "forced him out" so to speak. He is now the head of the ideas area. He no longer is the CEO but he is still the Chairman of MS.

This was in response to the anti-trust suit against MS in the USA that was going like gangbusters until the current, more business friendly administration took over and basically rolled over and played dead in the settlement it made with MS.

It was all public relations. Besides, with a pit bull like Steve Ballmer leading the charge at MS, there was no need for Gates to tag along as a rottweiler.

...Like the article says, a lot of it also has to do with the weakening of the dollar against the euro and other European currencies.

Edited by - Indy11 on 4/7/2004 6:35:39 AM

<Edit>

IKEA experience: Rent van, drive out to abandonned property area to get to store, spend 30 minutes trying to find parking spot reasonably close to store loading area. Trek to entrance from car, find humongous blue shopping cart which will be too small to hold all the things wifey decides is a must have, push humongous overloaded shopping cart around store... really putting back to it to make it budge, go to check out counter and faint at grand total figure.

Trudge over, with cart to extra-large load delivery area. Wait an hour to get
extremely large purchase trundled out on a 4 wheeled dolly to have it moved out to loading area.

Heave everything purchased into back of van, tie down ridiculously large purchase to roof of van (after going back into store to buy tie down cords).

Drive back to apartment. Spend 3 hours, taking everything up to apartment (by myself). Return rental van. Go back to apartment, spend next week unpacking and assembling everything, avoid going to emergency room for various injuries and/or stroke from flaring temper at some of the idiotic instructions.

Spend many hours discussing with wife why next purchase will be completely pre-assembled and delivered to home by professional furniture delivery men.

Start paying for credit card bill charges, figure out maximum monthly amount payable that still will allow credit card holder a chance to buy the occasional computer game.

Edited by - Indy11 on 4/7/2004 9:34:44 AM

so you've never been there, then?

Mmm, why does Indy's story sound so familiar... . Why, o why, must they use those damn screws that you have to use an allen-key for?!?!? Why can't they give us normal screws? Bastards!