Questions About Amazon Prime

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I’m curious as to how many AskWoody members are Amazon Prime members, and what you think about it. As a student, I can qualify for half-off of Prime. However, I’m not sure if I would still fully use all of the benefits of it:

• Free shipping is nice, although when I order from Amazon, I generally place more than $25 per order to qualify for free shipping. My Zip Code doesn’t qualify for same-day shipping or Prime Now, so I can’t use those. I don’t heavily order from Amazon (school textbooks I generally get through another store, and some home stuff I get from another place), but there are times when I can only get some things from Amazon.
• I’m not sure if I would use the access to Lightning Deals or not.
• Diapers and baby food doesn’t matter since I don’t have any young children.
• We don’t have a Whole Foods yet, but I’d love to have one. If we get one, that would seriously up my interest in going for it. I also get confused about their Prime Rewards Visa Card vs Store Card on the 5% back.
• The movies and TV shows perk might be nice, but I just signed up for Hulu with Live TV, so I do have access to some good content on Hulu, plus I have a few other good apps I can access streaming video content on. Prime Channels is interesting, but the channels I need I had to get through Hulu.
• Amazon Price Music is interesting, but I already get Apple Music and Spotify included in some other services I have.
• The free games isn’t a perk I’d use as I don’t play games.
• Prime reading looks interesting since I do a lot of reading.
• I don’t qualify for 2 hour grocery or restaurant delivery yet.
• I don’t qualify for in-home or in-car delivery, and I wouldn’t use those anyway.
• Try before you buy clothes sounds interesting, but I have to order my clothes elsewhere since I’m super tall.
• Alexa voice shopping sounds interesting since I do use Alexa.
• Not sure if I’d use the rotating podcasts on Audible channels or not. Most podcasts I can access through Apple Podcasts.
• Unlimited photo storage is nice, but my photo library is already in iCloud Photos, so not a huge advantage either.
• I haven’t participated in Prime Day sales, but I’ve heard they’re pretty good.
• Prime Pantry sounds interesting, and if it meant fewer trips to the grocery store, something that would interest me.
• One aspect that has me interested in Prime is the amount of Amazon devices I own (I currently own three Echo devices and about to add a fourth one and an Echo Show, plus I own a Kindle and Fire TV), so I’m wondering if I would get more out of my devices with Prime or not.

Thanks!

Nathan Parker

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We have Prime and for us it’s worth the price for the two-day delivery and free shipping. Don’t use the other perks since at this time there isn’t anything that interests us. I say based on what you’ve put out there in the way of devices and such, it sounds like a good idea to go for it, especially with the half price deal. If you decide to pick up on Prime you can always try some of the offers with the program as you go along.

MacOS iPadOS and sometimes SOS

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Nathan Parker

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@Nathan:

I have been a Prime member for about 4 years. I don’t use many of the items you have outlined above, so can’t comment on them. I got Prime mainly for the free shipping, and usually beat them up pretty well on that. I am the caregiver for my wife and several home-health supplies are priced competitively IF you are a Prime member; not available to non-Prime members. We have been exploring some of the original TV programming lately, but too early to tell if it is worthwhile.

My main gripe with Prime is that much of what is sold on Amazon these days comes from third-party sellers and does not qualify for Prime shipping.

Best regards,
Tom

 

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Nathan Parker

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Tom in Az wrote:

My main gripe with Prime is that much of what is sold on Amazon these days comes from third-party sellers and does not qualify for Prime shipping.

The reason for that is Amazon is copying Alibaba’s B2C format. Amazon has distribution centers (they call them fulfillment centers) which are brick and mortar and actually handle the goods . Alibaba, China’s “Amazon”, doesn’t distribute, they middleman.

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We use Prime all the time for free shipping, streaming videos and at our local Whole Foods.  Membership fee pays for itself in savings.

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Nathan Parker

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Thanks everyone for the great info. Once I finish my Latin class and have more time on my hands, I’ll take a trial of Prime and see what I think. I may end up using more of the benefits than I imagine, plus once we could get a Whole Foods here, it would definitely come in handy (I badly want a Whole Foods).

Does anyone know the difference between the Amazon Store Credit Card and the Amazon Prime Rewards credit card and which is the better option?

Nathan Parker

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Myst

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Nathan,

The Amazon Prime Rewards Signature Visa Card gets you 5% back on all Amazon purchases.

We use this card exclusively for Amazon purchases. HTH

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
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Nathan Parker

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Excellent. Great to know. I will look into that as well.

Nathan Parker

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[geekdom]

This note has nothing to do with Amazon Prime and everything to do with smart shopping:

• The price for a particular item tends to bounce. Sometimes, the price is up; sometimes the price is down. Yesterday, I purchased an item for about $6.00 and today, the item is $14.00; who knows about tomorrow. Prices are fluid.
• Prices for the same, exactly the same, generic item vary wildly. Check and compare before buying.
• Make sure you have Prime selected in sidebar options or select only Prime items. Even if you don’t use Amazon Prime, the price and product comes through Amazon and guarantees $25.00 purchase gets you free shipping. The free shipping is generous.

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• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by geekdom.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by geekdom.

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Myst, Nathan Parker

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Good advice!

Nathan Parker

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I subscribe to Amazon Prime, and I use it, in part, to keep some movies and shows I have bought or I am buying from big A. For example, the latest episode of a show one buys plays, in my own experience, one or two days after it was broadcast by the network producing it, and it is free of commercials, which for me is well worth the money. Also there are many more shows and movies available for free, including those produced by Amazon itself, and I am keeping a few of favorite ones that used to be in Netflix and got finally removed because their contractual agreements came to an end, as it often happens. I do not buy music, because I can get it from radio and over the Web broadcasts or download them for free from YouTube, my taste in music running very narrowly to Jazz, folk and classical.

One important consideration, for me, is that some items of the kinds mentioned here sometimes are available, or available for free, only from Amazon Prime.

I also buy from Amazon books, movies and shows on DVD, as well as things I cannot find in shops in my area. The latter are odd items such as, in recent memory: large kitchen sponges, slippers for walking indoors, a certain brand of powder laundry detergent, my favorite brand of dish soap, a herbal extract I once got prescribed in Germany and worked very well for a mild chronic condition, but it is not generally available here, some Mac dongles I needed — that sort of thing.

I do not use Alexa, because I don’t find it necessary and am very suspicious of anything that is, for all I know, listening to what is going on at home all the time and ready to connect my home to an external place offering a less than iron-clad guarantee concerning its services users’ privacy, allegedly only on my voice command, but then again…

In general, I am not all that observant of price savings: as long as I can afford something I need — or really want but cannot get it at a lower price — I buy it, my own philosophy on such matters being: “that’s what money is for.” But price-shopping, when I have the time to do it, is something I like to do as well.

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Nathan Parker

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Thanks for the info! Much appreciated.

Nathan Parker

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I’ll probably signup for Prime August 1. I know I’ll miss this year’s Prime Day (but I don’t need anything major at the moment anyway). Starting to get some of the apps downloaded and ready to go.

Nathan Parker

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I will be signing up for Prime Student August 1. Looking forward to trying it.

Nathan Parker

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Whenever you’re not sure if a price is good, or can wait for a deal on an expensive item, use the Camel.

Nathan Parker wrote:

Prime Pantry sounds interesting, and if it meant fewer trips to the grocery store, something that would interest me

I’ve never used prime, but I did check some food items years ago—Amazon’s prices were very uncompetitive even after the monthly and combined discounts, so don’t assume Pantry will be cheaper than local.

Tom in Az wrote:

My main gripe with Prime is that much of what is sold on Amazon these days comes from third-party sellers and does not qualify for Prime shipping

Be aware that Amazon looks to be making a strategic move away from selling its own stuff, so the 3rd-party thing will only increase.

Nathan Parker wrote:

difference between the Amazon Store Credit Card and the Amazon Prime Rewards credit card and which is the better option

This has a handy chart.

Lugh.
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Tom in Az, Nathan Parker

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Thanks for these. Even over price, I wish I could find some quality groceries (we’re in desperate need of something along the lines of a Whole Foods). The quality of our grocery stores have gone way down here, even with prices still high enough.

Has anyone used some of the Amazon Basics products (batteries, office supplies, etc.)? How do they compare with other major brands?

I signed up for Prime Student today. Looking forward to seeing how much I use it during the six-month trial.

Nathan Parker

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Myst

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Nathan Parker wrote:

Has anyone used some of the Amazon Basics products (batteries, office supplies, etc.)? How do they compare with other major brands?

I’ve bought a few Amazon Basics supplies like accessory cases and they compare in price and quality to some high end products, giving way to being more attractive and well made in most instances. I’ve bought a camera case that has everything I need for storage and it’s compact at the same time. Read the reviews and watch for “Amazon’s Choice” on their Basics.

MacOS iPadOS and sometimes SOS

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Nathan Parker

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Nathan Parker wrote:

Has anyone used some of the Amazon Basics products (batteries, office supplies, etc.)? How do they compare with other major brands?

I’ve had good luck with the Basics items, such as HDMI cables and cases for external USB drives.

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Nathan Parker

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I’ve had good luck with Amazon batteries. There should be a unit price and the batteries are sold in bulk quantities. Compare prices over different bulks.

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Nathan Parker

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[Geo]

For AA and AAA batteries I use hollar.com   Since I use  a lot I buy 25 dollars worth to get the free shipping.  The batteries are cheaper then the dollar stores.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by Geo.

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Nathan Parker

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[Lugh]

Nathan Parker wrote:

I wish I could find some quality groceries

See if there’s a Trader Joe’s near you—great quality, decent prices.

Nathan Parker wrote:

Amazon Basics products

I’ve found all I’ve tried to be very good.

Lugh.
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• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by Lugh.

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Nathan Parker

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[Tom in Az]

Lugh wrote:

Be aware that Amazon looks to be making a strategic move away from selling its own stuff, so the 3rd-party thing will only increase.

Thanks Lugh, I have suspected as much. If this is the case, I might as well be buying on ebay. I have bought at least 2 items from Walmart.com that were as much as $10 cheaper than Amazon.

I will be re-thinking continuing my Prime membership next time it is up for renewal.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by Tom in Az.

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Tom in Az wrote:

I have bought at least 2 items from Walmart.com that were as much as $10 cheaper than Amazon.

Whenever I fill my Amazon cart enough to get free shipping, my next step is to visit Walmart.com—they’ve improved their website a lot in recent years, and definitely whack Amazon on price at times.

For electronics, I always check Newegg.com—their product selection / navigation is a lot better than Amazon’s, and there are often bargains to be had in their refurb & open-box offerings.

Amazon’s top value these days is the reviews, much better than other sites. Beware of fakes—filter by ‘Verified Purchaser’, check the top few ‘Most Helpful’, and then have a look at the 2-star & 4-star reviews. Fakes are usually either 1- or 5-star.

A good product will have a declining curve from a lot of 5-star to a few 1-star. If it has more 1-star than it should, filter by newest reviews—the maker may have fixed an initial defect.

Lugh.
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Tom in Az, SueW

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and be aware that “Amazon’s Choice” is not always the best PRICE on the sam goods as listed else where on the site.

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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Tom in Az, Nathan Parker

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Thanks everyone for the info. I’ll look into some of their Basics products.

In the past I haven’t heavily ordered from Amazon, but I’m seeing if as a whole how much I get out of my six-month trial as a student, then at the first of the year, decide if I want to keep it active and pay for it.

My main goal would be to find more quality products delivered to my door (plus all the other perks collectively together as a Prime member). It’s been tough finding quality products around my town in general. Our local Walmart has sub-par quality (even stuff I order on Walmart.com isn’t the best quality), and our local Sam’s Club is slowly improving, but products are still sub-par in quality at times. There are other stores that either don’t have a good selection of products or just low quality in general. Our grocery stores are even worse (we desperately need a better grocery store such as Whole Foods, and I may even try a few groceries that can be delivered to my area on Amazon or Prime Pantry).

Nathan Parker

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[geekdom]

Welcome to small town life. Locally, most purchases are either thrift shops or dollar stores. Most other items are purchased via wonderful world wide web. (I’ve gotten very good at punching keyboard buttons.)

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• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by geekdom.

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Nathan Parker

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I’m in a decent-sized town, but it’s still difficult to find quality items here. I am too getting too good at punching keyboard buttons for ordering, and beating the crowds is a nice plus.

Nathan Parker

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[Geo]

Looks like you go to school in Texas.  I buy my jeans on line .  Made in Texas.  100% US .  Decent prices for heavy duty jeans. Deep pockets.      texasjeans.com

• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by Geo.

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Nathan Parker

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Watch out if you buy expensive stuff on Ebay with their new state sales tax collection that went into effect July 1. Even if you buy off a third party small seller, ebay them-self now collects the state sales tax.

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Nathan Parker

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Collection of state sales tax kicked in when Net Neutrality went out, too many local entities were losing money.
https://www.aclu.org/issues/free-speech/internet-speech/what-net-neutrality

Before you wonder "Am I doing things right," ask "Am I doing the right things?"

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Nathan Parker

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Thanks everyone for the additional comments. My school is in Texas, although I live in Arkansas and attend online (through live streaming, works really well when my Internet works, which I have had Internet issues lately). Most of my clothes I actually outsource to the UK due to my height. I’m so tall, it’s hard to find US clothing that can fit me.

I’ve noticed more stuff I order online does charge sales tax. While it was fun to have a break from it, when retailers charge me for it, overall I’m OK paying it, especially since it’s harder to find places to buy local.

Nathan Parker

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Custom seams are available at Texas Jeans.  Contact them.

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Nathan Parker

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What I don’t like is I live in ****. They don’t tax clothes or non prepared food,  but now the large sites add the tax on everything.  So now the local brick and mortar stores come out ahead.  Good thing though is you still can browse the internet and beat the regular stores tax or no tax.

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Nathan Parker

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My experience with Amazon has been pretty much what many have already stated. I let my Prime membership expire.

Their 2 day delivery was more often than not 3+ days.

As others have noticed, they are starting to turn into another eBay, more often than not what I was looking for wasn’t available through Amazon, not even fulfilled by Amazon.  I would rather use eBay if that’s the case.  In fact I often find things from eBay dealers cheaper than on Amazon.

Ditto for Newegg, Microcenter, Staples, Office Max, Best Buy…

Amazon delivery is a joke in my area.  Sick and tired of finding my items everywhere but my porch.  If they even get the right address…

IMHO, Amazon is coasting on momentum.  Everybody is so used to habitually going to Amazon to purchase something they aren’t noticing that Amazon’s customer service and pricing are steadily degrading.

There are other stores, both online and even brick and mortar that can match and even beat Amazon’s pricing.  Plus, they have 1-800 numbers and customer service departments that are easily reachable if need be.

As far as Amazon Basics, the handful of things I have tried, the quality was just as good as anything else in the price range.  I have no complaints there.

 

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Nathan Parker

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IMHO, Amazon is coasting on momentum.

Of course, that is what it is ALL about. Once they get you they GOT you LOL.
Amazon wants to be just about everything about commerce and is doing a creditable job of accomplishing just that, for better or worse.

It does scare me a bit but I find I CAN find what I want on Amazon when I would have to spend a day in the City to find, or hours searching other sites and reading their fine print regards returns …
Not that I have not been burned in a minor way at Amazon.

Looks like I will need to get Prime to watch the 4th (& 5th )season of The Expanse which they picked up.
best of luck w/ your trial LOL

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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Nathan Parker

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Thanks everyone for the info. No Trader Joe’s in my state yet unfortunately. I’ll look into some Amazon Basics products.

For tech, I’ve purchased a ton through Provantage. They generally offer good prices and fast shipping, although shipping does cost. B&H has some of what I’ve needed as well. Apple gear I get direct from Apple just due to the better shopping experience (watch the Carvana video of the tube family, and that’s how I feel when ordering from Apple vs third parties). We do have a local Best Buy near me, so some tech I can get there (but pro-level stuff I have to order).

Amazon’s reviews are good to check when I need to read product reviews in general (I also balance them with tech review sites when it comes to tech).

There does seem to be some good content on Prime Video I’ve wanted to watch, so I’m looking forward to that perk. I also want to look more into Prime Reading.

Music isn’t working on Amazon Student (I think it’s one perk not included), but that’s not a biggie. I already have Apple Music free with Verizon plus access to Spotify, and I don’t listen to a ton of music (mostly around Christmastime to get me in the Christmastime mood).

Nathan Parker

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Nathan:

A lot of the videos on Amazon are not Prime Videos, that is, they aren’t included for free when you get Prime. Although I am disappointed at the low number of videos available for free with Prime, the super fast Prime delivery makes it worth the price for Prime. We don’t have Prime Now, but we do have regular Prime (one to three day delivery). Without that, I wouldn’t buy very much on Amazon, because it would take too long. But one to three day delivery makes Amazon worthwhile for most of my purchases that I can’t get locally.

Jim

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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Nathan Parker

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MrJimPhelps wrote:

A lot of the videos on Amazon are not Prime Videos, that is, they aren’t included for free when you get Prime.

I think I filtered for only what’s included with Prime (although I could be wrong), but I will spend more time with it and ensure.

I too wish I could get the faster delivery options here. Maybe before too long (since Amazon is opening new warehouses about an hour away).

At least I have six months instead of 30 days to test the trial and decide.

Nathan Parker

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I have never found an easy way to list just what movies are available with Prime w/o joining, which I will have to at least do a trial when the Expanse season 4 comes out in December. Again when they get you they GOT you

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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Does this work for you without a Prime subscription? This is the link that allows me to see them, but not sure if it works signed out without Prime:

https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=lp_2676882011_nav_youraccount_piv?rh=i%3Aprime-instant-video%2Cn%3A2676882011&ie=UTF8&node=2676882011

Nathan Parker

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Thanks Nathan
That is a better list than I could find w/o being a member. I usually get the free trial screen.
A quick look at the sci fi listings did not impress.

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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One new twist that may have me getting more use out of my Prime membership: ordering for my mother. She needs a natural antibiotic and our local health food store closed, plus she’s having a rough time finding around two the makeup she’s worn all her life. She’s also interested in Prime Pantry to get some grocery items delivered versus shopping in the grocery store.

So even if I personally don’t get enough of a use out of my Prime membership, I may be getting enough use out of it placing orders for my mother and handling a bunch of her shopping needs for her.

Nathan Parker

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2 interesting news regarding (Amazon) deliveries :

FedEx Ends Ground-Delivery Deal With Amazon

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-07/fedex-deepens-pullback-from-amazon-as-ground-delivery-deal-ends

Package Delivery! Cybercriminals at Your Doorstep – Warshipping

https://securityintelligence.com/posts/package-delivery-cybercriminals-at-your-doorstep/

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Nathan Parker

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Have you seen all of the Amazon 18-wheelers driving around? Apparently Amazon is handing a lot of their own deliveries now.

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Myst

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I saw that about the package delivery. Is it only affecting businesses or homes?

Nathan Parker

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I think it’s affecting both. But Amazon also gives customers the option to pick up packages at a designated locker location. There are several spread out across the U.S., places like Safeway grocery stores accommodates us on the west coast. Here is a link for those hub locker locations https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_200689010_findlocker?nodeId=201117850

MacOS iPadOS and sometimes SOS

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Having delivery lockers is a good idea, due to all of the package thieves roaming around these days.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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Myst

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There are size limitations of course. And some items are not eligible for locker delivery regardless of size. But overall the majority of products we buy can be shipped to a locker making this a safer way to get it delivered. For those on the outskirts of locker locations where traveling the distance makes it less feasible, taking that into account makes for the decision to either have it sent directly to your home or place of business, or to a more secure location such as a family member or trusted source.

MacOS iPadOS and sometimes SOS

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I’ve spent some quality time with my Prime Student free trial. I’m glad I took the trial, but I’ll likely be canceling the trial before it ends and I would be billed for it. The free shipping has been a decent perk, but any orders I’ve placed with Amazon have generally been more than $25, so the free shipping difference between Prime and non-Prime hasn’t been a major benefit. Additionally, I have received damaged or subpar quality items, so I don’t see myself ordering frequently from Amazon (only on stuff I cannot find elsewhere).

Since we still don’t have a Whole Foods, and since I’ll likely be an infrequent Amazon shopper,  their credit card currently isn’t a huge bonus over my current one. If we ever get a Whole Foods here, I could always re-join Prime and signup for their card (then it would be more of a benefit).

I haven’t had enough of an opportunity to use Prime Video, and since I have Hulu, I’d likely watch more on Hulu than Prime Video. My Prime Student trial doesn’t come with Amazon Music, so I wasn’t able to try it (I don’t really care about it).

I did enjoy Prime Reading and read a couple of books on there I enjoyed. It’s not enough to keep Prime though. I could either purchase the books on Kindle or likely check them out from my library and still end up cheaper than the cost of Prime.

I didn’t see Prime supercharging any of my Amazon devices much differently than without it, and I haven’t had a need for Alexa voice shopping either.

I was going to try Prime Pantry, but they keep being out of stock on the Prime Pantry items I wanted to try, with the only alternative is ordering them through regular Amazon in bulk. The reviews on the items I wanted to try also had negative reviews, so I guess sticking with the grocery store is a better alternative. Our Sam’s Club has new management and is starting to improve on product selection and quality, so that’s another option for now.

Amazon Photos was neat to try, but since my photo library is stored in iCloud Photos and also backed up to a third-party online service, again, it’s not a major deal.

I looked over the Prime Day sales, and they weren’t much of an improvement over regular sales I’ve seen through Amazon on what I’d order, so it’s likely something I wouldn’t use.

It has been good to take a trial and really get the feel for it, but I don’t see Amazon Prime being worth the cost for me, even with the half-off student price.

Nathan Parker

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Myst

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I subscribe to Amazon Prime mainly for two reasons:

(1) Some items are only available for those with Prime accounts.

(2) With Prime I can get to watch for free and without adds (or only one add, just before the show, with a “skip” button) some complete old TV shows I have watched and liked in the past and don’t mind watching again, because they are timeless. Examples: TNT’s The Closer, CBS’ Magnum PI, SciFy’s Babylon V, and more like that, including from the BBC and ITV. Not all old free shows are free of ads, though, only those provided by Amazon itself. There are some shows one can watch for free but with a few minutes of ads every quarter hour or so, from other companies that make them available through Amazon Prime.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

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Nathan Parker

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Great points. Some of the old shows I can pick up over the air with my antenna, but it’s good to know that Prime offers some of those. If I ever feel I can get more use out of it, I’ll re-signup. Lately though, I’ve been scaling back on services in order to keep ones I really use and phase out stuff I don’t use as much (so I can save some money on services).

Nathan Parker

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Myst

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As far as entertainment goes, I doubt that one really needs, or is even able to use satisfactorily, more than two good streaming services. I have Amazon Prime and Netflix (streaming and DVD). From them I can get already more shows and movies than I’ll ever have time to watch, of the kind that interests me. On top of my DVD collection of classic movies and TV shows and of some hundreds of recordings (many of them downloaded from YouTube) by some of the best classic musicians since about the late 1930’s (when the quality of the records was already quite acceptable) to date, some of them very well remastered. And many books in shelves and also on the floor. One thing I’m not about to be deprived of is home entertainment, And for that, the total spent getting it has been quite modest. For all the problems the mega corporations providing this content have created (including, with their very aggressive competition putting out of business good local bookstores, video shops, etc.), even so, their mass distribution of affordable books and audiovisual art is quite an amazing achievement largely enabled by the Internet and the Web that rides on it.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
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[Alex5723]

OscarCP wrote:

some hundreds of recordings (many of them downloaded from YouTube) by some of the best classic musicians since about the late 1930’s

For Bach lovers : https://www.bachvereniging.nl/en/allofbach concerts streaming.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by Alex5723.

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Myst

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Alex5723: Thanks! The Netherlands Bach Society has produced some really excellent performances over the years. It’s really nice to have a Web site with their recordings and it’s very good of them to make these available in exchange for voluntary donations! I am glad to have the opportunity to support their ambitious work of recording all the works of J,S.B.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

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Alex5723, Myst

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J.S. Bach is my absolute favorite composer. We sang Jesu Meine Freude in college – that experience caused me to change my major to Music.

Of course, we can’t leave out the Well Tempered Clavier, a beautiful set of works which forever ended the Modal era of music and moved us firmly into the Tonal era of music. Two results of moving to Tonal music are: (1) you can freely change keys without your instrument being out of tune in any key, and (2) we now have major, minor, and other chord forms that we completely take for granted now, but which didn’t exist until Tonal music came along.

One final note about Bach – the one form of music he never composed was Opera.

And a bit of humor that one of my professors shared with us – Bach had lots of children, so he would go to the church to compose music. His wife packed him a lunch to take with him every day – this became known as the original Bach’s lunch.

Thanks for providing the link and the info about the Netherlands Bach Society.

Here is their Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/bach

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
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Alex5723, Myst

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MrJimPhelps wrote:

One final note about Bach – the one form of music he never composed was Opera

On a personal note, IMO, thank goodness.

The Bach’s Lunch reference is fun. Sounds like you had a great experience in music education, thanks for sharing.

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MrJimPhelps

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Now days, one could get much of J.S.B’s music, recorded by the best interpreters, from YouTube, or buy their recordings, available from Amazon, both Prime and plain.

But, as gifted as he was, J.S. was not the only Bach of note as a composer. He was born in a musical family, with ancestors that were gifted musicians of note, and, later on, went to have twenty children with two wives (one after the other, the first one, with whom he had seven, dying and leaving him a widower). Several of those children were also gifted musicians (their work, performed by the finest musicians, also available from Amazon, Prime or not, I would bet), two or three of them becoming important enough that their works are still being played, although they did not composed their main work in their father’s contraputual Baroque style that was going out of fashion by the time of J.S. death (of complications of eye surgery). Then he was pretty much relegated to the ash heap of musical history, until Mozart first and the Beethoven and other prominent figures, after someone came across some moldy sheet music found here and there, realized their importance of his work and dedicated the rest of their lives to study and bring it to the attention other influential musicians and music lovers, with a passion — and the rest is history.

Which brings me to a remarkable member of the very gifted Bach family: the truly brilliant P.D.Q. Bach, the only forgotten but once famous son of J.S.B. Brought back from oblivion by the equally remarkable musician and guide to the many intricacies and delights, theoretical and practical, of music to the teeming millions (and also to yours truly): Peter Schickele. I was an avid follower of his PBS program “Schickele Mix”. Unfortunately, although they were recorded at the time, their recordings have never been made available to the public on DVD or on the Web, because of copyright issues with some of the music he played as examples of what he was explaining. I still remember some little Aha! moments listening to him, for example when he once explained and then showed with some of those examples that now make his programs unavailable, how the use of the pentatonic scale is not just a characteristic of Eastern and South Eastern Asian music, as well as that of the native peoples of the Americas, but it is actually used quite a bit in popular Western music, particularly folkloric one.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
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MrJimPhelps

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Well I thought some Bach might be just the thing on a cold snowy day, it started a bit too loud and I hunted for a volume control for the site, not finding one I used my KB control and got Bached out of Windows with a BSOD at 5% of data collection oh well…

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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OscarCP, Cybertooth

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@wavy, maybe your “Bach’s Lunch” had a bug in it.

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wavy, MrJimPhelps

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Bach lovers
Please stay on topic. AMAZON is the subject here, NOT Bach
Just because you can purchase his music from Amazon (or download it from YouTube) doesn’t make it on-topic.

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Highsierra46, CADesertRat, Myst

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