I’m at Target, getting a replacement cable for my iPhone. In the electronics department, a college student is trying to figure out what charger they need for their MacBook Pro.
Target Employee: Look, I don’t really work in this department. I don’t know what you need.
College Student: Uggggh this is so frustrating! It’s 60 Watts or 85 Watts, I know it!
Me, a lifelong Apple user: What kind of laptop?
College Student: AH! THANK YOU! I KNEW YOU WOULD KNOW
Me: uhhh
College Student: With the hair and the glasses and I stereotyped you and I WAS RIGHT
Me: …cool…
College Student: It’s a mid-2012 15-inch.
Me, looking at my phone: So the issue is, if you get the bigger wattage, you’ve spent extra cash on a product you don’t need. But if you get the one that’s too small, it won’t supply enough power to run the laptop.
Me: Aha! Here it is. You need the 85W charger.
College Student: Thank you!
Target Employee: Huh. They actually both cost the same. $79.
Me: $79?! That’s outrageous! It’s just a transformer and a couple feet of copper wire!
College Student: Doesn’t matter. It’s what I need. Thanks for the help!
Me: Sure
So I go to find myself a cable, and I find off-brand manufactured USB cables. They do not have price labels.
Me: Excuse me, how much is this 4 foot cable?
Target Employee: $4.99
Me: Awesome!
Me: Wait. This is android. How much is this 4 foot Apple one?
Target Employee: $11.99
Me: I’m getting an Android phone.