@Trai_Dep: PhotoShop does not exist.

People shop at Wal-Mart because that "is what they can afford", but it is all they can afford because they shop at Wal_Mart. Wal-Mart drives down wages and raises unemployment rates by destroying the American factory. If no one shopped at Wal-Mart and bought American, there would be more factory work here, and more people employed by mom and pop stores.

Live Better? The exploited workers and the children living in towns polluted by the factories which have no environmental regulations, enabling us to have our cheap shoddy lead tainted Chinese products from Wal-Mart would probably disagree.

And when you have to buy that product again in 3 months because it was made so poorly, you proabably aren't really saving that much money after all.

For years now, Wal-Mart has been one of the biggest forces driving manufacturing jobs out of the U.S. to China. If you want to do business with Wal-0Mart, they give you a book called "How To Do Business with Wal-Mart". Wal-Mart does not care about quality of goods. They only care about the final price. To achieve that price, the main recommendation they make is to move factories to China.

Wal-Mart puts Mom and Pop stores out of business, and mom and pop stores and factory jobs are two very important building blocks for our economy.

China will defeat the U.S. without ever firing a bullet. They will take us over economically. They are already doing a good job of it. Wal-mart is helping them.

If you are a patriotic American, you would never ever shop at Wal-Mart.

For shit's and giggles, here's an excerpt about fascism from Wikipedia:

a form of political behavior marked by obsessive preoccupation with community decline, humiliation or victimhood and by compensatory cults of unity, energy and purity, in which a mass-based party of committed nationalist militants, working in uneasy but effective collaboration with traditional elites, abandons democratic liberties and pursues with redemptive violence and without ethical or legal restraints goals of internal cleansing and external expansion

Wierd, huh?

Look up fascism for me, and see how many pieces of the description match the goals of the latest crop of Republicans.

Of course, when you're that entrenched in your worldview, facts don't really matter do they?

Nope, never touched the HP graphing calculators. Besides the fact that I don't like graphers to begin with, my areas of academia always pushed TI for them, therefore making me used to those. Shame, because later I did notice that the HPs had a lot more power under the hood. (But in the case of the 49, it was squandered ;)

I vote HP!
A while ago the power jack fell off the back of my laptop. I thought it was just my luck, but it turns out that so many people had the same problem that there was a (successful) lawsuit against HP. Sadly, I couldn't participate in the lawsuit because I live in Canada, not the U.S. A sympathetic phone agent on the Canada side told me that I was entitled to a new laptop and they'd mail me one. Should I really have been surprised that it never came? In the end, HP told me it was my fault for buying an "American model" laptop. That must mean that their policy is to sell crap to "Americans", and send their best laptops to other countries. Right.

Walmart is so far away the worst that this discussion should not even be taking place.

I shop there all the time, in fact I was just there today. I have never had a problem with a return. Just this month I returned unworn Underoos (I can't believe they still make those) and a bicycle. Two different transactions, no issues.

Almost all of my encounters with staff have been helpful and friendly ones. Maybe it's just that folks where I live are friendly. Lucky me.

Finally, they have the best prices on all sorts of mundane items I buy all the time. Life isn't all about electronics. This month alone I have purchased lotions, soaps, make-up, bicycles, gardening supplies, toys, movies, books, medicine and I don't even remember what else. I shop around and Wal-Mart is routinely cheaper with these types of items, beating my local grocers, drugstores, hardware stores and toy stores. If I can't find a coupon for something, I can go to Wal-Mart and often save more than the value of a typical coupon for the product I wanted anyway.

While I agree that their unwillingness to price match their own website is ludicrous, it certainly doesn't make it worthy of the worst company in America. I think being anti Wal-Mart is a fashionable thing for people who think they are for small businesses and individuality. Besides, what kind of idiot picks on the little guy? Wal-Mart is a massive organization and many people believe that in and of itself is wrong. I happen to disagree. I am glad Wal-Mart is out there making my life easier. Selfish? Maybe. Still, I'm a happy customer.

Oh and take a look at Europe. The countries that are doing the best (best quality of life, happiest people, healthiest people) have governments that practice democratic socialism. So stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

@Blueskylaw: oh please let that be real.

If the average consumer wants a good PC, they're best off avoiding the big brands and instead having one built for them by a friend or family member if it's at all possible. Barring that, you'll generally get a better piece of equipment from a mom and pop store than you would from a retailer.

@Jebster: If you're looking for an alternative, please consider checking out [www.vanno.com]

I refuse to shop at Wal-Mart because of their horrendous labor practices.. not because the people who shop there are somehow "genetically" subhuman.

But you stay classy, and thanks for making it more difficult for the rest of us with a cogent argument.

HP has the worst service since if you dare to dial the 800 number you get someone in India that you can't even understand half the time.

@You Cannot Untoast: Duh...yeah. The point is that they are both at the left side of the spectrum. It's complete government control. On the right, we want LESS government control. That is NOT fascism, as the brainless lefties like to say.

But then again, I'm trashy.

I've purchased from both companies, and even though many people have had problems with HP, I was able to get my computer repaired several times and they even sent me a replacement computer, more than once, and each time with a fresh 3-year warranty.

Sometimes they were a pain to deal with, but they did manage to live up to their customer service needs.

Walmart on the other hand does not.

I purchased a tent from walmart for a camping trip. I specifically asked the employee in their outdoors department what tent would be sufficient to stand up to some harsh conditions I would be camping in. (strong winds)

He confidently helped me choose and assured me that it was a great tent, even though it was pretty expensive.

Needless to say the tent was up for about 5-minutes before it got torn to shreds in the wind.

Luckily we had friends nearby that took us in and even had a good trip.

But when I returned to Walmart with the destroyed tent they refused to take it back and blamed me for intentionally damaging it.

Right?

Fuck it.

That said, I voted for Walmart, because my local Walmart overprices things I actually want to buy (like video games and toys). When a store sells a toy for twelve dollars that they had last week for seven? I stop buying things there and go to Target.

And my experiences with HP haven't been horrid. I've had two HP laptops, and both have treated me very well.

Wal*mart has never done anything to me really. I know they're not the best company and they do some shady things but I dislike HP, mainly for their printers.

Bunch of greedy bastards, and why are the drivers for my printer over 1GB? Oh that's right, so you can install your crappy software.

I'm bias, I admit it, Wal*Mart will take the lead.

People berate Walmart as a way to feel socially superior to the people the both work and shop there. But now that people worry about their budgets look where they go.

I for one love my local Walmart. It is clean, and the staff is helpful; a stock boy offered to check the back for a tank of peanut oil for me, and brought it right out for me. Everyone should fry their turkies

My best walmart story is that I was able to afford a pair of steel toe boots there for $28 and not three weeks later I was working on a 900 square foot deck and a 6 by 12 fell on my foot. It bruised up may ankle but I didn't suffer any broken bones. Had it not been for Walmart I probably wouldn't have bought my boots and could very well have suffer a sever injury. Walmart allows for opportunity for their shoppers and employees that they might not have had available to them.

So true. This is turning into a crap site...more like DU now...

@Billy Gillispie's Unsigned Contract That May Soon Be Void: My problem here is you big dummies are easily conned into attacking companies providing Americans with jobs just to take your eyes off the realy target here; this government that is doing all they can to DESTROY American jobs and the very fabric of this great country.

You weak minded fools would just turn your lives over to the government and let them tell you what to do in every aspect of your lives. To the very government, this marxist administration, who would turn you into slaves to the government with your acquiesence. They want to push us all back to the dark ages, living out of huts and caves...except for the political whores who get would allow themselves all the things you would allow them to deny you.

@puddleglum411: the point isn't that they're not expensive it's that they're "cheap" and they've driven good names to produce what amounts to crap.

By cheap I don't mean that they cost very little (even though that is also true), I mean that the product will not survive expected wear and tear, they aren't produced properly and just don't fit right. You could probably shop at an outlet or overstock store and get better quality for the same prices. in some locations, its your only option also since they've driven out all the other businesses, another reason to dislike them.

In my location, there are hundreds of other choices than walmart...rather than take a minute to look elsewhere, they go to walmart.

Another story: I went to James Madison University in Harrisonburg VA. With school in session the population of the town doubled and it wasn't a terribly large school. They had 3 Walmarts. In Monroeville PA, they built 2 Walmarts within 20 minutes of each other. As soon as they built the first one, the local children started getting sick from the unsanitary way they disposed of their garbage and the extra traffic they didn't plan for.

when Walmart has to leave a location, they leave behind an empty warehouse that is nearly impossible to fill.

Consumerists are becoming so touchy and whiny, it's sad.

@supercereal: Sorry, just a little humor dashed in there to lighten up my post.

I don't like receipt checkers, but I really don't think they're a big deal.

The fact that Walmart is even in the discussion of worst companies in America does not speak well to the credibility of this site. What a joke.

I went into one for an interview, the interviewer walked me through their break room, it was like walking through a funeral. Everyone was glum and down, acting like it was their own death that was impending. Talk about an eye-opener. I never, ever seen such a dreary atmosphere like that before.

But the HP50 makes it seem like they got the message.

@snowburnt: Oh, good point. Those poor idiots should be made to shop at more expensive stores, and pay proper respect when they are in the vicinity of superior beings such as yourself.

Verizon vs Sprint
Home Depot vs Citibank
AT&T vs Circuit City
Sears vs Chase

We're all aware of the failings in our government. Bad companies like Wal-Mart should not be spared our criticism only because you can point out something worse.

@ultmontra08: Is that a joke? I like jokes.

This is bullspit. Both are good companies when compared to the fecal matter in this bloated stinking government. THERE is were you should be directing your hatred, for the disgusting political whores trying to turn us to socialism and who want to run every aspect of your lives. Not companies who are PROVIDING JOBS to America.

I am sick of you people out there jumping right on the bandwagon of socialist/fascist propaganda like this.

@KTK1990:
ack.. typo.

...we got a replacement laptop and they screwed up the order and have no reccord of anything^^...

Bank of America is by far the worst company on that side of the bracket. I just can't bring myself to consider an entertainment/luxury company like Comcast or Ticketmaster when there are companies out there that through greed and laziness have done real damage to people and the economy.

What's the worst thing Comcast can do to anyone? Waste your time?

I vote for HP.

Just because we got a replacement order and screwed up the order and now say they have no reccord of anything. Also because our case manager is not returning my calls.

They did say a few times that my laptop was never in the shop and that I did all the damage myself... when it has been in the shop 5 times in the last 2 months... I got it back with a cracked case, screen case is attached with half the screws and is falling apart, speaker cover has marks where they pried it off with a screwdriver.... And what hurt the most.... When I went to close the laptop and the HP logo sticker came off and was stuck to my hand.

I can think of a few far worse companies...AIG, Chrysler, CountryWide, WaMU, nearly any airline you can think of, any credit card company you can think of.

HP gave all their employees a 5% reduction in pay this year, after posting "losses", resulting in profits of "only" 28.8 BILLION.

F*ck You, HP.

I'm fortunate. I own two HP laptops and two iPAQ pocket PCs. The older of the two laptops finally had a hardware problem, five years after I bought it (dead optical drive). Bought a secondhand drive from a computer dealer. I'm good to go.

The newer laptop runs Vista Home Premium, and as is normal HP practice these days, they only provide a restore partition that you can create discs with, unless you want to pay for discs. That restore partition puts all the junk back on the computer which is not a good thing. Fortunately at the time, HP was providing Windows Anytime Upgrade discs, and after doing a bit of looking via Google found out that some enterprising soul out there wrote a bit of software that could find the OEM key on the computer, extract it to a file, and then reintegrate it into the installation after using the Windows Anytime Upgrade disc to install Vista.

Check it out here. The guide has Lenovo laptops in mind, but it works on HP, Gateway, and Dell as well.

...worst of all they have a receipt checker.

@LandruBek: Everytime I walk into a walmart no matter where it is, I see the same kind of people. The ones that stand out are the families that roll 3 or 4 generations deep. with the grannie in a scooter who has no concern for anyone around her, her large son in the home made A shirt with his large wife in the mumu and their son and daughter running around in dirty clothes that are falling apart (probably bought at walmart the week before). There are worse examples but I've seen that particular collection at a number of walmarts (in different states)

I've also only had minor frustrations with both of them, but not really more than any other store/brand out there.

HP on the other hand, pissed me off with the most recent computer I purchased. I used to be a hard-core HP fan, but I have to say that I am not impressed with a lot of their newer models. And for goodness sake, ship the laptops with an adapter with the angled connector that doesn't break so easily! I've gone through 2 power cords already because of that, and those things aren't cheap.

@snowburnt: HP is on the list because most HP products people deal with ARE the "Consumer" side.

Small businesses especially, thinking that they are getting a 'great deal', go to Costco or Walmart and buy 3-10 Pavilion desktops with Vista or XP Home, and can't figure out why the networking doesn't work like it does at the "home office" of their franchise or branch.

In my experiences, 2/3 of the "complaints" are founded in the basic choice of the customer to "do it on the cheap", then blame it on the inability of equipment to do what it was never designed nor intended to accomplish.

DISCLOSURE: I work with a computer systems/service VAR, and HP is one of the product lines we carry. I'm also qualified to repair almost every system HP makes except handheld and non-computer devices.

Walmart is truly evil (mistreating their workers, suppressing unions, checking receipts, pressuring manufacturers to lower quality, killing mom-n-pop stores) and they deserve to win this round, but I wanted to vote for an upset.

Still, I ended up voting for Wal-Mart. My wife will hardly set foot in there since it has this really dirty feel to the store. She feels like she need a Purell Body Wash afterward.

While HP's customer service sucks, Wal-Mart is internationally known for:

- Not paying overtime
- Locking their employees in stores
- Driving out mom and pop shops (purposefully) across the country
- Forcibly shutting down and firing any and all employees who think about starting up a union.

@Corporate_guy: I don't like how Walmart runs their company. They give gobs of money to religious right charities, they endorse (not publically, though the class action lawsuits have brought them to light) sexist and racist policies. They bludgeon their vendors.

On the plus side their bludgeoning of vendors has led to an increase in efficiency, but at the extreme cost of quality.

Wal-Mart (#281) over HP (#48). or so we predict .

Walmart is a terrible company. They have racist and sexist values, work to drive their vendors beyond reason and encourage censorship.

Plus they're the embodyment of a genetic wasteland.

I occasionally walk through the local walmart to see how it's changed and in a word: it hasn't in over 5 years, the aisles are trashed, the employees are useless and worst of all they have a receipt checker.

HP is the leading manufacturer of computers, my main dealings with them have been on the enterprise business side and from all standpoints they have been nothing but stellar. The contacts I have made on that side of HP have helped me in navigating through any problems I have run into on the consumer side as well. HP rocks and I am frankly surprised it's on the list.

As an owner of an HP printer with the lousy #02 inkset, it's HP FTW!

there was a time when HP product support was great - i remember having faulty units under warranty replaced in 1-2 business days.

i don't know when that changed, but things have gotten pretty bad over there. one example (i have many): i had a faulty HP drive under warranty (inside a perfectly fine HP tower). tried to get it replaced...first they denied my replacement b/c "opening your tower voids your warranty". right. so, i escalate. they wanted me to send the whole tower in for troubleshooting. 4-6 weeks. not gonna happen. escalate again. now my choice is to pay to have a tech come out & troubleshoot the problem. the earliest he can be there is 3 weeks out & he won't have a new drive with him (even though i know the drive is the problem), so i get to wait another week for him to come back out if it is the drive. oh, & i have to pay for the in-home service. get bent.

$40 on-sale at a b&m for a new, faster, non-hp drive that's been working ever since. still pissed that they wouldn't support their product. not only did they waste my money, but also ~4 hours of my time on the phone.

i still buy from their business division, but i won't touch any of their home products ever again.

Walmart for labor issues.

I understand that HP has horrible customer service (luckily I bought mine through Costco, so I have to deal with Costco's wonderful customer service concierge, and also bought it with AMEX, which were wonderful and helped me with a credit card warranty for my previous Gateway laptop). I love most of HP's computers and designs as well, whereas I just have not had pleasant experiences shopping at Wal-Mart, and the things I've heard about Wal-Marts policies with employees, I'll have to go with Walmart on this one.

It might not be fair to hold the second one against Wal-mart...but I'm gonna anyway.

Did anyone get held responsible for what happened?

These rounds have been too easy . . .

And I am betting on BestBuy for the yet-to-be-opened second matchup of the day.