I was buying a Kingston 4 GB microSDHC Class 4 Flash Memory Card SDC4/4GB from amazon.com, which seemed a good deal at $8.99 with zero-marginal-cost-shipping (Amazon prime, cough), when I noticed something pretty funny.
It seems Amazon also offers the same product in “Amazon Frustration-Free™ Packaging,” for just $10.56 — only $1.57 extra.
Pay more, get less packaging — something you can actually open. I guess it's a business model.
I’m just waiting for someone to injure themselves using a hacksaw to open one of those damned clamshells. Then sue, for lots and lots of money.
To be fair, they probably had to pay somebody to open the clamshell for you, and then put the product in the easier to open packaging. So they really were providing a service.
I’ve noticed that at least some manufacturers are putting cuts into the clamshells, so that you can rip them open with your bare hands, instead of having to resort to tin snips. That’s a start.
This is how to do it:
http://www.basicinstructions.net/?p=878
Well, if you’re really dying to cut Amazon a check, pass up the urge to get ‘The Great Slump of 1930’ by John Maynard Keynes for ‘free’ at Project Gutenberg Canada and instead get a copy on your Kindle for a mere $4.25 – wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet included!.