I'm just amazed that even without google but with the yellow pages it somehow takes five people six hours to only locate half of these objects. I reckon I could do it alone in about an hour.
I'm just amazed that even without google but with the yellow pages it somehow takes five people six hours to only locate half of these objects. I reckon I could do it alone in about an hour.
Yeah, but it's not quite as easy as that. Yeah, you can find the shop, but that's the easy bit. They might be at completely opposite ends of London and it's difficult to travel around, with all the London traffic and everything. Plus, I imagine that everywhere they go to the producers have to call ahead to find out if the shop is happy to have them film there, and the managers probably have to fill out forms and things before they can actually start filming, and with people arguing in the team and everything... I think this task is a lot harder than it looks.
One thing that isn't made clear is that they can't ask for the prices over the phone which means they have to go to the shops to find out what they're charging. Unless they can find three shops within a few miles of each other, and unless one of them is in the industry the item belongs to, they don't know if they're being asked to pay a reasonable amount or not.
Again, completely unrealistic in an actual business situation. If you need to buy an object you can look online and call up different suppliers and compare quotes.
Its also an entertainment show and what's entertaining about people sitting in a room looking at directories for most of the day . I prefer to see them out and about and dealing with people. Even with the help of computers most tasks are not going to be straight forward and easy when you're dealing with people.
I understand what you are saying but (and there is always a but LOL)
The other team had to get the same objects and they only had the yellow pages but they didn't spend 6 hours looking things up.
You didn't get to see them sitting looking at books for 6 hours. The team eventually split, two started getting stuff which you saw and the others looking at books were off the screen.
Even if in the rules it says no computers or smartphones allowed, if I was a contestant finding out what a candlebrum or most things are is a piece of piss. You go to the nearest WHSmiths or bookshop, go to the book section and look in the dictionary.
I've been to places I don't know many times and just gone into a shop and looked in the A-Z. That is using initiative.
I do also understand what you are saying about computers and it being realistic, but where do you draw the line? I have 6 items to get and have limited time to travel all over the place. Don't worry I'll ring my brother to go to this place and get this item and bring it to a meeting point at 4pm. I'll ring my mate and get them to get something else and meet me at the meeting point at 4pm. When i see them I give them the cash, they give me the reciept ...job done!
Sir Alan, Karen and Nick can't complain about either. You used you initiative and also as Sir Alan will tell you, in business it's not only what you know it's who you know. You used your connections and you completed the task and got all or the most items. What's wrong with that?
This task has never been about realism. It's about seeing how well they can apply their knowledge and negotiate. If you gave them google it would be far too easy in my opinion.
The apprentice is not supposed to be realistic it's about testing skills in difficult situations.
Indeed with a computer they could find items, check prices, look at maps, plan trips logically, and steal recipes and ideas. With the delights of google selecting for them, they would all end up in the same places doing the same things. The show would lose much of its drama and most of its bizarre decisions.
I understand what you are saying but (and there is always a but LOL)
The other team had to get the same objects and they only had the yellow pages but they didn't spend 6 hours looking things up.
You didn't get to see them sitting looking at books for 6 hours. The team eventually split, two started getting stuff which you saw and the others looking at books were off the screen.
Even if in the rules it says no computers or smartphones allowed, if I was a contestant finding out what a candlebrum or most things are is a piece of piss. You go to the nearest WHSmiths or bookshop, go to the book section and look in the dictionary.
I've been to places I don't know many times and just gone into a shop and looked in the A-Z. That is using initiative.
I do also understand what you are saying about computers and it being realistic, but where do you draw the line? I have 6 items to get and have limited time to travel all over the place. Don't worry I'll ring my brother to go to this place and get this item and bring it to a meeting point at 4pm. I'll ring my mate and get them to get something else and meet me at the meeting point at 4pm. When i see them I give them the cash, they give me the reciept ...job done!
Sir Alan, Karen and Nick can't complain about either. You used you initiative and also as Sir Alan will tell you, in business it's not only what you know it's who you know. You used your connections and you completed the task and got all or the most items. What's wrong with that?
Communication would have to be monitored and excluded. Not only could you organise help, but you just call up the rich uncle and get him to go to place A with a wad of fivers to buy all your product for the maximum possible.
Who cares about realism? It's more fun to see them struggle without computers.
Or struggle WITH them in some cases. Remember the digital photography/personalised product task a few years back? When that TWAIN driver refused to behave?
Comments
Aye, but would they use the Latin plurals of those two words or just slap an 's' on the end?
Oh the sacrilege!!!
What do you learn about their negotiation skills from denying them a computer to find out what candelabra means?
Yeah, but it's not quite as easy as that. Yeah, you can find the shop, but that's the easy bit. They might be at completely opposite ends of London and it's difficult to travel around, with all the London traffic and everything. Plus, I imagine that everywhere they go to the producers have to call ahead to find out if the shop is happy to have them film there, and the managers probably have to fill out forms and things before they can actually start filming, and with people arguing in the team and everything... I think this task is a lot harder than it looks.
Isn't that part of the fun?
Again, completely unrealistic in an actual business situation. If you need to buy an object you can look online and call up different suppliers and compare quotes.
I understand what you are saying but (and there is always a but LOL)
The other team had to get the same objects and they only had the yellow pages but they didn't spend 6 hours looking things up.
You didn't get to see them sitting looking at books for 6 hours. The team eventually split, two started getting stuff which you saw and the others looking at books were off the screen.
Even if in the rules it says no computers or smartphones allowed, if I was a contestant finding out what a candlebrum or most things are is a piece of piss. You go to the nearest WHSmiths or bookshop, go to the book section and look in the dictionary.
I've been to places I don't know many times and just gone into a shop and looked in the A-Z. That is using initiative.
I do also understand what you are saying about computers and it being realistic, but where do you draw the line? I have 6 items to get and have limited time to travel all over the place. Don't worry I'll ring my brother to go to this place and get this item and bring it to a meeting point at 4pm. I'll ring my mate and get them to get something else and meet me at the meeting point at 4pm. When i see them I give them the cash, they give me the reciept ...job done!
Sir Alan, Karen and Nick can't complain about either. You used you initiative and also as Sir Alan will tell you, in business it's not only what you know it's who you know. You used your connections and you completed the task and got all or the most items. What's wrong with that?
Indeed with a computer they could find items, check prices, look at maps, plan trips logically, and steal recipes and ideas. With the delights of google selecting for them, they would all end up in the same places doing the same things. The show would lose much of its drama and most of its bizarre decisions.
Communication would have to be monitored and excluded. Not only could you organise help, but you just call up the rich uncle and get him to go to place A with a wad of fivers to buy all your product for the maximum possible.