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CRASH HARDDRIVE · Jul 25, 2002, 11:53 PM

"HELLO LA.
Come experience everything Apple.

THE GROVE, 6 p.m. Friday, July 26

Midnight Madness at The Grove. Los Angeles has more Macintosh fans than any other place on the planet. [damn straight!] So we've planned something special for the Grand Opening weekend at California's biggest Apple Store. The first Friday and Saturday, July 26 and 27, the doors stay open 'til midnight. Please join us for the celebration."

(From e-mail.)

Anyone else in LA gonna check this out? I'm gonna check it out on Saturday. I'm curious to see how they stuff the hay-huge location at The Grove with all that Apple stuff! Looks to be two stories even.

I think it's safe to say that Apple has LA pretty well covered... I can't drive all that far in any direction now without running into an Apple store.

*Is it just me, or is The Grove kinda creepy? Like some strange would-be Disneyland that sort of sprang up in the center of LA like a cancer of some sort. I went to the Farmer's Market once after they built that thing and was like "What the F*** is all this mess?" As far as I'm concerned, they can doze the whole thing (leave the Apple store and the Farmer's Market).*

Stogieman · Jul 26, 2002, 12:08 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE:

Los Angeles has more Macintosh fans than any other place on the planet. [damn straight!] <hr /></blockquote>If that were true then we would have MacWorld Expo LA and not MacWorld Expo SF.

CRASH HARDDRIVE · Jul 26, 2002, 01:15 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Stogieman:
 <blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE:

Los Angeles has more Macintosh fans than any other place on the planet. [damn straight!] <hr /></blockquote>If that were true then we would have MacWorld Expo LA and not MacWorld Expo SF.

<hr /></blockquote>What, you doubt the word of the All High Mighty Grand Poobah Jobs?

How many stores does Frisco have?

backatcha!

fobside · Jul 26, 2002, 08:00 AM

the grove is a good place for an apple store. its upscale yet leisure shopping. its a fun place to shop.

Roxie · Jul 26, 2002, 11:56 AM

I may check it Saturday. Anybody know how this flagship store will differ from the others?

daimoni · 05:53 PM

.

CRASH HARDDRIVE · Jul 26, 2002, 10:24 PM

Bay Area=2

Los Angeles Area= 5!

backatcha x 2!

jfinete · Jul 26, 2002, 10:27 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE:

Bay Area=2

Los Angeles Area= 5!

backatcha x 2!

<hr /></blockquote>San Diego=1 <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="frown.gif" />

Stogieman · Jul 26, 2002, 11:06 PM

We need to ask ourselves this question, "Why does Apple bother to build retail stores?" Answer: They need a place to showcase their products so they can persuade people to "switch" over and buy an Mac.
That's why they're building all of those stores in LA, to boost up the mac population in that area. <img src="http://216.40.241.68/ups/DeNiro/tonguey.gif" alt=" - " />

The Bay Area doesn't have many Apple stores because they have the biggest population of mac users. Damn straight! <img src="http://216.40.241.68/contrib/metalmadness/tounge.gif" alt=" - " />

<img src="http://216.40.241.68/otn/tongue/newtonguesmile.gif" alt=" - " /> <img src="http://www.uniquehardware.co.uk/server-smilies/otn/funny/hapfac01.gif" alt=" - " /> <img src="http://216.40.241.68/otn/funny/jump1.gif" alt=" - " />

Final score:
Bay Area = 8
LA = 5

CRASH HARDDRIVE · Jul 26, 2002, 11:12 PM

Heh heh! Too funny. You guys are bit too close to the reality distortion field up there!

Waterman · Jul 27, 2002, 01:52 PM

This store is sweet. I was there last night.

The front is unlike any Apple Store yet... it is two stories high, as was previously mentioned, but the upper floor has no windows; it's covered in some sort of Frank Gehry-like titanium (or other metal) skin with a big glowing white Apple right in the middle. Very modern, very sleek.

The staircase is the same - thick glass with lights from beneath. There is a skylight above the staircase, but it's not peaked like the one in Manhattan. The first floor has all the hardware (complete with a new 17" iMac running build 6C104) and checkout counters, and the second floor has the two genius bars, a nice size theatre (not in the plush Manhattan style, though), a large software section, and the kids' eMac gaming stations.

There were hundreds of people there last night... I had to wait in line for about ten minutes. And I heard at least 5 people ask a security gaurd "What's the line for?" The word is getting out - these stores are exactly what Apple needs. Of course, there will be people who won't be swayed. I heard one passerby say to his special lady friend, "I can't believe they put a 'Mac' store here... this company is going out of business."

If the hundreds of people in the store being blown away by Apple's offereings were any indication, I'd say this guy was pretty far off base. It's cool though, because his girl friend was ugly.

daimoni · 05:53 PM

.

daimoni · 05:54 PM

.

CRASH HARDDRIVE · Jul 27, 2002, 02:16 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by daimoni:
 <blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE:

Bay Area=2

Los Angeles Area= 5!

backatcha x 2!

<hr /></blockquote>Oh, I forgot. San Diego now = Los Angeles. Silly me. You might as well add Santa Clara while you're at it. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> <hr /></blockquote>Wow. There' the daimoni denseness again!

Count with me daimoni... try, it's not so hard!

1. Newport Beach
2. Glendale
3. Los Angeles
4. Northridge
5. Costa Mesa

Oh yeah, and once more

and for not being able to count

!

Roxie · Jul 27, 2002, 02:22 PM

So did anybody go, and if so ... does this flagship store differ in any way?

Rox

[ 07-27-2002, 02:23 PM: Message edited by: Roxie ]

daimoni · 05:54 PM

.

Roxie · Jul 28, 2002, 01:14 AM

Spent a lovely afternoon there. What a fabulous store! Nice crowd and wished I could have hung around till evening. That glass staircase has to be seen to be believed. Soho has nothing on us now.

Rox