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kman42 · Feb 15, 2002, 03:50 PM

I've been to three: Palo Alto (on opening day), Glendale Galleria, and Fashion Valley (San Diego).

kman

nealconner · Feb 15, 2002, 03:51 PM

I've been to the Tampa store on opening day and for the Stevenote.

driven · Feb 15, 2002, 04:11 PM

Zero.

There is not a single one anywhere near me.

(Although I hear we are getting one soon.)

jguidroz · Feb 15, 2002, 04:14 PM

Went to the one in Littleton, CO this past weekend. It was pretty cool. Of course now, I'm looking for ways to get a 22" Cinema Display with my next computer purchase since they are so fricken awesome.

phantomdragonz · Feb 15, 2002, 04:14 PM

maul of america

aspen grove colorado store. I got a t-shirt, i dont know how i just asked if they had any. and they where like "shure i will be right back." and me and my dad both got one.

P.D.

surfacto · Feb 15, 2002, 04:21 PM

None. There is one in Fairfax, Va, maybe 1.5-2 hours from me if traffic is good, that I keep meaning to visit. Soon....
Are they all the same or does each store have a distinct personality??

Cellery · Feb 15, 2002, 04:30 PM

Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, IL. Picked up an iPod and went home happy.

xi_hyperon · Feb 15, 2002, 04:42 PM

None yet. I'm traveling to Dallas, Texas next month so will go check that one out. Anyone been to that one yet?

Sosa · Feb 15, 2002, 04:52 PM

One, here in The Falls Mall, Miami, Florida. Apple picked a good location, as this is an upscale Mall where other higher class brands, such as Macy's, have their locations. I visit their store every time I go to this Mall (about every week) and have to say the store is beautiful. The first thing you notice when you walk in is the strong wood odor and modern, spacious look. The store is a innovative complement to Apple and they get a lot of walk ins. I was standing outside the other day and in the space of 5 minutes several people came up and commented on the new iMac which they had rotating on display. All them were awed. And this was at 10pm on Friday night. I can imagine the store gets packed during the early evening and must be making good sales.
The staff at the store is knowledable and friendly- if a little on the geeky side. The lounge area with the iMacs is always full of people playing games or on the net. You can play, touch, and lift Powerbooks, iBooks, iPods, etc. How can a company which such great products only control 5% of the marketplace?

Mediaman_12 · Feb 15, 2002, 05:04 PM

None.
Because there aren't any outside the continental USA yet!
I think Apple should start a franchise network for the international stores (Sort of like McDonalds. There are 1000's all over the planet and they all look almost the same, but they are not all owned or run bu McD's USA). It could get more stores open in more countries without Apple having all the cost.

juanvaldes · Feb 15, 2002, 05:51 PM

Originally posted by Mediaman_12:
<STRONG>None.
Because there aren't any outside the continental USA yet!
I think Apple should start a franchise network for the international stores (Sort of like McDonalds. There are 1000's all over the planet and they all look almost the same, but they are not all owned or run bu McD's USA). It could get more stores open in more countries without Apple having all the cost.</STRONG>

Well according to cipher the only retailers in Australia is apple, so that would be basically the same, except they don't have the same floor plan.

As for me I have only been too one, the Palo Alto store. Will probably goto the Valley Fair sometime. But seen one seen them all.

Subzero Diesel949 · Feb 15, 2002, 11:45 PM

Three:

Fashion Island (5 min from me)
South Coast (10 min from me)
Palo Alto (where I got my Late 2K1 iBook 600)

kaceygones · Feb 16, 2002, 12:54 AM

One. In Tyson's Corner, Virginia. The very first store, I think.
It was okay. It was neat to be surronded by so many Mac fans,
but I think I was so excited about going that I was dissappointed.
I don't know what I was expecting. I just wanted more.
Maybe it was because the store was so big and spacious,
it felt empty and lacking...

I'd go again if I had the chance, though.
kacey

danbrew · Feb 16, 2002, 01:04 AM

Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, IL.

Nice to go and see the products first hand. I really like the fact that the products are on display and you can touch and geek with them -- unlike some computers stores. I also like the fact that the machines aren't crowded onto a display shelf with 10 other units. There is plenty of room for everyone to browse.

My only turn-off is the quality of the sales and technical talent in the store - I've only met one decent (and by that I mean easily 1/10th of what you'd find here) technical person. The rest are nice enough people, friendly and all that, but certainly not technical. I was also a bit disappointed at the sales training they receive - not once did I hear a "what do you want to use this computer for."

Ok, that's the retail experience - we can't expect experts in every field. I do, however, think that Apple would sell a hell of a lot more computers at their stores if they provided basic sales training to their team.

danbrew

alauzon · Feb 16, 2002, 08:53 AM

I have been to 2 stores:
Salem,NH=3 1/2 hours from my house.
Peabody,MA=4 Hours from my house.
The store in Cambridge,MA I have yet to see.
I will probably go back to the Salem store in 2 weeks and get myself a TiBook and a computer bag....and bring it back through the Canadian border unnoticed. Screw the GST!!!!! It's that easy......

CommonSense · Feb 16, 2002, 12:32 PM

To answer surfacto's question first: They're all basically laid out the same. I know there's one where it's reversed from left to right, but otherwise, they all are virtually identical.

I've been to:

- Tyson's Corner, VA on opening morning. First store to open, technically, when you account for the time zone difference between it and . . .
- Glendale Galleria (near LA), where I got a nice deal on the last Cube they had after they were discontinued.
- South Coast Plaza (Santa Ana, CA) in January
- Palisades (West Nyack, NY), later in January

And interviewing for a Mac Genius gig at Short Hills, NJ (opening in June) on Wednesday.

The Jackalope · Feb 16, 2002, 12:40 PM

Dag, yo. I've only been to one: Mall of America. Went there on opening day, I was around the 3rd person in line. Really cool setup.

But is going to one just like going to all the others (with the exception of the personnel)? When I'm back in the San Francisco area this coming May, if I happen to be close by one I might drop in, but I don't think I'd seek it out on purpose.

I hope this doesn't mean that my Apple Secret Decoder Ring will be taken away from me now...

v0id7 · Feb 16, 2002, 12:50 PM

"Zero.

There is not a single one anywhere near me.

(Although I hear we are getting one soon.)"

Same here...I'm from Atlanta too.

SteveTech · Feb 18, 2002, 12:30 AM

On Saturday I made the 50 mile trip to the Tice's Corner store in Woodcliff NJ. All I can say is WOW!

The pics and QTVR at Apple's website doesn't do the stores justice. Very laid back atmosphere, very helpful staff. One thing that I thought was really cool is that the staff doesn't "attack" you when you walk in. The store setup is very clean, with room and lots of space. If you've ever gone to other computer stores you know how every square inch is filled with product and displays, not so at the Apple Store.

Good thing I didn't bring a credit card I'd probably of walked out of there with one of the new Macs. The new iMacs are impressive when you can get up close and personal with one

-Steve

SteveTech · Feb 18, 2002, 12:39 AM

On Saturday I made the 50 mile trip to the Tice's Corner store in Woodcliff NJ. All I can say is WOW!

The pics and QTVR at Apple's website doesn't do the stores justice. Very laid back atmosphere, very helpful staff. One thing that I thought was really cool is that the staff doesn't "attack" you when you walk in. The store setup is very clean, with room and lots of space. If you've ever gone to other computer stores you know how every square inch is filled with product and displays, not so at the Apple Store.

Good thing I didn't bring a credit card I'd probably of walked out of there with one of the new Macs. The new iMacs are impressive when you can get up close and personal with one

-Steve

ReggieX · Feb 18, 2002, 01:31 AM

No Apple Stores in Canada.
The merchants here were already pissed off when Apple started the online store!

Whatever. I live between 2 of the best Mac stores in Toronto (CPUsed and Computer Systems Centre), and quite frankly, that's not saying much

Canada is pretty much a 3rd world nation where Apple is concerned, but we do have one of the biggest billboards that they totally own and rotate on a regular basis.picture

EmAn · Feb 18, 2002, 02:24 PM

I was at the Palisades Grand Opening and I've been to Tice's Corner.

Robert Jung · Feb 18, 2002, 04:44 PM

I've been to the Glendale one. Went there last weekend to ogle the G4 iMac.

ranga · Feb 18, 2002, 05:05 PM

I've been to two Apple stores, Palo Alto (opening day) and Valley Fair.
I picked up a t-shirt at the Palo Alto store and a free OS X 10.1 update
CD. My mom's picture was Palo Alto store's opening photo gallery, which
was very cool.

--ranga

nonhuman · Feb 18, 2002, 05:07 PM

I've been to the Mall of America one once, and they were sold out of DVD-Rs.

I was there with a friend, and she said I looked like I really fit in / "belonged" there. I don't know if that's a compliment or what, but I took it as one.

daimoni · 04:19 PM

.

WLWEsq02 · Feb 19, 2002, 12:14 PM

I've been to one: Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, IL (outside Chicago). Just went there Saturday night.

For weeks I've been plagued with the gnawing urge to buy a new iMac with a SuperDrive. Hell, anything with a SuperDrive. So, at 5:15 PM on a whim, my wife and I decided to drive to Woodfield Mall to visit the Apple Store (a 2 hour drive for us). (Thank goodness Chicago is one hour behind us and the mall closed at 9:00 local time.)

This was like visiting Mecca (no offense intended to our Islamic friends--it just seemed the best way to describe it). Nice, well maintained store, well trained, helpful staff--who were all believers.

The store didn't have any new iMacs in stock (big surprise) so I ended up going home with a 933MHz Quicksilver G4 and 15" flat panel display (plus an iPod for my incredibly tolerant wife).

The salesman was nice enough to open up the display and let me see it in operation so I didn't get home to discover any dead or stuck pixels. I was pleased that my display has NO dead or stuck pixels!

The credit card is still hurting.

I have a friend who has a business that sells Macs locally, and I feel guilty for not buying from him (although I have in the past).

But, he's not open on the weekends and it ended up being an impulse buy.

The Apple Store is the best Apple retail experience I've seen--and I used to work for a computer retailer and sold Macs when they first came out back in 1984.