8 September 2012

The dawn of the Apple Store

| johnboy
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It’s all excitement in the Canberra Centre this morning as they ramp up to the 10am opening of Canberra’s first Apple Store (Australia’s 16th).

Apple’s PR man informed me the crowds started gathering at 5.30 this morning when, we suppose, it would have been warmer in the Canberra Centre than out of it.

(Incidentally if you want to know why Apple’s the most valuable company in the world it might include the sort of attention to detail that involves inviting the likes of me to a preview of their store opening)

inside the store

Inside we were treated to a genuine American Apple employee with a speech about how “amazing”, “extra-ordinary” and “phenomenal” all the products and services inside the store are. No superlative was left undeployed (although a couple were repeated as we got to the 10 minute mark).

There was an awkward moment when they suggested I might like to download the Apple Store app onto my phone but they relented before I was forced to admit the shame of my Android phone (I’m typing this story on an iMac I promise).

There was also a demonstration of their in-phone payment system for store products through the app, although the lovely girl doing the demo was so nervous she nearly dropped the phone with her shaking hands. So yes, you can now buy a MacBook on iTunes which is a bit through-the-looking-glass.

My take on it is the store offers a couple of key improvements over the old retail model.

sleeping

Firstly they’ve really gone all out getting accessories from third party vendors into the store.

But more important is the technical assistance they’re offering.

tech support

The capabilities of technology are staggering and expanding. But that’s not much use to us if we don’t know what we can use it for, let alone how to do it.

So the promise of the Apple Store is they’ll get your product set up and working before you leave the store, and offer ongoing support and training.

Also today if you’re one of the first thousand peeps through the door today they’ll give you this t-shirt:

t-shirt

C’mon, admit it.

It’s pretty cool.

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Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd2:50 pm 11 Sep 12

p1 said :

p1 said :

….

???????????????????????????

Somehow I stuffed that up.

Haha yeah you could make that work pretty much perfectly

p1 said :

….

???????????????????????????

Somehow I stuffed that up.

nsn said :

Brandi said :

Sure, they couldn’t afford to install an iPad next to another iPad to explain what an iPad does.

Yeah, that is a bit strange, isn’t it?!

???????????????????????????

Brandi said :

Sure, they couldn’t afford to install an iPad next to another iPad to explain what an iPad does.

Yeah, that is a bit strange, isn’t it?!

Quite aside from OS holy wars, curiosity drove me to the Apple Store to buy an iPod Shuffle yesterday. This is a $50 commodity which I should, in any sane world, be able to pluck from a shelf or at worst a glass cabinet, bring to a cash register and checkout in moments. Instead it took three staff members to find the one who had the delegation (“authority” is too strong a word) to retrieve an example of this Iconic Device from the storeroom, a process which took about 10 minutes. Entertained while I waited by several other staff who tag-teamed me with mind-numbing chitchat about how wonderful the Apple Store experience really is. Really really.

I miss Mac1. Sure, they couldn’t afford to install an iPad next to another iPad to explain what an iPad does. They couldn’t afford to hire an army of identically cheerful Genius drones vat-grown in Cupertino. But the Mac1 shop was the right size, shape and flavour for Canberra. The staff at Mac1 were genuinely friendly without glomming on like a needy girlfriend, they always served me fast, and they could act autonomously without a device wired to their hand or remote instructions from Central Control ringing through their earpieces.

johnboy said :

So as someone who used to admin and work on a network of windows machines, with Windows, BSD, solaris, and Linux servers I’ll try and explain.

If all I want to do is email and re-arrange bullet points in word documents a cheap netbook running Ubuntu (linux, free) to get to gmail and google docs via Chrome is fine.

On the other hand if I want to do what I call real grunt work (editing video and audio files) there’s just nothing better than a big apple desktop rig. Even if the hardware isn’t top spec (it usually is) it can tackle computationally intensive jobs and the unix core rumbles through the numbers and gets to the end of the job. Windows video editing too often crapped out in my past.

I’ve had no use for Windows since Vista, maybe it’s gotten good, don’t care. Too many big jobs ruined by crashing machines.

For games I have an Xbox (actually got the Xbox to watch the rugby via the foxtel app, but Skyrim’s pretty too).

Phone is android mostly because I’ve gotten out of sync with major apple releases and refuse to get an iPhone months before the next model comes out.

But as mentioned in the article the Apple Store is not aimed at turbo nerds, or even the fanboys. It’s aimed at my mother and will probably get a very great deal of money out of her. And she will be very happy to pay it for what she’ll get (hardware, software, configuration and guidance).

Sneering nerds in other tech shops will keep sneering all the way to bankruptcy.

+1
A lot of people like apple devices because they can use them. As a Technical person, I have some of everything. Actually I’ve now got 3 apple versus 3 windows at home (technically my new macbook is to replace the netbook). As I said in an earlier post, getting something specced similar to a few of the macbooks will set you back almost the same price, like the Samsung series 9 ultrabooks. As far as I can tell, no one makes a laptop screen with the resoultion of the apple retina screen. Nothing even close.

Mordd said :

For everyone who praises the Mac Store impeccable service, have a read of this, then tell me if you still implicitly trust the kids who are employed to look after your precious devices for you, I certainly wouldn’t.

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2012/08/exclusive-confessions-from-the-most-corrupt-apple-store-in-america/

Or just google “confessions of a mac store employee” (it will come up as a suggested search) and read any of the hundreds of articles yourself about this.

Enjoy all you Mac lovers, MS+Linux 4Life 🙂

Hardly unique to Apple, I’m sure this type of thing occurs across the board, unless you have proof otherwise; which you do not

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd8:45 am 11 Sep 12

Pandy said :

Truthiness said :

Sure apple spies on everything you do and provides access to the feds, but so do Intel, Google, the phone companies and Microsoft.

Can you back up this claim?

You miss some of truthinesses other choice comments regarding this sort of stuff in other threads?

Both apple and window machines have a place. Apple is clearly superior on the portable swide of stuff, but the really non custimisable aspect of at home computers is kind of off putting but on the same machine better for a work.

Truthiness said :

Sure apple spies on everything you do and provides access to the feds, but so do Intel, Google, the phone companies and Microsoft.

Can you back up this claim?

FioBla said :

The sales part, not so much. Price-wise, IMO JB-Hifi, DSE, Myer is still better during the 10% sales. Although Apple Stores do match those prices sometimes when JB/DSE has those sales (elsewhere, e.g. in Sydney). Target/Kogan sells/sold iPads at 8% less. And the Apple Store sells peripherals seemingly at RRP, which is usually relatively high.

As a mere reseller, I don’t know how they are allowed to. However, IMHO they offer out dated stock during their dales.

Apple Stores do offer a few bucks off for educational pricing, but I have never known them to offer a sale.

c_c said :

rosscoact said :

My Macbook Air is beautiful, your PC isn’t.

Nuff said

HP Envy, Dell Adamo, the still-born Courier and successor Microsoft Surface…

Apple has some of the best industrial design in the world, but there’s a lot of other great designers and designs out there too.

HP envy is nice but I’ve been burnt by HP so many times before (I can get at staff prices). The Adamo is a nice piece of design but I think the Apple is better, the Surface I really wasn’t aware of. They are really playing catchup with the latter, it will be interesting seeing how it plays out.

I went over all the ultra portables on the market before deciding on the Air because it was clearly superior in every aspect. The market has certainly caught up in the meantime but it’s interesting that the competitors are often going for a higher price-point.

I’m buying a desktop system soon and have to make a similar decision but having jumped on the Apple train it’s hard to turn back.

I enjoy a good class war.
Mac vs Windows, Windows vs GNU, Windows vs Linux, standardised hardware vs customised specification, Eloi vs Morlock…

…grabs popcorn…

For everyone who praises the Mac Store impeccable service, have a read of this, then tell me if you still implicitly trust the kids who are employed to look after your precious devices for you, I certainly wouldn’t.

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2012/08/exclusive-confessions-from-the-most-corrupt-apple-store-in-america/

Or just google “confessions of a mac store employee” (it will come up as a suggested search) and read any of the hundreds of articles yourself about this.

Enjoy all you Mac lovers, MS+Linux 4Life 🙂

rosscoact said :

My Macbook Air is beautiful, your PC isn’t.

Nuff said

HP Envy, Dell Adamo, the still-born Courier and successor Microsoft Surface…

Apple has some of the best industrial design in the world, but there’s a lot of other great designers and designs out there too.

gospeedygo said :

rosscoact said :

My Macbook Air is beautiful, your PC isn’t.

Nuff said

My computer isn’t a fashion accessory.

Nuff said.

Beauty is everywhere (except a PC of course) and should be appreciated. Nothing to do with fashion. Pfft PC users, honestly

rosscoact said :

My Macbook Air is beautiful, your PC isn’t.

Nuff said

My computer isn’t a fashion accessory.

Nuff said.

thumper109 said :

+1 I just wanted a laptop that would work with out enormous amounts of farting around with drivers, ad-ware and mal-ware… Hence my Macbook.. Works with little sweat and worry.

When a family member asks me what computer to get, I usually push them in the direction of a Macbook or iMac and I just tell them to play around with it for a week and they’ll get used to it. It seems that when I do that, I don’t hear from them when it comes to them requiring some kind of tech support from me because they rarely need it.

@johnboy, Windows 7 is pretty a massive step in the right direction compared to Vista. Upgrading from Vista to Windows 7 was a massive breath of fresh air for me.

Jivrashia said :

johnboy said :

the Apple Store is not aimed at turbo nerds, or even the fanboys. It’s aimed at my mother

>It’s aimed at my mother
>my mother
>mothers
>using iPhone

*spews coffee all over keyboard, monitor, colleagues, boss, and WoG*

Have you been seeing one too many pigs being hurled through the air JB???

I’m still trying to teach my mother how to use the cordless phone I bought her 15 years ago!

My Grandmother has wireless broadband and an iPad. Since all she does is read email, look at photos that we have emailed to her, and occasionally skype, it is perfect for her.

She has a mobile phone, but always has it switched off unless she needs too use it….

johnboy said :

the Apple Store is not aimed at turbo nerds, or even the fanboys. It’s aimed at my mother

>It’s aimed at my mother
>my mother
>mothers
>using iPhone

*spews coffee all over keyboard, monitor, colleagues, boss, and WoG*

Have you been seeing one too many pigs being hurled through the air JB???

I’m still trying to teach my mother how to use the cordless phone I bought her 15 years ago!

What happened to Mac1 who had Apple outlets at the ANU, Canberra Centre and Fyshwick?

Compare the recent big opening of the another chain that does things differently ($60 annually to shop?!): Costco. When Daiquiri made a couple of disparaging points about Costco shopping, he/she received a few responses, e.g.:

2604 said :

…or people can just live their lives the way they want to and shop where they want to shop, free from interference and tut-tutting from folks like yourself who know what’s best for everyone else.

http://the-riotact.com/i-came-i-saw-i-costcod/

To see Windows users scoff at Apple for catering to the masses makes me laugh. They need a memory upgrade.

Windows vs Apple debates are for people who don’t have a veggie patch.

johnboy said :

So as someone who used to admin and work on a network of windows machines, with Windows, BSD, solaris, and Linux servers I’ll try and explain.

If all I want to do is email and re-arrange bullet points in word documents a cheap netbook running Ubuntu (linux, free) to get to gmail and google docs via Chrome is fine.

On the other hand if I want to do what I call real grunt work (editing video and audio files) there’s just nothing better than a big apple desktop rig. Even if the hardware isn’t top spec (it usually is) it can tackle computationally intensive jobs and the unix core rumbles through the numbers and gets to the end of the job. Windows video editing too often crapped out in my past.

I’ve had no use for Windows since Vista, maybe it’s gotten good, don’t care. Too many big jobs ruined by crashing machines.

For games I have an Xbox (actually got the Xbox to watch the rugby via the foxtel app, but Skyrim’s pretty too).

Phone is android mostly because I’ve gotten out of sync with major apple releases and refuse to get an iPhone months before the next model comes out.

But as mentioned in the article the Apple Store is not aimed at turbo nerds, or even the fanboys. It’s aimed at my mother and will probably get a very great deal of money out of her. And she will be very happy to pay it for what she’ll get (hardware, software, configuration and guidance).

Sneering nerds in other tech shops will keep sneering all the way to bankruptcy.

+1 I just wanted a laptop that would work with out enormous amounts of farting around with drivers, ad-ware and mal-ware… Hence my Macbook.. Works with little sweat and worry.

My Macbook Air is beautiful, your PC isn’t.

Nuff said

p1 said :

Does anyone know if the queue has died down to the point I can take in my iphone and get them to fix the speaker that doesn’t work?

Don’t have to wait. Make an appointment online:

http://www.apple.com/au/retail/canberra/

johnboy said :

So as someone who used to admin and work on a network of windows machines, with Windows, BSD, solaris, and Linux servers I’ll try and explain.

If all I want to do is email and re-arrange bullet points in word documents a cheap netbook running Ubuntu (linux, free) to get to gmail and google docs via Chrome is fine.

On the other hand if I want to do what I call real grunt work (editing video and audio files) there’s just nothing better than a big apple desktop rig. Even if the hardware isn’t top spec (it usually is) it can tackle computationally intensive jobs and the unix core rumbles through the numbers and gets to the end of the job. Windows video editing too often crapped out in my past.

Interesting. As someone who does video editing for a crust, I think there are better options than Apple. Much better.

Does anyone know if the queue has died down to the point I can take in my iphone and get them to fix the speaker that doesn’t work?

Apple does not compete on price, you’ll always be able to get better specs for the same price, apple competes on form and ease of use.

For high end video editing Linux is king and has been since apple gutted final cut and MacBook pros. Indeed for any specific intensive task there is usually a better alternative, but for simplicity and usability there is little competition.

Personally the walled garden is stifling, but some people find it comforting. Vendor lock in can create compelling and consistent experiences, but it also locks out disruptive technologies and limits your rights and abilities.

Sure apple spies on everything you do and provides access to the feds, but so do Intel, Google, the phone companies and Microsoft. I’d love it if there was a hardware vendor that values ethics and privacy, the reality is that all modern hardware is ethically bankrupt and is (at least in part) made by slave children and built with government back doors.

IMO the highlight of an Apple Store is the hardware service. Apple still replaces a damaged (i.e. dropped/screen crack) in, or out-of-warranty iPhone, with a refurbished one (and transfers the warranty) for $250 (or could be $180). They used to offer to repair the screen for less. At least in the busy stores, it helps to make appointments online first.

If you read past threads of botched repairs of iPhones and iPads, I think this is a good thing:
http://the-riotact.com/my-adventures-of-a-shattered-iphone-screen/71128

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/923052

The other good thing is getting to see things like the retina MacBook Pro which sometimes isn’t available elsewhere yet.

The sales part, not so much. Price-wise, IMO JB-Hifi, DSE, Myer is still better during the 10% sales. Although Apple Stores do match those prices sometimes when JB/DSE has those sales (elsewhere, e.g. in Sydney). Target/Kogan sells/sold iPads at 8% less. And the Apple Store sells peripherals seemingly at RRP, which is usually relatively high.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd1:37 pm 10 Sep 12

neanderthalsis said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

neanderthalsis said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

troll-sniffer said :

Went in to buy a book from Dymocks and wandered out past this ‘crazee’ crowd. Funny thing is, I don’t know if my ears were playing up, but all I could hear from inside the store were baaaas and bleats.

Clearly somebody who knows jack all about tech.

Books, so much better than e-readers.

Hipsters buying Apple products would hardly constitute a tech savvy crowd. A quick straw poll of the cave dwellers here conclusively found that none of them would not be seen in public with an apple product.

books are inefficient, wasteful and expensive.

You can’t swat cockroaches with a kindle. An Ipad does not make a good door stop. You can’t read your nice sleek Kobo when the plane is taking off or landing. And you can’t have a decent looking in-home library with 2000 books on your Sony pocket thingummajig.

AIRPLANE MODE!!!!!

Agree that a nice library is impressive but how many peeps are in the position nowdays. With two kids and limited space in the house, the books had to go, sll except the nice ones.

neanderthalsis1:15 pm 10 Sep 12

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

neanderthalsis said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

troll-sniffer said :

Went in to buy a book from Dymocks and wandered out past this ‘crazee’ crowd. Funny thing is, I don’t know if my ears were playing up, but all I could hear from inside the store were baaaas and bleats.

Clearly somebody who knows jack all about tech.

Books, so much better than e-readers.

Hipsters buying Apple products would hardly constitute a tech savvy crowd. A quick straw poll of the cave dwellers here conclusively found that none of them would not be seen in public with an apple product.

books are inefficient, wasteful and expensive.

You can’t swat cockroaches with a kindle. An Ipad does not make a good door stop. You can’t read your nice sleek Kobo when the plane is taking off or landing. And you can’t have a decent looking in-home library with 2000 books on your Sony pocket thingummajig.

So as someone who used to admin and work on a network of windows machines, with Windows, BSD, solaris, and Linux servers I’ll try and explain.

If all I want to do is email and re-arrange bullet points in word documents a cheap netbook running Ubuntu (linux, free) to get to gmail and google docs via Chrome is fine.

On the other hand if I want to do what I call real grunt work (editing video and audio files) there’s just nothing better than a big apple desktop rig. Even if the hardware isn’t top spec (it usually is) it can tackle computationally intensive jobs and the unix core rumbles through the numbers and gets to the end of the job. Windows video editing too often crapped out in my past.

I’ve had no use for Windows since Vista, maybe it’s gotten good, don’t care. Too many big jobs ruined by crashing machines.

For games I have an Xbox (actually got the Xbox to watch the rugby via the foxtel app, but Skyrim’s pretty too).

Phone is android mostly because I’ve gotten out of sync with major apple releases and refuse to get an iPhone months before the next model comes out.

But as mentioned in the article the Apple Store is not aimed at turbo nerds, or even the fanboys. It’s aimed at my mother and will probably get a very great deal of money out of her. And she will be very happy to pay it for what she’ll get (hardware, software, configuration and guidance).

Sneering nerds in other tech shops will keep sneering all the way to bankruptcy.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd12:15 pm 10 Sep 12

neanderthalsis said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

troll-sniffer said :

Went in to buy a book from Dymocks and wandered out past this ‘crazee’ crowd. Funny thing is, I don’t know if my ears were playing up, but all I could hear from inside the store were baaaas and bleats.

Clearly somebody who knows jack all about tech.

Books, so much better than e-readers.

Hipsters buying Apple products would hardly constitute a tech savvy crowd. A quick straw poll of the cave dwellers here conclusively found that none of them would not be seen in public with an apple product.

books are inefficient, wasteful and expensive.

neanderthalsis11:32 am 10 Sep 12

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

troll-sniffer said :

Went in to buy a book from Dymocks and wandered out past this ‘crazee’ crowd. Funny thing is, I don’t know if my ears were playing up, but all I could hear from inside the store were baaaas and bleats.

Clearly somebody who knows jack all about tech.

Books, so much better than e-readers.

Hipsters buying Apple products would hardly constitute a tech savvy crowd. A quick straw poll of the cave dwellers here conclusively found that none of them would not be seen in public with an apple product.

Holden Caulfield11:13 am 10 Sep 12

Looking forward to the expert commentary from the RA geeks on the new iPhone announcement later this week.

There will always be haters and fanboys of any company.

I bought a macbook pro on the weekend at JB hifi for 10% off. The main reason i bought it was because firstly, similarly specced laptops that are not made by apple cost around the same amounta dn also none of them had the same screen resolution that i needed. I’m not going to race out and buy apple everything, but they do make good products just like Samsung and many other companies.

Kiron2222 said :

Apple also cut all philanthropy stating they couldn’t afford it till they started making profit, when they became the largest tech company in the world with all that profit? They never restarted their philanthropy programs.

Oh also typically Apple products are last gen PC tech sold at beyond premium prices, but don’t tell the Apple fanboys that.
You are buying a brand and and UI, that is all.

Corporate philanthropy programs were re-established last year.

Often, Apple products have had next generation components before other manufacturers.
Off the top of my head, I can recall several instances where Apple used chips from nVidia, Intel and AMD which features next-gen architecture ahead of other brands. Mac Pro and Xserve typically received next-gen Xeons ahead of other brands, though only rarely did they draw attention to this, like they did with Nehalam. The first generation Macbook air featured a proprietary version of the Core 2 Duo, shrinking the size massively needed to house that chip, many months ahead of any other brand.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd8:22 pm 09 Sep 12

Kiron2222 said :

Grail said :

Truthiness said :

But you choose to get upset about the company trying hardest to improve the lot if their workers?

What Psychedelics are you on and where can I get them?

Apple treating their workers well? The Company that is well known for abusing its staff and pushing an attitude of fear to push productivity? The Company that has a record of high worker suicide?

One of Steve Jobs favourite things to do was hang out in the elevators of Apple HQ and when a staff member walked in he asked them “How did you make me money today?” If they couldn’t answer, they were fired on the spot. This was exposed because a reporter was in the building and Steve Jobs accidentally posed the question.. then fired the reporter.

Apple also cut all philanthropy stating they couldn’t afford it till they started making profit, when they became the largest tech company in the world with all that profit? They never restarted their philanthropy programs.

Oh also typically Apple products are last gen PC tech sold at beyond premium prices, but don’t tell the Apple fanboys that.
You are buying a brand and and UI, that is all.

It’s the Eco system and ui that is near perfect and what peeps who are tech savvy want. No one can beat it ATM, and the longer it takes the c

Mr Evil said :

One of Steve Jobs favourite things to do was hang out in the elevators of Apple HQ and when a staff member walked in…

Something he held on to when working on the design of Pixar’s headquarters and the new Apple HQ, all designed to have employees collide with one another during the day, and no doubt him with employees too.

On a tangent, kinda wish Canberra would take a bit more inspiration from building architecture like Pixar’s HQ, which combines warm natural elements with crisp man-made ones. Aside from Nisha, it seems everything in Canberra is boring white with ugly accents of grey or fluro colours. Convention centre, Tuggeranong apartments, Kingston foreshore… yuck.

…berra?
…turf?
…etoads?

One of Steve Jobs favourite things to do was hang out in the elevators of Apple HQ and when a staff member walked in he asked them “How did you make me money today?” If they couldn’t answer, they were fired on the spot. This was exposed because a reporter was in the building and Steve Jobs accidentally posed the question.. then fired the reporter.

Hey, you leave Steve Jobs out of this – he is truly awesome, and he even discovered a cure for can…………

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id_kGL3M5Cg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-22EpQOm8c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT9VNdgKnI4

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-18438_7-20128213-82/apple-genius-turn-off-your-phone-for-better-battery-life/

Ah I could go on, there are so many good examples, now I just need to come up with my own way to have fun with our new local “Geniuses” next time im feeling bored, cannot wait!

Grail said :

Truthiness said :

But you choose to get upset about the company trying hardest to improve the lot if their workers?

What Psychedelics are you on and where can I get them?

Apple treating their workers well? The Company that is well known for abusing its staff and pushing an attitude of fear to push productivity? The Company that has a record of high worker suicide?

One of Steve Jobs favourite things to do was hang out in the elevators of Apple HQ and when a staff member walked in he asked them “How did you make me money today?” If they couldn’t answer, they were fired on the spot. This was exposed because a reporter was in the building and Steve Jobs accidentally posed the question.. then fired the reporter.

Apple also cut all philanthropy stating they couldn’t afford it till they started making profit, when they became the largest tech company in the world with all that profit? They never restarted their philanthropy programs.

Oh also typically Apple products are last gen PC tech sold at beyond premium prices, but don’t tell the Apple fanboys that.
You are buying a brand and and UI, that is all.

Truthiness said :

Masses baying at the door, begging to be spied on and controlled, ecstatic at the chance to trade their consumer capital for the labour of Chinese slave children and environmental destruction.

A free T-shirt you say? oh joy, I was worried I might not be providing enough free advertising to the worlds richest corporation.

Oh boy, there is always one that has to spoil things!

Bury your head in the sand then.

One thing worse than listening to the followers of the cult of Mac is listening to people bang on about fan boys and sheep… Don’t like the product? Vote with your wallet. And hate leads to the dark side…

YouTookMyUsername12:31 am 09 Sep 12

gooterz said :

Do they have any shirts that say Samsung on them?

You obviously missed the picture of the Apple t-shirts, Gooterz. It can be clearly seen from the picture that Apple invented the t-shirt. I hear you will now have to pay a “licensing fee” to Apple for each t-shirt you purchase that does not have an Apple logo. Apple have already lodged requests with the High Court requesting a ban on sales of all non-Apple t-shirts at local retailers. In related news an email from Apple CEO Tim Cook has just leaked on-line:

Today was an important day for Apple and for innovators everywhere.

Many of you have been closely following the opening of our new Apple Store in The Canberra Centre for the past few weeks. We chose to open our new store only after realising this was a cashed up market we had not yet tapped. For us this store opening, and the t-shirts given out has always been about something much more important than patents or money. It’s about values. We value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. And we do this to delight our customers, not for competitors to flagrantly copy.

We owe a debt of gratitude to the many fanboys who invested their time in swallowing our story and products. We were thrilled to finally have the opportunity to flog you more over-priced and under-specced hardware. The mountain of t-shirts we have just given away showed that other t-shirt manufacturers copying went far deeper than we knew.

I have now spoken. As the head of the religion you know as Apple, I hope you will send a loud and clear message that wearing t-shirts without an Apple logo isn’t right.

I am very proud of the work that each of you do.

Today, values have won and I hope the whole world listens.

Tim

Do they have any shirts that say Samsung on them?

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd6:57 pm 08 Sep 12

troll-sniffer said :

Went in to buy a book from Dymocks and wandered out past this ‘crazee’ crowd. Funny thing is, I don’t know if my ears were playing up, but all I could hear from inside the store were baaaas and bleats.

Clearly somebody who knows jack all about tech.

troll-sniffer6:54 pm 08 Sep 12

c_c said :

troll-sniffer said :

Went in to buy a book from Dymocks and wandered out past this ‘crazee’ crowd. Funny thing is, I don’t know if my ears were playing up, but all I could hear from inside the store were baaaas and bleats.

Strange, very same thing happened to me walking past Ticketek during the week, plus lot of green.

lolz +1

troll-sniffer said :

Went in to buy a book from Dymocks and wandered out past this ‘crazee’ crowd. Funny thing is, I don’t know if my ears were playing up, but all I could hear from inside the store were baaaas and bleats.

Strange, very same thing happened to me walking past Ticketek during the week, plus lot of green.

troll-sniffer5:51 pm 08 Sep 12

Went in to buy a book from Dymocks and wandered out past this ‘crazee’ crowd. Funny thing is, I don’t know if my ears were playing up, but all I could hear from inside the store were baaaas and bleats.

Genius Bar? frigging hell, give me a break.

Not an Apple fanboi.

thy_dungeonman4:58 pm 08 Sep 12

So this is why the vintage clothing sale which I was working at today was so quiet. All the hipsters were ate the new apple store.

Such a fashionable crowd, on both sides of the counter.

c_c said :

Unfortunately I had to sign an NDA so can’t speak of specifics

That’s Apple for ya.

I use Apple products, I believe they’re practical and well designed.

But the cult language, and sheer head up arse routine is really finger down the throat to me.

Unfortunately I had to sign an NDA so can’t speak of specifics, but the managers of these stores and Apple HR make late night televangelists look sane by comparison.

The inlymbo clan walked by at around 11 am completely unaware that the store opening was on today. We waited in the ‘line’ for around 1 minute, saw on the door guys iphone we were 896, 897 and 898th people in, little inlymbo shared a high five with the excited staff (all filmed) on the way in. Got a t-shirt each had a quick look around and we left. Seemed reasonably low key to me? Little Inlymbo has decided her XL t-shirt looks nice as a dress. I hope those people waiting from 5:30 am got a little something extra for their effort. Obviously not as exciting as a free burritto.

Truthiness said :

… ecstatic at the chance to trade their consumer capital for the labour of Chinese slave children and environmental destruction.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha — *deep breath* — ha ha ha ha ha!

The clothes you wear, the tools you buy from Bunnings or Masters, crockery and cutlery from the mall, the phone you use … all made in China. But you choose to get upset about the company trying hardest to improve the lot if their workers?

Pick the right battles, and don’t go championing the causes of Fox or News Ltd.

Yay.

Apple today, Ikea… never?

OMG. Seriously people – get lives !

OMG!!! A NEW SHOP IS OPENING UP IN CIVIC!

I’m so excited I could just s***!

Haters gunna Hate

Nice writeup. Curiosity sated.

Mick said :

Apple.
Meh.

Let me repeat that.

Apple.
Meh.

Mmmmm…damn that felt good. 🙂

Masses baying at the door, begging to be spied on and controlled, ecstatic at the chance to trade their consumer capital for the labour of Chinese slave children and environmental destruction.

A free T-shirt you say? oh joy, I was worried I might not be providing enough free advertising to the worlds richest corporation.

Hey that looks pretty good. I might wait for the fanboyz to dissipate before I go in.

Might get a keypad shell case for the Ipad

Geez, Police Helicopters, Max Brenner, Apple Store, 20 story apartment buildings, public art, light rail, is Canberra trying to become something more then a country town? Hopefully soon we can start getting TV channels that aren’t the rural ones, what a great city we’d be then.

Myles Peterson10:24 am 08 Sep 12

Oh well, I’m sure Fairfax will do an expose, it’s not like they’ve bet the farm on Ipad take-up.

Myles Peterson10:08 am 08 Sep 12

Have you tried to get an interview out of Apple? I’d take any op I could get, I’ll come down ask ’em myself.

Knock yourself out.

But I’m 100% sure they’re only answering questions about the store.

Apple.
Meh.

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