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Apple Cutting Some Software and Peripherals From Retail Store Displays?

I never went there for hard drives or printers anyway. I would go to look at Apple products and accessories that aren't easy to find.

The extra space is probably better served with the newer Apple products that have come about since the stores began opening. Unless I'm mistaken, the MacBook Air, Apple TV and iPad are all newer than the Apple Store. With the interest in iPad, Apple could probably double the space those take up. When I go in the one nearby, most people are messing around with the iPhones and iPads. I'm sure Apple saw this and figured it was easier to make money through that than by selling freakin' printers.
 
In the UK some people have such poor or no broadband that a store for large games and applications is the only way. For some, combo updates are out of the question unless someone else can download it for them.
 
I don't get why this story is getting all the negs. This move makes sense to me: use the limited floor space on things that actually improve the customer experience.

When the Apple Stores first opened it was cool to see aisles of Mac s/w. It was needed then b/c there literally was no place to buy it. But most people buy online now, either physical or d/l. It's wasted space to stock it.

Same goes for most peripherals. Honestly anyone who buys that in an Apple Store and its not connected to a rebate is getting scammed so Apple is doing them a favor by removing most of it.
 
I recently went into an Apple Store and looked for a MobileMe box. I asked if they had one and they got one out of the back. The employee noted that they are no longer going to sell the boxes in the stores and that you'll need to purchase it online if you need it. Just my two cents :)
 
My son used to enjoy saving his allowance to buy Mac games. I suppose he'll have to have me buy them online or he'll end up buying them for his game console instead.

Apple would often benefit from his purchase as I would often pick up an accessory or two whilst there with him.

If I have no physical reason to be at the store, I will have no reason to spend impulsive money there.

Actually good for my wallet I suppose.

Pete
 
The Loop reports that Apple is planning to cut significant numbers of software titles and peripherals from its retail store sales floors, moving to free up space to accommodate the more extensive

Is this a good thing?
 
I go more for the Apple hardware. Games can be bought more easily on-line, be it the App Store or the publisher's site. Would rather see broader selection of MBP cases, and iPhone/iPod cases. Retail boxes for software are a soon to die breed.
 
this already happened to my local apple store, i went there like 3 weeks ago, and i saw that the mini shelves where they had the printers, external HDs, and also speakers were removed to be replaced by 4 tables for concierge services and also personal set ups, the one i went to also had a cash register built in i guess apple is trying to make your new mac experience better, because i saw a person getting their MBA set up while i was buying my things, regarding the software, i did see that a lot of the apple branded software was gone like mobile me, iLife, and Mac OSX were gone, guess theyre pushing the mac app store further with this
 
Agreed. Already in progress.

Interestingly enough, my sons and I were in the Flasgship NYC Apple Store over the winter holidays, and it was pretty much iPad and iPhone central. There were 'pods and a fair number of MacBooks, and a few iMacs in the corners. But there was just ONE Power Mac tower, neglected and unattended in a corner. This is in the capital of Media, Design and Publishing, the Mac Pro audience.

As for peripherals, there was a tiny selection of a very few absolute bottom entry level printers and a few hard drives. But nothing I'd call pro gear. Wacom Bamboo but not Intuous tablets, etc. The software selection was anemic. There is literally more software on display at the Palisades Apple store near me, a store one forth the size.

As for the quality of Apple Geniuses at the bar... well, I guess it takes less training to help a windows user find their music on an iPod or get their email on an iPhone. But serious tech support... well let's just say I am going to Tekserve downtown. Last time I had a serious problem, they couldn't even suss out a bad RAM module. I ended up doing it myself. And I'm a Graphic Designer, not a technician. *snark*

But its neither surprising or even a bad move for Apple as they are plunging whole hog after a consumer market that needs N003 support, not deep geek. As for stripping the stores, Apple is SETTING The trend towards virtual 'wares and is promoting the death of CD/DVD wrapped software. They've always gone to tech places just slightly ahead of the readiness of their audience. But I fully expect things like Firewire ports and optical drives to start disappearing from mac machines in a generation or two.

But before that, I think that we'll be seeing only Apple branded SW only available on the Mac App Store and they will only actually box physical hardware. But I wonder how this will fit with their new small business service, an audience that needs pro gear and business class software, not Twitter clients or Angry birds.

But like other posters have commented, I increasingly only set foot in the Apple Store to check out new Apple gear. And I think that Apple is perfectly happy with that. If developers gripe, Steve will direct them to offer their wares in the Mac App Store. As a Pro user, this trend does not specifically serve MY needs, but I see how it makes sense for Apple.

But I am well aware that guys like me have not been their target market for a long time.

silentnite said:
Sure just throw everything into the Mac App store & discount it, that will work unless your short on hard drive space.:D
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Unless of course you're a cash-strapped pro user and are running an older machine and Mac OS 10.4.11... We live in fear for the day when we get a file from a client or vendor that requires Adobe CS5 or some bit of digital kit now only available on the Mac App Store.

Jus' sayin'.

Foxer said:
Ban unaccompanied minors! Block social media sites! Get off my lawn!
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I'm definitely getting older and increasingly crotchety. And I sure as [CENSORED] am becoming an elitist.

Sign: "UNACCOMPANIED MINORS WILL BE GIVEN AN ESPRESSO AND A PUPPY AND RETURNED TO YOU."
 
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shartypants said:
Makes sense, does anyone ever buy them? Maybe people who just bought a new laptop...
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except for office 2011 not really ;). Considering that how apple has an online store built into an app on OSX most people will not.

And anyone who for some reason does not have a internet connection I figure they can order it at the apple store and install it there. :apple:

That is a lot of room for them to show off hardware. :rolleyes:
 
Really, why would I buy that kind of thing at an Apple store when all of it's cheaper and esaier to buy online someplace?

Maybe 10 years ago I would have been a super-nerd, buying this kind of thing online. But today average grandmas do it.

Good move Apple.

(LOL, the other day my father-in-law -- a great-grandfather was complaining to me that he had to install his bridge game from CD... didn't understand why he couldn't just download it somehow. This is the guy that was intimidated by computers a few years ago and still prints out every single picuture I send him -- pictures are something you hold in your hand, ya' know).
 
Michael CM1 said:
I never went there for hard drives or printers anyway. I would go to look at Apple products and accessories that aren't easy to find.

The extra space is probably better served with the newer Apple products that have come about since the stores began opening. Unless I'm mistaken, the MacBook Air, Apple TV and iPad are all newer than the Apple Store. With the interest in iPad, Apple could probably double the space those take up. When I go in the one nearby, most people are messing around with the iPhones and iPads. I'm sure Apple saw this and figured it was easier to make money through that than by selling freakin' printers.
Click to expand...

Exactly. In my nearest Apple store, there isn't even an AppleTV out. Sooner or later, somebody's going to get traction in the living room and Apple's going to have to put up some serious competition if they want to survive.

Priorities should be set and printers are nowhere near the top.
 
Howzie said:
In the UK some people have such poor or no broadband that a store for large games and applications is the only way. For some, combo updates are out of the question unless someone else can download it for them.
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Thought the article does not say it, I am sure if you goto an :apple: store they would help you buy what ever software you want.

Just today I had a problem with my iphone 4 :( button not working getting stuck, they did not even blink an eye, just gave me a brand new one and its working perfectly :D.

They know how to make their clients come back again and again.

The main thing was there was a couple that was there and had an ipad and was buying an ipod touch for their daughter and wanted the music to be moved over to the itouch or part of it I did not get the whole conversation, but what really matter was that they did it, and one of the reps did not give some excuse that they don't do that. Don't ask me how he was going to do it since I was up and forgot about it till now.

So I can see someone coming in with equipment and been helped if they don't have a way to get it at home.
 
Full of Win said:
Thanks, since most of the people I see in the stores are either self-absorbed status seekers or email/facebook checkers too cheap to buy a cell phone with a data plan. The only reason I go into the overpriced Pit of Hell is for service on my computers.
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Wait, you actually own an Apple computer. By the sound of it, I would have thought you would never let such thing into your house. Hell I am surprised you come here as much as you do with all the Apple bashing you do. Unless of course this is some sort of theorpy for you.
 
highdough said:
Yes, but you'd have to give you're money to Walmart. And they're evil as hell.
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wally world :p is not evil just another big company that all. Sure they do things they should not :(, but what company or even government does not. I don't normally buy at wally world but I don't consider their rap to be any worse than so many other companies. At least they are not an Eron or Halliburton :eek: and even these I don't consider evil :mad: just capitalist:rolleyes: as they should be.
 
Mostly good but a little bad

I agree with everyone saying that I don;t want to shop for non Apple stuff such as external hard drives, printers, etc. That's what Target is for. The games probably aren't selling as much considering the App store makes it easy to buy games from home. However, sure I like to "look" at stuff in a store and have no desire to talk about how to setup my new computer.
 
rhett7660 said:
Wait, you actually own an Apple computer. By the sound of it, I would have thought you would never let such thing into your house. Hell I am surprised you come here as much as you do with all the Apple bashing you do. Unless of course this is some sort of theorpy for you.
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Your pic is perfect for Full of Win post ;)
 
silentnite said:
Sure just throw everything into the Mac App store & discount it, that will work unless your short on hard drive space.:D
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Buy a new hard drive -- you can get 2GB external for less than $100 -- or go to Amazon or other online retailers. If you buy the software in the store, you're much more likely to spend more money on it. Apple's sales on all of its products are nothing to write home about. Amazon has a bazillion sellers as part of its marketplace, which gives you an infinite number of possible deals.
 
What they really need to do is remove everything apart from Apple hardware and add a Starbucks.

90% of people in an Apple store are just killing time by playing on the Macs or surfing sites and checking their email during their lunch break.

May as well add some tables and coffee so you can sit around while you are not looking to buy a Mac.
 
scottsjack said:
Excellent move on Apple's part.

Sure, non-Apple products are fun to look at an Apple store but who in their right mind would pay Apple Store prices for the stuff?

Pay full pop for Photoshop plus local taxes? No way, B&H online is the place I go. The price difference is even larger for items like external hard drives. Apple might as well get rid of the stuff people aren't likely to buy from them.
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The same people that pay Apple for ram/drive upgrades at their iSheep stores. People either don't care or don't know they can go elsewhere. There's more of them than there are of you. Those people who don't want to be bothered with figuring out what a Mac App Store is, versus their "other" App store will probably just go to Best Buy now to buy their software. That's fine if Apple doesn't want to sell it. Someone else will. Besides, who buys a Mac to play real games these days? ATI cards.. hah. Good one, Jobs.

It amounts to Apple and Steve Jobs' ego pushing what they think the MASSES (not you or I... there's more people than that) should do. Ultimately Steve Jobs will want you to do all of your shopping through a bloated iTunes interface, if he has his way before he dies.
 
I think the only thing I ever bought at a physical Apple Store location was my 2nd Mac mini.
 
when i bought my iMac a few years back, I bought an external hard drive and a printer. I just stood at the iMac and researched while the Apple guy helped me look them over.

didn't need to actually see the printer or hard drive box.

online research in-store was just as helpful...fine by me, though would like more Apple stuff out on the shelves to play with.
 
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