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Apple Revamps Retail Stores with Interactive iPad Displays
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I don't know why everyone is commenting on the wiring. I used to work for Apple Retail and I can honestly say the wires aren't any different now than they were three years ago. They've always gone from all the devices into a single bunch with a zip tie and then down into the center of the table.
These devices require power. Unfortunately these consumer electronics still run off of regular electricity and are not powered by magical apple fairy dust.
Perhaps you are not understanding what I mean when I say I find Apple stores, and any "Designer" stores quite funny actually.
If I go to the theatre I know it's a show, an act to entertain me.
People learn their lines, they pretend to take on other characters and dress up.
The building itself has fake walls and sets just to look good for the audience, as they are trying to create an illusions for entertainment purposes and take you, for a hour or two, away from reality and into their imaginary world.
I suppose that's what I feel when I walk into an Apple store. I'm supposed to leave my adult brain at the door, and become a child who is amazed at all the wonders inside in the magical land that looks so great.
Sorry, I can't do that.
It's the same as a high end jewellery shop selling 18 carat gold chains in custom lengths that are created whilst you wait.
It's all mirrors, and gold, with high glass seating, and many gold chains draped over blue velvet displays, with sparkling glass crystals and spotlights.
Whilst out the back, there is a rack of 100m length of gold chain that some old guy pulls off the spool, cuts the link, connects the end with some gold rod and his tiny blowtorch and buffs the link before reaching for one of the pile of fancy box's and laying the chain in the presentation box, All this done round the back, and then the well groomed assistant gets this, checks for marks and presents this awesome product to the customer.
It's a act, a show that I just can't turn my brain off enough to buy into sorry.
If this was not bad enough, calling some employees "Geniuses" is just cringe worthy. Who on earth ever thought that was a cool idea?
Expert, Technician, Engineer, perhaps... But A Genius... OMG.
If I go to the theatre I know it's a show, an act to entertain me.
People learn their lines, they pretend to take on other characters and dress up.
The building itself has fake walls and sets just to look good for the audience, as they are trying to create an illusions for entertainment purposes and take you, for a hour or two, away from reality and into their imaginary world.
I suppose that's what I feel when I walk into an Apple store. I'm supposed to leave my adult brain at the door, and become a child who is amazed at all the wonders inside in the magical land that looks so great.
Sorry, I can't do that.
It's the same as a high end jewellery shop selling 18 carat gold chains in custom lengths that are created whilst you wait.
It's all mirrors, and gold, with high glass seating, and many gold chains draped over blue velvet displays, with sparkling glass crystals and spotlights.
Whilst out the back, there is a rack of 100m length of gold chain that some old guy pulls off the spool, cuts the link, connects the end with some gold rod and his tiny blowtorch and buffs the link before reaching for one of the pile of fancy box's and laying the chain in the presentation box, All this done round the back, and then the well groomed assistant gets this, checks for marks and presents this awesome product to the customer.
It's a act, a show that I just can't turn my brain off enough to buy into sorry.
If this was not bad enough, calling some employees "Geniuses" is just cringe worthy. Who on earth ever thought that was a cool idea?
Expert, Technician, Engineer, perhaps... But A Genius... OMG.
Yeah, I agree. I would be much better if the iPads were recessed into the tables so that all you saw was their screens--you could get rid of their housing and just have their screens. But then you wouldn't be selling iPads to customers at the same time as they used other items, I guess, because it wouldn't be as obvious that the screens belonged to disassembled iPads.
At any rate, it all kind of seems like overkill, to be honest. Like Apple is a little too in love with its own iPads and is searching for excuses to use them, or something. Hopefully it's not just a cynical attempt to push iPads.
I don't care what it cost Apple, or how much electricity it uses.
It looks absolutely idiotic. Not good. Terrible. A total and complete mess. Advertising FAIL.
Not in the least. In fact, they've raised the bar for interactive retailing. Imagine, a product demo that no store visitor can stop or screw up.
I couldn't care less about interactive sales info, if Apple really wanted to make their in-store experience better then they only need to do ONE thing.......block facebook from the web browser......this way when I want to go and buy a new laptop, I can actually get on one and decide which one I want rather than have to wade through loads of kids who use Apple stores as a social networking hub!!
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/8J2)
Heading to Florida tonight, I'll have to check out the nearby store.
Anyone know when back to school specials start?
Heading to Florida tonight, I'll have to check out the nearby store.
Anyone know when back to school specials start?
Exactly, but perception trumps reality. Same thing with the Corolla and Prius.
Yup. There's nothing like using a device that has somebody else's bodily fluids all over it.
Jesus guys, grow an immune system or something. Do you wear gloves at all times during the day when you are out in public or something ?
This "bacteria" craze launched the Purell marketers is bunk. Unless you're immuno-suppressed, there's no worry.
The power cable goes into the back of the iPad - there is no horizontal dock connector. There is also no battery in the device, it's only powered by the cable so if it's stolen or the cable is dislodged, the alarm sounds and the device is rendered useless until the cable is replaced, so get ready for alarms sounding a little more regularly now. Other than that, it's a fully functioning iPad 2.
So, these retail outlets are then going to jailbreak the iPads to be able to install their own software on them?
This isn't going to happen.
The ability to interact with the staff queue is a pretty big thing, but I don't think it's worth the iPads. This seems like a long term strategy to open up future possibilities that may not have been thought of yet.
It's surprising that Apple is willing to mar the pristine visuals by rolling this out before all the tables are built for it. But I guess they had to do it in one order or the other. New tables with no iPads would probably be weirder.
It's surprising that Apple is willing to mar the pristine visuals by rolling this out before all the tables are built for it. But I guess they had to do it in one order or the other. New tables with no iPads would probably be weirder.
Nice strategy to get the iPad to become a flagship product.
Though lets get real here, the 6th gen nano would have been a better idea.
Not serious.
Though lets get real here, the 6th gen nano would have been a better idea.
Not serious.
Well this was a little anticlimactic but at least we found out why there has been such a delay in getting the iPad 2's since Apple has been hording them all for their new display/selling tools.
That was my first reaction as well--cables look kind of sloppy. Should be hidden better. Still I do want to run over to the apple store and check out the new setup.
Jesus guys, grow an immune system or something. Do you wear gloves at all times during the day when you are out in public or something ?
This "bacteria" craze launched the Purell marketers is bunk. Unless you're immuno-suppressed, there's no worry.
I know right? Do some of these people who complain about all the germs all over these iPad kiosks live in a clean room? Do they work for a company where the entire building is completely 100% disinfected at night? Because unless they do then they are touching so many germs and bacteria every day that it would probably surprise them that they haven't died yet.
Learn to live a little!