I used to love going into Apple Stores or Apple Resellers, spending too much marvelling over the shiny devices. Not any more. The devices look tired and outdated: the thicker, boring MacBooks covered in fingerprints, the chunkier iMac, the confused iPad line-up, iPhones and Watches with the same basic design that’s been there for years. Yes, they brought out the Vision Pro but no one seems to know what the actual point of it is. Real, daring and innovative product design seems to be a thing of the past. The products need a massive overhaul with product lines streamlined and simplified. The excitement needs to return. Hopefully, this is the year we see it but I’m not holding my breath.
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Apple Stores are not exciting anymore.
- Thread starter Ken91
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I guess it depends on what excites you. I don’t think the Apple Store is meant to excite people, but rather sell them products. Also what excites you might be totally different than what excites me or someone else. Does Apple need to make an Apple Store specifically designed to excite you? We all have different things we like.
You mentioned thicker boring MacBooks so I’m guessing the heavier more powerful MacBooks don’t excite you but have you looked at the MacBook Air? I mean it’s not the 12” but it’s pretty thin.
Chunkier iMacs? Did they come back out with the old style iMac and I wasn’t aware of it? Honestly, I haven’t been on the Apple Store page in a while. The last iMac I saw they made was pretty thin so I wouldn’t call it chunky. I don’t think it’s for everyone though.
I can agree that the iPad lineup is a mess and it confuses me so yeah nothing to say there.
iPhones and watches are pretty hard to innovate without messing them up. It’s a rectangular pane of glass and pretty much every phone maker has been making a rectangular pane of glass. You can “innovate” by adding gimmicks like Google did with radar in the phone or making the watch round like Samsung causing it to be less useful, but I wouldn’t consider that true innovation.
Also, you mentioned daring, innovative, product designs, but then just blew off the Apple Vision Pro. No one knows what it’s for? Have you asked everyone because maybe the people you asked just didn’t know. It’s an extremely new, almost what I’d consider prototype but it’s the first of what I feel is going to be a new generation of computing. Of course, I am no expert, but just a person with an opinion so take that with a grain of salt.
You mentioned thicker boring MacBooks so I’m guessing the heavier more powerful MacBooks don’t excite you but have you looked at the MacBook Air? I mean it’s not the 12” but it’s pretty thin.
Chunkier iMacs? Did they come back out with the old style iMac and I wasn’t aware of it? Honestly, I haven’t been on the Apple Store page in a while. The last iMac I saw they made was pretty thin so I wouldn’t call it chunky. I don’t think it’s for everyone though.
I can agree that the iPad lineup is a mess and it confuses me so yeah nothing to say there.
iPhones and watches are pretty hard to innovate without messing them up. It’s a rectangular pane of glass and pretty much every phone maker has been making a rectangular pane of glass. You can “innovate” by adding gimmicks like Google did with radar in the phone or making the watch round like Samsung causing it to be less useful, but I wouldn’t consider that true innovation.
Also, you mentioned daring, innovative, product designs, but then just blew off the Apple Vision Pro. No one knows what it’s for? Have you asked everyone because maybe the people you asked just didn’t know. It’s an extremely new, almost what I’d consider prototype but it’s the first of what I feel is going to be a new generation of computing. Of course, I am no expert, but just a person with an opinion so take that with a grain of salt.
It’s an interesting point.
Apple tends to design products that look uncomplicated, modern and sleek. Many will remember the MacBook Air in an envelope moment. To me the challenge is where you go from there. You can improve display technology, processors and all of the individual components, but is that as exciting as seeing the super sleek MacBook Air for the first time?
The Vision Pro is very different from other Apple products and seems to be one of the most controversial of their products based on posts here.
My question is what do you want to see in their products that would make you excited to visit a store?
Apple tends to design products that look uncomplicated, modern and sleek. Many will remember the MacBook Air in an envelope moment. To me the challenge is where you go from there. You can improve display technology, processors and all of the individual components, but is that as exciting as seeing the super sleek MacBook Air for the first time?
The Vision Pro is very different from other Apple products and seems to be one of the most controversial of their products based on posts here.
My question is what do you want to see in their products that would make you excited to visit a store?
Being "excited" by consumer-class electronic baubles is kind of bizarre, isn't it? If anything, an Apple focused on delivering practical, functional tools is far more interesting than some glitter-throwing huckster magic pony show nonsense. Buy what you need, ignore what you don't. The rest is just marketing, and marketing is lies.
I still like looking at the shiny objects on display (though they don't have near the 3rd-party offerings they used to.
But the thought of going into an Apple Store is nauseating to me. The crowds of people just milling around are out of control, and because of that, the service is God-awful.
At the store closest to me, you can go in at almost any time and find 20 or so employees working. And by working I mean trying to avoid eye contact with you while tapping away on their iPads, eventually telling you that you need to talk to someone else (no matter what you need to know).
And heaven forbid you want to purchase something... it seems like they all of a sudden have amnesia and default to reminding you that you "could order this online and have it delivered right to your door tomorrow" – absurd since you're already in the store.
It's literally the worst retail experience I can imagine having.
What excitement is really left? You get more and more powerful devices/computers. The revolutionary changes to the industry have basically been done, not sure where else they can go to really "wow" anyone anymore without jumping into holographic technology or some other sci-fi tech. The original iPhone was exciting because it changed the way we looked at cell/smart phones. They turned the industry upside down. iPad, same thing. Computers before that, they created good looking computers that stand up today to the clean custom PC builds, minus the RGB lights. The Apple stores were wow in the beginning as it was again something new, something Apple had never done and gave everyone hands on access to every device Apple had out. Before it was Apple resellers and then they might only have one of each on display and on a release date good looking trying one out.
I own a MacBook Pro. And my wife and kids all have MacBook Airs.
We all have iPhones.
I have an iPad.
And AirPods, AppleTV, and cases, and accessories… When I go into an Apple Store, there’s nothing left for me to buy! Their only new thing is the VR headset, and it doesn’t interest me. Maybe in three years, when it’s 1/4 the size and 1/4 the price and 4x the features, it will be interesting.
Too bad they killed their car project.
We all have iPhones.
I have an iPad.
And AirPods, AppleTV, and cases, and accessories… When I go into an Apple Store, there’s nothing left for me to buy! Their only new thing is the VR headset, and it doesn’t interest me. Maybe in three years, when it’s 1/4 the size and 1/4 the price and 4x the features, it will be interesting.
Too bad they killed their car project.
These, though I've always had good service when I do stop in.
Like @Alameda said, I've got all I need, nothing left to buy. And nothing left to "look" at as as @russell_314 said, how much can you change up designs of rectangular pieces of glass? Last time I went to an Apple Store to look/hold an iPhone was when the X eventually came out (bought the 8 on pre-order as did not want to wait and pay $1K for a phone so was out of pure curiosity to see future direction of their phones). Last iPhone I bought was a year ago, a 13 Mini, so not particularly interested in Apple's latest phones. Use my Macs pretty much until they die. Ditto iPads. iPhones try to get at minimum three years use out of. So guess Apple Stores have never been exciting for me, more like a trip to any other retailer (eg. how exited does one get going to buy a shirt at Gap, Eddie Bauer, Polo, Old Navy, etc).
Since 2020, every Apple purchase has been done via app/website: drive over, pickup, leave. In and out in minutes.
Except that used to be a huge draw to the entire Apple brand, worldwide
It's not good if that fades (for Apple I mean)
I don't disagree, but by its nature, spooky brand idolatry is ephemeral—hard to quantify and control. Steve Jobs was a singular master of wielding that appeal to consumer desire, but his was a once in a lifetime talent. Better that Apple focus on the elements it can control than to try and sustain something it is now ill-equipped at. Afterall, Apple's goal is to improve operational efficiency and turn a profit, as much as possible. There is no other purpose to their existence as a publicly held company. And there are many ways to achieve those objectives beyond constantly trying to drive past acceptance into zeal.
As consumers, it benefits us as well to not be so swayed by marketeering. These are just technology tools, after all. We should buy what objectively improves or aids our daily process, and avoid those things that don't. Apple, or any company, doesn't deserve any more of our money than the bare minimum required to fulfill those objectives. Let them work for every dollar; save the emotion for the people who can love us back.
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Yea but there are no more Fry’s, no more Radio Shack, I guess there are still a few Micro Centers still around
Well here in Switzerland we have Interdiscount, FNAC, Fust, Meddiamarkt, and Manor (the last is a department store as well) to name a few. FNAC is a French-based chain with shops around Europe.
Here in the US, first Wal-Mart stores crushed small stores throughout the nation, and now, especially during and after the pandemic, Amazon has really taken over. They invested very heavily in their own distribution and shipping network, and they can deliver most of their products overnight or in two days nearly everywhere in America. Sometimes, they can even deliver same day.
Good to know, we never had an Apple Store where I live, or anywhere close.
There's of course other stores that sells Apple devices around here.
But I buy what I need from Apple for my use on their website, so there’s nothing else to marvel about when it comes to Apple stuff.
But I get the point, I have other bigger things that I dream about instead.
There's of course other stores that sells Apple devices around here.
But I buy what I need from Apple for my use on their website, so there’s nothing else to marvel about when it comes to Apple stuff.
But I get the point, I have other bigger things that I dream about instead.
We could say the same about any tech store really.
If we are at the point where technology has become unexciting then it’s done its job and become a ubiquitous part of everyday life. That is to say grocery shopping is hardly exciting but you wouldn’t stop going to the store just because you don’t get excited about Bananas anymore.
If we are at the point where technology has become unexciting then it’s done its job and become a ubiquitous part of everyday life. That is to say grocery shopping is hardly exciting but you wouldn’t stop going to the store just because you don’t get excited about Bananas anymore.
I don’t find any consumerism “exciting” anymore like I did when I was a teenager/young adult. OP perhaps you’re just getting older and realizing it’s silly to be “excited” by a tool?
The only tool I’m currently excited about is buying a welder, but that’s because there’s things I want to do with it 🤷♂️
The only tool I’m currently excited about is buying a welder, but that’s because there’s things I want to do with it 🤷♂️
We might just be getting old, Ken-probably-from-the-same-birthyear-as-me.
Yesterday I walked into an electronics store hoping to be blown away by the MBAs they had on display. Found them so boring and basic I don’t even want one anymore. What did get my blood pumping was a wireless vacuum cleaner. Which I bought as a spur of the moment thing. Vacuum cleaners are exciting to me now, Ken, not Apple stuff. Maybe your life experience and/or possibly shifted priorities are at “fault”, not Apple.
Have you guys seen this new automatically rotating drying rack for small spaces yet, by the way?!
Yesterday I walked into an electronics store hoping to be blown away by the MBAs they had on display. Found them so boring and basic I don’t even want one anymore. What did get my blood pumping was a wireless vacuum cleaner. Which I bought as a spur of the moment thing. Vacuum cleaners are exciting to me now, Ken, not Apple stuff. Maybe your life experience and/or possibly shifted priorities are at “fault”, not Apple.
Have you guys seen this new automatically rotating drying rack for small spaces yet, by the way?!