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Apple Stores: Australia, Canada, UK

next byte bites

the staff at next byte couldn't find their own arses with a map. ditto my mac, although they're marginally less patronising. i sincerely hope that apple buy them out, sack everybody and start again (good locations! particurlarly mymac opposite the new federation square.)

i hate both of those places with such passion that i'm driven to heading many kilometres out of my comfort zone to talk mac and get good prices.

grrr. go apple.
 
Re: next byte bites

Originally posted by Macette
the staff at next byte couldn't find their own arses with a map. ditto my mac, although they're marginally less patronising. i sincerely hope that apple buy them out, sack everybody and start again (good locations! particurlarly mymac opposite the new federation square.)

i hate both of those places with such passion that i'm driven to heading many kilometres out of my comfort zone to talk mac and get good prices.

grrr. go apple.
Click to expand...
Same. Except for the My Mac thing. They are by far the worst of the lot.

I aslo agree that Apple will not buy Next Byte.

Around a year ago I was working for My Mac (got out of there ASAP). I started when they had one store. It was a dump. Then they screwed Apple senseless and basically got Apple to pay for a lot more of their new store than they should have. I'm not going into details, but there was a lot of deception on My Mac's part.

Then the whole Buzzle thing collapsed. My Mac's new store was doing well, so Apple literally gave 4 or 5 new stores scattered across Melbourne to My Mac. Because Apple was giving all these stores away they wanted My Mac to spend a bit of their own cash to get into high-traffic areas such as Southland and Chadstone shopping centers. But My Mac refused. Why would they want to spend money when Apple was giving them stores?

Ahem... allegedly. Sorry, just thought I'd say that in case anyone was going to get upset.

Apple Aus has also been refitting stores left right and center to look more like the new Apple Stores in the US. Computers Now in Malvern is one example, it was pretty much gutted and completely re-done, with a good percentage of the whole thing paid for b Apple.

Apple has also been doing a bit of poster advertising for the new iMac lately, there are ads in bus stops everywhere, and a huge ad on the Nike store in the CBD.

IMHO, if Apple opens more of it's own stores it will be under their own steam, and it will be in places like Southland and Chadstone.

Oh, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Apple already own a couple of stores in Sydney?

And just once more: allegedly.
 
Apple Own stores in Oz

Having worked in the only Apple owned store currently in Oz (i.e. Apple.com/store) I can tell you Apple certainly has a lot of room to play with selling direct. Some of the previous posts have meant that prices will not come down if Apple takes a serious shot at going direct and this may be the case.
I would hope that a bigger share of direct revenue would then cause Apple to reconsider who the actual competition is (i.e. PC land), a conceptual leap Steve is alrady taking steps to accomplish. (platform switch campaigns etc.) As I now unfortunately work for a PC reseller I can tell you we normally trade @ 10% or less. If Apple were to go in at even double this they would pick up a whole lot more market share if coupled with the right marketing.
We haven't seen this kind of Dell-like marketing from Apple due to their sensitivity about their resellers.
I say go direct, get rid of any resellers who don't add any real value and start playing with the big boys.
Apple have the added advantage of an almost 100% margin business : Software. Imagine Apple on 'roids selling PC's as a loss leader to sell software a-la-consoles. It ain't going to happen but who else could even consider such an option ? (cough..IBM)
 
But what if I told you guys that here in good old Northern Ireland we are about to get our own Apple store early in the new year and that Apple are aware of it even though they will not "own" it? Could it be that Belfast will be the guinnea pig for the UK and Europe to see if the concept works?

Good luck to the people behind this venture. A proper Apple like store based on the American model. Are you guys in Canada, Australia and UK/Ireland jealous??

:)
 
Originally posted by MacNI
But what if I told you guys that here in good old Northern Ireland we are about to get our own Apple store early in the new year and that Apple are aware of it even though they will not "own" it? Could it be that Belfast will be the guinnea pig for the UK and Europe to see if the concept works?

Good luck to the people behind this venture. A proper Apple like store based on the American model. Are you guys in Canada, Australia and UK/Ireland jealous??

:)
Click to expand...

In Aus we've already got dozens of stores like that - Apple-only, fitted out in a way that Apple would be happy with etc - it's just that the staff are UTTER CRAP and tell you things that are BLATANTLY WRONG (such as, post the keynote announcing the 17-inch iMac, a conversation went like this:

ME: When will you have those 17-inch iMacs?
THEM: Oh, Apple aren't planning to make 17-inch iMacs
ME: But the keynote... Steve Jobs..
THEM: Oh, they're ONLY RELEASING THEM IN JAPAN. (Ehh????!!)

Next day I go in, and they've got the info sheets for the 17-inch iMacs sitting on the counter... so I guess I must have alerted them to their existence.

STUPID.

So what I'm saying is: If they open a shop in n. ireland, then make sure they don't employ MORONS.

Sigh.
 
Originally posted by Nebrie


Tough. I hope they all die. The more Apple sells direct, the cheaper Macs will be!
Click to expand...

I certainly hope the good ones, who specialize in tech support, such as metek don't. The ones who are just there to shift boxes, sure.

I also doubt that macs will become cheaper, considering that as soon as an apple reseller does a repair, they end up out-of-pocket from it. Also, that they make normally under 5% margin on apple hardware.
 
Where do I start?

A few years ago now I used to work for AppleCentre Next Byte CoastMac. A little shop on the Gold Coast that Next Byte had recently bought a 50% share in.
This was the first and last time Next Byte agreed to do anything 'by halves'.
Incidentally, Next Byte pulled out and returned full control to the original owner - who then sadly went bust, allowing Next Byte to purchase the business for much less than before. AppleCentre (Next Byte) Surfers Paradise is its name now.
The 2 years I spent with a quasi-Next Byte store gave me a chance to see how things work in their organisation.
Times have changed. Buzzle has collapsed (I worked for them, too, in Sydney). But the core ideals behind Next Byte do not appear to have changed.

Apple will not buy any stores from a reseller. It is simply inconceivable to suggest otherwise. Apple Australia simply don't have the money. Apple USA is not going to give it to them either.
Next Byte's directors love money. The only possible way that Apple could have AppleStores from Next Byte is if Next Byte allowed Apple to purchasing a controlling interest in their organisation.
Knowing the Next Byte directors as well as I do - that's not likely.

I had plans to make this a much longer tirade - but nevermind.

The quality of Next Byte staff has dropped significantly from back when I got to know them. The stories I hear with regards to staff are even worse.
Next Byte run a tight ship - but it's so incredibly tight that few people can tolerate working there.

Incidentally, I left to follow love, not to escape.
 
Re: next byte bites

Originally posted by Macette

i hate both of those places with such passion that i'm driven to heading many kilometres out of my comfort zone to talk mac and get good prices.
Click to expand...

know what you mean. i have 3 apple resellers in walking distance from home. i go 15km to get informed advice and good service.
 
The Next Byte shop on Glenosmand RD in Adelaide is pretty good, they have good service and the technicians know what they talk about but the prices there are expensive although 1.5 months ago I bought a very cheap ex-demo PMG4 from them. :D
 
aussies..

while we've got all you aussies on the line, where's the best place (melbourne, preferable) to get RAM? goddammit prices are high at the moment - mymac selling 256 for $200, and next byte trying to flog same for $240! crikey...

anywhere cheaper you'd recommend?
 
RAM prices

Yes, as we all know, the reseller market will take you to the cleaners on peripherals and components due to the shrinking margins on the box itself.

I'd suggest performance memory in Crows nest or you could drop me an email @ ken.rankins@ht.com.au and I'll find something for you. I'll let you know what you should pay anyway. There's a lot of merchants on Ebay who buy RAM from SE Asia in bulk and then auction it off until it's sold. I've found this quite good so long as you know EXACTLY what you need.
(Not an attempt to sell something, just helping a fellow mac user honest)
 
Good prices in Canberra.

Mac1 in Fyshwick (Australia's Porn Capital!) has 256MB RAM pretty cheap. I got pricing from them just the other day for some macs for my boss.

256MB RAM for a PowerBook is $164
256MB SDRAM (for eMacs or iMacs or whateveR) is $104.

Although - i think their DDR stuff is a bit more expensive.
Not as expensive as those prices you mentioned though!

If you like I can dig up their phone number.
 
i'd love a phone number for Mac1 - those prices are much better. God I hate Next Byte. Have I mentioned that? Sheeeeesh.
 
No worries.

Mac1's number is 02 6280 0808.
I managed to dig up the quote - I spoke to a guy named Greg Williams.

If you're wanting delivery to Melbourne though - they might charge an extra $10 or something to send it to you.

Enjoy!
 
Re: aussies..

Originally posted by Macette
while we've got all you aussies on the line, where's the best place (melbourne, preferable) to get RAM? goddammit prices are high at the moment - mymac selling 256 for $200, and next byte trying to flog same for $240! crikey...

anywhere cheaper you'd recommend?
Click to expand...
If you know what you're after, go to Computer World. They've got stores in the city, Glen Waverly and Dandynong. Their service is shocking (and when I say shocking I mean frequently downright rude) but the prices are below what most places can get their stuff for wholesale. Eg - 512MB Kingston PC 133 for $125. Damn cheap.

http://cworld.com.au/

But if you value customer service one little bit, don't even think about it.
 
okay, what i'm looking for is RAM for a 700mhz slot-loading snow imac.

can it take a 512 PC-133 Kingston? (i feel like a fraud... i don't know entirely what i'm talking about... blush).

i mean, when i went into Next Byte (hereafter to be known as Last Bite) they said it wasn't possible to buy RAM in other PC shops because PC RAM doesn't work on Macs... i was pretty sure they were at least partially wrong about this but couldn't start the argument... what can I use, and what can't i use?

thanks for all your help, btw.
 
Originally posted by Macette
i mean, when i went into Next Byte (hereafter to be known as Last Bite) they said it wasn't possible to buy RAM in other PC shops because PC RAM doesn't work on Macs...
Click to expand...
That is an total load of crap. Even Apple's RAM is just PC stuff with an Apple sticker on it. Often the original manurfacturer's sticker is stilll on it.

I think all you need to do is make sure the RAM you buy is CAS3. Make sure you tell them that you will be bringing it back if it's not (don't worry about being polite to the people at computer world :)) But for sure, check out kingston's site and take in the exact number of what you need.
 
thanks dudes. I'm heading down to cworld right now.

and they're going to give me RAM for ONE QUARTER OF WHAT THE LAST BITE PEOPLE WERE GOING TO CHARGE ME.
 
Originally posted by Macette
thanks dudes. I'm heading down to cworld right now.

and they're going to give me RAM for ONE QUARTER OF WHAT THE LAST BITE PEOPLE WERE GOING TO CHARGE ME.
Click to expand...
Told ya they were cheap :)

I understand why Apple Stores are selling RAM at such steep prices, but they're really not doing themselves any favours. I tend to buy all my stuff at Apple Stores to support them, but when it comes to RAM, I'm simply not prepared to spend 3 or 4 times what other places are offering.
 
Sub-thread can now be closed...

Now that my RAM prob is solved, we can close this discussion! I went into Computer World in Richmond, and they gave me the right RAM (512 MB of it!) for $112. That is, quite literally, one quarter of what Next Byte would have had me pay.

So: :p
 
Apple RAM??

Originally posted by Beej
Even Apple's RAM is just PC stuff with an Apple sticker on it. Often the original manurfacturer's sticker is stilll on it.
Click to expand...

no it isnt. the RAM in my PM-DP-867-MDD doesnt even have an apple sticker on it. Actually there is no sign that apple had anything to do with it. I know cause i changed it for a PC2700 (came w/pc2100) chip and o/c my machine to 1083Mhz or 1Ghz.
 
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