How nice it is to have a legion of readers, eager and willing to do our bidding. Okay, in truth, we didn’t ask for pictures of the new Apple mini stores that are popping up inside Best Buy outlets around the country, but reader Andrew wasn’t about to let a detail like that stop him. He fired us off a couple of pictures of the Mac displays in the new Best Buy store on Newbury St. in MacUser HQ’s own Boston. Here are his impressions:
I snapped these real quick (with my iPhone, no less) at the new Best Buy on the corner of Newbury Street in Boston. The whole store is still so new that i walked in and I wasnt even sure if it was actually open for business, or if i had just followed in someone who worked there. the Apple MiniStore is on the third floor with all of the other PCs, but there are cardboard cutouts on every floor advertising its existence. Its Very nicely set up, with 2 MacBooks, 3 iMacs (one is previous gen on clearance) and a MacBook Pro hooked to a Cinema Display, they also have a nice little bar area (not pictured) with some MacBooks hooked up to printers (don’t know why). It’s nice to see the video adapters in the accessory section, and they had the new Wireless Metal Keyboards. This is all a very far cry from the Fenway Best Buy about a mile away that has, quite literally, laminated printouts of Apple computers sitting on a shelf, not a single physical model. Not sure how this part of the store will fare when the flagship Boston Apple Store opens in a few months a couple blocks away, but it will definitely turn some heads of the people shopping PCs.Indeed. We’ve been following construction of the Boston flagship store on the neighboring Boylston Street with avid interest bordering on the inappropriate (ooh, look, girders), and as that store approaches being finished, we wonder whether this particular mini store will fade into oblivion.
Either way, I’m glad Best Buy and Apple have kissed and made up. These new mini stores certainly beat the swank blue polo shirts off the old stores. Click on the pics for larger versions, and peep another shot after the jump.
Now, if any of our other willing horde would like to go out and grab me a cup of tea and a scone, that’d be swell.
[Thanks again, Andrew!]
My local Best Buy (Houston, TX) has had an Apple mini store for a couple of months. It is interesting, and telling, how Best Buy gives (or conceded to give) Apple customers a respectful shopping experience while continuing to ghetto-ize the PC shopping experience. At the Apple table, you can pick up a MacBook to test its weight, adjust the screen to check viewing angle, etc. PC laptops continue to be bolted to their display areas with a large bar across the top of the keyboard at the hinge, which prevents lifting the laptop up or even adjusting the screen angle so you can see it properly without having to adjust your body. Want to get on the Internet? Sure, the Macs can get right on. The PC's? Nope -- Internet connectivity is blocked.
If this was implemented into every Best Buy store, I would guarantee that Apple will have more sales. Presentation is everything. Just take a pc user to an Apple store and see their impression. It's like the first time I was with a girl... you know, I bathed, dressed up nice, did the whole grooming thing... and it paid off. Wait, she never did call me back.
What Apple needs to do is bring some love to the Caribbean. Jamaica W.I. in particular, an Apple Flagship store or two in Montego Bay and/or Kingston would be nice. Jamaica produces a lot of musical artiste that sell content on the iTunes Music Store. We also love good design in products and the iPod has a huge fan base here. The amount of Nano's and Shuffles I see everywhere is just mind boggling.
Moe, did you brush your teeth? ;) Just kidding.