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Magic? I work in downtown Chicago very near the Apple store on Michigan ave. I step in, its a mob scene of people dicking around with the apple equipment, highl

Magic? I work in downtown Chicago very near the Apple store on Michigan ave. I step in, its a mob scene of people dicking around with the apple equipment, highly priced accessories, and this "70's basement" stained wood look everywhere. Its kinda boring. Its like buying a Model T. Here's this mass produced item, they all look kinda the same, and you buy the exact same thing your friends have and off you go. Err, its nice I guess, in a "we're kinda different" way, but no where am I thinking its magical or a positive shopping experience. Staff there tend to be borderline short with me, obviously because they're busy with other customers. Staff at the genius bar look depressed and over-worked. One genius borderline yelled at me when I told him I'll need my ac cable back from my imac after service. He snottily said "well I can't prove you didn't bring one" and practically threw one at me. Retail has moved to this aesthetic, which is also interesting in a way, but at the end of the day I'm exchanging money for product. Who has mastered the art of making the prettiest store and who is merely just "good" at it really doesn't make much difference to me, and I imagine, to many others. Value for my money and decent return policies are all I really care about. Anyway, its all incredibly inferior to ordering online. That's the dirty little secret that scares the retail industry.

bane 13y ago
> Retail has moved to this aesthetic If you notice, it's exactly the same style of store that high-end fashion boutiques and perfumeries were based on. Apple took this approach and replaced a few hangers with high end clothes with computers and tablets and stuck a tech support desk in the back. The problem with knock-off stores is that they try and copy Apple's take on the style rather than going back to the source and just copying other high-end fashion stores.
Isamu 13y ago
> Its like buying a Model T. Here's this mass produced item Is there some great source of bespoke computers that you buy from? I think it was in William Gibson's Idoru that the main character had some mobile computer with a handmade jeweled case made by some small co-op or other. I've been waiting for the rise of these groups.
- drzaiusapelord 13y ago
  No. I just don't consider consumer crap like phones and computers magical. They're tools and fairly boring ones at that. This worship of consumer electronics and deifying the CEOs and executives involved is asinine.

bane 13y ago

> Retail has moved to this aesthetic If you notice, it's exactly the same style of store that high-end fashion boutiques and perfumeries were based on. Apple took this approach and replaced a few hangers with high end clothes with computers and tablets and stuck a tech support desk in the back. The problem with knock-off stores is that they try and copy Apple's take on the style rather than going back to the source and just copying other high-end fashion stores.

Isamu 13y ago

> Its like buying a Model T. Here's this mass produced item Is there some great source of bespoke computers that you buy from? I think it was in William Gibson's Idoru that the main character had some mobile computer with a handmade jeweled case made by some small co-op or other. I've been waiting for the rise of these groups.

drzaiusapelord 13y ago
No. I just don't consider consumer crap like phones and computers magical. They're tools and fairly boring ones at that. This worship of consumer electronics and deifying the CEOs and executives involved is asinine.