When you purchased an Apple computer 15 years ago, you were
buying something a little bit different. It wasn't in vogue, and it
didn't run the same applications as DOS machines, but if you had
some familiarity with a graphical user interface you could be very
productive with a Macintosh.
These days, you buy a Macintosh and you're buying a fashion
statement along with your stable and secure operating system
(despite the Symantec warnings). When Apple started shipping
blue, red, green, orange, and
purple computers, it was clear that the somewhat higher
starting price wasn't just for the technology inside, but also for
the design outside. And the Mac
mini is now there for the fashion-conscious on a budget.
Back then you would generally go through your local Mac dealer
when buying your Mac, who would provide you with subsequent phone
support and even free operating system updates (until System 7.1
came out).
In the early 90s, Apple's Performa line aimed to get Macs out of
the dealers and into mainstream stores so consumers who otherwise
wouldn't consider a Mac, would buy them. Part of what ended up
happening was a combination of Apple quality control (many
Performas were poorly made in the first place) and the fact that
salespeople in many mainstream computer stores, electronics stores,
and office supply stores knew about as much about the Mac as a car
salesman knows about television sets.
It was fairly common practice for a salesman to steer you over
toward the Windows machines if they felt that's what they could
better sell you.
Eventually Apple started its own stores so it could better
concentrate on selling Apple products. When you walk into an Apple
Store (and they all look pretty much the same), everything's light
colored (white, light colored wooden tables), and Apple products
clearly take the spotlight. Instead of having rows of computers and
accessories in their boxes with only one or two (usually broken)
demonstration machines, Apple has many machines loaded with
software and frequently connected to third party equipment, all
available for you to play with.
iPods are there for you to listen to, preloaded with songs. The
stores usually appear in malls, although there are a few downtown
locations (such as the Pasadena, California location) as well.
Have these stores become victims of their own success? Apple
Stores are never empty, and, in fact, I don't think I've ever seen
one without a line of 3-5 people at the cash register. This means
if you're trying to get help with purchasing something, it makes
things a little bit difficult.
The store in the Danbury Fair Mall in Danbury, Connecticut, is
one of the smaller Apple stores and therefore fills up quickly.
They only seem to have a limited number of staff, and buying a
computer has become a very systematic, impersonal process so that
they can get to as many customers as possible.
Sure, I suppose that when I ordered my 12" PowerBook from
Apple's website it was in a way no more personal, but if I'm going
to order the machine online (which they have you do at the store,
too), why go into the store in the first place?
This brings me to the local Apple resellers, such as TBI Computer in Westport,
Connecticut. As Apple Eats
Its Own (in Chicago Business) illustrates, the relationship
between Apple and their resellers has become strained, and
consumers have been increasingly turning away from resellers.
It's tough to make a case for buying your next Mac from a
reseller - you can often get a better price ordering online, and if
you purchase your computer from an Apple Store, you can get to play
with several different machines beforehand (as compared to the one
or two a reseller might have on display).
However, I believe that buying from a reseller has its
advantages. If you're one of those people who frequently seems to
have problems with your computer, a reseller will help you over the
phone (instead of you calling Apple and waiting on hold). If you
ever need upgrades for your computer, a reseller would be able to
make some suggestions, whereas Apple will probably try to sell you
a new machine altogether.
Plus, there's just the friendly atmosphere at a reseller that
you can't get at an Apple Store. When my mother was ordering her
500 MHz indigo iMac, the people at TBI actually asked us if we
wanted to share some of the food they were about to order for
dinner!
The sad reality is that independent Apple resellers are
disappearing, not only due to the opening of Apple Stores, but also
online resellers offering lower prices and the educational
discounts available through Apple's website (which was the reason I
purchased my PowerBook online instead of through TBI).
However, I think that as long as Apple allows it, some resellers
will stay open. For people like my mother - those who know enough
about the Mac to use the basic functions of the OS and various
common applications but still are confused by many of the
technology aspects - resellers can take a lot of the stress out of
buying a new computer.
For those who are interested in computers, resellers definitely
provide a more interesting computer shopping experience than
clicking "Buy Now" on
Apple.com.
