Just let me just have one more post about it. Looking at this old blog post today and the photos from the weekend really made me remember what a horrible old building the now Apple store was.
This (on the left) was right in the heart of Perth, a run down old shitty looking shop – with a health food store, bakery and Joynt Venture (bong shop/music store) upstairs. So love or hate Apple, just be grateful that renovations like this can happen in less than 6 months and make our growing city look better and actually feel alive.
Was it everything I expected?
Let’s start with the first question, and let me simply say – yes it was everything that I expected. It was a retail shop opening but it was more how the store opened. I worked in retail from the age of 14 till I was 22, so that is 8 years of solid retail work. In two of the four companies I worked for I was involved in 3 shop openings, but no huge events like Apple opening their first in Perth and with none of the theatrics. I expected hype and I got hype, along with friendly service and a great example of beautiful industrial design.
Was it fun?
If you think arriving in the city at 7am, standing in line for 2 hours in -0.4C tempretures and hanging with your best friend in the whole world before meeting up with other new/old friends to witness a fantastic example of retail launch fun, then this was well and above it.
(Note: I’ve lined up in car parks for 14+ hours to see small intimate gigs by Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins so this was a walk in the park.)
Did they give you ‘the clap’?
Yes! One of the most odd feelings you will ever experience is walking into a store and being met by 30+ staff clapping you in, shaking your hand and giving you high fives *Eiffel tower!*
Will you experience this type of retail event again?
Never say never I guess, but unless it is another Apple store opening I doubt I’ll experience something like this. I can’t see another company, especially another tech company take this leap and this approach into the retail market. That being said, yes Microsoft have their retail stores in America but I think it will be along time until they come to Australia, let alone Perth … and search on YouTube and you’ll see the ‘boot-scooting’ Microsoft do to welcome their customers.
Why?
Because I wanted to do it. I don’t need to justify it to anybody, if somebody called me a “sheep Apple fan boy” then their instant dislike for a company simply because they are ‘that’ company is worse than my apparent fan-boyism. True? I use this one companies products because they all work together, no screwing around with BETA version 2.3a etc for my phone. It works, it works with my computers, it works with my media centre. It is my choice. People that know me well would know that if Nintendo were opening a store, I’d be there too. (Am I blind Nintendo fan boy too? )
Where was I? Oh yeah, all in all, the experience was fantastic. Once in the store we walked around for a little bit, chatted with some staff about the whole set up experience, saw some of the iPod touches that are basically mobile checkouts, looked at some future possible purchases and enjoyed the experience. The exciting thing is now knowing that if I have a problem with any of our Apple products that we can make an appointment with their Genius staff, head right into the store and get it fixed. Something that most other tech / hardware / software companies simply can’t offer in the retail world.
So after months of blogging about this, I’m glad we finally have a store. I’m glad my parents can head in for one on one training classes, I’m happy I can get things fixed without having to send them away, I’m excited there is free open wifi (yay!) and I’m glad Perth has the flagship store in the CBD.
Seriously, go visit and view my photos up on flickr too!
PS: Walking back to the car, poor Sony store around the corner, 10.30am on a Saturday and not a person in store.
Looking at the Apple retail page for the Perth store there is a banner area saying “Featured In-Store” and a picture of the new iPhone 4. Considering the fact the iPhone isn’t set to be released here for another month or so this display model could be the biggest attraction for the new store, besides all the other shiney stuff.
I guess we’ll have to wait until Saturday, look forward to meeting a few other people there and all fighting over the iPhone 4 … if it is there. Because let’s be honest, when does Perth ever get lucky. This is most likely just a web admin that duplicated a site template and forgot to remove the iPhone 4 banner. Right?
The band Shihad’s website appears first but it seems those quirky New Zealand rockers have changed their domain listing information in Google to something very rock n roll.
So I guess the message is have fun with your Google results, because do you really want fans of your band that find you via Google?
Great work from Manic Studios
On WMD, let’s remember the 1 million bobby calves who were taken from their grieving Mums, only to be slaughtered as ‘waste products’ of the dairy industry — so that the milk nature intended for them could be fed to humans…
On WMD, let’s spare a thought for the struggling Murray Darling Basin. It takes 200 litres of water to get one glass of milk. Not only is this the driest inhabited continent in the world – our river systems are at record lows. But I’m taking shorter showers while the dairy industry is draining our waterways!
On WMD, let’s think about how we can change things for the better. What better day than World Milk Day to mark the day you ditch dairy?
Going dairy-free is easier now than it’s ever been. Every time you choose soymilk, rice milk, soy ice creams, dairy-free cream cheese, whipped ‘cream’, yoghurts, or any other dairy alternative, you’re helping the cows, the environment and yourself!
Here’s an amazing recipe to get you started… a non-dairy cheesecake (it’s a Weapon of Mass Deliciousness!)
Source: WMD: World Milk Day or Weapon of Mass Destruction?
This is based on the famous poster that was produced by the British government in 1939 at the beginning of the Second World War but the designer of the poster remains unknown. The internet created many more, that don’t tell you to ‘Think of England’.
The show ends next week with a 2.5 hour finale and no doubt some people will be disappointed that Lost hasn’t answered ALL their questions. In a recent podcast with Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse gave the best description why they won’t aim to answer everything.
Simply put – THIS:
Perfectly put explaining everything in a movie or show as complex as Lost (like The Matrix) ruins everything the audience loved about the story being told. We have watched from the view of the Losties from Oceanic Airlines Flight 815, discovering everything and been left in the dark along with them. How pointless would all of that been if 4 hours into the story of the show they could have sat down with “The Architect” and had everything explained to them.
This biggest clue that we won’t see a scene like the screenshot from The Matrix: Reloaded is the common phrase that is repeated while talking about Lost: “A question just leads to another question”.
If we ask “How did the island come to be?” and they answer for example “From some aliens” then the show would have to answer “Why did the aliens create the island” and “What was there before the island?” and “Why an island?” … this could just keep going and going. It is basically like asking for a simple answer of “What happened before the big bang?”.
We won’t be told everything, we will find out some of the major elements but just like real life some things will go unexplained for us to talk about. I respect the writers of Lost for taking such bold steps along this journey, none more stronger than last weeks episode “Across the Sea” where with around 4 hours of screen time left, it was devoted to none of our main characters.
Yes some people will hate this, but for me that is why I love Lost. I will miss it.