Apple This

Whether you are crazy about Apple’s products or not I think there is one thing we can all agree on and that’s the fact that Apple’s physical stores are pretty cool. Not only are they bright, inviting and slightly futuristic looking but they also allow you to literally pick up and play with every single device that Apple currently has on the market. Plus they also allow you to bring in your Apple products for repair, allowing you to get them fixed by true Apple professionals.

So that is why it is no surprise that over a thousand people showed up to the grand opening of the very first Apple store in South America. Over 1,700 people came to the Village Mall in Rio de Janeiro’s famous Barra de Tijuca neighborhood this past weekend to check out Apple’s first physical venture in the country.

You would have thought it was Black Friday in Rio as potential customers started standing in line on Friday. Around 163 people stayed overnight for a chance to be one of the very first customers through the doors when they opened on Saturday morning.

According to the local Brazilian newspaper the Globe, Apple had anticipated as many as 1,500 people to attend the store’s grand opening with the company being more than overjoyed when that number was easily surpassed by the eager Apple junkies. Apple’s own CEO Tim Cook even took to Apple’s Twitter feed to show his appreciation for the country’s support and to those who visited, which is the first time Cook has done something like this for a store opening.

The picture (seen below) was accompanied by the text “‘Obrigado’ to everyone who visited our new store in Rio de Janeiro today and to our terrific customers across Brazil!” For those of you who don’t speak the language, “Obrigado” is Portuguese for “thank you”.

South America, with special attention on Brazil, is becoming a very important market for Apple as the company seeks to expand beyond traditional markets in the United States and Western Europe. Brazil is home to a very large population that has a fast-growing economy along with an expanding middle class.

While the out pour of support for this Apple store in Brazil is definitely a great start for Apple in the country, the company still has some hurdles to overcome. Brazil has some of the highest import taxes around, meaning Apple’s products almost twice as much as they do in the United States. Apple has, however, started manufacturing some devices in Brazil, perhaps as a way make some products more affordable for Brazilian natives.

The future for Apple in Brazil is still unclear, though if this showing of support for the first retail store in the country is any inclination then Apple could very well have stepped into a very lucrative market. The next best thing for Apple to do now is to find a way to make products cheaper, or at least comparable, for South American consumers.

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While I’m not a huge user of Apple products (all I have is the newest version of the iPod Classic), I will say that I do like their stores. Apple stores just look so fun and inviting that I always have to stop in when I pass one. I think one of the biggest draws for me is the typical all-glass front of the store. It’s like looking into another world. However, some people don’t appreciate the style, like 83-year-old Queens, New York native Evelyn Paswall.

According to reports, Paswall is suing the technological juggernaut because she accidentally ran into one of the company’s glass doors at a store. That’s right, she ran into the door and is blaming Apple for it. The total amount Paswall is seeking is reportedly $1 million but what she needs to do is ask herself if it’s all going to be worth it in the long run?

It was reported that Paswall broke her nose on the door of a Long Island Apple Store. Man, those post-modern glass-like doors, walls and floors that are used in almost every Apple store mean business! Paswall claims that she was unaware that she was walking into a “wall of glass” as she approached the Apple Store entrance, noting that she broke her nose after hitting the surface.

In her suit Paswall claims that Apple was negligent in “allowing a clear, see-through glass wall and/or door to exist without proper warning.” It was reported that she is seeking a total of $75,000 for her medical expenses and the remaining $925,000 for negligence on Apple’s part.

I don’t care how old you are or how senile you’ve become, to sue a company because you were too ignorant or because you didn’t think that a store filled with expensive and valuable technology wouldn’t have doors on it is your own fault entirely. Did she not see the metallic handles that completely contrast the door? Or the drastically different tile of the store floor that in no way resembles concrete? Or maybe it was the reflection from all the lights in the store that she didn’t notice.

Even if Paswall does win the $1 million she is seeking, it will barely make a dent in Apple’s mountain of money (I’m pretty sure Tim Cook has a literal mountain of money that acts as his office). Apple is by far one of the most (if not the most) successful companies in the history of the world. $1 million to them is like a nickle to everybody else.

Source: PC World – Million-Dollar Lawsuit for Running Into Apple Store Glass Doors?

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In an ongoing investigation, even more local Chinese retailers have been found to be selling Apple computers and products under the Apple name, without the permission of Apple itself.

Reuters has reported that 22 more unauthorized Apple retailers have been identified by Chinese authorities in Kunming, located in the southwest region of China. As a result of the bust, the retailers have been forced to discontinue the use of any Apple branding in their stores, mimicking a similar effort that started earlier this week in Beijing.

These crackdowns come a little less than a month after a high-profile blog post on the phony shops, which featured a lookalike shop in Kunming, which led to the closing of two stores in the area. A Reuters story a few days later noted that the same investigation that led to those closures also found out that all of the five Apple stores in the area were selling Apple-made products purchased from third-party authorized resellers.

A report from China Day earlier in the week stated that officials in Beijing have taken steps to keep fake Apple retail stores in the area from duping customers, forcing them to cover up any Apple branding from the front of their stores.

While Apple has yet to comment on the fake stores, Reuters noted that the investigation that led to the identification of the 22 stores originated from Apple China targeting the stores for unfair competition and trademark violations.

Apple filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in the U.S. a couple of weeks ago which suggests that the company has been busy on a similar effort here in the states. The suit, which was filed in New York, takes aim at three companies and 52 individuals.

Source: CNET – Report: 22 more fake Apple stores found in China

A new report about Apple is claiming that the company is planning on updating the “Apple Store” retail app  on iOS to include support for build-to-order Mac purchases during a complete retail overhaul.

According to sources at MacRumors, Apple is planning on revamping the Apple Store application for iOS  devices along with other upgrades planned for Apple’s online and build-to-order retail operations.  Sources have indicated that this new updated app will arrive on Sunday and come with “full support for customizing build-to-order Macs” identical to the wide range of options currently available on the Apple online store.

The current Apple Store app only supports stock configurations as well as a few options like AppleCare and One to One. After the update, Apple customers will supposedly be able to customize their processor, memory, hard drive and other hardware options for each Apple mode. Customers will even be able to get select software titles for reinstallation.

Apple has also planned a series of major updates to both the online procedures as well as the in-store procedures. These are also supposed to take place on Sunday, May 22, 2o11. Apple took the order status feature on its website offline on Friday and is set to bring it back online in order to update the systems.

In addition to that, Apple has also begun amassing iPads that will run an updated version of Apple’s in-house RetailMe software and will be distributing these iPads to retail employees. Retail stores for Apple will also hold early morning and evening meetings that are mandatory for employees. These meetings will be held in order to implement the changes set for Sunday.

Apple released the first retail store application for iOS back in June which allowed customers to browse and purchase Apple products and accessories. It also helped customers stay up to date with in-store events and also allowed them to make appointments for Genius Bar and One to One.

Apple also updated the Apple Store app to allow customers to check in for appointments while at Apple retail locations. Apple has also reportedly developed an internal Concierge application for iOS which allows retail employees to manage queues as well as appointments.

Source: AppleInsider – Apple to add build-to-order Mac options to ‘Apple Store’ iOS app

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