Apple Stores: Australia, Canada, UK

About time for the UK. Some of their partners here are still displaying beige Macs in their displayes (e.g. Harrods). The brand needs firming up here.

As for Nextbyte acquisition. I was in Australia earlier this year and needed someone to look at my TiBook and they didn't really seem interested in providing support. An Apple take over would probably be a good thing.

Sanjay

This is going to slaughter some of the better (smaller) resellers and line the pockets of big sucky resellers -- NextByte, MyMac etc. No doubt Apple will pick up quite a few nextbyte stores, if not the whole chain.

Apple Australia resellers currently make under 6% margin on Apple Hardware -- this will definetly kill the smaller resellers :(

Woooohooooo! UK Store! About bloody time :p

Originally posted by ssamani
I was in Australia earlier this year and needed someone to look at my TiBook and they didn't really seem interested in providing support.

Hardly surprising -- it's nextbyte, they shift boxes. That's what they do to stay afloat.

Other resellers like Metek in Melbourne who make tech support their business will help you out.

Also, NextByte don't have the proper accreditations to open up your laptop. They have to ship it to another dealer, pay for the service, whack a nice fat juicy nextbyte margin on top and give it to you. If you're wanting free warranty service on your 1 year international warranty, they will tell you to piss off (hopefully in nicer terms, but not necessarily -- service there also sucks).

Apple still doesn't allow non-educational purchasers to get 3 year international warranty (even if you've got your checkbook ready). For anyone who travels with your laptop, I'd really encourage you to write a letter to steve jobs, complaining about this out-dated policy.

-j

Originally posted by edesignuk
Woooohooooo! UK Store! About bloody time :p

Australia and Canada, obviously, will have Apple stores way before the UK gets to it.

Great news about the UK!!! I live in the second largest city in the UK + I dont know where to go to see Macs unless I go to PCWorld! Thats how bad it is! Even PCWorld does not show all products (they are better than they used to be).

Originally posted by j763

Australia and Canada, obviously, will have Apple stores way before the UK gets to it.

Thanks for raining on my parade :( j/k
I was just a little excited ;) :D

I assume they mean more stores, not stores. There are apple stores in Australia, i was in one a few hours ago.

Originally posted by sharvari
I assume they mean more stores, not stores. There are apple stores in Australia, i was in one a few hours ago.

'Apple Centres' are not technically 'Apple Stores'

I say: bring it on.

Apple could use some more exposure in Oz.
(Not to mention New Zealand, hell even Iceland has a 'Switch' ad!)

i_b_joshua

Originally posted by j763
This is going to slaughter some of the better (smaller) resellers and line the pockets of big sucky resellers -- NextByte, MyMac etc. No doubt Apple will pick up quite a few nextbyte stores, if not the whole chain.

Apple Australia resellers currently make under 6% margin on Apple Hardware -- this will definetly kill the smaller resellers :(

if apple also "aquire" the staff of nextbyte nothing will change. a lot of them are as thick as two planks. i'll be sticking with the single shop reseller i'm using now.