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Apple Revamps Retail Stores with Interactive iPad Displays

Saturday May 21, 2011 9:30 pm PDT by Arnold Kim
Photo by @Leoleakey

The much hyped retail meeting took place overnight in several parts of the world. Apple seems to have deployed major updates to their Retail stores including the use of iPads as interactive kiosks for customers. MacPricesAustralia posted some early details (via 9to5mac):
- iPads display product prices & information for products.
- iPads display product features, prices and lets you compare between models.
- Use the iPad to ask a specialist to come to you.
- Apple store staff appear to be wearing party hats.
Photo by @Digisz


MacStories offers some additional shots of the iPod display:



And iPads selling iPads:



Some observations: the interactive iPads aren't powered through the Dock connector. The cabling disappears behind the iPads. The home buttons don't do anything.
[ 332 comments ]


Top Rated Comments

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Surely
99 months ago
Looks very cool, but no wonder there's an iPad shortage! ;)
Rating: 24 Votes
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newyorksole
99 months ago

Very nice! They're kinda going green by not wasting paper/plastic every time a price is changed.


but they are using more electricity ;)
Rating: 19 Votes
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DavidLeblond
99 months ago
Am I the only one that looks at it and says "thats one too many cables laying around on that table." I think it looks ugly.
Rating: 17 Votes
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Warbrain
99 months ago

Very nice! They're kinda going green by not wasting paper/plastic every time a price is changed.


If you forget how much energy went into making that device, the hazardous materials in that device, the energy it wastes sitting there on...
Rating: 10 Votes
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mattdo93
99 months ago
Am I the only one who doesn't mind keeping the old price tags? :confused: That's a big power drain right there for Apple.
Rating: 9 Votes
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chasemac
99 months ago
I want to see what those party hats look like.
Rating: 9 Votes
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arn
99 months ago


iPads selling iPads...
Rating: 8 Votes
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AidenShaw
99 months ago

That's a lot money on iPads.


No problem, you're paying for it.

Cha-ching - profit margin!
Rating: 8 Votes
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smileyborg
99 months ago
I don't think this is as expensive as you guys think. Probably only a cost of $200-250 per unit. This is Apple, remember, with so much cash they don't know what to do with it.

On a different note, I don't like how the iPads seem to blend in with the products they are supposed to be selling. It's hard to tell what's for sale and what's the "sign" now -- especially with the iPods and iPads. They should have made a nice aluminum or wood enclosure that left only the screen visible to "hide" the iPad's bezel and frame, as it's distracting when you are looking at a MacBook or iPhone or something.
Rating: 8 Votes
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baryon
99 months ago


- iPads display product features, prices and lets you compare between models.
- Apple store staff appear to be wearing party hats.


So based on all that info, I have made a mockup of what a Genius might look like today:



They still have different colored t-shirts and also dance around in circles and sing songs. But that's just pure speculation.
Rating: 7 Votes

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