Apple Stores Replace Kids' Table iMacs With iPads

newkidstable
Apple has replaced the iMacs that were previously on the kids' table at its retail stores with iPads, as first noticed by iMore. The switch is a clear sign of the direction the company is going, particularly with regards to its younger customer base.

The kids' table has been a staple of the Apple Retail Store since it the first locations opened more than 10 years ago. The original tables featured CRT iMacs surrounded by black balls from the Baleri Italia company for children to sit on. Apple, as is typical, spares no expense when it comes to its retail stores -- the chairs cost more than $500 each.

Over the years, as the iMacs themselves have been updated, Apple has replaced the machines with newer models, but this is the first time that a product other than a Mac has been featured.

oldkidstable
(Image of old kids table courtesy Flickr/Ralph and Jenny)

Top Rated Comments

GSPice Avatar
157 months ago
Just what we need. I am in my mid 20s and my IT education was primarily word processing and office applications. I pity those kids these days who won't even get the level I got, and instead spend their time consuming videos and pictures on these devices.

The goal of teaching kids how to code (as IT classes in schools should be) seems further and further away with each story like this :(

I'm pretty sure kids who want an IT education won't be stopped by the iPad.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Consultant Avatar
157 months ago
Just what we need. I am in my mid 20s and my IT education was primarily word processing and office applications. I pity those kids these days who won't even get the level I got, and instead spend their time consuming videos and pictures on these devices.

The goal of teaching kids how to code (as IT classes in schools should be) seems further and further away with each story like this :(

Why would everybody learn how to code?
Do doctors have to know how to code?
Do cab drivers have to know how to code?
Etc.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Peace Avatar
157 months ago
Those lil' kids on those iMacs in the second picture...

remember going in the apple store when i was 10 to play lego indiana jones on those things, aaaw! :D

Perfect example of what the average kid does with an Apple device in a store. Play. And that's what they should do. Play. If parents want them to code they can take their children over to a Mac. Otherwise kids will be kids and play and what better thing to play with than an iPad.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DTphonehome Avatar
157 months ago
Just what we need. I am in my mid 20s and my IT education was primarily word processing and office applications. I pity those kids these days who won't even get the level I got, and instead spend their time consuming videos and pictures on these devices.

The goal of teaching kids how to code (as IT classes in schools should be) seems further and further away with each story like this :(

Yeah! The kid's section should be Mac Pros with a full-screen terminal window.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Small White Car Avatar
157 months ago
Just what we need. I am in my mid 20s and my IT education was primarily word processing and office applications. I pity those kids these days who won't even get the level I got, and instead spend their time consuming videos and pictures on these devices.

The goal of teaching kids how to code (as IT classes in schools should be) seems further and further away with each story like this :(
Which is why all console game systems died out in the 1990's...because kids who grew up playing SNES and Genisis couldn't program on it none of them grew up to be video game designers.

That is what happened, isn't it? Maybe I'm misremembering.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OdinPoe Avatar
157 months ago
My goodness what I wouldn't give for at least one semi-substantial iMac rumor...

This does seem like a good move, the iPad tends to be a more intuitive experience from what I've seen with my own kids.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Apple Silicon AI Optimized Feature Siri

Apple Releases Open Source AI Models That Run On-Device

Wednesday April 24, 2024 3:39 pm PDT by
Apple today released several open source large language models (LLMs) that are designed to run on-device rather than through cloud servers. Called OpenELM (Open-source Efficient Language Models), the LLMs are available on the Hugging Face Hub, a community for sharing AI code. As outlined in a white paper [PDF], there are eight total OpenELM models, four of which were pre-trained using the...
Apple Vision Pro Dual Loop Band Orange Feature 2

Apple Cuts Vision Pro Shipments as Demand Falls 'Sharply Beyond Expectations'

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:44 am PDT by
Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a...
iPad And Calculator App Feature

Apple Finally Plans to Release a Calculator App for iPad Later This Year

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:08 am PDT by
Apple is finally planning a Calculator app for the iPad, over 14 years after launching the device, according to a source familiar with the matter. iPadOS 18 will include a built-in Calculator app for all iPad models that are compatible with the software update, which is expected to be unveiled during the opening keynote of Apple's annual developers conference WWDC on June 10. AppleInsider...
iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

iOS 18 Rumored to Add These 10 New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday April 24, 2024 2:05 pm PDT by
Apple is set to unveil iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on June 10, so the software update is a little over six weeks away from being announced. Below, we recap rumored features and changes planned for the iPhone with iOS 18. iOS 18 will reportedly be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, with new ChatGPT-inspired generative AI features, a more customizable Home Screen, and much more....