Menard's To Dickinson; A Note For The Granddaughters

Link here, scroll down to June 22, 2012.

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A Note For the Granddaughters

I had not planned to visit the Apple store at "The Shops at the Prudential Center" in Boston today but I did. It's a long story why I went today but not worth writing about (which is probably true of the rest of this note, also).

I am always amazed when I go to an Apple store. The one at the Prudential Center, on Boylston Street, is a huge, 3-story building. Again, as usual it was very, very busy when I was there, just after it opened, 10:00 a.m. Friday morning, today.

I found what I had been looking for and struck up a conversation with one of the employees. I asked him -- it was my impression -- that all the "things" Apple talked about at their most recent conference were available now, except for the new operating system, Mountain Lion. He thought for a moment, and then agreed, to the best of his knowledge that was true. He said that anyone buying an Apple product after June 11, and, requiring the new operating system could get it as a free upgrade when it becomes available later this summer. I think I heard him say the new operating system would be out sometime in July.

I asked him what he thought of the new Microsoft mock-up, the Surface. He suggested I look at this video:

We both agreed that one has to give Microsoft credit for the keyboard cover. If Apple can "copy" that without really "copying" Microsoft, that would be great.

The Apple store is as amazing as ever. I think there were ten employees behind the Genius Bar on the third flood; customers were waiting their turn to be helped. Meanwhile in the front section of the third floor, they had individual tables for group training and individual training. In all, I counted 22 -- twenty-two -- Apple employees on the third floor. On the second floor there were ten employees. I forgot to count those on the first floor -- I got engaged in a conversation with one of the employees, but I think there were about six employees on the first floor. That's a total of at least 38 employees. And they were all engaged with customers.

There were at least two security men which I had not seen before, one each on the second and third floor, and I assume there was one on the first floor that I simply didn't see. Again, there was no cashier per se, but unlike before where any number of employees might be walking around able to make a sale, this time there were specific locations where folks made their purchases. No cash. All credit cards. And no paper receipts unless one wants one. The receipt is e-mailed to your home address. Upon swiping my credit card, my e-mail address popped up on the screen. He confirmed with me that it was my address. I think the entire process took 30 seconds; it would have been faster had I been focused on the task at hand.

Oh, the retinal display. Simply incredible. One has to see it to believe it. It is not a gimmick. It is real.