New Apple iMac

I bought a new Apple iMac this week. It wasn't just that I'd had enough of my PC's recent bout with spyware infestation. I just picked up a little contract gig that required a Macintosh ... And my old Macs just weren't up to snuff. I needed something with enought horsepower and screen real estate to handle the page layout chores.

After checking out the online Apple Store, as well as a host of catalog retailers like MacConnection, MacWarehouse, and MacMall, I decided to check out a real world Apple Store. So I hopped into old paint, popped down the top, and took a ride to the Apple Store in the Short Hills Mall. It wasn't until this trip that I really understood the place of the Apple Store in the retail world. To say the least, it was a mind-altering shopping experience ...

After zipping up the Interstate, I parked the car in a shady spot in the lot and headed into the mall through the Nieman Marcus store. I was fortunate to have parked in the right lot. After a short walk through Neiman Marcus, I found myself at a mall directory, where I learned that I was just a handful of stores away from the Apple Store. I walked past the Fendi, Hugo Boss, and Armani stores ... and there it was ... basking in a etheral white glow ... the Apple Store. Instantly, it made sense. Fendi, Hugo Boss, Armani, Apple. Does anyone wail about Fendi's, Hugo Boss', or Armani's tiny market share when compared to the mainstream? Of course not.

Fendi, Hugo Boss, and Armani are designers. And so is Apple.

Upon walking into the Apple Store, I was amazed by the buzz generated by the iPod. There was a cart of iPods behind the counter and people were literally lined up to buy them. Lined up to buy MP3 Players. Brilliant! The pink mini iPod seemed to be the most coveted of all. The sales associates were apologetic about the backlog of orders for pink minis. There were plenty of silver and blue units, but the pink units were nowhere to be seen.

But enough of the iPod. I was on a mission to buy a new Mac. I had the G5 tower in my sights, with a 23" cinema display screen. In my sights, in my dreams, but as it turns out, not within my financial resources. When I did the math, that magnificent dual processor G5 tower and monstrous monitor turned out to be just a little bit too pricey for my budget. So I had to compromise. I ended up with a 20" flat screen G4 iMac for about half the price. That's just over two grand for a killer little box with a big gnarly monitor and a SuperDrive.

My sales associate was awesome. I have to say that in all the computer purchases I have made over the years, both PCs and Macs, this was the the most pleasant experience of all. There was no pressure, whatsoever. And every single one of my questions was met with an informed answer.

When I brought the car around for pickup, an Apple Store employee brought the computer out to the car and waited for me to put down the top and carefully wedge the iMac crate into the passenger seat. Never once have I had a big box store show me the same level of customer service.