I bussed it downtown this morning for the opening of Apple’s newest store. I arrived about an hour before the store opened and was surprised to find only a few people hanging out around the store’s Higuera Street entrance.

Once I turned the corner onto Morro Street, I found a line of people cued up halfway down the street. So, I went and joined them.

My place in line wound up being right in front of the store’s receiving door. There was pretty regular movement through here by the store’s employees.

While waiting in line, we were handed out Sweepstakes Entry Forms for a drawing that will be held at the store tomorrow. I heard that the grand prize is a MacBook, iPod and training sessions at the store. Don’t know if that’s true.

When it was time for the store to officially open, the employees (literally) ran out of the receiving door, clapping, cheering and offering high-fives to the customers in line. Then they entered the store through the front doors and lined up around the fringes of the store’s interior. The revelry continued until all of the customers were inside.

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Tags: Apple Computer, Apple Store, California, Flickr, podcast, Revver, San Luis Obispo
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…but they’re actually already here.

Awhile back, I noticed a black construction partition go up around one of the corners downtown. I didn’t pay it much attention at first. That is until last week, when I noticed a huge Apple Computer logo flanking a nearby intersection.

Last fall, I had heard that Apple was looking at opening a store in SLO. But their plan wasn’t accepted by the city, and the store was put on hold. A few months went by, and the city changed its mind. And, yes. Apple is coming to San Luis Obispo. I have mixed feelings.

I’m an Apple enthusiast. Jen and I both use Macs. I have an iPod. OS X rules. Yep. I’ve got the religion! And having another place in San Luis Obispo to buy Apple products isn’t a bad thing. That’s right. Another place. You see, there’s been an Apple dealer here in town for a long time.

The place is called Mac Superstore, and it’s been around since the late 90′s. Mac Superstore is an independent, Authorized Apple Reseller. That means that they do almost everything that a corporate Apple Store does. They’re just not owned by Apple. And now Apple is opening a shiny new corporate store right in the Superstore’s backyard. That’s not fair.

I heard a radio interview with Mac Superstore owner Shane Williams that originally aired last Thanksgiving. Back then, it looked like Apple’s plans for installing a store in SLO weren’t going to pass. While Williams was hardly upbeat about the proposed store, he didn’t seem overly concerned, either. Williams did point out that Apple’s desire to expand into San Luis Obispo seemed counter productive; Mac Superstore is a succesful outlet for Apple products. Why bring in an element that would provide direct competition to an established Apple vendor? The answer is simple: Greed. Apple saw Mac Superstore’s success and realized that the central coast is a good market for its products. Instead of rewarding the local shop for its hard work and partnership in spreading the Apple brand, Apple has chosen to move in and take control. There are only two instances where this kind of business model is in practice: Corporate America and the mob. Who knew Steve Jobs had anything in common with Tony Soprano?

Anyway, I’ll be there when they open that fancy new Apple Store. I’ll marvel at the spectacle of the shop’s modern design. I’ll become filled with the lust for new high-tech computer stuff. And then I’ll head across town to Mac Superstore and get my fix.

(Photo also available through Flickr.)

Tags: Apple Computer, Apple Store, California, Flickr, San Luis Obispo
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