New York, Virginia Apple Stores open this weekend

I'm surprised by all those from Suffolk -- where are all these Mac people? I saw a bunch of people leaving with macbooks at 6pm on Saturday. www.zeroio.com

I've never been to an Apple opening before. In fact, the only other Apple store I've ever been to is the La Cantera store in San Antonio, where I finally bought my first iPod.

I got to MacArthur Centre around 10:15 and was absolutely stunned at how long the line was! I would guess there were at least a couple hundred folks in line if not more. This I did not expect. Fortunately, the line moved fairly rapidly and it was about 45 minutes before I got into the store. (And yes, I did get a T-shirt, and it looked like they only had about 20 left when I got mine. Also, they don't give you the t-shirt until you leave the store).

I was also surpirsed at how small the store is. I would guess less than half the size of the La Cantera store. This was another surprise considering that the population of the entire Hampton Roads area is larger than the San Antonio area - so how come we get a smaller store? Is it because this was the only size space they could get?

Because the store was so crowded, it was hard to get a real feel of the store, aside from noticing how small it is (if I had never been to the La Cantera store, I don't know that I would have thought it small). But it has everything you'd expect in an Apple Store. The staff, though way overworked and harried, were nevertheless the model of courtesy and friendliness. I spent a few minutes chatting with one of the Geniuses at the Genius Bar while I was filling out my sweepstakes card. Quite a nice and informed chap. I'm glad to know that when I return to buy a new Mini to replace my first generation Mini, I'll be able to walk out the store with the RAM upgraded (why does Apple insist on not putting enough RAM in their machines out of the box?)

All in all, I spent probably 30 minutes in the store. I would have spent a lot more time but it was just too crowded. But the staff definitely gets kudos for their unfailing professional and courteous behaviour.

Fortunately, MacArthur Centre is only about 25 minutes from where I live in northern Suffolk, so I can visit fairly frequently. I plan on going again later this week and spending some "quality" time in the store. I'm GLAD they didn't put the store in Virginia Beach. Beach folks tend to think that Hampton Roads revolves around their city, but 3/4s of the population of the area does NOT live at the Beach (I'm including the Peninsula in this area).

Don

Whatever people, if they were to put one in VA Bch it would be at Towne Centre. I am glad it is in Norfolk, no need to feed those people's egos trying to make a new downtown without having the courthouse.

I'm just glad they finally put one here in this godforsaken navy-injected transient area we call Hampton Roads.

MacArthur location "next to Harry and David" - Haha, now you can spend thirty dollars on pears, then go next door and spend a couple thousand dollars on an apple.

I was of the opinion that they should've put the store in the Virginia Beach Town Center, for the free parking and higher average incomes there, but the fact that all the expensive stores in MacArthur (Harry and David, Godiva, Brookstone, Nordstrom, and the like) are surviving makes me think enough big spenders are shopping MacArthur. And the Mac fanatics in the area will go out of their way to go there anyways (they were already driving an hour and a half to Richmond).

My guess for a Virginia Beach store: It'll be in Pat Robertson/CBN's yet-to-be-built shopping center.

Damn, we finally get an Apple Store in Norfolk, and I'll be out of town for the grand opening. Sucks. I'll just get my wife to go down there and stand in line.

Yuck, I hate-hate-hate driving through that labyrinthine section of streets they call downtown Norfolk. I might as well keep going to CompUSA for my Apple needs. Lynnhaven Mall in Virginia Beach would have been a much better choice, even as a standalone store.

Haha, I'll definitely be at the Smith Haven Mall one, I was just there.

Thank you Apple!

Finally! I live 5 minutes from Smith Haven Mall, I'll be there this Saturday and I'll be getting my iMac there.

Do Apple Stores have educational discounts? Or is that only online?

I'm psyched for the Lake Grove location. It's about time I got a local store. For anyone interested, I'm going to attempt to record my show The Geekcast (thegeekcast.com) from the opening. Feel free to say hi.

Yes! About time. I live in Suffolk, about 25 minutes from MacArthur mall. Finally not having to go to CompUSA and dealing with their sorry displays and ignorant sales people. (And for me, MacArthur Mall is significantly closer than either of the CompUSAs in the area).

Visited my first Apple store in San Antonio this summer and found it an aweseome experience (and actually broke down and bought my first iPod).

Glad Apple has finally made an appearance in Virginia's largest Metro area.