Three Apple stores in Australia for 2008

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Friday, 14 March 2008 05:58

Opinion and Analysis

That said, Next Byte stores have been Apple store-esque, with a range of Apple Macs and iPods on display for customers to play with, plenty of accessories and, generally speaking, helpful and courteous staff.

But the fact that Apple wants to open its own stores is a simple business decision, and part of the (thankfully) capitalist world we live in.

Next Byte stores and other Apple resellers around Australia will have to work harder to keep their customer base, and, depending on their contracts with Apple, might have to branch out into other technologies to keep the customers coming in.

With Apple’s iPhone supposedly due to be released in Australia this year, Apple’s stores could easily see the same kind of lines to be the ‘first’ to buy an ‘official’ iPhone, as happened overseas.

Apple’s push into embracing the business world, through Windows compatibility, XServe servers, Mac Pros with 8-core processors and the strong business-friendly elements of the new iPhone 2.0 software/firmware and MS Exchange compatibility due in late June should all help to ensure Apple’s stores aren’t just filled with consumer enquiries, but increasing numbers of business enquiries, too.

We’ll have more when the first Apple store in Sydney officially opens, something that should happen relatively soon, and will no doubt be accompanied by plenty of consumer and media excitement!