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Great White North (6/27/98)
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Apple's slow climb back into the consumer market should accelerate quickly once the cute and lumpy iMac makes its debut on store shelves this August. Unfortunately, since Apple pulled out of a significant portion of the retail space a few months ago when it yanked Macs out of all national retail chains except for CompUSA, there are fewer shelves on which to display the iMac when it's ready to sell. The fact that CompUSA keeps opening new stores is therefore a good sign for Apple, and the news that CompUSA is buying the entire Computer City chain is also a boon. Whether CompUSA converts existing Computer City stores (adding Apple sections in the process) or closes them (sending customers to existing CompUSA superstores), Apple stands to gain a little visibility among consumers in the U.S.
But whither Canada? CompUSA sells only within (surprise!) the U.S.A., whereas Computer City stores also sell to our neighbors to the north. Well, the good news is, with the CompUSA buyout, Computer City stores in Canada will stay open-- and they'll each gain an Apple store-within-a-store. A MacNN special report notes the happy development, and includes comments from several readers who report that a few of the Canadian Computer City stores have had Apple salon stores for months now.
Now, while there are only seven Computer City stores in Canada, we still take this to be positive news. And if CompUSA decides to use Computer City as their official "over-the-border" brand name, at the rate CompUSA's been opening new stores domestically, it's entirely possible that those seven will begin to multiply. Imagine, dozens of shiny new Computer Cities, dispensing thousands of sparkling Bondi-blue-and-Ice-white iMacs to our northern continentmates. Today it's just a dream, but what a glorious dream it is...
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 6/27/98 episode: June 27, 1998: Canadian Mac buyers haven't had the "benefit" of ubiquitous CompUSA's and the Apple salon stores within, but the Computer City buyout may change all that in time. Meanwhile, the ongoing drama of Apple's slot-deficient computers may be reaching a satisfying end, and there's less time to wait for an iMac than you might think...
Other scenes from that episode: 811: Slots For Everybody (6/27/98) It would appear that Don Crabb has finally received the last word (for now, at least) on Apple's plans for the number of PCI slots to include in its upcoming high-end G3 Power Macs. In short, don't hold your breath waiting for a six-slot box... 812: Waiting For iMac (6/27/98) It seems like the whole Mac-using world is holding its breath awaiting the arrival of the iMac. We at AtAT are so used to hearing release dates of "ninety days" that we often forget that time marches forward; the iMac isn't due in ninety days anymore-- it's due in forty-four!...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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