Steff.me

On Saturday I went to an Apple Store opening, in the city I’m currently living in for Uni. I didn’t sleep at all on Friday night, so when my roommate woke up around six to head to town I decided to wander along with him. We weren’t the first ones there but we were close. In front of us were “press” people and two students, named Stav and Joe (from a college I can’t remember the name of) who had travelled in to Exeter for the opening.

Thank you to m-i-x for this photo.

Thank you to m-i-x for this photo.

I’ve only been to one other opening, in Brent Cross, which wasn’t overly spectacular. I’d heard how Apple employees were really enthusiastic and knew how to make it a real event but in Brent Cross, they just seemed bored. Fortunately, Princesshay was completely different.

Thank you to joe:allam for this photo.

Thank you to joe:allam for this photo.

After they had their quick run around the queue outside, the employees hastily made their way back inside and lined up on both sides of the store. I don’t blame them for not spending too long outside, it was minus five degrees according to the weather widget on my hacked iPod touch. After that, the doors were opened for the customers.

High-fiving every employee I walked passed with their hand out, I made my way to the back of the store and wandered upstairs. I’d made my Apple-related purchases for this year, so I wasn’t really there to look at the products. The aesthetic design is the same as all other Apple Stores I’ve seen, stylish and minimalist and oh-so-very Apple — only lacking a giant “Design in California” stamp.

I did, however, stop to check out the iPhone. This was the first time I’ve had chance to look at that device and so I was very eager to. I expected it to feel chunky and cumbersome, compared to my iPod touch, however it really didn’t. It felt the right weight, a good size and I much prefer the rounded edges of the iPhone to the sharp ones of the iPod touch. The iPod touch also feels a little bit fragile at times. It’s such a thin device (for what it is), that I sometimes feel it’s going to snap in my pocket.

I guess what I’m trying to get at is, I want an iPhone. Just a shame that I’m already stuck in a contract with O2 until next summer. Oh well.

In further playing around with the iPhone my roommate took a photo of me and emailed it to my email address.
Sender: ars279.506@mac.com

Sent from my iPhone

I also added his phone number to the iPhone’s address book, under the name “Bob Johnson”. After leaving the Apple Store we headed to Starbucks, where Bob Johnson received a good few phone calls from people who were curious and playing with the iPhone just two stores away. Dan (Bob Johnson) also received a number of text messages such as:

• dickhead
• sos
• sorry that was my m8

I really have to give it to the employees. They made a normal, boring opening of a shop into a real event. Props.