Apple Stores, and AirPort.

I'm not really good with digging up facts, so I guess I should ask you amazingly smart forum members.

I live in Vancouver, Canada. I really like Macs, because they just look so nice (Eyeing the MacBook Pro, especially now with Core 2 Duo).

The problem is, I don't like dealing with resellers, and I'd rather talk to "Geniuses" at an Apple Store than phone in for customer support. Unfortunately, Apple was awkward enough to open THREE Apple Stores in Toronto, and not one in any other city in Canada? What about Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary? I was wondering if anyone knows of plans to open an Apple Store in Vancouver.

Also, I don't really understand. What is AirPort? How come I never seem to hear the term being used outside of Macs?

 

I think Apple's retail expansion into Canada was more recent, and they probably picked Toronto to start out with.

I would guess that Toronto makes a lot of sense since it does have a pretty big creative community, and that's why they have multiple stores there.

Note there is a fourth Canadian Apple store, in Laval, which I understand is close to Montreal:

http://www.apple.com/ca/retail/carrefourlaval/week/20061022.html

I would imagine more retail in Canada will come soon. Most of these new Toronto stores and the one in Laval only opened this year and last year.

Regarding AirPort, it is just Apple's brand name for 802.11 wireless, also commonly known as Wi-Fi. The reason no-one else uses it is that it is an Apple trademark.

Apple was one of the first companies to integrate wi-fi support into their computers, and they introduced it with the AirPort brand name, which referred to the wireless cards themselves, along with the AirPort Base Station (which was an Apple-branded wireless router).

When 802.11g became available, Apple added support for it in a new set of products dubbed "AirPort Extreme".

 

I know...but I'd think that the spread a few Apple Stores around, instead of centering it into one city.

So now sign of a Vancouver store yet? Darn it.

And thanks for the AirPort info. So its just like any other Wi-Fi, right?

 

Yup, if you have an AirPort card in your Apple laptop, it will generally work fine with other wi-fi routers. And if you have an AirPort base station, other PC's with wi-fi will connect to it usually without any problems.

I think Toronto is big enough that it ended up working out for them to open multiple stores in different parts of the city; part of it did have to do with where they could get good leases, etc.

They do seem to be spreading out more (the Montreal area store just opened a little while ago), and I'm sure that there will be expansion into Vancouver sooner rather than later.

-Zadillo

 

Hahah I see your pain too, irfysis. I was looking for a Apple Store in Vancouver too (I live there too, duh!). Too bad, I gave up. Now I'm after Asus.

 

I'm really not sure what you all are expecting. Apple didn't even get a retail presence in Canada at all until 2005, and 2 or 3 of the stores only opened up this year.

Apple generally takes some time to open new retail stores, and they try to make sure they get ideal locations and places that will be able to serve the most people.

-Zadillo

 

But you do have it admit, it's pretty funny that there is an Apple store in India but not one in the city of Montreal!

 

I guess. Although again, the new Apple store in Laval, Quebec is in the Greater Montreal Area.

 

Apple is planning major retail expansion. I believe they are talking 40 stores a year, mostly in the US probably though. Unfortunately, as with everything Apple they try to keep it a little secret. You would see a little coming soon at the location, but they don't put anything on their website, and don't officially announce the stores until the day they open. Basically you won't know it's there until it is pretty much there.

 

hello GVRD people...

there is/was a store in Surrey that specialized in Mac products near King George Highway and 72nd Ave.

to be honest I don't know if it's still there

EDIT: ok, it's not still there, but I remembered the name, Simply Computing... they have a store in Vancouver and Langley

http://www.simply.ca/