Walking around the Mall at Green Hills this weekend I noticed that the store next to Brookstone had been replaced with a black wall and an ominous looking cherry tomato logo. It can only mean one thing, Nashville is getting an Apple Store.
So why do I care?
I used to be a Mac guy. A virulent, hard core, dedicated Mac user. The obnoxious kind, with the T-shirts, web page graphics, and the magazine subscriptions. I was an evangelist. I was in love with Janie Porche and Ellen Feiss. There was no step three.
The first computer I had at home was an Apple IIc, which later was replaced by a Mac SE, and then a Mac LCIII, and then a Power Mac 6100, and finally a Power Mac 7500. I drove to Knoxville from my home in South Carolina to be the first one in line when the UT computer store opened to buy the 7500. I wasn’t the only one in line.
I cut my teeth on System 7, MacOS 8, flirted with MacOS 9…but I made the switch to PCs well before time that MacOS X finally shipped. By the end of my college career I was working in the architecture school’s print lab, it was the first year it was open and the PCs were faster than my now aging Mac. I finished my thesis on those computers and never looked back. When I started my professional career, everything was PC, since the workhorse software that architects use is firmly dedicated to Wintel. I didn’t fight it. My switch to the dark side was complete.
But I miss my Mac sometimes. And with the resurgence that Apple has seen over the past few years, and the new hardware offerings that call out my name, it’s hard to stay faithful. Perhaps I’ve already switching back…, I mean, I’ve got an iPod, but that’s more of a cultural thing than a computing statement. I use iTunes, but mostly because it’s easy and now I know lots of folks in the music industry who would be upset with me if I didn’t. I know that the Mac Mini would be perfect to play around with…but I just got a new laptop and I realize that having more than one computer is simply time-wasting endeavor. But I’m torn.
Bottom line, if you see me hanging around the Genius Bar waxing nostalgic, do me a favor: slap me and lead me to the Dell kiosk.
EEE!
OMG!
YES!
Sorry, my excitement briefly only allowed me to type in three-capital-letter bursts.
Thank you for the heads up. I actually was just at said mall this weekend, and didn’t even see said storefront. I’m so… said excited?
-Said Nicole
Why do I have this strange feeling that they don’t serve drinks at the Genius Bar.
First computer I worked on was a Mac. Then was introduced to a PC and I have never wanted anything to do with Mac since. I LOVE MY DELL.
20 years and counting for me… I doubt you could pay me not to work on a Mac.
To each his/her own.
Does Rex know about the apple store? If you walk by again, I suspect you’ll see him standing in front of the future location.