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Apple's Burnt Bridges


Amdist reports of Apple Store and Sears customers getting priority over retail chains for iBooks, vendors such as CompUSA are disturbed to say the least. First-time Mac buyers would be the group that suffers the most if Apple burns its bridges with CompUSA.

This is disheartening, as Apple’s commitment to the retailchains is growing more and more suspect. I can tell you that everyday nowthat I get at LEAST 1 different person who pre-booked iBooks thru us askingwhere they are? When are they going to arrive?(all I can honestly reply ishopefully soon) and, How will I know if I will actually get mine?!?(Pre-books get highest priority, including higher than setting up the demo.If fewer come in than pre-ordered, then priority goes to oldest pre-books.All laptops are stored back in upgrades, and all the upgrades staff knowwhat to do when they arrive).

As stated, CompUSA has NOT received iBooks (well, at leastnot my CompUSA) yet we *may* get them in today, if we are lucky. Ifanything, CompUSA should have recieved higher priority than Sears, simplybecause as Apple says, we are their national retailer. I am starting to fearApple is getting overconfident from all of it’s profitable quarters andbecoming greatly insane.

If Apple is trying to move away from CompUSA and MicroCenter for it’sretail chains, it would be a massivily stupid move. A *LOT* of new computerusers go through large computer retail chains for their first computer, andNOT Sears, and ***definitely*** not the Apple Store, since they don’t have acomputer in the first place. If Apple moved completely to Sears, then thenumber of first-time computer users buying Macs will drastically drop, andApple’s market share will fall again. Seriously, if you were a first-timebuyer with no computer experience, either Mac or Windows, would you go to astore with salesmen trained for computer sales, or Sears, where salesmenalso sell sweaters? My feeling is most would pick CompUSA or MicroCenterover Sears.

By Jason O'Grady

Founded the PowerPage in 1995.