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Categories: Electronics, Computers [Edit]
Neighborhood: Back BayPrudential (Green)
Back Bay (Orange)
Mon-Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
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Why are all Apple stores so cool looking? You always see these hipster-geeks working there who are really into the newest, coolest technology.
My husband bought a Mac and then it crashed two years later. Bummer. So we took it to this place and they couldn't fix it but they gave him a new hard drive. It didn't take that long and they were quite friendly. It is fun to walk in and easy to navigate. When it's time to buy a new iPod, I'll be coming back.
Ok, I still love the Apple product, but their floorpeople need to chill the fuck out. I went in there with a friend last week so that he could get a copy of Snow Leopard and I felt like I walked into some sort of consumer version of Jonestown minus the suicide or something. EVERY.SINGLE.PERSON said hello to us with this cracked out smile and just kept asking if we needed help every 5 minutes. Seriously, every 5 minutes someone would ask us how we were doing, if we needed help, and it just got kind of overbearing. It's the -Apple- store, obviously their product range isn't huge since it's Apple products and add-ons (and the Genius Bar which I haven't hit up yet, but will need to soon) so chances are we either just want to browse in some iota of peace, or we do know what we want but don't want to talk about it yet.
I mean, props for having an attentive staff, but it really just felt ridiculously overwhelming. I know that Mac is a cult, and these standalone stores are like the holy land to Mac enthusiasts, but I think they're going overboard on the customer experience.
Did you know that they have an eco friendly roof? You can see it on google maps I believe.
So, years…
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As of today, I am officially 100% Apple operated. Steve Jobs, you now manage every technological facet of my life, for today, I have purchased the almighty 3GS 16GB iPhone. Communication has forever changed for me and I pledge my undying allegiance to Apple.
I don't know why I haven't done this sooner, as I'd been 2/3 of the way there with my computer and iPod for many years, but I guess after your BlackBerry breaks seven times in a year and a half, you just get pushed over the edge. A total of five BlackBerry curves and 2 Tours (the first of which I had for not even two months), and declared enough was enough. Spectacular Verizon network be damned. After a few deep breaths, I marched right into the Apple store on Boylston Street and said those five magical words: "I'd like an iPhone, please."
Needless to say, the people at the store were more than thrilled about by switch, but I still marvel at how nicely they helped...with such attention, efficiency and patience (I may have squealed in delight more than once). The entire process took less than 20 minutes and Dan was nice enough to help me set up some email and put the screen protector on for me. I walked out of the store with every thing I intended to get: a new phone, MobileMe, a case and a screen protector.
I am looking forward to my life being flawlessly synchronized without my having to download sixteen different plug-ins to coordinate my iCal with my Google calendar with god knows what else. I am looking forward to having access to everything in one place, to getting outstanding customer service via the Apple Store and of course, to using that amazing Yelp app.
Amen.
I don't know why Steve Jobs won't respond to my love letters but whatever, I still love him and this store.
I've had to stop into this Apple store a couple of times for some iPhone issues and the staff was quick, helpful, and not judgemental of my complete lack of understanding of technology. Each visit I have left satisfied with my questions answered and my problem fixed.
One thing I don't enjoy is the waiting to actually SEE someone. I'm kind of impatient (and by kind of I mean wicked) and I expect people to do what I want and when I want. *winks at future boyfriends* But I do have to say Apple can get away with this since I can book an appointment from the comfort of my macbook at home and show up at a time when they are ready for me. Or AROUND the time they are ready for me since I usually end up waiting 10 minutes beyond my scheduled appointment. Come on gais.
Another annoyance (which is nobody's fault except America's) is when idiot sticks roam in from the streets and get in the way of the shit that needs to get done. They just seem to clog the space with no intention of buying anything. And then they walk down the amazing translucent double helix staircase on the wrong side...KEEP TO THE RIGHT. I'm afraid of heights and walking down glass stairs with idiot tourists walking the wrong way causing me to let go of the railing is simply not cool. I guess I could use one of the elevators but I think I'd get more satisfaction out of shoving a tourist down three flights of helix. Lataz.
Speaking of which, my iPhone is being a jerk and I need to stop into this Apple this weekend. If you see any news stories about a tourist falling down the stairs, this review never happened.
Help me, help me please, I think I'm coming in my pants just writing this right now.
My iPhone. My iPod. My MacBook Air. EVERYTHING than I've bought that is REALLY important to me, I've bought here. (or the one in Manhattan, Fifth Avenue, same diff) I'm not sure I could LIVE without the Apple store. Everything they sell here is SO incredible, SO powerful, and SO aesthetically pleasing that it leaves me at a loss for words. Listen, I thoroughly believe Apple needs to branch out into other fields. Like, what's this thing that the President is trying to get passed? It's health, right? Well, he should just have Apple run it, then everyone would support it and it would get done right.
Apple. Do it.
Three floors of shiny, fancy toys.
Generally, the customer service is excellent. Everyone is really nice, knowledgeable and genuinely seem like they want to help you, no matter how busy they or the store is.
The genius bar is very good as well. 80% of the repairs I've gotten there have been quick and free. I recommend reserving a time in advance online if you're going during busier hours- a.k.a. lunch time, evenings or weekends. For the really pricey repairs, check independent shops before you take the plunge, however.
The products rock my world. I really love everything about them. The ease of use, the way they work with image design software, the industrial design. The only thing I have to complain about-and I generally don't- is that the price is inflated. That and I'm completely addicted to their products. I may leave my family in a burning building if it's the choice between saving them or my iPhone. Totally Apple's fault.
The design and atmosphere of the store itself goes along with the sleek, modern and airy design of the products themselves. Shop here, but careful...you may come home with some shiny new toys and a lot of credit card debt.
Incredible store experience.
Everyone is knowledgeable and nice - and the genius bar is the single best customer service experience I have ever had - they have fixed (for free) issues with my laptop, desktop and my iPhone. The folks know what they are doing and really care.
Disclaimer: I am a PC user.
Yes, I'm giving the "enemy" 5 stars. I accidently broke the shift key on my boyfriend's lap top in an effort to clean it (didn't realize you can't take the keys off a mac!). I went to the apple store on Boylston Street and they were SUPER helpful. I recommend making an appointment for the genius bar, or you might have to wait a long time. Fortunately I made an appointment and only had to wait a few minutes. The person who helped me Anthony (?) was very friendly, they happened to have the keyboard I needed in stock and he installed it at no charge right then and there. While I was waiting I was struck by how nice and professional all of the staff were with other customers.
Great experience at this location. Very glad I could get everything taken care of quickly and the best part is that it didn't cost a fortune!
I love Apple and everything to do with Apple - with the one unfortunate exception of this obnoxious store.
From the employees swarming over you at the door to having to wait up to 20 minutes to find anyone actually willing to help customers once you're inside, to the staircase that makes you trip going up it and gives you vertigo going down, to the non-functioning printers lavishly displayed just as though you actually could test print quality or scanning speed before you bought one, and finally - and most annoyingly - to the roped-off section where they're keeping the new ipods, smugly guarded by the hipster in those obscenely-cut pants but also sporting a Zach beard (how does that even work?! just no! ok? no!) who couldn't remember 2 questions for more than 30 seconds or tell me what recycling an ipod entailed...
If I could have recycled the old ipod through the site, I would have done that. I will buy everything else online, and save myself the trip back.
I'm sure I'm the only one who doesn't like it, though.
And so I'm pissy, and I'm ok with that.
I admit I just can't stand those godawful pants, and then the blatant inanity of the roped-off section with ONE employee - Pretentious much? Please.
First and foremost, I'm a huge Apple computer fan. My very first computer was a Mac. My very last computer will be a Mac.
The (relatively) new Apple Store on Boylston Street is magnificent from top to bottom. Stunning inside and out (i.e. no expense was spared). It's the kind of store one would expect to find in a world-class city such as Boston.
Equally impressive is the staff; friendly, polite and professional, which somehow lessens the frustration of having to shlep my computer to the Genius Bar for the occasional repair ... which doesn't come cheap.
Whether you are a proper Bostonian or simply here for a visit, I highly recommend a visit to the Apple Store. If the architecture doesn't bowl you over, the computers will!
Dudes. First off, I'm fairly certain my luke-warm rating is more a reflection of Apple corporate policies rather than any decisions made by the salespeople or geniuses. Every time I've been to the store, everyone has been super nice. HOWEVER! Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you got 'til it's gone?
I really thought that if anything ever happened to my iPhone, I'd be totally fine with going back to my old Nokia that turns off at random. Really. Turns out its TOTALLY not so. I started having problems with my iPhone last week, when it turned off and on for no apparent reason. I made an appointment, brought it to the Genius Bar, and was immediately told that since there appeared to have been some water damage (litmus paper in the charging socket) I had to buy a new phone for $200 (I already cracked the screen [it was a freak accident! Swear I'm not negligent] and was told the only thing to do is buy a new screen, for $200, which I did). It was $200 to buy the thing, $200 for a new screen, and now I'd have to pay another $200 to get it replaced? $600 for an iPhone 3G? Eff that.
Mercifully, the phone chose that moment to turn on, and the girl looked at the files, and some of them were corrupt, which she conceded could be causing it to sporadically shut down. She recommended a hard restart, which I totally planned to do as SOON as I got home, but then it turned off again. Blah. Went back, again, since the litmus paper had been activated, I was told my only option was to shell out the dough for a new phone. Like I said, I'm sure the geniuses are told that if there's any indication of damage not covered by Applecare (gah, like water damage) then they can't do anything. The Geniuses really were nothing but helpful - I think I'm just emotionally fragile right now because I can't check facebook/email/use google maps at will any more. And my text messages don't read like conversations anymore. And I can't check the weather in Bangkok. MOTHER OF PEARL!
It is hard to believe Steve Jobs lost his job at Apple to John Scully so many moons ago. He has been on a roll with Pixar, Itunes, Iphone, new Macs...
Now he has recreated the retail experience. It was probably cucial to control of his distribution. He has broken every law of retail and been incredibly successfull in doing so
Instead of having a homgenous identity ala Macdonalds, Apple seems to have many different shapes whether it is the Louvre like pyramid in NYC or the glass enclosure of the Back Bay
It would be cheaper to outsource the customer service, but bring it in store is...genius...To say nothing of the products and the packaging itself
Congratulations Steve...you win
As an impressionable child, I used to love going to Copley to see the FAO Schwartz massive bear statue thing, and to look at all the cool toys, and hopefully leave with one.
As a fashionable adult, now I love going to Copley and leaving the Apple store with cool toys instead!
I came here once on an errand (for super cool start-up http://www.runmyerrand...) and had to return a printer that was purchased with a gift card and a credit card. I had a receipt, but no plastic to back it up, and since the staff knew I was doing this on behalf of a friend, they gave me cash back, rather than issuing me a store credit that might have annoyed him. Customer service, check!
I also came here to purchase my first-ever iPhone, and sure, it took a while, but they got me the phone (along with protective cover that was seamlessly applied) and moved my service to AT & T on a Saturday night at 9 pm, which ain't too shabby. Again, stellar service.
Oh, and they make it possible to actually USE the display phones (and computers, and iPods oh my!) before you buy.
The phone, too, was returned days later, but not due to any lack of admiration or respect for the kickass products on offer here.
Once Apple helps accomplish the feat of moving the iPhone to Verizon, I'll be back to buy more shiny things!
My iPod is on the outs. It's been three years and like all of my other electronics, it is in on the conspiracy to stop working now that I am unemployed.
So I hop, skip, and jump into the Apple Store and am greeted promptly by one of the orange-shirted employees who listens to me go on and on about my iPod problem. He quickly gets me an appointment at the "Genius Bar" via a little doo-dad. It's about a 20 minute wait so I wander around the store.
There is so much technology. The store is so clean. I almost can't handle it. I picked up an Iphone. I put it down after not being able to make the Yelp app work. Yeah, technology maybe ain't my thang.
I try to take a peak at the iPods on the second floor. There are tons to try! Associates are friendly, not pushy, and happy to help. I'm still terrified and can't even find the music on the new iPods so I try to get to my appointment early.
At the Genius Bar I meet with Maggie, who is super friendly and tests my iPod battery and we determine that my battery is probably dying out and/or my charger cord is breaking. She gives me a few options for replacement ($59 for a replacement of the iPod I currently have or 10% off a new one). Without pressuring me into either option, I am able to ask questions, get answers, and walk away to think about what to do (and not feel bad about being scared of the new i-anythings!).
I'll probably get a new iPod soon but right now I'll deal with my breaking sad iPod but appreciate the awesome help I got. It's a great experience to go to the store and get your questions answered...so if you need help, get it!
A few things I noticed:
All of the geniuses at the Genius Bar wear glasses. Except for the one with the popped collar underneath said Genius Bar shirt.
Clean. Clean. Clean.
Tutorials for our elder generation.
A staff that eats, sleeps, breathes, (dare I say poops?) all things Apple.
Efficiency galore.
Plenty of computers to use *
They fixed the crack in the plastic within 24 hours and wiped out my otherwise-narsty looking screen. Thank you. They smiled kindly when I asked them to "take care of my Mac" and looked back sadly, owner separated from her pup.
*As I waited for my baby, which came later to me swaddled in plastic, I was able to do all sorts of things like check my e-mail and check up on flights to DC. I felt like one of those homeless people who come to the library because what else do they do with their lives really?
But in a classy way.
Switching to the Mac: one of my better life decisions.
I remember when I used to be incredibly jealous of all those MacBook owners - the device just looked so incredibly slick and relatively easy to maneuver (even for a PC user) with it's low energy consumption and excellent graphics that I just always wanted to get it. Unfortunately my cheapness always held me back - until yesterday. I took the plunge...and god it feels good!
Proud owner, albeit slightly broke, of a MacBookPro, iPod Touch, & Printer, I can definitely say that this was the least harrowing laptop buying experience ever. And even though I spent considerably more, I am happy. It's a pretty good deal that they have every year. You get a college discount when you buy a laptop, and after rebates, you can get an 8gig iPod Touch & Printer free! The rebate process is really easy as well. No messy mailing in through snail mail...they email the receipt to you and you can log in on the apple website and send your rebate it and it'll come to you within 30 days. I love it.
The store itself is great. It's on 3 levels and like every apple store, is all glass. The apple workers with their little backpacks are as always very helpful and don't push products on you. They mention them, but when you say no, they back away very easily. It's always kept immaculately as well and every time I've been in there it's always been such an endeavour to hold myself back from buying something. I guess all that pent up non-buying action made me get 3 things yesterday....
Regardless, great purchase so far and I was happy with the customer service as well. It's only been a day, but after playing with my new MacBook for hours yesterday I'm pretty sure I can say that I'm a lifelong MAC now.
YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!
I recently bought a new MacBook pro, keyboard, iWork, external hard drive, VGA adapter (for 2nd large monitor), protection plan and an external hard drive.
The sales associate who helped me was very friendly, helpful, informaitve, efficient, and not pushy sales-y. He let me shop at my own leisure and figured that I had been using MACs for a long time since I'm a designer, so didn't talk to me as if I were an idiot like a lot of people do in computer stores (non-Apple ones).
I was also glad that he put through my educator discount because I saved over 200 dollars on the entire purchase (I work at a university).
I only recommend the Apple store to friends buying a computer. If you want to run windows, you can do so on a Mac. Other computers and stores might be cheaper, but at Apple, whenever you are having a problem with your product, you can make an appointment at the Genius bar and when possible they will fix your issue for free.
The only reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5 is that it can get very crowded and sometimes it might take awhile if all sales associates are busy to get help. I suppose that is a good thing because that means that they are doing really well. Also, the parking in the Back Bay area of Boston can be a little challenging. My husband drove loops around the block while I did the shopping until he found a parking spot.
I am, and always will be, a Windows girl. Until the day I die.
However, I'm not against showing Mac some love (you just cannot tell Daddy I said this). So after a long day of shopping on Newbury, I stopped by the Apple store on Boylston. I had heard many tales about this location, and I wanted to see if Apple would truly live up to its' reputation.
While I didn't leave with anything (I could never cheat), I actually had fun browsing about. The building is 'green,' has a wicked rad staircase, and showcases wondrous products (all, of course, paling in comparison to my #1 love).
PS: Like Jen H. mentioned, Apple is abound with hotties. I tried to play up my Asianness in hopes of luring a cute nerd into my "Windows vs. Mac" debate/flirt, but alas, my attempts were futile. Darn.
And on the sixth day...
Okay, I'll stop there before I wildly offend someone. Besides, there's enough godification of Steve Jobs on the web already, but staring up at that suspended Apple logo from down below on Boylston does make
In the year since this place opened, I've stood in two long lines. First, for the grand opening, which stretched all the way to Comm Ave. Why? It made sense at the time. Second, for the iPhone 3G, where I befriended a variety of people who had no idea what they were talking about ("I heard from a friend's cousin who played bass in a band with Steve Jobs in the 1970s that the iPhone runs Windows Mobile, which is great because I can play World of Warcraft when I'm on the T") but were friendly nonetheless.
Worth it? Probably not. But that's the Apple appeal. Ever since my first Mac Plus as a kid - I've gone practically apeshit giddy over everything this company releases, and probably will stay that way until they start getting all virusy and stock-optionsy.
Phenomenal customer service. They've replaced my MacBook battery twice at no cost, apologizing repeatedly for the "less than perfect" quality and wishing me the best. You do have to make an appointment, but service is usually prompt and often dynamic and entertaining - this is not the Geek Squad, texting on their Sidekick while they "install" your fifteen-cable Sony Vaio.
Great store flow. I think you know that a ship is well captained when you are helped at every step of the way without feeling like someone's out to make a sale. When I wanted some extra storage for my iMac, the salesperson walked me through each model with brevity and tact. He avoided waxing on the irrelevant and left me to my own devices, not muttering anything but "Ok, have a great day!" when I said I would probably end up purchasing online.
All-in-all, prompt, efficient service, great atmosphere, helpful staff. Even the guy they hire to keep the stairs clean ("Did you know Steve Jobs holds a design patent on them, but he didn't even do anything to help build them? Crazy!") is cordial. Five stars.
i went to this store's "genius" bar today to fix a problem with my MacBook Pro, which I owned for just 10 months. Basically, I was working on my laptop when both the keyboard and the touchpad suddenly stopped communicating with my laptop. The fault was with a loose cable that you could reinforce by pressing down on it with your finger, just underneath the battery pack.
Anyway, this was my second visit because the previous "genius" failed to recognize that the loose cable was the real issue, so he sent me home after giving me a temporary solution. Only after experiencing the same problem that night, I finally figured out myself what was wrong with my laptop. I'm by no means a "genius", and I don't expect the staff at the store to be either, but shouldn't they have been able to diagnose this problem given that even I could do it with my ignorance?
OK, so everyone makes mistakes. That's fine. But what really made me uncomfortable was my 2nd visit to the store today. I met another "genius", who was very impatient among other things. I tried to explain to him that I visited yesterday and how I figured out the problem step-by-step, but he had this condescending attitude and cut me off, saying "just tell me what happened".
Even worse, as he was spending the 5 minutes generating a paper work for me to fill out to have my laptop repaired, he was giving me a sales pitch. He first told me that it would take 2 days to fix my laptop (he started generating the repair form even before asking me if I could leave my laptop there for 2 days) and when I told him that I should think about this, he told me that I should really get an "apple care" to move to the front of the line (have my laptop fixed within hours). Ah, so what you mean is that the regular warranty I bought with your laptop is actually a piece of crap and a gimmic after all? If you can be so rapid, why can't you be that rapid when other customers purchase warranty from you? I almost wanted to say this to him.
When I refused to purchase the apple care despite his persistence, he then went on to give a sales pitch on how I should buy an additional year of warranty. At this point, I smiled at him and said that I was concerned that despite my careful use and having owned my macbook pro for only 10 months (hardly any scratches or dirt on it), that they have to now replace the entire keyboard and top case. He said yes, that's a cause for concern. Then immediately went back to try to sell me another year of warranty. Perhaps he didn't get my message. If your laptop is so flimsy that despite a careful use for just 10 months, I need to have such major repairs, then perhaps I shouldn't be even looking at buying apple laptops. Why don't you tell me instead what I may have done wrong and how to avoid this problem again?
In the end, I think apple does produce robust devices and all my other visits were very pleasant. But my problem is really with the "genius" bar. I expect sales pitch from the sales staff, not a techie I'm trying to get an advice and diagnosis from, and from whom I expect an honest solution to a technical problem. How do you expect your customers to trust that when you suggest a solution that you're not just suggesting it because it will generate the most amount of revenue for you, rather than it being the most sensible solution to the problem? Working in a technical field my self, I think my experience at the "genius" bar amazed (in a very bad way) me because I don't expect technical staff to behave so unprofessionally. It's as if you go to a doctor and the doctor only suggests a certain medicine for you because he/she is getting paid by that pharma company.
A visit to this store and seeing all their gizmos really puts me in my place: so many things that I… Read more »
I was recently peer pressured by a google of Mac snobs to toss my albatross of a PC out my 2nd story window and get a MAC. For once, I used my better judgment and listened to the little voice whispering "live extravagantly for once" in the back of my head.
This place makes me feel high, like I just stepped into the home shopping network on an HDTV channel. The futuristic, transparent architecture is very white and sterile contrary to the movie set for Logans run with bright colors flashing. The staff are more computer savvy than Wikipedia and will answer any version of your repetitive questions sans the holier-than-thou attitude.
After dropping a whopping $2,500.00 on a MacBookPro, they tossed in a free Canon printer that works slightly better than the crappy HP printer I wrangled from Goodwill AND they added an iPod Nano because of their student special week.
Upgrade to modern technology: Complete
After HP screwed me over in every way possible I went into Apple with a one track mind. I literally walked in and said to the first person I saw "Just give me a computer".
They didn't try to up-sell me and the guy that helped me was sensitive to my near mental breakdown. I even got a free iPod touch with my purchase.
My Mac laptop went a little nuts on me a couple weeks ago and I could take it right into the store to have it looked at. Everyone was super friendly and again helped me through a mental breakdown.
I love this store!
I enjoy the iPod. I think it's a great invention. I now can keep my entire cd (remember those?) collection in my pocket. I also enjoy the idea of stores that I can walk into and not have to do everything online. I want to dump my money in this store, but the employees make me not want to do so. I would love it if there were just one place in the area were hipsters could drop the pretentiousness. Working in retail doesn't make you cooler than me, or anyone else for that matter. How can one who wears jeans that appear to be painted on, but pulls them down in the back to give themselves a baggyass be so high on their own ego? I just wanted to exchange a scratched case, but I had to stand around while a blue-shirt cool guy had to get permission from the bouncer, or whatever the hell the guys that are clad in black are. No part of my transaction had to take more than 8 seconds, but I had to spend precious minutes of my day off trying to find someone to help me out. This after fighting back the disorientation of walking up that staircase and realizing that I no longer knew which direction I was facing. Maybe I should have my inner ear checked.
As I was leaving, the hipster that was stationed at the door was staring at me like I was on my way to eat her Yorkie. After I gave her a polite salutation, she looked at me as though I had just come from eating her Yorkie. And smashing her Buddy Holly glasses.
A bigger Apple Store than NYC?! In Boston?! No way...?! WAY. Hah. Three glorious floors of Apple Products and hottie apple geniuses. (Did I just refer to someone most would consider a big 'ol nerd as a hottie? oh yes... I sure did my friend).
They have fun products all around to play with... and no one can ever argue that apple personnel don't (a) know their stuff, (b) pay attention to you, (c) work with the customer to make sure their experience is 5 star worthy.
Came in with a friend who needed to get a plastic cover thing-a-muh-bobber for his iPhone.. the older version. He'd gone to the AT&T store previously to get one, but they sold him the cover for the new iPhone - stating that it would work for both. They are iiiidiots. Apple people?! NO PROBLEM. Got it, offered to check him out right there with their handy dandy little devices: "Credit or debit?" -- My friend was needing to pay cash... No problem. We look like trustworthy people... so he put the plastic thing-a-muh-bobber on for him and then let us go downstairs on our own to the cash register to pay.
I love that they have both group classes (free) for new software, or 1-on-1 classes that you pay like $100 for the year. How handy is that?! I don't know about you... but I've been a PC user for a long long time. I switched to a MacBook after my PC that I got before going to college (circa 2000) had FINALLY started to give me issues again (had a few ish in college, but had a computer friend who always took care of it for me). After 8 years, I figured I could get a new computer... this time... a laptop like I'd been wanting for awhile.... and one of my good friends (who, is a bit Apple crazy if I'm being honest) convinced me to go Mac.
Well, Once you go Mac, you don't go back. That's all I'm sayin. I love it. It's great, and I have 100% faith in the Apple Stores, their staff, their knowledge, and their product line.
I would say I'd come to this store just to browse around because it is truly gorgeous with it's all glass everywhere... but I know that I'm weak and a recovering shop-a-holic and I'd end up buying something. So... you guys go... and tell me all about it! ;-)
All right Apple Store....you lost a point.
What happened to the stairs? I know the black carpeting you added before was not the most "fashionable" or "best looking" addition to your pristine store. But I didn't get so paranoid when walking up to the second or third floor. Now the carpeting is gone and I'm wondering "is it all of a sudden suppose to be easy to climb those see through steps? Were they playing some eeeeevil trick on us?"
Now, I'll go back to staring at the ground each time I climb. Womp, womp.
I wish I had more products beside my iPod to come in a gripe about, because every time I come in I… Read more »
After swimming through a Boston summer thunderstorm I arrived at the apple store, cold, wet and depressed because I had to go the whole way with out listening to my podcasts. When I entered the store a kind greeter offered me a small bag to wrap around my dripping umbrella. I cautiously make my way up the glass staircase to the Genius Bar. I was taken almost immediately (I had an appt) and with 2 fingers and a 10 second hold, my ipod was unfrozen and saved! I was a bit snarky because I was cold and wet, but this did not damper the Genius, he smiled and told me "Everything is okay now because your ipod is fixed." and you know what, for the rest of the day he was right
Amazing layout.
Knowledgeable and friendly staff. I feel welcome.
ThinAir. And they let you play with it for as long you want without interruptions.
I heard they have classes for slow peoples like me.
Perfecto. 5 Stars.
Im saving up for a ThinAir. I'll be back soon.
Why do I give this 1 star? So that you'll read it. I should have given it 4 stars for the same reason I give other places 4 stars. It's pie-related. Whenever I go into this place there's piles of girls everywhere. They've got Iphones, Macbooks, Ipods, and everything just laid out all over the place, confused about how to "add songs to my new Ipod" and fidgeting with their hair. The Genius Bar is less Genius and more Sort of Intelligent.
I went here yesterday with my banged up computer battery and they replaced it even though "it's considered depletable and AppleCare doesn't cover it" They gave me the new $130 battery for free and hooked my homie up with one too. It was mind boggling. Then I saw this girl on one of the genius bar stools with a pink thong chilling outside of the top of her jeans. She was like "um I have a .mac account that I don't use and I still pay for it because I love wasting my parents money, oh yeah I have UGGS on too and Seven 7 jeans on from like 10 years ago because I'm an airhead and I don't know anything about fashion"
I got sprung. I also met a hot girl at the Apple Store once and we chatted for a while about how I was the hottest guy she ever met and how my ipod headphones were broken. I forgot to take her number. What a bummer. If you're reading this, I'll throw your back out in a good way. Private message me on here, you won't regret it.
My iphone died! My iphone died!! Okay, it really didn't but the nice lady who had the bright orange "I am a manager" shirt on did a "hard reset" or something like that. And, voila! My iPhone was back in bidness! It took about one minute for someone to help me. And, off I went, skipping happily down Boylston. Thanks Apple Lady!!
Why is everyone in this store wearing pants? Like everyone. Khakis, jeans, ripped shorts, capris, potato sacks.. all pants. I'm not a pants fan (despite a pro-pants protest I was involved in at Faneuil Hall.. f'serious)OOHHH.. I see.. it's because there's a glass stair case to the upper floors.
Oh well.
This store is pretty entertaining. Besides all the pretty gadgets, the employees are ridiculously edumacated. I asked one of the chaps (well he came up to me first) about a part for my iPod and it was like he was giving me a Nintendo cheat sheet to where it was. Walk up the stairs.. hold your skirt tight to cover your lady parts (I added that one).. turn left 5 paces.. turn right.. walk 10 paces.. look straight 1 second.. look down 2 seconds.. walk to the right 1 pace.. check out black boxes with red, blue and green pictured cords.. pick up box.. reverse directions to get to cashier.
Word.
One minor "meh" moment was when they were trying to expedite the line and one of the cashiers used one of those handhelds to scan the credit cards off to the side.. but the credit cards weren't going through, so I had to get back into the regular line to purchase my goodies.
Eh...I was expecting some cool displays of things I can't afford to do with my Mac here, since it's the largest store EVAR. But I have to admit I was disappointed that it's the exact same as every other Apple store, just more of it.
The staff seemed friendly and helpful, the displays as good as anywhere else. Given my druthers though, I'd go to a smaller local store since you get the same products and the same service there.
Welcome to the glass box palace of desire.
Modern and open, the perimeter walls of the first floor you'll find shining white gizmos, MacBooks and iPods for the toying galore. Rarely is a station untouched. The store is alive with the flurry of activity.
Ascend the translucent double helix center staircase and alight amongst the gadgets on the second floor. Deposit your kiddies at the play area and palm or listen to the cameras, speakers, software and other accouterments.
Third level holds the Genius Bar for repairs, training and classes. There's also a reststop to admire the buildings across the way.
Above that, the super solar powered roof with gutters that recycles the runoff.
How does one company make manifest so much awesome?
Black turtlenecks and rolled up jeans 4ever.
I've always liked the look of this store since it opened last year, but I had never walked through the door until last Tuesday when I got an email stating that the Iphones were half price due to the forthcoming 3GS model. Needless to say I immediately reacted to the email and started online registration for my new phone. When I arrived at the Apple store the next day, the store employees couldn't have been more helpful.....quite unlike a visit to the AT+T store. The girl who waited on me whom I believe was named Emily promptly retrieved my phone and proceeded to suggest to me the accessories that I needed (skins, protective case, etc.) without trying to sell me half of the store. She gave me a quick rundown of how the Iphone worked, copied my SIM card and was very genuine in helping me with whatever my needs were. 5 stars for the store and service, and another 5 for my new baby :)
Wowza!
Extra star by merit that I no longer have to trek to Cambridge to get my Apple fix. Why couldn't they have opened this store before I moved to New York? Bitches.
Regardless, I've had the same Powerbook for five years. The thing has travelled with me back and forth across the United States, to China, to France, here, there, and everywhere and still remains in excellent condition. Finally, about a month ago, the power cord broke and my wonderful bosses bought me a new Apple Macbook, so I decided it was time to let the old boy go.
I took my two laptops in, gave them to the Genius Bar, told them I needed an immigration from one computer to the other, and the hard drive of the old one wiped clean. My technician was a cute little guy with lousy penmanship who performed the job in remarkable time, but I think he just had a crush on me or something. I have to say, Apple is kinda known for hiring hot nerds to work behind their genius bar and this place was SERIOUSLY lacking...may I burn in hell for saying so. I'm sure that they all have great personalities and are just terrific at what they do.
The wonderful thing is that this store devoted a couple hours of it's time to do something that I could have easily done myself, and charged me nothing for it. I could blabber on and on about how much I love Apple products, design, concepts, innovations, etc, but the most telling thing is the way that Apple treats it's customers after they have bought their product. Many companies could stand to learn a few things from them. Brilliant products combined with helpful, knowledgeable customer service make me a VERY, VERY loyal customer for life.
I wanted a Blackberry. I'm a long time Verizon customer and though I'm not loyal to them (because their customer service sucks, as do all cell phone companies) I didn't feel like paying to break my contract.
My husband is an Apple Apostle and has every product they make, I think. He has the original iPhone and was really talking me into getting the new iPhone instead of a Blackberry. I gave in and said "Ok, let's go get it."
There was a line upstairs 15 people deep of folks waiting to buy iPhones. And there was only 1 brightly colored Apple worker helping out folks in the line. Just 1. Now, I counted at least 7 brightly colored Apple workers wandering throughout the store helping no one. Why couldn't I get a phone from one of them?
After waiting 3 minutes in a line that did not move and did not look like it was ever going to move, I gave up. I walked myself right next door to the Verizon store and walked out with a Blackberry.
There are some things I will wait in line for, but not many. The iPhone is not one of them. For 3 days now, I have been listening to my husband tell me why he thinks I made the wrong choice, but I know it's only because he wanted to get his hands on another iPhone. I like my Blackberry.
Good store. Very helpful staff. Sometimes too helpful. Please don't follow me around like a puppy dog, when I want help I'll find you thank you very much.
The staff was quite knowledgeable and helped me get the one that I wanted. They also found a previously unknown discount, and helped with the one add on I was iffy about.
I'll write more if anything happens. Its so expensive here, thats Apple not the store, that its kinda limiting to what I'll buy but I'll keep it informed.
This place is great - but gets super busy.
If you want some one on one - it's definitely best to sign up online for an appointment - it's really simple to do. I did the 'personal shopper' service when I bought my macbook and it was really helpful. The service itself is free, but I'm sure I bought more than I would have otherwise.
The whole process was so simple, and the customer service was great.
I recently was back with a broken power cord and used the genius bar. They weren't super friendly - but they were really helpful and I walked out with a new powercord without any hassle in less than 10 minutes.
This was my first Mac computer and I LOVE it! It's so much better than the crappy Toshiba I had before!
I'm actually being all badass and writing my review from one of the snazzy computers in the apple store that i'm lusting over. sadly, my checkbook does not share in my lust.
the store is huge- apparently the largest in the country? and the people are super nice and helpful. however, they couldn't conjur up a 3G iphone, so they're not totally magical.
still..someday i'll be back to act upon my crush on this lovely computer.
His name is John Hodgman. He's the foppish, nerdy and somewhat grating personification of the PC always bested by Justin Long's Mac.
"Justin Long - you mean the guy who gets his face torn off in Jeepers Creepers (spoiler alert!) and starts his own college in Accepted? Whatta Dreamsicle." Yeah, that Justin Long. Now mop up, ladies.
And in the remarkably effective, often parodied ads, the poor John Hodgman - a guy just doing his job - is made to look the fool by an endearingly simple and sweetly cool twenty-something that does nothing more than coax PC after he inevitably announces his own shortcomings.
I give you John Hodgman, proud native of Brookline MA.
Folks, I have nothing against Apple. Their products rarely crash, use cutting edge technology and are made for the Everyman. What I am against is the use of institutional razzledazzle and awe-inspiring architecture to promote a product the tech savvy buy online. Why, you ask? Because your strength in standardized pricing is also a downfall, especially when every electronics retailer is carrying your product. This location, just like its brethren, is a hip Tech Support Colosseum blended with a wonderful library that makes you read the entire book in house.
Most technology providers get this conundrum. Cell phone and service providers have miniature stores for support issues and kiosks for handsets and accessories. They don't build behemoth product petting zoos underfoot a team of Geniuses tasked with whoring their cordial support approach - for a reasonable fee. Apple's SVP of Retail calls the Genius Bar "the heart and soul of our stores." Is it just me or is this counterintuitive to whole "stable and user-friendly" mantra of your iShit?
Two and a half because your glass and white store looks like your stuff. Plus, the staff really are non-threatening and friendly, just like a certain goofball who started his career in Galaxy Quest.
Congrats Justin, you outsmarted Massachusetts once again.
Ok, IAN. You helped earn your store an extra star. Ian was very helpful. I had purchased an iphone at at&t and was picking out a cover. Once I grabbed one, Ian came right over and rang me up on his handy-dandy portable cash register. He was super friendly and when I asked him about what applications I absolutely needed on my phone, he whipped his own out and let me play with it (close your dirty mind). He also was a total pro, carefully applying my case and screen cover, making sure every last bit of dust was gone from underneath. Thanks, Ian - good luck at school.
It looks pretty shiny on the outside. That's because they constantly have someone cleaning it. I… Read more »
Neighborhood: Kendall Square/MIT
Category: Computers
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Category: Electronics
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