Visiting Danbury's Apple Store

Apple Store at Danbury Fair Mall.

I don't get out much. So although I've been a Mac owner for many years, until last week I had never seen the inside of an Apple Store. I always imagined that visiting one of the stores would be a magical experience, though I admit I was vague on the details. But when my computer broke down and I had to take it to an Apple Store, I finally got a firsthand look.

Lordy! The store in Danbury was a nightmare. It was one long room filled with people, all of whom were talking. The problem was that the room's acoustic features amplified all sounds. It reminded me of a supposedly chic new restaurant that opened on 8th Avenue when I lived in Manhattan. It wasn't until opening day that anyone, including the owners, learned about the restaurant's sound issues. Every fork that clinked on a plate and every glass that was set down on a table echoed wildly throughout the place. No one could stand it and I think the placed closed shortly after opening. The Apple Store had a similar problem.

I have to give them credit for one thing: they have a ton of workers there. Each carried an iTouch (it's like an iPod) in their hands. It's apparently how they keep track of the customers. I didn't grasp the concept at first. When I first got there, one of them told me I'd be called when it was my turn. But after 45 minutes during which no one's name was called, I asked one of the workers how I was supposed to know when it was my turn.

He told me they write a description of the customer in their iTouch and that description is available to them all. So when a person's turn comes up, they look at the description, find the person and bring him or her to the counter. I sorely wanted to peer over the worker's shoulder to see how I was described. It probably said "tall tattooed biker, long ponytail, black shirt, may be dangerous." Fun!

Anyway, the experience was good and bad, and in no way magical. I must say the workers were great, though. They knew their stuff and seemed like nice people. But seriously, they need to get some sound-baffling material into that place fast. And hey, I've been to an Apple Store.