Fifth Avenue Apple mega store to open May 19

[AppleInsider]

As expected, Apple Computer will mark the fifth anniversary of its retail store initiative with the launch of a much anticipated flagship store in Midtown, Manhattan on May 19th at 6:00pm, the company has revealed.

In a teaser on its retail Web site, Apple has posted a running countdown to the store's launch along with a wireframe image of a cube that depicts the hollow, 32-foot glass structure that will mark the entranceway to the underground located at 767 Fifth Avenue at 59th Street.

"Celebrate the grand opening of the new Apple Store, Fifth Avenue," the company said. "Win great prizes. Get a commemorative t-shirt. Be one of the first to experience our amazing new store. We look forward to seeing you."

The 20,000-square retail outlet will be the company's second Manhattan, New York location, joining a similar-sized store on the lower half of the island known as the Apple Store Soho.

Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive, is rumored to be mulling an appearance at the event. It's been report that Jobs personally designed and paid for the $9M glass cube that will undoubtedly be the highlight of the store.

The Midtown store is also rumored, but not confirmed, to be the first of the company's shops to service customers 24-hours a day.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[jacob1varghese]

Will he use this event to launch new products?

[Kolchak]

Originally posted by jacob1varghese
Will he use this event to launch new products?

How about a new Cube? It's time for Apple to think outside the box. They've got these massive towers for the Powermac G5 yet they still give us only two HD bays. If they're going to limit us like that, at least make the machines more compact. Just like the cube entrance to the store is understated compared to the skyscrapers around them, a new compact Cube for creative professionals would stand out from bulky towers, which are sooooo 1990s.

[ronn]

I'm so there. I think the NY Mac Meetup will probably organize a special group outing for the opening.

[fuyutsuki]

Originally posted by jacob1varghese
Will he use this event to launch new products?

MacBook and iPod ... that would be a sweet event and quite the calculated surprise!

As for cubes, Jobs clearly likes them at some fundamental level. THE cube, this store he's taken so much bother with and of course the rather cuboid original Mac too.

A new cube would be super sweet. Maybe twice as high as a Mac Mini but with serious power and decent top end hard drives. However, I think it's less than likely as the experience from the last time did not prove "optimal". Somehow it'd have to be the king...

[TednDi]

I think that my head will explode if Steve shows up with his RDF so close to my apt!!


It is bad enough when he turns it up in San Francisco!!

I know what I am doing Fri night!!

[dak splunder]

Originally posted by fuyutsuki
the experience from the last time did not prove "optimal". Somehow it'd have to be the king...

The only reason the cube failed last time was because it was simply too expensive for what you got. People wanted either a consumer machine or a pro machine, and this was none of those, a piece of sort-of-pro hardware crippled by the need to be in a fanless fancy cube.

If Steve made a "pro-mini", with real hard drives, real graphics, real user-accessible expandability, and didn't build it with pointlessly expensive materials, and he sold it at a proper price point, it would sell like crazy.

Dammit, Steve, lots of people want a Power Mac without having to get a very expensive, giant tower.

:d

[Ireland]

"Fifth Avenue Apple mega store" Aren't those stores called Virgin Mega Store

Seriously though all joking aside this store should actually be pretty cool indeed!

[Aquatic]

I agree dak splunder, as I think most of us here do. And I think that will probably happen. Perhaps sometime later this year or next year. I wouldn't be surprised. The demand is and always has been there, and I think the components and strategy are now coming together. I can see this happening. It will be the "Pro" version of the Mac mini. Mac mini Pro wouldn't surprise me as a moniker. Or something similar. I may buy one, to go along with my MacBook. Only thing better than a laptop is a laptop AND a desktop! Or a Duo....8)

[lhvide]

The MacBox Pro!!!!!!

[fuyutsuki]

Originally posted by dak splunder If Steve made a "pro-mini", with real hard drives, real graphics, real user-accessible expandability, and didn't build it with pointlessly expensive materials, and he sold it at a proper price point, it would sell like crazy.

Dammit, Steve, lots of people want a Power Mac without having to get a very expensive, giant tower.

:d

True, I'd love to see one of those. The Core Duo Mini appeals to me but the graphics and hard drive just aren't up to serious desktop use like the universal Adobe apps when they're eventually out. It'd be a media station, and added to my laptop I frankly can't excuse myself three Macs! Well, new ones at least.

However I'd be no less than amazed if they do introduce such a machine designed around small form factor + user component upgrades. It's not really the sort of thing Apple have done in the Steve II era. Though it's always good to be honestly surprised!

[Kolchak]

Originally posted by dak splunder
The onlyIf Steve made a "pro-mini", with real hard drives, real graphics, real user-accessible expandability, and didn't build it with pointlessly expensive materials, and he sold it at a proper price point, it would sell like crazy.

Dammit, Steve, lots of people want a Power Mac without having to get a very expensive, giant tower.

Exactly my point above. The Core Duo mini already shows it's possible to get a decent motherboard and CPU down to a tiny size and not have it overheat. A 12x12x12" cube should be able to handle any thermal management issues for a faster processor, especially if it's aluminum rather than the original Cube's plastic, and still be a lot smaller than a G5 tower. There should also be enough room for a PCIe slot or two and a couple of 3.5" hard drives. Top it off with a decent number of USB 2.0 ports (six would be about right). At $1899-2299 with a 2.5GHz dual core Conroe, they'd have to beat customers away with a stick. In my case, maybe even break out the riot gear.

[dak splunder]

Originally posted by Kolchak
At $1899-2299 with a 2.5GHz dual core Conroe, they'd have to beat customers away with a stick.

And that's where you lost me.

The Power Mac already has a $2,000 price of admission. Apple doesn't offer anything in the low-mid $1,000 range except for all-in-ones. For people who want expandability, who have their own monitors, and are mid-range users there's nothing.

Sure, they could make a model that's around $2,000 like you suggest, but they need a good dual-monitor-capable box at around $1,200.

Also, I'm sure you're not suggesting they leave out firewire. That must've been a mistake.

:d

[SpamSandwich]

Originally posted by Aquatic
I agree dak splunder, as I think most of us here do. And I think that will probably happen. Perhaps sometime later this year or next year. I wouldn't be surprised. The demand is and always has been there, and I think the components and strategy are now coming together. I can see this happening. It will be the "Pro" version of the Mac mini. Mac mini Pro wouldn't surprise me as a moniker. Or something similar. I may buy one, to go along with my MacBook. Only thing better than a laptop is a laptop AND a desktop! Or a Duo....8)

Unfortunately, it's already taken...

http://macminipro.com/

[Chucker]

Originally posted by dak splunder
Sure, they could make a model that's around $2,000 like you suggest, but they need a good dual-monitor-capable box at around $1,200.

You mean like the iMac?

[mynamehere]

Originally posted by Chucker
You mean like the iMac?

I think he means iMac minus screen.

[Kolchak]

Originally posted by dak splunder
And that's where you lost me.

The Power Mac already has a $2,000 price of admission. Apple doesn't offer anything in the low-mid $1,000 range except for all-in-ones. For people who want expandability, who have their own monitors, and are mid-range users there's nothing.

Sure, they could make a model that's around $2,000 like you suggest, but they need a good dual-monitor-capable box at around $1,200.

Also, I'm sure you're not suggesting they leave out firewire. That must've been a mistake.

Yes, well, that's exactly it. I want a smaller Powermac replacement, with the full power of a PM (minus all the empty space inside the case), not a stripped down, lower speed model, which is apparently what doomed the original Cube.

And no, I didn't mention Firewire only because it's a given on any Apple machine. An ample supply of USB ports isn't, though. Given how inexpensive they are and how even cheap PC motherboards have a ton of them, Apple should be ashamed with its paltry 4 on the mini and fewer on the Powermacs.

[firsttube]

Originally posted by mynamehere
I think he means iMac minus screen.

I'd rather have the screen if it's going to be 1200 with, or without the screen.

[mrkris]

I am surprised that no one has said much about the possibility of immediate releases being made at the Store Opening. To be honest, while it'd be a cool show, I look to see the new MacBook released just prior - soon enough to get people interested and looking at it, but then a few days later having it in its store and ready to go. I know that probably doesn't make sense because ya ask "well if they unviell the store a few days later, why not just unveil it at the store opening?" No one knows what the set up will be at the store - not even the media I am sure. If Apple has gone through the trouble of online invites and media invites, it is nearly certain that Jobs will be there - I'd be surprised if he was no-show-Jobs (haha). Also, if anything is released during the store opening ceremony, I believe it is likely to be an updated iPod Nano. This has been and will continue to be a big seller - just like iPods in general are for Apple. Steve knows that it will be the unveiling of such a consumer product like the Nano that will get people in the door. If the MacBook is out and established a few days in advance, he wont have to bore non-geeks about the MacBook specs and focus to unviel a new iPod (which will be the interests of most New Yorkers that stop on the street to watch.) Apple knows that this needs to be a consumer and store event, not a MacWorld Expo type event. Steve will probably showcase it in someway, but not ramble off specs that many consider "tehcie." He would much more like to boast on how many have sold in just the first short days of its release (which will be a high number.) It will be big, but don't be surprised if the MacBook is already released on a more low-keyed basis. If not, look for some medium-scale event back in Cupertino a few weeks after May 19th.

[zenarcade]

Has anyone noticed that the graphic has the same form as the old NEXT logo ?

Zon

[sunilraman]

The GRAND MASTER of THE PRIORY OF THE CUBE will REVEAL ALL

[Placebo]

Haha, great job.