I see all the marketing geniuses who are emphatically and self-delusionally convinced that they can do a much better job than Ahrendts have come out of the woodwork. Actually she's doing a great job managing the rollout of a totally new product that was in instant short supply the minute they started taking orders.
I was one of those people who were seriously disappointed and frustrated with the launch of the new Retina Macbook. I actually set my alarm to wake up at 3am EST just to order it. It was supposed to be a surprise gift for my fiancee who had her 6 year old Macbook Unibody (the old white one) stolen a month ago.. and has been struggling trying to make it day-to-day without her computer. I woke up on time for the pre-order.. logged and saw that the quoted ship times were 1-3 business days, meaning she wouldn't get the rMB until the next week. As you can imagine I wanted the computer as soon as possible and figured why wait another 5 or so days for something.. when I could just get it from store immediately that day. So I didn't bother with the order and instead set a reminder to be at the Georgetown store in Washington, DC when they opened at 10am. After all.. isn't the purpose of building a brick & mortar store.. is to sell something immediately to customers?
I've purchased my iPhone5 on launch day at the exact same store. And even then, I only waited about an hour. I was absolutely confident that they would have more than enough rMB's on hand to satisfy the rather small number of people who were willing to pay $1299-1599 for a Core-M processor notebook with a single port for charging & connectivity. Needless to say I was absolutely shocked when I told by a store employee that they had none in stock. It became even more ridiculous, when the brick & mortar store offered to assist me with ordering online for delivery. At this point I was no longer disappointed, but more irritated I had made the trip only to end up empty handed. Of course I still wanted the rMB so I did order right at the store around 10:20am.. only to find see that shipping times had now been pushed back by 3-4 weeks!! Great after the complete waste of time.. I now had to wait another month for delivery. I actually called my fiancee and ruined the surprise.. I asked her if she felt the wait was worth the time or if I should just get her a Macbook Air or Pro that actually in-stock at the B&M store.
Good news is that I did get the chance to actually play around with the new rMB and as expected pictures & blog reviews do not do it justice. Its a beautiful machine, thats unbelievably thin & light.. (and this is coming from someone who who has owned a Macbook Air for the past four years). I was also able to sample the watch on its "launch" day, which was a surprise as well. Up until that point I thought all smartwatches were gimmicks and didn't see the need to wear a watch, that was really only useful for duplicating notifications from my phone. But actually using the watch.. I'm sold. Just not sure about buying version 1.0.
Leaving the store there was still this odd, awkward & very un-Apple like bitterness about the entire experience. The launch of both of these products was extremely confusing and disappointing for so many Apple customers. I wasn't the only one at the store who expected to buy the rMB that day, quite a few people complaining that it was not available to the degree that a manager came over to explain why. I still cant help but wonder why Apple did not inform customers that new computer would NOT be available in stores on launch day. And more importantly whats the purpose of spending billions to build up the Apple store experience, only to push unsuspecting customers back to ordering from the website.
Now that I think about it.. it wasn't much of launch day at all.. because nothing was launched. No customer went home with an rMB or Apple watch. In reality, it was a "preorder" day. And if this is the method of operation going forward.. then Apple needs to do a better job communicating with customers that on what used to be "launch" day.. the store is only for trials & questions. As others have suggested. This backwards thinking never would have happened up Steve Job's watch. If there's anything that SJ nailed.. was getting the little things right and paying much attention to detail and the customer's experience from purchase to technical support.
Couldn't agree more. Apple has always had hiccups with launches, and that is par for the course. In fact, it's part of the fun.
In this case, in an effort to look and be more civilized (although I honestly don't see what the big deal is, since those who line up do so became they want to), things were moved online. Fair enough. Unfortunately there was almost nothing online for the promised date even a minute or two after the store opening. That was incredibly frustrating for a lot of folks. Even those who got in within the minute (like I did) were told to wait until June for our first choice (black SS/back clasp). That was a bit surprising. Early deliveries were essentially something weasely like a two week window.
It's not the end of the world, and probably trivial in the larger scheme of things, but I think Apple could have done better. Much better.
I was one of those people who were seriously disappointed and frustrated with the launch of the new Retina Macbook. I actually set my alarm to wake up at 3am EST just to order it. It was supposed to be a surprise gift for my fiancee who had her 6 year old Macbook Unibody (the old white one) stolen a month ago.. and has been struggling trying to make it day-to-day without her computer. I woke up on time for the order, logged in and saw that the quoted ship times were 1-3 business days, meaning she wouldn't get the rMB until the next week. As you can imagine I wanted her to have the computer as soon as possible and figured why wait another 5 or so days for something.. when I could just get it from store immediately that day. So I didn't bother with the order and instead set a reminder to be at the Georgetown store in Washington, DC when they opened at 10am. After all.. isn't the purpose of building a brick & mortar store.. to sell immediately to customers who are ready to buy?
I've purchased my iPhone5 on launch day at the exact same store. And even then, I only waited about an hour. I was absolutely confident that they would have more than enough rMB's on hand to satisfy the rather small number of people who were willing to pay $1299-1599 for a Core-M processor notebook with a single port for charging & connectivity. Needless to say I was absolutely shocked when I told by a store employee that they had none in stock. It became even more ridiculous, when the brick & mortar store offered to assist me with ordering online for delivery. At this point I was no longer disappointed, but more irritated I had made the trip only to end up empty handed. Of course I still wanted the rMB so I did order right at the store around 10:20am.. only to find see that shipping times had now been pushed back by 3-4 weeks!! Great after the complete waste of time.. I now had to wait another month for delivery. I actually called my fiancee and ruined the surprise.. I asked her if she felt the wait was worth the time or if I should just get her a Macbook Air or Pro that actually in-stock at the B&M store.
Good news is that I did get the chance to actually play around with the new rMB and as expected pictures & blog reviews do not do it justice. Its a beautiful machine, thats unbelievably thin & light.. (and this is coming from someone who who has owned a Macbook Air for the past four years). I was also able to sample the watch on its "launch" day, which was a surprise as well. Up until that point I thought all smartwatches were gimmicks and didn't see the need to wear a watch, that was really only useful for duplicating notifications from my phone. But actually using the watch.. I'm sold. Just not sure about buying version 1.0.
Leaving the store there was still this odd, awkward & very un-Apple like bitterness about the entire experience. The launch of both of these products was extremely confusing and disappointing for so many Apple customers. I wasn't the only one at the store who expected to buy the rMB that day, quite a few people complaining that it was not available to the degree that a manager came over to explain why. I still cant help but wonder why Apple did not inform customers that new computer would NOT be available in stores on launch day. And more importantly whats the purpose of spending billions to build up the Apple store experience, only to push unsuspecting customers back to ordering from the website.
Now that I think about it.. it wasn't much of launch day at all.. because nothing was launched. No customer went home with an rMB or Apple watch. In reality, it was a "preorder" day. And if this is the method of operation going forward.. then Apple needs to do a better job communicating with customers that on what used to be "launch" day.. the store is only for trials & questions. As others have suggested. This backwards thinking never would have happened up Steve Job's watch. If there's anything that SJ nailed.. was getting the little things right and paying much attention to detail and the customer's experience from purchase to technical support.
You have nothing but my deepest sympathies over your heartbreaking first world problem. I hope you and your fiancée's relationship not only survived this cataclysm but has grown stronger for it.
I agree with one of the above comments, the watches AND the MacBook should have been on display before launch day. But what is really bad is that the MacBooks are still not available to even check out at stores! That looks like a screw up right there!
I strolled into an Apple Store about a week after the Retina iMac started shipping with hopes of looking at one. Nope, none on display yet. So now making the Apple Watch available for viewing in Apple Stores two weeks before it ships is screwed up?
Everything is screwed up. Everything! Life is just so unbearable.
Oh bullshit! What successful company are you running? This is a production problem, plain and simple - there is a huge shortage and high demand. Grow up.
Makes sense.. If you have serious production problems (4-6 weeks for the new MacBook), not a good idea to put it on sale so soon. People get pissed or turned off. Why announce it a couple of months or more that it's for sale and not have any available?
The watch and new MacBook were probably announced so as to have some fill between their last announcement/earnings/Christmas/whatever and WWDC. They very well knew the watches and MacBooks were not going to ship in any meaningful amount for a long time.
Were they stuck between a rock and a hard place? The iWatch was announced ages and ages and ages ago. They ran into problems, obviously and they felt pressure to ship? Who knows.
Anyway, not good to put some things for sale then not have them available. People have short-term memories. Very short. They want it yesterday, whatever was announced.
HOWEVER, the new MacBook is a beautiful machine to behold. Forgiveness for it being late, personally, if I were getting one. Just don't need one. A $100+ Chromebook is doing just fine right now.
It's just another notebook and a new watch. Just like when there was a new phone. Or tablet.
Apple made everything so simple. That's why they succeeded.
Then they threw it away and complicated things.
Hopefully this was a reminder to not "fix" (as in neuter) what works.
What exactly did they complicate? The watch is not like a new phone or tablet. The last thing I'd want is to try on a watch that's all beat up and dirty from everyone and anyone (including little kids) trying it on taking bands on/off. Store employees would be spending all their time cleaning and re-assembling watches. From what I've read most people had quite pleasant try-on experiences. And in many cases people were able to try on whatever combinations they wanted. i don't see what's complicated at all.
You have nothing but my deepest sympathies over your heartbreaking first world problem.
Quite apart from the fact that it's condescending bs (especially towards the 'third' world) it is irrelevant to the points he's making.
Please make an effort to respond intelligently, or go somewhere else to vent your snark.
Add: I notice that you sneakily added something to your original (not terribly) smart post after people responded to it. At least have the decency to point out that you added it.
Exactly. People made fun of the lines, heck Samsung ran a whole ad campaign around them, but now no lines is some sign of doom and failure on Apple's part.
No need to overcomplicate things. It's a screwup no matter what happens. Always.
I'm still amazed that some of those who wanted to check out the watch before buying it think that those of us who were willing to take a risk of buying one sight unseen should have been forced to wait for them to go into the stores and check them out first. When the Mini Cooper was first introduced, some people smacked down a huge deposit, and paid more than MSRP for the privilege of getting theirs first, without having seen one in person. When a condo development is under construction, pre-orders are accepted from people who want to get the best selection of floor, view (south-facing, ocean view, etc) and are willing to make their purchase without waiting for a walk-through. They're willing to risk that they might not like the condo they purchased once it's been finished. You often take a risk for the privilege of first selection, or to be first in line to get some new product. That's the way the world works. Apple didn't screw up in this regard, as some suggest. Nope. Those who want the world to stop and wait for them, this is who screwed up.
Exactly; more blessed are those who believe without seeing.
Off the plan and car pre-orders are great examples.
I was one of those people who were seriously disappointed and frustrated with the launch of the new Retina Macbook. I actually set my alarm to wake up at 3am EST just to order it. It was supposed to be a surprise gift for my fiancee who had her 6 year old Macbook Unibody (the old white one) stolen a month ago.. and has been struggling trying to make it day-to-day without her computer. I woke up on time for the order, logged in and saw that the quoted ship times were 1-3 business days, meaning she wouldn't get the rMB until the next week. As you can imagine I wanted her to have the computer as soon as possible and figured why wait another 5 or so days for something.. when I could just get it from store immediately that day. So I didn't bother with the order and instead set a reminder to be at the Georgetown store in Washington, DC when they opened at 10am. After all.. isn't the purpose of building a brick & mortar store.. to sell immediately to customers who are ready to buy?
I've purchased my iPhone5 on launch day at the exact same store. And even then, I only waited about an hour. I was absolutely confident that they would have more than enough rMB's on hand to satisfy the rather small number of people who were willing to pay $1299-1599 for a Core-M processor notebook with a single port for charging & connectivity. Needless to say I was absolutely shocked when I told by a store employee that they had none in stock. It became even more ridiculous, when the brick & mortar store offered to assist me with ordering online for delivery. At this point I was no longer disappointed, but more irritated I had made the trip only to end up empty handed. Of course I still wanted the rMB so I did order right at the store around 10:20am.. only to find see that shipping times had now been pushed back by 3-4 weeks!! Great after the complete waste of time.. I now had to wait another month for delivery. I actually called my fiancee and ruined the surprise.. I asked her if she felt the wait was worth the time or if I should just get her a Macbook Air or Pro that actually in-stock at the B&M store.
Good news is that I did get the chance to actually play around with the new rMB and as expected pictures & blog reviews do not do it justice. Its a beautiful machine, thats unbelievably thin & light.. (and this is coming from someone who who has owned a Macbook Air for the past four years). I was also able to sample the watch on its "launch" day, which was a surprise as well. Up until that point I thought all smartwatches were gimmicks and didn't see the need to wear a watch, that was really only useful for duplicating notifications from my phone. But actually using the watch.. I'm sold. Just not sure about buying version 1.0.
Leaving the store there was still this odd, awkward & very un-Apple like bitterness about the entire experience. The launch of both of these products was extremely confusing and disappointing for so many Apple customers. I wasn't the only one at the store who expected to buy the rMB that day, quite a few people complaining that it was not available to the degree that a manager came over to explain why. I still cant help but wonder why Apple did not inform customers that new computer would NOT be available in stores on launch day. And more importantly whats the purpose of spending billions to build up the Apple store experience, only to push unsuspecting customers back to ordering from the website.
Now that I think about it.. it wasn't much of launch day at all.. because nothing was launched. No customer went home with an rMB or Apple watch. In reality, it was a "preorder" day. And if this is the method of operation going forward.. then Apple needs to do a better job communicating with customers that on what used to be "launch" day.. the store is only for trials & questions. As others have suggested. This backwards thinking never would have happened up Steve Job's watch. If there's anything that SJ nailed.. was getting the little things right and paying much attention to detail and the customer's experience from purchase to technical support.
We can make Apple better at serving customers! Please copy and paste your thoughts here:
The only thing that I have a problem with is when naysayers proclaim Steve Jobs would agree with their naysaying. Whether sincere or not, it's a very, very, very common tactic in the forums, and I will always view it with suspicion. If you're going to invoke the name Steve Jobs to back you up, I'm going to need to see citations.
I am missing it, but what does someone's posting vintage on AppleInsider have to do with whether they know Apple well or not? Are you saying there's a correlation between bloviating on blogs (like you and I do) and knowledge of SJ or Apple!?
I'm saying only fucktools claims to know what a dead man they'd never met thinks or would do. most of the tools on AI are newbie trolls from other sites. this one proves no different.
He'd be all: I don't have time to talk to you, and the afterlife lasts for all eternity. Even after the Sun explodes in 10 billion years, I still won't have time to prove your trolling. When asked if Steve Jobs is here, he'll just move the planchette to "NO".
He'd be all: I don't have time to talk to you, and the afterlife lasts for all eternity. Even after the Sun explodes in 10 billion years, I still won't have time to prove your trolling. When asked if Steve Jobs is here, he'll just move the planchette to "NO".
The watch is a new concept, so I can understand that they need a way to deal with multiple permutations. But there is no excuse for the MacBook. Apple has launched notebooks before. It always went smoothly.
When the 11" Air launched in 2010, I picked one up in store on launch day. When the first Retina MBPs were announced, I bought one online and it arrived at my house in release day.
Here in Canada (where Apple dais it would be available at the same time as the US and a few other countries), it went live at the online store at 12:01PDT with a delivery time of 3-4 weeks. Apple Stores only received 1 or 2 demo units this weekend. No stores have any for sale. In essence, nobody in Canada has been able to buy a notebook that Apple said we'd be able to buy on the 10th.
This was an example of Apple not putting the product first and consumer second. Perhaps the first time since 2001.
And it wasn't a good idea. Ever.
So can we go back to normalcy please?
wait -- so you mean conceiving, designing, building, and selling a product that sold millions in minutes was putting consumers second? what a curious world view.
Comments
I see all the marketing geniuses who are emphatically and self-delusionally convinced that they can do a much better job than Ahrendts have come out of the woodwork. Actually she's doing a great job managing the rollout of a totally new product that was in instant short supply the minute they started taking orders.
Couldn't agree more. Apple has always had hiccups with launches, and that is par for the course. In fact, it's part of the fun.
In this case, in an effort to look and be more civilized (although I honestly don't see what the big deal is, since those who line up do so became they want to), things were moved online. Fair enough. Unfortunately there was almost nothing online for the promised date even a minute or two after the store opening. That was incredibly frustrating for a lot of folks. Even those who got in within the minute (like I did) were told to wait until June for our first choice (black SS/back clasp). That was a bit surprising. Early deliveries were essentially something weasely like a two week window.
It's not the end of the world, and probably trivial in the larger scheme of things, but I think Apple could have done better. Much better.
I was one of those people who were seriously disappointed and frustrated with the launch of the new Retina Macbook. I actually set my alarm to wake up at 3am EST just to order it. It was supposed to be a surprise gift for my fiancee who had her 6 year old Macbook Unibody (the old white one) stolen a month ago.. and has been struggling trying to make it day-to-day without her computer. I woke up on time for the order, logged in and saw that the quoted ship times were 1-3 business days, meaning she wouldn't get the rMB until the next week. As you can imagine I wanted her to have the computer as soon as possible and figured why wait another 5 or so days for something.. when I could just get it from store immediately that day. So I didn't bother with the order and instead set a reminder to be at the Georgetown store in Washington, DC when they opened at 10am. After all.. isn't the purpose of building a brick & mortar store.. to sell immediately to customers who are ready to buy?
I've purchased my iPhone5 on launch day at the exact same store. And even then, I only waited about an hour. I was absolutely confident that they would have more than enough rMB's on hand to satisfy the rather small number of people who were willing to pay $1299-1599 for a Core-M processor notebook with a single port for charging & connectivity. Needless to say I was absolutely shocked when I told by a store employee that they had none in stock. It became even more ridiculous, when the brick & mortar store offered to assist me with ordering online for delivery. At this point I was no longer disappointed, but more irritated I had made the trip only to end up empty handed. Of course I still wanted the rMB so I did order right at the store around 10:20am.. only to find see that shipping times had now been pushed back by 3-4 weeks!! Great after the complete waste of time.. I now had to wait another month for delivery. I actually called my fiancee and ruined the surprise.. I asked her if she felt the wait was worth the time or if I should just get her a Macbook Air or Pro that actually in-stock at the B&M store.
Good news is that I did get the chance to actually play around with the new rMB and as expected pictures & blog reviews do not do it justice. Its a beautiful machine, thats unbelievably thin & light.. (and this is coming from someone who who has owned a Macbook Air for the past four years). I was also able to sample the watch on its "launch" day, which was a surprise as well. Up until that point I thought all smartwatches were gimmicks and didn't see the need to wear a watch, that was really only useful for duplicating notifications from my phone. But actually using the watch.. I'm sold. Just not sure about buying version 1.0.
Leaving the store there was still this odd, awkward & very un-Apple like bitterness about the entire experience. The launch of both of these products was extremely confusing and disappointing for so many Apple customers. I wasn't the only one at the store who expected to buy the rMB that day, quite a few people complaining that it was not available to the degree that a manager came over to explain why. I still cant help but wonder why Apple did not inform customers that new computer would NOT be available in stores on launch day. And more importantly whats the purpose of spending billions to build up the Apple store experience, only to push unsuspecting customers back to ordering from the website.
Now that I think about it.. it wasn't much of launch day at all.. because nothing was launched. No customer went home with an rMB or Apple watch. In reality, it was a "preorder" day. And if this is the method of operation going forward.. then Apple needs to do a better job communicating with customers that on what used to be "launch" day.. the store is only for trials & questions. As others have suggested. This backwards thinking never would have happened up Steve Job's watch. If there's anything that SJ nailed.. was getting the little things right and paying much attention to detail and the customer's experience from purchase to technical support.
You have nothing but my deepest sympathies over your heartbreaking first world problem. I hope you and your fiancée's relationship not only survived this cataclysm but has grown stronger for it.
I agree with one of the above comments, the watches AND the MacBook should have been on display before launch day. But what is really bad is that the MacBooks are still not available to even check out at stores! That looks like a screw up right there!
I strolled into an Apple Store about a week after the Retina iMac started shipping with hopes of looking at one. Nope, none on display yet. So now making the Apple Watch available for viewing in Apple Stores two weeks before it ships is screwed up?
Everything is screwed up. Everything! Life is just so unbearable.
Oh bullshit! What successful company are you running? This is a production problem, plain and simple - there is a huge shortage and high demand. Grow up.
Makes sense.. If you have serious production problems (4-6 weeks for the new MacBook), not a good idea to put it on sale so soon. People get pissed or turned off. Why announce it a couple of months or more that it's for sale and not have any available?
The watch and new MacBook were probably announced so as to have some fill between their last announcement/earnings/Christmas/whatever and WWDC. They very well knew the watches and MacBooks were not going to ship in any meaningful amount for a long time.
Were they stuck between a rock and a hard place? The iWatch was announced ages and ages and ages ago. They ran into problems, obviously and they felt pressure to ship? Who knows.
Anyway, not good to put some things for sale then not have them available. People have short-term memories. Very short. They want it yesterday, whatever was announced.
HOWEVER, the new MacBook is a beautiful machine to behold. Forgiveness for it being late, personally, if I were getting one. Just don't need one. A $100+ Chromebook is doing just fine right now.
What exactly did they complicate? The watch is not like a new phone or tablet. The last thing I'd want is to try on a watch that's all beat up and dirty from everyone and anyone (including little kids) trying it on taking bands on/off. Store employees would be spending all their time cleaning and re-assembling watches. From what I've read most people had quite pleasant try-on experiences. And in many cases people were able to try on whatever combinations they wanted. i don't see what's complicated at all.
Quite apart from the fact that it's condescending bs (especially towards the 'third' world) it is irrelevant to the points he's making.
Please make an effort to respond intelligently, or go somewhere else to vent your snark.
Add: I notice that you sneakily added something to your original (not terribly) smart post after people responded to it. At least have the decency to point out that you added it.
You have nothing but my deepest sympathies over your heartbreaking first world problem.
Who are you?
wtf is with that echo??
I assume the recording was made in the fifth dimension. You know, like at the end of Interstellar?
Exactly. People made fun of the lines, heck Samsung ran a whole ad campaign around them, but now no lines is some sign of doom and failure on Apple's part.
No need to overcomplicate things. It's a screwup no matter what happens. Always.
Just got my watch today!!!! Super happy with it!!!
I'm still amazed that some of those who wanted to check out the watch before buying it think that those of us who were willing to take a risk of buying one sight unseen should have been forced to wait for them to go into the stores and check them out first. When the Mini Cooper was first introduced, some people smacked down a huge deposit, and paid more than MSRP for the privilege of getting theirs first, without having seen one in person. When a condo development is under construction, pre-orders are accepted from people who want to get the best selection of floor, view (south-facing, ocean view, etc) and are willing to make their purchase without waiting for a walk-through. They're willing to risk that they might not like the condo they purchased once it's been finished. You often take a risk for the privilege of first selection, or to be first in line to get some new product. That's the way the world works. Apple didn't screw up in this regard, as some suggest. Nope. Those who want the world to stop and wait for them, this is who screwed up.
Exactly; more blessed are those who believe without seeing.
Off the plan and car pre-orders are great examples.
I was one of those people who were seriously disappointed and frustrated with the launch of the new Retina Macbook. I actually set my alarm to wake up at 3am EST just to order it. It was supposed to be a surprise gift for my fiancee who had her 6 year old Macbook Unibody (the old white one) stolen a month ago.. and has been struggling trying to make it day-to-day without her computer. I woke up on time for the order, logged in and saw that the quoted ship times were 1-3 business days, meaning she wouldn't get the rMB until the next week. As you can imagine I wanted her to have the computer as soon as possible and figured why wait another 5 or so days for something.. when I could just get it from store immediately that day. So I didn't bother with the order and instead set a reminder to be at the Georgetown store in Washington, DC when they opened at 10am. After all.. isn't the purpose of building a brick & mortar store.. to sell immediately to customers who are ready to buy?
I've purchased my iPhone5 on launch day at the exact same store. And even then, I only waited about an hour. I was absolutely confident that they would have more than enough rMB's on hand to satisfy the rather small number of people who were willing to pay $1299-1599 for a Core-M processor notebook with a single port for charging & connectivity. Needless to say I was absolutely shocked when I told by a store employee that they had none in stock. It became even more ridiculous, when the brick & mortar store offered to assist me with ordering online for delivery. At this point I was no longer disappointed, but more irritated I had made the trip only to end up empty handed. Of course I still wanted the rMB so I did order right at the store around 10:20am.. only to find see that shipping times had now been pushed back by 3-4 weeks!! Great after the complete waste of time.. I now had to wait another month for delivery. I actually called my fiancee and ruined the surprise.. I asked her if she felt the wait was worth the time or if I should just get her a Macbook Air or Pro that actually in-stock at the B&M store.
Good news is that I did get the chance to actually play around with the new rMB and as expected pictures & blog reviews do not do it justice. Its a beautiful machine, thats unbelievably thin & light.. (and this is coming from someone who who has owned a Macbook Air for the past four years). I was also able to sample the watch on its "launch" day, which was a surprise as well. Up until that point I thought all smartwatches were gimmicks and didn't see the need to wear a watch, that was really only useful for duplicating notifications from my phone. But actually using the watch.. I'm sold. Just not sure about buying version 1.0.
Leaving the store there was still this odd, awkward & very un-Apple like bitterness about the entire experience. The launch of both of these products was extremely confusing and disappointing for so many Apple customers. I wasn't the only one at the store who expected to buy the rMB that day, quite a few people complaining that it was not available to the degree that a manager came over to explain why. I still cant help but wonder why Apple did not inform customers that new computer would NOT be available in stores on launch day. And more importantly whats the purpose of spending billions to build up the Apple store experience, only to push unsuspecting customers back to ordering from the website.
Now that I think about it.. it wasn't much of launch day at all.. because nothing was launched. No customer went home with an rMB or Apple watch. In reality, it was a "preorder" day. And if this is the method of operation going forward.. then Apple needs to do a better job communicating with customers that on what used to be "launch" day.. the store is only for trials & questions. As others have suggested. This backwards thinking never would have happened up Steve Job's watch. If there's anything that SJ nailed.. was getting the little things right and paying much attention to detail and the customer's experience from purchase to technical support.
We can make Apple better at serving customers! Please copy and paste your thoughts here:
http://www.apple.com/retail/feedback/
The only thing that I have a problem with is when naysayers proclaim Steve Jobs would agree with their naysaying. Whether sincere or not, it's a very, very, very common tactic in the forums, and I will always view it with suspicion. If you're going to invoke the name Steve Jobs to back you up, I'm going to need to see citations.
If you're going to invoke the name Steve Jobs to back you up, I'm going to need to see citations.
Ouija boards, at the very least.
I'm saying only fucktools claims to know what a dead man they'd never met thinks or would do. most of the tools on AI are newbie trolls from other sites. this one proves no different.
are you some sort of troll defender now?
Ouija boards, at the very least.
He'd be all: I don't have time to talk to you, and the afterlife lasts for all eternity. Even after the Sun explodes in 10 billion years, I still won't have time to prove your trolling. When asked if Steve Jobs is here, he'll just move the planchette to "NO".
so by "threw it away" do you mean "soared to amazing new heights never experienced by another company on this planet" ? most confused.
He'd be all: I don't have time to talk to you, and the afterlife lasts for all eternity. Even after the Sun explodes in 10 billion years, I still won't have time to prove your trolling. When asked if Steve Jobs is here, he'll just move the planchette to "NO".
G-O A-W-A-Y B-O-Z-O
The watch is a new concept, so I can understand that they need a way to deal with multiple permutations. But there is no excuse for the MacBook. Apple has launched notebooks before. It always went smoothly.
When the 11" Air launched in 2010, I picked one up in store on launch day. When the first Retina MBPs were announced, I bought one online and it arrived at my house in release day.
Here in Canada (where Apple dais it would be available at the same time as the US and a few other countries), it went live at the online store at 12:01PDT with a delivery time of 3-4 weeks. Apple Stores only received 1 or 2 demo units this weekend. No stores have any for sale. In essence, nobody in Canada has been able to buy a notebook that Apple said we'd be able to buy on the 10th.
wait -- so you mean conceiving, designing, building, and selling a product that sold millions in minutes was putting consumers second? what a curious world view.