Apple Store Isn’t Your Space

Crave quoted an unnamed Apple Store employee: “MySpace is a big issue for the Apple stores because people come in, Photobooth themselves—using Macs’ built-in webcams—then stick their picture up on their MySpace account and loiter at machines for hours.”

I believe it. Few months back, I sent my mom a iMac G5. She needed speakers, and I went to the local Apple Store looking for them. Two teens monopolized side-by-side iMacs, one of which with attached speakers I wanted to test. I waited 10 minutes, while the girls goofed off on their respective MySpace pages. I gave looks like I wanted the machine and got clear eye contact indication the one girl wouldn’t be giving up the machine. Some people seethe resentment; she was black and a teenager and I am white and much older; I sensed a contentious situation if I pressed the point, and no Apple employee was around to assist.

I left the store in a miff, and Apple lost a sale. I got different speakers elsewhere. If my experience is even the slightest bit indicative of the problem, Apple’s MySpace ban is a goo idea.