Alan Weinkrantz PR Web Log

Angela at the Dallas NorthPark Apple Store Rocks

I travel back and forth to Dallas quite a bit for business and personal reasons.

Last weekend, I had the chance to have a private tutoring session with Angela H. who is a video expert at the Apple store @ NorthPark Center.

When you are an Apple ProCare customer (cost is $100 a year) you can schedule up to one free hour session per week. (highly recommended)

Angela helped me construct some videos using iMovie HD and made some great suggestions for insterting titles and graphics for my other blog, 3Screens.net.

Thank you Angela.

I will request you in the future when I am back in town next weekend.

Chris Brogan Works at Coffee Shops....I Work at Apple Stores

I got this idea from a post by Chris Brogan, who talks about why and how he works at coffee shops. When I am in town, I generally work at my office and at home.

When I travel, I like to work at Apple Stores.

Right now, it's Saturday and I am in Dallas seeing my girlfriend and my family who also lives here.  (I live in San Antonio). 

My girlfriend has wireless at the house.   I also have a client here in town and after our meetings, I can hang out and use a private office if I wish.

But today is Saturday. 

My girlfiend is doing some family stuff and I am doing this post from the Apple Store at NorthPark. 

They are always very nice an accomodating and don't mind if I just grab a stool, get on the network and spend an hour or so cranking out a few things that I am working on.  I will go for a walk in the mall, see what's new (NorthPark, in my opinion is the best mall in the U.S. - even better than Tyson's Corner in Northern Va.).

Sometimes I just save up questions on small stuff I am still trying to learn or get better at on my MacBoook Pro, so I sort of kill two birds with one stone.

So Chris, yes, I love coffee shops and coffee, but when you travel and need a place to chill, try an Apple store.  Oh- and the background music is not too loud and much better than the stuff they play at Starbucks.

Alan Goes Back to the NYC Apple Store at Midnight for ProCare Support

Yes folks, you really can go to the Apple store in NYC on Fifth Avenue and get technical support  24 / 7.

I just tried it. 

Went in for some iTunes questions and someone named Paul at the Genius Bar was very nice and of course, helpful.

Even at midnight.

Paul told me that he works the very late shift and loves the types of people who come in late at night. Some come after work.  Some after partying at the bars.  Some just like to come because it's a bit less crowded.

I doubt the local store at LaCantera where I live in San Antonio will ever go this route, but it sure is fun.

Thank you, Paul for helping and for showing me that you really can get support any time of day (or night).

Yes folks, you really can go to the Apple store in NYC on Fifth Avenue and get technical support  24 / 7.

I just tried it. 

Went in for some iTunes questions and someone named Paul at the Genius Bar was very nice and of course, helpful.

Even at midnight.

Paul told me that he works the very late shift and loves the types of people who come in late at night. Some come after work.  Some after partying at the bars.  Some just like to come because it's a bit less crowded.

I doubt the local store at LaCantera where I live in San Antonio will ever go this route, but it sure is fun.

Thank you, Paul for helping and for showing me that you really can get support any time of day (or night).

A Visit to the 5th Avenue Apple Store in NYC

The Apple Store on 5th Avenue in NYC is amazing.

The most interesting part of the store is the glass cube that sits right across the street from the former Plaza Hotel.  Walk down the glass stair case and you walk into a sea of customer humanity. 

I had originally booked a ProCare appointment at 8 PM but happened to be in the area around 6 PM. I asked if they could squeeze me in for an earlier appointment, the people at the Genius Bar if they could do something.  They told me that the would try to accomodate me, but would not guarantee a time. Exhuasted and tired from my day of walking and running around the city, I opted out. 

Not their fault and everyone was really nice and like the store at La Cantera in San Antonio where I live, you get the sense that the staff really like their job.

Open 24 / 7

One thing that is cool is that the store is open 24 / 7.  One of the salespeople, Kyle, told me that they get very interesting crowds at 2 and 3 AM- especially people who will be coming home from bars and nightclubs who like to come, hange out and buy iPods.

Kyle also helped me in buying a mini-DVI to VGA cord I needed for presentations when I hook up to large monitors.

Make it a must-see stop when visiting New York.

Photos by Alan Weinkrantz (c) 2006

A Visit to the Apple London Store

Today, I paid a visit to the Apple store on Regent Street in London.  It is virtually identical in design, layout and size as the stores in New York, San Francisco and Chicago. 

I signed up on line for the Genius Bar at 11 AM and was able to secure an appoinment for 4:30 PM.  The products, the merchandising, the accessories were all the same in the US, except for one thing:  the prices seemed about 20 percent higher.  When you account for VAT, which is included in the price of all products, the price points are sitll higher than back home. 

All in all, it was a real treat to visit the store and I am looking forward to the one in San Antonio opening soon.

Another visit to the Apple Store in Chicago

Last summer I spend several hours at the Apple Store in Chicago on North Michigan Avenue (translation:  retail shopping nirvana).  As always in my travels around the U.S., I stopped in the store again for some technical questions and to sit in on a seminar on iDVD.

Michael Vix, was the Genius who helped me today.  He was great to work with and very patient.  There was also someone named Alice who got my signed in and let me delay my assigned help time in order to sit in on a class. 

While I was in the store, my daughter, Lauren found me on iChat and we wound up having a real time converation through the Skype like feature.  Lots of fun!

Big Hair Arrives to the Apple Store in Dallas

Today, I am in Dallas visiting with a prospective client, Trevoli.  As always, I like to stop by the Apple store on Knox - Henderson to cruise the store, get tech support and see what's new.

Sitting at the Genius Bar, I noticed something I had never seen before:  Dallas matrons, with big hair, big jewelry, thick accents with PowerBooks and iBooks getting tech support.  One woman was able to bump my appointment because she was a ProCare customer. 

You don't need market research to see the impact of Apple's expanding market.  Just hang out at the Genius Bar and see the ever changing and growing customer base.

Help at the Apple Store in Dallas

On my way back from the HIMSS Show, I stopped at the Apple Store in Dallas on Knox St.  A very nice person named Alex helped me at the Genius Bar.  This is my 4th day on the Apple and there are simple basic things I just need help on.  I know I can call AppleCare, but coming to the store and seeing all the very cool things I can now do really makes a difference when you see it person.  I can't wait unitl they open a store in San Antonio, which is scheduled for 2006.  (this post was made at the Apple store on their wireless network.)