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Twiztedklown316

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 31, 2004
42
0
Spokane, Wa
Hey everyone -

Just curious if anyone thinks it will ever happen, Spokane with all the surrounding areas including reaches about a half million people. I just wish Apple would open a store here in the near future.

We have four stores on the west side of the state, but not a one that services the east side.

anyway, anyone have any thoughts?
 

bluetiger

macrumors newbie
Jul 14, 2007
1
0
I second that - Apple should put a store in Spokane

Just moved here, and need some hardware for my imac, but when I started looking for an apple store, or one that carried mac stuff, I didn't have much luck. Then I tried to find it on the web, and all I could find was this thread. :eek: I dont want to have to drive to Seattle every time I want to go to a mac store. Here's a big hint to those who choose locations for the apple stores - Spokane is a happening city - it has allot of other stores that get plenty of business - why not capitalize on this market? I will of course be a loyal customer. ;)
 

mduser63

macrumors 68040
Nov 9, 2004
3,042
31
Salt Lake City, UT
You'll probably get an Apple store eventually. For the longest time Salt Lake didn't have an Apple store and I wondered why and wished we had one. Finally, Apple built a store here. Salt Lake is quite a bit bigger than Spokane, but it seems like they sort of work their way down from bigger cities to smaller ones.
 

TheAnswer

macrumors 68030
Jan 25, 2002
2,519
1
Orange County, CA
Spokane with all the surrounding areas including reaches about a half million people...

We have four stores on the west side of the state, but not a one that services the east side.

The Seattle area has 3.2 million people, with 4 Apple stores thats 800,000 people per store. Spokane county has a population of around 450,000...so it looks like you need to find 350,000 people to move to Spokane.

And that's ignoring any other aspects of the demographic differences between the two areas. Not all people are created equal In the eyes of Apple retail's demographers.
 

roghawaii

macrumors newbie
May 23, 2007
3
0
If no store, then one on one?

If apple is not going to open a store, it would be nice if they would supply a mac person to answer questions, or do one on one teaching for those who want it. comp usa could even hire that kind of person. :)
 

dMacGuy

macrumors newbie
Dec 15, 2007
7
1
Spokane Washington
Apple Store in Spokane

Sadly ... Comp USA has just announced they are closing ALL of their stores after this holiday. That is where I had been getting most of my Mac needs filled for the past several years.

There is also a place in the Spokane Valley (Sprague, close to McDonald or Evergreen) that recently opened called Mac Odyssey. They stock, sell, and repair Apple hardware products. It's a "retail" type of business, laid out similar to an Apple store.

They repaired a Powerbook for me and I was quite pleased with their service (way more personal than Comp USA was). I have since purchased an iMac from them and a new Macbook Pro (mine was stolen in Vancouver BC)

They also offer software training. I have not tried this out yet but intend to soon for Final Cut Express which I just purchased.

The one draw back to them is that they don't sell software, just hardware and peripherals. Maybe with Comp USA closing they will start carrying some software titles.

At any rate ... I think Riverpark Square would be the perfect place for a Spokane Apple store!
 

RoadCyclistID

Contributor
Oct 18, 2007
314
106
Idaho
What about Boise?? One of the most "connected" smaller towns in the west:

As of the 2006 estimate, Boise's population was 201,287[1], with a metro area estimated to contain 635,450 persons.

The drive to SLC for my MBP was a bit long...
 

CalBoy

macrumors 604
May 21, 2007
7,849
37
What about Boise?? One of the most "connected" smaller towns in the west:

As of the 2006 estimate, Boise's population was 201,287[1], with a metro area estimated to contain 635,450 persons.

The drive to SLC for my MBP was a bit long...

I'm still waiting for our Apple store in one of SF's suburbs. Our population is over 210k, and the surrounding suburbs total to more than half a million, and we're in Apple's backyard.

And yet, the nearest Apple Store is 30 minutes away (assuming no traffic, which there always is).:rolleyes:
 

unclewinkie

macrumors newbie
May 28, 2007
16
0
Agree

I live in spokane too and I want one. I sent an email to steve a month ago and no reply yet. I'll let you know when he does.
 

akm3

macrumors 68020
Nov 15, 2007
2,252
279
Bump !!

With CompUSA closed, and that Mac store in the Valley closed, that leaves only best buy that I'm aware of.

I was just in Salt Lake City and had my first visit to an Apple store...

We *need* one here.
 

Stratification

macrumors regular
Jan 17, 2005
240
0
Spokane, WA
I didn't know Mac Odyssey had closed (shows how often I made it over there). Still hopeful for an Apple store, but it's hard to say how that'll go. I'd even settle for a Coeur d'Alene store that catered to tourists too. That'd be close enough.
 

akm3

macrumors 68020
Nov 15, 2007
2,252
279
I didn't know Mac Odyssey had closed (shows how often I made it over there). Still hopeful for an Apple store, but it's hard to say how that'll go. I'd even settle for a Coeur d'Alene store that catered to tourists too. That'd be close enough.

mac odyssey in court dalene is still open, just the valley one closed
 

eporedian

macrumors newbie
Jun 22, 2008
1
0
I've obviously no answer to your issue but I'm very gad to hear again about the Spokane area where long time ago I worked for a now-defuncted italian computer company in Appleway, Liberty Lake.
I's a kind of emotion to hear again of Division, Sprague, Coeur d'Alene, etc
'Ciao' to everybody out there from Elisa
Ivrea - Italy
 

Durendal

macrumors 6502
Apr 12, 2003
287
1
I work for Mac Odyssey. Yes, we still have our Coeur d'Alene location and want to get back into Spokane within a year. Our old location was pretty crappy for a walk-in retail business, so we'll be looking at other areas. We might even re-open the old Valley loaction (or a small portion of it, anyway) as a service and used computers only location, no new retail or accessories. If all goes well, we'll be back in town before too long with a full store. Until then, you can swing by Coeur d'Alene for all your Mac needs if you've got the urge. Don't go to Best Buy. The Reek Squad at any of the BBs around here know almost nothing about Macs. I can't tell you how many times I've seen Macs come into service here that had already been to Best Buy. They either screwed them up or didn't fix the problem. They don't have any certified Apple techs, they don't have GSX access, and they don't do Applecare.

As for seeing a full-blown corporate Apple Store in Spokane...I don't expect that to happen anytime soon. Apple is opening up in big markets. Seattle. NYC. Chicago. The list goes on. Spokane isn't nearly big enough for Apple to put a store here. That's where the local Apple Specialists come into play. We're filling in markets that Apple doesn't really care about.
 

WillGonz

macrumors member
Sep 15, 2005
65
15
I work for Mac Odyssey. Yes, we still have our Coeur d'Alene....
Please don't take this the wrong way but Mac Odyssey is sad news. They don't have a nice selection of systems. The systems I saw they had for sale were the Multicolored iMacs and that is old. They will need to step it up to stay in the game. Computer Business Solutions on 3rd is an authorized service center and will work on systems on site with Apple Care warranty.
 

echeck

macrumors 68000
Apr 20, 2004
1,832
23
Boise, Idaho
I was up in Spokane for two separate weeks back in November. I was working for Washington Trust Bank at the time and was up for some training. I stayed at the Lusso downtown. Great hotel, horrible food!

Anyway, I hope Apple starts hitting the small to midsize markets with Stores soon. All we have is Best Buy and a store called MacLife that has a great selection, but their prices are horrible. They mark up products slightly, but their repair prices are just awful. And now I guess they're expanding with a second location downtown soon. Blech.

Come on, Apple! With Gonzaga in Spokane and Boise State in Boise the student markets are ripe! Give us some Stores!!

:D
 

Durendal

macrumors 6502
Apr 12, 2003
287
1
Please don't take this the wrong way but Mac Odyssey is sad news. They don't have a nice selection of systems. The systems I saw they had for sale were the Multicolored iMacs and that is old. They will need to step it up to stay in the game. Computer Business Solutions on 3rd is an authorized service center and will work on systems on site with Apple Care warranty.

1. We're having some trouble with our affiliate and are working to go direct with Apple on goods, so stock on some new systems may be low. We deal in both used and new systems, so you can pick up an old iMac for the kids or new one for yourself. You're very mistaken if you think we only carry older Macs. I'm wondering if you went into the Valley store shortly before we closed it. We sold off most of our floor models but still had plenty of used systems remaining. That's only a very small part of our business, and if we don't have it in stock, we can order anything that Apple sells minus the iPhone. In addition, we are a fully certified service center. I'm certified for desktop, laptop, 10.5 Support Professional, and 10.5 Server Technical Coordinator. We also offer free daily classes, one-on-one training, onsite training/repairs/installations, and we have one hell of a staff, among many things. I guarantee you that CBS does not have anywhere near the capabilities we do when it comes to Macs.

2. DO NOT TAKE YOUR MAC TO CBS. They gouge prices horribly ($280 to install an Airport card in a TiBook!) and they are a bit shady. Often they'll lose a tech but keep doing repairs, even though they shouldn't be as nobody but an Apple certified tech should even be touching a warranty/Applecare repair. I should know, they tried to woo me away from Mac Odyssey a few months ago as they had lost their tech, but the funny thing was that they were still showing up as a service center, and Apple will switch that off the moment they find out you're not employing a certified tech. In addition, we once employed a tech who had worked for CBS. He liked it better here.

I'm sure that CBS can do some things very well, but Mac stuff isn't one of them. Take your PC to CBS and I'm sure they can help you out. Take your Mac to Mac Odyssey because that is all we do and we're very good at it.
 

Project Alice

macrumors 68020
Jul 13, 2008
2,083
2,166
Post Falls, ID
There really needs to be some kind of apple place in spokane.
I bought my ibook g3 from mac-odyssey in the valley and now its gone.
I am going to get a macbook, now theres not a very good place to by one here.:mad::apple:
 

Durendal

macrumors 6502
Apr 12, 2003
287
1
There really needs to be some kind of apple place in spokane.
I bought my ibook g3 from mac-odyssey in the valley and now its gone.
I am going to get a macbook, now theres not a very good place to by one here.:mad::apple:
You can hop over to Coeur d'Alene if you don't mind a short drive. If you really want something more local, there's always Best Buy, but only if you already know what you want and don't need any real service. They don't have any real Mac guys down there.
 

Project Alice

macrumors 68020
Jul 13, 2008
2,083
2,166
Post Falls, ID
I have family in laval QC, Theres an apple store in the mall, laval is bigger than spokane but its all residential neighborhoods theres no real "downtown"
yet they still have one, montreal doesnt even have one.
 

dMacGuy

macrumors newbie
Dec 15, 2007
7
1
Spokane Washington
RE Mac Odyssey

I have to step in and defend Mac Odyssey here.

As noted in my previous post, I have had several experiences with them, in both CDA and Spokane. When they fixed my laptop at the CDA store I was hurting bad (the bad board from Apple issue, covered under warranty). They had to wait a couple of days from Apple to get the board, but I had a presentation to make in Canada the next day. They actually pulled the hard drive with all my files and Keynote presentation and actually put it into another laptop for me to get me by. Granted, I paid for their time ... but I still felt they went way above and beyond to help me.

Since then I've purchased both a 24" iMac and a Macbook Pro, a new airport base station and I believe that's even where I got my copy of Aperture.

It's unfortunate that they are no longer in Spokane. I went to Best Buy last week to pick up a Time Capsule and could tell that even their "Apple" guy did not know as much as he should.

I would love to see an Apple store in Spokane (mostly because of the software availability) but I would be VERY happy to see Mac Odyssey make a return.
 
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