Apple banning Facebook in all retail stores

[.Andy]

I didn't realise it was universally cool to hate on facebook already . I just got on board . What's the new comparable site that still has indie cred ?

 

[gotzaiPhone]

I think its a good idea. There is nothing that you can do on safari on a mac that you can't do on a windows based computer with safari loaded on it. Meaning that, there is no "Ohhhhh.... this is how a mac works" factor when using safari. If they want to ....urgh..... "facebook", they can go to the local public library and get on the internet for free that way. Those macs are there to explore a mac, not waste hours on the internet.

Also too, facebook went down hill the moment they allowed anyone to have one. Back when where a user needed a .edu email address to access the site, the site actually had some real purpose....

 

[MasterNile]

Meh, never been in an Apple Store, never used Facebook, never used MySpace, I am cooler than all of you (yes that's just my way of saying none of my friends have the internet and I fear large groups of people)

 

[arkitect]

What's the new comparable site that still has indie cred ?

I don't think Facebook ever had that… unless you were 12 or so.

 

[yoppie]

Good move. It should free up some computers for people who really are interested in buying.

 

[.Andy]

I don't think Facebook ever had that… unless you were 12 or so.

I'm so out of the loop.

 

[garybUK]

This is bad, the only way people are going to buy mac's are if people can use them, they are getting their all touted visitors into their stores if they start doing this then no one will come in.

Though Apple are only interested in selling iPhones now anyway,

 

[arkitect]

I'm so out of the loop.

Don't fret.
Most of my friends - all well into their 40's and 50's have just discovered Facebook and are looking up school sweethearts.

Oh, the humanity!

 

[MasterNile]

I'm so out of the loop.

LOL, revive an old style and make your own angelfire.com page, that's what me and my friends did when we were teenages (before myspace.com and what not), maybe you'll get lucky and retro will come into style and you'll be the coolest one ever, for the next 5 minutes.

 

[drlunanerd]

Great move. I hate people using the place as a glorified internet café

+1

 

[Celticsun]

Meh, the geeky users will just use a Proxy Bypass..

It is bloody annoying though waiting to actually use a product in view of purchase but you can't get near due to the plethora of Emos all looking at their lives and there sad freinds lives who are stood next to them!

 

[Royale w/cheese]

I guess I have mixed emotions, well not much, because I really don't care either way. Banning sites could have the effect of warding off loiterers, but there may be some people that are put off by not being able to try out whatever it is they may want to on a potential computer purchase. I mean lets face it, we all know someone who just about the only thing they do on their computers is the "social networking" crap and email. These people also need to upgrade their computers occasionally, and if they can not try it out on the Macs, they probably will be fine with just going with the usual big box discount crap. So it might thwart some sales for Apple, which I don't like. But like I said, I don't really care. If we need to try something out, we sooner or later get to do it.

 

[LEStudios]

Personally I think Apple should, within reason, let folk do what they want on the in-store demo units. The point is that people are in the stores and using Macs. Even if they just ran in to check the train times, they got to experience a Mac first hand and the idea is that the experience will be positive and stay with them.

I agree with everybody else! Think about it as a business point of view. Apple make their money from hands on experience from people who are new to Mac OS X and they ready to buy right there now but can't cause somebody is not buying can't be finance or just plainly not eligible to buy at all. I wouldn't want to lose a customer who buying a loaded Mac Pro with 30" Cinema Display with AppleCare for a dumb kid who just surfing the web. As always Apple gets my support! From a stockholder point of view we want more sales revenues to increase that stock shares!

 

[macbookfan]

I dont see what the big deal is. when i was shopping for my macbook i talked to a sales person in the apple store and he asked some teen girls useing photo booth to go to a different computer so he could show it off to me.

 

[Veri]

I hate it when social conventions become verbs. I facebook, You facebook, He/She/It facebooks.

Consider it the user's way of acknowledging his or her own shortcomings.

"I facebook" = "I provide information about myself on the Internet, but I rely on the lackadaisical privacy policy of a third party to override social conventions about information I distribute to or expect from others."

"I google" = "I search on the Internet from only one place, because I'm unaware of meta-search tools or domain specific search tools that are more likely to get me what I want. I measure reliability according as ordering of Google search results."

"I podcast" = "I make a video/audio stream available on demand while displaying an ignorance of or affinity for Apple's lawyer strongarming (over use of the three letters `pod'). This all reflects my lack of recognition of the history of Internet streaming media and of the open principles of the Internet in general."

"I blog" = "I write an online journal, then inflate its importance out of all proportion and make sure to use this broadcast medium - rather than thoughtful one-to-one conversation - as a channel for communicating with those whom I still dare to call friends."

The only relief is that "to Web 2.0" isn't yet a verb. I hate web apps, whether that's MobileMe's complex interface or this bulletin board (that doesn't mean I hate you or the board's content, dear sensitive reader, just the app). Use a suitable protocol for communicating the content and let people use dedicated clients suitable for the given application - so I can read all web boards in the same client, etc. The whole "but then you can use it everywhere" argument is nonsense - if Java/.net weren't such good ideas so awfully implemented then it'd be accepted practice to be able to run your set of efficient sandboxed apps anywhere by accessing your profile from any PC anywhere.

Here endeth my sermon on how the Internet should be. Tongue-in-cheek, don't kill me, etc.

 

[michaelsviews]

Great, Fantastic

Applause applause applause, this is fantastic, either buy the computer or device or MOVE ALONG

 

[0098386]

Good, I guess. Personally I've never seen people using Facebook in an Apple store. All the kids and such just mess around on Photo Booth and hog all the MacPros with keyboards hooked up.
I even asked an assistant if I could test out the model because Iw as thinking of buying a Midi keyboard, but they couldn't move them along. Another shop got my moneys.

Hopefully it's the first nail in Facebook's coffin. I'm really start to get tired of it and I could see how it would annoy Apple if people come into their stores just to check facebook. Good looks apple.

That's possibly the biggest jumping the gun I have ever seen.

 

[colonels1020]

GOOD. I hate all the hipsters that hang around dicking around on Facebook when I really want to go and test a product I want to buy.

True that. Nothing more annoying when you go into an Apple store looking to buy a new Mac and all the demo units are being hounded by all these kids checking their facebooks. Why can't they just check it at home, on their phone, at a library, or something?

 

[stefanjobs]

Personally I think Apple should, within reason, let folk do what they want on the in-store demo units. The point is that people are in the stores and using Macs. Even if they just ran in to check the train times, they got to experience a Mac first hand and the idea is that the experience will be positive and stay with them.

I 100% agree with you. Apple stores (especially the flag ship stored) are arranged so allow as many people to touch their products as possible. I can only imagine this is because Apple believe that their products sell themselves and once people pick them up they wont want to put them down.

Even if people were using demo units without any direct intention to buy at least these people have gained hands-on experience of OS X, and of course they are in the store so they know where to go and buy one when or if they ever choose to.

 

[h.21]

FaceBook? Is there any way I can get a FaceBook Pro?

 

[JollyRogers]

Personally this should be on a case-by-case basis on the stores usage. For example.

I use the ONLY store w/in 50 miles of me and it is always crowded. It is really annoying when I am there to purchase a new laptop or computer and all these teens are in there using every single one of the computers... surfing the internent!!! Someone who is purchasing can't even try the the product... I think all internet access here should be controlled and only usable if there is a sales person working with the customer OR if you have your own device with you. This store has designated youngster iMac stations, but it's only for the little kids.

On the other hand, I have visited stores while on travel in Cal and HI, and needed their internet, was not purchasing a CPU machine, and only browsing (umm yea I bought something). These places where empty!!!, so sure thing... whatever it takes to get people in there. Just block the porn! Nothing else...Kids/teens, bring their parents. Parents try Macs. Parents like it and buy for themselves and kids.

 

[Sijmen]

FaceBook? Is there any way I can get a FaceBook Pro?

FaceBook is just a lot of hot Air. Okay that was bad

 

[iOrlando]

Personally I think Apple should, within reason, let folk do what they want on the in-store demo units. The point is that people are in the stores and using Macs. Even if they just ran in to check the train times, they got to experience a Mac first hand and the idea is that the experience will be positive and stay with them.

they do allow internet in apple stores...so your demand is met. Having facebook open to people serves apple no purpose at all.

i personally dont understand why there are always so many people in apple stores seemingly doing nothing --referring to those who I have observed stay at the same computer for a good 20-30 minutes...(i was purchasing something and thats why I was there so long) I am guessing they are just waiting for their parents to finish shopping somewhere else.

All-in-all..i have no problem with having it packed..Its a psychological thing as well. People see this store packed...(its the only store packed these days) and people think oh they must have something good in there...let me see..and there you go..its a great strategy...but taking facebook out is a good move.

 

[Rhalliwell1]

faceboook -> unstable

i find safari to be very unstable on facebook. It could have something to do with this.

 

[numbersyx]

It is a bit frustrating to see all of these people hogging the Macs for hours on Facebook and you're waiting patiently to access your Hotmail account....er, I mean try out OS x.......