[brookside]

Having a place to go when one has a tech issue is a huge value addition for many Apple users.

Repairs can be expensive (the solutions will lean towards "replace the entire motherboard"). But help at the genius bar from a real human can also be free.

Compare this experience of what options one has if a hardware issue, or some software question, with a dell laptop.

Availability of help at Apple stores is one reason I steer non-tech relatives towards Apple products, and helps justify premium pricing.

[mcpackieh]

Apple stores are a very substandard way of offering/providing support. Here is my real world example: I'm visiting my parents in suburban Pennsylvania when my laptop dies. I just looked up the nearest Apple Store, it's a 45 minute drive one-way, it would take an hour and a half in the car total just to get there, probably about $10 of gasoline too. Thankfully I had a Dell, so I called in the issue and later that day an independent repair man contracted by Dell came to my parents house and replaced the motherboard. Distance traveled by me: 0 miles.

And mind, this was in a fairly densely populated area of an east coast state in America. Apple stores are even further away in most parts of the world.

Here's another example, this time I had a macbook that needed a new battery. I was in Seattle this time, and had no car. The nearest Apple store was Apple University Village, and because I didn't have a car with me then it was a 30 minute bus trip (each way.) 1 hour total, and to make matters worse, I had to do this twice because the first time they told me they didn't even have the right battery in stock (even though I called first and had scheduled the first meeting.) So that's two full hours blown trying to get a new battery for my macbook, in one of the major tech cities of America. Abysmal!

[RobT7k]

Soo, your dell laptop died, and you decided to checkout how far away an Apple Store was? That's a very odd thing to do.

Apple Stores aren't the only way that Apple offers support, it's one of many. Just because it didn't happen to be convenient for one of your scenarios doesn't mean it's not convenient for thousands of others.

Also, from what I can tell, Onsite warranty support is a paid upgrade for Dells, not a default. I could be wrong on that, though, haven't bought a dell in a while. Apple does also support onsite warranty support for some computers if you pay more as well. So I'm really not sure what the point of your comment is.

[mcpackieh]

> Soo, your dell laptop died, and you decided to checkout how far away an Apple Store was? That's a very odd thing to do.

Since I am comparing the two, it's not odd in the slightest. You're just trying to "gotcha" me without responding to the substance of my claim. To reiterate, making customers drive to an Apple store that is probably a fair distance away is substandard service. Having a repair technician come to you is the standard by which Apple's service should be judged. If Dell can do it, so could Apple. (I never buy upgraded service contracts, the Dell service was standard.)

And again, 30 minute bus ride to get to the Apple store in Seattle of all places. There is no Apple store in downtown Seattle. Apple Stores are a bad joke.

[deelowe]

Doesn't Apple make good money on their "genius bar" services?