[Smushman]

Absolutely. It was not the stores that made it work, it was the new products. If it was just Macs for sale, it would have likely turned out as the author prognosticated.

Still though, reading this, I wonder if Steve knew that as well going in, and already had bigger plans in mind.

[tantalor]

The first store opened on 15 May 2001. The iPod was launched 5 months later.