I remember when I, along with many others, believed that Amazon.com would put brick and mortar bookstores out of business. Apparently we were wrong, because I am starting to buy more and more books from my local bookseller than from Amazon. I felt likewise about the online Apple Store, but apparently it was the exact opposite, with new brick and mortar Apple Stores being built every year.

When the first two Apple Stores were opened on the 19th of May in 2001 there were many sceptics. However the stores were needed to boost Apple’s market share. The problem was that many of the large chains that resold Apple products, such as Sears and CompUSA, were not doing a good job of keeping the computers and the space around them clean. Apple retail stores solved this problem; all of the Apple Stores are incredibly well kept. Every time I go into the North Michigan Avenue store in Chicago there is someone on their hands and knees cleaning the glass staircase. It just shows how much Apple cares for their product and its presentation.

A lot has happened since that day in May, over 130 Apple Stores have opened, with even more to come in 2006. Not only are there stores within 45 minutes of 90% of the US population, but there are stores overseas. Apple is really expanding its chain, and with that expansion comes the growing market share.

The stores are iconic, the huge Apple gracing the entrance, with a welcoming glow from the computers. It is not like other stores, where there is a fake desktop plastered on the screen. There are no limitations, and that is what makes the Apple Store so different. You see people burning CDs with the songs they made in GarageBand, or chatting with their friends over iChat.

Now with the rumors that the Manhattan flagship store will be open 24/7 it will become a location in itself, Mac geeks there day and night, chatting with the staff and each other. Even if the rumors prove to be false it will still be a congregation place of Mac Geeks that come from far and wide. Yet another rumor that is spreading regards the new store that is opening in Rome. The store has been confirmed but the location is still a mystery. Knowing Apple, they are taking their time finding the right place for the store, making it perfect, as they are with everything.

I expect big things from Apple’s Retail Stores in the future, and hope that they bring a new life to the Apple product line. I am hoping that an Apple Store is opened near sometime soon, so I can spend time with my favorite people and my favorite computers.