New Apple Store on Regent Street

reflective windows of the new Apple Store

Originally uploaded by Tom Coates.

Apple's new shop on Regent Street opens in 53 minutes. People from all over the world have been queuing outside (around the block) for 36 hours.

More Apple Store photos and video at ifoAppleStore from an Apple Store chaser. Meanwhile the BBC's angle is negative in one way, that the shop will not have enough iPods. The Beeb has a video report by Rory-Cellan Jones. The Sunday Times journalist had a tour and decided all the staff are fascists.

What I want to know is: why does this shop have a longer Genius Bar (14 metres!) than their 98 other shops? Do they think we are fick or wot!

Also in town today is MacExpo!

I'm not going to either because I will spend lots of money if I do, not only on the Lucky Bag but also on a PowerBook to replace my old iMac and iBook. I really do want to sell the old ones first this time and not end up with old computers around the place. I can see the great architecture and design of "the most exciting retail experience in Europe" next time I am up west. As the Guardian says: "The shop, with its acres of pale grey Italian stone flooring and soaring glass staircase, has all the scale and splendour of a modern cathedral".

There were 400 people in the queue at 03:00 this morning, according to Stormy's live blog:

8 hours before the opening and I don't feel a bit tired at all. Every couple of minutes I get introduced to a few more people that I don't want to stop talking to, not to mention the passerbys that are awestruck at the sight. The above pretty much sums up why I haven't updated: no time to do it all! I can only imagine how juggling taking pictures and uploading them to the site would be.

To drive this weblog when it is occasionally in motion, I collect scribble on bits of paper, like my old Irish granny, so I need this modeless notes program with great search: Notational Velocity.

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