Green Monster unveiled

As many people have already mentioned, the front of the store has been uncovered to show a Green Monster-themed graphic.

In the back, the curbs in the alleyway have been replaced, back sidewalk has been poured, much of the debris has been cleared, and the crane that was used to hoist the large stone panels on the back of the store drove away on Saturday, after being parked there for what seemed like months. It definitely seems that the work is focusing more on the interiors now, as we've seen steel cages (reportedly for inventory) being taken in one piece at a time through the back door.

And in other Red-Sox/Apple Store related news, rumor has it a that a Tech Superpowers t-shirt is buried in the foundation of the Apple Store...

Construction winding down, Anticipation winding up!

Well, if the looks of the outside are any indication, the inside should be coming along as well. Today, it looks like they're looking to complete the back facade of the building - and onlookers report that the glass of the front facade is going in as well.

As construction nears what looks like the final stages, the mood at TSP is one of anxiety and anticipation: What will happen when the doors open? Will we get no more walk-in service customers? Will we get a boat-load of referrals from the Apple Store business consultants looking for a Mac professional services firm? Will the Genius Bar help us rent more laptops to people that have their machines in for service? Will this city block become "Apple Central" for Boston and New England?

Probably a little bit of everything.

TSP has been working on a two-year strategy to position ourselves as the perfect complement to a flagship Apple Store: a Mac-only professional services shop with hardware service, onsite, and remote support capabilities. And it looks like we're just weeks away from seeing if that strategy will work. That work has included some fundamental changes to our business and making some bets on where we think the Apple Store will take us - so while the future of our business probably doesn't depend on this store, it's highly swayed by its existence.

Here's just a peek at some of our new services, hopefully they will help Apple succeed not just with their Apple Store, but with getting Macs into brownstones and businesses all over Boston:

- Our Managed Macs managed services suite to support pro and business Mac users for a flat monthly charge
- Increased staffing of our onsite consultants, who are pros at Leopard Server and large deployments
- Increased focus on Data Recovery and Customer Backup services
- Hard drive upgrades for older Laptops and Desktops
- Beefing up our Mac-Friendly Hosting Services, perfect for small to medium-sized Mac businesses, and running on Xserves!
- Providing Offsite Backups for Mac Servers
- A larger Rental Pool of laptops for Apple Store repair customers
- And much much more...

Tell us what you think! Will we succeed or fail? Should we pack up and get out of Dodge, or brace for the massive influx of customers? Time will tell, but one thing is for certain: Apple doesn't keep us bored!