Today Apple kicked off the computer recycling program announced by Steve Jobs earlier this year, but it comes with conditions that prevent it from becoming a dumping ground for just anyone’s old computers.

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Mac user Ian visited his local UK Apple store to examine the new MacBook and was ready to make a purchase. However, he learned that upgrading the memory from 512 Mb to 1 Gb was accompanied by some strange pricing. In the end, he decided to spend his money on something else.

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Construction is underway at the future Lincoln Road (Fla.) retail store, as shown in some photos by Mike. The storefront is covered over by black plywood and there is scaffolding in place to install the stainless steel siding. The inside of the space is pretty bare, but major work is underway.

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Version 3.5 of Final Cut Express HD has appeared on the shelves of Apple’s’ retail stores, offering Intel compatibility among other new features. But the most obvious difference is that the software comes in the now-standard midget square box.

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Thanks for cloudyshark for the photos of today’s Freehold Raceway (NJ) store grand opening, showing the waiting line that took about two hours to dissipate.

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The elevator at the Fifth Avenue (NYC) store suffered a malfunction as it was rising to the ground floor with five persons inside–the story has received as much blog exposure as the store’s grand opening. Here’s the definitive, first-person account by RaNeX, who managed to step out of the elevator on the ground floor just [...]

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Thanks to Kevin for spotting the signboard along University Blvd. in Huntsville (Ala.), with a black Apple logo on white background, and “Coming Soon” announced in text. The city is home to the University of Alabama-Huntsville (7,000 students), the Redstone Arsenal (big Xserve user), and Marshall Spaceflight Center. Update: Thanks to Shane for determining the [...]

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The Perimeter Mall retail store will open on June 3rd at 10 a.m., with the usual sweepstakes and commemorative T-shirts.

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From a photo on the flicker photo site, it appears that the first tagger has struck at the Fifth Avenue retail store glass cube. But if you look closely, you’ll notice that the photo on the right is a Photoshopped version of the photo on the left, taken earlier as a maintenance worker cleaned up [...]

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The barricades have come down in front of the Freehold Raceway (NJ) store location, and it appears to be a traditional 30-foot wide model with a glass and stainless steel storefront. The store opens this Saturday at 10 a.m.

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Attention, citoyens de la France. Où est le magasin d’Apple à Paris? Je crois qu’il sera dans la zone d’Opéra de Paris. M’envoyer un e-mail avec votre information.

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The CNBC “Squawk Box” team sat around and pondered Dell Computer’s recent announcement that it will open two retail stores, and wondered why they’re doing it, if it’s aimed at high-end corporate clients, or if it’s a “desperation” move. Watch the video for their thoughts.

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The authorized Apple reseller Academy Store is set to open its doors on June 15th at the Bondi Junction mall in Sydney (Australia), in a space that breaks the standard Apple Centre mold. The 3-level, tunnel-like store is still under construction, but exclusive photos show it includes a Bondi Blue color scheme, exposed stairways and [...]

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The big grand opening party is over for the Fifth Avenue (NYC) Apple store, but it’s clear that the company’s financial and administrative commitment to the store has been huge, and will continue to be so. Almost every aspect of the store is off the charts, both architecturally and financially, and it provides a hint [...]

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Apple has posted information about its annual Apple Camp program for children 8 to 12 years-old, this year including podcast, iWeb, music and movie workshops, all 2-1/2 hours and absolutely free.

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The Freehold Raceway (NJ) store will hold its grand opening on May 27th.

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The Austin-American Statesman newspaper has broken the story that Dell Computer will open two retail stores in Texas and New Jersey in late summer, both about 3,000 square-feet. One of the stores will be at The Palisades mall, where Apple has had a store since Dec. 2001. The company pioneered direct-to-consumer Internet sales of computers, [...]

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According to the France-based Web site MacGeneration, Apple V-P Europe Pascal Cagni has sent e-mail to authorized resellers outlining new contract conditions effective Oct. 30th that seem to set the stage for Apple’s own retail stores in the country. Essentially, Apple will no longer license the term “Apple Center,” but would call them “Premium Providers.” [...]

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Read my on-site report on the huge, star-studded Fifth Avenue Apple store grand opening, along with some photos of the stairs. I’m headed back home on Saturday evening, and have already remembered 50 interesting tidbits I lost in my sleep-deprived state. I’ll have more reports and a behind-the-scenes rambling in the next few days. Apple [...]

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Not surprisingly, the retail store windows will be switched out this weekend for new versions. I’m betting is has something to do with the new MacBook models, including the super-hot black version. I saw the laptop at the SoHo store on Wednesday, and the case finish, the sculpted keyboard recess, and the new screen are [...]

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