Holiday Sales Tables

Apple is making it easy to purchase iPods, and even laptops at the larger stores, during the crowded holiday season. Like last year, at least one table at each store has been cordoned off and converted into an EZ Pay check-out station, and stocked with iPods to allow shoppers to grab-and-go. Each table has an iMac that displays instructions on how to select your product, pay and obtain an e-mail receipt. At some of the larger stores, a second table has been converted into a similar station for MacBook laptops, allowing even big-ticket buyers to zip in and out of the store with their holiday purchase. The areas are staffed by employees equipped with the portable computers that debuted last holiday season to speed up the check-out process and e-mail a receipt to the buyer.