I tried to buy a Gateway computer at the Gateway store once. They said they could place my order over the web. I asked if I could have it delivered to the store instead of to my house, because I’m not home for the delivery. They said no. They even said it wasn’t a store! I guess they never read the sign.

Since the only reason for buying Gateway was because they allegedly had a store, and I had to chance it with home delivery anyway, I bought a Dell because I was steamed at Gateway.

Now, years later, Apple is in resurgence. OS X is wonderful, but that’s not enough to get me to buy Macs. The real reason I have two Macs is because Apple has a store, a technician I can talk to face-to-face without flying to Mumbai, and customer service that makes me feel like I’m their most important customer.

Dell stores will fail if the customer can’t leave the store with the computer in the trunk, if the customer can’t go back to the store for assistance and repair, and if Dell doesn’t start actually caring about its customers.

Apple has certainly set the bar high with it’s amazing products, thinking and innovation. No competition.

First, it is a large 2 level mall (the largest Mall in the region) with the usual variety of stores, food court, etc.

Where does Dell decide to open up their little kiosk on the cheesy standard wooden kiosk used by everyone (including the guy selling Nascar belt buckles), 25 steps from an Apple Store.

I always wondered if they are jumping onto the Apple wi-fi?

The part I always laugh at is they give people this big sales pitch and then the person can’t walk away with a computer and have to order it instead.

Dell won’t make a go of it any more than Gateway did. If people are going to a store they want to walk out with it. Otherwise, they can order from home.