After having evaluated how Best Buy markets Apple products, I decided to give CompUSA a similar evaluation. I visited a store in the Bay Area that should be top-notch...it's located only about 1,000 feet from Steve Jobs' Pixar office.

First of all, Ron Johnson was correct in his press presentation for the San Francisco retail store grand opening--CompUSA has a broad selection. In fact, this area for Apple products will probably overwhelm anyone who has visited an Apple store--there are just too many items to digest, especially if you're not sure what you're buying. You could spend hours trying to figure out which hardware or software is an appropriate match.

The Apple area is well-marked with a huge banner, but the area is in the rear corner of the store, making it a unnatural destination. The lighting is the standard overhead mercury-vapor type, and is pretty harsh. The area consists of two independent row displays, each with two faces (4 faces total), and two longer wall displays. The shelves are well-stocked in an orderly fashion. There are items within the aisles to increase visibility, but they aren't necessarily Apple products.

Again, the range of products is huge--there are multiple brands of the same type of product, such as hard drives, USB cards, mice, keyboards, etc.

The row endcaps display hardware with something attached, including a G5, an iMac and an iBook. One wall display holds an extensive list of software that ranges from pro to beginner, including the top-end applications Final Cut Pro, SoundTrack. There is a good selection of games and mid-range productivity software.

The desktop and laptop displays are orderly and accompanied by obvious prices. The laptops are bolted to the shelf with enough hardware to tie down the Space Shuttle. The harness makes it difficult to tilt the display into an optimum viewing position--the screen either looks to light or too dark. It also makes it impossible to determine the laptop's heft by lifting it.

Adjacent to the software shelving is a set of shelves with brown cardboard boxes, with security devices attached. The boxes are marked with labels that indicate the products are not for sale directly to customers, but rather are intended to be used by authorized Apple service personnel to install in computers. The Apple-branded devices include hard drives for desktops and laptops, and video cards.

Lastly, on the shelving behind the laptop display was an odd piece of paper taped to wall. It had been printed on an inkjet printer in black and red, and had three columns--the first column listed add-on items available for sale, including memory, hard disks, etc. The second column listed CompUSA's price, and the third column listed the price that the Apple retail stores charge.

At the bottom of the list was a comparison of features between CompUSA and the Apple retail stores--check the photo below. In essence, the sign claims that only CompUSA offers free installation, free delivery, and 6 months financing with no interest or payments. The sign adds, "We match prices. Ask any salesperson for details." Ouch!

Overall, I'd rate CompUSA at C+, but only because I don't appreciate that the huge selection of products creates a confusing atmosphere for potential buyers. Visiting an Apple store, I like their approach of pre-selecting the six-best products for me, and giving them the primary focus.