Taking the opposite approach of most American students, China’s Peking University student body is mad at Apple for placing an Apple store inside the campus library. Why? Because it “goes against the spirit and environment” of studying.
Apple’s new “Experience Center” in the Peking campus library (China’s most prestigious university) allows for students to see and touch Apple’s products without actually buying them in-store. Apple’s product line is displayed in a glass structure for students to observe and use.
An employee of the Peking library explains:
“We have worked with Apple to provide a better learning environment to our students. The center aims to offer students more access to study materials and information through high technology. We will install study-related software to assist students using digital methods.”
While in-store sales don’t take place in the Apple Experience Center, students can show their student ID and order online from the Macs on display. Seems like a good idea, right? The students themselves strongly disagree:
“It’s totally against the spirit and environment of the library. Apple should have discounts or give-back activities if they want self-promotion, other than introducing this commercial thing into a sacred place like this.”
“Learning and shops should be separate. Why opening an Apple shop inside a library? Isn’t this a promotion strategy of Apple?”
A professor’s opinion:
“It’s good to have a digital service to help students study, but the location should be somewhere independent that does not disturb others.”
We think it’s awesome that Apple decided to open a store in China’s most prominent university library. Perhaps the location of the Experience Center could be placed separate from the library itself, but nevertheless, it was a great idea.
What do you think? Should Apple have opened a store in Peking University’s library?
(via M.I.C Gadget)
Alex Heath is a journalist who works for Tech Insider. He’s the former co-host of The CultCast. He has been quoted by the likes of the BBC, KRON 4 News, and books like “ICONIC: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation.” He lives in Lexington, Kentucky. If you want to pitch a story, share a tip, or just get in touch, additional contact information is available on his personal site. Follow him on Twitter.
48 responses to “Chinese Students Don’t Want Apple Showcasing Its Products in Their Library”
I don’t see why not? “Sacred place?” It’s a school, not a church. Give me a break.
What is “sacred” is defined by who it’s sacred to. I am white, in college in the US, and I have several devices from Apple (MBPro, iPhone 4, etc.). My school has an a store that sells computers etc. and also has it’s own edu store for apple.com, and also sells Apple products. I would have to say that it would be pretty distracting in a LIBRARY. A bookstore, great! Anywhere but a research lab, a lecture hall, or a library.
Don’t give Apple ideas!.. :D
its a library, NOT a store.
so, you should NOT be promoting a product/selling a product in a library.
I’m sorry, but this is just low class doing something like this.
We don’t even have an apple store in Ireland.. They should be bloody grateful..
This story has link bait written all over it and how many students didn’t want it – did they take a poll?
Yes I agree! We really need 1!!!
Maybe this is the Berkeley of China.
Where the students disapprove of everything.
having lived in Asia for some years I think it’s also a culture thing.
Asians take education somewhat more ‘serious’ (for lack of better term) than North Americans.
to illustrate (in a sideways manner) remember the Iron Chef episode where the american chef Bobby Flay jumps on a cutting board after winning? The Japanese competitor was horrified and refused to shake Flays hands. Later in an interview he said his master taught him the ‘cutting board’ was ‘sacred’ and jumping on it desecrated it and Flay’s actions shook him.
I think chinese students – who busted their asses probably getting perfect scores all their lives to get into a prestigious U’ – think the ‘library’ is more ‘sacred’ than most Westerners. For thousands of years the way of advancement in China was through very serious Government exams (supervised by the Emperor himself) to become an administrator (or Mandarin).
Not in a library, lecture hall, or lab. Most other places on campus would be great. According to Merriem’s second definition of sacred, “devoted exclusively to one service or use.” My school has a technology/computer store on campus that sells Apple products and I think it is awesome. My school also has a store on apple.com for edu. I prefer most of Apple’s current devices over the competition. I am also a college student who agrees that this would be quite distracting to me and students who have similar study habits as me. My school has over 29,000 students, so everywhere is always crowded beyond belief. If this university in China is similar to anywhere else in China I would imagine that I have a lot to learn about “crowded” and distractions. Nevertheless, on-campus even directly outside of a library would be better than inside a library. I am the type of student that prefers a quiet environment btw, just in case that’s relevant to anyone.
Peking U, had no input as where to place. All Apple’s fault.
I know! The students protesting this are actually Windows users who object to Apple products!! It’s simply a conspiracy hiding behind all the righteous language. : )
that is so chay
,. awesome
I just got a $829.99 iPad2 for only $103.37 and my mom got a $1499.99 HTV for only $251.92, they are both coming tomorrow. I would be an idiot to ever pay full retail prîces at places like Walmart or Bestbuy. I sold a 37″ HTV to my boss for $600 that I only paid $78.24 for.
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agreed
never heard of any American libraries with Apple stores inside
“sacred” or not, it’s a school’s library! Can you imagine whenever a new iProduct launches, thousands of students queue up in the library days before the launch date?
Opening an apple store at my city is most welcomed, whereas opening an apple store in my kitchen, is bxxlsxxt.
we do not have Apple Store in Lithuania either, but I totally agree with China’s University students. Library should not be reverted to shop.
are they protesting it because only the cool guys can afford it and majority of other student can’t? and that they die little inside everytime they see cool kids show off their shiny iProduct?
Any country, whose students believe that a commercial company has a place in the education system (be it University, high school or whatever) well deserves its destiny.
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let me tell you what is the real shiny and cool thing in students` eyes, it`s more chairs for students to read ~ iproducts are nothing but tools, far from a thing that deserves envy ~
I am here just to see Threebull Yi Zhang : )
Watch around Shenben Yi Zhang!
They need to have these displays in their library. How else will they learn how to reverse engineer future Apple products and then use their own people to mass produce this and sell to the very same people?
This is what happens when a government locks down the internet behind a giant firewall. Computers become toys instead of tools for tapping into the world’s knowldege base.
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