Greatest of all time.
I just got back from visiting a friend in San Luis Obispo, California, and he pointed me towards the Mac Superstore. I’d never heard of the place, and Apple has so thoroughly eradicated all unofficial Mac retailers that I didn’t think there were many left (sadly). But I decided to give the place a close look from the inside. What follows, here and on the jump, is a photo-tour to the coolest Apple store that the company doesn’t own – and maybe ever.
Best Doorstops Ever.
The experience at the MacSuperstore, founded in 1998 by Shane Williams, a graduate of Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo, begins before you even walk in the door. Since the weather is almost always sunny and calm in SLO, Williams and staff use vintage all-in-one Macs to hold the doors open to the faithful. I checked closely, and one door is propped by a Mac Plus while the others are SE/30s. The effect is inviting – and a bit disturbing. I last used an SE/30 in mid-1999, and it seemed pretty far from a doorstop then.
All the most interesting stuff is inside, however, so please read on.
The MacSuperstore knows how to design a store.
The first thing that strikes any visitor to the MacSuperstore is the stunning design. It’s true-blue for the Mac faithful. White walls, brushed metal surfaces, and exposed ductwork and support structures. It’s a mash-up of a design firm and an Apple Store. Absolutely top-notch retail design. The knowledgeable staff constantly patrol the floor in matching black T-shirts and lanyards,a nd they’re as engaged or disengaged as you might prefer.
Demonstration of technology in comfort and context.
Another signature element of the MacSuperstore is a commitment to making technology accessible and understandable. Software, accessories, hardware and even service are set up and configured for use. A nice couch and chairs even make the visit a pleasant one, with a flat-screen TV showing demos overhead. Oh, and there’s a leopard on the chair.
Software selection to beat the band.
During the bad old days of the mid-1990s, the most frustrating problem with the Mac platform was a dearth of software available at retail. That situation has dramatically improved in recent years, but it still warmed the cockles of my heart to see walls and walls and walls of new, cutting-edge software at MacSuperstore. There were programs for Mac I’d never even heard of that looked truly excellent. Phenomenal.
Play with the whole Mac product line in one place.
These days, the Apple brand has become as much about handheld devices like the iPod and iPhone as it is about the Mac platform. Not so at the store in San Luis Obispo. There isn’t a single iPod or iPhone in the store. All of the accessories and non-computers are in an annex next door called Play. This is a shrine to all things Mac, and it’s absolutely glorious. They even built a special stand to make the MacBook Air float, emphasizing its thin design – a retail display innovation even Apple doesn’t match when you play directly with the machine. Luckily I’m so obsessed with the MacBook Pro with Penryn and a multitouch trackpad that I didn’t walk out with a brand-new computer. That would have been the worst.
Pete Mortensen is a design strategist for consulting firm Jump Associates and the co-author of Wired to Care: How Companies Prosper When They Create Widespread Empathy, a book and blog that are significantly more interesting than you might initially think. Pete’s particular Apple avocations are both around design–interface and industrial. Follow him on Twitter!
