Apple doesn’t allow you to change the login or your Apple ID, or merge two separate IDs, even if you can easily prove that they both belong to one individual. If I want to re-download the thousands of dollars worth of apps (it’s likely in that range by now) I’ve purchased for my iPhones, iPads, iPods and Macs over the years through Apple’s official App Stores, I have to use my legacy Apple ID, which is associated with a Hotmailaddress I never actually use anymore. But to take advantage of cloud email, contact and calendar syncing, I need to use my Mobile Me ID. I also like to use that ID for FaceTime and Messages, since it’s the email address where people would assume I’d receive those kinds of communications.

The headache of multiple sign-ins is about to get a whole lot worse when iCloud and iTunes Match arrive this fall. Automatic Downloads, which lets you download all purchases of iTunes music, apps and books to all your devices automatically, already prevents users from switching iTunes accounts for 90 days, and iTunes Match will actually remove your on-device library if you change to another Apple ID for the on-device store account. If you want to use your Me.com address (provided free with iCloud) to use iTunes Match, you won’t be able to switch to any other account to download previously purchased apps without incurring major inconvenience.

Luckily, one reader who emailed Apple CEO Tim Cook about the problem of multiple Apple IDs received a response from Apple’s executive relations team by phone, indicating that Apple is working on the issue, according to MacRumors. She acknowledged that as of yet, you can’t combine accounts, but that the Apple ID team is working on it. A second concerned customer reportedly received the same info after emailing Cook about the same issue.

Apple’s shift to the cloud holds a lot of promise in terms of simplifying getting content onto and off of mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad, but single sign-on access to all your content and services is a crucial component of making sure that process is easy and not confusing. If Apple wants to be less flexible about how and when you can use your Apple ID, then it has to be more flexible about making changes to the ID itself, so let’s hope this is a priority for Apple ahead of its iCloud launch.

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The real coup here is that Amazon has top-tier offerings from Microsoft and Adobe, including Office for Mac 2011 and Photoshop Elements 9. Amazon’s web store also has more current game offerings from major publishers, like Dragon Age 2, Civilization V and Sims Medieval. Game offerings on the Mac App Store tend to be older, and therefore compatible with a wider range of Mac computer hardware.

As with the Mac App Store, much of the user input required for installation is taken out of the process, making it remarkably easy for even beginner users to buy and use titles. Unlike the Mac App Store, though, Amazon’s offering is part of its existing website, and requires no software beyond a web browser to operate.

Titles you buy from the Mac Download Store remain available for unlimited re-download and installation through Amazon’s Games and Software Library, but the number of computers you can use the software on will vary depending on the software publisher’s preference. Downloads all include sizes, and download time estimates based on your connection.

Amazon is clearly interested in the idea of becoming a one-stop app shop for multiple platforms. It introduced its Amazon Appstore for Android devices earlier this year, and it already offers direct downloads for PC software and games. It’s a good time to be in the direct download business, since boxed software sales have been slipping for quite some time.

Apple seems to want to promote the Mac App Store as the preferred distribution method for some of its own software at least, so I wonder whether it will welcome a strong competitive model from Amazon. With its existing customer base and, I imagine, less particular restrictions about the software it offers for sale, Amazon will be an attractive choice for software publishers and developers, and it seems to have the backing of some big fish already.

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One of the selling points of the original Apple Store was the red “hot line” that the Genius staff could use if they were stumped on a problem. After a time, that phone disappeared.  Turns out, Apple didn’t want customers tying up the bar trying to play stump the genius (a surprisingly amusing pastime). What they actually wanted was for the Genius bar to take care of problems on the spot, and delight the customer with excellent, attentive service.

Over and over, Apple has been willing to change things up, experiment, make adjustments, and even throw away things that don’t work. Here are some other examples of those changes, large and small:

• The Genius Bar originally didn’t have appointments. You just walked in, wrote your name down on a piece of paper, and you were given a pager to tell you when it was your turn. Apple migrated to an electronic waiting list and then implemented appointment times. After the iPhone, the service queue was split up into separate Mac and iPhone/iPod lines.
• The Genius Bar originally did all the product training in the store. Apple later rolled out ProCare with training sessions included, and then split training off from ProCare into One to One. Now One to One is only available for new Mac purchases, and group training has been emphasized.
• Theaters were installed in all stores for product demonstrations and education. Theaters remain in the flagship stores, but the floor space has been given over to the Genius Bar and Creative training areas in smaller stores.
• The Rhonda app on all of the display machines would turn the screen a certain color so that staff would be alerted to a customer waiting for help (Help Me Rhonda. Help, Help Me Rhonda!). This was later dropped.
• Stores were directed to get average repair turnaround times under 2 days. In order to meet the challenge, stores started to keep parts for quick repairs on hand so that they could get some done on the spot.
• The original store layout had several cash drawer stations around the store where customers would queue up to make purchases. EasyPay changed that so all credit card transactions could be handled on the floor. Cash drawers started to disappear and many stores only have one for the occasional check or cash payment. The EasyPay system migrated from a Windows CEapplication running on Symbol hardware to an iPod touch outfitted with a card swipe reader and bar code scanner.
• With the cash drawers gone, stores started posting greeters at the front to direct customers and introduce them to the way things worked. This position was formalized into a special Concierge position. Later the concierge would check you in for your Genius Bar or One to One appointment with an iPod touch or iPad app.
• Apple installed receipt printers under tables throughout the store which meant sales staff could stay closer to the customer. Staff can now request product to be delivered from the back room, so the customer can continue to ask questions or receive help.

After 10 years and billions of dollars in profits, it is easy to look back and think that Apple Retail was an inevitable success. But Apple has had its finger on the pulse of consumer desire for all that time, and the ability to identify changes in that pulse and adapt quickly is a quality that should help Apple continue to succeed in the coming decade as well.

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It’s not quite time for the Apple announcement yet, so there’s no telling whether or not this is what’s going to be revealed, but a simple search finds that music by The Beatles is now available for purchase in the iTunes Store. All albums appear to be available, including the complete Beatles Box Set for $149.00.

All the albums start at $12.99, while some special editions and compilations will cost you $19.99. There’s no evidence that the Mono box set is currently available, as only one box set option appears, and it seems to be the Stereo version. All the albums also appear to be iTunes LP editions, so they come complete with additional features like mini-documentaries, liner notes and photos.

I’m sincerely hoping this isn’t the big announcement coming up this morning. Seems like too much fanfare for some new content availability. What do you think?

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True, I’ve written before about some of the missteps that Apple has taken, but even with its faults, the company never stops and keeps striving to make a difference in the minds of its customers. So what makes an Apple Store so great? It’s all about the experience.

Certainly, one can argue that the reason why people will wait in lines that are hours long for a new telephone is because the telephone must be pretty frackin’ cool. Some of you may have done this before, waiting outside of a Best Buy or Walmart for a chance to get a Nintendo Wii or Playstation 3 when they first launched. But if you did, I bet your experience was nothing like it was at the Apple Store.

First, the stores have Wi-Fi. That one may seem a little cheesy, but when you’re camped outside at 3AM, it’s nice that a company that, despite all its talk of being energy-efficient and going green, still decided to leave its wireless routers active at night so you can watch Hulu while waiting in line.

Second, the stores take care of those who are waiting in line. During both the iPad and iPhone 4 launches, the two stores I visited had partnered with a local Starbucks and California Pizza Kitchen to provide food and drinks to those who had been waiting — at no expense to customers. How many places do you know of that do that?

Third, the experience with the employees is, despite the occasional misstep, phenomenal. Employees are not on commission so there’s no pressure for them to sell you everything and the kitchen sink. They’re in the business of building a relationship. They’ll shake your hand, call you by your name and really take personal pride in being able to help you with the right solution every time. Not only that, but it’s not just about selling you on the products. Apple is one of few companies who really wants you to return to the store and learn more about how to use their products, even if you’re not buying anything else. It’s all about the experience -– with the products, with the people and with the stores.

If you’ve ever had a chance to visit the Ritz Carlton, this type of service will be familiar to you as it originally started with its gold standards. The Ritz Carlton credo is the guiding philosophy of Apple’s own credo.

“The Ritz-Carlton Hotel is a place where the genuine care and comfort of our guests is our highest mission. We pledge to provide the finest personal service and facilities for our guests who will always enjoy a warm, relaxed, yet refined ambience. The Ritz-Carlton experience enlivens the senses, instills well-being, and fulfills even the unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests.”

Even its motto, “We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen” speaks volumes to how Apple treats its own customers. Have you ever walked into an Apple Store and not been treated like royalty? (As an aside, I strongly suggest you do not walk into a store and demand to be treated like royalty.)

Apple calls its service “surprise and delight.” It aims to surprise its customers by seeking opportunities to deliver on its customers wishes and needs and then delight them by going above and beyond, if you give them the opportunity.

Again, look at the recent iPhone 4 launch. After waiting in line, I was then taken into the store where I had a chance to play with the iPhone while I waited for the next Specialist who could help me with my purchase. When I’d finished purchasing my phone, it was switched over on AT&T’s network (rendering my old phone inoperable) and another Mac Specialist was there ready to help me plug it into a Mac and finish the activation process.

If you give them a chance, and don’t exploit it, every team member at Apple will not stop until they’ve given you the best experience they can. Unfortunately, however, as the busy consumers we are, we like this attention and tend to expect or even demand it sometimes. There are times when a Genius Bar appointment may not be available until the next day or that hot new iPhone just isn’t in stock. Getting frustrated at this point is understandable, but take a few moments to understand how the team at Apple really wants to help you and be sure to treat them with that same level of respect. Even though the stores are busy, politely asking, “How can we find a way to help me get my Mac working as soon as possible?” is just enough to, if they haven’t offered already, allow them to look at Genius Bar appointments at neighboring stores and go ahead and schedule the appointment for you. Or, if the store traffic permits, check in your Mac for repair and diagnosis at a later time so you don’t have to wait for the appointment.

The moral of my story is this. The Apple Store is a great experience and that’s a big reason why people love to buy Apple products. For many, it does start with their first iPod or iPhone and later they return for their first Mac. So don’t forget the little things that make the experience so great (the attention, the people) and appreciate them because Apple’s formula for success is something you just won’t find at Best Buy or AT&T or really any other retail store for that matter.

There you have it. Yet another reason why many of us Apple users are called “fan boys.” Have you had your own surprise and delight experience at Apple? Tell us about it in the comments.

Of course, there are ways to unlock the iPhones that are simple enough for many computer users, but there lies the tricky mess of possibly voiding your warranty, so tread carefully. It’s likely you’re probably familiar with jailbreaking, risks and all, so I won’t belabor the point.

Buying the iPhone models off-contract won’t be cheap, since you don’t have a carrier helping out via a hefty subsidy, but as any contract-averse individual will tell you, you’ll end up paying far less for the hardware if you can avoid signing your life away for two whole years. Also you might sleep better at night knowing AT&T hasn’t successfully sunk its claws into you.

The now aging 3G 8GB iPhone will cost you $499, while the 16GB 3GS lists at $599 and the 32GB 3GS sells for $699 without subsidy. Those prices start to look a lot less reasonable now that Apple has announced the pricing for the iPad, even though when I bought the iPhone 3GS last year I had to pay full price since I was only a year into my three-year contract, it seemed perfectly fine to drop $700.

As for when you can get these unlocked devices, according to PC World, you might be able to do it right now. PCW writer Sarah Jacobsson called her local store and was told that they were already selling the devices unlocked. Apple hasn’t yet made an official announcement regarding the devices, or updated its web store to reflect the changes, but 9to5 Mac got early wind of the move, and Gizmodo later confirmed via official internal Apple documents.

It’s unclear exactly why Apple seems to do this every time the end of its current iPhone iteration is in sight, but a reasonable guess is that the company would like to sell off as many of the on-hand units it has before it has to deal with an influx of new 4th generation iPhone stock. Even if Apple plans to continue selling the iPhone 3GS alongside the next iPhone, which is likely considering the retention of the 3G last time as a low-priced budget option, Cupertino still probably wants to clean house and bolster sales ahead of the launch.

You’re only allowed to buy one per day, up to a maximum of 1o total phones, so if you’re aiming for an even dozen you’ll have to enlist the help of a friend.

We reported here back in early February that Apple was running its 10 Billion Song Countdown Contest. Yesterday afternoon, as Steve Jobs was (probably not) blowing out the fifty five candles on his birthday cake, the odometer stopped when, according to The Loop, Louie Sulcer of Woodstock, Georgia, downloaded Guess Things Happen That Way by Johnny Cash.

The download likely earned Johnny Cash the usual pittance in royalties, while Sulcer became the lucky recipient of a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card from Apple.

Naturally, I’m insanely jealous.

Milestone

Apple is understandably keen to celebrate the milestone. The iTunes Store first opened for business in April 2003 with a little over 200,000 items available for sale. Almost seven years later, the iTunes Store boasts more than 12 million songs, 55,000 TV episodes and 8,500 movies. In April 2008, it ranked as the number one (legal) online music seller in the United States.

10 billion songs in seven years is really something — in fact, my calculator tells me it’s a touch more than one song downloaded every second of every minute, day and night, since the store was launched. People with better math skills than me can (and most certainly will) take great pleasure correcting me in the comments below. The point is, my clumsy calculations notwithstanding, the iTunes Store is big business. In fact, it must be a big, fat, cash cow for Apple, right?

True Purpose

Well, as it happens, no, it’s not a big, fat, cash cow. It’s more like a well-fed, contented heifer. It certainly makes a good deal of money; according to one analyst it generated revenue of $520 million in the last quarter alone.

However, Apple’s CFO Peter Oppenheimer told analysts during an earnings call last month that the store wasn’t “a real money maker.” Our own Darrell Etherington wrote here about declining music sales which have undoubtedly had an affect on Apple’s earnings recently. And as far back as May last year I wrote about the problem of variable pricing in the iTunes Store. Only a few weeks ago Warner Music Group announced the news (already completely obvious to everyone except music industry executives) that iTunes music sales had slowed since higher prices were introduced. (Honestly, when will the old-school music industry just shut up and admit defeat?)

So the iTunes Store might be pushing huge numbers in digital downloads (10 billion songs, three billion apps and counting) but the revenue it generates is decidedly small-frys. So why run it?

Well, it’s not a loss-maker by any means, and besides, Apple claims profit isn’t the purpose for the iTunes Store. Oppenheimer said during his earnings call:

Regarding the App Store and the iTunes stores, we are running those a bit over break even and that hasn’t changed. We are very excited to be providing our developers with a fabulous opportunity and we think that is helping us a lot with the iPhone and the iPod touch platform.

As far as Apple is concerned, the iTunes Store exists as a mechanism for selling its hardware. iPods enjoy seamless integration with iTunes. As a relatively inexpensive software publishing and delivery platform for iPhones and iPod touches, third-party app developers (almost) couldn’t ask for more.

Defense Tactic

The whole “a bit over break even” business is probably preferable over a service that is wildly profitable. Think about it; Apple’s super-success with the iPod, the iPhone & iPod touch and, presumably, with the upcoming iPad, translates into an awful lot of people around the world using iTunes (and the iTunes Store) all the time, every single day. My own clunky math above tells me this already happens, but we’re talking about this intense activity steadily increasing as the iPhone continues to dominate and the iPad begins to make waves.

As Apple’s hardware sales soar, and as more and more of its hardware ships with, or depends upon, iTunes software and services in some shape or form, the bitter cries of “anti-competitive” and “monopoly” from major competitors will grow louder.

That the iTunes Store is not a means to print its own money gives Apple the ability to play its “But It’s Not Very Profitable For Us” card when the threat of antitrust inquiries looms (and oh boy will it loom). It might not be strong enough a defense to save it from unsavory intervention by the law courts (particularly those in Europe, which can’t help but interfere with successful businesses) but it certainly can’t do it any harm.

It’s ironic, really; when the iTunes Store launched it was lambasted by critics certain it had no chance at success. Of course, those criticisms have since proved unfounded, yet today it seems Apple is in an awkward place, and paying a price for its success.

It’s such an obvious idea it’s amazing it didn’t happen sooner. Wired reports that Apple has teamed up with promoter Live Nation to bring Live music to its iTunes Store.

The reason for the delay is the tremendous difficulty getting all the required signatures on all the dotted lines. For each live performance to be made available to consumers, the performers, their management companies, record labels, venue management, promoters and countless others must have forged some sort of agreement deemed of value to them all. That’s far from easy, but it helps if you happen to own the venues; Wired’s Eliot Van Buskirk says that Apple and Live Nation are the owners of the more than 80 venues featured in the collection of live shows.

While Apple has made live performances available in the iTunes Store in the past, they was never marshaled together into one single place and made so easily searchable. As you’d expect, it’s possible to search the Live music by genre and artist, but it’s also possible to search by venue. Flagship Apple Stores are often the venues for intimate live shows and they’re now just a click away; Montreal, Sydney, London and New York’s SOHO stores are just a few of the locations in the list. (The mind boggles at the legal wrangling that must have taken place to clear the worldwide rights for those performances…)

A section is also reserved for highlighting iPhone apps that also deliver, or are connected with, Live music.

The content isn’t just reserved for music, either. Videos of Live performances are also available, and as you probably guessed already, do cost a bit more than music alone. Concert videos start at $8 and go as high as $13 while straight audio shows are usually in the $8 range.

I’d have thought this universally good news for music fans, though John Paczkowski, in his Digital Daily column for The Wall Street Journal, writes (somewhat sarcastically);

This year, Live Nation, the world’s largest concert promoter, will put on some 22,000 live shows – each one attended by carping about the asinine “convenience” and “courtesy” charges the company likes to tack on to ticket purchases. Funny, isn’t it, how quickly a $28 show can become a $50 one?

So, in light of the news of Live Nation’s content partnership with Apple, and with tongue firmly in cheek, Paczkowski asks, “Does this mean we can expect a Live Nation ‘iTunes Convenience Fee’?”

I haven’t had a lot of luck with “Live” recordings of my favorite artists. The occasional missed note, a bit of microphone feedback or occasional volume dropouts are to be expected in a live setting and if I’m standing shoulder-to-shoulder with other fans, y’know, there in person, I’ll forgive every imperfection.

Having those imperfections reproduced on my iPod or desktop speakers, though…it just doesn’t seem right. I barely listen to the few live albums I own. I can’t imagine wanting to spend real money on any more.

What do you think? Am I in a minority? Should I just shut up and go back to my gramophone? Is iTunes Live Music gonna be claiming your hard-earned green?

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Source: Piper Jaffray

One of the strongest pieces of evidence in support of the existence of an Apple tablet has come into question today. Reports that Condé Nast, publisher of many magazine titles, including The New Yorker and Vogue, was preparing a digital format specifically for the Apple tablet may have overstated the case.

Instead, it looks like Condé Nast and others, including Hearst and Time Inc., are banding together to produce a digital distribution joint venture, which will likely resemble an iTunes store for the magazine industry. The store is apparently being designed with multiple platforms in mind, and is not being specifically targeted at a tablet device from Apple, which may or may not actually exist.

A report in the New York Observer talks about the agreement between the publishing companies, and mentions in particular the fact that the idea is to produce a cross-platform product that’s portable among many different devices:

The company will prepare magazines that can work across multiple digital platforms, whether the iPhone, the BlackBerry or countless other digital devices. The company will not develop an e-book, but create something that people familiar with the plans compare to iTunes—a store where you can buy new and distinct iterations of The New Yorker or Time. Print magazines will also be for sale.

If the deal is successful, according to the interim president of the joint company, John Squires, an official announcement could be forthcoming within weeks, and other major publishers could come on board as well. That doesn’t mean we’ll be seeing a digital newsstand anytime soon, though. Publishers still have to figure out how to create digital versions of the content they aim to provide.

Considering the multiplatform ambitions of the plan, this might be quite a tricky process. Creating a product that remains uniform and recognizable across devices is a major challenge. The consortium simplifies the distribution portion of the equation, though, as a source explained to the Observer:

It’s pretty complicated stuff. The really, really hard part is that you’ve got so many different kinds of devices running on different operating systems. And how do you handle that? The consortium provides one point of contact for the consumer. When you come to the main store, you can get the content any way you want.

It’s possible that this is completely separate from Condé Nast’s plans for Apple’s tablet device, but the timing and nature of the digital distribution scheme make it sound like any tablet formatting may be incidental to a much broader initiative.

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But there is a day — just one, glorious day in the year — when the prices on Macs (and other goodies) fall and we are no longer forced to make the agonising choice between, say, food for the month or a shiny new toy with a glowing fruit on it. It’s Black Friday, of course, it isn’t only for Americans, and Apple just started teasing us about it.

The Apple online store features a new Apple One-Day Shopping Event page. It doesn’t say an awful lot, though the headline tantalises us with “Happy Friday. Especially this Friday.”

The special one-day Apple shopping event. November 27.

Come back to the Apple Online Store the day after Thanksgiving for a special one-day-only holiday shopping event. You’ll find dozens of great iPod, iPhone, and Mac gift ideas — all with free shipping.

Mark your calendar now. And until then, start your research by browsing the Apple Online Store to find iPod, iPhone, and Mac gifts for everyone on your list.

No precise word yet on which iPods, iPhones and Macs will be included in the sale, or how generous the (very temporary) discounts will be. The Boy Genius Report suggests the discounts on iPods might be as high as 30 percent, and up to 25 percent on Macs. Accessories, they say, will enjoy discounts of up to 15 percent. Even better, while Black Friday is a mostly American tradition, the discounts are usually made for all customers buying on the Apple Store, irrespective of their country of residence.

I tell you this much; if the Magic Mouse gets discounted, I’ll be mighty upset (see what I did there?). I only bought mine last week. It won’t do that, will it?

However, my MobileMe subscription does need renewing, and I’ll be deeply happy to get a discount on that hobbled-yet-necessary wreck of a service. (Sadly, a 15 percent discount still doesn’t mean a fair price for MobileMe, but heck, I’ll take what I can!)

What do you think should be discounted, and by how much? Are you waiting for Friday with baited breath, and credit card in hand? What are you most hoping to see — and don’t say a Core i7 iMac at half price, you know that’s never gonna happen! Share your retail therapy dreams in the comments below.

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News of the app comes via a “source that has proven reliable in the past,” though no further information is given. The app is said to be able to create appointments for both Genius Bar and One to One, and to view membership details for programs that require a subscription. No word yet on a street date for the app.

Presumably the app would allow users to make any kind of reservation currently only available online, including a personal shopping appointment. Although the web site system currently employed is easy enough to understand and use, I imagine a dedicated iPhone app designed by Apple would make the process so easy and intuitive that I’d probably actually use it far more than I currently do, particularly for personal shopping when new products launch.

MacRumors corroborates the report via separate sources, so it seems likely that the Concierge app will be forthcoming. I’d expect it to appear before the holidays, so that shoppers can take advantage of it pre-gift giving, and people on the receiving end of Apple products can use it after the holidays to schedule appointments.

The Concierge app would be the latest move in a series of efforts focused on improving Apple’s retail performance, including in-store pickup for holiday shoppers, more and improved stores, and the new EasyPay touch system.

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A revamp of the web site is part of the Windows 7 launch campaign, and it includes a brand new store that stocks more than just software. You can now purchase a range of Windows 7-toting computers from HP, Acer, Dell, Lenovo and Sony, which are the real heavy-hitters in the PC arena. You can also pick up a single desktop, a Lenovo A600 all-in-one. Selection seems slim, but Microsoft is being a good copycat and not overwhelming consumers with an overabundance of choice.

All of the computers available on Microsoft’s web site come in stock configurations only, with no customization options beyond the ability to choose a color on select models. Users looking for more in the way of upgrades should still continue onto the manufacturer’s web site to order their machine, but Microsoft isn’t playing to that crowd. Instead, it’s aiming at first-time buyers or people with little to no computer expertise who just want the buying process to be as simple as possible.

And if you’re not too keen on the fancy new Internets, you can always take a trip down to Scottsdale, Ariz., where Microsoft today opened its first retail store. Here’s Microsoft’s own description of what it’s like, since I’m a little out of reach of the Scottsdale area:

As soon as you enter the store, there are laptops on large cedar tables, with seating so shoppers can sit and tinker. The walls are lined with giant LCD screens that envelop the space with landscapes and product images designed to create interest and spark curiosity. Below the images, stylish all-in-one PCs are set up with Zunes, Xboxes, headphones and widescreen displays, showing how all the items work together to create a multimedia experience.

Toward the back are laptop bags and an array of software titles before you turn the corner and reach a veritable mecca for Xbox enthusiasts — a gaming zone featuring a 94-inch widescreen, with immersive sound, seating and an array of controllers to play with.

Sounds like the whole premise is designed more around showing, rather than selling, as early speculation suggested. Microsoft is clearly pushing the experience, rather than trying to sell the component parts. I’d say something snarky about how this points to a lack of imagination on the part of your average PC customer, but being Mac users, I’m sure we can all come up with much more creative snark on our own.

All of this image and distribution re-imagining on Microsoft’s part is great news for one company: Apple. There’s no better sign that you have your main competitor on the ropes than when it resorts to parroting your moves. All Apple needs to do is continue to set the trend, and watch as Microsoft tries to follow it.

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As I write, online Apple Stores around the world are going down. That yellow post-it is popping up, assuring eager shoppers, “We’ll be back soon.”

Why so eager? For weeks, rumors have leaked through the intertubes like lemonade spilled on a MacBook keyboard — in short, they got everywhere. There isn’t a tech news site that failed to report the imminent arrival of refreshed (and entirely new) product lines. With so much noisy consensus, could they all be wrong?

John Gruber sums up what he believes we’ll be getting;

Redesigned Plastic MacBooks, Redesigned (‘Impressive’) iMacs, Updated Minis (Including One That Ships With Mac OS X Server), the Multi-Touch Magic Mouse, and, as the Wildcard I’m-Not-Sure-I-Really-Believe-It-Myself Out-There Rumor, Maybe Even Some Sort of Mentioned-Nowhere-Else-But-in-This-Very-Headline Multi-Touch Trackpad Gadget for Desktop Macs That Apple Is Set to Release Tomorrow Morning.

Fake Steve Jobs, on the other hand, insists Gruber hasn’t a clue.

The Apple Store sometimes goes down for nothing more than simple maintenance. In fact, it was down for precisely that reason only four days ago. Only time will tell. Watch this space — we’ll keep you posted.

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Well, the staff, of course.

According to The Loop, Microsoft is poaching Apple’s retail store managers with the promise of “significant” salary increases and, in some cases, offering to cover all moving expenses. The Loop doesn’t say who its source is, only that it spoke on condition of anonymity. The Loop’s Jim Dalrymple writes;

Once hired, the ex-Apple employees are then contacting some of the top sales people in the Apple retail organization offering them positions at Microsoft retail. They have also been offered more money than what they made at Apple.

Dalrymple says this poaching is a smart move, though I’m not so sure of that. Apple’s staff are trained, shaped and brainwashed inspired by the Cupertino Mother Ship. The Apple Retail Store philosophy runs through their veins. Apple Stores are successful not only because they offer ‘insanely great’ products, but because the staff are carefully versed in the Apple way of life.

Truly, they are Mapple People.

That little slogan on their t-shirts and badges that reads, “I could talk about this stuff for hours”? They mean it, and it’s easy to see why. Forgive me for drinking the Kool-Aid here, but consider how seamlessly software and hardware works in the Apple ecosystem. For the most part things “just work,” right? And when things work well, the experience is a happy one.

Now imagine those same enthusiastic technology-loving Mapple People going to work at a Microsoft Retail Store where Windows 7 doesn’t work the same way on every PC, where OEM crapware and errant drivers cause slowdowns and DLL headaches on a daily basis and it’s near impossible to easily demonstrate even the most basic of digital media management without being forced to sign-in to Windows Bloody Live just to get anything done…

I doubt things will “just work” quite as seamlessly. Not as happy an experience, I imagine. And I’m not speaking as a fanboy either — I’m speaking as a power-user of every iteration of Windows since 3.1.

If Microsoft thinks poaching Apple’s employees will bring a little of the Jobsian Magic to its retail venture, good luck to them, but I reckon they’re in for a nasty shock.

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In the past, to buy an iPhone you’ve had to either deal with Apple or one of its worldwide providers directly, or try your chances with online retailers, some of whom can be rather shady. Getting a carrier unlocked version was even trickier. But as of next week, Germans will be able to walk into a store designed just for the purpose and pick one up off the shelf.

The store, called 3Gstore.de, is a brick-and-mortar extension of the online retailer of the same name. It sells legally unlocked iPhones to German customers, and has done so since the release of the iPhone 3G. 3Gstore.de even went so far as to sue T-Mobile Germany for false advertising, since the carrier claimed it was the exclusive purveyor of the devices, despite European free trade agreements which make device exclusivity illegal.

Next week, on September 9 at 9:09 local time (09.09.09 @ 9:09, get it?), 3Gstore.de will open a physical retail store (photos in the gallery below) in the German city of Bochum, located in the bustling metropolitan area of the Ruhrgebiet. On offer will be 3G and 3GS iPhones, contract free and officially sim-unlocked. Customers who buy these devices can then sign up for a service plan with the provider of their choice — either O2, Vodafone, or ePlus, in addition to T-Mobile.

For us here in North America, it sounds like some fantastic dream. Sure, the prices are downright jaw-dropping (€999 for a 32GB 3GS, for example), but imagine the freedom, the sheer public nature of it all. Right there in the open, no jailbreak, no shady independent electronics retailer offering unlocking services on Craigslist.

You could plan an iPhone-tourism trip to Bochum, if the picture I’ve just painted is that appealing. But it’s possible that won’t be necessary, since in the very near future, the U.S. might have iPhone stores of their very own. The FCC’s investigation into AT&T/Apple relationship could always bear fruit, if you’ll pardon the pun, and result in the kind of antitrust laws surrounding device exclusivity that 3Gstore.de is taking advantage of.

The people behind 3Gstore.de are all just really big iPhone fans who want other users to have the freedom to choose. T-Mobile has tried to stifle them at every turn, even going so far as to try to limit what kinds of product images the much smaller company can use to promote its iPhone sales. It’s a true David and Goliath story, and if I was anywhere near Germany I’d be there on September 9 celebrating the store’s opening. Not buying a phone, mind you. $1400 USD is a little too rich for my blood. But I’ll be buying one in spirit.

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Stores are given a basic set of goals, including a forecasted number of Macs to sell over the quarter, as well as a number for iPods and iPhones. Attach rate numbers also exist for One to One, ProCare and MobileMe.

In the stores, managers have access to real-time reports that show revenue and attach rates for their stores as well as the rest in the company, allowing for a quick comparative snapshot of how sales are doing.

Important Metrics

Beyond just sales of Macs, iPods and iPhones, managers are also focused on several other important sales indicators. Units Per Transaction (commonly referred to as UPT) is just what it sounds like, an average number of the units sold during each transaction. Typically this number is between one and two, as many customers will just buy one item, like an iPod or USB cable. When you experience a Specialist trying to sell you everything under the sun to go with your new iPhone or Mac, it’s really an effort to increase the store’s UPT.

The other metric that’s closely connected to UPT is the ADS, or Average Dollar Sale. This number represents the average transaction value for the day. Between selling a reasonable number of Macs (high dollar transactions) and a ton of accessories (low dollar transactions), this number typically ranges from $200-$500.

Another figure important to Apple is the conversion rate, or the rate at which people entering the store actually become paying customers. This number is often low, something that’s typically not given much thought. Some retail stores ask their employees to “slither” past sensors that count store traffic, but Apple has no official policy in place, so the volume of employees in and out can often affect this number. The system Apple uses to track visitors, however, called ShopperTrack, is extremely sophisticated, and can distinguish between something like a mom and the stroller she brings in with her, counting both as one person and not two.

Stores are also focused on EasyPay metrics as well as Personal Shopping metrics. As stores transition to less usage of cashwraps, some strive for as high as 60-70 percent of all transactions being completed via EasyPay.

All of these numbers are reviewed on a daily basis by store management in order to determine the proper direction and focus going forward. Many figures are compared to WTD (Week-to-Date) and QTD (Quarter-to-Date) numbers, as well as how the store fared in these areas on the same day in the previous year. Stores can also see how every other store in the company is doing.

Drilling Down Further, Individual Metrics

Individual numbers for Mac, iPod, iPhone and attach rate sales exist for employees as well, allowing them to see how they rank comparatively. Though the Apple Stores do not function on a commission basis, employees are given individual goals towards making the larger store goals for the quarter. These individual reports help provide feedback and focus as the quarter progresses.

Few stores put much emphasis on the accuracy of these numbers, as full-time employees work more towards helping up-and-coming part-time Specialists meet their sales goals. Regardless, it’s the responsibility of the cashier to assign “credit” for a sale to a particular employee. This can obviously become problematic when the stores are insanely busy, and Apple prefers cashiers not ask customers who helped them, as it implies they work on commission. With Apple’s emphasis on EasyPay, whoever is logged into an EasyPay will automatically get “credit” for the sale.

All of these numbers are factored into an employee’s performance reviews, held every quarter, with a more focused annual review at which employees are rated based on individual performance as well as the store’s forecasts and goals.

This should give you a better idea of how store management uses financial figures to gauge success and set targets. As you can see, there’s a lot more to it than just selling a certain number of computers. The result is that, for some, it can become frustrating to focus on sales while managers also push the importance of these other numbers. Apple’s multifaceted approach must be getting something right, as their stores continue to be wildly successful from a financial standpoint.

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