[rgetter]

I, for one, think that this is an absolutely brilliant idea. The airport stores would add little (if anything) to Apple's bottom line but the exposure to the Armani-clad, business-class audience would be priceless. There are still so many people living in a hermetically sealed, Windows-only environment, it would be a great way to show off what life is like for the rest of us. There's no denying that a well placed iMac with a Windows XP desktop would be a real attention-getter. There would be little need to stock anything larger than a carry-on bag. Any major purchase would arrive at home soon after the customer.

[maint1]

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I, for one, think that this is an absolutely brilliant idea. The airport stores would add little (if anything) to Apple's bottom line but the exposure to the Armani-clad, business-class audience would be priceless. There are still so many people living in a hermetically sealed, Windows-only environment, it would be a great way to show off what life is like for the rest of us. There's no denying that a well placed iMac with a Windows XP desktop would be a real attention-getter. There would be little need to stock anything larger than a carry-on bag. Any major purchase would arrive at home soon after the customer.

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I agree with you. People at airports have time on their hands- time which they could use to check out a new Mac. I've logged more than my share of 1-3 hr airport waits and I'd love to check out an apple store during those visits. It would be more popular if it had free WIFI access. :-)
I'd also like the opportunity to checking email for FREE, perhaps notifying friends of delays with my flight.
I think they should have demo units of MB, MBP, iMac, mini... you can buy it there and have it shipped either home or to the closest apple store. That way you can simultaniously reserve a Genius to help you upgrade from your old system.
Cameras would be a nice addition... if you could buy a camera and ship the box home for a fee.
I love the ITMS kiosk idea at airporrts.

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With recent talk of banning laptops and iPods from planes, I think Apple and others will stay well away from airports. Who knows what will be banned next and when it will happen.

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I hope not. I would be so completely cheesed off if the TSA took away my ipod. This goes way too far. We need to take the TSA away from us.
I might have to DRIVE the next time I go to Hawaii. :-)
We will always have terrorism no matter what you take away.

[OkeiAwjr]

When Apple unveiled their first six "mini" stores in October, 2004, they "pointed out that the new store design was the same size as reail outlets in airports, and suggested that airport-based Apple retail outlets could be convenient for travelers wishing to buy iPods and other accessories." [Macworld]

From what I have read since, the mini-stores have not really met expectations, so it's unclear what their future holds. [AppleInsider]

[MacTel]

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I think it's more important Apple gets some better flagship sized stores in NW Portland, the Las Vegas strip, and a few other major retail markets before they open mini kiosks in airports across America.

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Yep, Apple has many locations in major metro areas in the USA and internationally to build before they should even think about moving into airports. At the rate their going we're about a decade off. I most definitely agree with the Portland one. We could also use a few more in the Seattle area as well as a few in Vancouver BC.

[justme2]

How about a combination of an Apple mini-store and the Dell kiosks? The store would carry some software, accessories, maybe even laptop bags. It would have the Genius Bar so folks could get questions answered (great if your machine starts acting up on the road). But instead of carrying Apple laptops and desktops in stock, you could order from the Apple online store and have it shipped to your choice of location. Say you fall in love with the MacBook Pro; you could have it sent to your hotel. Or if there's an Apple Store in the location where you're heading, you could arrange to pick it up on a certain date during your trip. That might be doable...

[jesrf]

I was in Las Vegas a week ago, and shocked to see at the Las Vegas Hilton, an Apple vending machine. It sold a variety of iPods, cables, chargers etc. The machine was built into the wall (for those of you familiar with the Hilton it is located near the Star Trek:the Experience area.)
Something like this in Airports might fit the bill, though I'm not sure too many people would want to drop a few hundred on an iPod while in the airport since you would still need to get music onto it.....
I assume they were hoping to sell them to someone who "hit the slots" ?
My daughter was impressed enough to take a photo, and by all accounts the machine was owned and operated by Apple not a 3rd party.....
Maybe some sort of cable vending machine would work well at the airport.

[gina2006]

I love macs, but this major drawback is lack of built in card readers....which in this case would have solved the problem, and would be one less cable to carry around. It is regrettable that even the 'Pro' notebook doesn't have card readers. Considering the great built in photo editing software, filing system etc, it really hurts to have to carry around the camera's USB or Firewire cable....

[celiawessen]

Who would these Apple Airport Stores really be serving?
Is the average Apple user going to need a MacBook battery in the middle of their trip? Is a power-user not going to figure out a way to unload a memory card without a USB card reader?
Why does it even have to be an AppleStore? The other Mac store could be selling Mac stuff. You know, the BIG MAC store. If not in the airport, there's always one right before the airport.

[stevelee]

As for built-in card readers, aren't there like 73 different card standards? That's what I seem to find at Best Buy when I'm looking for something that will fit my camera. I guess if you're starting out fresh with buying a camera and a computer, you could choose them both with an eye to supporting the same kind of card.
That would seem to be a hurdle in laptop design, to make room for several card slots, and almost for sure one at most will ever be used.