Apple Store

Full review
Last week at work, my boss asked me to order an AV cable for his iPod, so I went online to do a little research which included Epinions of course. After a couple minutes I decided to purchase the cable directly from Apple which lead me to The Apple Store where you can purchase just about anything for all your Apple products. I personally do not own a lot of Apple products but I frequently use the store and the regular Apple site to download latest iPod firmware and the latest iTunes software.


DESIGN & FEATURES :
Frankly speaking, the site looks beautiful and professional. All products for sale are nicely organized in categories so you can find what you are looking for quickly and easily. There is a search feature so you can find what you are looking for faster.

As soon as you log on to www.apple.com, you will notice several tabs on the very top that show you the seven main categories for the whole website; one of which is The Apple Store. Others include: iPod iTunes, .Mac, Quicktime, Support, Mac OS X, and the main page with the Apple logo.

Once you click on the Store tab, you will see three columns; on the left most column you will find the search box and all the categories (iPod, iPod Accessories, Macintosh, Mac Accessories, and Special Deals which have the item listed underneath), the middle column show you all the featured and new products by Apple, and the right most column has contact information, your user information, you cart, and other useful information.

For example: if you are looking for the new iPod Nano, you would simply click on iPod nano under the iPod category on the left most column. Doing so will take you to the products personalized page that has all the detailed information you may need on the product. You can select the specific product you want and add it to you cart. If you already have an online account, just login and complete your purchase. If you do not, then simply create an account by entering your email address.


MY EXPERIENCE :
I completed my purchase from The Apple Store in just about fifteen minutes. I did not encounter any problems with the sites ability to perform its duties or any design flaws. I personally think the site is designed so almost anyone can use it without much difficulty.

Once you setup you account you will just have to login every time you want to make a purchase from the store. To setup an account you will need to provide you name, email address, phone number, and of course, you have to pick a password.

After you have your selected products in your shopping cart all you do to complete the purchase is click on the Checkout button. You will then have to verify your billing and shipping information, your payment information, pick a shipping method, then complete the purchase. You can use most major credit cards like Visa, Master, Discover, and American Express cards; they do not except online checks (echecks).

When I placed my order, Apple had a free ground shipping option which was really pleasant. The only thing that I did not like was that the site charged tax because they have stores/warehouses in most states.

After the purchase was completed, I received a confirmation email with detailed information about the product I had purchased and shipment tracking information. My package arrived on time as promised without any problems. The product was packaged properly so it would not get damaged while being shipped.


FINAL THOUGHTS :
I enjoyed my experience with The Apple Store and did not have any problems before, during, or after making the purchase. Although, the prices are not always the cheapest, I would highly recommend this online store to everyone for all their Apple needs. The confirmation email I received had customer service contact information if there was need to contact them. Overall I had a pleasant experience with The Apple Store.


MY OTHER RELATED REVIEWS :
Apple iPod Photo 20 GB MP3 Player
Apple iPod Photo 15 GB MP3 Player


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