Apple Store

Full review
The Apple iPod didn’t immediately catch my attention. I try not to run out and buy new gadgets right away. I like to wait it out to see if they will withstand the test of time (which, in the world of technology, is only a few months). When iPods didn’t fade away in a few months, I realized that it may not be just a trend and was worth a look. When I moved to a college dorm in 2003, I digitized my music collection in the interest of consolidating space. When your bedroom is the size of a closet, it helps to not have a CD rack and stereo taking up what little space you do have. Since ditching the disks, I haven’t looked back. Making my music collection more portable seemed like the next logical step. This led to my first experience with The Apple Store.

What is The Apple Store?
As one would probably deduce from the name, The Apple Store sells Apple products and products that work with them. You’ll find Macintosh computers, iPods, iPhones, along with plenty of accessories, peripherals and software to accompany them.

The Site
The Apple Store (store.apple.com) is a well organized website that is easy for anyone to navigate. Since their product base is very specialized, it made it very easy for Apple to streamline the navigation of their site. The home page has all of their main products on it, including the ones I mentioned previously. On the side is a navigation menu, allowing you to shop through different categories and subcategories, such as iPod accessories. Browsing on this site is easier than any other site I’ve seen. The products are well categorized in sections that make sense and subcategories help you narrow down the products to find exactly what you’re looking for.

Believe it or not, the search feature is even better than browsing. The search results were very accurate, especially considering I don’t always search with the best description of what I’m looking for. When you type a search term into the search box in the top right corner of the homepage, a box immediately drops under it to display matches. You can click on items without having to load the search result page or click on a link that says “See all search results” for a full list of matches.

Consider the specialized nature of the products sold at The Apple Store, I was impressed by the selection. They seem to have every accessory, peripheral, and software imaginable. Peripherals are available, such as digital cameras and printers that will work with your Mac. They have chargers, stereo systems, cases, cables, transmitters, and more for your iPod, which is what I usually shop for at The Apple Store.

The product pages are extremely thorough. Color pictures are included with each product, sometimes multiple pictures and angles for some of the main products. There is detailed information in the product description explaining the product’s features, any applicable computer requirements, what is included with the product, and any available options for the purchase. Everything is well presented, making information easy to find. You won’t have to dig to find out if the product is compatible with your computer or which product is right for you. For all of my purchases, I was able to do all of my product research and purchasing right at The Apple Store.

Ordering
All of my purchases from The Apple Store have been for my iPod and I have been very happy with each purchase. I originally purchased my iPod from the site and I was thrilled to be able to take advantage of the free engraving. I also purchased my fiance’s iPod Docking station and several other iPod accessories and peripherals. Each time I was able to find exactly what I wanted.

Price-wise, I wouldn’t say they are competitive. You’ll pay the standard prices for everything. My reasons for ordering with them weren’t based on prices, rather I liked being able to buy the products directly from the manufacturer and liked the added perk of getting my iPod engraved.

The ordering process is very easy, as with many other online sites. Simply click “add to cart” then follow the instructions to check out. For one purchase, I signed up for the Apple Credit Card to take advantage of a no-interest financing offer that was available. That was very easy as well. I was approved in seconds and able to start using the card immediately.

During the five or six orders I have placed on this site, I have experienced no problems with the site. I have encountered no broken links while browsing, nor have I received error messages during checkout.

Processing and shipping occurred punctually for all of my orders. Nothing came early, but nothing was late. I was mostly impressed with this for my iPod, which obviously requires more production time with custom engraving. Everything has been packed well and arrived as described, in good condition. Because of this, I have no experience with The Apple Store’s customer service. This is certainly a good thing for me, but not so much for my review, as I can’t comment on that aspect of the site.

Overall Recommendation
I would recommend The Apple Store for anyone looking to buy big ticket Apple items, like iPods, Macs, and iPhones. You may not get the best deal, but you’ll have a hassle free shopping experience and have knowledge of everything available to go with it. If you’re simply buying accessories and peripherals like FM Transmitters, digital cameras, and printers, discount electronic stores may be the better option.