Checking in on CompUSA...

By David Norton

I am sick and tired of people complaining about CompUSA doing a bad job. The CompUSA I go to is too cool. I was there on Saturday, and everything was good, as usual -- they had all four of Apple's main product line, as well as quite a bit of software and accessories.

Walking in, you can easily see the Mac section in the back right section of the store, marked by Think Different and iMac banners. On the wall is a whole bunch of software, all for the Mac. There are also several display stands holding accessories, printers, and computers. What's really cool is that the Mac part took up about an eighth of the entire store -- not bad considering the market share difference, and that CompUSA also carries PC, Playstation, Nintendo 64, and DreamCast stuff.

There are four iMacs -- an iMac DV Special Edition, an iMac DV, an iMac 350, and an original Rev. A iMac. As well, there are some empty cases to show off the different flavors. The Graphite iMac was out in front, on a UniRiser, with iMovie open (more about that later). Although the original Bondi-Blue iMac had some nicks in it, the rest of the iMacs looked fantastic, especially the Special Edition.

On the side, there is a tangerine iBook, and a graphite iBook Special Edition. I didn't notice much speed difference between the two, but your heart beats faster when you're using the beautiful (aka Graphite) iBook! The Tangerine iBook had Bugdom open, and the iBook SE had the graphing calculator open and was doing the sample calculations. Interestingly, the iBook Special Edition's Trackpad button was a lot easier to push than the Tangerine's. Hmm...

Close by, there is a PowerBook (FireWire). I didn't get to use it much, as it was a hot item, but it looked cool and fast. Strategically placed by it is a MacAlly iMouse Jr., a miniature USB mouse designed for travel.

On the other side of the professional Mac line, there is a PowerMac G4. It is using a 17" Studio Display, and was being used by a lot of people.

The amount of accessories at my CompUSA is amazing. Mice, keyboards, joysticks, USB-___ converters... the list goes on and on. Among my favorites was the Contour Design's UniRiser, a cool $29 companion for your iMac that raises it to new heights, allowing you to put your keyboard and accessories under your iMac.

The salesman working there was amazing - answering one person after another's questions, helping them figure out what computer to buy, and finding software for people. (I even heard someone say "I want SimCity 2000, but all I see is 3000." I feel sorry for the poor guy!)

In retrospect, I can't see anything that would make me say that CompUSA isn't helping Apple. On the contrary, I would think they are one of the reasons Apple is in business today!

David Norton juggles, programs, reads and writes emails, writes articles, exercises, and get "A"s almost every day. Thank goodness for Franklin Planners.

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