In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve been blown away by Apple’s new Covent Garden superstore, and since we know a lot of Electricpig readers are based in the UK here’s 5 reasons you should hot foot it down there when it opens this weekend.
1. You’ll get some freebies
Apple always gives away freebies to celebrate its new store openings. The first 4,000 through the doors at the Covent Garden Apple Store will receive a free T-shirt, and we wouldn’t be surprised if there’re a few more surprises on the day too.
2. It’ll be easier to get served
The Genius Bar at the Covent Garden Apple Store is huge. If you’ve had problems being served at Apple’s always-overcrowded Regent Street store, then you’ll be more likely to solve your problem at Covent Garden.
If you’re making a purchase, that’ll be easier too. The Covent Garden Apple Store is the first to use iPod touches to scan purchases without a till, while chip and pin machines on almost every table top mean forking over your cash will take just a few seconds, and with absolutely no queueing.
See our exclusive video tour of the Covent Garden Apple Store
3. Get free professional training
Apple stores often hold training sessions, but the Covent Garden Apple Store is the first to feature the company’s new Pro Labs training programme. You’ll be able to undertake a course in Apple’s more advanced creative software, lasting eight hours in total. There’s a full curriculum, and you can stop in for an hour or two at a time until you’re up to speed.
We were told customers will leave the store able to use the likes of Logic and Final Cut Pro to a “professional level” without once reaching for their wallet. Considering courses for Apple software usually run into the hundreds of pounds, this is the Covent Garden Apple Store feature we’re most hyped about.
4. Get set up before you leave
Whether you’re buying an iPad or a new Mac, the Covent Garden Apple Store is the first to feature a dedicated “set up room.” It’s a private, relaxed place where an Apple employee will help you transfer all your content and settings from an old PC or Mac onto your new machine before you leave the store. You can have your iPad or iPhone set up for you in there too.
Check out our Apple Store Covent Garden sneak peek liveblog
5. Access Apple’s business brain
The Covent Garden Apple Store has a Briefing Room for small businesses to get together with Apple employees for help integrating iDevices into their working environment. We don’t imagine Steve Jobs will be holding personal management courses in there, but if you’ve been itching to get an iPhone and have an employer pick up the bill, this is the place you’ll come to arrange it.
