Touching the back wall of the Apple store

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Apple: Luxury Branding vs Real Utility

  • Some argue Apple products mimic mall “luxury goods”: high-margin items with strong branding but not inherently “genuinely valuable,” similar to Cartier/Rolex or Dippin’ Dots/Build‑A‑Bear.
  • Others counter that Apple combines aspirational branding with extremely high utility, especially the iPhone, which consolidates many tools (wallet, map, camera, etc.) into one device.
  • Disagreement over how unique this is:
    • One side: cheaper competitors (Android phones, Windows laptops) deliver equal or greater utility for less; Apple’s premium is mostly brand.
    • Other side: direct competitors cost roughly the same; cheaper devices have real trade‑offs in build, performance, longevity, or integration.
  • Related analogies: Rolex as jewelry first vs tool watch; debate over whether “luxury” is cost-of-production, functional quality, or signaling.

Smartphone Value and Social Costs

  • One thread claims smartphone hardware’s potential is neutered by software and attention-harvesting design; most “utilities” are degraded by ads, bugs, and dopamine loops.
  • Counterpoint: many core utilities (maps, calculators, timers, basic apps) work well, especially on iOS, and people demonstrably gain from them.
  • Disagreement whether problems are primarily social (habits, attention) or technical (touchscreens, lack of physical keyboards).

Apple Store Experience: Then vs Now

  • Early Apple Store memories: highly attentive staff, no pressure to buy, explicit training to:
    • Avoid upselling,
    • Protect long-term trust (even sending customers elsewhere),
    • Never fake answers; look things up with customers.
  • Many recall being gently encouraged to browse and “come back later” rather than close immediately, which felt distinctive vs old big-box computer stores.
  • More recent reports are mixed:
    • Some say stores are crowded, under‑attentive, and confusing since the loss of the dedicated Genius Bar and checkout points.
    • Others appreciate being left alone and point out you can self‑checkout accessories with your phone.
    • Regional variation: some Asian stores reportedly ignore customers for 20+ minutes; US flagships feel either too busy or oddly empty of staff engagement.

Retail Theater and “Ambient Aspiration”

  • Several comments view the Apple Store as carefully staged “interactive luxury” retail, comparable to high‑end fashion houses.
  • Speculation (acknowledged as speculation) about Apple using attractive “plants” or influencer-like visitors to maintain a cool vibe, likened to practices in upscale bars and clubs.

Cheap MP3 Players, Hacking, and Life Paths

  • Strong nostalgia for pre‑iPod MP3 players (S1 clones, SanDisk Sansa, Creative, Archos, Rio, etc.), often seen as:
    • Less polished than iPods but more open, hackable, and mass-market.
    • Gateways into media piracy, Linux installs, ffmpeg experimentation, Rockbox, and general computer literacy.
  • Several note that these “generic” devices influenced their technical lives more than later Apple gear, reinforcing the article’s point about humble tools shaping trajectories.