As I was skimming through my feeds today, “Apple Store to Begin Charging Entrance Fee” caught my attention. I immediately clicked to read the article because I couldn’t imagine that Apple would be that absurd to start charging a fee to enter their stores. This is what I read:
Cupertino, CA – If you want to see the iPhone at an Apple store, be sure to bring some cash. Large crowds flocking to see the iPhone and next generation iPods have forced Apple to begin charging a $5 entrance fee for Apple stores. Many analysts anticipated the move, and expect a positive response from customers.
“Part of the move was to limit crowds to keep the stores safe, but also we wanted to keep the right kind of people in the stores,” said vice president of retail outlets, Vince Sciopiano. “By ‘right kind of people’ I mean true Apple customers with money, willing to pay just to look at our newest wares.”
Then I stopped and realized I was reading the article at BBspot, “the world’s greatest tech humor site” known for fake news stories and satirizing the tech world.
So while it was definitely a good laugh, it made me wonder… would you pay $5 to enter an Apple Store so that you could purchase or test-out an iPhone or an iPod or an iMac or whatever other Apple gear that you wanted?
Maybe that’ll be the latest trend for some of these stores, cover charges to get in, but the charge would be waived if you make a purchase? In the case of Apple as one Digg commenter pointed out, “$5 dollars gets you in, $2,000 gets you out.” 
“Would You Pay $5 to Enter an Apple Store?” Two words – “heck no!” and you may quote me on that.
i concur with the reader’s comment above mine.
This was pretty funny, because at first I thought for sure you were serious. Why? I hate macs, but I can tolerate them when they provide unlimited free internet access. In a mall near where I live, there’s a store called The Office Games. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a place to pay $5/hr to surf the internet and play pre-installed games (a rip-off in my opinion). There’s a mac store in the mall too, so when I g2 the mall I often go there. Also, I tried out the iPhone, it was kinda hard to type on. The web browser let you do most things a PC could do, but every task took at least five times as long. It’s not because of the browser’s speed (although that may be slow over AT&T, I think it was hooked up to WiFi at the store), but because it’s difficult to navigate on the small screen using a mini keyboard. Are you supposed to use thumbs for that thing? I had to use fingers because I kept hitting multiple keys. What I’ve typed here would probably take over an hour on the iPhone
I concur with both comments above mine. That’s an awesome Digg comment you quoted
No need to write or say anything more
Yes there is- “f**k no”. And you can quote me on THAT
.
If they- or any store for that matter- tried to charge me to get in, odds are I’d stand outside of the store and moon them…or something.
Only if I could collect my $5 on the way out
Otherwise the answer would be No!
Judging by the amount of young kids I see in the Mac store playing with things it wouldn’t surprise me for Apple to do something weird. Probably not charge just to enter in the store…but it will probably be just as stupid.
Hmmm…even you could get the money back I don’t know if I would do it. Seems like people would try to sneak in and then leave just to collect $5.
One of the malls in the town where I grew up had a Sharper Image store. They had a maximum number of people who were allowed in the store at one time, and they had an employee stand at the door and not let anyone in until someone left. Many times there was a line of people waiting to get in the store. They also would not let kids in without parents.
I could see Apple doing something like that, but it would be crazy to charge people to get in.
Ahh Sharper Image… I used to love that store! Although lately it seems like everything is the same – no new stuff to play around with. The massaging chairs were always nice though
Sounds like Brookstone
Sharper Image is much like a Brookstone except Sharper Image has more electronic types of toys.
Cool, I’ve never been to Sharper Image.
“Would You Pay $5 to Enter an Apple Store?” – Yes