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Blue t-shirts. Minimalist design ethic. Smiling staff. Lovely tables. The above familiar retail scene isn’t the latest Apple store, it is in fact the very first “Chrome Zone” — a Google shop dedicated solely to trying to sell the UK some Chromebooks.
Chrome Zone is a separate section inside the enormous Currys and PC World superstore on Tottenham Court Road in London, where potential Chromebook buyers can have a go on Samsung’s Chromebook Series 5 machine, while some “specially trained Chromebook experts” hover around to answer any questions.
Just don’t ask “are there any other types of Chromebook?” because the only option currently available in the UK is the Samsung Series 5, a 12.1″ LCD model powered by an Intel Atom N570. Although it does come in black or white, and 3G or Wi-Fi only versions, so technically that’s four models. [Google]
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I feel like i’ve invented a time machine! looking at some of these old posts i dont recognise a lot of the names.
Fortunately I am a constant, so you can always feel anchored wherever you go.
I’m trying to remember what that’s from…..
Don’t tell me..
I’m sure there’s a time travel film or story where someone uses another person as a constant.
Yeah, I had that feeling as I typed the above. It took a while but I remember what it was, do you want me to tell?
Please do as it’s been bugging me!
It was Desmond in Lost.
Clucking Bell yes it was, well done, damn it! I loved lost to begin with, such a disappointing end.
It’s nice to see a company not being afraid to launch something without the need to mimic the most successful design. Windows stores thought they could just rock up with the same designer, and some expensive wooden tables and think that was enough. Sheer mimicry is not a business plan.
If these guys can build a passion for their brand, and try and create some loyalty.. they may see themselves become more than a trial store.
Certainly when a tech company opens a retail store, we immediately pick and choose what is and isn’t like Apple.. but I would very much like this to succeed. Although I’m almost 90% all Apple, (My headphones, Display, and Speakers are all fruitless) I welcome any company to move into this sector in hopes that we can see some fresh new thinking in Retail, and move on from the cliché Apple Mall store. Apple’s moved on from the Mall store, so other retailers need to start thinking beyond what the industry leader did.. And innovate towards what they might do.
I think your comment was longer than the article.
Its like being on Google +, i love it!
Last time ( last week) i asked for a Google Chrome Laptop in Currys the guy said:
” No it’s just a browser, you can download it from the internet.”
After explaining to him that it was an operating system he then said”
“….no we only have Windows”
I’m glad they are bringing in the specialist (No GENIUS’s though)
Even windows retail stores don’t have Genii.. As there are 20 odd PC manufacturers that run windows as standard.. if you head into a windows store, they couldn’t even begin to fix your machine. So they act as a third party between you and the manufacturers.
I imagine as there is one machine here, the room for that is open. But at the same time, the thing has only just come out.. None of them should be broken at this point.
That is a horrible story, I dont know why they hire people like that
So either I need to better express myself and share my ideas and opinions in a more condensed and efficient manner, or I simply need stop going off on tangents..
While both of those options are possible.. I feel very strongly about tech retail in particular. Past employers, what i’m doing now, it all contributes to a very large amount of opinionated commenting.
And if the phrase “He loves the sound of his own voice” means anything in written word.. That’s me.
Yes, what is the written equivalent for “he loves the sound of his own voice”?
I suggest “He loves the cut of his own Jib”. It has the advantage of working for written and spoken words and it makes you sound like a pirate, which is a definite bonus.
I wish google would stay out of hardware and retail.
Google, microsoft are software companies
Amazon is a retail company
Motorola is a hardware company
It is simpler, more logical and probably would end up better for choice and competition.
yeah, take out 3 manufacturers of hardware to improve the choices people have.
then all we would have is the iphone, htc and motorola.
ChromeZone just sounds shit, really a truly shit name. It’s almost sounds like some shit character from a shit 80s cartoon like Go Bots or Visionaries. Twats.
Why, for the love of god, did google decide to put a concession stand within a retail chain that knows less about tech than my granny (sorry gran).
Two days before the UK HP firesale I asked DSI retail, owners of pc world and currys, what their stand on aftersale support for the touchpad would be since there was likely gonna be no more Webos development and support. Their response was along the lines of “oh yes, we will be offering our own updates and support for HP hardware”.
When I tried to explain that the device was to become obsolete the polite chap remarked “that’s not likely, we have loads of them in stock”. Bless his ignorant socks.
Google would have been better off trialing a stand alone store so as not to become tarred by DSI’s ability to get almost everything wrong.
They are so so bad, always trying to sell a laptop based on how much RAM it’s got, with no explanation about processors speeds and graphics cards. It’s all very well having 6GB of RAM, but not so great when they whack a Pentium in it…
And Carphone warehouse, don’t get me started on them.