Today I tried to buy a new computer at an actual Apple store. This isn’t really my style; I normally like to buy things online, but this time I decided to check out the computer one last time before committing, and I figured I could just get the computer after seeing it in real life.

Wrong.

See, I made the mistake of assuming that Apple employees could switch out the hard drive in the store if you wanted a bigger (meaning more expensive) one. And that’s not the case. And really it’s no big deal. I came home and placed the order online and should have it by the end of the week or early the following week.

Mostly I was surprised that the company that gets so much right gets this wrong. I’ve been in an Apple store where they’ve opened up my computer before. Minor changes shouldn’t be that hard to make. Heck, I’d be happy to come back after 24 hours if they had to delay the install (due to staffing or a queue of requests). I was also surprised that the employee that told me that I couldn’t get the bigger hard drive in store said several times that he’d be happy to teach me how to place the order online and how to find the education store that I told him I’d want to use. No need to baby a user who already knows about the customization and discount options… they’ve probably done their research.

Again, not really a big deal. But it’s interesting. And if Apple were using more of a lean manufacturing method or were more focused on some generational trends such as an interest in customization/immediacy/technosavvy, this post would probably have been more of an enthusiastic review rather than a rant. Eh, there’s always next week.