UPDATE: An Apple representative just informed me that its retail stores have NOT banned access to Facebook.
There’s been a lot of talk about how Facebook has been banned at all Apple stores to prevent customers from loitering. We did a little investigation on our own and found that Facebook was able to be accessed at Apple stores in Washington D.C. and Palo Alto. However, two stores, one in Richmond, Virginia and one in LA, confirmed that Facebook and MySpace have both been blocked from use on in-store computers.
MySpace was banned in May of 2007 from all 251 Apple stores, in an effort to prevent loitering and internet cafe use of in-store computers, so it’s very well possible that other social networking services will be banned in the future too. Apple reports that their retail stores see an average of 2 million visitors weekly. If anyone is going to an Apple store today, check it out and let us know in the comments what you find.
Our guess is some store managers are just getting a little overanxious.
Yeah, works for me in St. Louis.
This is not true. My friend in London confirmed that this is false.
Anjali Sen
If they do, I’m all for it. If I go to the Apple store to shop for a computer, I don’t want to get stuck behind somebody loser who has to go to the Apple store to check their facebook profile.
+ 1
True that!
+2
Have you ever gone into the NYC cube between 2am-6am? It’s full of homeless people on myspace blasting experimental hip-hop.
I don’t blame Apple on this one.
great idea. i hate going to the apple store just to see children who are left by their parents who are shopping. the kids are all over the computer and are up to no good!!
I haven’t been able to check this out, maybe I’ll get a chance to see when the Apple Store opens in Ottawa (if it ever comes to reality).
If it does come into full effect, I’m all for it. There have been a couple times when I had intent on purchasing a macbook/pro, and then just got fed up by the amount of people taking pointless photos or browsing email/facebook.
I see nothing wrong with this – it’s a computer store that just happens to have Internet access on its display machines. The Apple Store is not an internet cafe.
Doesn’t work in Los Angeles. Doesn’t sound too debunked to me.
doesn’t work in DC stores.
Why is this a news topic? If it were Best Buy or the now debunked Circuit City it would just be another day without a second thought. Who says the media and sites like this aren’t biased towards Apple? sheesh
You mean defunct, not debunked, right?
U don’t like it, don’t read it. And definitely don’t take the time to comment about how you don’t want to read it… sheesh is right.
Apple store computer loitering is out of control in the SF store. I have witnessed both extensive blogging and world of warcraft taking place on the general floor. I support any site filtering at the actual store that reduces the encampments of people that seem to live there.
HMmm… I was going to get mad at Apple for blocking certain sites, saying any publicity or urging to come into the store is GOOD!!
however bove comments are making me re-think my orginal position..
The Apple Store in Regent Street, London, is mostly unusable as a place to test drive kit as it is full of tourists checking their Hotmailski. Very annoying.
In fact, the Apple Store Regent Street is pretty horrible full stop. I tend to use resellers like Micro Anvika and Cancom now – Apple Retail’s unique take on customer service makes my blood boil.
Maybe that will stop the gaggles of teenage girls from using iSight cameras and Photo Booth to create Facebook photos…
Do your homework before you go out clubbing.
http://www.live...book-in-stores/
While annoying when you just do want to waste some time at the apple store, its completely understandable.
A few months ago, I was buying a new desktop and couldn’t even get to the models to give them a test-drive because so many losers were busy sending myspace and facebook bulletins. I’m a lifelong Mac user so thankfully (for Apple at least) I didn’t really need to see more than the prices, but I’d wager they lost a couple of sales that day from mouthbreathing retards using a retail space as an internet cafe.
It’s a balancing act for Apple. They don’t want the store to be so bogged down that customers can’t get to the machines. OTOH, they realize that letting people use the machines creates enormous goodwill and leads to future sales. So I’m guessing they only block facebook in those stores where it’s gotten out of control.
Heck, I’d apply the same Myspace ban if I were Apple.
you can´t even try some models on some apple store, because of some loosers playing facebook for hours. I hope this gets real.
Who are these retards that go to a retail store to chat it up? I would feel like a total idiot sitting on there while people walk by and you know the older you get the more verbal one becomes, so I can only imagine the comments from potential shoppers. I’m only in my early 30’s but if I wanted to test shop a PC and couldn’t b/c of some tard looking at myspace/facebook I would definitely make a comment to that person!!