While Michelle was having her hair cut beautufully at DASS in Lenox, I spent time sipping a coffee perched over the low-end iBook at the Apple Store.
The slowest iBook is peppy and nice to work with. Apple makes the best-looking products. I ran my finger around the sides of the iBook and marveled at the fact that it never hit a snag. It's smooth and level all around. This is nothing new of course, I just had time to really take it in.
The computers all had the new mighty mouse connected to them. They're comfortable, but the side squeezing is a little awkward to me. They had Expose and Dashboard mapped to the main buttons and I constantly flipped between them, watching the nice effects on the screen. Expose is great for a busy desktop. The Dashboard is cool too. It's kinda gimmicky, but then again, with one keystroke you have access to what Microsoft calls "accessories", with the benefit of not having to go into Start->Accessories multiple times (say to open a calculator and a notepad)
I was wearing a bright green Izod polo that matched the color of the Apple associates' t-shirts. I didn't really notice this until a guy started asking me a question about his iPod. As he spoke I realized there were a lot of green people in the store and he must have thought I was one. When I interrupted him and told him I didn't work there he joked I shouldn't wear that shirt in the store.
This store is so popular. I saw a giddy teenager pull her friend inside and start pointing at all the cool computers and iPods. I saw an Asian couple walk in and buy an iMac on the spot. People crowd outside and wait for this store to open in the morning.
Outside the store, I saw an old man relaxing on a bench near the water fountain typing away on his PowerBook. On the upper level near the Lindt chocolate store I saw another guy using an iBook and showing his girlfriend something. Maybe Paul Graham was right, and this is the return of the Mac.