I’m interested to learn what it was like to work in an Apple Centre in Australia during the revival years of Apple, around 1997-2001. Please share whatever you may know, any photos too of the stoor interiors would be cool too.
I’m particularly curious about the sales of iMac G3s, how people reacted to them in store, which colours were their favourites, etc.
I worked in the AppleCentre Network from Aug 2000 to May 2005
AppleCentre’s were a designation from Apple for particular stores and they were independent to Apple who did not have sales beyond Key accounts (Corporate /Education and Government) and the web store.
I worked firstly for AppleCentre Neutral Bay as a casual sales person. ACNB (Buzzle) .
Buzzle was a merger between 6 different competitors who became the largest AppleCentre chain in Australia with 35? Stores at its peak. It was previously AppleCentre Neutral Bay (GM Computer), and the original Neutral Bay store at a different location was Mac’s Place.
Working in the AppleCentre Buzzle and then After demerger- the reformed GM Computer companies “Tyche Digital” allowed me the ability to work for
AppleCentre Neutral Bay,
AppleCentre Sydney CBD,
AppleCentre Broadway +
AppleCentre Service Broadway.
I was first a casual sales person, then an account manager, admin, service receptionist, service admin and then Service manager of one of the biggest AAPSs in Australia at the time.
I ended up leaving the AppleCentre Network and starting my own Apple Authorised Service Provider (MacMedic) after some disagreements with direction on what level of service we should provide.
MacMedic went from a sponsored partner, to Silver accreditation and then Gold. We then became the only AASP in Australia (and possibly globally?) to earn accreditation as a premium service provider for 10 years straight (every period available)
When GM Computer, Status Graph, NextByte, Manning Computers, Design Wyse, Mac’s Place and Choice Connections began to merge in 2000 to form Buzzle, a TV mini series was being filmed to talk about the successful merger and eventual float.
It eventually became a huge failure captured after NextByte pulled out causing the accounting system to fail, and several directors and key staff causing major issues.
Watch Going Public, the four part series above to see inside AppleCentres (mainly GM computer stores) in May 2000 to January 2002
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Here is a list of all AppleCentres issued by Apple in 2001. It was strange to note but a lot had incorrect owners listed
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This was quite bingeable! I was quite impressed the producers of this series were able to capture this from start to finish - it’s almost as if they knew there was a good chance it was going to fail.
It’s unfortunate it didn’t work out, but an interesting case study nonetheless.
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The producers used to work with us in sales and told one of my colleagues that it was to make the film about the successful merger- but then it cratered and became incredible TV
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