news-record.com

To buy something online, you need a computer. But when it comes to buying things for your computer, sometimes it's best to do business face to face.

That will soon be easier for people shopping for Apple products.

An Apple Store, the bricks-and-mortar retail presence for the computer company, will open a store near the Shops at Friendly Center "early next year," said Coolidge Porterfield Jr., president of Starmount Co., which developed and owns the retail complex.

Apple stores are destinations for technophiles. The stores are electronic playgrounds full of iPods, desktops and laptops that customers are welcome to try out.

"I think it will help the Shops considerably, as well as Friendly Center," Porterfield said. "They bring a lot of traffic."

News of the coming store garnered enthusiastic response Thursday, especially since getting to the state's other Apple stores — in Durham, Raleigh and Charlotte — requires a trek down the interstate.

Patrick Flueckiger, a junior at Ragsdale High School and longtime Apple user, said he was already making plans to apply for a summer job.

Apple stores are known for their "Genius Bar," the name of the computer service desks staffed with computer whizzes who can help pinpoint computer problems.

Having that kind of service nearby appeals to Ryan Pritts, who was typing e-mails on his Mac in a downtown coffee shop when he learned Apple was coming to town.

There aren't a lot of computer stores around that work on Macintosh computers, Pritts said.

"You can get PC stuff anywhere," he said. "Mac stuff, I have to get that online. It'll be nice to have a place where you can have some interaction."

The company is already accepting applications on its Web site for workers.

Borne by the wild popularity of its iPod music player, Apple and its stable of products have surged in popularity in recent years. For years, the company only had 2 percent to 3 percent of the personal computer market. Now, its market share is about 8 percent and growing. It is third behind Dell and Hewlett-Packard in computers sold.

Apple's approach to retail — with an emphasis on one-on-one service — has gotten lots of press going into the holiday season. The company has abandoned traditional checkouts. Instead, employees carry portable scanners they can use to ring up purchases.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Lanita Withers at 373-7071 or lwithers@news-record.com