Apple Store becomes kid hangout over break
By Xu Chi and Wang Yaping |
July 13, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE 10-year-old boy was frantically moving his fingers to slice "fruit" on an iPad screen with a few others eagerly lining up behind him, hoping he would soon hit a "bomb" that would end his turn.
More than 40 children not supervised by their parents were occupying demo models of iPads and Mac computers yesterday at the Apple Store on Nanjing Road E., oblivious to groups of potential customers standing behind them, waiting impatiently to try the products.
The store had the appearance of a free, air-conditioned Internet game room for kids on their summer vacation.
"My parents were working in stores nearby and I don't want to take naps there for a whole day," said a boy, surnamed Ge. When he was talking to a Shanghai Daily reporter, the boy never moved his eyes off the iPad screen.
Ge and some children said they slipped away from their parents' stores to have fun at the Apple Store, while some other children said their parents left them at the store to play games when they shopped nearby.
"Have you killed the monster yet?" one boy asked another, ignoring the adult customers who were waiting behind him.
The children said they are making new friends at the store, meeting each other every day and sharing gaming experiences. They sometimes would go back home or to a store to check in with their parents for about 10 minutes after playing one or two hours of video games.
Store staff workers said so far they haven't been instructed to tell any of the children to leave as the store was meant to let customers experience the devices on display. Apple representatives in China could not be reached yesterday.
"I hope that they can put some chairs here so we won't get tired," said a boy nicknamed Dong Dong. "And more new games, of course."
More than 40 children not supervised by their parents were occupying demo models of iPads and Mac computers yesterday at the Apple Store on Nanjing Road E., oblivious to groups of potential customers standing behind them, waiting impatiently to try the products.
The store had the appearance of a free, air-conditioned Internet game room for kids on their summer vacation.
"My parents were working in stores nearby and I don't want to take naps there for a whole day," said a boy, surnamed Ge. When he was talking to a Shanghai Daily reporter, the boy never moved his eyes off the iPad screen.
Ge and some children said they slipped away from their parents' stores to have fun at the Apple Store, while some other children said their parents left them at the store to play games when they shopped nearby.
"Have you killed the monster yet?" one boy asked another, ignoring the adult customers who were waiting behind him.
The children said they are making new friends at the store, meeting each other every day and sharing gaming experiences. They sometimes would go back home or to a store to check in with their parents for about 10 minutes after playing one or two hours of video games.
Store staff workers said so far they haven't been instructed to tell any of the children to leave as the store was meant to let customers experience the devices on display. Apple representatives in China could not be reached yesterday.
"I hope that they can put some chairs here so we won't get tired," said a boy nicknamed Dong Dong. "And more new games, of course."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
