Apple has long relied on partners to provide their retail distribution channel.

Dell and Gateway opening stores, to me, is a much more logical extension of their model. For Apple to do so is to compete with their channel, which of course has long been the subject of controversy, lawsuits, etc. It was a pretty bold move, especially given their lack of experience as a retailer (website notwithstanding).

Of course, whereas Gateway completely retreated from their failed retail presence — and they were professional retailers, Apple seems to be thriving off of theirs.

Does Dell do brick-and-morter stores? That’s surprising to me — I thought they were 100% e-commerce. But, you know, since they started trying to be a consumer product company, I haven’t kept up with their corporate strategy.