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11 months ago I wrote about the opening of an Apple retail Store in my home town Almere. I was excited and wanted to support this local dealer by using them as preferred supplier. After they opened, I wanted to buy a Mac Mini and went there twice, but they didn’t have any. When I wanted to upgrade my MacBook Pro with more memory, they didn’t have a 2GB memory module, so I had to order it online. Two weeks after the introduction of the updated iPod Touch (32GB) I went there, but they didn’t get any yet. Yesterday I went again and they still didn’t have any. The Media Markt store in town had them on sale last week (all sold out) and Apple delivers within a couple of days. The sales person of Warnerraven at the iCentre Almere said I could order it and wouldn’t even be required to take it, if I change my mind. But why should I order it there, wait and go back to the store to pick it up (difficult enough with their limited opening hours), while I can order it directly from Apple and have it shipped home for free? This store obviously can not afford to have Apple’s popular products on stock. The main reason for me to go to a local retail store is to get a product directly without waiting and shipping costs. Lately, I usually come home empty-handed and instead order online (often cheaper).
In some areas retail stores still make sense (products you want to try out and feel or where you need service), but otherwise many stores are just obsolete, wasting valuable space in our cities and increasing the price of products.

Update: I ordered it online from Apple and it was delivered really fast on Tuesday already.

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While I am waiting to be connected to the fiberglass network, I asked AlmeerNet about other providers next to KPN. I am currently with XS4ALL and for various reasons would prefer to stay with them. AlmeerNet confirmed that XS4ALL will also be on the fiberglass network in the fall but they couldn’t give a date or details. I am curious if XS4ALL is going to offer different services and better prices than KPN.

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October last year, it was announced that our city would be the first fiberglass city in the Netherlands within the next 2 1/2 years. Announcements like this have often been made, also for other cities like Amsterdam and Deventer, so I was skeptical. But it is actually happening. First houses in Almere Haven have been connected and according to the site of AlmeerNet it is our turn in February 2009.

There is no information yet available about speed, services and prices. Currently I have an ASDL connection with 20 Mbit/s downstream and 1Mbit/s upstream for EUR 54,95 per month including VOIP. With a higher upstream speed I could host some sites and services at home and it should also make it more pleasant to work at home.

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When I was just browsing Google Maps again, I was surprised to the little bus and train icons and indeed they represent the bus stops and train stations in our town and even include the correct line numbers.

The satellite images seem to be from 2006 and are in a lower resolutions than the previous ones.

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Today the first Apple store opened in Almere, well just a Premium Reseller, not a real Apple Store. But I am still glad about it. Until now only chains like Media Markt or Dixons sell Apple products in Almere and I would rather buy from a local reseller like Warnerraven.

click on image to go to Flickr

The store is a bit on small side and didn’t have as much choice as I had hoped for. It has a second and third level which I guess will probably be used for workshops.

I went to buy a Mac Mini (before Apple decides to discontinue it) to replace by old PowerBook as home-server/media server, but they didn’t have them yet. I am not in a hurry, so I will try it again next week.

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Today, liberation day (Dutch: Bevrijdingsdag) is being celebrated as each year on May 5 in the Netherlands to mark the end of the German occupation during the Second World War. Each Dutch province has a huge festival and the one for our province – Flevoland – is happening here in Almere. For the first time since we live here, I went out, visited the festival and took some photos which you can see on Flickr. At 3 different stages in town, bands and DJs were playing. There were approximately 15.000 visitors.

see all of the images on Flickr

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The pavilions in Almere are a museum and educational center for modern contemporary art. After more than 10 years, their existence is now in danger since the city wants to cut back funding and tear down the buildings. For our town of 160.000 inhabitants this would be a great loss. Just like the modern architecture, modern art is something that should have its place in our city.

This weekend Museum De Paviljoens had an action weekend to raise awareness and gain support. We went there twice and took some photos, which you can see on Flickr. The current exhibition with work of Barbara Visser is excellent. Her art is mind boggling and inspirational. If you live in the area or visit the Netherlands, come and see it. It is only 30 minutes from Amsterdam and the exhibition is open until the 15th of April 2007.

After this weekend I would not only plead to save this museum but instead suggest that it gets a chance to grow larger.

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Not only is today the 30th birthday of our town, it was also the day for the Architecture Prize Almere 2006. Out of 41 nominated projects a jury choose a first prize, which went to the Citadel by Atelier Christian de Portzamparc from Parijs. The Citadel is a multi-layered shopping and apartment complex in the new city center with a cubist touch. There was also a public price, voted for by a panel of citizens of Almere. This price went to the health-care center ‘Polderburen’ by Hans Ruijssenaars architecten from Amsterdam.

In the past I have already been publishing some photos of architecture in Almere.
Almere architecture – part VI
Almere architecture – part III
Almere city architecture – part II
Almere city architecture

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Another walk and more architecture. This time I went to the business park ‘Gooise Kant’ to capture some of the more interesting office buildings.

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Today we went for a nice walk through the woods close to the Kemphaan in Almere, where I took some new photos of the Eksternest nature eduction centre.

Architect: C. Nilsson, B. ten Brinke, 70F Architecture, Amsterdam
Built in 2003

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