A section of The
Apple Store, where Apple Macintosh computers are sold and displayed.
It consists of a bar with stools, and a minibar for serving bottled water to customers. Behind the bar is a number of photographs of geniuses, like Albert Einstein, and Alfred Hitchcock, and a big, atom shaped sign saying "Genius Bar."
Standing at the bar is a resident Mac Genius. He is about 100 times better than your condescending CompUSA rep or commissioned Gateway Country salesman. He will answer any mac-related question, from "What does Megahertz mean?" to "What's the difference between ATA-66 and ATA-100 for hard drive speeds?" Here you can even let the guy show you how to edit movies and burn CDs/DVDs. or just bring in your computer, he can do some basic tech support or send your computer out for repairs.
Behind the Bar, on the wall, is a red phone which is a direct hotline to Apple's HQ in Cupertino, CA.If you stump the Mac Genius, he can use the red phone any time. It's a nifty-looking phone, like the one you saw in Batman.
Apple's 2-story Soho Store has 2 Genius Bars side by side, allowing over a dozen people to be helped at any one time.
See also Mac Genius.