Bangkok Diary

Graham K. Rogers

I had missed a trip to the Apple store at the Cupertino campus, so it was arranged that this would be on the list for today. Poor sleep patterns had me up and about early, so I was more than ready to hit the road in the rented car that was provided.

Just before we left, however, a cameraman from an Indian TV station asked me for a couple of minutes so that he could have some soundbites. His original interviewee had left the night before -- he would have been better as he had also been to CES in Las Vegas -- so I was drafted in.

What to say? I used the words "consolidation" and "doing what Apple does best" plus "building on what it already has." When several thousand Indian viewers see this, they will be reading my words in Hindi subtitles.

First stop, the Golden gate Bridge, which is a must for any tourist, but is phenomenally photogenic. We dropped the cameraman off in the city center as he was going to film trams and return to the Moscone Center for more footage.

Then Cupertino, although before visiting the campus we ate Mexican: the first I had had for a number of years. As can be seen in the photographs connected to this page, I did stand outside and to prove I had been. Then into the shop.

I must admit I was a bit disappointed by the clothes that were available. I had hoped for some white shirts for myself, but bought a kid's tee-shirt and some Apple pens. At the cash desk I also asked for an iPod touch, but these had not yet arrived.

On the road again, we headed for Stamford Mall, where there was another Apple shop. No luck there either, although a couple of the others bought iTunes gift certificates for themselves.

Before arriving we stopped off for a coffee in a trendy open-air area and tried a Starbucks. The shop was in Apple's new scheme with Starbucks in which music playing in the store can be bought by using a computer, an iPhone or iPod touch. As one of the group had a touch I took some photographs of the service identification.

The iPod touch was available and had the new software, but these were updated older stock and not the latest issue. The price was discounted $20 to allow for the download fee, which did not help us at all. We began to wonder if there was a second version of the touch

With the light waning, we headed back to San Francisco and some of the worst traffic I had seen for at least a week. A couple of us left the car at a red light and ran round the corner into a very busy Apple Store.

While I was looking at the iPods again and trying to figure out if these were the real deal, there was a tap on my shoulder and Therdsak Skulyong, Apple's country manager for Thailand was there. He persuaded me that I should wait to buy the touch and that he would help me with the purchase. I mentioned that we were not happy with the idea of the downloaded upgrade and he took that on board.

I went off on my own and tried to return to the Moscone Center as I had decided a second LaCie hard disk was on my agenda, but I was too late. The crowds coming otwards me, like a sea of bodies said that the place was closed. I went back to the Apple store and bought some iPod socks that I had thought were no longer available, then to Bloomindales for chocolate and other candies.

An early night for me. We have a long plane ride to come.