Apple Opens Store in Heart of BlackBerry Land

Now open in Waterloo: A constant reminder that the city's economy could collapse if the next overpriced Steve Jobs gadget takes off.

Not content to merely force its rivals into cash-strapped submission, Apple has made its ruthlessness personal by opening an Apple Store (one of the real ones) in the heart of Waterloo, Ont., home to struggling BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion. It's the newest Apple Store in Canada, and Waterloo happens to be one of the smallest markets in the country that's been able to attract the high-end tech boutiques. About 200 people lined up for its opening, which has to sting the RIM guys just a bit as there hasn't been a lineup that big for one of their (business- and user-friendly) products in years. While we doubt that Steve Jobs & Co. sat around a giant map of the world and plotted to categorically ruin the morale of its prime competitors, the Apple Store that's just opened not 10 minutes away from RIM headquarters in Waterloo's Conestoga Mall could accomplish just that.