SNARK RATING: 8 out of 10
Charleston now has what it’s long needed to attract the most discriminating of tourists — a museum totally dedicated to Apple computer products.
The Holy City, in fact, has big ties to the tech giant, which makes the museum a huge achievement. Yes, Charleston has an Apple store.
So let’s hope this new attraction doesn’t signal a race to the bottom for area communities with North Charleston vying to showcase old, unusable Windows computers in a dedicated Microsoft hardware museum. Or Folly Beach rushing to scoop up redundant handheld address books for a Palm Pilot Museum. Or Ravenel turning a storage facility into a Museum for Obsolete Computer Games That Don’t Work Because the Software Is Fried or Screens Are Broken.
Despite the fact that Charleston is the only city in America to be on a recent listing of the world’s greatest cities, it was at the bottom of that ranking — a clear indicator that it fell from grace in recent years. Why? Obviously because it lacked a museum dedicated to dysfunctional, but pretty and ergonomically designed Apple products.
OK, seriously, if you’re a technophile, having a local museum dedicated to Apple computers, personal digital assistants, cameras, scanners, printers, wireless routers and music players is kind of cool, especially for a generation of students whose grandparents were around for the start of Apple.
“We are passionate about supporting our tech community and the Charleston Apple Museum is a great new way of doing that,” said Ernest Andrade, director of the Charleston Digital Corridor (CDC) which will house the museum.
Nevertheless, the museum feels a little more than an effort by the city to clean out a storage area or take in something that’s lived in the back of a garage.
In a news release, however, the CDC said it was pleased to announce the museum, as highlighted in this outstanding excerpt of techno-gobbledegook:
“The cultural vibrancy of our community has been and always will be important to the foundation of the CDC. We are pleased to invest further in the support of that culture with this broad collection of Apple products.”
- Read the full news release. The museum is located in the CDC’s flagship office on the second floor of 997 Morrison Drive. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, or by special appointment.
If you go, let us know what you think. If you don’t visit, let us know what you think: feedback@charlestoncitypaper.com.
You can bet it’s on our dance card.
DISCLOSURE: The City Paper uses Apple computers. We’re checking the storage closet to see what we can add to the museum’s collection.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of the Charleston City Paper.
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