The two level retail outlet not only displays the company's products and staffers who can assist, offer one-to-one training and give technical support, but, on the upper level, offers free workshops for all ages (including the kids), and 'genius bars' where the staff can answer virtually any question one might have on both old and new Apple products, as well as troubleshot problems.

One workshop for youth (JAM) includes a free music workshop where kids learn how to compose songs using GarageBand. At the end of the session, they take their finished song home on a CD and get a workbook with ideas for more products.

Pro Lab is a new offering, a series of four, two-hour sessions for eight hours of in-depth, free training.(Registration is required.)

And there are special one-to-one courses given on a year-round basis where, for $99, for the year, training is given on any and all Apple products on a once-a-week basis for a year.

And to draw the people in and introduce them to the world of Apple, Mac, iPhone 3G and iPod, the store has a series of musical events planned throughout August.

Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple Inc. shipped more Macs in its fiscal third quarter than ever before - 2.5 million, up 41% from a year ago, with desktop shipments growing faster than laptops. That's a much steeper growth rate than the overall global PC market. Total computer shipments rose about 15% in the three months ended June 30, according to Framingham, Mass.-based research group IDC.

Apple's iPod unit sales jumped 12 %, a strong showing despite last year's launch of the iPhone, which melds iPod features with those of a smart phone. The company shipped 717,000 iPhones in the quarter and reiterated its goal to sell 10 million by the end of the fiscal year, including the cheaper, faster iPhone 3G that reached stores in 22 countries, including Canada, this month.

Apple also has smaller Retail Stores in Toronto (three), Laval, Vancouver and Edmonton.