But the store is indeed open, and the video below shows the enthusiasm of those in attendance, with most of the enthusiasm coming from employees of the store itself. Besides six or seven people eagerly showing off their iPhones, the crowd outside simply watched the celebratory antics of those employees inside, all in freezing temperatures.  I can’t help but think that while I’m sure a large amount of Apple faithful showed up at the grand opening that day, a larger group of people came as curious onlookers.  Apple’s share of the computer market in Europe is much smaller than in the United States, with market share in Europe hovering somewhere around 3% as of late 2007, compared to Apple’s nearly 8% share of the US market.

My impression during five years of living in Munich was that there was a lack of enthusiasm towards the Mac in general.  Only a few of my friends “converted” over to the Mac before I moved back to the United States at the beginning of 2006, and I can think of several cases where these same friends fought tooth and nail to convince their bosses on getting them a Mac for work, with their pleas always falling on deaf ears.  With this in mind, I can’t help but feel that Apple is banking on a few things in deciding to open a flag ship store in conservative Bavaria. Perhaps fatigue with Windows Vista and Microsoft’s ongoing battle with European Union anti-trust cases make some people want to try something different.  Or perhaps the fabled iPod/iPhone halo effect will cause people to crack their wallets in buying a new Mac.  And maybe a growing market share for a browser such as Mozilla Firefox shows European instincts in wanting to try something different.  This desire for change may not necessarily lead the masses to flock to the Mac, but I certainly hold hope in Apple succeeding at convincing some to Think Different.