If only they had a martini bar to complement their Genius Bar, the Apple Store would be perfect...

Apple stock has been on a steady climb all year, and finally surpassed the $200/share barrier yesterday. It isn't rocket science to understand why they're doing so well, but it is bewildering why no one else ever quite got the combination of easy usability, stylish ergonomics, cutting-edge technology, and friendly service right until Steve Jobs came along. Try throwing those words in for Microsoft or Dell--kind of hard to do. The success of the Apple Store epitomizes why this company remains profitable. Unlike most stores, Apple encourages you to relax and linger in their stores, whether you're going to buy something or not, as this story from The New York Times shows:

The policy has given some stores, especially those in urban neighborhoods, the feel of a community center. Two years ago, Isobella Jade was down on her luck, living on a friend’s couch and struggling to make it as a fashion model when she had the idea of writing a book about her experience as a short woman trying to break into the modeling business.

Unable to afford a computer, Ms. Jade, 25, began cadging time on a laptop at the Apple store in the SoHo section of Manhattan. Ms. Jade spent hours at a stretch standing in a discreet corner of the store, typing. Within a few months, she had written nearly 300 pages.

Not only did store employees not mind, but at closing time they often made certain to shut Ms. Jade’s computer down last, to give her a little extra time. A few months later, the store invited her to give an in-store reading from her manuscript.

“Everyone is free to use the Internet and do anything they want — within reason,” said Paul Fradin, the general manager of the SoHo and 14th Street stores. Visitors spotted surfing pornographic Web sites are quietly asked to leave, and are escorted out.

Visitors can bring almost anything they like. Ms. Jade showed up nearly every day with her full set of notes, and enough food to see her through a few hours of writing.

I went to the Sony Style store once, and kept getting stared down by a security guard. I can't imagine what would have happened if I had pulled out some food, let alone sat down for more than half an hour and made myself at home.