APPLE'S RETAIL DRIVE TO START IN GLENDALE.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

GLENDALE - Apple Computer's efforts to take a bigger bite of the market is branching out Saturday with its first-ever retail store at the Glendale Galleria, one of 25 to open in the next few weeks across the country.

The stores are seen as an important step in helping the company expand its 5 percent hold on the computer buying market. The rest of the retail scene is dominated by PCs, most of which run Windows software on hardware driven by Intel chips, nicknamed `Wintel' machines. As a result of Apple's relatively small niche in the market, it tends to be undercarried by major retailers, according to Andrew Scott, a research associate for investment bank Needham and Company.

``If you go into some of the big chains, they often push you toward Wintel products,'' he said. ``It's truly challenging to purchase one in a non-Apple store. This is a much better customer buying experience.''

Apple did not answer repeated requests for an interview Tuesday.

Though smaller Apple retailers exist, they tend to focus primarily on the tech-savvy consumer, according to retail expert Richard Giss, a partner with accounting firm Deloitte & Touche. In his estimation, Apple is looking to distinctly separate itself from traditional computer shops.

``It goes it along with everything they do,'' he said. ``They're a unique kind of computer. They're a horse of a different color, and they're going to nontraditional areas, ones that are usually retail spots. This is taking the computers to the people.''

Though other manufacturers, notably Gateway, have fared less well in the retail sector, Scott saw it was an ideal venue for the Cupertino-based maverick.

``The key point is attracting new users,'' he said. ``We think that the purchase experience at the store, where customers can be educated and appreciate the high quality of apple's hardware and software, can attract new users and grow the company.''