WTF Mac Store

I would have some words with the guys who bent the glass for this, I think ;-)

Running "The" along the side isn't bad typography, but the lack of a visual break between the T and H makes me say, "WTF?"

Located in the University district of Seattle.

(I should mention that the people at the Mac Store were great sports about my photo and asked for permission to put it on their home page, though it looks like it's no longer there. However, the pic does appear on their About page.)

Updated: Since this pic has been dugg and is getting lots of traffic, please allow a quick plug for a new venture I've started up: Never Enough Coffee. Thanks!

[Appeared in Flickr's Explore page on April 12, 2006.]

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Comments

laughtonb says:

OMFG! a Perfect "WTF?"
Posted 45 months ago. ( permalink )

blynaffit says:

this is great!
Posted 43 months ago. ( permalink )

anderskorte says:

I can't believe my eyes. This is a classic. That store is going to be famous.
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

Linolumixa says:

That made me giggled my guts out.
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

blynaffit says:

I still just love this! It's just so definitely classic. :-)

--
Seen in my recent comments. (?)
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

City Eyes says:

It seriously took me a bit to even see the "the". Absolutely hilarious!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

greencat_98 says:

Why have I never made that connection?
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Damien! says:

I've walked by this place about a bazillion times and I've never even noticed. WTF?
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

biuku says:

nice
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

dintywmoore says:

WTF?
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

puck-man says:

hehehe, who knows, maybe the owner of the sign wanted to spell wtf. Did you not ask? I would have!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Jesse Gardner says:

Hilarious!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

MyDogBen says:

I pass this place every day. I totally never noticed.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Jeff_SK says:

I just cannot see THE at all...
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

R4vi says:

Turn your head left (90 degrees if possible) and look again
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Laurent LaSalle says:

Wtf ftw!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Kirpernicus says:

Funny shot!

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Eye Candy!, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Mechn0ch says:

I've worked there since 2002, and I never noticed this. Awesome!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Glenndavid says:

how can these people not have seen it! it is like SO obvious, is actually harder to read it as you should than as you shouldn't!!!

wtf? made me smile though...
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Plaid Ninja says:

OMG!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

PieterU3 says:

That teensy weensy little space between the "T" andd "H" is pretty damn crucial - in this case. Ahhh well, them's the breaks.... or lack of one... LOLOLOLOLOL
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

WiLLGT09 says:

awesome, you should add this to the Macintosh group. Sorry, I'm not an admin for the group though.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Jorge Romo says:

woah hahaha awesome!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Kadath says:

Dugg =)
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

cactusbeetroot says:

Hilarious!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

sjnstudios says:

Simply superb!!
I absolutely LOVE IT!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Vectormonkey [deleted] says:

Bwah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah-chor tle-sputter-snort! ...giggle...guffaw...giggle...

...snicker...
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

bbusby says:

Classic
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

honigferd says:

haha!

two thumbs up!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Barry Brown  says:

'WTF' has to have been done on purpose, it's easier to see than 'THE'!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

dandj1025 says:

awesome!!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Sreejith R [deleted] says:

Whoah !! Maybe its because you took the photo from a particular angle or the "H" may have fell down due to some harsh wind.

Anyway, I've to hand it to you, dude, no one would ever notice that !!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

caswell_tom says:

Good eye!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

phlezk says:

Lolzarness!!!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Arzaga says:

This needs to be geotagged!

(Your pic has been dugg, btw.)
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Canadian Elligirl says:

That is so awesome. Good catch! :)

--
Seen on digg.com (?)
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Peter John Hill says:

Google Maps Link to store
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

KillerPM says:

This is great!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Ravi Vora says:

haha nice
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

GregNotCraig says:

Awesome.

--
Seen on digg.com (?)
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

jimshitnet says:

Whaha. Great!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

yonas1 says:

They are so stupid. How could they have not seen this?
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Tim Dorr says:

That took me a while....but I get it. Awesome!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Jeff Carlson says:

Wow, I wake up this morning and discover this pic has been dugg! Very cool, thanks everyone!

I've now geotagged it, too.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

tarellel says:

Hehe wow, thats classic.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Hairyfish Photography (Photo A Day) says:

d-d-d-d-dugg
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

craigerator says:

Meh. Big deal. I think I'll have another beer. I thought this was going to be a photo of some naked chick in an Apple store or something.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

abbydonkrafts says:

Surprising that they never noticed this whole time. Nice catch!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

The Conspiracy says:

This is awesome =D
Thanks, man!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

mesotrophic says:

Where's the feet?
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

teejei01 says:

LOL! Priceless. XD
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

aManCalledSun says:

There's one of these in Vancouver, BC as well. Classic.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Jeet96 [deleted] says:

digg.com/apple/WTF_Mac_Store_Photo

That really does kill it. LOL
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

jakilevy says:

yeah - this is pretty funny. i saw it on digg. nice find!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Jef Poskanzer says:

Excellent.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Ariel65 says:

classic. who is their typo prooer?
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Cassidy Myers says:

i just walked past that last saturday, but it was closed...
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Joits says:

haha... awesome. saw this on digg too.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

BruceTurner says:

I feel like I should chime in and say - Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

pakalil says:

funny!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

HarryAKA says:

classic...
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Wonderdawg777 says:

crazy funny
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

honkytonkdragon says:

You may want to know that the Mac Store is still using the photo, only now they are using it on their "About Us" page, which covers all their locations in the Pacific North West, not just the Seattle location home page you linked to.

I had a summer job at this store a few years back, when they were called “The Computer Store.” They’ve been around forever (in computer years), since the early 80’s, I believe. Of course there are a lot of really tech savvy folks there, which makes me think the ambigous the/wtf is intentional.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Sixxtwo says:

o 45th street...wonders abound. wtf
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

silpol says:

just wondering... are the guys from shop aware? do they like it, I mean do they enjoy real-humans-coming-to-shop traffic? ;)
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

dekonstruktor says:

we are making history right here :)
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

umamichan says:

Another funny Seattle sign.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

KinKStar says:

The sign is still on their site. Look at their "about" section, though they don't mention this wonderful, keen observation . . . Thanks for posting and giving us all a giggle in seeing it. By the way, I'm here after seeing it on Neatorama's daily newsletter, referencing DIGG.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Jeff Carlson says:

I suspect that the the/wtf wasn't intentional originally, but they're savvy enough to leave it as it is. As I mentioned above, the Mac Store folks enjoyed my picture.

And, silpol, I think they do get a lot of foot traffic, since they're right in the middle of the university district.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

sti3 says:

Lets hope Jobs doesn't sue them out of existence cause of their new notoriety.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Gabbing Gaby [deleted] says:

lol Hecka funny! Your right! It does look like WTF Lol
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

mr phillip says:

WTF?! Bad typography or a typographer's joke? I'm with the former…
Posted 32 months ago. ( permalink )

reisen_meer says:

Nice find
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

drewesque says:

Man, what a keen eye. This is hilarious.
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

kmcphoenix says:

QQF?
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

beornlake says:

Wonderful find!
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

the Prodigal sun [deleted] says:

That sign will never look the same to me again. Great Mac techs @ that store btw...
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

sohooo says:

Good one :)
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

The Mac Newb Tube says:

Thats awesome. I gotta show this to the guys at our Salem Mac Store. =)
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

smart_like_streetcar says:

I have to look really, really hard to be able to recognize the the.

I wouldn't have know that I was getting the store name wrong, unless some told me so. I'd be looking in the Ws for their phone number.

Reminds me of the first time I spoke INXS out loud.
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

Jory . says:

saw this on DaringFireball. nice.
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

_Lawrence_ says:

funny
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

onepartfiction says:

Of course had they followed the tradition of text being read DOWN and not UP - Like books in a book store - you would have been better off.

Also if you read this upwards you get FTW :)
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

Zach Hale says:

Great catch. I have chuckled every time I've walked by since I saw that in the sign.
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

nsobject says:

Enlightening! :)

Now I can only see WTF just like when I was told about the white arrow in the Fedex logo!
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

Matthew Verso says:

Hi, I'm from a group called I Can't Think Of Anything Intelligent To Say About Your Photo, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.

Because I can't think of anything intelligent to say about it.
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

mwhybark says:

oh, the hilarity! Great eye, I too have walked by that sign a million times and never caught it.
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

misquotation says:

Hilarious. Good find. :)
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

Barack Obama is my homeboy says:

This is why good designers charge high fees... they look for even the most obscure thing such as this... which only a few people would spot.
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

GoldCoins says:

That's completely wild! The turns into WTF.

EcoQuest
Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

yojayy says:

It needs a sticker
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

bpende says:

Awesome capture. Gonna go check out the coffee venture of yours...
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

Supercarteles.com says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Supercarteles, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

www.supercarteles.com

bengan a bizitar nueztro zitio de anunsioz kon faltaz de hortográfia i otrz cossasz
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

jdmoon96 says:

roflcopter over here ;-)
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

honigferd says:

There's a real roflcopter just in text over here! :P
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

offby1 says:

I wonder how many times I've walked past that and not noticed :-(
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

hello_kosmos says:

I drive by this place everyday and never noticed this. Awesome!
Posted 3 months ago. ( permalink )

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Additional Information

Taken in University District, Seattle (map)
Taken with a Canon PowerShot S2 IS.
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Taken on April 12, 2006
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