Apple Store goes to Sheffield

Apple will open its fifth UK retail store this weekend, at the Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield.

The company said on Tuesday that the store will be opened to the public at 9am on 10 December. Like Apple's existing four stores the Sheffield outlet will let consumers experience an Apple desktop or laptop and software applications such as iWork and OS X.

Mac 'Geniuses' will also be on hand to answer technical questions.

Apple's existing stores are located at London's Regent Street, the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent, Birmingham's Bullring and the Trafford Centre, Manchester.

Apple's expansion in the UK retail space has come at a time when analysts are predicting that more people will turn to its computers, thanks to the success of its iPod digital music player.

This 'halo' effect has been credited with encouraging over one million Windows users to move to the Mac in 2005.