Apple retailer ComputerWare closes

The company that boasted "all we do is Mac" is calling it quits.

ComputerWare, a privately held chain of Northern California retailers of Apple Computer products, has gone out of business, according to a tape recording on its corporate telephone system. Stores in downtown San Francisco, Santa Clara, Berkeley and other locations have been closed and the company is selling off inventory in a liquidation sale at its Sunnyvale location.

"Regrettably, after 17 years in the business, we are unable to continue," the recorded message states. Customers with computers currently being serviced are being asked to contact Cyber CSI in Santa Clara, Calif. Company representatives could not be reached for comment.

ComputerWare, founded in 1985, was one of the largest Apple dealers in the nation at points, selling both to retail and corporate customers. In the 1990s, the company bought its computers for a time directly from Apple, rather than through a distributor like most other Mac dealers.

The company's motto was, "We live Mac. We eat Mac. We sleep Mac. We dream Mac. All we do is Mac."

The closing comes as Apple is counting on its new OS X operating system to revive flagging sales and help return the company to profitability.