It seems to me the only thing novel about what they are doing is the location: directly adjacent to Apple stores. The only way to make a store viable in such expensive real estate is a boutique style with great employees - two things MS will fail to do. The PC world just does not inspire the right kind of people to give a boutique experience. Concept and execution are two different things. I'm not impressed that a former Apple exec is doing this - he knows the limitations, but will soldier on for a huge salary. What will hurt MS is when the numbers are dribbling in and the stores are closing - it will be a huge PR nightmare.
This is one of the first things I thought also.
Apple puts their stores in those locations because that's where their customers "live and play." Microsoft's customers are not the same customers. MS would be better off having a store in a mall with large X-Box displays to bring in the kids, putting them in the fashion district is just dumb.
Also, the success of Apple's stores only has a tiny bit to do with the location. There are much more important factors at work. And even if they duplicate everything that Apple does and do it successfully, they will still fail because their actual product (what they have of it), doesn't measure up to Apple's.
Since the emergence of PC video screens being mounted vertically and used to display flight information at airports, I've chuckled on several occasions when I've seen the display boards showing the Blue Screen Of Death.
Just think, Microsoft is going to give us a whole store to display that.....should be lovely!
That's why the only part of that view that caught my eye was the model. She was the only pleasing part that caught my eye. The rest was a rehash of pre-existing departmental store designs.
It's not likely that the store will look like that. As they won't be selling anything, they won't have shelves stocked with multiple copies of goods, and they certainly won't need shopping carts to fill with those nonexistent goods that aren't for sale.
It's not likely that the store will look like that. As they won't be selling anything, they won't have shelves stocked with multiple copies of goods, and they certainly won't need shopping carts to fill with those nonexistent goods that aren't for sale.
You are a moderator put "in charge" of this forum for a reason.
Microsoft sells their OS and Server software to the World's Banks, Governments, Businesses and consumer users.
Their software alone is reason enough to have a store.
To say Microsoft has "NONEXISTENT" Goods is like saying Apple has 2 laptops, 1 desktop unit, 3 phones & a music player.
Be a LOT more responsible when monitoring the room. This is the main reason that Apple users HATE Microsoft USERS and the same in reverse.
If Apple that much better than Microsoft than why after 30 years do they have 8% of the computer desktop arena (in the USA ONLY). World Wide Apple isn't even on the charts.
Edit.
Any Apple Sheep in here own an XBOX?
Any of you have a virtual desktop so you can play REAL computer games?
Any of you need to have IE run corporate Software at home?
Any of you NEED MICROSOFT OFFICE TO DO YOUR JOB?
Need an ATM? They all run Windows OS.
Need a Hospital? They all run Windows OS.
Need to check out at Best Buy, Lowes, the Grocery Store. They all run Windows.
Apples computer sales are now 35% of their total revenue. Apple now makes Phones and Music Players for 65% of their revenue.
We're going to have to move their category to gaming business by 2011.
Microsoft is in (again) for a world of hurt. Did they forget about their former "Flagship" store at the Sony Metreon in San Francisco? Even in its heyday, that store was empty for the most part even though the Metreon itself had a lot of foot traffic. I've been there a few times out of curiosity and wondered what exactly made it a Microsoft store. It was more like a cleaner version of Best-Buy or CompUSA and better faux-wood trim.
At an Apple store, at least you can buy actual products in addition to the free classes, genius bar with actual Geniuses (and not fresh-out-of-high-school-minimum-wage-kids).
The only thing I can see a genius bar equivalent at a Microsoft store will be a flood of users coming in due to their windows systems being infected, pwnd, malwared, etc. I would bet money that Microsoft would have something like that for six months only to shut it down due to high costs and bad press from infuriated users.
Good luck MS. It seems that pain is something you enjoy as you keep coming back for more.
Heh, I wonder where MS is going to open their shop here in San Francisco and how close it will be to Apple's SF flagship store. I hear the Sony may close soon, so Microsoft could open their shop where they had closed the Microsoft Store in 2001. Or, they could probably be smack dab in front of the Apple store where the Virgin Record store used to be. I would love to see what MS would do with all those four floors .
As they won't be selling anything, they won't have shelves stocked with multiple copies of goods.
I don't believe that for a second!
Even if they initially only want their stores to be 'showrooms', customers will eventually demand to be sold something. Who would want to enter a store and only look at things - if you actually intend to buy?
Trust me, it won't be long until they start selling things.
First it will be Microsoft software and hardware like mice and keyboards.
Then it will be favorite software or software Microsoft wants to showcase with Windows 7.
And finally third-party hardware.
Initially they might only sell it online inside the store, shipped to the client. But it won't be long before main configurations are sold in store. At least smaller hardware like phones, music players, netbooks and small laptops.
Otherwise what's the point of opening a retail store?
And I'm sure soon Microsoft will offer 'deal of the month' hardware items, deliberately targeted to counteract newly released Apple hardware where shoppers can play 'Lauren' and see how much they can save in the Microsoft store for 'the same hardware' as compared to the Apple Store next door.
I bet that this will happen.
It'll be interesting to see how Apple will react to that.
They might copy the 'Genius Bar' as well, and One-on-One training.
Benefits for Microsoft are twofold:
- more exposure and better profile
- a way to showcase the hardware products they want the industry to steer towards, either directly by making users buy certain products or indirectly by only showcasing products from hardware vendors who 'please' Microsoft.
Also consider that these new stores might be about selling digital content onto whatever hardware a customer brings in. Perhaps even iPods.
That's where Microsoft could indeed 'innovate'.
Imagine that within a Microsoft store you could try any software you like, be it Zune handheld software or PC software. It'll be downloaded straight from some MS servers on demand for customers to try.
Then if you like it you can order it via disk-on-demand burnt onto disk right there for you in store or you can buy it via download right there and then as well.
This could be the biggest AppStore ever!
And all software would be 'try before you buy'!
As I said, I can see some room for actual innovation.
Quote: If Apple that much better than Microsoft than why after 30 years do they have 8% of the computer desktop arena (in the USA ONLY). World Wide Apple isn't even on the chart.
I have often shaken my head with disbelief at this one. Here is why IMHO.
Could it be that Windows users found the whole process of learning and using the PC so daunting that they don't want to go through it again with any other computer? Couple that with the myths that Apple Macs can't do this or that and the misperceptions about price and you have people hesitant to switch.
These are the reasons people I know don't want to switch. I wasn't crazy about it myself, but I was so blown away the first time I walked into the Apple store in SOHO I knew it was right for me. OSX Tiger and iLife were so far ahead of what was available in the Windoze world. And of course the iMac was so beautiful compared to a HP Pavilion!
They should be sure to have Microsoft Surface tables set up for children.
Sorry guys, as ridiculous as many of your find them and as much as many of you are anti-Microsoft over everything, I've played with one and I think the table is pretty neat.
It's like an oversized iPod Touch that I can set my drink on.
(*And seeing how my iPod Touch was supposedly ruined by liquids, that means something to me... ha ha!)
You are a moderator put "in charge" of this forum for a reason.
Microsoft sells their OS and Server software to the World's Banks, Governments, Businesses and consumer users.
Their software alone is reason enough to have a store.
To say Microsoft has "NONEXISTENT" Goods is like saying Apple has 2 laptops, 1 desktop unit, 3 phones & a music player.
Be a LOT more responsible when monitoring the room. This is the main reason that Apple users HATE Microsoft USERS and the same in reverse.
If Apple that much better than Microsoft than why after 30 years do they have 8% of the computer desktop arena (in the USA ONLY). World Wide Apple isn't even on the charts.
What are you talking about? Did you bother to read the entire article? If you had, at the end, you would have read this;
Quote:
Although the stores may sit near Apple's in the future, they're poised to largely be showcases meant to advertise the Windows, Xbox and Zune brands and less to actually sell products. As such, Microsoft will be paying for expensive leases but won't necessarily recoup its investment through actual sales.
Other articles have said that MS won't be selling anything in these "stores", that they are just to display and demonstrate products, and that they would have a hard time selecting products to sell because of all the competing interests of so many software and hardware companies they are associated with.
If you now read the post I was responding to, and my reply to it again, you will see, in light of that, why I responded the way I did.
If you wish to talk about being responsible, I suggest you start with yourself.
After you've gone over all of that, I expect an apology. I'm being nice for a moderator. Most other sites would have just kicked you off.
If he insisted that Apple place its retail stores to sell its expensive products in high end malls and locations, then to be consistent he should recommend that Microsoft position its stores next to Walmart in order to sell its bargain priced products.
Comments
It seems to me the only thing novel about what they are doing is the location: directly adjacent to Apple stores. The only way to make a store viable in such expensive real estate is a boutique style with great employees - two things MS will fail to do. The PC world just does not inspire the right kind of people to give a boutique experience. Concept and execution are two different things. I'm not impressed that a former Apple exec is doing this - he knows the limitations, but will soldier on for a huge salary. What will hurt MS is when the numbers are dribbling in and the stores are closing - it will be a huge PR nightmare.
This is one of the first things I thought also.
Apple puts their stores in those locations because that's where their customers "live and play." Microsoft's customers are not the same customers. MS would be better off having a store in a mall with large X-Box displays to bring in the kids, putting them in the fashion district is just dumb.
Also, the success of Apple's stores only has a tiny bit to do with the location. There are much more important factors at work. And even if they duplicate everything that Apple does and do it successfully, they will still fail because their actual product (what they have of it), doesn't measure up to Apple's.
Just think, Microsoft is going to give us a whole store to display that.....should be lovely!
Burn him
You guys are nuts!
It's ok for Apple to get executives from other companies, but not for them to get Apple's?
Where do you think companies get executives from? No one hires out of school for top people.
They got......and OS CD and a Office CD and a Mp3 player.
I think it's a dum. Maybe Apple planted George to screw um up. Haha
Wouldn't that be rich!
Bingo!
That's why the only part of that view that caught my eye was the model. She was the only pleasing part that caught my eye. The rest was a rehash of pre-existing departmental store designs.
It's not likely that the store will look like that. As they won't be selling anything, they won't have shelves stocked with multiple copies of goods, and they certainly won't need shopping carts to fill with those nonexistent goods that aren't for sale.
It's not likely that the store will look like that. As they won't be selling anything, they won't have shelves stocked with multiple copies of goods, and they certainly won't need shopping carts to fill with those nonexistent goods that aren't for sale.
You are a moderator put "in charge" of this forum for a reason.
Microsoft sells their OS and Server software to the World's Banks, Governments, Businesses and consumer users.
Their software alone is reason enough to have a store.
To say Microsoft has "NONEXISTENT" Goods is like saying Apple has 2 laptops, 1 desktop unit, 3 phones & a music player.
Be a LOT more responsible when monitoring the room. This is the main reason that Apple users HATE Microsoft USERS and the same in reverse.
If Apple that much better than Microsoft than why after 30 years do they have 8% of the computer desktop arena (in the USA ONLY). World Wide Apple isn't even on the charts.
Edit.
Any Apple Sheep in here own an XBOX?
Any of you have a virtual desktop so you can play REAL computer games?
Any of you need to have IE run corporate Software at home?
Any of you NEED MICROSOFT OFFICE TO DO YOUR JOB?
Need an ATM? They all run Windows OS.
Need a Hospital? They all run Windows OS.
Need to check out at Best Buy, Lowes, the Grocery Store. They all run Windows.
Apples computer sales are now 35% of their total revenue. Apple now makes Phones and Music Players for 65% of their revenue.
We're going to have to move their category to gaming business by 2011.
At an Apple store, at least you can buy actual products in addition to the free classes, genius bar with actual Geniuses (and not fresh-out-of-high-school-minimum-wage-kids).
The only thing I can see a genius bar equivalent at a Microsoft store will be a flood of users coming in due to their windows systems being infected, pwnd, malwared, etc. I would bet money that Microsoft would have something like that for six months only to shut it down due to high costs and bad press from infuriated users.
Good luck MS. It seems that pain is something you enjoy as you keep coming back for more.
Bah hah hah hah hah!!
As they won't be selling anything, they won't have shelves stocked with multiple copies of goods.
I don't believe that for a second!
Even if they initially only want their stores to be 'showrooms', customers will eventually demand to be sold something. Who would want to enter a store and only look at things - if you actually intend to buy?
Trust me, it won't be long until they start selling things.
First it will be Microsoft software and hardware like mice and keyboards.
Then it will be favorite software or software Microsoft wants to showcase with Windows 7.
And finally third-party hardware.
Initially they might only sell it online inside the store, shipped to the client. But it won't be long before main configurations are sold in store. At least smaller hardware like phones, music players, netbooks and small laptops.
Otherwise what's the point of opening a retail store?
And I'm sure soon Microsoft will offer 'deal of the month' hardware items, deliberately targeted to counteract newly released Apple hardware where shoppers can play 'Lauren' and see how much they can save in the Microsoft store for 'the same hardware' as compared to the Apple Store next door.
I bet that this will happen.
It'll be interesting to see how Apple will react to that.
They might copy the 'Genius Bar' as well, and One-on-One training.
Benefits for Microsoft are twofold:
- more exposure and better profile
- a way to showcase the hardware products they want the industry to steer towards, either directly by making users buy certain products or indirectly by only showcasing products from hardware vendors who 'please' Microsoft.
Also consider that these new stores might be about selling digital content onto whatever hardware a customer brings in. Perhaps even iPods.
That's where Microsoft could indeed 'innovate'.
Imagine that within a Microsoft store you could try any software you like, be it Zune handheld software or PC software. It'll be downloaded straight from some MS servers on demand for customers to try.
Then if you like it you can order it via disk-on-demand burnt onto disk right there for you in store or you can buy it via download right there and then as well.
This could be the biggest AppStore ever!
And all software would be 'try before you buy'!
As I said, I can see some room for actual innovation.
Although I hope Apple will be there first.
I have often shaken my head with disbelief at this one. Here is why IMHO.
Could it be that Windows users found the whole process of learning and using the PC so daunting that they don't want to go through it again with any other computer? Couple that with the myths that Apple Macs can't do this or that and the misperceptions about price and you have people hesitant to switch.
These are the reasons people I know don't want to switch. I wasn't crazy about it myself, but I was so blown away the first time I walked into the Apple store in SOHO I knew it was right for me. OSX Tiger and iLife were so far ahead of what was available in the Windoze world. And of course the iMac was so beautiful compared to a HP Pavilion!
Quote: ...And of course the iMac was so beautiful compared to a HP Pavilion!
92% of the US and more than that don't care if their computer is "Beautful".
They care if it get's the job done at a price they like. You have 30 years of history to prove it.
They want a computer that they can use for personal an business use.
They want a notebook they can take to work and hook up to the Network either via Ethernet or WiFi and they are connected.
You want money out of an ATM machine you need Microsoft.
Sorry guys, as ridiculous as many of your find them and as much as many of you are anti-Microsoft over everything, I've played with one and I think the table is pretty neat.
It's like an oversized iPod Touch that I can set my drink on.
(*And seeing how my iPod Touch was supposedly ruined by liquids, that means something to me... ha ha!)
I have often shaken my head with disbelief at this one.
You will find many posts as to why Apple lost to Microsoft. The Internet is full of analyses.
My opinion is that Apple just became too greedy and elitist.
In the end what most people want is 'cheap'. Give me cheap any time over quality.
That's why Betamax lost to VHS
That's why 8-tracks lost to the compact cassette.
That's why Apple lost to PCs.
And that's why millions of US and European jobs got lost to China.
People are obsessed with 'deals' - yet unable to understand the full and long-term repercussions.
So people effectively constantly make wrong decisions. Which seem like a good idea at the time.
You are a moderator put "in charge" of this forum for a reason.
Microsoft sells their OS and Server software to the World's Banks, Governments, Businesses and consumer users.
Their software alone is reason enough to have a store.
To say Microsoft has "NONEXISTENT" Goods is like saying Apple has 2 laptops, 1 desktop unit, 3 phones & a music player.
Be a LOT more responsible when monitoring the room. This is the main reason that Apple users HATE Microsoft USERS and the same in reverse.
If Apple that much better than Microsoft than why after 30 years do they have 8% of the computer desktop arena (in the USA ONLY). World Wide Apple isn't even on the charts.
What are you talking about? Did you bother to read the entire article? If you had, at the end, you would have read this;
Although the stores may sit near Apple's in the future, they're poised to largely be showcases meant to advertise the Windows, Xbox and Zune brands and less to actually sell products. As such, Microsoft will be paying for expensive leases but won't necessarily recoup its investment through actual sales.
Other articles have said that MS won't be selling anything in these "stores", that they are just to display and demonstrate products, and that they would have a hard time selecting products to sell because of all the competing interests of so many software and hardware companies they are associated with.
If you now read the post I was responding to, and my reply to it again, you will see, in light of that, why I responded the way I did.
If you wish to talk about being responsible, I suggest you start with yourself.
After you've gone over all of that, I expect an apology. I'm being nice for a moderator. Most other sites would have just kicked you off.
You want money out of an ATM machine you need Microsoft.
That isn't true. While a great many ATMs use Windows, there are a good number that don't. Heck, some even use Linux.
Burn him
You guys are nuts!
It's ok for Apple to get executives from other companies, but not for them to get Apple's?
Where do you think companies get executives from? No one hires out of school for top people.
Sacrilege!