You all need to grow up and realize two things: First, MS is not going up against Apple (Apple's not even in their league, see point two). They are simply following in Apple's footsteps. They saw a better way to sell their stuff and so have capitalized on it. Second, all those of you screaming fail, its time for you to realize Windows sells how many times more of its products than do Macs? Yeah time to remember your place in the market share. I love Apple and would not buy a Microsoft product, but you all need to remember your place in the big scheme. You are the minority.
That's kind of an odd post.
Of course MS is "going up against Apple" when it comes to retail stores. Apple is the incumbent 800 pound gorilla in speciality computer retailing. What does MS's Windows OS market share have to do with their chances at replicating Apple's success in that arena? Compared to Apple, they have zero market share of branded retail outlets. Why does being skeptical of their ability to make serious inroads on that count require anyone to "grow up"?
There's nothing inevitable about MS capitalizing on "a better way to sell their stuff", and it's not really clear that operating their own stores is a good match for their product mix.
Does the fact that Microsoft has the lion's share of the desktop OS market just inevitably mean that their every undertaking will be a huge success? Does it follow that Apple's enormous success in MP3 players and online stores allow them to take on MS in any way they please, with little chance of failure?
It would be funny if Apple used this as a Trojan horse opportunity: talking with managers in advance that if Microsoft did try to poach, those poached Apples would be acting as double agents reporting back to headquarters...
I'm still confused what end result MS is expecting from this retail project. When Apple entered the retail store market in 2001, they needed the brick and mortar exposure as very few retailers carried their products. The results of that decision are self-evident in their success. With MS products already being sold in nearly every electronics outlet worldwide, in addition to Walmart, BestBuy and Costco, I don't understand what they hope to gain, but I do believe shareholders will be taking a hit. In addition, the photo of the Redmond mock-up store looks like a whitewashed BestBuy. Additionally, 90% of the products that will be shown and sold in the MS store (and shown in the mock-up photo) are 3rd party add-ons. I don't see this as a cost-effective strategy for a company that already has such vast worldwide retail exposure.
Working for Microsoft for me, would be like me selling my soul to devil. Worse in fact. I'd rather sell my soul to the devil than work for Microsoft. If I worked at an Apple store there wouldn't be enough money in the world for me to work for the Redmond corporation.
The best Ballmer and boys could do is to pay me at least two million dollars to keep my mouth shut about how pitiful, inefficient, and inept Microsoft products are.
Comments
You all need to grow up and realize two things: First, MS is not going up against Apple (Apple's not even in their league, see point two). They are simply following in Apple's footsteps. They saw a better way to sell their stuff and so have capitalized on it. Second, all those of you screaming fail, its time for you to realize Windows sells how many times more of its products than do Macs? Yeah time to remember your place in the market share. I love Apple and would not buy a Microsoft product, but you all need to remember your place in the big scheme. You are the minority.
That's kind of an odd post.
Of course MS is "going up against Apple" when it comes to retail stores. Apple is the incumbent 800 pound gorilla in speciality computer retailing. What does MS's Windows OS market share have to do with their chances at replicating Apple's success in that arena? Compared to Apple, they have zero market share of branded retail outlets. Why does being skeptical of their ability to make serious inroads on that count require anyone to "grow up"?
There's nothing inevitable about MS capitalizing on "a better way to sell their stuff", and it's not really clear that operating their own stores is a good match for their product mix.
Does the fact that Microsoft has the lion's share of the desktop OS market just inevitably mean that their every undertaking will be a huge success? Does it follow that Apple's enormous success in MP3 players and online stores allow them to take on MS in any way they please, with little chance of failure?
The best Ballmer and boys could do is to pay me at least two million dollars to keep my mouth shut about how pitiful, inefficient, and inept Microsoft products are.