I may eat my words some day, but I would rather kill myself than work in a Microsoft retail store. And that's not because I'm an Apple "fanboy" or whatever. It's just... so wrong. Corporate IT ok. But Microsoft as hip and cool retail? The thought just makes me want to throw up.
there is some empty space in the san francisco metreon that might be a good spot for a microsoft store.
oh, wait, that's why it's empty to begin with. it was already a microsoft store from 99-01. never mind.
Sony Centre at the SF Metreon was one of the fun places to hang out... Ten years ago. It was certainly more engaging and nice than trying to buy anything from CompUSA on Market St. Although if you were in the city CompUSA had a whole range of peripherals you need... Plus Macs.
Sounds like a good idea to me. People repeatedly say Apple are doing better as they have the complete customer experiance, or that MS can never beat Apple again as they make so much more from each sale. More stores means MS can move from people buying a PC that has Windows on it, to buying a Windows PC from Microsoft that had the hardware made by someone else.
It's a subtle switch round, but just think Apple don't make the iPhone hardware. MS would ultimately be better off if they sell the devices as they could make a much larger percentage of each sale.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gwilson811
I was thinking about the Genius Bar as well. What will they do when they have irate customers show up at the store? Are they going to service their existing Windows etc. customers through the channel. Sounds like a poorly devised plan by a desperate CEO to me!
I would assume they would just do the same thing as the Apple Genius bar. Tell you your device is out of waranty and they can sell you a new one for £10 less from their service department, however it will only have a 1 month warranty or pay the full price and have a year warrenty.
I am Australian so I couldn't care less if America wants to have a 9.2% unemployment rate, and if I can buy nearly twice as many US$ with an AU$ as I could a few years ago, and if Apple products are now much cheaper here.
But I can assure you if I was an American I would want to see the full benefits of Steve Jobs genius being reflected in a lower unemployment rate and a better trade balance with Asia. But I guess you guys are so committed to the 'cheaper is better' philosophy that drives companies like Microsoft, that more manufacturing jobs in America is not an issue! Just don't complain if the USA has to default on its US$14 trillion debt - at least you will be able to buy cheap Apple products made overseas if you manage to keep your jobs!
From what I read on the internet it seems that returning jobs to home is a trent in the U.S. I even read that a company found out that its products could be produced locally (in the same town) at 1.5 times the cost of the Chinese production but without the quality issues and delayed delivery times it was used to.
And it seems that Foxconn is shifting a large part of its production to Brazil and thats at least on the same continent as the U.S.
But I'am not sure it will bring a lot of jobs back to he U.S. because the production will be highly automated and require few (if any) workers. Building the factories will be a lot of work, but only for a few years or so.
snark aside, the real question is whether the MS Store’s “technical specialists” really provide useful help to Windows users. that is the one really valuable customer service that is worth opening a store for, and so will help MS compete with Apple.
Very useful for everyone except Microsoft. Imagine 75 retail stores staffed by people who are ,ainly busy cleaning up Windows machines, downloading .Net updates for customers, configuring their antivirus, and explaining how that new ribbon interface in their Word installation works. That's going to make Microsoft MILLIONS!
All you guys have to do now is to convince Apple to manufacture it's amazing range of products in America rather than exporting all those manufacturing jobs to Asia - but why should I care if you Americans prefer to buy cheap products manufactured overseas rather than have secure jobs!
Why would Apple want to do that? Why would any company these days want to do that? China has not become the world's manufacturing colossus for no reason, it's because all these public companies are legally required to maximise shareholder returns. That means increased profits. That means, all other things being equal, lower costs. That means ... China. Or another Asian country.
Remember that America's dominance in world trade and the IMF and the trade rules in place in many countries (all of which it instigated) now mean that none of those countries can legally give preference to home grown suppliers. Here in the UK, the last remaining train manufacturer, Bombadier, looks likely to fold losing over 1,400 jobs in the process because the contract is going elsewhere. The UK government, assuming that they wanted to, cannot legally prefer a UK supplier under current trade rules, they have to tender and get "the best price".
Up until about the mid 80s, Marks & Spencer, possibly the UK's largest high street clothes retailer used to proudly state in all its stores, "95% of our good are British made". Those signs can no longer be seen and I would challenge anyone these days to find even 5% of goods in M&S stores to be British made. China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Mexico - yes. Britain - no. The UK's garment manufacturing industry has been cut by about 2/3 and who knows how much longer that 1/3 will remain?
America has shaped a world, in which pretty much each country in the entire West, has decimated its own industries so that manufacturing can be outsourced to the cheapest bidder. Apple is just another part of that global process.
"As ye sow, so shall ye reap" I believe the phrase goes.
when I said above that "none of those countries can legally give preference to home grown suppliers" what I meant was that government/public bodies cannot make a local preference
From what I read on the internet it seems that returning jobs to home is a trent in the U.S. I even read that a company found out that its products could be produced locally (in the same town) at 1.5 times the cost of the Chinese production but without the quality issues and delayed delivery times it was used to.
And it seems that Foxconn is shifting a large part of its production to Brazil and thats at least on the same continent as the U.S.
But I'am not sure it will bring a lot of jobs back to he U.S. because the production will be highly automated and require few (if any) workers. Building the factories will be a lot of work, but only for a few years or so.
J.
Foxconn is not shifting production to Brazil. They are expanding to Brazil. Shifting production does not increase capacity, but expanding does. What Foxconn needs is additional capacity to meet the surging demand for Apple products in China.
I don't see what makes it so complicated. Most companies that move so much retail merchandise don't really move a significant fraction any other way (unlike Apple). So go ahead and use their total revenue in the numerator. I bet you still find out that Apple beats them on the revenue per square foot metric.
Thompson
It's complicated because Apple's average revenue/sq-ft is almost certainly less than high end retailers like Tiffany, but Apple's peak revenue/sq-ft is probably more - though we have only very rough estimates.
Good grief! Where did I assert that you are American? Grow up!
When you responded to me and said 'you americans' in practically every sentence. For an australian your english language skills are rather poor. Allow me to explain, when you respond to a person the 2-nd person pronoun 'you' is understood by the reader to mean or at the very least include the person to whom you are responding.
But it will help the economy by spreading that M$ money around for rentals, contractors, employees, etc.
No, they will not get any return on investment as expected, but who cares?
That's exactly what I was thinking! The good news is that it gives some builders/renovators/fitters some work for a little while, and probably even more when the store fails and someone else has to move in!
I was thinking about the Genius Bar as well. What will they do when they have irate customers show up at the store? Are they going to service their existing Windows etc. customers through the channel. Sounds like a poorly devised plan by a desperate CEO to me!
Has your PC had a near death experience? well bring it on down to the Microsoft WIndows Store 7 for a little bit or retail therapy and talk to our Computer Repair Action Personnel.
These issues were alleged to be the end results of the decisions of management in Microsoft's Xbox team and inadequate testing resources prior to the console's release. A second source cited that, at one time, there was just a 32% yield of one of the test production runs. 68 of every 100 test units were found to be defective.
I guess you could argue that defective hardware is the perfect companion for defective software though
It's complicated because Apple's average revenue/sq-ft is almost certainly less than high end retailers like Tiffany, but Apple's peak revenue/sq-ft is probably more - though we have only very rough estimates.
I've been seeing links like the following for years...
Comments
there is some empty space in the san francisco metreon that might be a good spot for a microsoft store.
oh, wait, that's why it's empty to begin with. it was already a microsoft store from 99-01. never mind.
Sony Centre at the SF Metreon was one of the fun places to hang out... Ten years ago. It was certainly more engaging and nice than trying to buy anything from CompUSA on Market St. Although if you were in the city CompUSA had a whole range of peripherals you need... Plus Macs.
A decade later, it's Apple Retail Store or GTFO.
Now, 75 is too much, but 324, last time I checked, is a lot more than 75
/sarcasm
And in two years time it will be 420 Apple stores instead of 324.
It's a subtle switch round, but just think Apple don't make the iPhone hardware. MS would ultimately be better off if they sell the devices as they could make a much larger percentage of each sale.
I was thinking about the Genius Bar as well. What will they do when they have irate customers show up at the store? Are they going to service their existing Windows etc. customers through the channel. Sounds like a poorly devised plan by a desperate CEO to me!
I would assume they would just do the same thing as the Apple Genius bar. Tell you your device is out of waranty and they can sell you a new one for £10 less from their service department, however it will only have a 1 month warranty or pay the full price and have a year warrenty.
You are as wrong in your assumption that I am American as you are in essentially every other way.
Good grief! Where did I assert that you are American? Grow up!
Oh, yeah. Australia is a manufacturing mecca. You're really one to talk.
What an intelligent comment - for an idiot!
I am Australian so I couldn't care less if America wants to have a 9.2% unemployment rate, and if I can buy nearly twice as many US$ with an AU$ as I could a few years ago, and if Apple products are now much cheaper here.
But I can assure you if I was an American I would want to see the full benefits of Steve Jobs genius being reflected in a lower unemployment rate and a better trade balance with Asia. But I guess you guys are so committed to the 'cheaper is better' philosophy that drives companies like Microsoft, that more manufacturing jobs in America is not an issue! Just don't complain if the USA has to default on its US$14 trillion debt - at least you will be able to buy cheap Apple products made overseas if you manage to keep your jobs!
From what I read on the internet it seems that returning jobs to home is a trent in the U.S. I even read that a company found out that its products could be produced locally (in the same town) at 1.5 times the cost of the Chinese production but without the quality issues and delayed delivery times it was used to.
And it seems that Foxconn is shifting a large part of its production to Brazil and thats at least on the same continent as the U.S.
But I'am not sure it will bring a lot of jobs back to he U.S. because the production will be highly automated and require few (if any) workers. Building the factories will be a lot of work, but only for a few years or so.
J.
snark aside, the real question is whether the MS Store’s “technical specialists” really provide useful help to Windows users. that is the one really valuable customer service that is worth opening a store for, and so will help MS compete with Apple.
Very useful for everyone except Microsoft. Imagine 75 retail stores staffed by people who are ,ainly busy cleaning up Windows machines, downloading .Net updates for customers, configuring their antivirus, and explaining how that new ribbon interface in their Word installation works. That's going to make Microsoft MILLIONS!
All you guys have to do now is to convince Apple to manufacture it's amazing range of products in America rather than exporting all those manufacturing jobs to Asia - but why should I care if you Americans prefer to buy cheap products manufactured overseas rather than have secure jobs!
Why would Apple want to do that? Why would any company these days want to do that? China has not become the world's manufacturing colossus for no reason, it's because all these public companies are legally required to maximise shareholder returns. That means increased profits. That means, all other things being equal, lower costs. That means ... China. Or another Asian country.
Remember that America's dominance in world trade and the IMF and the trade rules in place in many countries (all of which it instigated) now mean that none of those countries can legally give preference to home grown suppliers. Here in the UK, the last remaining train manufacturer, Bombadier, looks likely to fold losing over 1,400 jobs in the process because the contract is going elsewhere. The UK government, assuming that they wanted to, cannot legally prefer a UK supplier under current trade rules, they have to tender and get "the best price".
Up until about the mid 80s, Marks & Spencer, possibly the UK's largest high street clothes retailer used to proudly state in all its stores, "95% of our good are British made". Those signs can no longer be seen and I would challenge anyone these days to find even 5% of goods in M&S stores to be British made. China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Mexico - yes. Britain - no. The UK's garment manufacturing industry has been cut by about 2/3 and who knows how much longer that 1/3 will remain?
America has shaped a world, in which pretty much each country in the entire West, has decimated its own industries so that manufacturing can be outsourced to the cheapest bidder. Apple is just another part of that global process.
"As ye sow, so shall ye reap" I believe the phrase goes.
there is some empty space in the san francisco metreon that might be a good spot for a microsoft store.
oh, wait, that's why it's empty to begin with. it was already a microsoft store from 99-01. never mind.
Brilliant post!
From what I read on the internet it seems that returning jobs to home is a trent in the U.S. I even read that a company found out that its products could be produced locally (in the same town) at 1.5 times the cost of the Chinese production but without the quality issues and delayed delivery times it was used to.
And it seems that Foxconn is shifting a large part of its production to Brazil and thats at least on the same continent as the U.S.
But I'am not sure it will bring a lot of jobs back to he U.S. because the production will be highly automated and require few (if any) workers. Building the factories will be a lot of work, but only for a few years or so.
J.
Foxconn is not shifting production to Brazil. They are expanding to Brazil. Shifting production does not increase capacity, but expanding does. What Foxconn needs is additional capacity to meet the surging demand for Apple products in China.
MeToSoft innovates again!
Wrong MeTooSoft plans to innovate again.
I don't see what makes it so complicated. Most companies that move so much retail merchandise don't really move a significant fraction any other way (unlike Apple). So go ahead and use their total revenue in the numerator. I bet you still find out that Apple beats them on the revenue per square foot metric.
Thompson
It's complicated because Apple's average revenue/sq-ft is almost certainly less than high end retailers like Tiffany, but Apple's peak revenue/sq-ft is probably more - though we have only very rough estimates.
Good grief! Where did I assert that you are American? Grow up!
When you responded to me and said 'you americans' in practically every sentence. For an australian your english language skills are rather poor. Allow me to explain, when you respond to a person the 2-nd person pronoun 'you' is understood by the reader to mean or at the very least include the person to whom you are responding.
You lefty trolls are idiots.
See how that works?
But it will help the economy by spreading that M$ money around for rentals, contractors, employees, etc.
No, they will not get any return on investment as expected, but who cares?
That's exactly what I was thinking! The good news is that it gives some builders/renovators/fitters some work for a little while, and probably even more when the store fails and someone else has to move in!
I was thinking about the Genius Bar as well. What will they do when they have irate customers show up at the store? Are they going to service their existing Windows etc. customers through the channel. Sounds like a poorly devised plan by a desperate CEO to me!
Has your PC had a near death experience? well bring it on down to the Microsoft WIndows Store 7 for a little bit or retail therapy and talk to our Computer Repair Action Personnel.
the xbox is extremely successful because of that approach. could be that a store front is the place to try out the new Microsoft desktop or laptop.
Apple is super successful because the hardware works with the OS perfectly.
i wonder if Microsoft plans on manufacturing its own hardware too?
the xbox is extremely successful because of that approach. could be that a store front is the place to try out the new Microsoft desktop or laptop.
Apple is super successful because the hardware works with the OS perfectly.
It hasn't been an entirely happy experience for MS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_of_Death
These issues were alleged to be the end results of the decisions of management in Microsoft's Xbox team and inadequate testing resources prior to the console's release. A second source cited that, at one time, there was just a 32% yield of one of the test production runs. 68 of every 100 test units were found to be defective.
I guess you could argue that defective hardware is the perfect companion for defective software though
It's complicated because Apple's average revenue/sq-ft is almost certainly less than high end retailers like Tiffany, but Apple's peak revenue/sq-ft is probably more - though we have only very rough estimates.
I've been seeing links like the following for years...
http://seekingalpha.com/#article/229...r-square-foot/
Supposedly, Apple put Tiffany's in the rearview mirror a few years back (on this metric). And they've only gotten better.
Thompson