Posted on 02/13/2009 1:58:11 PM PST by max americana
Microsoft to open own stores, take on Apple (Reuters) Posted on Thu Feb 12, 2009 7:20PM EST
SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp announced plans Thursday to open its own chain of branded stores as it looks to catch up with rival Apple Inc's successful move into retailing.
The world's largest software company, which also makes the Xbox video game console and the Zune digital music player, did not say how many stores it was looking to open, or when, or which of its products would be on sale.
That is to be decided by David Porter, a former DreamWorks Animation executive, which Microsoft named as its new vice president of retail stores.
Turner, a former Wal-Mart Stores Inc manager, will report to Microsoft chief operating officer Kevin Turner.
The long-rumored move to open stores comes as consumer spending is under severe pressure due to the recession, which has already pushed electronics chain Circuit City into bankruptcy. A similar attempt by computer maker Gateway to open its own stores some years ago was not successful.
(Excerpt) Read more at tech.yahoo.com ...
Microsoft is now IBM.
Once again Microsoft is a decade short and oh so many products short.....
I can see the long lines of people with thier PC’s waiting for MS’s genius bar to reformat their drives after getting virus/trojan horses on their MS WINDOWS computers.
Across the mall at the Apple store, Steve Jobs will be gladly autographing backdated stock options for any customer willing to sell their soul to iTunes.
What kind of person would be caught dead in a Microsoft store?
Yeah but you can’t get through door until an extensive security check takes place.
Looks like a defunct CompUSA store
Great, more media domination by Dreamworks and Hollyweird. Was he the one responsible for tempting our children into mysticism with Kung Fu Panda?
What a bunch of losers that run that company. They have no clue.
In case you haven’t noticed, all but about ten people here at FR have already sold their souls to Apple. Apple can do no wrong, Microsoft can do no right - and it matters not what the actual truth of the matter is.
Reading any thread here regarding just about anything about Microsoft makes me wish I had never learned anything about computers and could happily join all the other ignorant people in bashing something I know nothing about.
What would be the equivalent of the “blue screen of death” in a store?
Did gateway stores work? No.
Bad idea Ballmer
Don’t know, I can’t think of a good one.
I’m just not sure what a company that dominates 90%+ of the OS market stands to gain opening up retail stores. Although it may help them in gathering better feedback from real users about their product’s features. It’s been quite an experience switching my wife, who is as far from geekdom as one can get, from xp to vista. She would have had challenges with any OS I’m sure, but there are some area Microsoft could revisit when it comes to novice users for sure.
But Microsoft does keep a huge number techs employed world-wide just trying to keep their products working.
Anyone remember Gateway stores? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller...Bueller....Bueller????
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