Microsoft to open own stores, take on Apple

Reuters ^ | Feb 13, 2009 | Bill Rigby

[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.

[aruanan]

Microsoft to open own stores, take on Apple

So they're going to open Vista software stores that also sell XBoxes and Zunes?

[antiRepublicrat]

Getting a Wal-Mart guy to open it? Apple stores are tops in consumer electronics in revenue per square foot in part because they are the anti-Wal-Mart.

[aruanan]

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.

Then you could be like about 80% of PC users.

[flintsilver7]

You know, you’re more or less illustrating my point. For example, I don’t have a clue how you could honestly spend $5,000 on a machine. Well, you could, but it wouldn’t be anywhere near the specs of even the most powerful iMac available (it would be well beyond). To me, this is like saying you’re looking at the BMW 6-series, then decided to take a look at the Toyota Camry. They just aren’t the same.

Saying “Macs just work” does a disservice to the entire debate. It’s by and large a meaningless statement. I’ve spent hours helping two of my coworkers, Mac fanatics both, get simple things to work on their machines (like printing). Most of those tasks required far more work than my XP machine did, which was not a trivial amount. Another coworker built a Vista box that “just works” in the sense that software that comes along with a camera or MP3 player doesn’t need to be isntalled - the OS handles it just fine. Now, the printing problem you (somewhat) described is, in almost every case, pretty easily solved by anybody who knows what they’re doing. Unfortunately, for quite some time that doesn’t cover most of Dell’s tech support. It is nice to see Apple taking care of their customers - God knows they certainly can afford it.

This is not to say that Macs don’t “just work” - in many cases, they certainly do. The problem is in the experience of pretty much everybody I know, so does Vista. That’s the current state of affairs. People like to bring up one-button mice and blue-screen STOP errors in these discussions, but that was in the past. I haven’t seen a blue screen on a Windows box in about eight years.

[flintsilver7]

I’m not quite sure what you’re saying. In my experience, the Mac zealots are behind pretty much every single topic regarding Microsoft. I can’t recall seeing an MS shill starting a thread about Apple. I’m sure it happens somewhere and sometime on the web, but it isn’t the norm by any stretch of the imagination. I’d venture to say that 80% of PC users don’t give a damn what somebody else uses.