Microsoft To Open Retail Stores

chaz373 writes "CNET reports that Microsoft is going retail. In the 'Beyond Binary' blog Ina Fried reports, 'After years of brushing off the notion, Microsoft said on Thursday that it will open up its own line of retail stores. Without detailing the plans, Microsoft said it has hired David Porter, a 25-year Wal-Mart veteran, to lead the effort. Sources say that Porter's mission will be to develop the company's retail plans and that the effort is likely to start small with just a few locations.'"

Following Apple

[INeededALogin]

Yes... Apple has had lot of success with its retail stores, but it already had the reputation and recognition to drive people to the stores.

For Microsoft, I fear that they are going to be just like the Sony stores.... Better Location than the Apple store, but considerable less people in the store.

Why?

[internerdj]

I get Mac stores since they sell their image...oh, and proprietary hardware. But a specialized Microsoft store, even though I like some of their products, doesn't make sense to me. I can pick up Microsoft software at nearly anywhere already, and some of it that I don't even want comes on my computer every time I buy a new one.

only software?

[arndawg]

Well i'll guess they'll be selling xbox and zune. But what about personal computers? A Microsoft software store doesn't seam very exciting, but if they start selling computers wouldn't that hurt their relationship with partners such as HP, dell, acer etc?

Some Questions I Would Have:

[Webcommando]

The article does touch on PC makers showcasing wares in the store. The idea of a MS store creates some questions in my mind.

First, what PC's will be showcased? I would think the high-end systems mentioned would be a great idea. There are plenty of mid and low end systems at current electronic retailers.

Secondly, can someone walk out with a PC? And if so, is MS going to do any service at the store? This is what the Apple store has going for it; a full service shop.

A few people have tried with only limited success (anyone remember the Gateway stores?).

They Must be proud of the new Windows

[clickclickdrone]

Let's face it, they'd have been mad to open shops and show people Vista. Now they have something apparantly rather better, they want to show it off to the world.
As others have said though, I can't imagine much real reason unless they have a whole raft of new titles coming out that no-one knows about. A few years ago when they had all those multimedia titles for movies, art, musical intsruments and so on, I'd have appreciated the chance ot get hands on with a few titles but now I can't see much in their lineup that is a try-before-you-buy sort of title. It's either something you need or you don't.

Re:Following Apple

[Anonymous Coward]

I bet you, 10-to-1 that the focus is going to be almost entirely on the Xbox, maybe the Zune. Those are the ONLY MS products that have anything even approaching a modicum of "cool". MS know--HAVE TO KNOW--that Office and Windows are not enough to drive a retail store.

Re:Following Apple

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, the coolest Open Source protest imaginable would be to rent a cart/kiosk nearby and sell CDRs of Open Office, Linux, and other good OSS products.

Re:Following Apple

[nizo]

Anything that drains more money from Microsoft is a good thing. Microsoft is their own worst enemy (wow, my sig applies today).

Why I Don't Like The Microsoft Store

[BigBlueOx]

First off, I thought the way they laid the store out was irritating. Everything was "my" this and "my" that and very confusing. They stuck games in a "MyGames" section that was hidden behind the "MyTools" section which you couldn't even see was there unless you walked through all the "MySystem" displays.

I was also disturbed by the number of sleazy, if not down right criminal, people that Microsoft let get into the store. It looked like a dangerous place to take my kids.

The kicker for me, however, was what they called their "Blue Light Special". Right in the middle of walking through the "MyRegistry" area looking for a stack of TCPs, all the store lights turned blue and we were hustled out of the store onto the sidewalk outside. We had to stand there for 5 minutes before they would let us back in.

I found the shopping experience at the Apple Store much more enjoyable. They even gave me a really big iPod to put under my bed.

Re:Following Apple

[elrous0]

"Intelligent?" You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

It was a nice store

[peter303]

At that time the Sony metro-center was trying to be a high tech playground. It had innovative video games, a new movie theater, a theme restaurant, action figure store, and the MicroSoft software store. I stopped by there to get free email updates. I store was in the center of "Dot com land" or SoMa lofts for high tech work and living. Lots of people from Stanford and Silicon valley lived there because it was just a train ride up the pennisula, with a urban ambience. That area faded a bit after the dot.com crash.

Re:Following Apple

[jellomizer]

Oddly enough most of them don't know it is an Apple, Just a nice looking laptop. However starting communication is the first step. There were times I was working with my Laptop going completely geeked out. I hooked up a second display, added an external keyboard and mouse. Full of terminal Windows with FORTRAN 77 Code. And woman would still randomly stop in and ask about my laptop.

Bull

[huckamania]

The number of people who have a positive view of Microsoft vastly outnumbers the installed user base of Apple. Most people like Microsoft, warts and all, because they can afford a PC and it has everything they need. The fact that Apple is shinier is not lost on them, it just doesn't outweigh all of the fun and power owning a modern PC connected to the internet brings. Only Apple zealots think that PC users are jealous of them. Only Linux zealots think of thrown chairs when someone mentions windows. It might be cool if the software section has 3 surface stations where multiple people can try out demos or see videos of products. It actually seems more like a PR stunt. Open a few stores in major cities and every time a new Halo or Gears of War game comes out, they'll have lines around the block.

Re:Following Apple

[Just Some Guy]

The Apple Ghetto Section in COMPUSA comes to mind, In the far right corner of the store with shelving arranged differently to prevent people from wondering into the area by mistake (you wanted to go to the Apple section to get there).

We shopped at the same CompUSA? Interesting! Seriously, there was exactly one Apple-savvy guy at the one I usually went to. He looked looked like a stereotypical mafia footsoldier (greasy hair, gold chains, shirt unbuttoned) and chain smoked in front of the store when not getting pissy with customers who didn't want AppleCare (him: "You really need this extended warranty!" me: "Why? Are you saying that this computer sucks?" him: "Umm..."). The local-ish Apple Store is diametrically opposite. It's the only one I've been to, but it's actually a pleasant place to be.

Given that MS is collaborating with an ex-Wal-Mart guy, though, I fully expect the new MS Store to look like a Soviet apartment building but with less charm and more glossy paint on cinderblock walls.

Re:Apple = Gap, Microsoft = WalMart

[DerekLyons]

Yep. It shows how much Apple is really about style and sizzle, and how much Microsoft is about utility and usefulness.

Sales tax

[nobodyman]

Well shit, does this mean that I will need to pay state sales tax when I purchase Microsoft products online?

Re:Wow.

[TheRealMindChild]

Regardless whether your intention was humor or not, I have a tiny story relating. I DID try to get my 5 year old daughter to start using Linux. All she does is play web games like playhousedisney.com and noggin.com. I thought it would be perfect. Guess what. NOTHING worked. Flash/Shockwave completely broken. The Java games (as few as there were) constantly broke. So I eventually reinstalled windows, gave her a non-admin account, and made firefox the default shell so explorer never launched. Works great.

Re:Come to the Microsoft Store

[raddan]

As someone who has the misfortune of having been subscribed to the MS Volume Licensing crap by the higher ups, I can say with absolute certainty that Microsoft makes a lot of software. A lot more than what comes on your PC. I get binders full of CDs in the mail on a regular basis. I have thousands of CDs. It's kind of annoying, but the idea is that you want something, you contact your rep and you already have the software. Their salespeople are usually pretty knowledgable.

Anyway, just pulling a random CD out, I have stuff with titles like "Microsoft BizTalk Financial Services Enterprise Edition 1.0, Service Release 1". I don't have the faintest idea what a lot of this stuff does, and I work in IT. Microsoft can probably use some improvement in the marketing area. Maybe a store will help.

Re:Microsoft has opened retail stores before

[colinrichardday]

Apple stores also sell computers.