MacDailyNews - Where Mac news comes first

Feb 13, 09 - 05:53 pm Comment from: January 24, 1984

"Step this way to our other broken demonstration."

Feb 13, 09 - 05:53 pm Comment from: TenaciousDNA

Wow. Everyone getting in on this one. Do you think MS will will "consider the caveats to this approach of improving the articulation and demonstration of the Microsoft innovation and value proposition.'"

Dennis Kneale of CNBC called M$'s move to open retail stores a case of Apple envy. He is so right!

At least the jargon and spin talk is amusing.

Here is the catch...there will be no running hardware in the store. Just boxed software, flyers, etc. They can actually show anything running because, well, it doesn't run that well. And unless they are going to have boxes from at least three big PC vendors - who you gonna offend?

Feb 13, 09 - 06:01 pm Comment from: TenaciousDNA

Punctuation eludes me.

Sorry about the typo:

What do you expect from a company who's slogan is "Life without walls".
If we don't have any walls then there would be no need for Windows.

Seriously, doesn't anyone at Microsoft see the absurdity in this slogan??

I think Apple's new slogan should be "Life without Windows"

Feb 13, 09 - 06:19 pm Comment from: Spudly

Not a single ounce of creativity in that company. Why start now, right?

This is almost reaching the point where it's not fun anymore. It's more of a creepy, pathetic vibe. Doesn't anyone in management at Microsoft have even a shred of self-respect or pride or whatever left to just say, "Look we're not Apple; we never will be. Let's try to excel in some other way." It's like copying other people's ideas is so embedded in their corporate DNA that it's become a default position.

Feb 13, 09 - 06:47 pm Comment from: His Shadow

Here is the sad reality. All this criticism will do is embolden the Winows Wankers to keep up with their ridiculous efforts to portray Microsoft as some scrappy underdog (with all cliched romantic notions that implies) against the Apple Behemoth.

The welcome sign at the new Microsoft retail store probably says:
Welcome to the Microsoft Experience.
To see a demonstration, please turn on a device,
Then go make yourself a cup of coffee at our coffee bar while it is booting up. When you return, if it is still in the process of booting up, go grab a sandwich. See, now we're ready to show you how to do 3 step processes in 6 steps & 6 step processes in 10 steps.
Also feel free to use your personal flash drive to load up on the latest patches: )

Feb 13, 09 - 07:06 pm Comment from: DLMeyer

Tim Beyers has a good grasp on what makes good business sense. Not always right, but more often so than your average Joe. If he thinks this is not a good business move for M$, chances are good it isn't. That said, a whole lot of people - many of whom had better records than the average Joe - thought the Apple Stores were going to be as bad for Apple as Gateway's were for them. I wasn't so sure myself - thought the stores would lose money but trigger expansions elsewhere to make up for it. Glad I was wrong. Very glad.

Strange as it may seem, but MSFT has to open the stores.

Apple Stores have been very successful articulating the MacOS story, and it shows in Mac's market share growth.

MSFT has to do something to blunt that growth. Its 'partners' have been powerless to do it. Stores is the only way left open to them. It's survival time baby.

This is a beautiful moment. Microsoft will use their Zune success as the foundation for retail victories, and all that Wal-Mart experience will give savvy shoppers a...Wal-Mart-Zune experience. And even better, these stores will supplant Starbucks and Cross Fit as the hot place to pick up chicks. What took them so long?

Feb 13, 09 - 07:21 pm Comment from: CourtJester

Bring it on! Bring it on!

Dell cant afford to do it. HP might be able but know their range of products whilst worthy is unexciting for the most part. So it will just be a cobbled together PC market place on a par with Staples or PC World.

And there is hardly a buying customer in those stores lately, as far as I can see.

If I see that fat chick weight loss pop up ad one more time I may have to kill something

Feb 13, 09 - 07:25 pm Comment from: CourtJester

Just imagine that you can buy a comfy Microsoft leather chair or a designer Microsoft table in the Microsoft store.

You gonna rush down there?

Feb 13, 09 - 07:29 pm Comment from: jjjj

Well, they are gonna need some place to sell their big-ass Table!

Feb 13, 09 - 07:35 pm Comment from: Jubei

@Anthony007


LOL.... what about that disgusting belly picture all over the net lately. That one works pretty good. I lose all my appetite when I see that.

Feb 13, 09 - 07:47 pm Comment from: theloniousMac

@DLMeyer

I've learned to just stop betting against Apple.

I thought that Apple would never, ever, bring out a telephone. I just couldn't see a fantastic service and excellence oriented company like Apple, a company that loves controlling the entire user experience, getting into bed with the likes of an anti-consumer company like AT&T;. Even now my reasoning still makes sense to me, but somehow Apple is in bed with the devil and making it work.

If Microsoft opens stores, I hope they have Microsoft Geniuses, or Microsoft acolytes or something so I can wander in with my laptop and say, "This document was written in word and sent to me by an associate, I can't open it in Word 2008. Please fix it."

Feb 13, 09 - 07:53 pm Comment from: CourtJester

Rob Enderle should be the Chief Demonstrator Guru in the first MS store.

Remember him stumbling over a touch screen demo some weeks back!

Say what you want but the "Blue Screen Bar" will be a hit!!

@Anthony007,
Please start with MDN's demon spawn web page coder that inserts those green Vibrant popups all over the place.

Feb 13, 09 - 08:22 pm Comment from: Anim8me2

The difference between Apple opening stores and Microsoft opening stores is that Apple has a story to tell that most computer users are just not familiar with. Most people have already experienced Windows, it is what they have at work, it is what came installed on their bargain-basement PC's and it is what most of their friends have.
The idea that people are going to walk in to a MS store and learn or see anything new is ludicrious.

MS Store Employee: "Hello Mr. MS Store Shopper, what can I show you today?"

Customer: "Well, I have Vista at home and we are still runnning our old copy of XP at work, so what is Windows 7 like?"

MS Store Employee: "Well, it is pretty much just Vista without the suck."

Customer: "Oh, ok... thanks. I have to go get my kids from the Apple store."

Feb 13, 09 - 08:47 pm Comment from: Tommyr

ROTFLMAO! Welcome to years ago Microsuck!

FAIL!

This will be a riot! I can't wait!

Feb 13, 09 - 09:23 pm Comment from: eaDGbe

Ah yes, the "Life Without Walls" company goes retail. Places a big ass table in the middle of a corn field.

Feb 13, 09 - 09:28 pm Comment from: ericdano

Microsoft is drinking Pelosi Kool-Aid.........

Their is a positive side to this... you'll never find a true Mac fan in a want-to-be-mac store designed by a ex-Wal-mart man stocked with Microsoft crap!

"Microsoft Retail Stores: The dumbest idea ever"

On the other hand, a theme park called 'Ballmerworld'...

@ therepguy

I think there'll be a lot of mac funs at the ms store.. Laughing!

If MS buys a whole shitload of storefronts (say, abandoned CompUSA and Circuit City sites), then packs each store to the ceiling with product (Wal-Mart style), will each item of stock count as a "sale"?

Anyway we should hope MS puts many billions into this debacl-, er venture.

Feb 13, 09 - 11:27 pm Comment from: DogGone

Please M$ carry on. Please pour more cash into yet another worthless venture. Every time you do this is one step closer to collapse.

If they are willing to spend $300 million on an ad campaign that doesn't work. How much are they willing to spend on a retail concept that is sure to fail?

Feb 13, 09 - 11:35 pm Comment from: qka

I think these stores are a great idea - anything to drive MS into their richly deserved bankruptcy!

@Anim8me2

Absolutely correct. Microsoft already has thousands of Windows outlets, retail and otherwise, to show off it's wares. I mean, unless they had a Starbucks-style store with lots of X-boxes loaded with Halo 3, why would you go to a MS store? 90% of the population KNOWS Windows!

Apple, on the other hand, had no choice but to jump into the retail game because almost no Apple outlets were in strategic, high-dollar, high-traffic locations where Apple gear was shown in a favorable manner to lots and lots of non-Apple users.

I also wasn't sure Apple stores were going to make it but there was never any doubt in my mind that Apple needed to get in the retail game. No one else gave a rip about Apple gear except Apple. Remember the horrible displays at Sears, Best Buy, etc. Man, those were downright embarrassing.

Apple was the company that could get Apple gear where lots of non-Apple people could see, touch, try out the gear and consult with experts who could explain what was and was not possible with Apple. Nobody else could be bothered.

Microsoft, aka Windows PC's, has already done the retail store- Gateway, Dell kiosks, even best Buy. Apple's hardware sets the stage for everything else- software, the coolness factor, community, etc.

It's actually pretty embarrassing that Microsoft thinks it can be either successful or not look desperate doing this- this should be one interesting belly flop. For one thing- the timing is all wrong. Too late!

I'm still waiting to get paid for doing searches in MSN...

Actually I hope they don't go too far with this; it could bankrupt them. What would we do for laughs then? Although I admit it will be funny to see an MS store with six different entrances: Starter, Basic, Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate. While all six doors will lead into the same store, the Ultimate door requires a fee of $100 for no apparent reason. And instead of a "Genius Bar" (as Apple provides) Microsoft will offer an Excuse Bar.

(If you want to see those humorous descriptions and more, go to http://www.pcworld.com/article/159521/10_ways_microsofts_retail_stores_will_differ_from_apple_stores.html ) Even PCWORLD is making fun of MS now.

The only thing about this that actually annoys me is this constant abomination of MS using the word "innovate, innovates, innovation" EVERY time while describing anything they do which is the SURE SIGN it's a total lie. They are so jealous of Apple and all things Apple they're beginning to look downright creepy as lisab said in her comment.

This retail store move may very well be their undoing; after all, it worked so well for CrapUSA and Jerkit City.

There are times when it's obvious you've driven your competition completely insane, and as such they're running themselves right off the rails.

For Apple, this is one of those times.

Feb 14, 09 - 07:53 am Comment from: MacRaven

The line for their version of the Genius bar is going to be a mile deep, and take forever with each "Genius" having to remove and completely restore the OS to fix all the blue screens and purge all the virus and spyware.

Although I admit it will be funny to see an MS store with six different entrances: Starter, Basic, Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate.

Each entrance will be guarded by a swarm of over-zealous MSN butterflies, ready to "assist" and body-cavity check anyone who gets too close.

Ballmer will train them personally.

Feb 14, 09 - 07:58 am Comment from: MacRaven

And do you think these Microshop stores will reside inside of the Walmarts? Right between the Subway and the get your nails done place?

MS wouldn't build their stores into the entrances and corridors of major malls, then count the people passing through as "visits" and "floor traffic", would they?

Feb 14, 09 - 08:57 am Comment from: GmanMac

All you need to know about this next up fiasco for Monopolysoft is in the press release quote:


We're also working hard to transform the PC and Microsoft buying experience at retail by improving the articulation and demonstration of the Microsoft innovation and value proposition so that it's clear, simple and straightforward for consumers everywhere.



YOu want to make something clear, simple and straightforward for a consumer, by prefacing it with this gobbledy gook--

"improving the articulation and demonstration of the Microsoft innovation and value proposition"

Imagine Apple issuing a statement like that,,,

Feb 14, 09 - 10:13 am Comment from: shipwithsails

OK, now just what products does M$ have to sell in their store?
Hardware:
--Microsoft Mouse
--Xbox 360

Software:
--Windows
--Office
--Flight Simulator (oops!)

Doesn't sound like much of a product base. However I have seen stores that sell only one product. Yankee Candle only sells candles (and some other incidental crap). So maybe they have a valid business model after all!

Feb 14, 09 - 12:04 pm Comment from: DLMeyer

thelonius, it wasn't so much that I was betting AGAINST Apple so much as expecting a much less impressive result. And I was pretty close to right ... for the first year or so. The Apple Stores were, like the iTunes Music Store, not exactly profit centers. Not early on. But they were EXCELLENT at generating revenue for the company. The one boosting on-line sales of computers, the other boosting sales of the iPod. Giving away money is a loss, but worth doing if it boosts your total profit - and that's what these did. Now each is actually an enviable profit center. Who'd a thunk?

The only reason I would even consider a Non apple product is because of a Netbook I played with a netbook at Costco the other day and am quite satisfied with the keyboard and screen.

If Apple doesn't come out with something in that niche soon I will consider a Netbook. But with Linux of course...... I think even HP is offering a version with Linux.... Afterall a 'netbook' means simply getting on the ' net' right? It's not the main machine. But I could edit a few letters, cut and paste e-mail data, and do some minor spreadsheet function. Perfect for when I'm on the road for business or pleasure..

I agree with Mcvern. Their Genius Bar will bankrupt them. PC users never had a place to go for support. The experiences I had of being able to bring in my laptop just to get some advice or guidance was handled in a most satisfactory manner.

Unlike Apple, Microsoft has no cache. When you walk into an Apple store you see beautiful products unlike anything else out there. What will you see in MS store? Towers? Yikes!

Just another money drain for MS.

it would be fun to see a microsoft genius in store

actually i think the microsoft store would be great, you could get a defrag $15, a trojan removal $25, a registry clean $20, another defrag (registry) $15, an internet clean up $30, a virus scan $35, virus removal $70, firewall check $20, malware scan $35, boh deamon removal/scan $20. Training session on how to use all your new 3 rd party malware trojan virus scanner defrag software $80ph. This is the smartest thing ive heard microsoft do for years. Bring on Vista mk2 and the critical security updates!