Microsoft Stores to Open Up “Right Next Door to Apple”?
Either Microsoft thinks it’s still April 1, or they really are going to open Microsoft Stores right next door to Apple Stores. Gizmodo provides the quote:
And stay tuned, because we’re going to have some retail stores opened up that are opened up right next door to Apple stores this fall. Stay tuned, just stay tuned.
Tuned to what, Comedy Central? We’ve made fun of this before — and rightly so — but it seems Microsoft is again entering a business just because Apple or Google are in it. And is that really sound strategy in anything outside a Hollywood parody? (Starring Will Farrel, ‘natch).
Sony Style Stores haven’t hit the mark yet, and Microsoft Stores selling shrink-wrap Windows 7 with free Songsmith classes…? Sigh. Apple needs competition. Good, focused competition that builds successful core business on top of successful core business.
We don’t see Google Stores opening up next door, do we? Microsoft, if you’re going to clone something, clone the focus. Please.
July 16th, 2009 at 10:33 am
It makes sense though. For years Subways business model has been to open up stores right next to McDonalds.
How many times have you seen a Home Depot built across from a Lowes?
July 16th, 2009 at 10:42 am
We probably will see Google store come right in between MS and Apple store soon. DUH!!
July 16th, 2009 at 10:48 am
While the location makes sense the physical location for a microsoft store is what makes no sense. They are a software company with a Zune mp3 player, unlike apple who is a hardware company that also makes a large percentage of the software on their operating system. More often than not when in the apple store I see people buying iPods, iPhones and desktops, not software. MS needs to rethink this unless they have some new dedicated hardware coming out. I guess there is the 360 but do they need a store solely for that? I guess we will have to wait and see
July 16th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Rene, I love the pictures you add to your post. You make these yourself?
July 16th, 2009 at 11:07 am
I see MS having something up their sleeves. They will probably have the computers in their stores from the different manufacturers: HP, Dell etc..
Like Justin said, I love the pic. BTW, I went there for the first time two nights ago @ 2 o’clock in the morning. It’s nice and spacious.
July 16th, 2009 at 11:09 am
What are they going to sell, Office 2007?
July 16th, 2009 at 11:22 am
I agree Rene 100%
July 16th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Um…
Microsoft is again entering a business just because Apple or Google is in it.
July 16th, 2009 at 11:41 am
MS needs to do is use all that power and money is make a serious alternative to the iPhone even if they have to buy Palm to get WebOS. I would dump my 3GS in a heart beat if I could find a better phone.
July 16th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Microsoft could have something if they start leveraging their brands and products properly. Start highlighting the media abilities of the Xbox over the Apple TV and how it can extend your PC media to your TV.
Get a deal with Dell and HP to setup trail stations or places where customers can get actual demos and play with stuff with trained staff and not just sales people at Best Buy who know nothing.
There is a lot they could do with these stores even just being a software company at heart. Opening up right next to Apple stores or near them is a good idea. Why no complaints when Walmart opens up near a Kmart or Target? Or when Starbucks opens right next to Dunkin Donuts? What about when Toyota opens a dealer right next to Ford? No one knows what Microsoft’s plans are for these stores, so speculation full of hate and bias is pretty uncalled for IMO.
July 16th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Microsoft needs to invent their own method of conducting business and provide something that consumers want. They are not offering anything other than trying to be a sore spot for Apple.
July 16th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
@Sting7K:
I agree with that. Plus Microsoft have an OS that runs on everything from Large servers to small hand held devices.
The problem is that the just don’t know how to market it, and they are deeply mired in the “good enough” syndrome. Nothing coming from them is amazing and jaw dropping. Its just Good Enough.
At this time, they have nothing to sell in these stores.
My only guess is that:
1) they believe they can make a go in the economic conditions where recovery is expected, and fill a void left by the Circuit City bankruptcy
2) They see the principal hardware vendors sneaking more Linux onto machines, and they see Apple eating into their market share and have decided to significantly change their game plan (and it would be highly significant if they did)
3) they have been watching their own TV ads, and believe an upscale store near apple would bring in lots of shoppers. http://tinyurl.com/kk2uyx Apparently those ads are effective.
But it does look desperate.
July 16th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
In my town there was a Circuit City next to a Best Buy and a Mervyn’s next to a JC Penny. Competition may be good but one always comes out a winner. I highly doubt that MS stores can overtake Apple Stores.
July 16th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Excuse me MSL, but you have it all backward.
Microsoft is still the 900 pound gorilla in the room and Apple is still the pimple on its butt.
Market share still means something. You can’t dismiss it simply because you have chosen to be Apple centric in your life.
July 16th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
@Jeremy, in addition to selling Zunes, Xboxes, games and software Microsoft has plans to sell officially licensed Steve Balmer Bobble-body action figures that mimic Steve-o’s dance moves and sings his now famous ‘Developers, developers, developers’ song.
July 16th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
God everytime I try to take this site seriously I read an article like this. You act like a child defending his or her favorite superhero.
Check this out: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10288022-37.html
July 16th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
@ Treats
wait for the hero or the gsm palm pre.
July 16th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Agree with Ted.
This blog is full of opinion pieces. No actual journalism takes place.
July 16th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
@treats keyword IF there were a better phone we all would but iPhone us the best that’s why we have it I don’t see any changes to it being the best for a long time
July 16th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
@Ted
That link is hilarious. Apple’s 70 percent gross margin is in trouble…
July 16th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Well, I think the whole idea behind putting a Microsoft store next to an Apple store, probably spawned in part from the realization Steve Ballmer had a while back…, that the Bling-Swing factor Microsoft once HAD, now belongs to Apple, and Ballmer&company want it back. Its tough going from being a Has to a Hazmat, I would agree. Well Mr. Ballmer, you can’t have it back bro, you’re just gonna have to sit this wave out, cause Apple is just too hot for you to touch right now, so you go ahead Mr. Balmer, you go ahead and open your Microsoft stores right next to the Apple stores, you go ahead and keep running your false advertising laptop hunting ads ($2k where the actual price is $1700), you keep on taxing your customers with premium fees for programming failures resulting in FAILED products (vista), you just keep on doing what your doing buddy, who knows, maybe one day you’ll realize what the rest of us have already figured out: Apple makes the rules, Microsoft is forced to compete.
July 16th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
So was Apple the first to have a retail store. If I remember correctly (and I do) Gateway had an incredible retail store but got lost in the big box store jungle (best buy, circuit city). Apple has succeded with their retail stores only because of where their stores were/are located and the customer base they attract. I’m a mac fan (and iPhone fan), but this seems very childish to bash the competition simply because they are putting their stores next to Apple stores. Can we please dear God put our grown up pants on and let the two co-exist?
July 16th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
I think this is a poor choice for Microsoft having one right next to the Apple store; however, having it as an actual outlet, I see nothing wrong with. What major corporation doesn’t have a retail outlet?(Okay there are a few, but you get my point).
July 16th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
@Apple Fanboys
Microsoft is not trying to be like Apple. That would be like saying the NFL is trying to be more like MLS. Sure, YOU might love soccer, and hate American football, but that doesn’t mean anybody else cares. Microsoft is just trying to sell as much product as possible.
If Microsoft wanted to be like Apple, they would have started an ad campaign bragging about how Windows 7 now can copy text from here, and paste it to there! Voila!
SUCK IT
July 16th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Lol @ clone the focus
July 16th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Let’s see:
Zune HD probably a Zune HD Phone Xbox 360/Xbox 720 and Natal Natal for Windows Windows 7 hopefully WM7 integrate Zune Marketplace with Xbox Live Marketplace more integration between gaming, mobile, and music markets.
Win for Microsoft in 2010 and going forward?
Me thinks.
July 16th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Let’s see:
Apple Iphone Ipod iTouch iTunes App Store
Win for Apple too.
July 16th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
baaaaad idea, even as a windows user i cant imagine, how can those store employees make windows look good compared to mac os X unless they mention software like autocad and 3ds max of course, damn, i hate vendor lock-in
July 16th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Makes sense to me. Looks like MS is not afraid of going head to head with them retail wise. And why should they be? Okay, Iphone is cool — I have even sacraficed direct synch to outlook tasks to use one as my main business machine. But Apple just can’t compete in so many areas.
Look, the business world uses PCs so, so do people who work for businesses. MS won that war long ago. Heck MS even makes the only decent office suite you can buy for a MAC (or at least one that is 100% compatible with the software that most people use).
And let’s face it, the Xbox is the most kick but gaming system out there.
The point is that Apple doesn’t even deign to compete in many areas where MS dominates. I know Apple fanboyz hate to admit that, but it’s true. Give Apple its due — it does SOME things exceptional well. But MS does more. And well, too.
July 16th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
@Ted:
So true…. it’s like apple fanboyz are sooooooo pissed that MS is basically forcing Apple to lower their ridiculous pricing on MACs. LOL! I’ve been laughing at all the outrage since the conference where this anecdote was told.
July 16th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
@Joe McG:
Yeah, they have a 70% gross margin because they rip off their customers with outrageous pricing on their non-subsidized products. It’s almost as if they have no confidence in the better product winning the volume. They have to go for gross margin on each product because they accept that they can’t compete and win on volume.
Hey Apple, grow up, and accept that a the vast majority of computers are purchased for business related purposes, or at least that folks want them to be compatible with their business related computers. Stop focusing solely on tweens and cool and focus on the end user.
Then you won’t have to worry about MS building its stores next to yours, or what kind of commericials they air. For the record, as a business person, I always thought there “I’m a MAC” commercials were silly and missed the point.
Iphone is cool, though!
July 17th, 2009 at 12:15 am
Google is microsofts real competitor. Apple is just a small fry in not enough markets.
July 17th, 2009 at 1:28 am
Its true microsoft haven’t put out anything original lately, they just copy w/e google/apple comes out with and try to compete.
July 17th, 2009 at 2:02 am
Ok. Microsoft right next to apple. Ballzy. They must have confidence in something going right with this scenario. Let’s see how they do. Sorry I love the iPhone, but a zune phone that looks like a zune HD running windows 7 mobile… Err something, would be freaking gorgeous, providing it’s stable.
July 17th, 2009 at 7:28 am
I think it’s a great idea. imagine walking up to the door, and being prompted as you turn the **** that you are trying to open something you found off the street which may be harmful to your wallet, then upon clicking ok, you are introduced by a concierge in a giant foam paperclip suit who says, “hello, it looks like you are shopping today! can I assist you?”
browsing can be equally fun, as you turn to see the familiar white tables with nothing on them, as the ms employees bring each element of their product line out for you on the table. sure the lag time between you and all the other customers might be annoying, but die hard ms customers will be murmurring how this is the most popular store in the world.
after several hours of shopping for the phenomenal zune, you go to the checkout line where several employees ask you prior to the purchase if you are certain you want to purchase something in the store. I can see a single room with one cash register at the point of purchase, and if the cashier breaks down from stress you are asked if you’d like to send a claim to Microsoft corporate headquarters. but sure enough it does go through and you are pleasantly asked for your email address, your social security number and possibly your first born son before handing your card to the cashier.
you might need to enter your card number a few times, because there is no place to swipe it.
upon leaving you might have some trouble because the wall where the door is is a giant blue wall.
July 17th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
@jonnie – you’re way behind the times. Clippy retired years ago, and even when he did exist you could turn him off. You can also turn of UAC. Don’t you know that those things were/are only for the dummies who buy computers? Smart people don’t and never did use them.
As for BSOD, haven’t seen one of those in years. In fact I think the last time I saw one Apple was still trying to figure out how to make a cool operating system for people who don’t really need a computer to accomplish anything related to making money.
July 18th, 2009 at 10:02 am
Gateway did not have a store. Just a shiwroom with some sad windows computers that had to be ordered. Ballmer is a bloated buffoon with zero vision. Playing catch-up-even with near monopoly- is pretty hilarious.
July 20th, 2009 at 10:15 am
@ Uncle Bernie:
Funny that you mention how MS is playing catch-up. I think you are partially correct, but not as much as you’d like to think you are. If you want to mention a company playing catch-up it would be wise to remember that Apple was doing that for years, and in some aspects, still is. It wasn’t until Jobs came back that Apple started to compete again on any level, and my guess is that once he is dead, there will be at least a minor slump before they can pick back up. It is the way business works, particularly in an arena like this; it is a revolving door.
July 29th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
I think the debate between Apple and Microsoft is moot. This page is dedicated to APPLE and should be left that way. If MS people are hanging around here they are fools anyway.