A Look Inside The Microsoft Store
As I read through a plan for what appears to be a legitimate claim to what the Microsoft Stores will be like, I found myself wondering if what is to be featured will be enough. Think about it, Xboxes, Windows, Win Mobile, Surface and so on — is this enough without the PC hardware.
While it is true that the Xbox 360, amongst other stuff offered does consist of hardware, I fear that Windows Mobile and even Media Center are just not going to be enough to translate into sales. As for Surface, yes, there are going to be lots of people visiting the store just to try this contraption. But Windows Mobile and to a degree, Windows itself, is not going to wow anyone.
Now last time I checked, the news was that Microsoft was to open these stores next to existing and established Apple Stores. It is this specifically, if factually correct, that I think will be the Microsoft’s store undoing. Because it is unlikely that Microsoft is going to be seen with the same eyes as Apple, I think that people looking at both stores will end up going to one to make their purchases while visiting the other to play with the Surface that is available…then moving on.
10 Comments
Travel Back in Time | Chris Pirillo
July 28th, 2009
at 12:34am
[...] Have you looked inside the Microsoft store? [...]
Ken Weinkauf
July 28th, 2009
at 5:17am
I disagree. Windows 7 is way cooler than Vista, and that will draw people. Also, PC’s are WAAAAY cheaper than Mac’s. I saw a laptop, preloaded with Vista with an automatic upgrade to Win 7, brand new, for less than $500! No way could you find that in your Apple Store. I think it’s like Betamax vs. VHS; the Betamax was better, but the VHS was cheaper. We all know who won in the end.
Kitty
July 28th, 2009
at 7:51am
From where this is filed, and your obvious lack of knowledge of the subject, I’d say your opinion is firmly in the opinion camp.
It’s true that microsoft may be terrible marketers, but they have a lot of services and products that you obviously are completely unaware of, but explaining them to you would be pointless. Everything you write is negative, and therefore, you aren’t worth the pixels your work is printed on.
Remembers children, it’s easy to be cynical, and in today’s world, you’re insane not to be, but cynicism can blind you from opportunity.
Frederick Freeland, Jr.
July 28th, 2009
at 9:24am
Well, Microsoft has had a store for its employees since shortly after the company was founded. It grew over time and now it is quite a wonderful place to go for your Microsoft software AND hardware (keyboards, mice, etc). I don’t think anybody is going to have a difficult time accepting the existence of a Microsoft store, whether next to an Apple store or not, in whatever form it may take. And I’m fairly certain that, given the demand for Microsoft products, the stores will do quite well. Needless to say, they will have to be price competitive with their competitors.
Cozi Penut ~ Windows Fanatics
July 28th, 2009
at 12:45pm
[...] Have you looked inside the Microsoft store? [...]
Kevin
July 28th, 2009
at 4:33pm
Well they will also have the zune and the coming soon Zune hd along with accessories and whatnot. And the possibility of 360 games and accessories because there are alot of them. Like the new natal cameras and stuff. They might sell computers from various oems with win7 on them too.
brentjones
July 29th, 2009
at 3:41pm
Well you can bet that the featured item at the checkout counter will be…wait for it….Anti-Virus Software. Ta-dum.
Kawazoe Masahiro
July 29th, 2009
at 3:59pm
I don’t think those stores will really help Microsoft. I mean, what can they show to you, that you might buy and that you don’t already know. Every one knows what you can do with xboxes, windows or a keyboard. Ho yes, there’s some little things that you might not be aware of but the box, or a seller in a Best Buy generally suffice.
On the other hand, Apple is more mysterious as they have less market share for their Macs. See it that way: Would you go to an Apple store to play with an iPod Classic wondering how this thing is so revolutionary, or will you go try an iPhone of the latest Mac’s? That’s it! Everybody knows how an iPod work and what’s interesting in it anyway. After all, it’s just an iPod. Just like Windows is just an other software laying on your computer.
The issue here is that Microsoft has no interesting product (in a “show off” way) that is in the majority’s wallet range. You will not get in an Microsoft store to buy a $ 5000 close to useless table will you? And even if you do, you already know what you’re going to get. There’s just no point in showing off stuff that everyone already know.
@Ken Weinkauf
Except that this situation was reversed with HD-DVD and Blue Ray disks. But I like the way you put the “cheeper PC” stuff. You say that just as if you own a Mac. You obviously know why that’s the case. They are not cheeper. They are just, lower-end.
Ron Knights
July 29th, 2009
at 4:04pm
Microsoft seems to have one stupid idea after another.
I wouldn’t visit a Microsoft store even if it was next door to me.
Of course, if a Microsoft store were next door to me, that would mean there would be an Apple store nearby as well.
Unfortunately, I need to travel 30 miles, one way, to get to the nearest Apple store.
Turd Ferguson
July 30th, 2009
at 1:20am
I hope they do well. There is definitely room in this world for two competing brands. Although Microsoft has a great selection of keyboards, monitors, mice, etc. I do think they will have to be selling complete machines to compete next to the Apple store.
With the new OS coming out, complete machines at a much better price than Apple and a similar service model I think they could very well give Apple stores a run for their money.