Microsoft targets Apple stores
SOFTWARE ALCHEMIST Microsoft says it will be taking on Apple on the high street and will be setting up retail shops in the shadow of the fruit-themed toymaker's sacred shrines.
Microsoft's chief operating officer Kevin Turner made the announcement in a webcast in New Orleans, saying that the Vole will open its own stores close to those of Apple this Autumn.
Reuters reports that the Volish move is part of a cunning plan to win back the initiative in the battle for Main Street PC and gadget buyers.
It has been common knowledge that the Vole was going to start peddling its wares through its own chain of branded stores. However it was not clear that Microsoft was so focused on Apple in its reasons for doing so.
In fact it is hard to see how a Microsoft shop selling software will be competition for an Apple store that sells computer hardware, gadgets and a secular religion based upon indebted servitude to a faceless corporation that worships its CEO.
A spokesVole confirmed that "there will be scenarios where we have stores in proximity to Apple" but would not say where or why. µ
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Microsoft Surface? The old bait and switch.. Show 'em surface and sell 'em seven. But seriously, this store might work. That demo alone would draw masses into the store to play. Hardware prodcuts to be sold : Zunes, Keyboards + mice, Xbox, etc. Then they demo their OS's and software on maxed out carefully selected PCs. I'd rather play xbox on a 60in surround sound demo at the microsoft store than diddle around with an iphone at the mac store.
"Apple...a secular religion based upon indebted servitude to a faceless corporation that worships its CEO."
Jesus H. phucking Christ! William Tell couldn't have skewered the Apple any better! Still LMAO!
Cheers, Nick
Im with the first poster
Microsoft will also have Zune HD, Xbox 360 with motion control, software, games, Media Center demos, etc. Microsoft has a lot coming soon that is really top notch and a store would help customer awareness they dont get at chains like Best Buy. Have you been to staples to see how they display media center? Its a joke. Demos at regular stores like Walmart/Best Buy are really lame and dont show the product well.
Plus quality support anything to eliminate those Best Buy Geek Squad thieves.
Possible training solutions or basic computer classes?
Reformation?
or just the English?
Typical MS advertising tactics, they have hundreds of millions of dollars to throw at barely conceived ideas. I predict these stores will bleed money considering their track record. MS opens a tunes store in direct competition and it closes it because didn't execute the idea as well. They spend $300 million on lame I'm a PC ads. They release average anti-Apple "you find it we buy it" ads which aren't exactly thought provoking or entertaining. Now we have them bragging they're going to attack Apple's Stores. With what? Zunes and W7? I predict a massive fail.
I bet a Winshop would have a much higher turnover selling X-Box's and there games, than an Apple store trading next door would.
Let me also remind you of the gaming market on the PC, it's huge! W7 shouldn't have a problem there, games are pretty much fail on the Mac anyway. Sit a lower spec'd PC next to a Mac and run the very same game (that is a challenge in itself if it exists for the Mac). Run the benchmarks and watch the Mac fail miserably guaranteed every time!
The question is now, what does Apple have on offer? Not a lot as far as gaming goes, zilch is to be found there for the pro-gamer. Let us also not mention the software library availabe for each OS.
The only unique exclusive products I see Apple selling are the iPhone along with there online store. Everything else is available in the evil Empire and it usually is cheaper and of better quality too!
So how is the Maconsole going along? We need more revolutionary technology that is cutting edge like they delivered with the iPhone.
Now all the Vole worshipers have a place to go and pray to the almighty Vole. It will be interesting to see if the Vole will offer support for their products or will you still have to make a dozen calls to diffrent companies find out how to send an email.
Lets hope each store has two entrances and exits, so you'll have a spare to use when the first one "locks" up.
You can see it now, hurds of Microshafters running out onto the street and then all going back into the store again just to see if the discount schemes updated themselves.
There is no bad competition. I hope this is a long, protracted battle in which both sides have to concede to the other for the benefit of the consumer --- though I wouldn't be surprised if Apple whines to the DOJ or that EC about monopoly abuse.