It's not an issue of reinventing the wheel, it's an issue of blatantly copying a store's layout and appearance.
Sure, lots of stores have the hardwood floors and minimalist decor.
But... those stores aren't in direct competition with Apple... they don't even sell computers.
You would think that a multi-billion dollar company would have the resources to come up with something so different as to stand apart from their main competition... but they don't.
They are trying to re-image themselves... but the only way MS knows how to do this is to copy the formula of someone else.
What MS is doing, and not being as clever about it as they think they are being, is trying to "blur the lines" between Mac OS and Windows.
If their stores look close enough to Apple's, then the general masses won't be able to tell the difference between the two.
I have a feeling that this will come back to bite them in the rear.
That's true, I hadn't really thought about the aesthetic properties of the store. It certainly does paint them as an imitator and not an innovator.
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Well, the answer is a big "No" for both.
No, they don't need a retail presence. Their OS is prominent in just about any retailer that sells computers already. They already have a retail presence, just not one specifically created by them.
Microsoft has never supported hardware they haven't produced and won't start now.
Just because they are selling it, doesn't mean that they are obligated in any way to support it.
The reason I brought it up is that I've read a couple of articles now where the systems available in Microsoft Stores are said to be craplet free. That's a pretty big leap, considering that one of the reasons PC vendors are able to subsist on razor thin margins is the subsidies they seem from craplet vendors. Perhaps Microsoft is kicking in a subsidy of their own?
So, that's one change, clearly inspired by some of the marketing that Apple has done. What else is in store? If they have an approximation of a Genius Bar (Isn't it the "Guru" bar?) then how do they handle issues where hardware is at the root of the problem - especially if the system was bought at the MS store?
Mac Specs: 1.67GHz/15" PowerBook G4 | 1.6GHz Power Mac G5 | iSight
Quote:
Originally Posted by cwa107
If they have an approximation of a Genius Bar (Isn't it the "Guru" bar?) then how do they handle issues where hardware is at the root of the problem - especially if the system was bought at the MS store?
...and this is where it will come back to bite them.
Sure, MS licenses its OS to computer manufacturers.
They have always done so and always supported software issues directly related to their software.
However, if you have ever had the displeasure of speaking with Microsoft technical support (which, I unfortunately have on several occasions during my IT/Tech support years), you would know that their biggest and most often used way of getting out of a tech issue was to find any way possible to discredit the software issue and blame it on hardware... subsequently advising you to contact the hardware manufacturer for further assistance.
Sure, sometimes it was a legitimate hardware issue, but if it was I wouldn't have bothered contacting MS in the first place.
I have a feeling that this mentality will carry over to the "Gurus" of their retail stores.
The ideal of "find no fault with Windows... blame it on the hardware".
That way, they can wash their hands of it.
They didn't make the hardware... they didn't design it... they only sell it.
MS makes the OS so they can support that... but hardware?... nope.
If they deem the issue to be hardware related then they are in no way bound to remedying it.
It doesn't matter where you buy something, if the retailer isn't directly tied to the manufacturer then they have no obligation to troubleshoot or support the operation of said item.
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Mac Specs: 17" MBP C2D 2.8 GHz. 4GB OS X 10.6.x Switcher 8/09 no regrets || iPhone OG
I think it's funny how MS can't imagine their own ideas. I mean, look at the employees shirts even, bright colors and a lanyard with their name on it... Doesn't take a rocket scientist to see what's happening here.
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"The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese."
...and this is where it will come back to bite them.
Sure, MS licenses its OS to computer manufacturers.
They have always done so and always supported software issues directly related to their software.
However, if you have ever had the displeasure of speaking with Microsoft technical support (which, I unfortunately have on several occasions during my IT/Tech support years), you would know that their biggest and most often used way of getting out of a tech issue was to find any way possible to discredit the software issue and blame it on hardware... subsequently advising you to contact the hardware manufacturer for further assistance.
Sure, sometimes it was a legitimate hardware issue, but if it was I wouldn't have bothered contacting MS in the first place.
I have a feeling that this mentality will carry over to the "Gurus" of their retail stores.
The ideal of "find no fault with Windows... blame it on the hardware".
That way, they can wash their hands of it.
They didn't make the hardware... they didn't design it... they only sell it.
MS makes the OS so they can support that... but hardware?... nope.
If they deem the issue to be hardware related then they are in no way bound to remedying it.
It doesn't matter where you buy something, if the retailer isn't directly tied to the manufacturer then they have no obligation to troubleshoot or support the operation of said item.
Excellent points and I completely agree with all of it. MS has always found a way to deflect any problems I had in the past. No matter what the problem was when I was on the phone with support they tried to steer me away and to contact the hardware manufacturer. Vice Versa with the hardware support. The first thing they always told me to do was to update the Firmware followed by the drivers.
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My List of Toys: Samsung 50" DLP, 360 Elite, PS3 500GB, MacBook Pro (2.5ghz,6gb,500gb), 3G Iphone, 60gb Ipod, Samsung NC10 (1.6atom, 2GBramm, 120GB).
...and this is where it will come back to bite them.
Sure, MS licenses its OS to computer manufacturers.
They have always done so and always supported software issues directly related to their software.
However, if you have ever had the displeasure of speaking with Microsoft technical support (which, I unfortunately have on several occasions during my IT/Tech support years), you would know that their biggest and most often used way of getting out of a tech issue was to find any way possible to discredit the software issue and blame it on hardware... subsequently advising you to contact the hardware manufacturer for further assistance.
Sure, sometimes it was a legitimate hardware issue, but if it was I wouldn't have bothered contacting MS in the first place.
I have a feeling that this mentality will carry over to the "Gurus" of their retail stores.
The ideal of "find no fault with Windows... blame it on the hardware".
That way, they can wash their hands of it.
They didn't make the hardware... they didn't design it... they only sell it.
MS makes the OS so they can support that... but hardware?... nope.
If they deem the issue to be hardware related then they are in no way bound to remedying it.
It doesn't matter where you buy something, if the retailer isn't directly tied to the manufacturer then they have no obligation to troubleshoot or support the operation of said item.
Truthfully though, unless it's an actual bug in the OS, no OS manufacture is obligated to support any third party software or hardware. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I've never had a problem with Windows being Windows. I've had problems with old software not being supported, bad drivers, bad hardware, and other conflicting issues that were most likely due to bad software development.
The only things I can think of in recent memory that I can attribute to MS are things like the current problems we're having updating Access databases from Access 2003 and previous versions to work with 2k7. Other than one totally retarded DB, the rest have just been issues with security and references that haven't been that much of a problem.
Most of the other issues I've occured with MS products have been oversights of my own, like not setting up a network correctly or forgetting that remote access on a router was turned off and having to fix that before I could setup access to a server.
The same goes for Apple. They are in no way obligated to support third party hardware and software. I couldn't get my MOTU a/d convertor working by just plugging it in, it needed drivers. If I would have called Apple about it, they would have had no obligation to help me resolve my problem. Same thing as if I would call them about Adobe's PS4 crashing multiple times while working on one 150MB file and multiple 20+MB files with multiple layers and filters going on.
And if they sell computers at a retail POS, will they support the hardware as well as the OS like Apple does?
As I stated earlier, they don't sell computers in the stores. The machines on display are for software demo purposes only. I would assume they will support Zunes and X-Boxes since they actually make those.
Hmmm... this store looks awfully familiar... where have I seen this before?
That has got to be one of the more uglier stores. I was hoping it was brushed steel with holes.
They're even using tables that my science lab has. ICK. I believe Apple is more creative in its own stores. It doesn't look like this. Well for the most part.
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Vista? Zune? Microsoft Store? Who the heck thought up those? FAIL!
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” -Steve Jobs
Mac Specs: 2000 Power Mac G4 "Sawtooth" w/ Mac OS X 10.4; 500mHz
Quote:
Originally Posted by Village Idiot
Truthfully though, unless it's an actual bug in the OS, no OS manufacture is obligated to support any third party software or hardware. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I've never had a problem with Windows being Windows. I've had problems with old software not being supported, bad drivers, bad hardware, and other conflicting issues that were most likely due to bad software development.
The only things I can think of in recent memory that I can attribute to MS are things like the current problems we're having updating Access databases from Access 2003 and previous versions to work with 2k7. Other than one totally retarded DB, the rest have just been issues with security and references that haven't been that much of a problem.
Most of the other issues I've occured with MS products have been oversights of my own, like not setting up a network correctly or forgetting that remote access on a router was turned off and having to fix that before I could setup access to a server.
The same goes for Apple. They are in no way obligated to support third party hardware and software. I couldn't get my MOTU a/d convertor working by just plugging it in, it needed drivers. If I would have called Apple about it, they would have had no obligation to help me resolve my problem. Same thing as if I would call them about Adobe's PS4 crashing multiple times while working on one 150MB file and multiple 20+MB files with multiple layers and filters going on.
And yet, just a year ago, I installed Windows XP SP3 on a Media Center computer, only for WMC to quit working. No matter what Microsoft did, they couldn't fix it, and it didn't get fixed for 6 months. And today, I was on the phone with MS Support for three hours trying to figure out why when I upgraded my laptop to 7, WMC didn't play DVD's properly, resulting in this big mass of jumbled colors on the screen (looked pretty trippy actually). When I go to install an update on the XP MC computer, upon reboot it freakin' crashed, and MS couldn't figure out why. In all three cases, it wasn't hardware, nor third-party software. And I'll add that on the MC computer, they tried more than once to say that it was the card. No it was not. Happauge worked fine on it, no questions asked.
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Vista? Zune? Microsoft Store? Who the heck thought up those? FAIL!
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” -Steve Jobs
I don't see how Microsoft could copy the Apple Store plan. Their help/complaint line would stretch out the door and around the block and interfere with traffic.
I already feel bad for the employees, just imagine the hassles they'll endure while trying to fix even one of the thousands of PC-related problems out there.
Mac Specs: 2000 Power Mac G4 "Sawtooth" w/ Mac OS X 10.4; 500mHz
Microsoft should forego this one, and keep putting money into Windows. MS Support was supposed to call Tuesday night to help fix my laptop (which won't play DVD's through WMC). They didn't call. They still haven't called. I doubt those dorks will.
So..I'm off to BestBuy to buy me a used MacBook. Mine still has the older models, for dirt cheap now (well, maybe not that cheap, but like one to two hundred dollars cheaper than when it was the current model).
And the latest commercial about Windows 7: stupid.
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Vista? Zune? Microsoft Store? Who the heck thought up those? FAIL!
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” -Steve Jobs
Mac Specs: 2000 Power Mac G4 "Sawtooth" w/ Mac OS X 10.4; 500mHz
Quote:
Originally Posted by thehappyhitman
best buy has used MacBooks?
Okay not used, rather, older models.
Although by the computer section in my store, I saw two possibly damaged MacBook's (one a 17" Pro and the other an Air model) locked in a metal cage. I was going to ask, but thought better of it. Employee's are ignorant about Apple products at BB. I've had to correct them b/c they don't know WTF they're talking about.
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Vista? Zune? Microsoft Store? Who the heck thought up those? FAIL!
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” -Steve Jobs
Although by the computer section in my store, I saw two possibly damaged MacBook's (one a 17" Pro and the other an Air model) locked in a metal cage. I was going to ask, but thought better of it. Employee's are ignorant about Apple products at BB. I've had to correct them b/c they don't know WTF they're talking about.
Most of the people that I run into at the local Best Buys are like that. I don't even bother to ask anymore because I get headaches after talking to them.
