Mac Specs: MacBook Pro 13" 2.26GHz 250G HD 4G RAM-iBook G4 14" 1.42Ghz 1.5G RAM-iPod Nano 4G-iPod Classic 120G
Microsoft retail stores to 'rival' Apple's
Microsoft plan to open retail stores, a move made to directly compete with Apple.
If they design/build/run these stores with any similarity to their products, then I'm predicting they will be difficult to navigate around, will randomly 'close' and contain all their old stock that just gets covered up with new packaging!
This is just another example of MS being reactive. If Apple made off something, hey MS just might make money off it too. Apple make their money through innovation and not making the same mistake twice.
I see there will be a few versions of W7 as there was Vista. A mistake made twice in my opinion.
Mac Specs: Macbook, iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch, Apple TV
I don't think that opening up MS stores near or next to Apple stores will have much of an impact on the sales the Apple store make. Apple stores are useful because many other retailer's Apple lines are not up to date and they don't seem to have a vast knowledge of them.
It also helps when something goes wrong and saves the machine being shipped by a Apple reseller back to Apple.
If somebody wants a computer loaded with Windows there are a lot of stores offering a wide range of devices. If I wanted an xbox I can pick one up cheap at many retailer. If I want a win mob device I can check out a local mobile retailer.
I think MS stores will not be offering much more than the other computer stores with the exception of a broader knowledge.
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Microsoft plan to open retail stores, a move made to directly compete with Apple.
If they design/build/run these stores with any similarity to their products, then I'm predicting they will be difficult to navigate around, will randomly 'close' and contain all their old stock that just gets covered up with new packaging!
(They also plan to open stores right next door to Apple stores, probably shooting themselves in the foot!)
Hilarious, absolutely hilarious.
But seriously, why does Microsoft continue to seek such reactive marketing and sales plans when Apple has such a distinct market approach. I guess there are some things that I just won't ever understand...
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Dell and Gateway tried these stores and it did not fair so well and if the customer wanders in the Apple Store after visiting the Microsoft Store and
sees how much easier and faster things run on a Mac it may end up working
in Apple's favor.
Dell and Gateway tried these stores and it did not fair so well and if the customer wanders in the Apple Store after visiting the Microsoft Store and
sees how much easier and faster things run on a Mac it may end up working
in Apple's favor.
My thoughts exactly. I hope they put these stores right next door. It'll be funny to see how many people shuffle out of the M$ store confused and irritated just to walk into an Apple store and feel free.
Imagining that idea, I would do jumping jacks in an Apple Store if I just came from a M$ store, just because I can and I wouldn't knock over a display full of anti-virus software.
Perhaps I am missing something but I see this as nothing more than a great way for MS to drive home their current ad campaign that Windows based PCs are much cheaper. Look at who they have heading up this new reltail division he is no joking matter.
Yes I think Macs are great computers but considering the state of the economy joe public will 'settle' for a pc that half the price with very similar specs. I think one major thing as worked well for Apple and that was Vista which meant a computer with the same specs didn't perform the same as one with OSX. Do I personally think the build and OS are worth it on the Mac, for sure, for now. Windows 7 is a real contender. I have been messing around with it now for a few months and its fast, stable, reliable and easy to get around in. All things Vista lacked and what people want so W7 will put snow leopard through its paces.
Personally I think its great, I want MS to force Apple to do better and offer more, ultimately we benefit the most from good competition between them.
Last edited by Michael415; 07-20-2009 at 02:34 AM.
What a stupid idea! As has been said, there are more than enough PC stores as it is, and I bet they are cheaper than Microsoft would be.
PC World anyone?
Apple stores work because there aren't too many high street retailers and most of them haven't a clue about Macs (PC World again!)
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Perhaps I am missing something but I see this as nothing more than a great way for MS to drive home their current ad campaign that Windows based PCs are much cheaper. Look at who they have heading up this new reltail division he is no joking matter.
Yes I think Macs are great computers but considering the state of the economy joe public will 'settle' for a pc that half the price with very similar specs.
While I agree in general, I have yet to find a PC with nearly identical specs that is half the price. You generally get what you pay for in PCs. Apple may be about 20% inflated over a comparable PC, but it's certainly not double the price.
Apple needs to drive home the point in their advertising that you don't get a Mercedes with Yugo money. The general public has a bad perception that computers cost $500 or less, and that's just not true if we're talking about state-of-the-art, modern components.
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I think one major thing as worked well for Apple and that was Vista which meant a computer with the same specs didn't perform the same as one with OSX. Do I personally think the build and OS are worth it on the Mac, for sure, for now. Windows 7 is a real contender. I have been messing around with it now for a few months and its fast, stable, reliable and easy to get around in. All things Vista lacked and what people want so W7 will put snow leopard through its paces.
It all depends on how it's marketed. Windows 7 is a great release from Microsoft, no doubt - but what's the killer app? The killer app is that they "fixed" Vista. But how do you market that? If Apple were smart, they'd play up the fact that Microsoft finally fixed Vista, and for that you get to pay them yet again.
On technical merits alone, W7 is very much a refined version of Vista. There are no great technical leaps here. Snow Leopard is a different story. OpenCL, Grand Central and other, numerous technical innovations set SL apart from Leopard. Microsoft has yet to provide any avenue for developers to easily capitalize on multiprocessing capabilities of modern machines.
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Personally I think its great, I want MS to force Apple to do better and offer more, ultimately we benefit the most from good competition between them.
Me too, but I think you give W7 way more credit than it deserves. If I wanted a more refined, stable and compatible version of Vista, I could always just go back to Windows XP (and save some resources to boot!).
MS doesn't make anything I need, so it's kind of lost on me. I use MS at work, and I don't see my employer wandering into a MS store and ordering 10,000 copies of Windows. They'd do better opening an online store where you can download the software products they produce, as needed. I can get an xBox anywhere.
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