For some, the Microsoft Store concept is a puzzle

For some, the Microsoft Store concept is a puzzle
For some, the Microsoft Store concept is a puzzle - latimes.com

Does anyone else feel bad for them? >_>"

Well I see it this way.
The competition to Apple just squabble amongst themselves and release bad ideas and bad products over and over. A good recipe for bankrupting the company you work for. And if all of Apple's competition is on shaky ground or out of business cause of their own dumb choices then Apple will be a monopoly. And you know how much the various governments like to bust down perceived monopolies.

So in short a little healthy competition is good for Apple is many ways. But opening stores like this when it's clear MS don't get it is not good at all. It's clear MS think the store sells the product. And that's so so wrong. In actual fact it's the products selling themselves. And the Apple stores just have a very minimalistic design so your eye is drawn to the products and makes you want to use them and fall for them. There is no fanfare, no entertainment, no flashy lights, nothing bar the products on a desk. Take away the product and all you have is an empty room, nice and spacious but no real point of being there. The product is why you are there.

This is proof that MS in trying to copy Apple just don't get it.

the8thark said:

This is proof that MS in trying to copy Apple just don't get it.

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Nice summary of the article right there.

Yes having competition is good but MS isn't a threat to Apple like it use to be.

I remember how Bill Gates said that he wishes they had Apple's sense of style

YouTube - Steve Jobs and Bill Gates Together: Part 1

If you look at the store it's similar to Apple's, complete with wooden floors and counters and even a demo guy. Why invent when you can copy?

Microsoft at it again...

I've been in a MS store. The "sales" guy knew absolutely nothing about anything. No kidding, they literally have no idea what they're selling in the store.

And they wonder why they're not making money.

Umm exactly how many products does Microsoft actually make themselves? Like a handful...and then they decide to make a dedicated store for it...

Yeah that seems smart. Then they have to fill the rest of the store with stuff they didn't actually make that you can find else where for cheaper. Yep that's some business strategy they have right there.

You can smell the success a mile away. >_>"

I've been in the MS store in San Diego several times since it opened. While they don't carry much that I would want they did have a good selection of X-Box products. Since it hasn't been very crowded I've had the chance to play several games that I was considering buying and the store employees seemed to know quite a bit about them. It was a better experience than Best Buy or Fry's in that one particular area at least. Not enough to base a whole retail space around, but it's something.

A "better experience than Best Buy or Fry's" isn't saying much!

Am I the only one who wishes that there were more store like Apple? I know what Apple sells, so I don't think anyone else having the same kind of store would make Apple worse, but I just want someone else to have something similar to what Apple has: you go to buy computers, ipods, programs, accessories, as well as get all those things serviced in one VERY convenient location. That's what I wish others would have the b***s to start successfully. I remember when my dad bought us MY first computer. It was back in '98, and we actually went to a Gateway store, which let you play with all gateway computers, programs, and other stuff.

On the other hand, for a Microsoft to open up a store, while having HP's, Dell's, and all other things is kind of stupid. We have outlet stores for those. That's what I will never understand about MSFT. What is the real purpose behind their motivation to open up stores, when the main thing that should be advertised under their store is Windows.

CreativeGuy said:

A "better experience than Best Buy or Fry's" isn't saying much!

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Well, it is a Microsoft store in question so it probably is! Frankly, I'm the last person anyone would expect to say anything good about MS...

idrinorbarsaku said:

Am I the only one who wishes that there were more store like Apple?

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I agree. But my previous topic pretty sums up my opinions on this subject. And to that I want to add that if the MS store actually had some really good products then it'd be worth going into. It seems at the moment MS is trying really hard to do everything well bar actually make a good product.

MS just got so used to putting out windows in whatever quality and everyone just buying it no questions asked. So they thought because of this that any product will sell if marketed well. And that's just not the case. Get the products right and everything else will fall into place.

Until they realise this, the MS store concept is doomed to fail.

idrinorbarsaku said:

What is the real purpose behind their motivation to open up stores, when the main thing that should be advertised under their store is Windows.

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I don't know to be honest. As they don't have the entire integrated (hardware/software/support) for computers. As said above they need to have the other manufacturers computers there. But they could sell the zune W7 phone and xbox and similar things.

This brings me to the recent W7 and other MS adds. All this nonsense in the adds. Be it people dressed up like from the 1700's or Jerry Seinfeld or other stupid stunts. If I worked for their advertising department I'd tell MS, cut the crap. And just focus entirely on the product. I'd even almost insist on so other human being being in the ads. Well a hand or a head is ok but you get my point. Just like the ipad ad. The ipad ad to me is good, "the ipad is whatever and the ipad is Apple" is what I get from the add. No extra nonsense. MS need to do that. Spend 95% of their attention to make the best products. And the other 5% to remove the crud.

But can the people over at MS actually do this? This I do not know.

the8thark said:

But they could sell the zune W7 phone and xbox and similar things.

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They do. As I said, the X-Box selection and employee knowledge were pretty good. They kept trying to interest me in a Zune until i Pulled out my iPhone...

baggss said:

They do. As I said, the X-Box selection and employee knowledge were pretty good. They kept trying to interest me in a Zune until i Pulled out my iPhone...

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lool, they must have given you a dirty look when you did that. The only thing interesting about Microsoft product is the Kinect. Too bad Apple doesn't make gaming systems. I'm sure it would be the most attractive looking console yet.

I hate Microsoft for that fact that most of the things they do are copied or motivated from others. This company now rarely comes up with its own products or ideas.

it's going to be the end of microsoft.

The store could be a good thing. It could bring better quality to microsoft once they start realizing that advertising isnt all that matters. considering any ads or tv commercials of apple dont include a bunch of ppl trying to do crazy things.. its just the product and a summary of what it does. short and simple.. i dont want to listen about how all these ppl are windows 7, i could careless if they own a deli shop downtown or their some family taking pictures. show me the product and i might be interested.

idrinorbarsaku said:

I remember when my dad bought us MY first computer. It was back in '98, and we actually went to a Gateway store, which let you play with all gateway computers, programs, and other stuff.

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You, my young friend, just made me feel very old!

Way back in 98 . . .

Razormac said:

You, my young friend, just made me feel very old!

Way back in 98 . . .

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Yeah, I think I just felt another gray hair pop out of my head. Talking about "1st computers" makes me think more toward the Commodore 64 era. Ugh...

CreativeGuy said:

Yeah, I think I just felt another gray hair pop out of my head. Talking about "1st computers" makes me think more toward the Commodore 64 era. Ugh...

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And the TI 99 . . . even worse, my brother had an Altair