Microsoft to open own retail stores

[RamboLiberal]

Source: MSNBC/AP

Microsoft Corp. on Thursday announced plans to open its own stores despite the economic downturn that has left many retailers struggling.

The company hired David Porter, a 25-year veteran of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., as its corporate vice president of retail stores. Porter was head of worldwide product distribution at DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. since 2007.

Porter, who is set to start work on Tuesday, is charged with improving the PC-buying experience. The company said his first task will be to set the timing, locations and design of Microsoft-branded retail stores, which will sell computers installed with Microsoft software as well as other company products.

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The company had set up a concept store at its headquarters with displays of Windows computers, Xbox 360 consoles and games and other items. But the company said it's meant to help stores like Best Buy see new merchandising ideas in action, and is not a prototype for stand-alone retail stores.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29179458/

[customerserviceguy]

1. Microsoft still keeps looking for the next big breakthrough

They couldn't find it with X box, and bloating Windoze up to the point of uselessness didn't cut it either, so let's see if we can blow some bucks on brick and mortar storefronts...

Bill Gates might just be the first person in history to completely exhaust the world's largest fortune.

[dbonds]

4. Bill Gates is not running Microsoft now, he retired.

MS might be trying to counter Apples successful stores.

[OhioChick]

10. Don't be fooled...Gates still has a hand in MS....just not day to day. n/t

[surrealAmerican]

66. That's their motto, right?

"When in doubt, rip off Apple."

[Regret My New Name]

70. Did they rip that motto from Apple too?

Sounds similar to Apple's "When in doubt, rip off everyone else"

;)

[Thrill]

78. Make him Commerce Secretary

[WriteDown]

7. What's wrong with the XBox?

I've got all 3 systems and turn to that one the most.

[YOY]

11. Didn't sell too well internationally though...

and the issues of the red circle of death for the 360...

[WriteDown]

12. Never will understand that..

PS3 had plenty of problems as well, and I haven't heard of any RCD's on 360's for about a year. Xbox 360 also offers the ability to stream movies from netflix which is enough reason for anybody to buy it. You can't give away 360's in Japan though. The Japanese are fiercely loyal to their countrymen's products .

[YOY]

15. and Europeans see it as an inferior product.

Preferring high price with high end options against affordability. That's how they roll.

As for the Japanese...meh...what are you gonna do? That's just how they roll. If we rolled that way we'd be in a different situation now.

[WriteDown]

17. True....

The netflix option on the 360 has me debating on whether to cancel my direcTV. Best service ever! :)

[ipfilter]

43. Mine just did it a couple of weeks ago.

I haven't received it back yet.

[WriteDown]

44. When did you buy it? nt

[NuttyFluffers]

51. self-delete

nope, i was wrong, checked worldwide vs. Japan.

[liberal1973]

65. Well..

I have the Sony machine and very happy with the purchase. As a matter of fact, a person I had over saw the Sony machine and tried it out. That person now owns a Sony machine. The third 360 after all of the problems was sold.


I use for Movies, games, and the internet.

[AyanEva]

14. I love my XBox

I haven't bought the 360 yet but I'd like to. I figure the red circle bug has probably been fixed by now. There's a reason I never buy anything when it first comes out. :3

[merwin]

32. RROD is fixed now. Been that way for a while.

And if you're really concerned about it, buy a small UPS that's dedicated to just the XBOX and get the Intercooler thing that plugs onto the side. But that's for paranoia's sake.

[TornadoTN]

38. Bad advice - the intercooler voids the warranty

Also - the RROD issue is not "fixed". There are many people still experiencing the problem on even new SKU's. I've had it happen to me 5 times since launch - 3 last year alone. They keep sending out refurbished units with minor fixes on them and they still break down. Granted, the problem seems to be getting better but it's nowhere near fixed.

Plus, keep your eyes on the newest 360 hardware malfunction - the green screen of death. It's a video card breakdown that some people believe might be related to the fix of the RROD.

I love the system and the games, but wow, the hardware is a disaster

[merwin]

41. The latest Intercooler TS has a separate AC adapter and temperature sensing.

Won't do any damage to your console. Fans only turn on when the temperature gets above a certain point and then turn off again. And a UPS will provide power smoothing and regulation, which is something that any computer should have attached to it.

I don't see MS as being legitimately able to claim that the intercooler voids the warranty anymore, as it is providing its own power source. Using MS's logic, if I got little desk fan and placed it next to the venting system to force warm air out of the XBOX, then that would also void the warranty.

[TornadoTN]

58. That's true - I actually use a small fan behind my system

To push the air around the unit. I have it in an open air entertainment system, but just for added protection I put the fan back there just to move the air a bit more around the system. My whole set-up is on a UPS system for peace of mind.

But according to MS, even the new intercoolers void the warranty if they can determine one was in use. I think it's silly to do that now, but the old intercoolers were a bad idea.

[customerserviceguy]

46. Well, for starters

there were electrical problems with the boxes. And let's face it, X box did not dominate the market the way MS-DOS and Windows did when they were released.

I could be wrong, but it's my understanding that Microsoft's X box division has never turned a profit.

[ACTION BASTARD]

53. Other than the RROD fiasco...nothing

I love the 360 and haven't had the RROD, but man I know co-workers that won't go near it because that's all they know about. If it wasn't for HALO, exclusives like Dead Rising or Left 4 Dead and Gears...man who knows.

And that Zune world-wide-doomsday-holocaust bullshit made Apple shit their pants from laughter.

[merwin]

31. Except for the facts that the XBOX 360 is doing great, Windows 7 is bloat-free, and

opening storefronts will get people selling MS products who are much better trained than the idiots at Best Buy.

Oh yeah, and Bill Gates isn't in charge of MS anymore. He's technically Chairman, but he's not involved in day to day operations, which makes his chairmanship more of a figurehead position than anything else.

[Angleae]

35. XBOX is only doing well in the US.

Elsewhere it tanked. Windows 7 is unreleased and therefore not finished, they will probably add more bloat before it's released. Yes, I said "more", it still has internet explorer, it still has outlook express, it still has media player, therefore it has bloat out the ass. As far as having better trained people, MS has proven over time that they want cheaper over better therefore they probably will have the same idiots that Best Buy has.

[merwin]

37. Windows 7 is going to Release Candidate very soon.

The damn thing runs well on a netbook even, and there's going to be a SKU specifically for netbooks.

As for IE, Media Player, and Windows Mail, you don't have to use them. You can disable access to them so you don't have to see them anywhere. They probably only take up a collective 200MB at most, which is nothing on today's hard drives.

If you could provide an actual example of the bloat in Windows 7, please let me know. I'm running it on 4 computers at my house right now, all of different specs (high end to low end) and they all run even faster than XP.

As for the XBOX 360, when compared to the PS3, it's sales are doing exceptional everywhere except for Japan, and that looks to be due to the Wii, which is in a different class (IMHO) than the PS3 or XBOX360.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_video_game_consoles_(seventh_generation)#Sales_standings

[WriteDown]

45. Actually...

Japan is probably due to the unbelievable loyalty the Japanese have for Japanese products.

[Doremus]

54. Idiots at Best Buy? Nice.

My DD worked there and I know several people that still do. All of them Dems by the way and hardly idiots.

[sendero]

62. With Google and Apple...

.. nipping at their heels, they better find something quick.

[Taverner]

2. Sounds like a pet project surrounded by yes men

[ixion]

3. stores that will close w/o warning, for no good reason...

"This store has performed an illegal operation, and will be shutdown."

:rofl:

[OhioChick]

5. .......

:rofl:

[lifesbeautifulmagic]

6. maybe some of the software people they just laid off in Redmond

can get some of those retail jobs

[tridim]

8. I'm not a typical Microsoft basher, but this seems like a poorly conceived idea.

Remember CompUSA?

[merwin]

33. Or a great one.

Remember the Apple Store?

[okoboji]

74. Remember the Gateway Country stores.....

n/t

[LanternWaste]

9. Cool... I'd go to one.

Cool... I'd go to one in a heartbeat should one open nearby my place!

[Dr.Phool]

13. Viruses R Us

"Are you sure you want this"?

[LibDemAlways]

26. You've got that right. Good one.

[eilen]

16. At first I thought great Idea Steve Jobs had, it should help with MS issues

--customers can get assistance and try out new features of software etc. Maybe they will even contract with someone to create quality equipment to run thier stuff. Once I read it would be headed by a WalMart veteran, I realized that it will suck. Most likely be staff by people who don't know shit about the computer with advice to call their customer support in India.

[merwin]

39. His last two years have been with Dreamworks.

There's also not all that much press about him on the interwebs, which is a good thing in my opinion. Most of the stuff I've read was about his involvement in trying to lower the cost of packaged DVD's to compete with iTunes.

I'm going to hold off on judgment until more info is available about him... sometimes there are good people working for bad companies. I'd like to know more about him before I pass judgment.

[ACTION BASTARD]

64. I don't agree.

MS will probably emulate Apple's "Genius Bar" where geeks will HAVEW to know/be able to fix windows many, many problems on the fly. If customers can't get serviced there it will be an epic fail.

Now what they do with people's burnt 360's is going to be interesting.

[Piewhacket]

18. Get All your Spyware, Viruses, Patches, and Updates in one conv loc!

[951-Riverside]

19. I see they're going with the Sharper Image/Circuit City business plan n/t

[onehandle]

20. Microsoft doesn't have a consumer brand. You can't just declare yourself "Apple Inc. 2."

Windows and somewhat Office are things most people have to have. It's like the fax machine. You don't think about it. You use it daily, but only Really think about it when it breaks and pisses you off. They don't have a brand and certainly don't have a "hot" consumer product.

Microsoft is freaking out because Apple is gaining market share at an alarming rate. Now at 10%. Apple has been more profitable than Microsoft for a good long while now.

When Apple launched the Apple Store, Businessweek was wrong as usual by declaring it a failure at launch. Expect them to declare the M$ store a success even up to the day they are shutting them down.

Businessweek also said that Job's return, the iMac, and the iPod would crash and burn.
_____________________

I found this idea of how the meeting that came up with this went in Redmond:

Ballmer: OK group, we need to entice more customers. Apple is doing a great job of pulling customers in. What do they have that we don't? I need ideas people!

Marketing Drone 1: Well, they have some cool retail stores, don't they? Those bring in a lot of customers.

Drone 2: Yeah, yeah, and their CEO is kind of a rock star and runs an animation company. Err… (ducks flying chair)

Exec: OK, so, lets open some retail stores, and uhm… well, let's hire an animation company exec. Isn't that guy from Dreamworks looking for work? Can't we get him?

Drone 3: OK, but, we don't make computers, just software really. How are we supposed to open a store with that?

Exec: Ah no problem. Between Vista, the upcoming Windows 7 and Office, we have like 40 different versions of those products alone! It'll be a piece of cake. This can't fail, trust me!

[Lance_Boyle]

23. they do, but not for whole PCs, only for peripherals

You can get MS-branded keyboards and mice, but you can't get an MS-branded PC. I wonder whose hardware they'll be selling at these stores?

This was a bad idea when Gateway tried it, and it's still a bad idea. The only reason Apple Stores thrive is the cultish devotion of the twits who simply must own the latest Jobsjob to wank over. MS has no such following. It has more of an anti-following.

[onehandle]

24. Nobody goes to the store to shop for a MS branded anything.

Windows is something that comes with your computer.

I'm in marketing. They do not have a brand. They do not have a "desired" consumer product.

The only chance they have is based on the sheer size of their customer base.

After all, it would be convenient to be able to take your virus riddled PC across town to complain to the source.

[LibDemAlways]

27. They will regret it. Who'd want to work in a business where

angry people are perpetually lined up out onto the sidewalk complaining that your product is a POS?

[merwin]

42. Anyone who's worked for a cell phone company gets that daily already.

I worked for T-Mobile for 7 years and was personally interrogated numerous times by customers who think I can fix all of their problems. Yeah, I was in engineering, but it was CORPORATE engineering :) I was a code monkey, writing software to test the network's reliability, not fixing issues.

[LibDemAlways]

52. You have a good point. Actually any business that involves

direct contact with the public is going to generate its share of unhappy customers. I used to work in a small travel agency and can recall numerous instances of people becoming upset with me for things that were truly out of my control. One time a guy called me from Europe to report that his rail pass had been stolen when he left it on the seat on a train. He insisted that I replace it at my expense. Another time a client lost her return plane ticket from Prague to Los Angeles. She expected me to pay to replace her ticket as a "good will gesture." Both of these people started yelling when I explained I would help them as best I could, but I could not pay for replacement tickets. Some people are simply unreasonable.

[Lance_Boyle]

36. I would disagree on that point - they market peripherals to ignorant

users. The "I have a windows PC, I'd better get a microsoft mouse" set.

If their stores turn out to be glorified MS Service Centers, it will put geek squad and the rest of the PC service hucksters out of work, which could be a good thing. I wonder how much they'll charge for quarterly reinstalls...

[DS1]

21. As long as the revolving door doesn't blue-screen and kill someone

[HopeHoops]

22. Don't worry, M$Door 2.0 is in beta and it only kills half as many people

[Ichingcarpenter]

25. The New Stores will be Called 404 managed by Ned Flanders

[Fozzledick]

28. 10 Ways Microsoft's Retail Stores Will Differ From Apple Stores

1) Instead of Apple's sheer walls of glass, Microsoft's stores will have brushed steel walls dotted with holes -- reminiscent of Windows security.

2) The store will have six different entrances: Starter, Basic, Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate. While all six doors will lead into the same store, the Ultimate door requires a fee of $100 for no apparent reason.

3) Instead of a "Genius Bar" (as Apple provides) Microsoft will offer an Excuse Bar. It will be staffed by Microsofties trained in the art of evading questions, directing you to complicated and obscure fixes, and explaining it's a problem with the hardware -- not a software bug.

4) The Windows Genuine Advantage team will run storefront security, assuming everybody is a thief until they can prove otherwise.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/159521/10_ways_microsofts_retail_stores_will_differ_from_apple_stores.html

[OhioChick]

29. That's good!

:)

[aquart]

30. Well, there's a clever plan.

[KamaAina]

34. Let me guess. They'll close every few minutes for no reason, then take 15 minutes to open up again.

:sarcasm:

[conspirator]

40. If you don't find what you are looking for, you have to get out of the store ...

and then back in again.

[eilen]

47. and for no apparent reason, everyone will freeze

and nothing you do will elicit a response.

[skoalyman]

49. and just like that eagles song

you can go in but you can never check out well at least till they reboot the crash registers:argh: :argh:

[area51]

68. LOL. (n/t)

[glinda]

48. Microsoft is the Walmart of the IT industry

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

50. Soooooo...... they're finally moving to India?

Playing catch-up with Dell....

I give 'em 3 years, tops.

:shrug:

[JCMach1]

55. Almost every company that has done that has FAILED

Remember Gateway stores?

[merwin]

56. other than gateway and apple, who has actually

made a serious effort to open retail chains? the sample size is really small here.

[JCMach1]

57. Well in the computer area yes... but there are other examples

where someone tryed to cash-in on their name with direct retail...

Sharper Image
Discovery Store
Disney Store
etc.

I am sure I am forgetting some...

[sendero]

60. And the...

... Dell stores :)

[alfredo]

59. The locks on the doors can be opened with a hairpin.

[Systematic Chaos]

72. Or by drawing a ring around the lock with a black magic marker.

n/t

[alfredo]

75. SSSHHH! that's supposed to be our secret.

[AlCzervik]

61. well hey, hopefully it will create some new jobs, i'm a mac girl but i'm all for

job creation.

[Xithras]

63. Hey everyone, I found a pic of the new store design.

Taking a cue from the world-famous Apple 5th Avenue store, Microsoft has announced that it will model it's stores on a giant cube as well.

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[DemoTex]

67. I hope nobody breaks their Windows.

Oops. Forgot. Already broken!

[dkofos]

69. Another money loosing idea from microshaft.

[MrsBrady]

71. I bought an imac, and I'm now

moving on to now get a mac laptop ...and at some point will get an iphone.


so...

whatever

I won't be there.

I'm never looking back.

[Systematic Chaos]

73. I have an iMac which also runs Windows XP.

I have it only because I'm an avid gamer, and to be perfectly honest it has given me very little trouble.

Otherwise, I'm totally with you.

[MrsBrady]

77. yea, i thought about getting that program

so i could run xp or vista...

but everything i need I can do with mac compatible software.

I don't do gaming, so it wasn't vital.

I love this thing.

[alfredo]

76. Great timing.

[Doctor Cynic]

79. Health officials are moving rapidly to quarantine this location with high levels of bugs and viruses

[KillCapitalism]

80. Well, I wish them the best of luck.

I happen to like using Windows over Mac & I like my Zune player a lot.

It's easy to avoid viruses, spyware, and such on windows. It just takes more knowhow on a Windows machine than it does a Mac. I've always thought Macs are best for noobs to the computer world. Windows is best for system builders & computer veterans.

[Frank Booth]

81. Let's hope this is a huge success, and they wipe Apple off the map.

I'm sick of all those annoying Apple ads.

[Zhade]

82. Sadly, they will be robbed five minutes after opening due to poor security.

NT!