i'm curious what purpose that would serve. does microsoft think it's under-represented in the market place or do they think their product is not shown in the best possible light? what would set them apart from current computer shops?

i have a feeling somebody at the top of microsoft has a serious case of image-envy and is willing to blow a big bunch of cash on it...

i can almost picture it... the all glass front is going to be covered in tacky stickers. ;-)

MS Retail Stores? This has"shoe circus" written all over it. Can you just imagine the throngs of polyester clad "human beings" being human while they line up for their new zune phone? The MS zealot bar could be a fun visit too. Careful if you use the bathrooms there, they're a quarter to get into, but fifty cents to get out. I can hear the bontempi slowjams setting the mood for the penultimate buying experience. Apple must be quaking in their boots at this announcement.

Buy Dell and rebrand hardware for higher prices. Stop supplying Windoze to HP. A genius stroke.

dude, where have you been? the apple store was a revelation, not just a storefront. every pundit said it would fail. then...
even the racist loudmouth dvorak had to admit he was wrong about their failure. they did it right.

and all you see is a storefront? yeah, like your opinion matters. don't flatter yourself.

Love it, can't wait to see Retail According to Ballmer & Gates. There'll probably be turnstiles, and roped trails to the cash register, rather like a bank. A 60's bank. A tasteless 60's bank. But all the screens will be shiny.

What could go wrong?!

I love that this guy came from Walmart. Perfect fit for MS. "Our stock isn't the only price that's falling ... get Vista now for only $49.88!"

dude, where have you been? the apple store was a revelation, not just a storefront.

A revelation? Really? I believe that's called 'over the top'. It's a store, based on the concepts of many of other stores (large open spaces, not overstuffed with products). It wasn't exactly a completely new concept.

Of course, Apple hired a guy from the Gap to do their stores, while MS has a guy from Wal-mart.

Which means the MS store will have overflowing shelves, stuff spilled out into the aisle, product all over the place as if no one knows exactly what goes where, product thrown on shelves as if the employees didn't care. Oh, and immigrant cleaning staff that's locked in at night so they don't steal anything.

So, the only question left to answer is "What three dimensional shape will they use for their NY store?"

I'm thinking a Klein bottle.

Or maybe a dodecahedron. Which will be delayed and finally changed to a decahedron. Which will be delayed and changed to a Pyramid. Which will be delayed and changed to a standard 8 x 6 door frame.

And the automatic door opener won't work half the time....

This is pretty funny. It is Friday the 13th, though, right? Hey, even if Redmond does this goofy thing it'll just be to set up palaces to try and hawk their "iPhone Killer" the ZunePhon. String to connect two ZunePhonz will cost $45

"my opinion is worth a lot more than yours". rationale people? like you?

what did i tell you about flattering yourself? are you not listening? i really don't like having to come here and reprimand you every so often.

yes, revelation. for a tech company the entire concept was unique. no, not unique in design but unique in execution. all those pundits turned around and wrote article after article on why it worked and how apple got it right.

crazy? what, you use windows and we're crazy? tsk tsk.

i'm used to reprimanding testudo so he doesn't count, much like his posts. come to think of it, much like your posts.

Unique? What about the Sony store? Or they don't count because they sell televisions too?

Your opinions are worth less because they're the same broken record statements everyone is making. How many addicts do you need saying the exact same thing? You are redundant.

Nice closer though. Better not use the computer so much in the morning though. You'll use up the three hours of internet time a day your mom lets you have.

Why M$ guys are all round and fat?

Why M$ wants to copy so much what M$ envies most? What about innovation and creativity? M$ not!

I believe in a good Apple or in a great pinguin... Not on Landscapes to the desert... :-) But will be fun to see the boat sink a little more.

is using redundant and that mom/internet use thing, is that called wit? really? that's what passes as a snappy comeback?

opinions are worth less if there are a lot of them? really?

sony store? really? do some homework.

sigh. this is going to be harder than i first imagined. still, it must be done.

i forgot, that "nasty nat", stop it already! that had me rolling! my stomach hurt i was laughing so hard! seriously, you're killin' me here!

OK, when you walk into the store, the door is locked. You have to supply a 25-digit keycode to enter. Once inside, the lights go off at random intervals. The displays are arranged so that you bump into them every time you move. The sales people wear tape on their glasses and pocket protectors. And the door to leave is marked ENTER.

What homework should I be doing regarding the Sony store? Please enlighten me.

The rest of your post said nothing at all. Really no reason to respond to it.

You're the best. Thanks for wasting your time on me.

The sony store didn't sell kick-a** Apple hardware, or kick-a** Apple software, or have geniuses who work at a 'bar' and require you to make a reservation to see them, and they probably actually had cash registers instead of people walking around ready to check you out.

Completely different and lame.

Next thing you know you'll be comparing it to the Bose store.

You're right! I stand corrected. It's impossible to compete with those geniuses and their trendy t-shirts.

that coming! testudo and luckyday agreeing! who woulda thunk? those two "rational" beings hooking up!

wonders will never cease.

ol' boy, no waste of time. i'm here for you. you just call out my name.
change is hard and sometimes you just need someone you can turn to.
why, this is your lucky day after all.

I hate it when mommy and daddy argue.

You still didn't respond to my post. Educate me on the Sony store comment please.

And every day is my lucky day!

You guys are arguing over a merchandised based company (Apple) and a software based company (Microsoft)? Really?

Yes, Apple needed a store to sell their computers, mp3 players, and accessories of both. And you know what, it worked because they had product to sell. Apple stores do have a creepy kind of vibe, yes, but they are anything and everything Apple. Which is nice.

Microsoft didn't need such because they only had what, mice and keyboards, besides their operating system software. Now that they have a gaming console, and mp3 players to add to their computer accessories, they have more of a need for a retail environment.

When your Ipod or Zune breaks what do you do. Send it in and wait? Ohh that's right, there is an Apple store to take it to. Same idea here. Instead of sending in your Xbox, you will have a place to take it in to get serviced.

What is funny is that the guy they brought in is from Walmart.

Sorry for the long post.

I had to page through a lot of useless banter and namecalling just to say I was amused by the fact that my first impression of the photo was it looked someone who'd be an "executive" at WalMart... only to find out that he was :)

Completely out of the spirit of the flamewar raging above, but I find such a Microsoft-WalMart connection amusing on so many different levels - from quality of product and clientele to monopolistic inclinations.

you can't do your own homework? well, ok then. i am here to help after all.
but i expected so much more from such a "rational" being.
sony stores have been around for a long time. sonySTYLE stores, the ones you see now, are relatively new and their design and layout came after apple's retail stores and mimicked them.

now, you didn't answer my question. is that really what you consider a snappy comeback? surely you can do better. no?

Ha! HA! HA! HA! HA! LOL!! HA! HA!...catch my breath...HA! HA! HA! LOL!! HA! HA! HA!

So now, if Steve sells the iPhart, is Ballmer going to f*** in a bigger, dark brown bag and sell it as the PUUT?!!

HA! HA! HA! HA! LOL!! HA! HA!

Mac OS > Windows
iPod > Zune
iTunes > Marketplace
MobileMe > SkyBox
App Store > SkyMarket
Apple Store > MicrosoftLand Store
Index finger up in the air > Thumb up the a**

Trying to use "consumer logic" here: if I'm at an Apple Store I expect to be shown Apple stuff; if I'm at an MS store, I expect MS stuff to be pushed. So I'd go to both and compare. Comparison is not a good tact for MS to take.

This does just seem to be d***-wagging on MS's part. Anything Apple can do, we can do too. Not better, just do.

Apple's plan with Apple stores was absolutely clear -- to make Macs available and create spaces where people could get used to them, and see them in action. Totally clear, done well, successful. What do MS think they will gain this way? True, having computer shops where the staff have the faintest idea of how to do it would be progress over PC World. But they're never going to get the simplicity of the Apple stores -- whose hardware will they promote to show off Windows? So it's already a deal with someone else like Dell or Sony, not a pure MS shop. And so on -- so it will probably be a kludge.

"He brings experience from 25 years at Walmart where he served as the vice president and general merchandise manager of Entertainment."

Microsoft products combined with that endlessly inviting and appealing Wal*Mart shopping experience. Sounds like an instant home run. In a football game, but a home run nevertheless.

... Apple should create a kiosk for iPhoto and park one in front of every MS Store that opens (i.e., both of them.)

That guy, the one pictured, is so full of bs he's bloated. I wonder what hype he will try to spew before being the butt of many jokes of another MS failure. If msft wants to bleed money, let them, all the better for apple.

Microsoft rules fanboy b****** !

...five pages of comments, and no one mentioned this typo in the article?

"46.7 million visitors last quarter and bringing in $1.74 in revenue"