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Microsoft Signs Leases to Open Retail Stores in Arizona and California

cmfilms said:
This is a good thing? I find haggling annoying, as a business owner and a consumer. I have worked hard to give my customers the best price for the best product and when they come to me and try to save $20 it tells me that they don't value my product and all they care about is price. I'm not a value-leader in my market but if they want quality video production at a fair price they can get it here.

Same goes for Apple. As long as the product is quality, I'll pay what they ask. They've earned at least that much trust.
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So every product in the Apple Store is a good price? I think MobileME is a f***ing joke of a product because it performs so horrendously slow and buggy. I like to renew it for under $99 because its crap and Apple knows it is lacking since the iPhone debuted.

I don't know what you sell, but I know as a small business owner, you probably have the ability to deserve amazing products at fair prices. This concept seems to drift away when investors and image are at stake. Like keeping product fires from the press, and actual problems under the rug. I pay what I feel is fair. There are some people who are just cheap, and I am certainly not one of them.
 
miketcool said:
Discount Windows 7 and give me a crappy, made-in-china, door prize, and I'm there. After all, everything in the Apple Store is made-in-china, aside from packaging. Might as well copy the entire experience right?
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Windows 7 release day tee shirts!
 
LillieDesigns said:
It is crazy how Microsoft directly rips off Apple and do not even try to hide it. After my 360 broke and they refused to fix it I now own ZERO Microsoft products, nor will I ever own any again. Good luck Microsoft :apple:
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You're right! Apple was the first brand ever to open a retail store, so no other computer companies can do so now. Shame on Microsoft!
 
I've found staff at the Sony store knowledgeable, they know the products, unlike Best Buy staff - who know jack s?it.

If I was buying a sony product, I'd rather buy at the Sony store than Best Buy. The only good thing about Best Buy is the generous return policies.


notjustjay said:
On the other hand, I liked the Sony stores because the atmosphere (at least the one nearest me) was more like a high-end electronics shop than a place like Best Buy. Where you develop working relationships with the sales people. And, you can negotiate, rather easily even:

(after a few minutes of discussion about a camcorder)
Me: "... ok, so I'm interested. Can you better than $1299?"
Salesperson: *checks computer* "I can sell it to you for $1238."
Me: "Throw in a couple of tapes?"
Salesperson: "Sure."
Me: "Great, we have a deal."

Getting a deal at Best Buy is like pulling teeth. And a month after the transaction I received a thank-you card in the mail from the salesperson, hoping I was satisfied with the camera.
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jzuena said:
Windows 7 release day tee shirts!
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to be honest, I was really hoping for a shirt with Steve Balmer's or Bill Gate's face, Obama style, with the word "CHANGE" underneath. Just put some $$ signs in their eyes and I am there, waiting in line.
 
Imagine the huge amount of full time technicians fixing the interactive displays...

I work in digital signage and I see my competitor with the blue screen of death on their displays always. Windows is very unreliable unless you have a guru besides.

I like the idea of the store, I will go and visit even I doubt I would buy anything.
 
uberamd said:
Sales people care about the sale, so they suck up to you.
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I'm not pretending we're going to be buddies. But I like that I can walk into a store and essentially say "Hey, remember me, you got me a really great deal on a product last time I was here, now I'm interested in buying this, please get me another great deal."
 
What are they going to do when their machines BSOD in front of their customers? Retail stores? M$ barely has any hardware to sell. The way things are going, this will probably drive people to Apple more as they will dislike the stores and products of Microsoft and walk on over to the Apple Store.


Thanks M$
 
I'm still confused as to what these stores will sell? Will it just be Microsoft OS and peripherals? If so that would be a waste of money since you can just go to Best Buy and buy Windows
 
xIGmanIx said:
Catch up? 90% market share, not really at risk
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Ha ha, I just love how people defend Microsoft with the market share thingy. Let's see, what do they have 90% market share in? Hmm. Windows (not Vista) has a tad over 80%. What else? Hmm, NOTHING.
Apple has dominance with iTunes, the iTunes store, the iPod and the iPhone has killed sales of Windows mobile smart phones and is taking huge bites out of the Blackberry business. The Mac computers are selling incredibly well and MS knows this.

Wow, Microsoft has dominance in one thing, Windows and that's declining.
 
Let's see how this works. You walk into the Microsoft store to look at a bunch of gear that Microsoft doesn't make, play with a PC to decide what you want, then get in your car to drive to the outskirts of town to Best Buy to purchase one. Or you go 3 stores down to the Apple Store and get instant gratification. Hmmmm... tough choice.

Is it just me, or does this echo the out-of-the-way Gateway stores where you could look but not buy?
 
PRIMECHUCK said:
Has MicroCrap had an original idea........ ever?
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Surface.

It may not be aimed at the consumer ( yet ), but its making its way into businesses, and tends to go down very well.

Surface really is a good piece of technology. If Apple had made this,everyone on this forum would be raving about it - but since its made by microsoft...
 
Microsoft is going to show off software, great for them?? When I see people in an Apple Store they go "OMG THIS COMPUTER IS SO THIN!! THE MACBOOK AIR IS AWESOME!!". Apple has this on lock, I don't think this is much to worry about. It will be a problem, however, if Microsoft puts of things bashing OS X in their stores.
 
miketcool said:
So every product in the Apple Store is a good price? I think MobileME is a f***ing joke of a product because it performs so horrendously slow and buggy. I like to renew it for under $99 because its crap and Apple knows it is lacking since the iPhone debuted.

I don't know what you sell, but I know as a small business owner, you probably have the ability to deserve amazing products at fair prices. This concept seems to drift away when investors and image are at stake. Like keeping product fires from the press, and actual problems under the rug. I pay what I feel is fair. There are some people who are just cheap, and I am certainly not one of them.
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I'm not sure about your MobileMe problems there. It works fantastic for me. If the people that are happy with it were as loud as the six people who hate it, it'd be a different story.

But I digress, you're right image IS at stake. And part of that image is having an established price. By curbing haggling in their stores, Apple has made it a point that their retail stores are not about big flashy sales or cutting a deal with the clerk. Once you open the door and say that the Apple Nano can be sold at your store for $134, you allow a crack in the image that you've built.
 
HLdan said:
Ha ha, I just love how people defend Microsoft with the market share thingy. Let's see, what do they have 90% market share in? Hmm. Windows (not Vista) has a tad over 80%. What else? Hmm, NOTHING.
Apple has dominance with iTunes, the iTunes store, the iPod and the iPhone has killed sales of Windows mobile smart phones and is taking huge bites out of the Blackberry business. The Mac computers are selling incredibly well and MS knows this.

Wow, Microsoft has dominance in one thing, Windows and that's declining.
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have you heard of any office support suite? iTunes? That is your personal preference, i personally think iTunes is crap. Huge bites out of RIM? not really buying that.
 
Microsoft aliens

Does any think that the shadowy figure in the picture looks like something not from this world. "That's a huge noggin!"
 
uberamd said:
Its going to have a few bar's like the Apple store does, however Microsofts will be:
  • Virus Removal Bar
  • Malware Removal Bar
  • Defragmentation Bar
  • Windows Customer Frustration Counceling Bar
  • The "Let us call the tech support guys in India for you" Bar
  • Red Ring of Death XBox 360 Repair Bar
  • The "Why Windows 7 costs so much" Bar
  • The Bar Bar, to get drunk at after visiting the other Bar's
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+1
 
I welcome the stores; it should be very interesting. Someone posted a very good point in that every goofball in the world is going to be bringing their computers in for someone to "look" at. I wonder how Microsoft is going to deal with these people.

And yes the surface tables are pretty cool.

-mark
 
the vj said:
Imagine the huge amount of full time technicians fixing the interactive displays...

I work in digital signage and I see my competitor with the blue screen of death on their displays always. Windows is very unreliable unless you have a guru besides.

I like the idea of the store, I will go and visit even I doubt I would buy anything.
Click to expand...

Windows never slowed down the production of any Apple products at the factory. Windows didn't slow down the engineering of the iPhone. Windows also didn't slow down the making of many, many Apple ad campaigns. Ironic to think that they used Windows in the creation of so many Apple products.

That would be a good display: that photo of Windows running in a Foxconn factory. M$ should purposefully exploit those situations and make fun of them. Even if iPhone worships gripe and claim they are copycats. When did we all become incessant, whiny, little playground brats?
 
Great, its about time. I think it will be impressive. If they were smart they would custom spec in pc's from Dell to sell in the store.

Dell PC & a clean copy of Windows 7, no bloatware.
 
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