Microsoft Stores Opening In High Streets & Shopping Centres?

The jump between manufacturer and retail store is one that only a few have done really successfully in the tech world – the most notable exceptions being Sony with their Sony stores and Apple with their, err…Apple Stores.

However, there is a new company starting to jump the gap from just manufacturer (admittedly a pretty big one) to opening up retail stores, and with brands and new products coming such as Windows 7, Microsoft Office 2010, Xbox 360 and Zune HD you can’t help but think that Microsoft will emulate Apples undoubted success. Oh, and no prizes for guessing what they will probably be called!

In fact not happy with just being a rival to Apple, Microsoft have decided to open the first two stores in the US (Scottsdale, Arizona and Mission Viejo, California) in the near vicinity to current Apple ones, which one can only imagine is a direct attempt to assert themselves as the competition.

And competition they will be: you cannot disagree with Apple’s success: they have stores everywhere, but as of yet there haven’t been any other major brands to compete on the level that they are on – until now.

Having said that we still don’t know what they’ll be like (we only have a picture of the bill board outside), they may not even concentrate on sales and rather focus on showcasing the different brands, but only time will tell.

Likewise we may not even see them over here for a while as not only does it normally take things a while to make the leap over the Atlantic but the current economic climate serves as another slowing factor, but nevertheless this is good news, and fingers crossed we can get a look inside them for real soon (the two US ones open up in the autumn).

What do you think to this potentially bold move on Microsoft’s part? Do you think Microsoft’s products would suit this kind specialist store environment? Would you go to a store like this to learn more? Would you buy from a store like this?

Via – Pocket Lint

Related Pages:

1. Has Microsoft Turned Into The New IBM?
2. Best Buy Coming To The UK! – A Cheaper Electronics Retailer Option?
3. Windows 7 House Party – Microsoft Trying To Be Apple?
4. Funny TV Commercials for Microsoft?
5. Microsoft Zune HD Announced

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