Apple
Microsoft retail: Like putting a junkyard next to a Mercedes dealer
By Jim DalrympleJuly 16, 2009, 9:00 am PT
So, Microsoft has announced they will begin opening retail stores this fall. I actually laughed out loud when I heard the next part–they will put some of them right next to Apple retail stores.
Why? Isn’t that like showing how bad you are and giving people the ability to A/B the products? Wouldn’t you rather locate your stores far away from Apple, so customers will forget how bad your products suck before getting to the Macs?
The analogy that came to mind right away was that it was like putting a junkyard next to a Mercedes dealership.
Apple must have been hoping for this. As a matter of fact, I’m sure that Apple would buy retail space near its stores and give it to Microsoft if they promised to open a store there.
Seriously, this is hardly a fair fight. On one side you have world class Apple designers working on its stores, which have turned out to be a phenomenal success in a market where retail shouldn’t be successful. On the other side, you have Microsoft with deep pockets to keep bad products on the market.
This isn’t the first time Microsoft has taken on Apple with a “killer” product. Just look at the Zune, that not-so-popular MP3 player that the world has basically forgotten about.
Of course there is Windows, the idea of which was stolen from Apple in the first place. If you don’t like Windows, you can always use DOS–that one is all Microsoft. And why shouldn’t you use Windows–you can catch a few viruses and some malware, so your computer can slow to a crawl and never work right again.
That sounds promising.
I’d love to see a shootout between a Mac Genius and a Windows… what will Microsoft call them? Live-in caretakers, maybe.
Ask the caretaker and genius to do simple things on their respective systems and see how easy–or difficult–it is. Then ask them questions on troubleshooting application installs, driver problems and connecting peripherals.
I’m assuming at this point they would just let the genius go for lunch since we don’t have those problems.
Microsoft is not going to get anywhere by putting its junkyard anywhere near Apple’s Mercedes dealership. If you want to compete with Apple, be innovative and create awesome products.
All you’re showing the world right now is that Apple was right.
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Microsoft retail: Like putting a junkyard next to a Mercedes dealer
By Jim DalrympleJuly 16, 2009, 9:00 am PT
So, Microsoft has announced they will begin opening retail stores this fall. I actually laughed out loud when I heard the next part–they will put some of them right next to Apple retail stores.
Why? Isn’t that like showing how bad you are and giving people the ability to A/B the products? Wouldn’t you rather locate your stores far away from Apple, so customers will forget how bad your products suck before getting to the Macs?
The analogy that came to mind right away was that it was like putting a junkyard next to a Mercedes dealership.
Apple must have been hoping for this. As a matter of fact, I’m sure that Apple would buy retail space near its stores and give it to Microsoft if they promised to open a store there.
Seriously, this is hardly a fair fight. On one side you have world class Apple designers working on its stores, which have turned out to be a phenomenal success in a market where retail shouldn’t be successful. On the other side, you have Microsoft with deep pockets to keep bad products on the market.
This isn’t the first time Microsoft has taken on Apple with a “killer” product. Just look at the Zune, that not-so-popular MP3 player that the world has basically forgotten about.
Of course there is Windows, the idea of which was stolen from Apple in the first place. If you don’t like Windows, you can always use DOS–that one is all Microsoft. And why shouldn’t you use Windows–you can catch a few viruses and some malware, so your computer can slow to a crawl and never work right again.
That sounds promising.
I’d love to see a shootout between a Mac Genius and a Windows… what will Microsoft call them? Live-in caretakers, maybe.
Ask the caretaker and genius to do simple things on their respective systems and see how easy–or difficult–it is. Then ask them questions on troubleshooting application installs, driver problems and connecting peripherals.
I’m assuming at this point they would just let the genius go for lunch since we don’t have those problems.
Microsoft is not going to get anywhere by putting its junkyard anywhere near Apple’s Mercedes dealership. If you want to compete with Apple, be innovative and create awesome products.
All you’re showing the world right now is that Apple was right.
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You are forgetting that DOS was borrowed from CPM by Microsoft; therefore, this copying began in the beginning.
Now, shoppers can really compare Apples to PCs and see that those MS Ads are lies and deception.
Go for it Microsoft. They will just be digging themselves deeper in their grave.
The opposite of genius is moron. And, Microsoft Morons is alliterative.
This statement by Microsoft just confuses me. My local mall (Cherry Creek in Denver) has both an Apple Store and a Sony store.
The comparison between the two is pathetic. No one is every in the Sony store. The clerks can’t be bothered to acknowledge your presence. It is just a depressing place to be. And, yet, Sony is a company with interesting products (e.g., TVs) and good styling.
*snerk*
I just had an image of Steve Ballmer as Fred Sanford in his rocker outside of the junkyard/MS store, occasionally throwing the rocker around and randomly calling passersby “Y’big dummy!”
I thought Microsoft equivilent of the Apple geniuses were the paper MSCE guys – the Microserfs.
Has Apple planted some people inside Microsoft to give them ideas?
Neil, I’m thinking more and more the answer is yes.
I have been watching Microsoft move ever since Window 95 and I have come to the conclusion that they have always copied stuff from Apple. For Microsoft to overtly copy the success of the Apple store makes me believe that you maybe right. I just cannot wait to see these new window stores rise next to those incredible Apple stores. It has become a huge source of hilarity in our household.
*shaking head* This is such an incredibly bad idea I doubt that even M$ came up with it unaided. I too think that someone must be poisoning them from the inside. First the Laptop Hunters ads and now this? They are heading straight into a bloodbath.
First, let me say that I have a MacBook and I love it.
That said, I’m not a complete Microsoft hater and I’d like to point out that the original Mac GUI OS was not exactly an Apple original. It was born in the lab of Xerox and called the Pilot operating system and incorporated in the Xerox Alto PC. Xerox gave a presentation to Apple and Steve Jobs was so impressed, that it became the inspiration for the first Mac PC’s.
There is nothing new under the sun.
@Matt McCormick…
“Xerox gave a presentation to Apple…”
I think a more careful review of the record will show that Apple actually paid a sum of cash for what was seen at that concept presentation.
Think of a easy to use windows – is it even probable in the complex windows environment?
Now – think of MS releasing their own phone…
Now – think of opensource dying and never to be heard of again
Now – think of apple licensing thier OS to a specific level of machines…
Now – emagine that apples make their own unique chipset, vastly superior to anything on the market
Now – think of having a free lunch from your boss everyday for the remainder of your days…
“Just look at the Zune, that not-so-popular MP3 player that the world has basically forgotten about.”
But, you know, maybe if Microsoft had a store where their products wouldn’t just sit on a shelf collecting dust but where you could actually see the product, play around with it, have someone show you the features and all that, maybe people would consider buying it.
That was the rationale behind the Apple Stores, way back when. Remember when you would walk into a CompUSA or a Sears and find a few Macs stuck in the corner with broken keyboards, missing mice, and crap all over the desktop? Apple decided to open it’s own stores in order to showcase their products and show people why they were better.
Apple’s attitude was that even if the stores manage to break even, it’s still a win because it’s getting Apple and their message out in front of consumers.
So having a store where people can actually try out a Zune and see the “advantages” may actually be a good thing for Microsoft.
It’s a similar deal with Windows 7. Remember Microsoft’s “Mojave Experiment.” They showed people Vista and everyone was impressed. Then they said, “This is Vista” and everyone was surprised–they’d all heard that Vista sucked. The word was out–true or not–don’t buy Vista.
Having the stores will allow Microsoft to promote it’s products. Even if the customer doesn’t buy anything from the store, they’re more likely to go to Best Buy or Dell or WalMart or wherever and buy a PC. And Microsoft makes money. If the stores run at break-even in regards to sales, it’s still a win for Microsoft in much the same way as it was for Apple.
@Matt McCormick “GUI OS was not exactly an Apple original. It was born in the lab of Xerox and called the Pilot operating system and incorporated in the Xerox Alto PC. Xerox gave a presentation to Apple and Steve Jobs was so impressed, that it became the inspiration for the first Mac PC’s. There is nothing new under the sun.”
Creating a concept design in a lab is a lot different than creating and shipping a complete, usable and marketable product that people actually want to use.
We can see how far the Xerox Alto PC actually got. A great idea and zero execution to a marketable product. Sure Windows has had great success as a copy of a copy but like all photocopies it’s simply a shallow shadow of the real thing.
The fact that Microsoft is compelled to open these stores and run commercials against the Mac, a computer platform with single digit market-share, only goes to show what a real threat Apple is.
To be serious for a moment, what does MS plan to sell in these stores? They don’t have hardware to show off other than Zunes, keyboards, and mice. Who’s going to a store just for that when they can see them at Staples?
And nobody goes to a store to buy Windows in a box except for upgrades. MS will have to be a PC reseller in order to have to bring people into the store. Otherwise, imagine the staff having to tell people “Well, you can’t actually buy this computer, we’re just showing you Windows – if you like it, go buy it somewhere else”.
And if MS does become a PC reseller, then they have to play politics with the PC vendors over which one will be sold. Will it be HP? Dell? Gateway?
This is one of the stupidest piece of fanboy flamebait that I’ve ever seen. If Microsoft products were so miserable, then they wouldn’t have 90%+ market share. And not all Apple products are perfect. I own and use both; there are merits to each.
Let Microsoft create their stores and let the market decide which they want to own.
@Glockner
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
The fact that slop enjoys 100% market share amongst pigs does not make slop anything else than slop.
Very much of Microsoft’s 90%+ marketshare is shallow.
It is built on enterprise IT’s self-serving stipulation of PCs,
which forces them on a captive market. And the network
effect, and the lack of knowing they have a choice, lead
consumers to propagate this folly.
Let your mechanic choose your car. Guess what, it’s
probably going to be in the shop a lot. Surprise. Not.
Yes, there are merits to each. But for Mom & Pop, a Mac
makes way more sense. They’re just figuring that out –
at long last — and switching.
Microsoft’s creating stores isn’t going to help. People
already know what PC’s are. It’s a desperate ploy at best.
The more people realize they have a choice, the more
they will choose. And that’s good for Apple all the way.
Sunny Guy
Actually, MS bought QDOS as a clone of Gary Kidall’s CP/M operating system, and rebadged it as MS DOS. So, technically, that really wasn’t steeped in MS R&D either.
What kind of misplaced hubris do you need to create a ripoff retail strategy, where you’ll be selling ripoff Apple products, and then decide to place them right next to Apple stores?
“The fact that Microsoft is compelled to open these stores and run commercials against the Mac, a computer platform with single digit market-share, only goes to show what a real threat Apple is.”
This I completely agree with. The scary part for Microsoft is that a very significant portion of their business, roughly ~50% of it, comes from businesses. The iPhone (in particular) is starting to bring a lot of young people in to the Apple eco-system. These are going to be the business owners 5, 10, 15 years from now and if MS isn’t careful, they’ll be running Macs in their businesses.
At that point, Apple will really start to gain some market share. Of course, then there will be a whole new crop of Apple haters, virus writers, anti-Apple bloggers, etc. With great success, comes great hatred.
One other quick comment about this line: “To be serious for a moment, what does MS plan to sell in these stores?”
Ummm…I’d say the Xbox 360 alone has a tremendous amount of hardware and software to offer. In fact, the only way Microsoft can really make this store cool, is if they setup a bunch of Xbox gaming systems with monster high-def TV’s, throw gaming parties/tournaments/etc.
Microsoft also writes a lot of software besides just Windows. Most of it, besides Office, most people have never heard of, so it might be a good chance for them to showcase what else they do.
MS is suffering from self-delusion. If you ever read their marketing material, their software is simply the best there is. With this delusional mind-set they were unable to see what the iPod would be. They were unable to see what the iPhone would be. They were unable to see challenges from Google. Instead, they brought us Bob, the Zune, Vista, and Clippy.
With this mind-set they believe that if they put their software up against the Apple store, people will flock to their shops. Well, maybe if they put up some Xboxes they can have some kids come in and play all day so the stores look busy.
Of course, MS loses about $100 on every XBox they sell…but that’s another story…
There is a Sony Style store in the mall with the local Apple Store. Apple store-crowded, Sony- ghost town
Macs suck balls.
Overrated and overpriced, but are masters of marketing to snobbish fanboys.
Again, in case you missed it, Macs suck balls.
Scenario for MS Store opening: lone person waits outside for 3 minutes, doors open, staff clap and whoop, lone person is escorted inside, cameras flash, lone person buys copy of Office for Mac at bargain opening price, lone person leaves.
MSFT has tried this before. Long before Apple in fact. About 10 years ago they had a “retail” store in the Sony (as it was then) Metreon in San Francisco.
It was depressing place. There wasn’t actually much there you could buy. It was more of a showroom of 3rd party devices and an endless array of laptop carrying cases.
This was before the debacle that is Vista when MSFT image wasn’t as tarnished as it is today. Back then they didn’t even really have strong competition from Apple and they still couldn’t pull it off.
MSFT struggled on with it for about 2 years before closing the doors and whimpering off back to their lair.
MSFT Retail = FAIL
DOS did not ‘borrow’ from CP/M, DOS stole large chunks of CP/M code, pausing only to change the / to a \.
I’ve been in the Cherry Creek Apple Store and Sony store several times. Dave is dead-on, the Sony store is just depressing.
Wow…
I’ve seen bias, however this is like a Steve Job’s appreciation fair.
You guys need to gain some objectivity. Apple isn’t as godly as you’d like to believe.
u guys r all just a bunch of spoiled brats. M$ might not be your favorite because u can afford to buy a piece of junk MAC that costs a lot more, is incompatible to the rest of the world and still say that a Windows based system is bad. How about Apples move to Intel based Computers?
If people needed to write viruses for MACs, because there were enough of them on the market, then they would.
NO Computer, MAC, PC, LINUX or UNIX based or whatever you use is without its flaws. In 09 Mac put out 30 critical updates within a 3 month period, someone had actually taken the time to hack their kernel and find vulnerabilities.
85% of the worlds computers use an M$ solution, don't deny that that counts for something, seeing that even the latest MAC OSX, as an update costs less then 80$. Why don;t more people buy MACs? Try getting some service from you APPLCARE package elsewhere, like in Africa, and you might have to ship it from central Africa to Europe or to South Africa, fortunes are spent there and i can get better service at a local computer shop for a Windows based system.
Macs are nice, but their kind of advertising should actually get the a Class Action Lawsuit for being so negative about others.
DUH