Bias much?

Well, the picture has one thing right, both the Leftorium and MS are sinister.

I'd like to congratulate you on the extreme detail of the background products. That's some very nice editing. (you missed I Heart Southpaws though)

The Microsoft Store is replacing The Leftorium?

@LUV2CattleCall: Eh, I don't own an Apple computer, so it's tough to be too biased towards them. But a software-based store will never be as exciting as a hardware-based one.

@Darrone: and the left handed t-shirt.

ZUNES AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE

surely it's their turn to open a store and add some customer services for cpu idiots like me

It will basically be a bunch of $5 bargain bins like Walmart has full of Vista discs.

However they'll charge you $150 additional for the XP "downgrade" disc / warranty service extension.

@Darrone:

Lol nice, go latin

@GOKOR: Outside of the word "left", I'd say thats unreadable. It could be saying "To get to the Microsoft store, take a left at the apple store, a right at the other apple store, then a left down a sketchy alley."

I can see people lined up at the BSOD bar now...

granted, an opening of the Micro-Mart should threaten business in the near future

Imagine working there, wall to wall employee discounts and no customers. Cake job. (Seriously, does anyone buy software from anywhere BUT on line?)

Ahhh, Microsoft. Is there any successful idea you can't rip off with an astonishing degree of failure? One stop shopping for the Zune, Vista, Urge, Surface, MS Directband devices, Windows Automotive, and many more! Only at the FAIL store!

And with this, one begins to wonder if the old "Microsoft just copies everything Apple does" saying is true....

And no one at that store will be able to coherently explain to the average american the difference between Vista Capable and Vista Ready either...

@Darrone: You're stretching...not wrong, but you're stretching.

Whatever, it was a nice suggestion though, I got a little kick out of it.

I wonder what their Genius Bar will be called? The Wisdom Bistro?

Aww come on guys! Microsoft isn't "copying" the idea... they came up with it first, Apple copied it and started using it before they could. that's all...

With the last few decisions...

The wii-like 360 controller.
The buying of Yahoo.
And now this store.

I think we are all witnessing the fall of Microsoft.

I thought they already had a store like that named Best Buy?

I can see it now... Zune and Xbox stuffed into one small corner, and the other 90% of the store is shelf space for the 800 different versions of Windows Vista.

don't forget MS Surface! They should start a Microsoft restaurant, and I'm being totally serious.

So umm... this is a GameStop that sells PC software? Do we go in, play with the Xbox 360, and when that gets boring, stare at the cool holographic designs on the Vista discs? Microsoft doesn't sell enough hardware for a store. Half the store (or more) would be 3rd party machines and products.

does it say "i love south park" on the barrel below the "i love vista" poster?

The decor be beige cinderblock walls with horrible fluorescent lighting, checkered linoleum flooring and white laminate MDF furniture.

Yeah they're totally copying apple. ATTENTION ALL COMPANIES: YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO OPEN A STORE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR SELLING YOUR PRODUCTS. THAT WOULD BE COPYING APPLE. That is all.

Id go to a Microsoft store. I hate apple products, and for the most part I absolutely love what Microsoft has been doing lately. <3 zune.

stupid flanders.

You're right. Microsoft is just copying Apple because no corporation before Apple has ever opened a store before. Gee, I seem to remember a Gateway store that came way before Apple broke the 4% barrier.

Each store comes pre-filled with a bunch of annoying vendors that you didn't actually want to interact with...

I have a feeling it's just going to end up being full of kids playing with the Xboxes and adults at the BSOD bar.

sweet tv's with 360s hooked up, a few surfaces, some fancy computer displays, i can see it now...

@JustEaton:

Well here's what I imagine the Microsoft store would sell.

1. Windows
2. Other microsoft software
3. Zune
4. Xbox 360+games and accessories
5. Games for Windows games
6. Microsoft PC accessories. headsets, keyboards, mouse etc.
7. Windows Mobile devices

And I dunno what else really, but that alone would take up a lot of space in a store.

@DaOtter: they haven't put out a phone yet!

How can you tell the difference between an Apple Store and a Microsoft Store? The Microsoft Store is the one with the broken windows.

@NutManIV:
"I hate apple products"

Im shocked, simply SHOCKED!

"for the most part I absolutely love what Microsoft has been doing lately. <3 zune."

yeah that microsoft iPod is pretty slick. what's it called? ah fuck it, it's an iPod.

OMG THIS IS AWESOME... Now I can finally send all of my friends who bought Vista somewhere. I don't have any problems with Vista (cuz all I have installed is Firefox) but everyone else I know seems to have em.

@nutbastard: It's the iWod.

You should make a second pic with slightly altered changes so we can play-find the differences! I have an xbox that has needed 3 repairs so far, so I'm guessing their version of a genius bar would be the "red ring o' death bar" :)

There was an MS retail store at the SF Metreon in 1999. Here's the press release:

[www.microsoft.com]

The store closed in 2001.

@NutManIV: I tweaked your list:

1. Win Vista
2. Win XP
3. Office 2007
4. Office 2008 [for Mac]
5. Zune v1 [since the Brown Zune was the highest seller over the holidays - whooda thunk?]
6. Zune v2
7. Xbox 360+games and accessories
8. Games for Windows games
9. Microsoft PC accessories. headsets, keyboards, mouse etc.
10. Windows Mobile devices
11. Bumper Stickers - T-shirts - Posters - Tattoos - keychains
12. BSOD Bar
13. Complaint Bar

I saw my first Apple store the other day and thought its design was hideous. Then my Best Buy got a HUGE annoying obelisk installed that completely covers up the networking department. Let's Microsoft doesn't copy too much from Apple...

I wonder if one store will sell Office for Mac cheaper?

I'm bias towards Microsoft by-the-way

I think it works for apple because you can't pick up an apple product at your local big box retailer. How many times in your life have you thougth: "Man I wish there was a Microsoft store".

@ejcsanfran: Yeah I can add words to a webpage and slap a date on it too_ We need pics_

@freecajunlove: So you prefer the clutter and chaos - oh excuse me - the stream-lined and efficiency that is Best Buy to the atmosphere of an Apple Store?

Biased or not - you either have one hell of a Best Buy near you or you should get the prescription changed on your glasses_

@kahri: Best Buy sells a ton of Mac products.

@kahri:
Best Buy sells apple products. Staples and many supermarkets sell ipods and apple accessories/itunes gift cards.

@NutManIV & @uberfu: Why would we need a Microsoft store for that? Can't we get all that shit now at every big box retailer?

@uberfu: I'm saying the Apple store was ugly, not the it was inefficient.

If anything Apple made my Best Buy worse by putting up, what is essentially, a big black "censor bar" over departments I want to find.

@uberfu: I will say I enjoyed hearing an employee at the Apple store explain why iWork was better than Office "in every way."

I can see them putting a huge emphasis on Surface in there.

@freecajunlove & discounteggroll: Yep, Best Buy just started, but it's Best Buy. And supermarkets/Staples/RadioShack etc...can't sell me a mac pro or Logic Studio, etc.. My point is, it's a hell of a lot easier to find a copy of vista in your nearest shopping center than a copy of Leopard.

This could have a lot more then an apple store if you think about it. You'd have the obvious Zune and Vista stuff. But also xbox (and all related things) and what about the Surface? I'm sure microsoft would have thier stores get the first batch if possible, leading to a LOT of foot traffic?

First this, what next... a toilet store?

With Vista sales down, Microsoft needs a new Tax write-off ... and if this doesn't work, they can just have a big layoff like all other big businesses.

Best. Article. Graphic. Ever.

I now understand that the Zune = left-handed iPod. Everything (including market-share) suddenly falls into place.

i wonder what their stores will look like?

NOW we know why Bill Gates is pushing for more H-1B visas!

What I think we're overlooking here is microsoft's non-Consumer related products that they could also offer. Their enterprise stuff is for the most part the industry standard. Having a physical location could allow them to get into first party training as well. Hell apple does this, they just don't do it well, but they will teach you their new software like twice a month. Meanwhile MS just has a way to recommend where to go in your area. But think about a one stop place for Sharepoint, .Net, Silverlight, and all their other products that your average Be$t Buy (see what I did there?) emp