Microsoft Retail Stores in Autumn

[GommeInc]

Nah your right the Zune players never took off in England (they barely took off in America) but with the Zune Marketplace Coming to england on PC's and also Xbox im sure they must be bringing out the Zune HD's in England

They do look quite good, so it's possible.

What is really frustrating (noticed this the other day) is how anti-competitive electronic stores are against MP3 Player companies. Currys and PC World do not sell Creative Zens, or at least any of the decent ones (Zen, Zen X-Fi) - but they have a huge line of iPods. Yeah, they don't sell like hot cakes like the over-glorified iPod, but loads of people want to buy a product that isn't common. It won't even harm the companies involved to have them in stock incase the do (if they don't they just sit in stock until called upon), because as far as Creative go, they don't make a new generation of Zen every 6 to 12 months (more like 2+ years ), so they won't go out of style as fast as the iPod.

Until stores bother to sell mixed types of MP3 Players, the Zune may have difficulties unless Microsoft push to have the Zune sell in other stores as well as their Microsoft Stores.

[Recursion]

I don't think the Zune came to England because we have to import them from US sites :S

[Agnostic Bear]

What would they have in these stores, considering they don't make computers?

Hardware, they have a massive range of it and it's all incredibly good and reliable, they usually have the best or very near the best in the industry of what they sell, even though it's all made in China.

[efq]

Lol if I read it right, it said next to Apple Stores? I would love to see the competition between them both.

[Clowgon]

Should be good, no surprise if they choose London as the first!

I hear Amazon will be opening up some retail stores also.

[efq]

We have a brand new Apple Store in the Grand Arcade 2 mins away.

[GommeInc]

Hardware, they have a massive range of it and it's all incredibly good and reliable, they usually have the best or very near the best in the industry of what they sell, even though it's all made in China.

I've never heard of their hardware! Only the OS, Surface, Office and peripherals(?) (webcams, mice, keyboards etc). It'll be interesting to see this hardware in action in the stores and what they have to offer.

It looks like all these e-businesses are taking up some of the empty shops now in towns and cities :S (granted, Microsoft isn't an e-business as such). One shop in Colchester sells stuff for you on ebay, with a % of the sale.

[Turbocom]

Already heard about it, I heard they're were plans for them making one by an Apple store about a half hour near my home so that would be nice. (In Canada)

Here is a mockup design. The model is a 1/18th scale of what Microsoft is planning for the future.



notice on all the laptops they have



This is a finished model in a warehouse in the Microsoft REDMOND ground.


and then Ned Flanders.


If you'd like to see more of it, I've got this video link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEW8ITpUvSs

[GommeInc]

That actually looks awesome. Very modern and chic. It's not drowned out in white like loads of stores lately (not just Apple stores incase you think this is an anti-Apple store post ). I'd actually go into one of them and browse, but what would the laptops be? Surely they don't make their own (or plan to) and won't use third party computer companies like Samsung, Dell etc?

[Turbocom]

I think they are going to be doing what BestBuy does - bringing in other laptops and showing them off. I've also read it maybe a partnership with dell.