A RetailWire piece back in October looked at Microsoft's plan to open its retail stores as close to Apple as possible, even if that meant being right across the hall. A number of people chiming in on the strategy saw it as a me-too path to failure.
Bill Emerson, president of Emerson Advisors, said, "If Maxwell House opened a retail store across from a Starbucks, would you consider it a good move for Maxwell House?"
A piece by Dave Methvin on the InformationWeek website yesterday has picked up on the theme.
"If imitation is really the sincerest form of flattery, Microsoft has been tossing compliments at Apple left and right with its new Microsoft retail stores. Not only are Microsoft stores taking up positions near Apple stores, but they have adopted much of the Apple feel. Yet beneath the surface, the two stores are as different as the products they sell."
Part of Microsoft's challenge is that they are selling other companies' stuff. The PCs are made by another company and often come loaded with lots of trial utilities that the purchaser doesn't want. Any negative experience related to products from any other manufacturer become a Microsoft issue if the purchase is made at one of its stores.
Mr. Methvin's answer would be for Microsoft to "create about a half-dozen of the best darn Windows hardware and configurations on the face of the planet. ... There would be no trialware or other junk on these setups. The out-of-box experience should be quick and make people happy they bought from the Microsoft store and not from some big-box discount place."
While Microsoft has stayed out of computer manufacturing, Mr. Methvin said that is a position the company may be wise to reconsider. "If hardware makers don't want to cooperate, I don't think it's out of the question that Microsoft could create its own brand-name computers. It needs to do whatever it takes to ensure the customer gets a good experience."