A Look Inside Microsoft's First Retail Store
Destructoid's Conrad Zimmerman hoofed it to the world's first Microsoft Store in Scottsdale. People actually camped out overnight in order to be the first to get a look inside, which shows you how little there is to do in Arizona.
Zimmerman's verdict: It's an Apple Store with Microsoft touches, which is a good thing. He says the place has a clean, futuristic classy feel to it. Perhaps its most impressive innovation is that the store is capable of printing PC games and packaging on demand.
Zimmerman writes:
If you're more of a PC gamer, you're likely to be a little bit disappointed at first. There is a small section in the opposite corner with boxed games and accessories, but it pales in comparison to the console offerings. Fortunately, there are six kiosks with touchscreen displays situated throughout the store where shoppers may order PC software and have it printed on-demand in under four minutes.
The store also fixes some broken Xbox 360s on site and if your console needs more work, it ships you a refurbished console immediately.
What do you want to see out of your Microsoft store once the company gets around to opening a location near you?
Inside Microsoft's First Retail Store [Destructoid]
(Photo: Destructoid)
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Comments:
@Mackinstyle:
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It's not intentional M$ just cut a lot corners to get the xbox 360 out before the ps3 and they also cut back on fans and heatsink's to save cash same thing with QA.
It doesn't say Microsoft on the outside of the store, at least as far as I can see from the photos.
Do they really think that latest iteration of the Windows logo is strong enough in people's minds to do without a proper sign?
Surely it's a Windows logo and not a MS one anyway.
There is far too much clutter in that store to compare it to Apple. Focus point should not be plural.
That said, Scottsdale? Really?
As much as an Apple fanboy as I tend to be, I really like the 'print on demand' concept.
I like buying a physical product, holding it in my hands. I know a lot of software co's are dead set in favor of digital distribution, to cut on manufacturing costs, etc.
Sounds like a compromise I could live with (hear that, Sony.. ---ahem, PSP GO---ahem).
I wonder if the MS store uses handheld computers to for checkout like the apple store does. It would be kind of funny if those devices ran Mac Os X since the handheld units in the Apple store run Windows Mobile (and the big iPhones in the store window run Windows XP)
@riroon: the print on demand option is pretty nice. i wonder how microsoft worked out IP issues or is the print on demand feature only available for their products? those that are digitally distributed?
Microsoft puts the "no" in innovation.
"camped out overnight," c'mon really??
I hate to say this, but from the pictures, I actually like the look of the Microsoft store much more. Apple stores have always felt sort of... sterile. I know the MS store was designed by the guy who innovated the Apple store, but it seems to breathe a bit more life (like the surrounding wall TV displays).
@Preyfar: I love how "sterile" Apple stores are. My eyes hurt when I'm in dim lighting, or even light that isn't as bright as it should be. Apple stores are great for me because I don't have to squint or make more of an effort to read boxes because of some stupid mood lighting (I'm talking to you, Sony Style).
Nothing to do in Scottsdale? Why, you could picket Stevie Nicks' vocal stylings, or make fun of Charles Barkley.
Where I grew up (in an area heavily populated by the Amish) the most entertaining thing you could do was hang out by the buggy racks (where they hitched their horses) and watch people drive up, grab a shovel, and put horse manure in hefty bags for their gardens. Now that's entertainment!
Kids these days and their Microsoft stores, pffft...
Apple opened its first store here in the DC area. Microsoft chose Arizona.
Who's cooler?
What I want to see in any computer store, is the ability to custom order a machine with any parts that have been tested and show to work with the given OS. This is the 21st century after all. A lot of us kind of know what we're doing.
But can I buy Office 2008 for Mac there?
@Topcat:
Wow, I can't believe Penny Arcade doesn't know the history of M$ (Actually, I *can* believe it).
The original company name was "Micro-Soft". Move the hyphen to the S, and find a key on a regular keyboard (ie: One you'd find on a TTY) that suits. The only thing I see is "$". And now you have M$. Yes, it's a joke on the fact the company was founded on turning the world of computer software against sharing over to paying (open letter to hobbyists). But there you have it. Old habits die hard.
Of course, the modern version would be MS, but as you can see, the <STRIKE> tag doesn't work in most comment systems.
@Topcat: Hahaha, +1 and a heart click.
I do agree that getting basic repairs for a 360 quickly, and without voiding the warranty, would be awesome. It would be great if they could offer some "professional" cleaning too (them being able to open it up and dust it out would help a lot of people's problems).
@TCama: Yep, I have to give Apple the credit here. Steve Jobs chose Glendale, California and Tysons Corner, Virginia for his first two stores. Tysons Corner is a massive retail area for the entire Northern Virginia and DC area.
I would like a work/play station in the Microsoft stores. That's pretty much the only reason I'd step foot in there at all. If Microsoft stores sold individual parts like RAM and hard drives and such, it would be great to be able to walk in with your computer and head to a designated workshop area and upgrade RAM or a graphics card right there. And if you were around other fix-it geeks and had a problem you could have a built-in troubleshooting team right there.
@shepd: It's not about the history, it's about people's tendency to be overly in love with unflattering nicknames for companies.
@TinkishDelight: That may be but what I find annoying is that every Apple store constantly mirrors its sections with product. Once you think you are in a new section you look over only to fiind the same table holding ipod as it did on the other side of the store. Lets also hope microsoft has knowledgable staff. It took me 30 mintues and 3 "geniuses" to find a frickin RCA Y adaptor. Then only to find because its white with pretty packaging it costs $25. Radio shack sells generic looking ones in a sandwich bag stapled to a tab for $7... same damn thing.
I'm a native Arizonan, and grew up in the Glendale/Phoenix area. I've always seen and thought of Scottsdale as a sort of upscale, hipster version of Phoenix without all the historic buildings and the blight. In that, I can see why Microsoft chose to establish their shop in Scottsdale.
But I'm curious-- what do other people (living outside of Arizona) think of, or have heard of, or their impression of Scottsdale?
@SPENCERG: It's hot as hell, and a ton of elderly people retire there. That's what I've heard, anyway.
@remington870_20ga: Why didn't you just go to a Radio Shack then? I try to avoid buying products at stores which do not exclusively mean to sell those products. It'd be like buying sushi at a gas station. Terrible idea, you'll probably overpay.
@pecan 3.14159265: Scottdale; it's more difficult to get to to demand warranty repairs.
Things that make you go, "Hmmmm..."
@pecan 3.14159265: Its becasue I needed one fast on the way out of town and a Radio Shack wasnt near.
All that I want to see is a gallows, centre in the stores. This is where we can hang the various MS bosses and programmers who perpetuate the spaghetti-code of Windows and Windows Servers. I'd be willing to pay great sums of money (real, not the great sums promised by the Nigerians) to pull the trap door out on anyone involved in programming Exchange Server. Rewrite the damn thing already -- it blows!
@remington870_20ga: Or $0.49 at Monoprice. Order a boatload of them and never run out, or ship them to your destination.
Watch it collapse under the weight of annoyed customers bringing in virus-infested computers trying to get their floppy drives to work, added with their characteristic reputation for customer service.
I expect, "It's your hardware - fix it yourself" to become the new store mantra by 2nd day.
@Joeb5: So the same guys that manufactured-by-design to foist damaged goods to their most enthusiastic customers paying good money are the people who'll cheerfully, quickly fix it for free with no customer stress?
INteresting.
@remington870_20ga: I'm quite annoyed when Nordstrom's won't match the prices at Ross Dress for Less as well.
When does the Doors OS store open?
@FLConsumer: You want a Playstation in a Microsoft store? I can see them having issues with that one.
@LVP: eh, MS hasn't come that far. They still haven't discovered Foundation OS (*nix) like the rest of the world has.
@Trai_Dep:
I'm so sick of people bashing Arizona. There's plenty to do here. And since the weather is AWESOME, we actually get to do it for 12 months.
@Hanshiro:
It's only difficult to get to if you don't live nearby. Phoenix is a huge, growing city. What decade are you folks living in?
@pecan 3.14159265:
Wrong. It's only hot a few months out of the year. That's like saying NYC is cold all the time. It's going to be 86 here today. Not too shabby for October.
@Caged Wisdom: Just to be clear though, I live in a small city in Missouri called Springfield - we are best known for being the original home of Bass Pro, the city where cashew chicken was invented and for being located about 45 minutes from Branson. So Scottsdale even getting a Microsoft store manages to make them cooler than my city, and I'm an Apple fanboy.
@FLConsumer: Yes, except that there would be more than 2 or 3 available components from which to choose.
@SPENCERG: That sounds like you're being awfully nice to Scottsdale, and more like a description of Chandler really. Scottsdale is all about the rich and the snobby, with a healthy dose of old. I'm a little surprise, by that, that they'd have picked it. Phoenix proper would make sense, or Tempe. But why Snottsdale?
I mean hell, South Park did call it the worst place in the world with good reason.
Fixing broken X360s on site is probably the biggest highlight. With such a high failure rate, the biggest annoyance was sending it in and being without it for weeks. This also enables conspiracy theorists to say that it's intentional, to get customers into the store, having to wander around for half an hour. ;)