Check out this video. If you've ever been to an Apple Store, this is about the most severe case of deja vu you'll ever have.
Microsoft opened its first retail store today in Scottsdale, Ariz., and, well, to me it's an Apple Store. It looks like an Apple Store. The Geniuses are called Gurus. Microsoft even hired Apple executives to help launch the concept.
Of course there are some differences:
1. After customers talk to employees for more than a few minutes at a time, they turn blue and need to be rebooted.
2. Everything at the Microsoft store comes in 6 different editions. So if you need a USB cable, there's the USB cable home premium, business, platinum limited, etc.
3. Whenever Gurus are close to making sale and customer hesitates, they show a picture of that cute little girl in the commercials to guilt them into buying.
4. In the theater, when they play the I'm a Mac and I'm a PC commercials, everything Mac says is bleeped out.
5. The guys in suits and sunglasses look like secret service, but they're actually modeling the latest spy-wear. Get it? Spyware ... ehhhh.
That's my take. What's yours? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter.
Thanks for calling.
2 Comments
Mike Belsito said:
How disappointing! Microsoft is a smart company. They had a real opportunity to launch something cool, unique, different. Not simply copy Apple's exact layout, look/feel, etc. It screams "me too" -- not innovation.
*Sigh!*
victry1 said:
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Have to wonder - what computers are they showing? Dell? HP? Too bad they couldn't think of something new to do. Kinda sorry they had to copy Apple like that.
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