Microsoft Retail Store videos: looks like bizarro Apple Store
It is really eerie how Microsoft's "copy, copy, copy" philosophy pervades all of their endeavors. Instead of creating a new experience for potential customers, they've put different color shirts on employees and changed the tables slightly from every Apple store you've ever seen. Videos of Scottsdale Store opening below:
As Daring Fireball points out: Creepy.
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Comments (43)
wow its identical.......
Here's a good response to what has happened:
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=rqRWYHGxpPc
Two points I think are needed to be made:
1. The way the MS stores are designed will make it really easy to quickly redecorate them when Apple takes them over to make them profitable.
2. One shouldn't compare "Apple" with Oranges. Lemons as Microsoft equivalent are much more appropriate and closer to reality.
The lighting in that store is awful, the brown tables are revolting, and the wall screens.... okay they're quite cool.
imagine how long those lines at the "answer" bar will be with all of the issues people will be having...
This is pathetic. Apple stores have something to cheer about because of the products, architecture, staff and company overall. I wouldn't want to one of those guys, cheering in people that are just being conspicuously used to lure money out of them.
Clearly, if Apple chooses to make it a legal issue, they could do so on the grounds of trade dress. It should be interesting to see how they handle it. It might depend on how aggressive MS is about these things.
When MS CO Kevin Turner says that they might build these things 'right next to existing Apple stores', you can bet that they will be sued by Apple if they don't alter their design to be a less blatant copy.
It must be so embarrassing and humiliating to work for Microsoft.
Apple didn't invent island tables with products on them.
This is true, but companies are sometimes able to say they've established a certain look and associated it with their company. And if a competing company copies them too closely, they can sometimes be forced to change. It's happened before. And it's hard to imagine a more blatant example than this.
And I'll agree with the previous poster's remarks. Don't the employees feel some kind of shame at their employer, which seems to admit at every turn that despite having more money than God, they're just an intellectual & creative desert?
How embarrassing, all Microsoft can do is copy copy. Looks like there are more staff in the shop than customers and those guys in suites ha ha.
Thing is an Apple store looks elegant and classy, this looks like a very tacky copy and badly done.
What I want to know is those POOR staff at the "Answers Bar" how long are they going to last at that job before they burn out and go insane.
Come on Microsoft come up with an original idea for once. Just trying to look and act like an Apple store is not going to work
microsoft is a swagger jacker!
It looks like someone robbed an Apple Store and replaced it all with crap.
Seriously Microsoft - I know imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but come on - this isn't even trying. All thats missing from these pictures is Steve Balmer claiming Apple ripped off the idea from them!
Ps I so can't wait for the first BSOD pic from their video wall! (Although chances are it was designed and edited using Final Cut on a Mac anyway!)
Actually, it's Microsoft trying very very hard. What it is that they're TRYING, though...
I don't know where people get off calling this a complete ripoff of the Apple Store. The table tops are BLACK! It's totally different....
I wonder how much power is being wasted by all those screens that wrap the entire store, talk about the total antithesis of being green!
Not only are they wasting huge amounts of power on the displays themselves, imagine the HEAT they kick out! So they've got to run the AC a ton more, just to make up for it. Their power bill will be roughly the same as a small town's. Every month.
hahahah Microsoft's cute.
So, umm... isn't microsoft very strong against piracy? apparently they can do it to anybody, but it is not cool if someone else copies from them? There goes their credibility down the drain.
No, seriously- they have! LOL!!
Those upright plastic stands are quite funny (awful). You'll have to squat down to read them, or risk injuring your neck!!
same same but different
This actually looks exactly like the Visitor Center at Microsoft headquarters in Bellevue. Just bigger. I was there a couple of weeks ago and was surprised by it (didn't see a point to it really if that's all they were doing, no company history or anything).
Dear Microsoft,
Until you can come up with your own work and stop copying your classmates, you must go sit in the corner and be still.
You really should be ashamed of yourself!
Pathetic.
So if they are showing all those laptops that run Windows shouldn't they have some Apple laptops running Windows on Bootcamp, Parallels & VMWare ?
What losers they are ROFLMAO
What's up Apple? #1 the Genius bar is a nightmare to get a time slot, so don't act like mac's don't have problems #2 Apple didn't invent a place where you can buy things---maybe Walmart will sue you into the stoneage---how stupid is that? #3 I hear Windows 7 is pretty sweet.......I used to love Apple, but that dang beachball is constantly spinning....feels like I have a microsoft POS! I think it's funny how all you mac people feel you're losing your unique identities....bunch of elitist turds! You should see the dorks walking around w/ iphones now....time to find a new OS guys......you are the new microsoft.
...you must be one of their elitist turd, sent to troll around in the Comments sections.
If that's the case, Microsoft is exactly the same.
Btw what's your employee ID, I mean in Microsoft?
What no Desktop PC's? Oh right no room for the cable mess - nice move Microsoft, I would put them on my desk ether!
Like Jobs says..
Microsoft has NO taste. This is absolute proof..once again.
What a Joke. A really bad second rate rip off. Problem is, most people will think it's a great new idea.
Has not started wearing blue jeans and black turtlenecks. By about now, I would not be surprised.