[PCWorld]

Post your comments for 10 Ways Microsoft's Retail Stores Will Differ From Apple Stores here

[LarryT]

Don't forget number 11:

Microsoft Store personnel will allow the user to select the products and way of using them that they want, instead of acting like evangelical fanatics about the superiority of their box.

[TechieXP]

So since MSFT doesn't have their own computer, I wonder what OEM they will use. Unless they are secretly planning to drop the Microsoft PC for teh first time ever. They certainly have the money to do so.
Can you imagine a giant Zune mimicing the giant IPOD?
This would be the perfect time to pop out the Surface PC.
12.) A sign with the Apple Logo hanging by its stem.

[AdamEntity]

#12. Products sold in the store will be pre-releases(Vista) of working software that will be later released as a Beta(Windows7) until it's final release a year later.

[Deadhacker]

12) Microsoft Store security personnel will not allow the customer to leave after making a purchase, until the store is shut down completely.
13) If a customer enters the store carrying a product from another company, he will be informed that the other product is not certified by Microsoft and that he shouldn't use it. This will greatly confuse customers who just bought a new computer at the Big Box store next door, and aggravate computer professionals, but Microsoft store personnel will ignore any response other than "OK."

[rickburian]

This is still speculation but

12a- The stores are going to have state of the art air filtration systems inside to prevent anyone inside from giving you a virus. From what I understand it will work for everyone except 12 year old boys from China. Go Figure

[whoareyou2]

I think you might be confusing this with the Linux store...

[kutts]

This is the most ridiculous and cheap journalism I have seen in a long time. This reporter has no idea of anything about either Microsoft or Apple and just for cheap publicity and inviting viewers with a slanted title wrote this piece of CRAP.

Both MS and Apple have their own value and atleast MS is humble in its approach to customers.

Please learn to write sensible journalism and not use the Microsoft powered PC to type some CRAP like this.

[seilerbird1]

You have to feel sorry for Apple fanboys that this is how they waste their lives away proving to the entire world how jealous they are of Microsoft. You could have just bought a real PC to begin with and then you would have a life.

[Kekk123]

WTF!!, this is the worse article I have read this year and even though its only Feb I bet you get the award. It seems PC world is the new People mag, in fact I bet there are more informative articles there than here. Brennon Slattery some village is missing their, ohh never mind...

[RexM]

kutts, it's a humorous post. This was obviously not intended to be serious.

[stellis11]

Actually, Windows has better security than Mac OS X. Why don't you ever criticize Apple products? I think I'm going to finally unsubscribe from PC World news because it's constantly harping on how great Apple is. I'm sick of it.

[iphoenix]

28) In order to avoid anti-trust issues Microsoft will provide two shopping carts one blue labeled Internet Explorer, and one Red labeled Firefox. However you be unable to browse certain parts of the store with the Firefox cart.

[milkmood]

Wow. Get a life people.
1.) this is a blog (that's B-L-O-G). That means it's an opinion.
2.) this is an attempt at humor (that means F-U-N-N-Y)
They could have gone on with 40 more items and it could have only been better. Go at it CodeMercenary, it's all yours.

[trevorm]

I hear Microsoft is following the Starbucks business model; not only will there be a Microsoft store on every corner, but new retail centers will automatically come "bundled" with the tech outlet. Cue lawsuits.

[nyBry]

I agree that, while a little bit funny, this article really doesn't belong here. Mad Magazine maybe, but definitely not PCW.
And look, i'm a pc - I don't look down at mac users, i don't insult them, i don't brag that i spent less money on a computer that has, in my opinion, more WORLD WIDE functionality. I like my pc's just fine, i even like Vista, so shoot me...i'll never get this division. Do Pepsi drinkers insult Coke drinkers' intelligence? Do VW drivers insult the intelligence of Toyota drivers? Burger King/McDonalds, Staples/OfficeMax, etc.?
Why all the hate?

[DingoDan]

I can't believe I just wasted 5 minutes of my life reading this article. Poor Journalism. And another minute wasted writing this!

[CodeMercenary]

10 Ways Apple's Retail Stores Will Differ From Microsoft Stores:

1. They talk to every customer
as though they are a child, using only simple words so they don't get confused. Any customer asking a difficult question will be patted on the head and told it's not important.

2. All receipts are
printed out in crayon on pretty colored paper.

3. The employees are hackers at heart but have had
their personalities wiped so they appear to be as dumb as super-models.

4. In order to leave the store the customers have to jump in the trash can.

5. There will only be 1 apple store for every 10 Microsoft stores. After 20 years with less than 10% market share Apple will consider themselves a successful retail outlet.

6. With so few stores they will rarely get broken into thus gaining a reputation for security. The few thieves that try to break in will find that glass walls are much easier to break than steel walls with holes. Apple will quietly fix the cracks in their glass with the hopes that no one notices them.

7. Every year the Apple store will move to a new location and you have to pay another $100 to get permission to enter the new store. Sometimes the move will require the purchase of new clothes and shoes to enter the store.

8. Every 10 years they will totally change how the store works and you'll have to buy a new car and get new credit cards and cash in order to use the new store. At the Microsoft store you will be able to use the car, credit cards and cash that you've used your whole life. The new stores will be based on the building design the Microsoft stores have always used but the Apple stores will claim the change is innovative.

9. While the Microsoft store will have a whole department dedicated to gaming the Apple store will have one shelf comprised mostly of 20 year old games, most of them variations on Myst.

10. Customers will only be able to buy music supplied by the Apple store and will only be able to listen to it while they are in the store.

CodeMercenary
aka Steve Hiner

[efefher]

This is just funny.... seriously, who in their right mind would take this seriously. Love it.

[ogman]

Great story, very funny. Too bad some of the fanboys got their feelings hurt. ;)