Sounds about right, the difference between M$ stores and Apple stores is it's a great attempt at challenging Apple's unique genius bars, best job of repairing phones so I think the tech world kinda expected Microsoft closing their stores. Microsoft is really a behind the scenes, software guy.
I dont own anything apple. Of course my daughter owns every fucking thing they ever made besides a IIE
Its a good product but waaaaay overpriced. Their airpod 2 for example was $240 last Xmas. I bought a set of wireless headphones called Tozo T6 that match them in sound and beat them in function and they cost $39.99 on Amazon.
SIRI voice recognition is subpar. Macs obviously are extremely strong. I use kali and ubuntu linux and windows.
The last time Apple blew everything away was the IPOD and indroduction of touch.
Microsoft is an online company, a retail Microsoft store seems like a rarity you would only come across in NY or some other big city, same as a Nintendo store.
i keep hoping they’ll axe the Surface line too considering the number of out of the box issues we have with them at work, but I get the feeling they want to die on that hill (or surface)
I remember going to the Apple store in fashion valley, which is right in front of a Microsoft store, and contemplating how desolate it was. I’m not surprised by this move.
I have been to the one in SF and one in Washington. They were like little BestBuy’s where everything revolves around Windows and Xbox. You couldn’t get repairs on the store, unlike Apple’s, so for me they served no purpose.
i keep hoping they’ll axe the Surface line too considering the number of out of the box issues we have with them at work, but I get the feeling they want to die on that hill (or surface)
Well, to compete against the Apple notebooks/laptops powered by their exclusive SoC’s, Microsoft will have to partner up with AMD/Intel/Qualcomm at a very deep level to reach the performance/power demands of the future. Such a partnership will require a humongous investment. They might throw the towel at last.
There's one in a mall near me. I actually went to a Titanfall launch event there years ago. I only have positive things to say about it, although I don't ever remember buying anything from there.
So what's happening with Microsoft? First Mixer, now this. It's good to trim fat, but I'm starting to wonder if it's a sign of something more serious.
I wonder if these kind of hottakes happened when Sony closed down all their stores (and Sony has more physical products as a hardware company, too).
Fact of the matter is these companies don't need their own stores when mega-corps like Best Buy do better jobs selling their products without them needing to invest in a physical location. Apple stores are an outlier but even still I see it more as a presence thing because Best Buy sells WAY more Apple products and has better logistics to do so.
It's not a hottake, just a fact. You have a very US-centric view of things...
Take Apple as you said, they release a new MacBook and you can pretty much buy it online anywhere in the world, this strengthens their physical stores and retail power.
MS can't even sell their products online outside US and UK, it is literally impossible for me to buy a Surface Studio where I live through Microsoft. You can check it out:
Explore os produtos e serviços da Microsoft e conte com o suporte para uso doméstico ou empresarial. Compre Microsoft 365, Copilot, Teams, Xbox, Windows, Azure e muito mais.
www.microsoft.com
How do you expect people to buy your products if don't even make them available? But I guess they just don't care, that's not their primary objective as a company nowadays.
The stores always seemed to have a bunch of people in them. Never to the extent of the Apple stores but still... It is also where I got my laptop from.