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Microsoft to Battle Apple at Mall of America
I hate malls, especially really really big ones.
Yet, I might brave the biggest mall in the U.S. to watch the clash of the titans. Microsoft is opening a shop right across from an Apple store in Mall of America, not far from my home in the Twin Cities.
Scheduled to open November 6, the new store will be the fifth Microsoft retail space, offering "services that make technology ownership empowering and hassle-free."
Microsoft will occupy 8,600 total square feet, including 5,200 square feet of public space, at the megamall. And the shop apparently will dwarf Apple's space across the hall.
The specific location at the mall is a good move by Microsoft, which may lure shoppers from its popular neighbor.
Better yet, the only person to comment on a related story in a TwinCities.com blog suggests:
"The Apple store give the Microsoft sales people a place to play and visit while they wait for the few customers at their own store"
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2 Comments (displayed in order by date/time)
We have a Microsoft store here in Mission Viejo. They sell Windows for the most part. They do Kinect demo’s in the Mall common areas as well.
One thing to note, their initiative is to have a store everywhere Apple has one. These stores have 128 - 42” LCD monitors that “wrap” the walls 2 high by 64 wide. The custom media is still not up to par. It started as a 128 display crayon drawing. Now it has some live video that spans 4 (2x2) screens at a time. Other sections seem to employ a 2x3 section and play a couple different rotating static ads.
Anyway, could be some work for the locals hanging these things, although MS has a smaller install budget than you’d think (inside scoop from someone who knows).
They have MS Surface tables and Zune as well, although the former has been discontinued (they are selling the SDK but not the hardware) and the latter is seldom thought of.
It would be inspiring if Microsoft would come up with an original idea of their own instead of copying someone all the time.