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While October 22, 2009, will be remembered as the day Microsoft formally introduced technology consumers to its Windows 7 operating system (OS), the Redmond-based software company’s retail launch was two-pronged thanks to the opening of its debut bricks-and-mortar Microsoft Store.
The first of many. Image: opalandtheidiot/Flickr.
The shop in question threw open its doors yesterday in Scottsdale Fashion Square, Arizona, and is the first official outlet offered up by Microsoft as it takes aim at the international retail dominance enjoyed by market rival Apple Inc. and its established line of 275 branded stores.
Beyond stocking obvious Microsoft products such as the Xbox 360 home console, the Windows operating system, and the ZuneHD multimedia player, Microsoft’s Scottsdale store also carries a wealth of computer hardware and consumer electronic devices manufactured by business partners such as Panasonic, LG and Dell.
Those products include a total of 24 different notebooks in a variety of configurations and prices, a trio of all-in-one desktop computers, half a dozen budget-friendly Netbooks, and a modest spread of smartphones carried by AT&T, Sprint and Verizon.
With Microsoft’s Scottsdale staff now working on creating a closer, more amiable relationship between the software company and its customer base, a second official outlet in Mission Viejo, California, is to open before the close of November, with more stores following close behind.
In terms of anticipation and initial consumer reception for the light and airy Scottsdale store – which reportedly feels much like an Apple Store, and even has is own take on the problem-solving ‘Genius Bar’ – around 100 people were waiting for the store to open ahead of 10:00 am, with upwards of 2,000 shoppers having perused its stock within a few hours of opening.
However, it’s perhaps worth noting that Microsoft had added a little incentive for prospective shoppers in offering up free tickets to an Ashley Tisdale concert for the first 1,000 customers.
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