Former Apple retail exec now works for Microsoft
Microsoft's retail plans are getting a big boost as the company confirmed to TechFlash that it has hired a former Apple retail executive to help with its store openings.
Here's an Apple store in Scottsdale, Ariz. Will a Microsoft store pop up nearby?
(Credit: Apple)George Blankenship, a Gap executive before joining Apple, was in charge of finding the prime locations that Apple picks for its retail stores. His work with Apple goes back to the start of the decade when Apple kicked off its retail endeavor.
Blankenship is working for Microsoft as a consultant, not as an employee, according to a report on TechFlash.
Whatever his role, Blankenship will be an important addition to Microsoft's retail team, especially considering the strategy it announced last week. Microsoft representatives told CNET that some of the stores will be close to existing Apple retail locations, hinting that it isn't afraid to battle Apple head-on.
Besides the design, one thing that has continually set the Apple retail stores apart from other computer outlets is the location Apple chooses for them. While many computer retailers put their stores in high-traffic malls, Apple tends to choose trendy, upscale locations.
Jim Dalrymple has followed Apple and the Mac industry for the last 15 years, first as part of MacCentral and then in various positions at Macworld. Jim also writes about the professional audio market, examining the best ways to record music using a Macintosh. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. He currently runs The Loop. You can follow him on Twitter @jdalrymple. 
If you can't innovate, replicate!
Hey, at least monkeyfun14 will be hanging out at the Microsoft stores. Anyone else? Unlikely.
Apple making a store isn't innovating..
Agreed, though it is kind of funny that Microsoft may be setting up right next to Apple locations. A good push in competition though. It will be interesting to see how this all panes out.
(I'm assuming you meant 'agnostic', and only as concerns certain hardware types?)
CDubber, it really doesn't matter what you think.
Yeah..like how Steve Jobs went to XEROX PARC and then stole their GUI. Thats monkey see moneky do right there for ya.
@ CDubber :"If you can't innovate, replicate!"
When did opening some Apple store amount to "innovation"?
Microsoft doesn't make PC's it would possibly be another outlet for PC makers to sell their products.
Of course, it would be pretty Zen-like (well, interesting) on their part to at least showcase Apples running Windows 7... I could see that happening just as a friendly nose-tweak of sorts. Then again, I don't see 'em actually doing it because they have a very hard time grasping anything subtle like that...
wow, I can just see the hate you have for Bill Gates in your post. He is there trying to help millions of people and all you can do is redicule the guy? I have a lot of family that lives in the caribbean area and a lot of hurricanes go through that area yearly, I applaude his errort. even if it only works a little, at least it is better than nothing. this kind of tech has the potential to save a lot of lives, homes, and money. it is people like you who sickens me...you can't see the good of a person's actions because you're blinded by hate, hate that you can't even justify.
Hurricanes have been happening longer than man has been alive. You would think that we would be smart enough by now to get the hell out of the way. I am sorry that your Caribbean relatives suffer from these natural events. But that's what they are, and screwing around with nature to stop them is a BAD IDEA.
Most hurricane deaths are caused by ignorance of the conditions, and refusal to comply with evacuation orders. So unless you can give me a plausible reason why we should risk upsetting our already fragile ecosystem with a "game plan" that may or may not work, I think it's just a ridiculous idea.
I understand what you're saying, however, the drop in water temp would not be a sustained event...just enough time to break up the hurricane so the water dwellers will be fine. it doesn't have to be used all the time just on really powerfull hurricanes that are sure to hit land. and I can tell you that you are wrong about: "Most hurricane deaths are caused by ignorance of the conditions, and refusal to comply with evacuation orders." there are usually no where to go to escape except in your house and if it's not strong enough then you're gone with the house when the storm hits. the islands are small, and the storms usually cover them with no problem.
people used to say using a microwave oven to heat up your food is a bad and ridiculous idea....but I bet you use your microwave oven all the time.
@ lennie... mother nature rules. If we're in the way, we get out. If we can't move out of the way, then mother nature wins. Do not ever forget that humans are also a part of the cycle of life. The ability to survive is present in each of us. I sold everything I had and made do with a tent for 8 months when I moved from the east coast of FL to the west coast. Why did I do this? TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF HURRICANES!!!!!. It only took one storm to convince me that there are certain places on this earth that should not have been inhabited.
Did anyone ever stop and think that natural disasters might be nature's way of telling us that we will not be allowed to take over EVERY SQUARE INCH of this planet ?
shycelticwitch:- I have to agree you have major chip on your shoulder with Gates and he isn't even running the company, hasn't for almost 18months now. Get over it
If you're talking about the (über) limited formats that iTunes supports, then I can't argue with you.
And FWIW, "it's" is not a possessive, it is a contraction...
They are going to be selling Macs! :)
Oh heck. They'll just sell cheap laptops.
You forgot "BlueRay!" :)
Seriously we are all just speculating on what will be in the stores.
well said, => speculating part
Anyway, there's nothing wrong with a company having their own store for their own products.
Even if you don't consider PCs at all, there's Zune, X-box, and WinMo devices. Then there's staff who have expertise with the products (not saying Best Buy guys are dumb, since I personally like Best Buy, but rather, there's fewer products overall and the depth of their knowledge with the product will simply be better).
A good example of one such advantage would be that the consumers attention could be drawn towards products, without having to find them in a sea of other ones. A good example of this would be the Zune which, though being a very capable media-player, tends to be blocked from a shoppers view by many other players, most prominently the iPod. Also if the right staff is hired, customers at these shops could get direct and to-the-point customer support and advice on everything ranging from their operating system set-up to technical details on the newest Zune.
A good customer support is vital. You now have people such as not perticularly motivated Best-buy or Walmart salespeople selling Microsoft products and highly motivated (higher-pay) and well informed Apple salespeople at the Apple stores. It comes as no big surprise to me that so many people are switching over to Apple.
Of course this is by far not the main reason for people to shift, but customer support is a vital factor anyway.
But personally I really don't care too much. This Apple-Microsoft confrontation is not only a little pathetic (á la fanboy) and laughable (really bad ads), but also getting boring (eg: the same dumb comments coming from the same people constantly commenting under MSFT or Apple news-posts flaming eachother)
PS: I do have a slight ppreference for Microsoft all the same :P
Yes, but Microsoft will somehow have to drive people to these stores, which may be difficult. Apple does it by providing great customer service and support, something Microsoft has not been historically known for (ever called MSFT tech support? Yes? Then you know what I'm talking about).
@djames42
whats the problem with a company trying to change/improve their support? at least i would like to see them at least try rather than let it rot
Frankly, I see it being a relatively short-lived experiment that won't live long, or at the very least, it won't expand much beyond a couple of stores. Then again, people said much the same thing about the Apple Stores.
I still have the original Xbox, I don't like Xbox 360, so I sold it to a friend. I recently moved and the Xbox as a DVD player. The Power cable wouldn't work, it would pop a breaker in cable. Keep in mind that I bought this in like 2002 or 2001, whenever it came out. So I call Microsoft, the phone number on the label of the power cable. I tell them my serial number, and my info, I tell them that it is busted and they tell me, Good News, this is covered under a extended warranty, keep in mind that I am calling in 2009, 78- years later!
They sent me one about a week later.
So one tiny little Kudo for them!
I prefer the PS3, but I like the Original Xbox and still keep it around for the tube TV, keep it classic in the basement.
PC's? XBOX 360's? 360 games? Microsoft keyboards/mouses?
Windows OS software? MS Office? Server sofware? Zune? Surface Computer?
Well all these products are being sold in tens of thousands of stores al across the country already. what is going to be different about the XBOX 360 being sold in a Microsoft store, as compared to the same XBOX 360 being sodl in say Gamestop?
Plus Gamestop has plentty of console setups where you can try out and play XBOX 360 gamess already, so any 360 setp up in a Microsoft shop is not gonna be much different.
Unline apple, Microsoft doesn't even make PC hardware, so they are gonna have to sell PC's from HP,, Acrer etc if they sell PC's in their stores at all, and what is gonna be so different about that and the PC's being sold at best Buy?
Sounds like yet another waste of money to me.
:/
Why are there American Greetings or Hallmark stores when cards are sold at Wal-mart?
Why does Sony have stores?
What's wrong with carrying a product with your product on it? It's really that hard to understand?
Of course if MS was smart they would see how failed Gateway stores and Dell Kiosks have been and realize they are just blowing away money. Without an iphone and a closed system like Apple has MS has no chance in succeeding in a retail environment.
Is MS really going to offer free tech support akin to the genius bar that apple has????
Do they have anything that sells like the Ipod/Iphone?????
I don't think you need to be a psychic to realize this is going to fail.
Microsoft hass 3 times more mobile handsets using it's software than iPhone. They have been at this market a lot longer, thier problem... they market them to business people not consumers. I think Windows Mobile 6.5 will make major changes to the landscape there.
Zune was a great idea in it's time (and superior to iPod at release time) but the marketing and partner network for consumer devices is just not there.
XBox360, great consumer product and gaining great market share. In all markets but Japan it is the top console in use.
I think the overall problem that Micorosft has made over and over is that in the business space they rely on their partner network as the way to front thier technolgy. They just haven't figured out that sellling to consumers is a whole different business model but these stores are the first step inthe right direction.
I looked at a Mac when I went to replace a laptop recently ... can't afford it
McDonalds invested big bucks in scoping out the prime locations for their fast food stores. Got things rolling, put counters out on the golden arch for the number of burgers served. Then Burger King dropped in their stores across the stret or tucked behind the established McDonalds site.
Either brilliant "slip streaming" justified by raw capitalism or totally classless. Your call.
Why can many of you think on this lines instead of making comments like " another nail in the coffin " or MS being a copycat.
In this Economy, a company as large as MS entering the Retail Business, can only help not hurt if we all stop and think about the many people without jobs.
Thank you
thank you
- by AppleSuxLeo July 22, 2009 2:23 PM PDT
- If this guy is anywhere near as good as Jon Rubinstein is , Apple is going to have a headache over this.
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