So I’m contemplating whether or not to continue fueling People of Microsoft Stores (yes, I realize its initials are PMS, which makes it all that much better when referring to Microsoft!).
Is there enough interest in continuing this site? I can only continue if there’s community support. Leave your comments below and let me know.
Nortel Networks, Remington, Eastman Kodak: The list of once-thriving and now-defunct or moribund technology companies reads like the stops on an abandoned railway line. You can add Microsoft to that list. It’s well on its way to obsolescence. Nothing can be done. It’ll take a long time – decades – but this $200-billion (U.S.) company is finished.
The problem is that Microsoft is utterly incapable of innovation. Over the past three years the company has spent about $25-billion on research and development. What do shareholders have to show for that investment? Vista, an operating system that users were frantically uninstalling within days of loading the cumbersome beast onto their laptops? Zune, the supposed competitor to Apple’s iTunes and iPod? Kin One and Kin Two, Microsoft’s answer to the smart phone? Two intense years in the making before they hit store shelves, they were pulled after two months and scrapped.
The Dark Ages of Computing are finally over. Welcome to a new world of fun and innovating products and ideas. Now we can start living and stop suffering. I wonder how long it will be before the Microsoft retail stores shut down and then I have nothing left to mock here? 
June 24th was the grand opening of the Microsoft Store in Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego, California. The San Diego store marks Microsoft’s fourth crushing blow into the retail “sheep farming” space.
The Microsoft Store is just yards away from the Apple Store, which means it was “competing for attention” (HAHA) with the massively long line of people hoping to get their hands on the new iPhone 4 (iPhone FTW).
The grand opening event was promoted on local radio stations and featurse a performance by Demi Lovato this today (Saturday, June 26). In an effort to draw a crowd, Microsoft was giving away tickets to a meet and greet with Demi Lovato to the first 100 people in line. The first 1,000 people got “VIP treatment” for today’s show (whatever that means). For those of you who don’t know who Demi Lovato is, she’s one of the latest “jokes” to come out of Disney. Great choice of “celeb” Microsoft! Let’s cater to the 5 year olds and sell them computers that have less features than their toy computers!
In addition, professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek was signing autographs. Microsoft Store employees were also raffling off electronic devices like the Microsoft Zune, the new Flip camera, miscellaneous laptops and gadgets, and giving away gift cards.
It’s pretty apparent that no one gave a crap about the Microsoft Store. They just wanted to oogle over a teen pop star that will probably ultimately fail just as bad as Miley Cyrus lately. And we wonder why we’re in an economic slump? *gag*
Full story, including video confession for why people are actually in line, can be found here.
“We are half-way through 2010 and the ship date for Office for Mac 2011 is drawing near,” Jake Hoelter, Product Unit Manager, Microsoft’s Macintosh Business Unit (MacBU) blogs for “Mac Mojo: The Office for Mac Team Blog.”
“In Office 2011, we’ve made investments in better compatibility between Office for Mac and Windows Office, which is the largest request we receive from customers,” Hoelter reports. “We think we have some outstanding improvements to show you in this area, and we’ll continue to share details in coming weeks.”
“Our work to increase compatibility means we haven’t completed the transition of moving the entire user interface over to Cocoa yet,” Hoelter reports. “And because Apple’s frameworks require us to complete the move to Cocoa before we can build a 64-bit version, Office 2011 will be 32-bit only.”
Leave it to the Microtards to introduce old technology in a new software product coming out late this year….
June 10th was a big *cough* day in Denver, Colorado. Microsoft came to town, opening a new front in its “well-publicized” retail war with Apple. The big question is how Microsoft’s store compares. I’ll be honest; I don’t see a huge difference. Both are clean, open spaces, built to get customers playing with technology.
OH! OH! OH! *Raises hand* I know the difference! One has customers and advanced technology that’s useful!