The news services are abuzz with news that Microsoft is planning to open their own retail stores. Emotions appear to be mixed as to whether this is a good idea or not, with most coming out against the idea.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090213.wgtmsft0213/BNStory/Technology/home
In a related article, today’s Globe and Mail discusses the health of retail stores based on their inventory levels. (http://snipurl.com/bvkfa [www_theglobeandmail_com] ).
What exactly does Microsoft intend to sell in these stores? While most people think of Microsoft as the company that makes Windows and Office, they actually make a whole host of products including hardware and software. The one thing they do not make is computers. They just make stuff that runs on other people’s computers. And the stuff they make is available pretty much everywhere, from online to offline sources.
Microsoft is in a tail spin. Their ideas are far from novel. They keep following paths blazed by others. But there is nothing new in this. DOS was not theirs, nor was Windows, or Office, or just about anything else they have come up with. Even their internet ventures are lacking. They are geniuses at marketing, but even that seems to be waning.
They have the money, they have the people with brains gallore, all they seem to be lacking is the vision to move forward in a particular direction. Small stuff.
Opening stores is a bad idea for Microsoft. Time for a reboot, something Windows users are only too familiar with.
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An interesting article that supports Microsoft in their new ventture:
http://snipurl.com/bzgzl [blogs_eweek_com]
