Microsoft Stores Are Great For Everyone... Except Microsoft

Whether Microsoft follows through with plans to ape Apple's Retail effort to the extent of having a "guru bar" or "answer bar," one thing is certain: Everyone except Microsoft will win. How? Take a look:

Apple:

Apple stores are no longer a mall novelty. Mac and PC users alike, in millions, have stepped in an Apple store. It will be painfully apparent how much Microsoft has "borrowed" from Apple.

PC Manufacturers:

While Apple owners may focus on Microsoft's copycat strategy, for the Dells and HPs of the world, Microsoft stores offer a chance to have their products showcased in what should be a far better environment than Best Buy/Walmart, etc.

Consumers:

Has Microsoft's Movie Maker caught up to the ease of use of iMovie? Truthfully, I don't know. But when the day comes that anyone can easily compare applications, at the local mall and decide for themselves which is best, everyone wins. Both Apple and Microsoft will be challenged to continue innovating.

So we say bring it on Microsoft, the sooner, the better. A lot of people are counting on you.

Demo back in the day...

As the guys here at TDL like to tease me about, I was geeky enough in 2000 to work a few Apple Demo days, happy to be a representative of my favorite brand, Apple Computer. I was so excited to be "working for Apple". It was not all stars and sunshine unfortunately.

The basic premise and set up was simple enough: encourage hesitant PC users wandering through Sears to check out an iMac. They mailed me a software pack, an iMovie tee shirt, and a few simple forms to fill out at the end of each Demo day.

I left for the mall my first day with such optimism. I was going to convert PC users to the Mac! After arriving at Sears and finding the frazzled electronics department manager to sign me in, I went to work. Once I installed the MS Word disc and a few other pieces of software on the main demo iMac, I hovered by the three demo iMacs they had, hoping for contact. After about a half hour, the only people I saw or talked to were the two teenagers working the Sears electronics department. They sort of sneered at me, "oh, you're here to sell those macs". Sigh. I thought I was. As lunchtime approached, I did have a few interested people- how does this thing work? It looks neat! It can run Word?! I heard it can't open any files from a PC...etc etc. I tried my best to correct all of the misinformed shoppers. I even did a quick demo of iMovie for a family with a teenage daughter that was looking to buy a computer. Unfortunately they decided the iMac was too expensive.

After 6 hours, no takers on my beautiful little iMacs. At the end of the day, I had the manager sign off that I was there, and asked him a few questions. "How many iMacs do you have in stock?"I asked. "3" the gruff reply. Um, what? I thought Apple was partnering with Sears to get a retail connection with the consumers- and apparently, if three of the people I talked with actually bought a computer, they'd be plumb out of them. Something smelled fishy about that. I tried to find out if they had just run out of stock, or if that was all they could get. He was fairly unresponsive, basically saying that was all the stock they needed.

Ouch.

I am so glad I was there at the beginning, a Customer Service Rep before Apple even had a bricks and mortar storefront. But it really shows us now just how far Apple has come. Imagine any teenager today walking into an Apple store and expressing shock that Macs can run Word (much less Windows!) In just 8 years, I went from Sears pariah to trendy for still having my old Demo Day tee.

Where are the Apple apps?

I think we're almost out of our version of "one more thing" regarding the WWDC keynote. But there's been one more discussion going on here at HQ I wanted to open up to everybody: Where are the iPhone apps from Apple?

The iPhone offers a lot of cool opportunities (at least we assume) beyond porting programs from other platforms. How about a lite version of iMovie intended for the YouTube crowd: record short video clips, then do basic cuts before posting directly to your YouTube or (get used to it) Mobile Me account.

And what about iPhoto? For the megapixel size of the camera, the iPhone takes great pictures, but why not allow the user to do basic image adjustments?

There's always the chance that Apple held back on their own software given that this was the Developer's Conference: focused on getting others to create apps for the platform. That said, is there any other way to showcase what the device can do than to show off Apple-created apps? We also hear how quick it is to develop for the phone. Developers come out and talk about only working on something for a month, and how easy it is to program. But how about showing us something that's been in development, possibly for years at Apple? Why not show us what's possible when a programming team can devote full attention to creating apps. With time, we'll either start to see these apps, or we'll have to wonder if maybe the SDK doesn't allow for the kind of groundbreaking development we had hoped.