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Who is in line at the Microsoft Store?
October 28th, 2009, 11:47 pm · 41 Comments · posted by Niyaz Pirani
For the couple hundred people camped out in the parking lot at the Shops at Mission Viejo for the opening of California’s first Microsoft Store, the question isn’t Apple or Microsoft. The real question is: Microsoft or Justin Bieber?
As early as 3:45 p.m. Wednesday people began lining up for the grand opening of the store, only the second one in the nation, which opens at 10 a.m. Thursday. Lines are expected to swell to over 1,500 people.
Lured by tickets to a parking lot gig by Bieber, a Canadian tween pop sensation, kids and their parents are huddled in lawn chairs and blankets, trying their best to stay warm.
“I have a 15-year-old daughter who is a die-hard fan of Justin Bieber,” said Stefanie Tran, an Aliso Viejo mom 
who is camping out for daughter Nicolette. “We’re here for her … but I’ve heard about Windows 7 so I’m kind of excited about that. I want to see how it is.”
Not everyone is here for the show. Navid Zamani, of Laguna Niguel, will wait through the night with the hope that the Microsoft Store will stand toe-to-toe with the Apple Store.
“I’m just happy that they’re finally standing up against Mac. I’m surprised it took them so long to figure out that the Apple Store is the key to their success, to a degree,” he said.
There are advantages to coming early. Patrons including Kevin Pamittan, of Lake Forest, were already rewarded by Microsoft for their efforts.
Pamittan, pictured at top, recieved a Microsoft Zune HD for answering a simple Microsoft-related question. Employees also came to the line with a wheelbarrow full of free copies of Windows 7.
“It makes it worth while, coming out here. Not only just to see the store, but getting all this free stuff will make me a Microsoft fan even longer,” he said. ”I appreciate that they gave out Windows 7 because it shows their appreciation for people who are dedicated and spent the night.”
For information about opening day giveaways and the story behind the store, read the Register’s story about the Microsoft Store in Mission Viejo.
Follow the link to view a slide show showing who is in line a the Microsoft Store and what they had to say about the wait.
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Oh. I thought the line was for Farrell’s.
Wow to think people camp out to get a free copy of Windows 7 when you can just down load free from the Internets
Arrrr, mateys!
no they camped out to get justin bieber tickets
“I’m just happy that they’re finally standing up against Mac. I’m surprised it took them so long to figure out that the Apple Store is the key to their success, to a degree,”
Yeah, has nothing to do with apple making high quality, beautiful products (ofcourse at high prices too).
True, Apple does make high-quality, beautiful products. It’s my opinion that they’re overpriced. Having a brick and mortar store helps Apple create a more personal relationship with Apple. It’s the difference between ordering something from Apple’s website and walking into one of their stores, shaking hands with an employee, and getting personal assistance. Their customers will keep coming back.
This will be their new help desk strategy: no more annoying phone queues, just wait in person all night.
A WINDOWS store?? you could go to STAPLES, FRYS, TARGET, WALMART, OFFICE DEPOT, BEST BUY, Micro Center, or the Triple W “WORLD WIDE WEB”.
MS paid people to wait for the store to open. that is the only reason for the line
Another sign of the times. GDP grows 3.5%, government money putting people ‘back to work’ but now another extension of unemployment benefits… That’s how people find time to wait in line to see some celebrity, the taxpayer is paying them!
Funny that a company that makes software opens a ‘bricks and mortar’ store. Any guess on how long it lasts? I give it thru Easter 2010.
Californians will line up for anything. Form a line, and within two hours, there will be 200 people behind you who have no clue why they are there. It’s how we roll.
I”m a die hard Mac user, and Apple shareholder, so you won’t be seeing me at the Microsoft store. Leo Laporte, the Tech Guy, whom I have a lot of respect for, and who is a huge MAC fan, says that Windows 7 is very, very good though….just sayin’ Let’s give if time prooves that to be true.
As another mac fan, I’m surprised that no one has pointed out that the Apple store had 1000 people in line for the first iPhone and didn’t offer free anything except a spiffy shopping bag!
ARE THESE THE PEOPLE THAT COMPLAINT ABOUT THEIR HEALTH PROBLEM, TO BUSY TO GO TO THE GYM , AND CAUSING MEDICAL BILLS TO INCREASE BUT HAVE TIME FOR THIS STORE EVENT.
Microsoft store! Now there’s another original idea out of Redmond.
And why in Mission Viejo? The company with gigabits of money can’t afford a higher rent lease than that?
Since they can’t seem to sell any Zunes, they found a way to get rid of them.
The article said California’s first Microsoft store. This is incorrect. Microsoft opened a store at Sony Metreon in Downtown San Francisco many year ago.
Many of the people standing in line might be taking part in a Mac website’s contest to get the best picture of someone using an Apple product inside a Microsoft store. The prize is a new MacBook Pro system and color laser printer valued at $3500. One guy I talked to is going to try to get help from one of their experts with running Vista inside Parallels on his MacBook. I have a better idea, and fortunately the contest runs through mid-November.
APPLE HAS KICKED OUR ASS FOR YEARS.
HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE EVEN HEARD OF “ZUNE”. THAT’S OUR IPOD “KILLER” AND WE CAN’T EVEN GIVE IT AWAY.
IT’S PATHETIC MICROSOFT HAS TO LURE PEOPLE TO THEIR STORE WITH SOME TEEN POP SINGER.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOUR KID PLEADED WITH YOU TO GO LOOK AT A PC AT BEST BUY OR ANYWHERE VERSUS PLEADING WITH YOU TO GO TO THE APPLE STORE?
MSFT IS NOT AN INNOVATOR. THEY COPY. THEY COME IN LATE AND WIN THROUGH BEING A MONOPOLY. NETSCAPE IS A CASE IN POINT.
REGARDS,
STEVE BALLMER
I remember going to an Access Users Group meeting at the Micro$oft offices in Irvine several years ago. Before the meeting a Micro$oft rep “passed the hat” to take up a collection for refreshments!
When I went into the Apple Store all the clerk could talk intelligently (?) about was iTunes.
I have heard good things about Windoze 7 from some folks who have been using it since Alpha release, so there’s always hope.
Gee I wonder why most Californians are fat & lazy…I wonder how many of these losers took time away from their jobs or school; just to get some free stuff…I hope they all get jacked from some pisa from Santa Ana, they get what they deserve
Ok, two things…
a) Ok, these particular people have WAY too much time on their hands…..I waited in line to buy the iPhone….camping out is a whole other story. Seriously people, get a job, go to school, volunteer–do something that would make Pastor Obama & Co. happy. Apple or PC, camping out waiting for a retail store to open is plain retarded.
b) How is this “Microsoft Store” an ‘original’ idea? The only thing I see this doing is enabling Apple’s strategy by copying it….. I’m sure this has been said ad nauseum but imitation is the cheapest form of flattery.
TBH, I would love to see how many people mistakenly walk in for an iPod cable or a new Nano, and the sales monkey has to tell them its a “Microsoft Store”. LOL, priceless!
I bet that punk kid in the photo, doesn’t even have a job. His parents don’t even speak english…
Microsoft will always be the inferior, mediocre, second best to Mac. Lack of imagination, poor products, I could go on. Just because they are cheap is no excuse for poor quality. Pathetic that even their commercials only point out their cheapness…
The line has nothing to do with the opening of the store. Notice that 8 of the 9 pictures were of girls there to get the free Justin Bieber tickets?
I noticed that too. Lots of young girls who even tell Niyaz they’re there for Bieber tickets. Whatever works!
I hear it looks exactly like the Apple Stores right down to the Genius Bar. I am going in there today just to F with them. I am going to ask to see the Ipod Touch and the Imac.
I live in WA state.. just 10 mins from Redmond.. I am NOT a windows/microstuff user.. too many towers.. too many laps.. and soooo many problems!.. switched to MAC some years ago.. ya know. .never got a virus.. knock wood.. never stuck on a http://www.. not having to reboot!! now that is nice. very nice. I don’t care the price.. and not that bad either.. no matter what ya say. .lemme see. 5 microstuff puters in 9 years. ONE MAC in hmmm 4 or 5.. now that is progress. gotta love it! good luck windows.. it does provide great jobs in the community.. even tho they screw folks with “temps” and contract workers providing no benes for them.. but they continue to go to court for that.. they can afford the fines! LOL
What would be funny is if someone was listening to their Ipod to kill time while standing in line.
Its nice to see a windows store. this should be interesting.
The Apple store used to be cool back in 87′. They had everything, including really cool Indian tech guys who knew their stuff.They even used to give away their OS for free. Until they found out they could bank on it.
Huh? Apple didnt have stores back in 87. You bought Apples at Circuit City and other hardware retailers. And they practically give away the OS still, I only paid $29 for the latest version of OSX.
I paid more for my Mac, and its true you get what you pay for. I have a system that works when I want it to, can still be expanded, and doesnt crash or make me confirm three times anytime i want to do things. I dont have to spend a half hour every week installing critical updates or scanning my system for spyware or viruses. I dont think I’ll ever buy a straight Windoze PC again, if I need to boot Vista or XP or Windows 7, I’ll can use Boot Camp.
I dont know what Microsoft was hoping to accomplish with their store, but they already cant move Zunes unless they give them away, and besides the X Box, they would be competing with their own customers who pre-load Windows on every PC they assemble. I think these stores are going to be a costly failure for Microsoft, but they make so much cash selling buggy, beta level software for hundreds of dollars it doesnt really matter if they lose cash hand over fist trying to emulate Apple yet again.
But the Mac software isle is basically 2 shelves. I guess if you only want to surf the web or edit music/video a mac is the way to go…I guess
I have zero problems with my Vista box.. zero. You might want to try a windows OS that came out after windows 3.1
uh, that is a selection of their top sellers. they wouldn’t be able to make a store big enough to fit all of the software titles available for the mac. are you suggesting that the microsoft store is big enough to carry all the software titles available for a pc? if so, then i’m sad for microsoft. my how the might have fallen.
*sigh..
you are but a young lad..
YES there was and Apple store in Diamond Bar California. Back when they made Apple computers. Or maybe i should say, a certified Apple Dealership, kinda like Mac Guys in Newport.
It was 1987 and i went there to buy my first modem for my Apple IIgs. I believe it was a 2600 baud modem, made by Applied Engineering only $300 bucks
At the time the Mac had only been a few years old. There was a big fight between the apple users and mac users as apple was deciding to rid of the ‘Apple’ line of computers. A few years later they killed the Apple. *cry
In fact they recently changed their name from Apple Computer to Apple Inc. They stop making Apple computers ages ago. I will never buy a Mac… iphone maybe.
They need to revive the Apple and bring back Woz!
I wonder How many of those kids in line at the Microsoft store are passing the time away by listening to Justin Bieber on their Ipods.
I cant wait to buy a xbox and 4 gb zune.
Idiots
GL MS,
Went to the apple store to get the kid a iPhone and i found the whole experiance horrible. The workers were illiterate, arrogant jerks who turned me off to the whole “apple experiance”
Also, if I wanted a computer that never really crashes but doesn’t have much of a selection of software or games I would go with Linux…
I mean, is there an Apple emulator for windows? Theres several products to run Winsoftware on Macs
Agreed. Macs are great for people that need someone to hold their hand, relatively speaking. A limited set of functionality done up in a simple interface.
The Genius Bar and the whole Apple store experience is lacking. An elites culture wrapped in a shiny package.
And your point is? Is the point that I’m supposed to want a computer that is done up in a complicated interface and is difficult to use? No thanks. Why would I want a complicated piece of technology? Technology is supposed to make my life easier and more interesting, not harder and frustrating.
what’s innovative about copying a format that apple introduced over 8 years ago? also, apple opened their first store in a flagship location at tysons corner in virginia. mission viejo is hardly a flagship location.
it’s also nice that microsoft’s public relations department sent some foot soldiers down to “wait in line” and act like it was the second coming of the british invasion. no non-paid to be there person would be that excited about a store opening.
“Who is in line at the Microsoft store?”
answer: undercover microsoft employees and other hired “customers”.
Windows isn’t complicated. If Windows turns out to be too much and the software from Apple (or the smaller developers base) works for you… that’s great. Different strokes for different folks.
I own both and I’m hard pressed to find anything that’s a stand-out example why OS X 10.6 is better. Whatever works.
“nick says:” you are truly a twit and obviously an Apple Kool Aid Drinker and Mactard. ““Who is in line at the Microsoft store?”
answer: undercover microsoft employees and other hired “customers”.”
Hmmm, apparently Microsoft has about Ten Thousand “undercover employees and hired customers they can afford to pay while at the same time, like other Mega companies, they are laying off corporate employees around the country. (Hows that Hope and Change working for ya??)
Look people, “nick” is your typical MacTard. Delusional, Non-thinking, Lives in a Fantasyland and in his mothers basement (mainly because he has no money left after paying Stevie Gods the “Mac Premium” every 6 months when crApple makes the last release of Macs obsolete and the the new ones new for just 6 more months. ) Battery in your iPud die yet just a month after the warranty runs out, nick??
How about those history making buggy G3 - G4 iBooks that the US Gov made crApple extend the warranties to 3 years, the faulty G4 PowerBooks with premature failing LCD’s and now the buggy MacBooks and MacBook Pros?? Oh yeah, Apple and Quality - there’s an Oxymoron. Nick would know about Oxy morons.
“nick”, go and enjoy your OS X “Spinning Beach Ball of Wait n Wait ….”
Ouch!! That hurt, huh?