One thing that I forgot to mention earlier when I posted about the new Microsoft store in Bellevue is the interesting problem that the location poses to Microsoft. As I said the store is about 3-4 spaces down from the Apple store, which I can only assume was intentional on Microsofts part.
On the other side of the Apple store (the non-Microsoft side) is two doors and then Nordstrom. I can tell you from first hand experience just what that means on an iPhone launch day – it means the iPhone line snakes down and will go directly in front of the Microsoft store.
How awkward is that?
Not for the people waiting for the iPhone, but for everyone in the Microsoft store including the employees. Think about it, to my knowledge there has been no line where people have waited hours and hours in 300+ people lines to get a Windows Phone 7.
So that means come another iPhone/iPad launch everyone in the Microsoft store will have to stare at the droves of people lining up to buy one thing from their competition. I don’t know if this is bad or good, Microsoft could use it to their advantage and try to woo people with their competing products (walking through the line showing off a slate or Windows Phone 7 perhaps) or it could prove to be completely demoralizing for Microsoft.
Either way it should be interesting to see.