Industryweek 2962 Microsoft

Microsoft Stores to 'Pop up' on October 26

Oct. 2, 2012
"Microsoft is excited to expand on its existing retail footprint to deliver an assortment of best-in-class products and a premium retail experience to new locations," the U.S. tech giant said in a statement.

Scores of real-world Microsoft (IW 500/15) stores will "pop up" in the U.S. and Canada on October 26 to showcase the technology giant's latest gadgets including the new Surface tablet computer.

Microsoft websites on Tuesday promised that temporary, holiday-season shops with a "curated collection of Microsoft's coolest products" would open their doors on the date.

"Microsoft is excited to expand on its existing retail footprint to deliver an assortment of best-in-class products and a premium retail experience to new locations," the U.S. tech giant said in a statement when the shops were announced.

"The holiday stores continue to offer customers the opportunity to learn new technology skills and get the most out of their Microsoft-enabled devices."

The list of more than 60 locations for the shops -- known as pop-ups because they have short or seasonal commercial leases -- included in New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Vancouver and Toronto.

The company, which has been in the process of opening permanent retail stores in several U.S. cities, is seeking to break into the competitive market for tablet computers with Surface, set to be released October 26.

Surface tablets are powered by new generation Windows 8 software set for release at the same time. Microsoft shops are likely to feature arrays of Windows 8 devices made by hardware partners.

Surface, which will compete against the market-leading iPad and others, features a flip-out rear "kickstand" to prop it up like a picture frame and a cover that, when opened, acts as a keypad so tablets could be switched into "desktop" mode for work tasks.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2012

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

What Does Agility Look Like for Today's Auto Industry?

Dec. 4, 2023
Without modern technologies, enterprises aren't able to fully analyze the risks and respond to ongoing supply chain issues and semiconductor shortages.

Process Mining For Dummies

Nov. 19, 2023
Here it is. Everything you need to know about process mining in a single book, written in the easy-to-understand, hard-to-forget style that ‘For Dummies’ manages so effortlessly...

The Benefits of Continuous Thermal Monitoring

Oct. 17, 2023
Read this eBook to learn more about collecting and using data intelligently to improve performance.

Gain a competitive edge with real-world lessons on private 5G networks

Nov. 16, 2023
The use of private networks in manufacturing applications is rapidly growing. In this paper, we present valuable insights and lessons learned from the field with the goal of enhancing...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!