A preview of Sarasota's first Microsoft Store
Move over, Apple. The guys from Redmond are here.
At 10:30 a.m. Thursday today for print, Microsoft Inc. will open its store at the Mall at University Town Center, part of a major retail expansion the Washington state-based company began in 2009.
“Before the stores, people were buying Microsoft technology, but they couldn't talk to Microsoft,” store manager Scott Pokorny said Wednesday.
Now you can. Besides selling all things Microsoft, from fitness watches to Surface tablets to Xbox games and consoles, the store's employees are trained to help existing customers “with a one-stop shop for technical questions, troubleshooting and repairs.”
If you know where the Apple store is, this one is easy to find. Instead of turning left as you enter the mall's “Grand Court," make your first right and you won't be able to miss the Microsoft store, on your right.
On Wednesday, while reporters were getting a preview of what is inside, a five-person team of Microsoft IT specialists were setting up a large double-sided screen right in the middle of the walkway. Like the 20-foot-tall banners hanging from the Grand Court's elevator, these screens are set up so it becomes difficult to ignore the new store.
While the team was kibitzing with each other about setting up the screens, Microsoft IT team principal Scott Jarnagin explained that most of the heavy lifting is done.
“We're just here to support the store, in case something breaks,” Jarnigan said. “There's a tremendous effort that goes into a new-store build-out. Everyone wants it just right."
Other Microsoft workers handed out flyers to those passing by the papered-over entrance to the store, trying to encourage a line by 10 a.m. for the opening at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday. They were talking up three grand-opening deals. The two you can probably count on are a Dell Inspiron 15 laptop for $399 or an HP Stream 7-inch tablet, including a 32-gigabyte memory card, for $49.
The store will dish out a limited number of Xbox One consoles equipped with the Kinect sensor for $299 each and will sell Xbox Ones without Kinect for $199 per unit.
Straight ahead inside the store's entrance, visitors will find a couple of tables covered with Surface 3 machines. Unveiled in early May, Surface 3 is the latest version of Microsoft's tablet with a touch screen and a removable keyboard.
Customers cannot buy a Windows 10 PC or tablet before July 29, but they can test drive the latest version of the company's operating system at the store.
Pokorny said Windows 10 combines the best features of Windows 8 with easier access to features people were accustomed to on earlier versions of Windows, such as the Start menu and a “desktop” with normal-sized icons.
Pokorny has a staff of 30 to run this store seven days a week.
Like the Apple store 138 paces away in the same first floor hallway, the emphasis is going to be on free advice and even free trouble-shooting.
The Apple store opened when the mall did, back in October.
This is the eighth Microsoft store in Florida. At the same time, the company is opening in Frisco, Texas; Wayne, New Jersey; and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Counting those three and the one in Sarasota, there are 115 Microsoft stores in North America.
Microsoft Store grand opening When? Thursday 10:30 a.m. Where? Lower level near Grand Court, Mall at University Town Center, 140 University Town Center Drive. Promotions: A limited number of customers in line early will have the opportunity to play Xbox One with Derrick Brooks, football star and NFL Hall of Famer. That event happens at 6 p.m. On June 11 customers will be able to purchase a Dell Inspiron 15 for $399. Microsoft will also offer a HP Stream 7 tablet for $49. What's special? Microsoft will kick off the store with a ribbon-cutting and presentation of nearly $1 million in technology grants to four local non-profit organizations: Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium; Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast; Girls Inc. of Sarasota County; Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida; Manatee Community Action Agency; and Children First. Website: www.microsoftstore.com/universitytowncenter Go to facebook.com/microsoftstore for the latest updates.