Microsoft used to have a store in San Francisco -- in the Metreon Mall. They carried a lot Microsoft-logo-covered scwhag -- the kind of stuff they give away at

Microsoft used to have a store in San Francisco -- in the Metreon Mall. They carried a lot Microsoft-logo-covered scwhag -- the kind of stuff they give away at conferences -- mistakingly thinking that people would want to buy that stuff for their home. One disadvantage, from a retail perspective, is that there's no way to make a a table full of computers from different vendors look beautiful. No matter what you do, it will end-up looking like a mishmash of mostly ugly plastic machines. They should definitely follow in Apple's footsteps and give people free access to the Internet -- that will, at a minimum, fill the store with people and give the illusion that people are buying stuff. I think that worked to Apple's advantage.