Microsoft opening café in Paris to build excitement for Windows 7
By Laura June 
posted Sep 24th 2009 1:36PM
posted Sep 24th 2009 1:36PM
You know what the French love? Cafés. They love them so much, apparently, that Microsoft has decided to open one in the heart of Paris to drum up excitement about Windows 7. The Windows café will serve coffee and pastries (it is a café, after all), and will also have Microsoft products -- such as the Xbox -- on hand for customers to play with, but it won't actually sell any Microsoft wares. The shop, which is currently being built at 47 Boulevard Sebastopol, will be open from October 22nd onward, so if you're in the area you should check it out before it's gone for good -- we hear it'll only be there for a few short weeks. Finally, a reason to go to Paris!
Learn how to use commas, please.
oh snap!
gosh, you guys are brutal...give it a rest. You should @ least read some of her blog posts...like this one http://www.songsexist.com/2009/08/confessions-of-fangirl.html before saying the English is poor.
http://twitter.com/laura_June
I thought sitting in a coffee shop with a laptop was popular with Apple users?
Garçon, a Royal Xbox for me, please.
It looks like some malevolent editor or virus just went through adding commas at random.
'...it is, a café, after all...'. Really?
Geez, a few of those sentences were like going down the hill and hitting the brakes at random unnecessary intervals.
Almost feel nauseous.
le windows 7
WinLatte!
Windows Cafe vs Starbucks...FIGHT!!!
Windows 8 should now be renamed to "Windows Caffeine". The next version of Windows will compete directly with Google Caffeine :)
> Learn how to use commas, please.
As a frenchman, I would say she wrote the article the french way!
We often make long sentences consisting of a main subject enriched with a plethora of details. Hence the commas, this is the only way to insert the details in a single sentence. Indeed sounds choppy to the non-french (just loved Alimas' comment)!
Speaking/writing english every day, I used to make such long sentences. Almost always confused the people I was talking to... Now I'm doing my best to cut them down into a set of shorter ones. Hope it is getting better now... ;-)
I love my tickle me plant
Microsoft strategy is now to implement every possible idea no matter how dumb and hopefully something will stick.
Hey can't knock them for trying. Clearing up their image can only help them in the long run.
So basically your saying unless your first at doing something never bother to do it. YAAA great mentality.
They don't have a strategy. Apple does.
Apple strategy? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA they make you think they have a strategy but its all smoke and mirrors. They just adapting as market changes same as everyone else.
You know Apple would release a product that would not be accepted by the public? ONly thing that has not been accepted is Apple TV. Apple strategy is simple, find something that people will like and make a product for it.
How is that a strategy? They do not have a grand scheme. At least MS has a interconnectivity strategy. Thats more than just market research strategy.
@ whitnorris - that's what's called "Spray and Pray" marketing. It's common in organizations that are bad at what they do, and have weak leadership.
@ Ryan - i hope you're being sarcastic... o_O
@whitnorris lol, I think next they should enter the professional dog show circuit. That's possibly the only ting they haven't tried
What Apple fanboys act like APPLE has some grand master plan for the next 30-100 years. They have no more a MASTER PLAN than any other company.
> Apple strategy is simple, find something that people will like and make a product for it.
Actually, you've proven the point that Apple has more a strategy than most companies of its size. Microsoft, up to like 2-3 years ago, didn't check what people really liked. They just made some changes and put the rest of the money in marketing so that people would like it. That's a hell of a difference.
They're changing, and it's for the best of the customer. Many companies should check what Microsoft/Apple are doing right now and try to focus on what the customer likes. Sony, Dell, HP...
Well, everyone knows Windows Mobile has died. The next logical
step for Microsoft is entering the coffee business where MS will have
much easier time to compete. WinLatte is coming!
well.. I won't mind to play xbox while buying coffee on the way to school...
That cafe looks kinda depressing...
It's kind of gutted and empty at the moment... I think all buildings look like that when they start out.
I'm all for having a 360 in a cafe, nice way to meet people.
Heh, they say "The Windows Café will open on October 22th 2009. Until then, don't hesitate to surf online from the pavement!"
Does that mean they have free Wi-Fi while they build it? Neat!
Will this be on Google Maps Street View?
That'd be much easier.
If you think a Microsoft café is finally a reason to go to Paris, then you've obviously not been to Paris!
I have been to Paris many times, and there are thousands of better reasons to visit than this...
I'll use Win7 when it comes, but this marketing and buzz building is cringe making. Does anyone in marketing at Microsoft have a brain or just a giant budget to blow?
The party videos almost made me throw up. Is that what sells in US adverts?
But come on, imagine taking your snooty French buddies to the cafe and hosting your very own fun filled release/party there!
judging by the sheer numbers of cranes over in Redmond, I believe the answer is the latter.
Eh? Microsoft has a professional marketing department? One wouldn't think so.
Funny thing is people will talk about the videos no matter how stupid they are. And because most people agree that the OS is good regardless of the silly marketing they put out, any increase in Windows 7 chatter is good chatter.
Now, all of this is based on the fact that Windows 7 is a pretty decent OS. When you combine millions of dollars of marketing with a product that's not ready to go to market, well... you know. :)
With my EPIC Windows 7 launch party, there will be no need to build anymore excitement!
I'm taking the day off work to decorate my house with all of the free Windows 7 swag they're sending me. I will then spend my party installing a free copy Windows 7 Ultimate. After some beverages, I'll embarrass myself by taking my pants off. It won't matter because all of my guests be me, as I used all of my email addresses to invite myself 10 times. My browser will mysteriously find itself on a porn site. After that whole affair, I can use the free Windows 7 napkins to clean myself off. I love Microsoft and all of their free shit.
Someone likes iTunes?
I'm already planning the Windows 7 SP1 launch party.
This reminds me of a "Get a Mac" commercial where PC is dividing his money into piles of "Fix Vistas Flaws" and a much larger pile called "Advertisement".
Except in this version they did both, and then took off in a jetpack?
For the record: Apple spends more on advertising then does Microsoft. This is called irony. Look it up.
Seems to have worked thus far.
Apple does very little "R & D" for the latest iTouch and Nano - add a faster chip to the iTouch and a camera to the nano, then spend mucho bucks advertising how great their new innovations are (I saw 3 Nano commercials in one half of the football game last Sunday).
But Apple shall not be held to the same standards that they acuse others of.
This is the ONLY reason to go to Paris.
That reads like Canadian French. I don't know if true French from France uses slang like "surfer".
Yes we do!
Oooh la la...
Drinking espresso and eating pan au chocolate in Paris...and using Windows 7.
"c'est la merde!"
The first two ruined by the last. Blechh.
That joke might have had a chance at being funny...if you were referring to Vista.