To glimpse Windows' future, get thee to a Microsoft store

Getting to a Microsoft store isn't easy. That's a problem.

It's a problem because in the wake of the Windows 8 release late last month, the best selection of the coolest devices is at a Microsoft store. Throw in solid ambiance too.

Best Buy? I don't think so. Though my local Best Buy in Los Angeles has a few interesting Windows 8 PCs, like the Lenovo Yoga convertible, it's mostly business as usual.

Same old big box chaos with clam shells that look pretty much like the clam shells that were there last year.

And customers? Microsoft store customers actually seem to be interested in what they're buying, if not obsessing a little. Check out the photo below.

Customers obsessing over devices with lots of staff. Hmm... just like that other boutique store that sells laptops, tablets, and phones.

(Credit: Brooke Crothers)

OK, so that photo was taken on the day of the Microsoft Surface launch, but I've been back a few times since and the store is, if not packed, certainly bustling.

So, ... [Read more]