Well, it's uncharted territory, that's for sure. Imagine an EA retail store, or an Adobe shop at the mall. Hey honey, after you buy those shoes, let's hit the Vivendi genius bar!

Sony makes money from hardware: Sony stores are a success. Apples makes money from hardware: Apple stores are a success. Borland makes money from software: That's why you've never seen a frickin' Borland store.

I'll go on the record: Not only is a Microsoft retail store a bad idea, it's eminently mockable. Perhaps not as immediately funny as Songsmith, but it's close.