Ron Johnson, the former head of Apple's retail store division, offered some praises for Microsoft's own stores in a new podcast interview, along with kudos for the company's Surface Pro 3 tablet.
Johnson started at Apple in 2000 and, under his guidence, launched the company's first retail stores in 2001. The stores became a massive success for Apple, but in 2011 Johnson left the company to become the CEO of J.C. Penney. His efforts for the clothing retailer were not nearly as successful and he was fired as CEO in 2013.
In an interview on the podcast for a16z, Johnson had this to say about both Microsoft Stores and the Surface Pro 3:
"I think the Microsoft stores have succeeded much more than popular opinion. [...] I think it's really helped, for instance, the Surface 3. It's a really great product and we all know that. Everyone who has tried a Surface 3 is pretty blown away with the software, the interaction, how it can be a tablet and a computer, its part of the future. Without those stores that Surface 3 wouldn't be where it is today."
Microsoft currently has over 100 combined standard and specialty store locations in the US and Canada. What do you think of Johnson's opinion of Microsoft's stores and the Surface Pro 3?
Source: a16z Podcast via 9to5Mac
